As she walked in the room, all eyes turned on her. Most of the people looking at her gave her a curious once over and then glanced away. Some of the women gave her small smiles or nods. Jade tried her best to smile politely back but had trouble keeping the trepidation she felt off her face.
Earlier in the day, her actions had been fueled by anger and outrage. Now that she was no longer ready to claw someone’s eyes out, all the nervous energy and fear was bubbling back to the surface.
I’m in a room surrounded by aliens, Jade thought, letting that notion sink in. I’m about to marry an alien! I’m trusting some old alien man to tell me the truth about what’ll happen with this guy! What the hell am I doing here?
Just as Jade was preparing to spin around and bolt, a very pretty woman in a pale blue dress started gliding toward her. The woman was tall and lithe. As she walked, the fabric of her dress flowed delicately around her legs, and the light danced off her iridescent markings. The effect was hypnotic. The warm smile spread over the woman’s lips as she drew near, and Jade found herself relaxing.
“Hello,” the woman said, peering down at Jade with beautiful periwinkle eyes. “My name is Asivva. What is yours?”
“My name is Jade,” she answered, feeling like a veritable minion compared to the woman.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jade.”
“It’s nice to…” Jade’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, you understood me! How are you doing that?”
Asivva laughed. “I’m a member of The Intergalactic Alliance and when I heard that a Class 4 species female had been found, I made sure I had my translator updated so I could speak with you. I assume you must be very confused and nervous. I wanted to make sure you were all right. And, I thought you may be more comfortable talking with another female.” Asivva looked pointedly at Zikas.
Zikas gave Asivva and Jade a quick bow and then ambled over to another older man by the window.
“Wow. That’s really nice of you. Yes, I didn’t realize how nervous I was until I walked in here,” Jade said as she scanned the room again.
“Your first marriage is always nerve-wracking but you will get used to it. After a while you may even look forward to them,” Asivva said nonchalantly.
“Are you getting married tonight too?”
“Oh, no. I’m just here for you. I’m currently in month four of my marriage. I decided to prolong my marriage by three more months.” Asivva smiled. “You’re very beautiful, Jade. I haven’t met many females with your coloring before. Your hair looks like it’s made of fire.”
“Oh, thanks, but I’m nothing compared to you.” Jade eyed the statuesque woman, marveling at how her markings glistened as she moved. Unable to stop herself, Jade blurted, “Do all Clecanians have those markings?”
Asivva glanced at her hand as if she’d forgotten about them. “No. Those of us with Lignas ancestry have them.”
Jade gazed at her, hoping she’d continue. These are aliens! How have I not been asking questions nonstop?
The corner of Asivva’s mouth quirked. “Most Lignas Clecanians live in the city you’re currently in, Tremanta. That’s why you may have seen markings on so many of us.”
So, the hunky, possible jerk Jade was still fantasizing about was not Lignas. “What do Clecanians from other places look like?”
“There are so many variations it’s hard to name them all.” Asivva blew out a long breath. “The Mastana have sharp fangs and darker coloring. Those in the mountains, called Pesque, are much smaller in stature but have loud voices meant to carry for miles. Beautiful winged Clecanians live in structures built high up in cliffs above the sea. There are many races of Clecanian, all with different ancestry and rituals. The marriage ceremony is very different in other parts of Clecania, for example.”
Asivva leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “Be glad you aren’t marrying a Rotun male. They choose their wives by wrestling them. Potential wives of the Tuvasta males are chased, and whichever male catches the female becomes her husband. They have horns.”
Jade was in awe. Maybe she should stay for longer than a year just so she could learn about all of these different races.
Asivva chuckled at Jade’s dumbstruck expression. “I take it most humans are more similar to one another?”
Nodding in agreement was all Jade could manage. Across the planet, humans had very different cultures, but the media and access to technology were ensuring that cultural and social globalization occurred at a faster pace every year.
Jade was astounded and confused about how an advanced civilization could not only contain so many races that were so physically different but also retained their own identities to such an extreme.
“Yes, our old planet was vast. Races from all over prided themselves on their evolutionary gifts and their cultures. When our ancestors moved to this planet, they sought to separate themselves again rather than come together. Maybe they wanted to preserve some semblance of their old lives by staying separate and keeping their own cultural traditions alive.” Shrugging weakly, Asivva looked in Jade’s eyes. “We came to a new world but clung to our old prejudices. Try to be better than us.”
Jade’s brows drew together, she didn’t have anything against any race. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve read what I could about your race and I see problems that may arise if you don’t have an open mind. Our ways may seem strange to you, but it doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Try to remember that.”
Was Jade one of those people who looked down on other cultures? There was a term for that. She’d learned it in an anthropology class a long time ago. Ethnocentrism. Judging other cultures based on your own culture.
“Did you enjoy The
