I had to write this story because i couldn't find any fanfiction out there like it, so i hope you enjoy this!
Emily was only nineteen when she was forced into an engagement with a stranger named Lord Barkis.
He was, sort-of, handsome and had this weird vibe that made Emily's skin crawl. Her family had been extremely wealthy, her father was a doctor, a very skilled man who had been praised constantly for his talents. Then one day during an operation, her father accidentally killed his patent. The death hit her father hard and was even more depressed after the town turned on him and called him a murderer. The only way they had been surviving was the unemployment money he received from his job after he was fired.
Lord Barkis was a mystery.
He said that he came from a very wealthy family, but never mentioned them in conversation, only saying that they were deceased and he had inherited their fortune and was looking for a beautiful wife. When he saw Emily, he had immediately asked for her hand in marriage.
Her father was quick to accept, not thinking of Emily's feelings.
To be honest, Emily didn't like the man at all. He was rude and treated her like she was a prize, some toy he could play with.
"Mother, what if I don't want to marry him?" she asked while her mother pulled tight on her corset she was to wear for her wedding rehearsal, it made it hard for her to breathe right.
"Please don't speak of it," her mother begged quietly.
Emily felt her eyes water at her mother's desperate pleas. It was obvious that her mother was against the marriage, but she had no say in it.
Pulling tighter on the corset, a maid came in with the dress.
It was beautiful.
Obviously the dress had been taken care of, though it was old fashioned so it must have been used a long time ago, Emily turned to her mother who smiled at her.
"It's my old wedding dress." Emily's eyes widened in shock, her mother was letting her use her own wedding dress?
"Mother..."
"You'll look beautiful." her mother smiled and kissed her cheek.
"...with this candle, I will light your way in darkness."
Emily stood beside her soon to be husband with sadness. She realized that while she would love to be married, it had been her dream since she had been a child. But she wanted it to be with someone she loved. Not this foul man who wanted to claim her as his own. She tried to hold back on her tears as the man lifted her hand and placed the shiny gold ring on her finger.
"With this ring, I ask you to be mine." he finished with a smirk on his smug face.
Emily could feel her body trembling, the sound of someone clearing their throat made her look up from the ring that signified her new cage. The priest looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue the vows.
"With this h-hand..." Emily began and pause cause her voice wavered slightly.
"With this hand." the priest encouraged.
"With this hand, I will life your sorrows.
Your cup with never empty, for I..." Emily stopped.
"For I..."
Her glanced at her mother, who looked at her worriedly.
"I'm sorry." then Emily sprinted out of the church, holding up the dress so she could run easier.
" .Stupid!" Emily repeated, kicking small stones as she walked through the large forest by the church, a cold breeze ruffled her dress, making her clutch her arms tightly.
"It's freezing..." she mumbled as she continued through the dirt path she had been following for what seemed like an hour, rubbing her arms to try to warm up.
Then she looked down at her hand and saw the small golden ring, she hurriedly pulled it off her finger and threw it deep into the woods. Sighing she walked over to where she had thrown it and came across a huge oak tree. It seemed to reach to the sky, it passed the thick fog that surrounded the top of the tree. Emily sighed again and sat on a huge flat rock and picked up the now dirty ring. twiddling it between her fingers, she thought back to the church and she clinched her hand around the ring.
She didn't want to marry that man! She wanted true love...
Emily relaxed her hand. Looking at the ring again she stood and began her vows once more.
"With this hand,
I will lift your sorrows."
Emily smile and twirled around in a circle, looking stunning in the moonlight.
"Your cup will never empty,
For I will be your wine."
Emily held up an imaginary glass and pretended to drink it, she giggled.
"With this candle,
I will light your way in darkness."
She walked over to a branch sticking from the ground and placed the ring on one of the tiny twigs that stood out from the actual branch.
"With this ring,
I ask you to be mine." She smiled and shivered again when she felt the wind pick up and move around her, not noticing the branch twitch.
Emily looked around and saw the trees filled with crows, she frowned and was a little frightened by the way all of them were looking at her. Then-
The branch had suddenly shot out and gripped her wrist and pulled her to the ground, her arm sinking into the soil. She gasped and desperately tried to pull her arm out of the ground, pulling up out of the dirt, she faintly realized that the gloves for the dress were ruined, and found the branch she used for a hand wrapped around her wrist.
Screaming, Emily pulled hard and flew back as the branch snapped. She looked at her wrist and saw the branch still there, only...
It was a skeleton hand.
She flung her arm back and the hand went flying. Looking at the spot her arm went into the ground she gasped when she saw the ground pushing up, like someone was trapped underneath. She could only watch in horror as a hand burst from the soil and clawed at the ground. Slowly a head rose from the earth and a soon a body followed. Dirt fell from the creature's face, revealing a very handsome man- but he was blue and she could see ribs where a part of his jacket was torn. His whole left arm was bones and his suit was dirty and torn, she could see bits of blue and bone in the torn clothing. But it was obvious that he was in a wedding suit, looking at Emily like she was his bride.
"I do." he said, and started walking towards her.
Emily stumbled backwards and ran only to trip over a small stone, she looked up and realized something. She had been in a graveyard. She had SAT on a gravestone. Emily nearly fainted, but she quickly scrambled upwards and ran through the thick forest, desperate to find the bridge that connected to the town.
She ran face first into a tree, she slid down slowly and looked back to see the man following her with a concerned look on his face.
"Are you alright?"
Emily gasped and got up,stumbling quickly towards the edge of the forest. The bridge now in her line of sight.
Emily raced quickly towards it, only for her dress to get caught in a thorn bush, she pulled hard and she heard a very loud rip and stumbled forward, but kept moving.
Emily had finally gotten to the bridge when a huge flock of crows swooped in on her, causing her to duck and cower before they flew away. She looked behind her and found the man nowhere. Sighing in relief, she turned around and came face to face with the man. She screamed and drew back away from him into the side of the bridge, but he didn't seem to notice the scream, cause he didn't flinch, he only stared at her, and slowly moved in front of her. He put his hands on her arms and whispered.
"You may kiss the bride." he leaned in and Emily fainted.
If there are any typos i missed i'm so terribly sorry.
Anyways, i like where this is going ;3