Corpse Groom

Chapter 6

I thank December Silentvale for helping.

With its purpose fulfilled, Gutknecht put the cork back in the bottle containing the rest of the poison.

"Shall we continue with the ceremony?" He asked the couple.

"Oh yes, of course," Trisha said and turned to Emill and saw that he's shaking, "Emill?"

It started out small. First, Emill started shaking, followed by a giggle, and chuckled, and then laughing out loud in disbelief. His mind still reeling as he wheezed from the lack of air. Emill couldn't help but be amazed that he needed air in his lungs again.

Chuckling herself, Trisha touched his shoulder to get his attention, "Emill."

Calming down, he turned to Trisha. "If she'll still have me."

"Always!" Trisha answered as she tackled him in a hug, giddy from sheer happiness as he lifted her up and twirled her around.

"Ahem!" A voice coughed, gaining their attention.

Looking up, Trisha and Emill watched as Trisha's parents stepped forward.

"Mother. Father." Trisha stiffly greeted them.

"Don't you think you are forgetting something, Trisha?" Everette asked.

Trisha pulled Emill closer and glared at her parents. "You can say whatever you like, but it's not going to change anything. Trevor is dead and gone. So you can't force me to marry him. I love Emill and nothing dead or alive will change that. I would prefer to have your blessing, but I will marry without it."

"What?! Of course we give you our blessing! But we want to at least know our future son-in-laws name before you get married." Lester told her with a smile.

"What?" Trisha asked perplexed at the shift in behavior.

"Please forgive our daughter, I've tried to turn her into a proper lady, but she refuses to listen to me." Everette said with exasperation and a shake of her head. "I'm her mother, Everette Volkel." She introduced herself.

"I'm her father, Lester Volkel." He added as he held out his hand for Emill.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both. I am Emill Graf." He introduced himself as he returned the handshake.

"Garf? As in from the German noble title Graf meaning "count"?" Everette asked.

"Yes. My father is a count. My family has held that title for generations." Emill answered.

"Well then, you certainly have our blessing!" Lester gushed before his wife nudged him and sent him a disapproving look.

Sighing, Everette turned to her daughter. "Trisha. I know I haven't always approved of the things you liked or did and we haven't always seen eye to eye. After what we just witnessed tonight, we know better than to try and stop you."

"We would like to apologize for, well, everything. For nearly making you marry that disgraceful, rude, arrogant, degrading, conceited, and overall just plain unpleasant brat, Trevor." Lester explained. "You have our blessing."

"Thank you! You don't know what that means to us!" Trisha beamed.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry and get married before something else comes and interrupts." Emill joked.

As the Volkel's settled back to their seats, Trisha and Emill turned back to the altar. They took off their rings for the moment and recited their vows.

"With this hand, l will lift your sorrows." Emill said as he took Trisha's hand in his and she echoed his words. "Your cup will never empty, for l will be your wine."

"With this candle, l will light your way in darkness." They recited as they lit their candles.

Taking the other's rings, they slipped the bands onto their fingers. "With this ring, l ask you to be mine."

"I do." They promised.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Gutknecht informed them.

With their hearts leaping into their chests, Emill and Trisha happily kissed as the crowd applauded them. So happy Emill was, he picked Trisha up as all brides are carried and hurried down the aisle. He only stopped to let Trisha throw the bouquet. After that came the wedding feast. The living and the dead partying hard. Bonesjangles and his band providing the music as Trisha danced with her husband, her father, and a few others. Though Emill claimed most of them.

It was only a few hours before dawn when the party finally began to wind down. The dead saying their farewells to their living friends and family. Knowing they would see each other again one day.

That night, Trisha and Emill enjoyed their wedding night.

The next morning, the newly wedded couple had a lot of work to do. First there was the problem of the Einhorns. Not only had they lost their only heir, but they were still had the problem of their financial situation. When Trisha and Emill visited them, they went through Berta's belongings and discovered not only large sums of money, but Emill's family jewels and the satchel of gold he had originally taken. It seemed Emill and Trevor were not her only victims from her marriage schemes.

Wolfgang noticed the different coins in her bag. "These coins aren't from here. They are German."

Since Berta was a Einhorn, no matter how briefly, Mr. and Mrs. Einhorn were entitled to most of the money. The Einhorns were her only surviving family. They also came up with the excuse of the money being Berta's dowry. Thus saving themselves from the poorhouse. After what happened, the Einhorns left town, wanting to put everything behind them.

Luckily, Emill was able to recover the family jewels and the satchel of gold. Emill found out it hadn't been as long as he feared it had been since his death. He wrote a letter to his parents apologizing for his disappearance and that his father was right about Berta. He left out the part of him being dead all this time. His reason for this being he didn't want to worry them. He also doubted they would have believed him anyway. He wrote how he wanted to see them again if they were up to it and to personally return what he had stolen from them. He also wanted them to meet Trisha. If they didn't, he would simply send the family jewels and the gold back to them.

Mr. and Mrs. Volkel were not exactly pleased with this, but understood.

Emill's parents were happy to finally hear from him and quickly sent a letter back begging him to return. Eager to not only see their son, but also meet his new wife. Hoping she was far better than Berta.

In the end, Emill was reunited with his family and the Volkel's got the connections they had wanted so badly. Most of all, Emill and Trisha were happily married for years to come. Their lives filled with love as their family grew bigger as the years went on. For they knew, even in death, they would always love each other.