Page 8 of My Human Wife

But it’s not enough. Gael picks me up as if I weigh nothing and sprints for the door, but it closes before we can escape.

My dream is turning into a nightmare. The abbess is walking towards us with a look of satisfaction on her face. “You can’t just come in here and steal, Imperial pirate.”

“I’m not a believer,” Gael says as if they were all having a civilized conversation about religion.

“Blasphemy. You will be a believer and you will pay homage to the Fertility Goddess. Five-hundred UCs for this human.”

“As the goddesses abandoned me a long time ago, I’m not worried about their wrath for not paying.”

“I choose him,” I say in Uru, the abbess’s native tongue hoping that might make a difference. The word ‘choose’ holds greater significance in their language.

Her yellow eyes meet mine. “Are you sure?”

I don’t break eye contact, but I feel like I’m agreeing to more than just sex for the Fertility Goddess. But I don’t back down. “Yes. IchooseGael the Returner.”

The nun smiles deviously. “Well then, in that case, I grant you your freedom and I grant youGael the Returner.”

I think I’ve won something but when I look over at Gael his face looks ashen. I mouth the word, ‘What?’ in English but he doesn’t acknowledge my question.

“Oh, the stupid human doesn’t even know what she’s done,” the abbess laughs. “This is priceless.”

“What have I done?”

“You’ve agreed to marry this man.”

“No, I haven’t.”

The nun can hardly stop laughing to explain.

“Gael? Tell her she’s losing her mind. I agreed to sex.”

“Through my translator that’s not what you said. You said ‘marry.’”

“At Lord Juo’s males often said theychoseme in that formal way.”

“It’s a practice with prostitutes,” the abbess tells me. “So males don’t anger the goddesses and Uru society can say we don’t have filles de joie. I’d feel sorry for you if you were just any human, but I don’t want you here. And this is the only way I can get rid of you permanently.”

“But you said if I paid homage to the goddess I’d go back to the IGC. I can pay homage with this man and leave.”

“That was before I received this message.” The abbess shows us a message from the desk of IGC Judge Jin Kol, Uru Tribe.

Status Resolved: The human named Lara now is an apprentice nun under the permanent guardianship of the Fertility Goddess’s Holy Nuns as of Imperial Year 8thday of the 28thweek of the year 18403 signed by the IGC official Jin Kol.

“Why would the IGC do that?” I ask.

“It doesn’t matter now. You’re not staying here. You’ve agreed to marry this criminal. Let’s do this so I can be free of you.” The abbess looks at Gael. “One UC if you please. You must still pay this temple its due.”

“But he didn’t agree,” I protest.

“Ignorance doesn’t change what you promised, human.”

Gael

I’m trying to think of ways to get out of this. With humans being in this legal limbo, what Lara said is binding if her guardian agrees. And clearly her guardian agrees wholeheartedly. As a man, unless I’ve shown severe unwillingness to enter into this union I can’t refuse because legally she is free to decide. The only way out would be to not become sexually aroused during our homage to the goddess, but that would be impossible. Lara is the embodiment of the perfect woman, even dirty as she is now. I find everything about her attractive, the curve of her hips, her ample breasts and of course her human pink lips. I’m sure her tongue and clit are cherry-colored too. I’m aroused just thinking about it. And it’s been over a year since I’ve touched a woman so there’s no question if I can fulfill the marriage ceremony.

But her ignorance of the galaxy is tragic. She doesn’t even know what she’s done, and I won’t tell her the extent of it anytime soon. I don’t want to give her anything else to worry about. “This is binding,” I say evenly. I get out my IC and transfer one UC to the temple. I look over to Lara who is shocked. I take her small hand in mine. “The sooner this is over the sooner we can leave.”

The abbess, more than happy with the arrangement, smiles smugly. “Gael the Returner, Outcast of the Alliance Empire, Commander of Terra Ka, do you accept Lara from Earth, Ward of the Fertility Temple, formerly owned by Lord Juo of the Uru Tribe, to be your wife?”

---