Married the Dead; Broke the Living

I clenched my teeth and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed, wrestling with myself for what felt like forever. In the end, I shut my eyes and fumbled to unbutton Raphael's shirt.

"When we were kids, you pissed on my bike tire. Never thought I'd end up dealing with you now..."

I cursed under my breath, my hands trembling as they moved lower.

When I finally reached his zipper, the bulge underneath made my heart leap into my throat. I screamed before I could stop myself.

Felix pounded on the door like a madman until the bodyguards dragged him off.

Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt rushed in. When they noticed the involuntary reaction below Raphael's waist, they gave me an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, we forgot to mention it. The doctor said that a man's body can still respond for up to three hours after death. Don't worry. It should go back to normal in about half an hour. Once you two are finished here, we'll announce the union of our families!"

I nodded shakily and watched them leave, regret already creeping in.

"You bastard. Even dead, you're still messing with me! I should've just drawn lots and married Felix. At least I could've been happy for three years!"

Everyone was still outside waiting for me to finish, so I sped up. I stripped off Raphael's clothes, kept my eyes shut, and got it done fast.

Maybe it was my nerves, but something felt even stranger. His skin had been chalk-white, but a faint flush was creeping back below the waist. His body felt warm too, not the cold anyone would expect from a corpse.

When the rite ended, they set Raphael in the casket on the bier in the viewing room. I changed into a wedding dress and walked in.

Felix stiffened in the bodyguards' grip and let out a long sigh. "Do you really have to announce our marriage here? You're not even embarrassed? This is sick!"

Winnie shot me a look of undisguised contempt. "Felix, you don't get it. She's piggybacking on the Roosevelts' spotlight. If she announces it here, you can't say no with the whole room watching. Neat little trick!"

Everyone was stunned.

"I heard a while back that Ms. Magnussen had a soft spot for Mr. Ledger, even after he fell from grace. Now look at her, throwing her dignity away just to force a marriage."

"And she's supposed to be Jastrelle's golden girl? What a disgrace!"

"Mr. Ledger may be down on his luck, but he's got a spine. If Mr. Magnussen hadn't kept bailing the Ledgers out every time there was trouble, Mr. Ledger never would've agreed to that groom-selection ceremony."

"An heiress who has to strong-arm a man into marrying her? That's the biggest joke in the whole circle!"

I kept my cool as I walked through the whispering. I stopped beside Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt, both grieving, and faced the guests in front of the altar.

"I'm announcing the result of today's groom selection—"

Felix waved his hand. "Forget it. Get on your knees and apologize to Winnie in front of everyone, and I'll grant your little plea. Oh, and since my parents died, I've gotten used to sharing a bed with her. So you'll get two days a week as my wife. Satisfied?"

The crowd fought to keep a straight face. If this weren't a funeral, they would've laughed out loud.

I smirked. "Are you people deranged? What does any of this have to do with you?"

I turned to the confused crowd. "I choose Raphael Roosevelt as my groom."

The room erupted.

Felix snapped. "Are you insane? He's dead! You'd marry a corpse to cover your family's debts?"

I frowned at him. "Shouldn't you be thrilled? No one's forcing you anymore. Go home and play lovey-dovey with Winnie. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Tears sprang to his eyes as he lunged and grabbed me. "I object! He's a heartless bastard who never cared about you. If he were alive, he'd never agree to this marriage. How could you pick him over me?"

Before I could answer, a familiar, mocking laugh floated up from the casket behind me.

"Who said I'd never agree? If I didn't care, I wouldn't have stuck around for years, playing her game."