Corpse Groom

Chapter 4 - I do

It was now quite late into the night. The sky was a gloomy grey and it seemed to reflect Victor's self-reproach. (Y/N) had caught up with him at one point and she decided that he needed to get away from all the negativity and pressure.

She thought coming to the one edge of town, on a little stone bridge, would have helped him to calm his mind and allow him to regain some confidence. But all it seemed to really do was let his mood drop even more, and him beating himself up about it wasn't helping much either.

"Oh, Victoria." Victor sighed out sadly as he gazed at the flower that had fallen from the piano, which Victoria had given to him in a sweet gesture. "She must think I'm such a fool."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." (Y/N) softly stated, trying to sooth her brother's sorrows. "At least this day couldn't get any worse."

Just as she said that, the loud ringing of the town messenger's bell could be heard echoing in the distance as his booming voice yelled out, "Hear ye! Hear ye! Rehearsal in ruins as Van Dort boy causes chaos! Fishy fiancé could be canned! Everglots all fired up as Van Dort disaster ruins rehearsal!"

"I hate that man and his stupid bell." (Y/N) mumbled with hatred swirling in her eyes.

Victor sighed out in dismay as he walked away from the town, across the bridge, and towards the old woods. (Y/N) was quick to follow him. She didn't want to leave her brother alone, feeling so down and regretful. Plus - for more selfish reasons - she wasn't too keen on returning home and listening to her mother go on and on about how terrible her behaviour was.

"Don't listen to any of them, Victor. You just need a little practice is all."

"I did practice and I still made a fool of myself. In front of our parents, in front of the Everglots...in front of Victoria."

(Y/N) frowned as she finally managed to walk beside her brother. "I'm guessing you feel the worst about causing a disaster around her?"

"She deserves someone better. She's so sweet and kind and I'm just ruining her life by being engaged to her."

"I don't think that's true."

Victor paused his steps for a moment to stare at his sister, who smiled at him in a reassuring manner.

"I feel you could make each other very happy. In fact, I can see your future now. You'll play piano for her at night and she'll sit next to you, listening with uncontained joy. She'll pick up gardening and fill your house with all sorts of lovely colours and scents. And, at the end of a hard day, you'll both sit side-by-side in front of the fireplace, holding hands as you talk about anything and everything."

As she spoke, her tone took an almost dream-like appearance. As if she could picture it so clearly. Yet, when her speech got closer to the end, it almost sounded sad, as if her thoughts drifted not to Victor's future but to her own, and how she might never get what she pictured for her brother and Victoria.

"(Y/N)?" Victor called when she grew silent.

She turned to face him, the slight sparkle of brimming tears within her (E/C) eyes. But she was quick to softly smile, easing his worry, and her tears disappeared just as fast.

"Victor, what I'm trying to say is that you and Victoria may actually have a chance at a happy ending. You two seemed to click the moment your eyes met."

"This isn't some romance story from one of your books, (Y/N)."

"But it could be!" She sighed out before roaming care-freely around a few trees. "You could have a romance that is just like those stories. You just need to learn your vows. Let's try it again, shall we?"