Page 67 of Married to the All Hallows' Eve Alien

"And you to me," she says and begins to cry. I want to hold her, but her body language hasn't changed, so I keep my distance. "I thought I could trust you, but you didn't even try to tell me."

"I did try," I repeat to myself just as much as I say it for her. "I tried to talk about the existence of aliens."

"I thought you'd just seen some show on television. I didn't think you were being serious."

"Exactly. So how could I begin when you didn't even believe there was life on any other planet but Earth?"

"You could have tried harder."

"I could have, and I'm sorry. But listen, Ivy, despite what Caroline or the commander has said, you're not guilty of this. I've asked to take the punishment for both of us; it's been initially denied, but I'll ask again. The High Priestess and High Council wants to see you suffer as well, but it's all propaganda."

"You'll have to explain to me later who the High Priestess and High Council are because right now, I'm only concerned with our punishment. What will it be?"

I hesitate. I don't want to tell her. "I think you should walk into it ignorant, especially since you may not have to suffer a punishment at all.”

"Tell me what it is.”

"Trust me. You don't want to know."

"How can I trust you? You’re an alien, Sem, and you didn’t even tell me."

"You can trust me about this. I don't want you to worry unnecessarily. Also, there's another issue, a more important issue."

"What could be more important than an alien government-sanctioned punishment?"

"We must get married according to my government's laws."

"Okay? I’m confused. That's worse than a punishment?"

"It's not like a human ceremony. Well, not a modern one. We must have sex in front of witnesses."

"I'm not doing that."

"We must, Ivy."

"No way."

"We don't have a choice. If you don't do it, then we, and you especially, are stuck in legal limbo forever. That means you have no galactic status, and without status, you don't exist as a person in the galaxy. Meaning you can’t receive a translator, you can’t return to Earth, and you can’t be recognized as a member of galactic society. We can’t live together…"

She interrupts me, "I can return to Earth? I was told I wasn’t allowed.”

"After we are married, of course, but not permanently. You'll have to spend some time here too. It's complicated, but you will be able to return to Earth with certain limitations."

"What kind of limitations?"

"You're not allowed to say I'm an alien or you live on the moon."

"How do you keep hidden from humanity being so close?"

"We don't. Most of your governments know we’re here."

"What? I don't believe you."

"Don't play naïve. You say often enough, 'Well, you know politicians are running these secret schemes, and we’re all just pawns.'"

"I never thought that extended to contact with aliens."

"Well, now you know it does. The commander wants us to marry this evening, but I told him you weren't ready. We'll have to do it tomorrow or the next day, though."

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