I glared at Molzeg with a disgruntled expression as I prepared to head to the spaceport. The Seer had set me on this crazy path to bond with a foreign mate. I didn’t even want a mate to begin with, not with the countless headaches my people were currently juggling with. But a foreign one?
She looked so strange on the images the agent had sent me. I had seen humans before, but never paid them too much attention. Now, I would be mated to a scaleless female with a skin the color of honey, and head fur the color of turning leaves. How was I even supposed to get aroused by that? Kayog had declared her to be a soft and delicate female but warned me not to be fooled by her weak appearance—she supposedly possessed great internal strength. Time would tell soon enough.
The Seer held my gaze, a mocking smile stretching her scaly lips. According to her, if I supported my human mate, she would drive away the hardships that threatened to destroy our future. Molzeg’s foresight was always accurate. Despite the doubts twisting my insides, a part of me rejoiced at this glimmer of hope. And yet, how could a soft human perform such a feat? Did she possess some sort of ritual magic to summon the thinning herds?
Those never-ending questions tormented me during the long ride to the spaceport on the back of my mraka. This place never ceased to overwhelm my senses. Although we used technology in our village, the amount on display here felt excessive. My head spun from all the giant screens with flashy images, various lights each competing for the patrons’ attention to draw them towards this shop or this service, not to mention all the voices and music overlapping. Why the off-worlders enjoyed such sensory overload made no sense to me.
Nonetheless, my people were being left behind. We needed to catch up, at least to a certain extent. But we couldn’t afford it.
Not unless we sell part of our lands.
I clenched my teeth and silenced the growl that wanted to rise from my throat. The Conglomerate’s tactics had grown increasingly aggressive of late. The Natives Council had met a number of times in recent weeks to answer the growing requests for further developments on our homeworld. While we personally would have rejected them all, we couldn’t deny the other native species sharing this planet with us the right to explore new opportunities. A part of me wished all those off-worlders had kept flying past our planet. Instead of struggling to maintain our way of life, we would be enjoying the peace our ancestors had fought so hard to reclaim.
As always, the spaceport buzzed with activity, various traders and tourists hurrying past me as they headed towards whatever business was calling to them. The display screen indicated the flight from Meterion had landed more than half an hour ago.
I cussed inwardly.
It arrived early. I hadn’t meant for my future mate to stand there idly, feeling abandoned. As I approached the waiting area near the arrivals, my gaze zeroed in on the Temern Agent Kayog and the wisp of a female standing next to him.
I swallowed back the wave of disappointment that washed over me as I seized the opportunity that she hadn’t noticed me yet to study her appearance. She was even smaller and more fragile looking than I expected. A twig would likely be sturdier than this female.
Her features did nothing for me. She had tiny brown eyes framing a narrow nose that looked like someone had pinched it then tried to pull it out of her face before giving up. Her lips had an interesting shape and appeared fairly cushiony and plush. Her ears stood out on each side of her face, their round shape giving them an odd appearance while pieces of jewelry dangled from the earlobes. Her head fur shone under the bright lights of the waiting area and cascaded softly down her narrow shoulders.
Although her features looked strange to me, they were symmetrical enough that she probably qualified as attractive for her people. However, her soft outward appearance reminded me of the skin of a plucked bird. How in the world I would lay with this female was beyond me.
But even as these less than charitable thoughts crossed my mind, I realized she would likely be as turned off by my own appearance. If her reaction was anything like mine, despite having seen my image before, I feared reality would hit her hard. Still, she looked demure and poised in her beige outfit consisting of a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The size of the leather shoes covering her feet only underlined how tiny they were. Swallowing back a sigh, I made my way towards them.
Kayog was the first to notice my presence. Seeing the smile stretching his beak, the female cast a half-startled, half-panicked look in my general direction. Her eyes widened, and she nervously tucked strands of her head fur behind her ear. Just like I had done with her, my future mate observed me from head to toe, doing an honorable job of hiding her emotions. However, the way she swallowed hard led me to believe she felt intimidated by me.
“There you are!” Kayog exclaimed in greeting.
“Apologies,” I said in a growly tone, connecting gazes with him for a second before turning back to the female. “Your flight was not scheduled to arrive for another 30 minutes. I had meant to already be here to welcome you upon landing.”
“No need to apologize,” she said with a surprisingly pleasant voice. “We are early. But I had good company,” she added, casting a timid smile at the Temern.
Kayog smiled at the female before proceeding to the introductions. “Susan, this is your mate, Olix Nillis, Clan Leader of the Andturian tribe of the Monkoo Valley. Olix, this is your mate Susan Jennings, third daughter of the Jennings House of the Southern Fields of Meterion.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Susan Jennings,” I said, pressing my right palm to my chest and slightly bowing my head in greeting.
“The honor is all mine, Olix Nillis,” she replied with a slight bow of her head as well, her hands clasped before her.
“Well, now that you’ve been introduced, we should proceed to the Chapel for the ceremony,” Kayog said with an enthusiasm only he seemed to feel. “This early arrival actually plays in our favor in that we can conclude all the proceedings and file your contract with the Registrar before it gets too busy around here.”
Feeling awkward, I picked up the small carry-on bag at Susan’s feet and followed the Temern. Susan gave me a grateful smile and tagged along, walking on my right. I’d never felt so completely ill at ease with anyone, let alone a female.
It was a short walk to the Registrar’s Office. As an increasing number of people had been visiting our planet of late, customs and security had increased to control all the comings and goings. As my future mate, Susan’s background check had already been performed by the agency who would also handle all the paperwork. In order for her to move about freely on Xecania, she needed to be made a legal resident. As my wedded wife, she would automatically receive permanent citizenship.
Then again, permanent was relative to the extent that, should she or I decide to put an end to this union within the six-month trial period, her citizenship would be revoked within a week thereafter.
We entered the large room with multiple counters where newcomers had to register and state their business. However, those applicants were still on the secured side of the spaceport with reinforced glass walls dividing the two sections. Thanks to Kayog’s presence, Susan had already been allowed through that section but could not exit the spaceport proper without filing her wedding certificate.
We headed to one of the three small rooms at the back. A human magistrate greeted us, standing behind what resembled an altar. A dozen chairs spread over two rows of six, split in the middle to make room for a passage, were the only other pieces of furniture in the room. Apparently, it could be adorned based on the specifications of couples should they so request it. According to Kayog, Susan had been content with the basic setting. I didn’t know what had motivated such a choice. A part of me wondered if it was in order to minimize expenses—which shamed me—while another feared it expressed her indifference towards the proceedings—which worried me.
“Susan, Olix, this is Magistrate Elena Mongeau,” Kayog said, gesturing at the female behind the altar. “She will officiate your wedding, and I will bear witness. Elena, this is Susan Jennings and Olix Nillis, the betrothed.”
We nodded in greeting, and the Magistrate smiled in return. Although she kept a professional expression on her face, I didn’t miss the way she subtly eyed me. Curiosity as to what thoughts had crossed her mind clawed at me. Was she wondering why her fellow human would have chosen me?
“Since Olix already informed us that a formal Andturian wedding will take place in his village once they reach Monkoo, Susan has waved a formal human wedding,” Kayog explained. “We will therefore simply do the basic procedures to record a legally binding union as per Galactic Law.”
That revelation both took me aback and pleasantly surprised me. Two formal wedding proceedings would have been much in a single day, but I wouldn’t have denied her the observance of her cultural rituals. Knowing that Susan had relinquished hers in favor of mine touched me. Maybe there was hope for this couple after all.
“Very well,” the Magistrate answered, while taking a holographic card from Kayog.
She inserted it into the slot on the altar before her and rapidly browsed its contents. Visibly satisfied with our respective identifications and wedding contract, she nodded and smiled at us.
“Please stand facing each other in front of the altar,” the Magistrate said.
Susan and I complied. My bride swallowed hard again and lifted her head to look at me. Standing face to face only further underlined how small and fragile she looked compared to me. Although she wasn’t trembling, Susan’s nervousness—or was it fear?—was plain to see.
“We are gathered here to bind this male and female in the legal bond of marriage,” the Magistrate said in a solemn voice. “This union is only valid if freely entered into by both partners, not for financial compensation, not through coercion, and not for deceptive purposes. Susan Jennings, are you here of your free will?”
“Yes, I am,” Susan replied.
“Do you voluntarily choose Olix Nillis as your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish from this day forward until death do you part?”
“I do,” Susan said in a surprisingly firm voice.
“Olix Nillis, are you here of your free will?”
“Yes, I am,” I replied, my pulse suddenly picking up.
I had never heard the human wedding vows before, but I liked the breadth of commitment they entailed. In many ways, they emulated ours, although we didn’t spell them out in so many words.
“Do you voluntarily choose Susan Jennings as your lawfully wedded wife, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish from this day forward until death do you part?”
“I do,” I replied.
“Kayog Voln, Senior Agent of the Temern, do you confirm bearing witness to this female, Susan Jennings, and this male, Olix Nillis, freely exchanging their matrimonial vows?” the Magistrate asked.
“I do,” Kayog answered.
“Then, by the powers vested in me by Galactic Law and the United Planets Organization, I declare you, Olix Nillis and Susan Jennings, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
My brain froze when Susan suddenly looked embarrassed while staring at me expectantly. The same expression could be seen on the Magistrate and the Temern. Kiss? I wasn’t familiar with the term, but it apparently was something I needed to do to conclude this proceeding.
“Hmmm… What is kiss?” I asked, embarrassed by my ignorance.
I almost recoiled in worry when my new mate’s skin turned a bright shade of red, as she stared at me in disbelief. Why had my ignorance so infuriated her? Was it a sacred part of the human ritual I’d somehow missed in the instructions Kayog had sent?
“Apologies, Susan. I—”
“It’s okay,” she said, interrupting me, then shrugged while averting her eyes. “It’s not important.”
I stared at her, feeling at a complete loss. The depth of the red shade of her skin indicated rage in my people, but her voice and body language only expressed embarrassment. Worse still, I couldn’t decide whether she was being truthful by saying it wasn’t important. Confused, I glanced at Kayog.
“A kiss is a human custom to express affection, among other things,” the agent explained. “There are many ways to kiss, depending on if the target is a mate, a relative, or a friend. In this instance, it is tradition for human partners to seal their union by pressing their lips on each other’s for a couple of seconds. You only kiss a mate on the lips.”
My eyes widened in shock—not to say in horror.
“Why would they do that?” I blurted out, immediately kicking myself for my lack of tact when the redness of Susan’s face went up another notch. “Apologies. I am afraid I do not know much about human customs. I promise to do better.”
“Like I said, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” Susan said, her voice a little more clipped this time.
“I did not mean to anger you,” I said, feeling horrible.
“Human’s skin turns red for various reasons,” Kayog explained in a somewhat amused tone. “Most of the time, it is to express embarrassment or shyness. It is called blushing.”
“Oh!” I said, feeling even more stupid for my ignorance. “Our scales darken when we are embarrassed,” I said, before snorting while looking down at myself. “As you can see happening right now.”
Susan cast a timid look my way, and some of her embarrassment appeared to fade as she took in my darkening scales. The sliver of a smile stretched her lips.
“I will do better to learn of your customs. But for now, if you allow it, I will honor your tradition and kiss the bride,” I added.
I wasn’t too tempted by that prospect. Why press your mouth onto someone else’s? Still, I had just committed to be a good husband to this female for the rest of our lives. Showing some respect for her customs was the least I could do, no matter how unappealing it might be.
Now more than ever, I was kicking myself for not reading up on humans. But this whole process had happened too quickly. Only two days ago, Kayog had informed me of a female choosing me, and now she was already here. That had only given me the time to prepare the house for her arrival as well as rush the wedding plans.
Susan hesitated. It bothered me that I couldn’t decide if it was because she didn’t want me to feel obligated or because she wasn’t too keen on kissing me either. I hated feeling so clueless.
“Okay,” she said, the redness creeping back around her neck.
She lifted her face towards mine. Bracing, I leaned forward to press my lips against hers. Her pointy nose, oddly pliable instead of hard and unyielding like a fingertip as I’d expected, poked my own. It was an odd feeling, but the softness of her lips against my scaly ones really held all of my attention. It proved to be an unusual but quite agreeable sensation. I lifted my head, startled when the Magistrate and the Temern started clapping their hands. Susan smiled shyly at each of them, but my mind was still stuck on the fact that I wished to kiss her again to better assess that experience.
But that wandering thought was cut short when the Magistrate asked us to sign the wedding contract by pressing our thumbs in the signature box on the interface of the altar. She and Kayog also signed after us in their capacity of witness and officiant.
“Congratulations, Susan and Olix. I wish you a long and happy life together,” the Magistrate said.
We both thanked her as she retrieved the holocard from the slot in the altar, which she then handed to Kayog. With a final wave of the hand, she left the room.
“I will go file this with the Registrar,” Kayog said. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
We nodded and watched him walk away. And awkward silence settled between Susan and me. I cast a sideways glance at her only to find her eyeing me. I cleared my throat, thinking how unimpressed my clan would be to see their leader so intimidated by merely conversing with the tiny female he had just married.
“I hope you had a pleasant journey on your way here,” I said, failing to come up with a more interesting topic.
“It was very nice,” Susan said, looking almost relieved I’d come up with something. “The Agency planned everything perfectly. The accommodations were lovely and so was the staff onboard the vessel.”
“I am pleased to hear it,” I said with a smile. “You also arrived on a beautiful day on Xecania. It will be perfect for the ceremony in Monkoo.”
“I can’t wait to see your village and meet your people,” she said with a nervous laughter. “I’ve watched some videos during the trip. Your planet looks beautiful.”
“It is your planet and your people now, too,” I gently corrected.
“Right,” she said, her face heating some more.
It was a fascinating phenomenon. And now, I couldn’t help but wonder what other colors humans changed to based on their emotions.
I gestured with my chin at her bag, which I had placed on the floor before the wedding. “Is that all you have brought?”
Susan shook her head. “No, I have many more things,” she replied with a sheepish expression that made me wonder at just how much ‘many more things’ meant. “Kayog says a shuttle will deliver them to the village in 24 to 48 hours. This bag only contains the essentials until then.”
“Good. Traveling lighter will allow us to get back to Monkoo faster,” I said, relieved.
She slightly recoiled in surprise. “Oh? We’re not traveling in a shuttle?”
I shook my head, forcing myself not to show disdain. Granted, shuttles were faster, more comfortable to some—especially elders—and allowed one to carry a lot more at once, but this wasn’t the transportation of Hunters, let alone of Andturians.
“We will be riding my mraka back home,” I said proudly.
“Is that so?” Kayog said, a slightly concerned look on his face as he returned to us.
“Yes, it’s waiting for us outside,” I said, disturbed by the Temern’s troubled expression.
“I see,” he said in a noncommittal tone. He extended a holocard to each of us. “Here is a copy of your wedding registration and citizenship documents,” he added, looking at my mate. “Congratulations to the two of you. I hope we will not meet again, as that will mean a successful union between you. I wish you the very best.”
“Thank you for everything, Kayog,” Susan said with a grateful expression.
“Indeed,” I replied, nodding at the agent.
“Expect your belongings in a day or two, with a little wedding gift from the agency,” the Temern added, with a wink for my mate.
“Okay,” she replied, her face softening in a way that I found intriguing.
The agent waved goodbye, his wings shifting as he slowly walked away. I turned back to my mate, who once more looked uncertain and slightly intimidated. I could understand those feelings. It had to be frightening to uproot oneself and move to a foreign planet to live among strange people of a completely different species.
“Come, my mate. It is time for you to discover your new home,” I said, picking up her bag.
She gave me a shaky smile and followed me outside.
