Chapter Twelve

"How did it go?" Vorgol asked, the morning after the wedding ceremony. "Everybody get to the officiant's office all right?"

"It went better than expected." Instead of the sense of doom he'd anticipated, he'd returned home feeling almost…happy. The dry, lackluster ceremony had given them something to laugh about. They'd joked about it. He couldn't remember ever laughing so hard or having someone to share in the amusement.

But the fact that the ceremony had had a funny side didn't mean it should have been that way. "Are all the weddings like that?"

"Like what? Better than expected?"

"Mind-numbing dull. The officiant seemed bored by his job and was going through the motions." Given the importance of the weddings, shouldn't he have been more animated, personable?

Vorgol blinked in surprise, but to the VGG's credit, he did not voice the obvious—that Krogan was merely going through the motions of marrying, so how could he fault the officiant? "With the sudden steep drop in marriages, most of the officiants had to find other work. And many of the officiants were women," he said.

"I'd wanted the ceremony to be nice for Hope." She'd been nervous. He'd felt her shaking. When he'd clasped her hand to comfort her, it had been ice-cold. He himself had felt an odd ache in his chest, wishing that he could be a different man, the kind for whom this wouldn't be a rote exercise, but a meaningful commitment because she deserved that.

She'd seemed tense, but so beautiful, and when the officiant had pronounced them married, she'd looked up at him with a hesitant light in her eyes, her parted pink lips so inviting, he'd almost sealed the moment with a kiss.

But the fizzak assistant had interrupted, jumping in with a demand for a signature on the contract. Were they trying to facilitate weddings or prevent them? The officiant had been more interested in getting out the door by quitting time than creating a memorable experience.

"I'm glad I went through it, so I know what the others are experiencing." He remembered how joyful the other couples had appeared leaving the office. They were thrilled to be getting away from the boring officiant. Fortunately, the uninspiring, monotonous ceremony hadn't managed to lessen their happiness. The couples had found joy in each other.

He and Hope had found humor.

"Get more personable officiants. Try to hire back some of the ones we lost," he ordered. "We need people who care, not bureaucrats working off a checklist."

"Will do."

"The human brides will tell their family and friends on Terra Nova about their experience. We need them to be complimentary."

"Now you sound like me," Vorgol joked before turning serious. "I'm glad you feel this way because now that we have some married couples, I intend to revise the marketing campaign to show happy spouses rather than single men, and I would like you and Hope to be in it."

"Assuming she's agreeable, that will be fine. It's a good idea." He had nothing to lose. He no longer feared being matched and paired up because it had already happened. And if it would help his people, he was all in .

"Also…I think it would be beneficial if Cosmic Mates hosted a reception for the newlyweds to show our appreciation."

"And to obtain holograms from the reception to use in marketing?" he asked drily.

"Exactly."

"You're always a step ahead, aren't you?"

Vorgol grinned. "Isn't that why you selected me as your VGG?"

As the founder and titular head of Cosmic Mates—not to mention one of its trailblazing newlyweds, he would have to attend the reception. He couldn't not be there. His absence would look bad for the program. But he needed to consult with his wife. "Let me talk to her, ensure she's amenable before you plan anything. I'll get back to you."

* * * *

A bleary-eyed, sleepy Prudence appeared on the tech screen. But when she saw who it was, she squealed. "Oh, my god, Hope! Are you on Caradonia? Of course, you are. How is he? Is he like really handsome? Are you married yet? I've been waiting for a message. Tell me everything!"

Hope laughed. "Yes, I'm here. Krogan and I got married yesterday. He is handsome and very nice. "

"You don't regret going?"

She didn't hesitate. "No." Up until the wedding, she'd had big doubts, but the short time in her new husband's company had settled her ambivalence. He was a kind, moral man, and she could do far worse than spend a year with him. Upon returning to the apartment, they'd laughed some more about the ceremony and had mimicked the officiant's terrible delivery, eaten a delicious dinner prepared by Don Juan, and watched the sunset.

Prudence expelled a huge sigh. "I'm so relieved because Gleezer the Geezer is still trying to hunt you down. His goons searched my parents' cottage again yesterday. He still thinks they're hiding you. He's been at the bakery every day, too."

"I'm so sorry I dragged you into this."

"You didn't drag us. We love you, and we chose to help you. Besides, everyone relishes seeing Gleezer thwarted. Everybody but your stepmomma." She chuckled. "He accused Rose of having a change of heart and hiding you, so he had your cottage searched. She did not like that at all. I heard he slapped her with a new surtax, and, if she doesn't pay up, he's going to take the cottage. "

Hope grinned. "It couldn't happen to a more deserving person. Karma is a bitch. Maybe one day Gleezer will get to meet her, too."

"Wouldn't that be great?" Pru grinned. "Anyway, I'm so glad you're safe on Caradonia because Gleezer pulled in his cronies from Regional."

"What do mean?"

"Clifford heard from a customer whose husband works at the village hall that Gleezer met all day yesterday with a regional commissioner. I don't know for sure that it's about you, but since he's unaware you left the planet…"

It would be just like Gleezer. He wouldn't hesitate to bring in cannons to kill a gnat.

Although the larger cities were autonomous, the small hamlets were grouped into regions with additional oversight by an elected commission. Bloomhaven was one of five villages in its region. Gleezer always boasted he had a commissioner in his back pocket. From the way he'd been allowed to run roughshod over the villagers, it was obviously true.

"I would hate to get you in trouble."

"You're won't," Pru insisted.

"Eventually, he'll think to check the flight manifests and will find out I'm on Caradonia. "

"So what? He can't prove any of us helped you get there. If the mayor and his cronies have a problem, they can take it up with the king of Caradonia— if they ever figure out where you are."

"Caradonia doesn't have a king," Hope said.

"Whoever is in charge."

That would be Krogan. She grinned. The notion of Gleezer the Geezer confronting her big alien husband who happened to be governor-general brought her great pleasure. She knew without a doubt Krogan would protect her. "Be sure to delete this transmission from your tech-tab when we're done," she cautioned.

"I will. Now, tell me more about Krogan. What's he like?"

"He's built! Super tall and muscular. Way too attractive for me."

"Don't talk like that," Pru chided. "When are you going to look in the mirror and see how pretty you are? The only person who wouldn't say so is your evil stepmother because she doesn't like the competition."

"Anyway…he's the governor-general of Caradonia." She changed the subject back to Krogan.

"Marrying up! Well done."

"The pictures and holograms did not do him justice." She pictured how handsome he'd looked in his wedding clothes, and how the swath of silvery scales had sparkled against his blue complexion. By morning, the silver had receded to a thin band along his hairline. Was there any significance to how the glitter spread and retreated?

"He seemed kind of cold at first, but he's not that way at all. He cares about his planet. He's very much respected and loved by the men here."

"Only by the men? What about the women?"

She filled her in on the devastation caused by the nano-virus.

"That's tragic!" Prudence said. "So that's why they started the Cosmic Mates program."

"It was Krogan's idea. He spearheaded it then delegated it to his second-in-command."

"Have you seen any other alien brides besides the humans?"

"No. I think so far, we're the only ones. There were twenty-five women on the ship with me. Nobody else from our village though."

"Tell me the important stuff. Don't hold back any details."

"I told you everything." What was more important than the pandemic ?

"You know…" Prudence's voice lowered. "Have you guys… bow chicka wow wow ?"

Hope's face heated. "We just met! And this is a marriage of convenience."

"So? Girl, what's more convenient than sex with your hot alien husband?"

"I'm not going to talk about this."

"Not gonna kiss and tell. I get it."

They hadn't even kissed. For a moment, she'd thought he'd intended to seal their vows with a kiss, but then he grabbed a tech-tab to sign his name instead. Maybe Caradonians didn't kiss. "How about you and William?" She turned the tables away from her sexless marriage. "Have you two bow chicka wow wowed?"

"Frequently and with great abandon." She grinned. "We've been together forever. He became my boyfriend in kindergarten. I remember I came home from the first day of school and told my parents I was getting married." She laughed.

Hope giggled and then sobered. "You're one of the lucky ones, Pru." She'd always envied her friend. Her future had been set from the start. William had never not been in her life .

"That's why I want you to find your bliss. Just because you entered into this assuming it would be temporary doesn't mean it needs to stay that way. You might fall in love."

I hope not. Even if she changed her mind, Krogan wouldn't. He'd made it perfectly clear when they'd had their talk that he intended their union to end in a year. As long as they remained on the same page, everything would be fine. But the only thing sadder than entering into a marriage in name only would be falling in love and not being loved back.

At all cost, she had to guard her heart.