Everything—from the floors to the walls to the ceilings and all the furniture—was either gold, white, or a mirrorlike chrome. The stark brilliance only accentuated the smooth, rolling waves of the continued theme. I was afraid to touch anything, let alone set my ass on one of the delicate white chairs or even the huge, fluffy-looking gold couches.
“Jesus Christ!” Dad exclaimed once the door closed behind us. “They really go all out. I wonder how muchkrinthis cost your fiancé.”
“A lot,” I theorized. “But maybe it’s not as bad as it looks. This is probably a rental.”
“Well, rental or not, donotdrink from the mini bar. That’s the fastest way to rack up a hefty bill in a place like this.”
I rolled my eyes and moved to the window to watch the takeoff. “Oh, Dad, it’s not like this is some cheesy motel. The Xalanites probably don’t upcharge every little thing like we do.” A slight hiccup in the otherwise still ship was the only warning I had that we were lifting up off the Earth, and I watched the ground disappear below us as we shot into space.
Our previous exit from Earth had been hasty, so I hadn’t had the chance to appreciate the view. Our planet was stunning from orbit, though I couldn’t wait to see Xalan in person.
“Come on honey, sit down,” Dad said from a nearby couch, where he held a glass of some bubbly pink liquid. “We’ve got a long trip ahead of us. These ships don’t move as fast as the military grade ones, so it’ll be a couple of days before we get there.”
“A couple of days?” I looked down at my dress, which had taken three people to wedge me into. “Am I supposed to wear this the whole time? Why did I even get in it today?”
Dad chuckled and downed his drink in one gulp. “Because your soon-to-be-hubby wanted the location of the wedding to be a surprise, and I suspect he thought it would make for more spectacular publicity photos if you were dressed to the nines when you boarded.”
I groaned and started unlacing myself. “You mean I have to go through hair and makeup again, too? This is a bit much.”
The trip to Xalan was pretty uneventful, and as I suspected, I had to do an instant replay of the dressing nightmare once we neared the planet. This time, though, I had a slew of Xalanite aids to help me get dressed. These women knew what they were doing, and it took a lot less time to secure me in my gown this time than it had back on Earth with just Timber and Aunt Ann to help me. I wondered if my aunt and her friend were going to be at the wedding. T’raat hadn’t said who on Earth would be there, so for all I knew, Dad and I would be the only humans there.
I shouldn’t have worried; the two women met us at the docks when the ship landed, dressed in their official AARO parade uniforms.
My first view of Xalan took my breath away. I had stayed clear of the windows on the ship on purpose, not wanting to ruin the surprise, and what I saw almost couldn’t be put into words. I knew that Xalan’s surface was mostly underwater, but seeing the vast purple oceans dotted with tiny, colorful islands gave me a new appreciation for the amphibious people, who had developed physically and culturally to deal with a life both on and off land. We’d landed on one of those islands, and the flora surrounding the pier was stunning.
Everything on Xalan, every sight, every sound, every sensation, was heightened. This was beyond 4k HD, beyond Technicolor, beyond the best of the best of Earth cinematic or photographic wonders. I saw colors that I didn’t even know existed in the universe, whole new shades, and the colors I did recognize all seemed brighter and more brilliant than the same colors would be on Earth. Even my gown, which was the same one I’d put on back home, seemed more vibrant, and I wondered if Earth’s atmosphere wasn’t so bad that it muted everything for us.
Why did the Xalanites ever leave this place? One look, and I was doubting my decision to stay on Earth after the wedding.
The colors were made more obvious by the stark lack of color on the Xalanite peoples’ clothing. It was like a reverse Earth wedding. The bride was in color, and everyone else was in pure white.
Everyone except T’raat. He had a bright, leaf-green suit that accentuated his slim hips and broad shoulders. His dark hair had been slicked back with some product, probably the Xalanite version of hair gel, and his dark green boots glistened in thesunlight. They looked as textured as his scaled skin, and I realized they must be leather made from some Xalanite lizard.
Dad took my hand and led me down the ramp off the ship. The gathered crowd cheered at our arrival, tossing handfuls of flower petals over us as we walked by. The soft, colorful petals kissed my skin when they landed, and to my surprise they left tiny little patches of color in their wake. Nothing stained my dress, but my bare shoulders, arms, and upper chest had dozens of spots on them, as though someone had gone wild with powder puffs and eyeshadow palettes. The result was both beautiful and fascinating, like I was covered in powdered gemstone. I almost hated that I’d have to wash it off eventually.
Three Xalanite women stood on a dais next to T’raat, each in a shimmering opalescent white dress that matched the style of my own. One of the women had lines on her scaled face and white streaks in her hair, one looked about Aunt Ann’s age, and one seemed barely old enough to drink. I gathered they were the Xalanite version of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone of some old Earth traditions. The parallels between our cultures made me happy, and I felt a little more at home.
Dad put my hand in T’raat’s, and he held our hands together while the Xalanite women tied long, silky strands of ribbon around our wrists. As they did, they recited the Xalanite ceremony in unison.
“From sea to land to sea again,
“We swim, we walk, we run, we swim.
“We leave the womb, we live, we die,
“We smile and laugh and love and cry.
“Join us here as they join hearts,
“Together now, though born apart.
“As they are joined, shall ever be
“From sea to land, land to sea.”
I couldn’t help it. Everything was so beautiful that I think I would have cried even if I didn’t have the nanites to translate the words for me. I sniffled and wiped my tears with my free hand, grateful for waterproof mascara.
“My love, are you injured?”T’raat helped me dry my cheeks, and I had to laugh a bit.
