Guard Me

My heart raced as Christine dragged me away from her father's grave and the dark figure atop it. I wrapped my arms about her once we were settled in my carriage. She was trembling fiercely, yet despite the night's chill I knew it was not the cold which affected her. She clung to my coat, her knuckles white, and I allowed my hands to wander over her thick curls in an attempt to calm her.

"It's all right, Christine, I'm here now…You don't have to do anything, you don't have to sing in Don Juan, we can go away tonight…" I babbled softly, all my former plans driven out of my mind by the singular thought of Christine's safety. I had seen my enemy face-to-face, as it were, and suddenly understood the true danger involved. She pulled away from me slightly and shook her head, her eyes serious as they met mine. "No, Raoul," she insisted, "you were right. I must sing, it's the only way…he'll find me anywhere we go…"

"If you're certain," I whispered after staring at her for a few moments, not wanting her to make a decision she would regret. Christine nodded then raised a hand to my cheek. I took her slender fingers in mine, pressing my lips to her palm, and breathed reassurances that no matter what I would guard her life with my own.