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Another day at the opera, it's Lenore's job, it's her only place which guarantees a bed, meal and roof over her head. She has no reason to complain.
If anything she's the more fortunate of the girls at the opera, her talents get her better roles which then in turn allows her to get more privileges.
Especially since she has been blessed with an angel. An angel who helps her sing, an angel who gives her miracles that wouldn't be possible to achieve otherwise.
For some reason things, coincidences, happen in her favor. Leads suddenly lose their voices and Lenore has to cover for them because she's the only person who knows all the songs and lines. Every new show announced Lenore teaches herself all the main leads just for a chance.
But money always wins in the end, the daughter of a rich nobleman always gets to be the main love interest with the best songs and the best role. Even though she clearly doesn't deserve it. Or on the other hand, the untalented handsome man ends up the lead due to his looks. Which Lenore can only scoff at.
Though fate ends up leaving Lenore as an understudy, and her angel always reassures that she is the most talented in the opera house. People wonder who is her amazing, blessed and wonderful tutor that Lenore talks about. Her friends always show envy that they cannot get a meeting with them just for an hour so they can be just as great.
But her Angel is a secret, she only comes to Lenore late at night when she doesn't expect it. She comes when she can tell Lenore needs it the most, she arrives in Lenore's dreams, with her alluring and majestic voice and music. She can't ever remember the songs, but she can remember the feeling of listening to them. It makes her feel special.
Earlier this evening the Primadonna of the show, Ada mysteriously came down with an illness which made her lose her voice. In Lenore's opinion there wasn't a voice to lose, she sounded like a screaming child when she sang. She was utterly and completely tone deaf, but her father has plenty of land and power to get her in such a position. So Lenore can only bite her tongue, nod and smile.
If being completely and utterly untalented wasn't enough, she seems to be the only one who is unaware of her lack of skill to sing. She has convinced herself that she owns the opera house, she doesn't. She bosses around other people who have no relevance towards her, she at times steals other people's perfumes, blushes and shows just because she believes she is entitled to it.
She's only ever shown kindness and adoration to the main male love interest, Prospero. Lenore believes he is one of the most talented people in the opera house, shame he can't stay to perform much. He shows disdain towards her and everyone can tell.
So when Ada comes down sick and Lenore is called to take over her role for the evening, she is ready to give her all. She is prepped to an encore, to impress her angel. She carefully warms up her voice, she gets into the perfect costume. She takes her deep breaths and walks out on stage with such confidence.
Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye
Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you'll try.
When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free.
If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me.
Truly a night to remember, she noticed how she made some people in the audience tear up at times. She made sure to look up to notice a particular booth which is reserved for the “lady in white”.
The story goes that a rich spinster with land, power and money would come to the opera and watch the shows in that very booth almost every night. Then one day she was shot by one of her lovers in the said booth. Whenever someone sits in that booth it is said they will receive bad luck, once a man sat there and the next day he had died in his sleep. However he was in his 80s and had numerous illnesses.
Whenever something breaks in the opera house, they say they have angered the lady in white somehow. The old owner never rented out the booth that she sits in, but these new owners completely ignore the superstitions which people in any form of theater take very seriously.
However she is not all cruel, if anything she can be protective of the actors in the theater at times. If you respect her of course, this one time. An actress got ashamed off the stage due to her voice cracking multiple times, Lenore saw with her own eyes that a large curtain fell on the front row.
So if you are talented as the lady in white eyes, you truly have a voice blessed by Apollo. The applause Lenore received lasted for many minutes. Flowers thrown in her direction from every angle, the compliments from people after the show seemed to be endless. She was incredibly proud of herself.
She was positive that somewhere within herself..her angel was watching and observing with such adoration. When she returns back to her room she adorns her room with her mass amounts of flower bouquets. Reads the compliments in some letters which were noticeably for Ada.
The late evening arrives, it is almost midnight when it happens. When the rest of the Opera house falls asleep, the stage has been sweeped of its petals and dust. The candles have been blown out and the place remains silent.
Lenore remains awake, high on adrenaline from the performance. She hopes to do it again tomorrow. She stares at herself in the mirror and combs out her hair while humming a tune from the show. In the mirror she sees her, the lady in white.
She jumps back in surprise, but when she turns around she has disappeared into the night. As if it couldn't get scarier, all the candles in her room went out in an instant. The flowers died in an orderly fashion which seemed to be following something.
Was she being cursed by the lady in white?
“Come with me Lenore…” she hears the lady in white say in a familiar voice. Which sends chills down Lenore's back in an instant.
“Who are you?” Lenore says into the empty, dark and now cold room.
“I am your Angel of music, pet.” Says the lady in white.
Lenore doesn't respond, because of her shock. Was she being blessed by a ghost? She surely must have. If a spirit had given her the gift of a beautiful voice she must be extraordinary in a way for her to gather her attention. A thing she does not give out for free.
One of the mirrors in her room suddenly reveals a tunnel leading to something new. The tunnel is very alluring and Lenore can't help but follow. The lady in whites voice is also so majestic, it's true that she is an angel of music. Her appearance is also that of an angel, with a white gown pardon the red hole in the center of her chest. Not that Lenore was staring.
In sleep she sang to me, in dreams she came.
That voice which calls to me, and speaks my name.
And do I dream again? For now I find…. The lady in white is there… inside my mind
She sings to her, her voice carries through the tunnel, which then leads to a grand and beautiful ballroom. Gold is crested in every crease, and the floors shine so grand they can reflect every detail on Lenore's outfit. When Lenore turns around she has noticed that the entrance has disappeared like magic.
Sing once again with me, our strange duet
My power over you grows stronger yet.
And though you turn from me to glance behind.
The lady in white is there. Inside your mind
Once they leave the ballroom, they then enter once again another tunnel. The lady in white holds a torch while holding Lenore's hand and guides her down the steep and dark stairs. She still continues to trust her.
Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear…
They walk to a river, which has a boat laying on the water. The lady in white guides her to sit in the boat and she paddles across the water to a gate.
It's me they hear…
Our spirit and our voice, in one combined
The lady in white is there. Inside your mind.
(Beware the lady in white)
“Sing Lenore…for me..” the lady in white says in a gentle demand
She does, in a beautiful tune. One that can draw attention from any person, one that can kill. Like a siren.
“Sing for me, my Angel of music.” The lady white says again
Lenore continues, hitting notes from her performances which are almost impossible for others to do. Her harmonies are angelic and she doesn't stop.
The lady in white is her angel of music, she has taught her all that she knows. She has guaranteed her position in the opera house and has secured her fame and adoration. Likewise, the lady in white is also so incredibly beautiful in her own way. Her cold yet alluring form attracts Lenore even without her voice.
She doesn't even notice how cold it gets, the singing has kept her warm and her clothes have too. It seemed as if she was in another consciousness, which was controlled by the lady in white. Lenore has no objections. In Fact she is grateful.
Lenore doesn't know why the lady in white has chosen to give her all of this attention, but she won't complain. She owes her so much, and she knew she was talented. Even when other girls got the leads and Lenore was pushed into the back.
The lady in white saw all of it, every detail. She saw and observed and protested in her own ways. She cursed them to make room for her favorite, which was Lenore the entire time. From the moment Lenore started working at the opera house, she had always felt something was different. Like someone had been watching her, she assumed it was her Angel of music. But in a sense it was both her Angel and the lady in white.