Wholly Undead

Emily slid off the lap of Jack, and took two steps before she spoke, "...Are you unsatisfied... With me?"

"Unsatisfied?" Jack didn"t follow her question.

"Yes." Emily kept her back to Jack, "Are you unsatisfied with me... Is that why you are getting rid of me."

"I"m not getting rid of you." Jack chuckled, "I"m given you freedom. The freedom to do wherever you want, do whatever you want, be whatever you want... You will not be bound to me, or anyone."

"Is that what you think I want?"

"I remember you commenting on Warmarshall Frostgard and her prospect. How nice it was that she got to choose her partner... And... I haven"t been fair to you."

"Fair or not..." Emily turned, and Jack was astonished to see a single tear leak from Emily"s right eye socket.

[Is... Is she crying? Skeletal undead can cry???] Jack would have to ask tux later.

"Are you stupid?" Emily took two steps again to be back in front of Jack again to look up at his face, and into the dancing flames of his eyes.

"I... I don"t think so...?"

"Then how do you not know how I feel! Stupid! I can"t begin to think of a word that shows how much and how stupid you are!"

"Ah, foolish? Err, moronic? Oh, and imbecilic." Jack added a few words that came to mind to help.

"...Are you helping me to find a word for how stupid you are?!" Emily rattled in anger.

"I... I"m just trying to help... I"m not mocking you." Jack said simply, and then quickly added, after seeing Emily"s current state.

"Fine. Imbecilic. It"s a good word. A fine word."

"But... You don"t wish to be free...? Your family gave you to me... And... I... I accepted it."

"What of it?"

"I..."

"Just shut up for a moment and listen."

Jack was taken back by how fierce Emily was being. Since he knew her, he had seen her temper, but she always backed down... It seemed that wasn"t the case today... Had she changed?

Jack remained silent, as his eyes flickered with light staring at the little skeletal lolita.

"Do you know that I was conceived for the sole purpose to be your bride... To be your wife. My mother eight hundred and twenty-three years ago gave unlife to me for this purpose. My ONLY purpose." Emily paused, searching for more words.

She began speaking again, "I think it romantic that Warmarshall got to choose her partner, but that"s all. It"s a romantic idea. I only exist for my family to be given to you. I have no other purpose, and if you release me. Cast me out, as it would be... I would have no home, no family, and nothing to my name... In fact, even my name wouldn"t be mine. You are the only thing I have, and I don"t want to lose it."

Jack shocked by what he was hearing... She... Didn"t want to be free... But... So many questions appeared within Jack"s mind. Was... Was what "Yoggi" said to be... a false... but that couldn"t be it... It had to be a half-truth!

At this moment, Jack thought he heard the mad laughter of "Yoggi."

Seeing Jack"s posture and his stiff manner, Emily spoke again, "Shocked? Why? Is it that I might actually like such an imbecilic a.s.s, as a husband?"

Jack nodded his head slowly.

Emily choose not to speak more about this, as she turned her head to speak with an angry sob laced within her voice, "If you wish to cast me out because you think it"s something, I want... Then you are gravely mistaken, but if you have no purpose for me, or I am not up to your standard, then fine!"

Jack realized how wrong he had been... The feelings he felt for Emily weren"t small. While they weren"t as strong as he had for Leslie, they were clearly there.

[Now, I have truly wronged her.] Jack thought to himself, as his mind went into a decent to find how to fix this mess he created by his own hand. As his mind was pondering, he felt an immense flow of power entering into him from outside. Rippling throughout his G.o.d-Soul, finally, the prayers of Jordan must have paid off.

Jack shuddered with a comfortable feeling and was quite happy that there was no flashy show of power when he received these prayers. He quickly tidied up his mind and suppressed the various chaos of voices. As Jack was giving his attention to Emily, he would have to check with his G.o.d-Soul later... It gave him a different feeling than he had last time.

Emily"s sight peeked up as she gazed at Jack to see what he was doing... She felt herself hurting inside... She felt as if she was being doubted, and if that wasn"t it was it that this was an excuse to get rid of her?

Jack reached out, and picked up Emily, as he stood up from his chair. He turned and placed Emily on the edge of the table. She tilted her head to see exactly what he was doing.

"This may be a bit backwards, and I do not know if this custom exists among the Undead, but..." Jack kneeled down in front of Emily to her astonishment.

She became a bit frantic, and the previous hurtful mood was swept away at this moment, as no G.o.d should kneel!

Jack waved his hands, and with his intentions, and small circle that appeared to be made of gold and onyx took shape. It became solid, and real as Jack whirled his hands.

Finally gaining substance, it fell into his bony left hand. He looked up while kneeling before Emily, who say on the edge of Jack"s desk.

"Emily Neith will you accept I, this idiot, and agree to become my Consort? Will you marry me?"

Emily shed another tear, and Jack took note... He wondered what he had done wrong now, and was at the edge, as he was about to speak further, when he heard a happy but sobbing sounding voice issue from Emily, that simply said, "Yes."

Jack heaved a sigh inside of his mind, as he took the gold and black ring, with his right hand, as he extended his left skeletal hand to Emily, "This ring... Will always glow and shine, so long as I exist."

Emily on reflex extended her left hand. This was where wives wore their wedding rings.

"Is this a wedding ring?" Emily asked aloud, as she wondered aloud.

"It"s called an engagement ring. It"s the promise to marry." Jack spoke aloud, as Emily wondered to herself...

It was true that Undead did not practice this custom. They did wear rings at the wedding but did not have engagement rings. This was something from a different world.

Jack then spoke again, "You will change this ring on the day of Our wedding," as he gently held her hand, Jack slide the ring onto her ring finger.

Emily brought her hand up to look at the ring glisten in the light, but as she turned it, it also seemed to eat the light it gave giving it an illusionary feeling.

"I"ve given you your freedom. You choose to become my Consort and future wife. I"m sorry I misunderstood your original intent. I promise I won"t let that happen again... Can you forgive me?" Jack remained kneeled.

Emily said finally with a voice that sounded sweet, "Of course." As she reached out with her small hands to bring Jack"s skull closer to hers, as she rubbed her forehead against his.