The Corpse Groom || l.s.

One.

Birds chirping, bustling city noises, soft music playing in the background. Those are the small things that make such a great impact on Louis' life. Those noises are what make him calm, what help him through the day. He couldn't possibly wish for anything more soothing.

Using delicate motions and touches, Louis sits at his desk, overlooking the kingdom that he calls his home. There was countless people walking around and it was almost like they were there every day. The butcher outside his shop chopping the heads off of fish, the church goers walking down the street in a group dressed in elegant dresses and suits reading from a bible. Never once have they looked up to Louis' recollection. But there was something new today. There was a chariot outside of his estate, pulled by one of the worse looking grey horses he had ever laid eyes on.

You see, it was rehearsal day. Louis was set up with a lady, whom he hasn't even heard of let alone laid eyes on. They were said to he wed in two days time. Eleanor was her name. Eleanor Calder. Her parents, the Duchess and Lord of their family name, set it up. He hasn't a clue why all of a sudden but he was royalty. He had no say in it seeing as his mother and step father agreed with opened arms to this. Their son was going to actually not live alone like they had feared.

But instead of getting ready for the day, Louis sat with his knees drawn up to his chest with his sketchpad sat on his knees. He reached over and dipped the quill pen in his ink before putting it back to the paper and gracefully marking it up with the image of what was held in a case in front of him. A beautiful purple butterfly. One that he absolutely adored and was thrilled to have caught seated on his windowsill. He didn't have color, but he had ink and he was making sure to put in every single detail he could pick up on from the insect. And once he was happy with the drawing he had made, he carefully set his sketchpad to the side and had himself opening the double door window. With one last longing look to the butterfly, he was finally picking up the glass it was held in, watching it flap its wings and fly off into the evening sky.

~

The Calder's weren't the best of people. In fact, they were some of the most stuck up and horrible people you could possible have the audacity to meet. Though, that rule only followed up until Clive and Patricia. They were emotionless, cold blooded, stubborn. Their legacy indeed followed by the book and they couldn't possibly have themselves without a single ounce of order in their lives. Which is why they needed this marriage to happen. The thing is, they were going poor. And for a duchess and a Lord, that was unacceptable. They needed wealth. They craved it. And the only way to do that was to have their daughter marry into a wealthy family. The Tomlinson's could give that to them. They had the most money of the other royals in their country and that's how it had to be.

Patricia and Clive had made sure to have this wedding be as simple and as meaningful as possible with the two day door they had given themselves. Which meant all was to happen well and in order.

"Oh.. What if Louis and I don't even... Like each other?" Eleanor spoke softly to the wardrobe stylist, gasping a bit as the strings to her corset were tightened. Though, all she got in return was a laugh from the doorway.

"As if that has anything to do with marriage." Patricia spoke, hands held clasped together in front of her, head held high and back straight. Her husband right besides her as they looked in on their daughter. "Do you suppose your father and I like each other?"

"Well surely you must! Just a little." Eleanor said, smiling over at her parents.

"Of course not!" The two answered at the same time, voices full of venom and disgust. That made Eleanor frown just a small bit. How could that be?

"Get those corsets laced properly. I can still hear you speak without gasping." Patricia spoke sternly, waving a hand in dismissal before she was turning to walk away from the doorway, Clive following swiftly right behind her.