Chapter 9

I was waitingwith the human marriage officiant, a human male wearing a black robe, unadorned with the exception of a small white square at his throat. Human throats were extremely delicate, and I wondered why the male was wearing an outfit that drew attention to a fragile location.

The best way to answer any question I had in my head was to ask it out loud.

"Is your throat marking to demonstrate your weakness?" I asked.

"My what?" The male looked up at me with wide eyes, his fingers going to his throat. "No, that is a symbol of purity and dedication."

"Why would drawing attention to your vulnerability be a symbol of dedication?" I asked.

Adjacent to the main house, there was a garden where we were waiting. A little way off to the side was the smaller structure where Jessica and I had met. Standing not far from the officiant and myself was the teal-haired Norratar Jevelar, the male in charge of the mate-matching service being established on Earth. Little, brightly colored flowers lined the paths leading us through what appeared to be a meticulously landscaped garden. Those lying on the ground tended to be purple with a tiny yellow dot in the middle. Dark red flowers adorned a towering bush behind the priest. The bush was taller than he was. Directly in front of it, behind the priest, was a white archway that had a climbing vine woven through it. We were on a smoothed tile path made of large sections of rock. Aligning my tail to avoid the flowers and the small buzzing insects that swarmed them, I could feel some rough edges on the ground. However, nothing was harsh enough to cause me more than a moment"s notice.

There was very little that could damage my body here on this planet.

It was a gentler environment than the homeworld of my species.

"Why do you see that as a vulnerability?" said the officiant.

"Human necks are soft and fragile; you lack any protective structure against squeezing." I held out my hand towards him, not touching but letting him see how large it was in comparison to his neck. "One firm grip and that is the end for you."

"How do you know this?" the officiant asked, his voice coming out small and high-pitched.

"It was part of the required course on human care," Jevelar chimed in. "Anyone applying for the mate matching service must complete the required courses to make sure we are fully informed on how to take care of our more delicate mates, in all the ways. Do your males not take lessons on how to properly please your females? Species that don't do that are considered uncivilized."

The male was saved from saying anything else by the door to the house opening.

At that moment, all thoughts left my mind like a breeze brushing pollen from the branches in a forest. There was nothing to say or think that was more important than taking in the beautiful visage of perfection that stood in the doorway to the rest of my life.

My mate was wearing a white outfit that alternated between a shiny fabric and a delicate lace that exposed her skin in tantalizing places. She moved towards me as if she was gliding on air. It took me a moment to notice her human friend next to her, arm laced through hers. As they approached, the human friend peeled off to stand beside the teal haired Norratar.

My mate stood in front of me and I reached out to take her hand, feeling how soft and small it was in mine.

"Right, so, before we begin, are you sure you want to do this?" the officiant asked my mate.

"I appreciate all the concern, but I'm good," she said. "I'm ready to go with this. I'm ready to marry an alien! Caley - are you ready to start recording?"

"Uh, I think so," her friend said, holding up what I recognized as my mate's small handheld device.

"Let me check real quick." Jessica pulled her hand from mine abruptly and stepped over to her friend. "Yes, it"s recording. No live stream this time! Let's restart from the walk, follow behind me, focus on my dress and the muscles in my back, and then pan up to catch a glimpse of Aeson, then backup and get a wide shot of the ceremony. Got it?"

"Oh… okay… I think I can do that…" Caley stammered.

They walked a few feet back and Jessica began to move, floating towards me again, Caley tight behind her, the device held close to Jessica's back.

"Now actually pan over to me putting my hands in his," Jessica said as she reached out for my hands. I took her hands as the other human moved the device over close to them. "Now back up and catch us looking at each other. Aeson, give me your best adoring look, yes, just like that!"

I wasn't sure what she was talking about. All I wanted to do was look at her and take her in at this moment, and when she gazed up at me, I could see all the warmth the future promised the both of us shimmering in her brilliant smile.

"Let's turn together to face the officiant," she said, turning to do so. I shifted to follow her leave. "Ok, now make sure to be good and loud. I'm going to use the audio for this part."

"Right." The officiant cleared his throat.