Hello! I'm back yet again, but this time I decided to write a real story instead of just a oneshot. It might take a while for updates to come since I'm still developing ideas for this story, but if your patient, I'm sure this story will be a success (I hope!). Anyway, hope you enjoy the first chapter!
Victor Van Dort stood at the head of the dull, gray little chapel located in the center of the dull little town. The situation he was in, however, was anything but dull. All about him, people were bustling about, arranging flowers or straightening pews and making last minute preparations for a wedding that was less than an hour away.
My wedding, Victor thought incredulously. After months of impatient waiting, his wedding to Victoria was a mere hour away. He didn't think he could stand waiting another second, however.
It is my own fault the wait was so long, Victor admitted. After all, you don't marry a corpse and expect everything to return to normal right away.
And boy, did it take some time for things to return back to normal. After the dead returned to their respected places after Victor and Emily's near wedding, the entire town confronted Victor and Victoria and forced them to explain their entire story. It took some time for them to grasp the reality of the situation, but once they did things began to calm down and return to normal.
There was, however, one change: Victor and Victoria became the sort of outcasts of the town. However willing the townspeople were to except the explanation Victor and Victoria gave them, they still viewed the two as the anomalies that caused the dead to walk the earth. This caused the town folk to avoid the pair as if they had the plague or were possessed by evil spirits of some sort (they had Pastor Galswells to thank for that assumption). Victor and Victoria didn't mind much (neither of them were ever particularly found of the people that inhabited the town), but it did put a hinder on their marriage plans.
It took about a month for the people to realize that Victor and Victoria were not diseased or cursed, but as soon as that problem cleared up, another arose. Maudeline Everglot, being adamant on saving face in any way, insisted that Victoria was still technically the Widow Bittern, and would therefore have to wait an appropriate amount of time before running off and marrying again. So, for the next five months, poor Victoria was forced to wear nothing but black and pretend that she was in mourning for the lowlife she had been forced into wedlock with.
Now, six months subsequent to the Corpse Bride incident, Victor was finally standing at the front of the church, ready and waiting to be married. All that was missing now was the bride.
Where is Victoria, Victor wondered as he scanned the church anxiously. After a minute or two, he finally spotted her at the opposite end of the church, speaking to a few of the wedding guests. He was about to go over there and speak with her, but instead Victor decided to take a moment and study her.
She certainly is beautiful, Victor thought as he gazed upon her. Only Victoria could take such a simple dress and turn it into something spectacular.
Victor felt his heart swell with emotion as the guest apparently said something witty and caused Victoria to giggle in delight. Oh, did he love her so. And to think he could have easily missed out on simple moments such as this, just gazing upon the one he loved.
Upon realizing this, Victor's thoughts drifted back to Emily. He wondered what she was doing at that very moment. He hoped she was happy.
She must be happy, Victor thought, I set her free. Victor sighed.
During the past six months, Victor had a lot of time to reflect on what it would have been like to be married to Emily. He imagined how they would spend their eternal lives down in the Land of the Dead, what they would take about, and the times they would share, and he realized it wouldn't have been that terrible. He realized that not only would he have fell in love with Emily, but that a tiny part of him already did love her. No, he definitely wouldn't have been miserable.
But that part that loved her would never compare to the love he felt for Victoria. He loved her with a love that overwhelmed everything else, and he knew that even though he would have been happy with Emily, there would always be a big part of him that would feel lost and alone without Victoria. Victor had realized that that definitely would not have been fair to Emily. Eventually both of them would have ended up heartbroken and miserable.
Victor turned his attention back to his bride to be and smiled. Things turned out just as they should have, he thought. I'm sure they did.
Just as Victor thought that thought, the guest Victoria was speaking to bid farewell to her and Victoria began to make her way towards him. His heart leapt with excitement as she approached him and took him by the hand.
"Follow me," she whispered to him. Victoria then proceeded to lead Victor out and around the side of the church where it was totally secluded.
"Victoria, not that I'm not glad to be with you, but what's this about," Victor asked her.
"I just needed to get away from the chaos for a while," she explained. "I wanted to be with you and just you alone." Victor blushed, which caused Victoria to smile in delight.
"Well, I'm glad you did, because I don't think I would have been able to stand another minute in there," Victor confessed timidly.
"Yes, the family can be quite…characterful, to say the least," Victoria said, her eyes dancing with amusement.
"The very least," Victor agreed.
"I just can't wait for this wedding to be over," Victoria admitted, "when we can go off and live the rest of our lives in peace."
"Just the two of us," Victor added with a loving smile, to which Victoria returned with one of her own. Victor could feel his heart grow warm as he began to think about all the things he and Victoria would share in the future, the children that were to come, the memories they would make…
At those thoughts, Victor's impatience for the wedding to begin grew. "When is the wedding supposed to begin," he asked.
"By the looks of the sun, I would say about fifteen minutes from now," Victoria answered with excitement.
"Well, since we have time to spare," Victor began to say nervously, "Victoria…there-there was something that I always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity to do so."
"What is it Victor," Victoria asked gently.
"Well, I-I hope you do not think me a fool, but…" Victor said as he walked over to her side. He took her left hand in his own and bended down on one knee.
"Oh Victor," Victoria gasped in surprise. A look of regret passed through Victor's eyes.
"I do apologize, Victoria. I knew this was silly," Victor said as he began to rise, but Victoria put her hand gently on his shoulder to prevent him from doing so.
"No, no, Victor, it's not silly at all. Please continue," she said. Victor smiled in delight and cleared his throat.
"Victoria," he began, "my entire life, I've never felt that I had anyone who I could truly love and relate with. I felt alone and lost most of the time. But upon meeting you, all of those feeling disappeared, and I finally felt as though I…well…belonged." Victor took in a deep breath before continuing.
"You brought me out of darkness and gave my life a whole new meaning, and for that alone I will love you forever. Victoria….w-will you marry me?"
Tears glistened in Victoria's eyes, and it took her a moment before she could answer him. "Oh Victor…of course I will marry you," she finally said. She gently pulled Victor up to his full height and embraced him tightly. Victor gladly returned the favor and sighed happily, thrilled to know that the rest of his life (and possibly afterlife) would be filled with more moments such as these.
Suddenly, the loud clanging of the church bell interrupted their affectionate moment. Victoria regretfully pulled away from Victor and gently wiped a tear from her eye.
"This is it," she said, her voice full of elation. "Are you ready?"
"I've been ready," Victor replied with a smile. He offered Victoria his arm and was about to lead her into the church when she suddenly remembered something.
"Just a minute," she cried as she slipped away from Victor's grasp. Victoria ran over to some bushes lining the church and pulled something out from behind them. It wasn't until she was back at his side that Victor recognized the flowers Emily had tossed to Victoria the night of his near wedding.
"I hid them here a couple of days ago," Victoria explained. "Somehow, the wedding wouldn't feel complete without them." Victor smiled affectionately at her, amazed at what a kind, caring woman she had turned out to be. He offered her his arm once more and together they walked up to the church doors.
"I'll see you inside," Victor told her as he let go of her arm. He kissed her gently on the cheek and walked inside to the head of the church.
"Where have you been," he vaguely heard his mother, Nell Van Dort, cry. "We've been looking all over for you!"
"So like a fish merchant's child, to disappear five minutes before his own wedding," Maudeline Everglot said in arrogant disdain.
"Now just what is that supposed to mean," Nell demanded to know.
"Well if I have to explain, I have very well proven my point, now haven't I," she replied, her head held high in a pompous manner.
"Now see here…" Nell said in a threatening tone, which began a string of arguments flying back and forth between both families until none of what any of them were saying was understandable. Victor knew he should do something to intervene, but at the moment he didn't care what was taking place about him. All he could think about was the fact that his wedding was a mere five minutes away…that is, if his parents and future in-laws ceased arguing long enough for it to take place.
"Silence," Pastor Galswells' voice suddenly boomed through the tiny church. Everyone immediately ceased talking and obediently took their seats.
"Now, this wedding shall begin," he announced rather ominously. He nodded to the organ player at the corner of the church, which cued the rather depressing sounding wedding music.
Upon this cue, the men standing at the back of the church opened the doors and Victoria began to slowly make her way down the aisle.
Though Victor had seen her not but five minutes ago, he was still taken away by her beauty, especially with the late sunset light shining about her through the open doors.
"She looks like an angel," Victor whispered unintentionally.
"Silence, fool," Pastor Galswells commanded him. Victor jumped in surprise, but quickly regained his composure and turned his attention back to Victoria.
Once she reached his side, Victor took her hand and began to recite his vows.
"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows," he said as he led her over to the table and lifted the cup that was sitting there. "Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine." He put down the cup and lifted a candle. "With this candle," he recited as he lit it, "I will light your way in darkness." Victor placed the candle in its holder and took out the ring from his pocket. "With this ring, I ask you to be mine."
Victor felt his heart leap in excitement at the fact that he recited his vows perfectly. The hard part was over, which could only mean one thing…
"I now pronounce you man and wife," Pastor Galswells announced. Victor and Victoria looked at each other and smiled ecstatically. "Go in peace," he concluded.
And with that, the wedding was over. After months and months of waiting, Victor and Victoria were officially married in a matter of two minutes. But Victor couldn't have cared less if the wedding had taken two day, as long as the outcome was the same, he was happy.
Victor gazed upon Victoria, his wife, and smiled warmly. He took her by the hand and led her out to the church to the carriage that was waiting to take them to the wedding reception at the Everglot mansion. It was a dreaded affair for them both, but Victor and Victoria knew it was something they had to endure.
After two hours of awkward silence and meaningless speeches, Victor and Victoria were finally free to embark upon their honeymoon. They're destination had remained a mystery until the reception, but as soon they discovered they would spend the next month in an isolated mansion by a lake until their first home could be completed constructed, they were thrilled.
It wasn't until the newlyweds arrived at the mansion when they discovered the awkwardness that had crept in between them. Both knew what was expected of them as recently married people (after immensely uncomfortable conversations with their parents), but neither of them knew how to go about it. After all, they had barely shared their first real kiss that morning. They both agreed that those matters would be handled in due time. Instead they spent their time exchanging stories and getting to know each other better.
It wasn't until about two weeks into the honeymoon that the matter which was unmentionable seemed to happen naturally. One kiss led to another and before they knew it, they were lying contently in each others arms. From that moment on, both could feel an indelible bond that had been formed between them. It was as if their two lives, their two very souls become one and they were no longer Victor and Victoria, but the Van Dorts.
The next two weeks seemed to rush by, and before they knew it, it was time to leave the beautiful mansion by the lakeside and head off to their newly constructed home to begin their new life as one.