The corpse Groom (genderbent story)

Chapter 2: An Arranged Marriage

Disclaimer: I own neither Corpse Bride nor the Total Drama series. If I DID own the Total Drama series, Dunceny (Duncan and Courtney) would never have been a couple

Chapter Two-An Arranged Marriage

It is a gray, gloomy day in Victorian England. A pale, teal-haired young woman, Gwen, sat at her desk, working diligently as she drew a moth in her sketchbook. Satisfied with her work, she put the book and quill away, staring out the window. She then stood up and opened the window, releasing the moth and watching it fly away.The moth flew through the city, its white color a shocking contrast among the different shades of gray that the city seems to be painted. It flew around a couple of men who were chopping up fish for Gwen's parents, who work as fishmongers, and past a couple other men, briefly passing in front of a tan-skinned young woman with a stuck-up, somewhat sinister smile on her face. ''Hear ye, hear ye!" A girl's voice suddenly called. A short, bespectacled young girl with braces and brown hair half pulled up in a ponytail walked by, ringing a bell. "Ten minutes to go 'til Stoss' wedding rehearsal!" The tan girl from earlier, Courtney stopped suddenly, staring in surprise, until the moth flew in front of her face. With a look of disdain, she swatted at it until it flew off, then looked at the two butchers, one of whom climbed onto a wagon. The young man, Ezekiel let out a nasty cough as he rode off, almost running over an old woman. Ezekiel just kept on coughing as he arrived at the Stoss' house, where Gwen was nervously looking out her window. The door opened and Gwen's parents, Blaineley and Chris, walked outside.''It's a beautiful day!" Blaineley sang.''It's a rather nice day," Chris agreed ''A day for a glorious wedding!" Blaineley sang, fanning herself.''A rehearsal, my dear, to be perfectly clear!" Chris corrected her, putting a shawl over his wife's shoulders ''A rehearsal for a glorious wedding!" Blaineley sang with gusto as she and Chris walked down the steps to their carriage ''Assuming nothing happens that we really don't know," Chris added ''That nothing unexpected interferes with the show." Blaineley shot a meaningful glare at Ezekiel, who took off his coat so that they could cross a puddle. The couple then sang together; ''And that's why everything, every last little thing, every single tiny microscopic thing must go..." ''According to plan!" Blaineley sang ''Our daughter will be married!" Chris sang, pulling on a poster for his business, so that it spun upwards, showing the window ''According to plan!" Blaineley followed suit, revealing another window ''And our family carried!" Chris then joined his wife in a duet, as they sang together ''Elevated to the heights of society!" They started doing a little waltz right there in the street, Blaineley singing ''To the costumed balls!" ''In the hallowed halls!" ''Rubbing elbows with the finest!" ''And having crumpets with her highness!" Chris did a mock bow, both him and Blaineley unaware that Courtney was secretly watching them.''We'll be there! We'll be seen! Having tea with the queen! We'll forget everything...that we've ever ever been!" Blaineley did a little spin in front of Ezekiel, looking at him disdainfully one last time before walking up the stairs and into the carriage. "Where's Gwen?" She asked, not seeing her daughter. "We might be late!" As Chris climbed in with her, another couple was watching them with opera glasses from a house across the street. ''Fish merchants!" The woman, Heather said with disgust. She then started to sing "It's a terrible day!" ''Now don't be that way," her husband, Alejandro, chimed in ''It's a terrible day for a wedding!" ''It's a sad, sad state of affairs we're in." Alejandro agreed as he and his wife stepped away from the window ''That has led to this ominous wedding!" Heather put her hand to her head dramatically as Alejandro sang ''How could our family have come to this?!" ''To marry off our son to the noveau riches?" ''They're so common!" Heather whined. ''So coarse!" Alejandro agreed. ''Oh, it couldn't be worse!" ''Couldn't be worse? I'm afraid I disagree." Alejandro walked/span over to a safe, where he continued "They could be land-rich bankrupt aristocracy without a penny to their name. Just like you and me!" He swung the door open, revealing nothing inside but dust and a few spiderwebs. ''Oh dear." Heather said, running her finger through the thick dust. As a maid came to clean out the inside of the safe, Heather and Alejandro continued to sing as Alejandro closed the empty safe and the family's other servants put a giant portrait of him over it ''And that's why everything, every last little thing, every single tiny microscopic little thing must go...!" ''According to plan!" Heather sang. ''Our son will wed!" Alejandro sang as he and his wife passed by portraits of various family members ''According to plan!" ''And our family led!" Alejandro and Heather started to sing together again ''From the depths of deepest poverty!" ''To the noble realm!" Heather sang on her own. ''Of our ancestry!" Alejandro and Heather finally stopped in front of a portrait of their son, Duncan. ''And who would've guessed in a million years, that our son, with the face..." ''Of an otter in disgrace." Alejandro sang rather bluntly. ''Would provide our tickets to our rightful place?" As Alejandro and Heather sang together, Duncan rolled his eyes as he was being fitted for his wedding jacket. He was just glad that he wasn't a girl, so he wouldn't have to be forced into a corset. ''Hey, Lightning?" He asked the tailor. "What if this doesn't work out? What if this girl and I don't like each other?" Heather snorted as she and her husband appeared in Duncan's doorway.''As if that has anything to do with marriage!" The dark-haired woman laughed. "Do you think your father and I 'like' each other?" Duncan arched his eyebrow, shrugging ''Maybe a little?" He asked. ''Of course not!" his parents said in unison, glaring at each other before walking off. Duncan rolled his eyes again, amazed that two people who obviously hated each other had been married for so long without killing each other.Back at the Stoss mansion, Gwen came down the stairs and joined her parents in the carriage.''You've certainly hooked a winner this time, Gwen!" Chris complimented his daughter as they took off ''Now, all you have to do is reel him in!" Blaineley said, clenching her hand into a fist ''I'm already reeling, Mother." Gwen said. "Shouldn't Duncan Libertine be marrying a...Lady or something?" ''Oh, nonsense!" Blaineley snorted, fanning herself again and patting her hair into place. "We're every bit as good as the Libertines! I always knew I deserved better than a fish merchant's life." ''But I've never even spoken to him!" Gwen protested.''Well, at least we have that in our favor." Blaineley said rather callously. Outside, Ezekiel started coughing again. ''Ezekiel! Silence that blasted coughing!" Gwen just sighed, defeated. Her parents were determined to get her married off to Duncan Libertine, regardless of how she felt, just to increase their rank in society. 'This is gonna be fun.' Gwen thought.

Madison/Maddie (me): So here's the first chapter! I hope you guys liked it and yeah,that's right, Courtney is gonna be Lord Barkis in this. So for any Courtney fans reading this, you might want to find another story. Probably shoulda mentioned that in the first chapter... :/ Oh well. BTW, what do you think of Duncan and Gwen's last names in this? Hope they don't sound too stupid and please tell me what you think of the story so far!❤️