The time has come for Willowmere to celebrate my victory. The Mayor's got me a fine orange dress and I've tied flowers in my hair, but it doesn't hide the fact that I'm, you know, a skeleton. Just bare bones, although I still have my blue eyes and long red hair. The Mayor also gave me a little box with a golden ring inside. I'm saving it for later as a surprise.
Jaime's holding my hand as we approach the crowd in the town square. His hand feels so warm and fleshy. Mine is cold bone. "Oh gods, I never liked parties all that much," I murmur.
He squeezes my hand, although I don't feel the pressure on my bones. "You'll do fine."
"I'll get lots of stares. Because I'm holding hands with the most handsome guy there is!" I chuckle, my jaws clattering together.
There's a feast arranged. I don't need to eat anymore. Scratch that - I cannot eat anymore. I don't have a digestive tract. All I can do is gaze at Jaime while he eats.
A blond woman comes over and touches Jaime's hand. She flutters her eyelashes, leans close to him and talks in a low, breathy voice: "Let's flip a coin. Head and I'm yours. Tails and you're mine."
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"I'm here with my soon to be wife!" said Jaime.
The woman blinks and stares at me. "She looks dead..." She shakes her head and walks away.
"Are you angry?" says Jaime.
"I don't think so. For anger you need to have glands and hormones, don't you? I dunno..."
After the feast its time for dancing. Now this is something I can still do! Jaime and I love dancing. I always take the lead.
I take Jaime by the hand and then twirl him around and catch him in my arms and lean close to his face... his beautiful, freckled face. I gaze into his soft, brown eyes. "Kiss me my love."
He puts his soft warm lips against my teeth. I feel a rush of excitement and twirl us around more vigorously. Then I spin, with my head whirring round and round. And then, with a rush of exhilaration, I feel my head come off and now I'm rolling along the cobblestones and bump into someone's leg. It's the blond woman. She screams.
"Oh hello!" I chuckle. "Sorry. Just going to pull myself together."
I roll back to the rest of my bones and rise into the air and attach myself to my spine... it all feels very peculiar. Some people in the crowd laugh and whoop.
Jaime's cheeks are flushed pink. "You are an even more fantastic dancer. Never thought that would be possible."
It's time for my award. The Mayor makes a speech and presents me with a golden necklace set with rubies. I beckon for Jaime to come up and we hold hands.
I address the crowd. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. I want to show the world how I feel. For the moment I will have to settle with just showing one town."
I kneel down, the bones of my knees clicking. I hold up the golden ring to Jaime. "Jaime, will you marry me?"