Y/n's parents rode down the town road in their family carriage into the night. A missing poster for Y/n glued to the back.
" Oh its almost dawn! Where could she be!?" Mrs.VanDort said angrily.
" Y/N VAN DORT ELOPES WITH CORPSE!" The town crier yelled as he rang his bell. " HEARTBROKEN GROOM TO WED WEALTHY NEWCOMER!"
" Wealthy newcomer?" Your mother gasped. " It cannot be!"
" Did he say corpse?" Mr.VanDort said, actually paying attention to that detail.
" Don't be ridiculous! What corpse would marry our Y/n?" She sneered.
The coachman, also the family employee, started coughing as he smoked his pipe. Mrs.VanDort rolled her eyes as she hit the top of the carriage.
" MAYHEW! SILENCE THAT BLASTED COUGHING!"
The man took the pipe out of his mouth as he sat atop of the carriage, still coughing profusely as he hacked. Suddenly, he started wheezing as doubled over. The man frantically tried to punch his chest as his eyes were terror struck.
He fell over the top, the carriage running him over as the horses didn't stop.
The carriage thumped as it ran over his body, Mr and Mrs VanDort looking at eachother thinking its a bump in the road.
" MAYHEW! Are you trying to kill us!?" The woman yelled angrily.
" Maybe something's happened dear!" Her husband tried to reason.
" NONSENSE! HE'S TRYING TO KILL US!"
The carriage continued down the road as Mayhew took his last breath as he lay on the cold, damp stone road.
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Back In The Land Of The Dead, P/n trotted up the steps, carrying the small handful of flowers. The pup had led you to where Varian was. You stared down at your pet as she wagged her tail. You sighed. You had to try and set things right. Even if he still resented you afterwards, he needed to know the whole truth.
You bent down and picked up the handful of baby's breath.
The corpse boy sat playing the piano, slow, bittersweet notes filled the air as he played the keys, his eyes downcast in sadness.
You slowly walked up behind him as the groom played with only one hand, too sad to play with both.
" I.." You started, not sure how to start. " I think you dropped this." You offered him the flowers.
Varian kept playing, his eyes shut, not responding.
You looked down in thought. You set the flowers on the piano before turning and taking a breath.
" I'm sorry." You simply said.
" I'm sorry I lied to you. I wanted to see my parents. It's just that this day hasn't gone- well...according to plan." You rolled your eyes and you quoted your parents' favorite words.
" But...I want you to know something important. The whole truth, Varian."
You raised your hand as you played a few notes on the piano, harmonizing with Varian's notes.
The boy gave you a side glance, hurt still apparent in his eyes. He played a few more notes, with both hands this time.
You harmonized those as well. A small smile on your face.
Varian turned his head away in a snobbish way. He hadn't known you could play the piano. But he was the superior one here, obviously.
The boy played a few more emotional notes before turning away, setting his head on his hand sadly.
You weren't going to let this end this way. You looked down at the piano before you and played a few happy notes, they sounded like a winter romance.
You raised your eyebrows teasingly at the boy as he side glanced you again, this time a small smile on his face.
He turned as he played a few notes, this time both of you playing vigorously at the same time in harmony. The boy finally looked at you as you both played, his eyebrows raising with a smirk. All of a sudden one of his hands broke off his wrist, it still played as it hopped with its fingers across the keys, crawling on your wrist in a playful way.
You both giggled as Varian grabbed his hand back.
" Pardon my enthusiasm." He said with a chuckle.
" I like your enthusiasm." You replied with a smile.
The boy smiled, it slowly faded as the boy looked to the ground.
" So, I'm sure Edwin must be missing you. When are you to be married?" He asked in a quiet voice.
You sighed before cupping his face and turning it towards you.
" We're not."
" You're- w-wait- what?" He said, confusion in his features.
" Let me start at the beginning. It'll make more sense that way." You told him about how yours and Edwin's families arranged a marriage, when you hadn't even met eachother, and how it was for Edwin's family benefit, or else they would be in the poor house. You told him about how you messed up the wedding rehearsal vows, and ran into the forest, where you attempted to practice and eventually put the ring on a random twig, which as fate would have it, on Varian's dead cold finger.
" When you climbed to the terrace, and found me and Edwin hugging, it was because when i told him, that i did not want to marry him, he agreed. And said that he would fight to end the engagement between me and him. But when you came in, and scared him half to death, i wasn't able to ask to see my parents." You finished before catching your breath. Goodness, that was a lot to say.
" You...did not want to marry him?" Varian asked, his eyes snapped up hopefully.
" No, I'm in love with someone else. A lovely corpse groom named Varian. I hope he can take me as his bride. Or else this will all have been for naught." You grinned. The corpse groom stood, celebrating.
" Oh! So i've had it all wrong! Stupid Varian! Stupid stupid stupid." The boy scorned himself as he slapped his forehead.
Varian went and sat back down, looking at you. He seemed to be contemplating something, emotions warred in his ice blue eyes.
" Varian, what is it?" You asked, did he not return your feelings?
"I..." He started. " Y/n- you must understand. I've been left at the altar once. My life ended that night. And well....if we are to be together, there are some things you must know."
" All right." You said, preparing yourself.
Varian sighed, closing his eyes. This seemed to be painful to remember. " Y/n, this is the story of how i died. Well- the beginning of it is actually a very fun story, and the truth is, it isn't even mine. It all started with a girl, named...Rapunzel. And it starts," He took a breath.
" ..With the sun."
You listened as the boy told a tale of kidnapping and a princess, a tale of a thief and romance. He told you of the moonstone, a woman named Cassandra, an evil villain named Zhan Tiri.
" Y/n, i've not been the best person." He whispered as he looked away, taking his trusted goggles out of his pocket, staring at them longingly.
He told you about how once, he was a villain, and how he betrayed the princess Rapunzel and all of his friends in the kingdom, all to free his beloved father from an amber like compound he had created. It took 2 years for him to be redeemed and his father to be freed. And even then, the adventure he experienced with the princess, it sounded...amazing. Varian had been kidnapped by his friend Cassandra, who had stolen the Moonstone, which had apparently been Rapunzel's destiny to find.
" After the war with Zhan Tiri, and all my friends were finally good again...well..Rapunzel named me the official royal inventor and alchemist of Corona. I was so happy. Life was perfect until a few years later, on my 19th birthday, i met a new girl in town. She was so curious about all of my inventions and work. She didn't even seem to mind that i used to be a villain! I...fell in love with her within a week, if you can believe that." He gave a small half-hearted chuckle.
" I can, since i fell in love with you within a night." You smiled.
" It felt like destiny to be with her. But Rapunzel and my father did not bless the marriage. They didn't trust her. So..."
" You eloped." You finished, remembering the story the skeleton had told you in his song.
" Yes. I stole my father's wedding suit and tailored it to my fitting, that night i stole Rapunzel's crown and her family's jewels. And ran off to meet Brittaline. That was her name, some old family name i suppose. But when i got there, she was nowhere to be found. I called and searched, and just as i thought i heard footsteps, i called out, thinking it might have been her. But..all i felt was a pain in my head, and i blacked out...when i woke up, Rapunzel's jewels were gone and... i was dead." He whispered the last part painfully.
You processed the information. " Varian I..." You shook your head before simply leaning into the boy and crushing him in a hug.
" I'm so sorry that ever happened to you. But, things are different now, and you're not the person anymore. I'm glad you told me."
The boy's eyes widened before returning the hug. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he embraced you.
" I love you, Y/n."
" I-"
" A NEW ARRIVAL!" An undead man said as he rang a loud bell. Everyone in the town seemed shaken and crazed in an excited way as they all scrambled to the bar to see who it was.
" Oh dear." You whispered. Varian looked confused. " New arrival? Why that hasn't happened since...me." He realized. You both shared a concerned look before following the others into the bar.
" Coming through!" Varian called as he dragged you by your hand through the crowd. " Make way!"
You both pushed through the busy crowd before standing at an interesting sight. Your eyes widened.
" Mayhew?" Your voice trembled. The man turned to you with a blue face. He smiled. " Mayhew!" You smiled as you tackle-hugged the man.
" Hello my dear! Whatever are you doing down here? Are you dead too?" He asked sadly, thinking you might've died in the woods.
" No, no!" You rushed to explain. " I met Varian in the woods, the corpse groom!" You introduced the two, Varian bowed clumsily as he smirked and waved instead.
" Ohhh i see, better than that Everglot Edwin eh? Are you gonna attend the weddin?" He asked as he sipped his beer.
" W-Wedding? Edwin said he'd call it off." You asked, confused.
" Well since you're nowhere to be found up there, them Everglots have decided to marry the boy off to some other woman, a Lady Barkus or somewhat." He slurred as he downed the rest of his beer.
" Barkus?" You exclaimed. " That's not fair to Edwin! They can't do this to him!" You said angrily.
Mayhew patted you on the back as you stood fuming. " Time to pick up the pieces and move on, eh?"
" This just isn't right! Edwin deserves to find someone he loves, not some random woman he doesn't even know! Right Varian?" You asked, turning your head to the boy.
The corpse groom was no longer standing where you saw him last, two somehow drunk skeletons were had dragged him to the other side of the bar, they were trying to get the boy to drink a pint of beer, to which he kept politely refusing.
You turned back to Mawhew, your eyes softening. " I'm..sorry this happened to you. What- did happen?" You asked tentatively. The man gave a weak smile.
" Just a few smokes too many i suppose. And don't be! I haven't breathed this well in ages! " He said as he inhaled deeply without any coughing. You smiled and turned back to the boy.
" Varian." You deadpanned, calling him over. The boy sideglanced at you with wide eyes.
" Apologies, Y/n. What's happening?" He said as he shoved the two skeletons away.
" We have a wedding to stop."