I hope you like it. Just a warning, English isn't my main language, my girls o all they can but English isn't my main language.
She still breaths
Listen to me, those of you who still have an ear:
Class, lineage, wealth and keeping up appearances are essential, those are the qualities that will make you honorable!
That's what mother Mellark was always saying to her sons. She repeated it like a mantra.
The woman didn't understand the concept of honor quite well. All that mattered to her was that they were "The Mellarks".
They lived in a small, miner town founded by their ancestors, called "The Village."
The Mellark's were raised to be respectable under the strictest standards. They needed to be discreet, also figure in the highest social circles and never be seen with someone of a lower class.
Like any respectable mother, Mrs. Mellark was responsible for the proper education of her children. The methods Mrs. Mellark used to educate them weren't really important, although they were of the most exotic variety, Mrs. Mellark's discipline techniques usually involved "accessories", the most cherished being a rolling pin. When she was feeling creative the children would be locked in the scariest places anyone could think of…
The Mellarks also owned The Village bakery. It was as old as town was, and was the source of the family's exuberant lifestyle for decades, especially when The Village was on the cusp of growth, having wealth was an easy commodity.
Until the explosion.
One fatal day the mine, along with many hard working men and women, were blown to bits and pieces.
Most of the miners died, others were injured. Wives turned into widows, children became fatherless and what once was prosperous became a miserable wasteland. What once was lively, shiny and full of flowers became dark, empty and silent.
There was no money anymore to buy bread, cakes or pastries; who could afford it on such precarious times?
Good People emigrated to other towns, seeking prosperity. Thieves and cheats came to town offering successful businesses with low investment, running away with the invested money, stolen from those hopeful people. The Mellark's wealth had come to an end, and the bakery would have to close its doors.
Mrs. Mellark, being the matriarch, had to take measures on the matter. She couldn't let this happen. What would happen to her good name? There was only one way out.
Lineage, classes and all that old saying would stop being of importance.
Mellarks would be disgraced. Their hair won't be golden as the sun, and their eyes would never be as blue as the ocean again. They will be shamefully mixed in with people of olive skin, coal-colored hair, and silvery eyes.
Not many young people lived in The Village anymore, and even less so, young, single women.
One of the three Mellark boys should marry someone capable of providing honor to their family again, a quality Mrs. Mellark would never give up.
There was no other woman capable of providing the honor the Mellarks deserved but Miss Katniss Everdeen. And by honor, Mrs. Mellark means money.
She quickly forgot that she used to consider families such as the Everdeen's trash, especially after the death of John Everdeen in the mine explosion. Mary, his widow found her mind and heart unable to cope with the loss. Her two young daughters were abandoned in life as Mary lay in bed in a mental hospital very close to death.
They were such good daughters, dedicated to the care of their family, each according to their strengths as they were opposite like water and oil. One, the youngest, blue-eyed and blond with an easy smile always adorning her childish face, was kind and loving like the spring over the meadow. Her name was Primrose and she was in charge of taking care of her mother and the house they lived in.
The oldest one, Katniss, fierce like a living fire, determined, strong, and brave as a warrior. She had graphite eyes, long, dark hair with a permanent scowl framing her features. With her in charge they would never want for anything, they would always food on the table.
They went through difficult times, but Katniss knew how to flip the tables. She found a way to support her family and leave rough times behind.
At first, Katniss tried selling all of their belongings. That didn't work out as well as she would have liked. So then she started digging in the trash, trying to find food she could take to her starving little sister. No one would extend a hand to her. Except for him.
He gave her bread when she needed it the most. Bread gave her strength, and strength helped her walk to the forest again. And during a walk through the forest, the solution came to her mind.
She was watching her friend, Gale Hawthorne, set some traps when she remembered her father with a bow. She must have been ten years old when he tried to teach her how to use it, but her focus was on the frogs jumping on the pond at the time. She was just a child, but she had grown a lot since those days.
Katniss took her father's bow from the one box she never dared to sell, the box of her father belongings and she started practicing every day. Every. Single. Day.
Katniss discovered she was a natural. Soon she was hitting one animal after another, right through the eye and when she realized that three woman couldn't possibly eat that much meat, she decided to trade in town, the remaining people with any money left to purchase meat quickly snatching it up.
She started a business, a successful one, and money seemed to multiply in her hands. It was too bad money couldn't buy happiness.
The people running the town didn't particularly approve of the young maiden, in such uncertain times being responsible for an even younger girl and her mentally unstable mother.
They threatened to take her sister Prim away, put her with a real family they said, a proper one, with a man that holds the reins.
Of course Mrs. Mellark was part of the committee of people running The Village. The awful woman would lock all the doors until Katniss had no way out but to marry one of her sons.
But Katniss was no fool.
She waited long enough to agree.
If she was going to be forced to marry, it would be on her own terms.
She wanted him.
Katniss waited until Mrs. Mellark oldest son announced his engagement, an engagement no mother could refuse, with the Mayor's daughter no less, Madge Undersee.
Then she waited for the middle son, one crazy in the head boy that knocked up another crazy in the head girl, Delly Cartwright, the shoe maker's daughter.
There was only him left. And finally, Katniss said yes.
Mrs. Mellark youngest, Peeta, had to pinch his arms several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming when he heard the news.
He used to watch Katniss when they were kids, always from afar, ever since the first day of school, he'll never forget that she sang the Valley song, and she did it like the very angels in the sky. Even the bird's stop to listen. He knew at that moment that he would always be tied in one way or another to that magical girl, but he couldn't have guessed that he would end up married to her. Did he dream about it? Yes, countless times, but he never guessed it would actually happen.
He was too shy for his own good.
They had never spoken; long looks, shy smiles, but never an actual conversation.
Their only interaction was a long time ago when he tossed her two pieces of bread; she was starving, right after her father died. He couldn't take watching her getting skinnier every day. His mother made him pay dearly for the offense, hitting his face with a roller pin. Next day he was so ashamed about being a coward and tossing her the bread instead of approaching and putting it in her hands that he never dared to speak to her.
Katniss was so mad and embarrassed when she saw the purple angry mark on his handsome face that she never dared to thank him.
Anyway, Mrs. Mellark wasn't pleased did the pertinent arrangements for the marriage, crying the whole time.
The couple didn't meet until the wedding rehearsal. It wasn't important before, his mother said, "This isn't a marriage out of love Peeta, not that those even exists, this is a business and I hope you worthless boy don't ruin it for us."
"I will try my best mother," he put the surliestface he was able to muster, because if his mother find out about how static he was of Miss Everdeen agreement, she might actuallly stop the wedding just to see him unhappy again.
On the rehearsal day, Peeta put special care into his appearance. He was so excited, he had dreamed about this so many nights, afternoons and some mornings too. He never thought it could become real one day.
His hands were shook uncontrollably, and the weakness in his knees make him think they were made of jelly. He was going to see her; hell, he was going to marry Katniss Everdeen. Live in the same house, eat at the same table, and sleep in the same bed…God! It was too much for him to think about. His excitement was reaching all parts of his body and it was making him even more nervous.
He needed to calm down, but how?
Peeta took one of his uncle Haymitch flasks; the old man was always saying how relaxing he found them so he thought that must work out, right?
Peeta took a sip. The sip burned down his throat; he wondered how Haymitch could drink this every single day, every single night, and some mornings too. But that didn't stop him from taking another sip.
When they arrived to the Everdeen house for the rehearsal, Mary and Prim received them. The first one reminded Peeta a ghost, a skinny and sad shadow of the woman she used to be. Prim was and enthusiastic little girl and hugged him in excitement.
"My god" Mrs. Mellark complained loudly "You shouldn't be hugging a grown up man sweetheart, aren't you educated at all?" She made sweet little Prim cheeks turn crimson.
"Sorry ma'am." said Prim. But the woman just huffed.
"It's okay, don't worry about it," Peeta tried to comfort her with a warm smile. But he still felt guilty about Prim's discomfort so he took another sip.
They were all gathered in the hall under the stairs of Katniss' mansion, candles and white beautiful flowers everywhere, a table where Peeta guessed the judge would be, and chairs for the guests they will have, they weren't many, basically Katniss and Peeta families, the Major family and Gale Hawthorne. Peeta didn't understand what the lonely man was doing there, yes, he and Mss. Everdeen were close but he always was under the impression that Mr. Hawthorne was interested in her. He couldn't be sure as he was a very private and strange man.
Each of his thoughts went blank when the bride was announced and the nuptial march started, Peeta just had to take another sip because his teeth were bumping against each other in the purest form of anxiety. Then, he spotted his future wife over the stairs.
Oh God, he knew in that very moment that no amount of sips with help to compose himself, although he decided to take yet another.
The most beautiful view on earth, her white silhouette, dark hair and olive skin walking down the stairs. It was from another world. His skin erupted in goose bumps; and he couldn't look away, it was such an impossible task.
That was until Katniss grey eyes looked straight into Peeta's blue ones. His shyness obliged his eyes to react. Peeta's heart was beating so fast that he thought he was having a coronary, the air on the room was thick and he had to look away, he had to take another sip…
But that sip came just too late.
He started to feel dizzy, remembering he hadn't eaten all day because his nerves threaten to turn his stomach upside down. Katniss saw him taking the sip to the flask; she saw the disgusting face he did after that, her heart twisted in pain, her eyes started to burn. She thought he didn't want to be there. They haven't even met before, she wasn't expecting love, she was a reasonable woman and they didn't really know each other. But thinking she disgusted him was just too much.
Pain became anger and she lifted her chin, just like her designer Cinna always told her. Her eyes full of fire glared straight to Peeta Mellark all the way down the stairs.
Then, Judge Snow asked the groom to come closer to say his wedding vows.
Peeta was tongue tied, just like he always was around Mss. Everdeen.
Judge Snow tried to help Peeta reminding him what he needed to say "With this candle I will light your way in darkness, with this ring I ask you to be mine…let's try again."
"Yes, yes sir." Peeta answer and more firmly began again "With this candle…" he had to light the candle in that moment but he was feeling dizzy and clumsy, people were starting to feel exasperate until he finally succeeded it. Now, he needed to start talking again but in his nervous state he exhaled and his breath blew off the candle.
"Damn!" Someone on the back exclaimed. Peeta was sure his uncle Haymitch was the one who did it.
"Continue," Judge Snow dictated "Let's try it again, shall we."
"With this… this." Peeta stuttered.
"Haaand" Snow cut in to help finish the sentence for him in frankly exasperation, that made Peeta nervous, if that was even possible.
He took a deep breath and Katniss hand as the tradition dictated but at the touch of her he couldn't remember his own name, the fluttering on his belly made him stumble "Young man, do you not wish to be married?" Judge Snow inquired.
"No!" Peeta shouted fast.
"You don't?" Katniss asked him dismayed, the vulnerability in her normally strong façade made Peeta stutter again.
"No, no…I mean no, I do not no not wish to be married, that is I want very much…ouch!" he yelled at a sudden pain on his head. Judge Snow had just hit him with his cane.
"Pay attention! Have you even remembered to bring the ring?" The judge inquired.
"Yes!" Peeta exclaimed taking the ring out from his jacket but when he tried to show it to the judge, the ring fell from his trembling fingers.
"Dropping the ring…this boy doesn't want to get married!" Snow yelled, veins popping on his wrinkled forehead.
Peeta was on his hands and knees trying without success to catch the ring that was rolling on the floor, he finally grab it yelling with satisfaction "Have it!" showing the golden hoop between his fingers, he had not noticed, that in his frantic carrier, and his tipsy state, he let the candle fell over his mother dress. The woman skirt dress was on fire.
The rehearsal became pandemonium. Peeta's father stepped on Mrs. Mellark dress again and again trying to turn it off, the woman hitting Mr. Mellark over the head "Enough!" Judge snow yelled "This wedding cannot take place until is properly prepared…young man, and I'm not a patient man!" the old man was pointing with his cane to Peeta's chest, and in the most menacing voice Peeta have ever listen, he ordered "Learn your vows!"
Angry looks from everyone invited were directed at Peeta, but what really, truly frightened him was the sad look on Mss. Everdeen eyes, the hurt she was trying to hide with her straight posture and her upwarded chin…although the uncontained tear rolling down her cheek was saying otherwise, that was Peeta's undoing. He let his shoulders drop and left the room.
He already had failed the woman of his dreams and they weren't even married yet.
Everyone was annoyed at Peeta s so he decided to leave and let everyone calm down; maybe cool air of the night and some time alone will help him.
Katniss felt her eyes burn with unshed tears but she was stubborn and strong, she'll be damn if she will let it show her hurt. She always knew this was a business arrangement for the Mellarks but at the back of her mind she was hoping those lingering looks Peeta was always directing at her meant something more.
Peeta was closing the door behind him when he heard Mr. Hawthorne ironic comment "Well he is quite the catch!" Peeta let his shoulders fall in complete defeat. He didn't see Mss. Everdeen hard slap over Mr. Hawthorne cheek. Peeta much less listened the way his fiancé defended him against the presumptuous man.
Mr. Hawthorne wasn't a petty person, he was bitter having to take care of his mother, two brothers and his little sister, his life wasn't the way it supposed to be, he had too many responsibilities and on top of that he felt protective of the Everdeens too, being a single woman in a town like "The Village", he and Katniss had been friends and hunting partners for so many years. The Mellarks weren't trustworthy to him, not one bit. What chance did Peeta have to be a good man with a mother like that?
After a long walk, Peeta decided to practice his vows again, he picked a dark place surrounded by leafless trees "Miss. Everdeen, you look lovely today," the ring on his hand at first, then he placed the ring on a tree branch, pretending it was Katniss delicate hand.
"…with this hand, I will take your… no."
He tried again "With this… with this I would…I will set my mother on fire." Shaking his head the shamefully memory. He definitely would pay for that one.
Taking the ring between his index and thumb and started all over again, he stood up straight, pictured Katniss in front of him and nobody else in the room, he took then a deep breath "With this hand I lift your sorrows, your cup will never empty for I will be your wine…Oh miss Everdeen you look ravishing this evening…" He bowed in reverence to the trunk by an oak tree "What's that Miss Everdeen?" He kept the charade "with this candle I will light your way in darkness…" Peeta rose the ring again "with this ring, I ask you to be mine…" He leaned and placed the ring in another tree branch that was lying on the floor.
A cold strong wind run through the forest and he stopped his every movement.
The tree branch started to move, he tried to see if the air had caused the motion, the earth was shaking…suddenly, the tree branch grab Peeta's wrist hard and pull him to the floor roughly.
He was in shock, crows flew at the same time all over the forest, meanwhile Peeta was trying with all his might to get rid of whatever was pushing him into the earth; he saw in complete terror that what he originally thought was a branch it was really an skeletal hand coming out of the floor!
Peeta pulled and pulled, using all the strength he was capable of until the grip ceded. He fell backwards wincing at the sudden pain on his backside, but he was finally free.
Dread invaded his senses when he noticed an arm with it's respective hand still gripping his wrist, he shook his own arm, hard, until the arm flew behind him.
There wasn't enough air in the planet to fill his lungs. He was panting wildly. The ground began quartering, making a hole in the floor…something started to come out from there….Peeta was paralyzed, in agonizing terror. A head started to come out from the earth.
He wanted to run but his legs weren't responding, he was still lying on his ass.
Short picky hair covered by a veil. He looked at the creepy image from toe to head then, torn, old and broken dress, that was arguably once white, a bonny leg poking out of one of the rips of the cloth, the dress was fitted, presumably strapless shape, showed a pronounced cleavage from what Peeta can guess were one large breast and a tiny waist. Nonetheless, he couldn't imagine something scarier than this.
It was a bride.
A corpse bride.
She slipped the veil of her face with her skeletal fingers, showing an enormous pair of brown eyes and short, spiky hair. She looked straight to him, and whispered in a hollow, spooky voice "I do."
Peeta couldn't stop the scream to come out from his mouth, he was there still frozen over the forest floor.
A smirk formed on the bride's face.
He was finally able to stand up and was about to run too but then he remembered that on the corpse finger was still Katniss ring, Peeta couldn't run without the ring, he had pick it with so much carel, thinking she would like something simple and beautiful and without equal, just like her. The simple pearl over the golden ring was just perfect for Katniss; he had to get it back.
The woman walked to him "I'm so glad I found you, my husband," she grabbed him by the waist with one hand and with the other hold the back of his neck and kissed him, hard in the mouth, Peeta opened his mouth to stop her, tell her it was a mistake, that he wasn't his husband and that she must stop but she took it like an invitation and claimed his mouth with her icy, unnatural tongue.
The impression was too much, as long with the white liquor and his lack of food, Peeta started to feel dizzy again and he blacked out on the corpses arms.
He was in an unknown place when he woke up.
People whose skins fell from their bodies were staring at him; bones showed between ragged clothes, he felt like he is being hijacked. Peeta demanded to know where he was.
"In the land of the death." A spirit answered. "You're married now, congratulations."
"Are you a ghost?" the spirit nodded.
Is the bride a ghost too? What happened to her?" Peeta stammered.
"I will tell you the story of the lovely corpse bride." The ghost continued in that strange language old spirits must have "Our girl was a beauty known from miles around, when a mysterious stranger came into town. He was very good looking but down on his cash and our poor little baby she fell hard and fast. When her daddy said no, she just couldn't cope so our lovers came up with a plan to elope. They arranged to meet late at night, they told not a soul and kept the whole thing tight. Now her mother's wedding dress fit like a glove. You don't need much when you're really in love, except for a few things or so I'm told, like the family jewels and a satchel of gold! She was ready to go…but where was he?"
"And then?" Peeta asked.
"She waited…and waited. Now, There in the shadows was it the man? Her little heart beat so loud, everything went black, when she opened her eyes she was dead as dust and she made a vow to under that tree and wait for her true love to come set her free. Always waiting for someone to ask for her hand and that's the story of our corpse bride."
"God! She was killed? By her groom? She thinks I'm him?" The ghost nodded.
Peeta panics, he wanted to get back to the Village. Desperately.
"I'm not her husband" manically started to argue until he decided to run. He ran and ran trying to get out of the unknown land until a hand stopped him dead on his tracks "Where are you going handsome?"
"Look I'm terribly sorry about what happened to you and I'd like to help but I need to get home."
"This is your home now." The bride said running a hand through her body, seductively, or at least, that was what she thought, next, she encircled her arms around Peeta's neck and started to give him icy kisses over his pulse point.
He moved away from her placing his hands over her shoulders "But I don't even know your name."
"Johanna." She thought what a creepy way to start a marriage but she quickly shook her head to get rid of the unpleasant thought "Oh! Wait I have a present for you" she took a box and placed it into his lap, then she whispered "It's a wedding gift."
He opened the box and saw with horror that it was full of bones, frightened. He threw it all away. Bones started moving on the floor. They placed themselves together like pieces of a 4D puzzle; at the end they were the spooky skeleton of a cat. The cat started to purr and rub against Peeta's legs. Deciding it was inoffensive, he named his new pet Buttercup "This is great, I always wanted a pet, my mother would have never approve one. But then again she never approve of anything," he assert with a bitter voice.
"Would she approve of me?" She asked placing her hand over Peeta's knee and start moving her fingers up, up, up. Peeta stopped her anxiously, placing his hand on top of hers.
An idea came to his mind "Actually, I think you should definitely meet her, and my father too, we should go and see them right now."
"What a fantastic idea, but it has to be right now? We haven't enjoyed our wedding night yet." She said pouting. Peeta felt the chills at the very scene he pictured in his head and shook his head. He stood up fast and was as far away from her as he could be at the moment.
"Um, later, I want you to meet my parents." The bride nodded and leaned in closer, her intentions of kissing him clear as water. He jumped back "Let's go. Show me the way." And they started walking over the shadowy path.
As soon as Peeta could recognize the Village's familiar forest, his mind began to think of ways to distract her.
"Um, honey," he called Johanna in a overly-sweetened voice, flinching at his term of endearment "I have a wedding present for you too," the bride's eyes light up in excitement and lust, the young man trembled just by thinking about what she obviously was imagining her wedding present was. He signaled a tree trunk lying horizontally over the floor "Sit over there, and close your eyes. No peeking."
He took advantage of the distraction and started running all the way to the Everdeen mansion, literally, as if he had seen a ghost.
Without breath, he knocked at the door with insistency. Katniss opened the door wearing her nightgown, surprised to see him there, in the state he was in "Peeta?"
Not able to repress himself, he took her into his arms in a strong comforting hug, he'd been through too much lately that he couldn't help it, what surprised him the most was that she didn't rejected him, instead she closed the door behind them. She was happy to see him back; relief invaded her tormented soul at the sight of her fiancé.
"What's going on, I thought you ran away."
He didn't have white liquor now, but the recent events and the terror he is being through help him overcome his shyness "I'm here now. I'm sorry." He was talking to her for the first time!
"I thought you didn't want to marry me."
"How can you possibly think that when I've been in love with you for all of my life?" He answer surprised that she can think that way when he so obviously looked at her as if she was the moon.
Katniss shy smile and crimson cheeks were his undoing. He took her face with his two strong hands pressing his forehead to hers "Are you blind? Don't you see the effect you have on me?"
"You never talked to me before, why are you doing it now?"
"Maybe because I thought I was going to lose you when finally I was so close to having you."
She exhaled and leaned so her lips touched his softly, he deepened the kiss instantly at the touch, unable to restrain himself. Katniss pull him closer to her, circling his waist with her arms and he couldn't help his sigh. Peeta just couldn't believe it, his tongue traced her lips and her hands roamed through his body. They really wanted to keep that moment and live in it forever but that damned need to breathe was making it impossible.
"You feel the same way I do. Real or not real?" Peeta asked her breathless.
"Real, I want so much to be your wife." He kissed her then, roughly, pouring all the passion he felt for her and all the overwhelming emotions of the previous days, their hands pulling each impossibly closer to the other, she found herself melting into him, she never thought she could feel that started to lead him to her bedroom without stopping their embrace.
A strong noise startled the couple, Johanna was running toward Katniss with an axe in her hand, Peeta placed himself between the two of them, stopping the bride's attach.
"You left me!" She accused pointing a finger at him, throwing the axe away. Peeta exhaled with relief.
"You wouldn't let me explain."
"What do you have to explain? You are my husband."
"Are you married?" Katniss asks dismayed, astonishment written all over her beautiful face.
"Katniss, Please let me explain."
"Come on Blondie, you'll have time to explain later. I've waited for centuries, we need to consummate our union. Let's go I need you." She started to pull the zipper of the dress down, wearing nothing underneath but a pair of well sized breasts. Katniss felt her face burn in humiliation, nudity had always made her uncomfortable, but when she found him, forehead damp with sweat, looking straight to the weird woman breasts, or as she said, her wife, jealousy began to creep inside the grey-eyed woman's heart.
Peeta turned, trying to explain the situation again but she pinched her hands into fists, red in the face, and not wanting to hear none of that. "Go. Be with your wife."
His heart broke into pieces at her hurtful expression "She is not…"
Jo interrupted kissing him hard, her unnatural force keeping him in place.
Katniss went to him and slapped his cheek "Gale was right, you're quite the catch!" And she stormed out demanding that he and his wife leave her home immediately. Peeta was devastated.
"Why are you here with this brainless plain woman? Let me take you to bed show you what I can do to make you feel good. That would cheer you up." The ghost purred taking Peeta's hand in hers, trying to take him out of the house.
"I'm not coming with you."
"Are you leaving me for her?" Fury radiating from her eyes.
"I love her." He said looking straight to Katniss scared eyes. She was looking from one to another with a look of pure astonishment.
"Nonsense, that brainless little creature isn't wearing your ring."
"She is the most intelligent woman I have ever met." He defended angrily.
"She doesn't play the piano or dance," the woman argued.
"But she sings!" Peeta claimed.
"No, she doesn't compare."
"But she still breathes air!" He snapped finally.
"Unimportant, everybody knows that's just a temporary state which is cured very quickly when we meet our fate." She reasoned but hurt danced on the bride's almond big eyes.
Her demeanor turned from angry to sad "if I touch a burning candle I can feel no pain, if you cut me with a knife it's still the same and I know her heart is beating and I know that I'm dead yet the pain here I feel, try and tell me is not real."
Katniss was starting to understand what was going on too.
"Go to her. I still don't understand what you see in that brainless woman. But I know your love is not mine," the bride said with broken words.
"I'm sorry. I'd never intended to hurt you"
She shook her head softly "You set me free, now I can do the same for you." Johanna removed the ring from her finger, handing it to Peeta. He looked down to her hand, comprehending what the gesture meant to her.
The bride softly pushed Peeta towards Katniss and he happily obliging. He was about to get there, Katniss breathtaking smile directed at him when the door opened abruptly.
"Is everything alright Catnip? I was taking my nightly walk by the garden when I heard yelling and came to see if you girls were fine."
"Everything is fine my dear friend, you shouldn't worry about us so much." Katniss sweetly answering the stranger.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" The bride corpse asked "You stole my husband and now you're not introducing me to this tall, dark and handsome gentleman?"
Katniss smirked knowingly.
"Well, this is my friend Gale Hawthorne and judging by the way he is admiring your still barely covered breasts, am pretty sure he will be willing to take a walk with you, if not more." Gale was blushing furiously, unable to look away of Johanna's breasts.
She started to fix the dress again, but something made her think better of it "Let's go handsome. I've been waiting for centuries." She extended her hand to him and he surprisingly took it.
They walk to the forest and back to the land of the dead.
Katniss and Peeta got married a few days later, not wishing to wait longer than that.
Mrs. Mellark was not invited and there was a reserved, place in a dark corner for two guests of honor who traveled from a far, faraway place.
Thanks to Jgllove113, my wonderful cheerleader and friend for her help with this story.
And extra special thanks to titania522 for her super effort to helping me edit this, late at night when she is so busy, you are amazing.