Page 69 of Alien Barbarian's Little Human

It’s also home to pink sand beaches bordering aquamarine beaches of low-grit sand. Because of not one, but two gas giants in the Jagga system, asteroidal strikes are so unlikely as to be nearly impossible.

But the best part of Jagga Prime is that Magog and I are getting married here.

We were welcomed by the Aeven Settlement six months ago. Now the lazy beachside community has come out in full force for our wedding, or fated mate ceremony, or whatever they want to call it. It gets a little bit complicated with the whole past lives thing.

As Magog said, the memories of those past lives have faded over time. However, I can still access them if I really want to. It’s just that this life, the life I live right now as Nerita, mainly occupies my thoughts.

The feelings attached to the memories from my past lives don’t fade, however. They continue unabated, adding strength and joy to the union I share with Magog.

Right now, I’m standing inside of a flimsy but opaque beach hut smoothing out the folds of my matrimonial gown. Apparently Vakutan brides typically wear red, not white, but I want to honor the human tradition, too.

Besidess, as I like to tease Magog, he’s not completely Vakutan. He lived two other lives before this one as a Drokan and an Ishani. I suppose he almost lived four lives. He was a Reaper, albeit for a short period of time.

My dress fits tight around the bodice, but flares out past the hips into a diaphanous wavy train. Antigrav threads help keep the fabric out of the sand, anc they provide support just where I need it. The material is some kind of alien exotic thread, in a lace pattern that reveals just enough to be sexy while concealing enough to almost be demure. Almost.

I didn’t go overboard on cosmetics, because this is a beach wedding and I don’t want runny mascara or a blurry mess on my face. Maybe it’s silly to primp at all, considering the fact that Magog always says it’s my soul he loves. What does the body matter?

It matters a lot to me, because I want him to think, through the entire wedding, how much he wants to get me alone and rip this dress right off my body. Maybe our love does transcend time and space, but there’s still something to be said about your man looking at you in just the right way.

“Miss Nerita? It’s time.”

I pull the hut’s flimsy door open and see my flower girl, Jessica, standing there looking like a painting come to life.

“I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, Jessica. You don’t have to call me Miss Nerita. Nerita is fine.”

“Okay…Nerita-is-fine.”

She lets out a giggle that could peel paint, and I roll my eyes.

“I guess I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

“You sure did! My aunt says that Vakutan like to slay a beast during their wedding ceremony.”

“This isn’t a Vakutan ceremony, it’s, um, an amalgamation, and the only thing Magog will be slaying is a big dish of Alzhon calamari.”

She tilts her head to the side.

“Miss Nerita?”

“Nerita.”

“Nerita-it-is, what does malga nation mean?”

“Well, Jessica, it’s like when you make a big pot of stew. You just throw a bunch of different stuff in and the result is sort of an amalgamation.”

“So you’re doing a bunch of wedding stuff? From different planets?”

“I wouldn’t say a bunch, but close enough.”

A single, almost lonely sounding horn blast sounds across the air. Malar, the Kiphian agriculture expert, has blown his ancestral horn. That’s the signal that it’s almost time to begin my march down the aisle.

“It’s almost time, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Jessica. You’d better go get ready.”

She starts to leave, then pivots on her heel and turns back to face me.

“Nerita? Are you sure you don’t miss having your Daddy walk you down the aisle?”

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