Page 3 of I Married Amreth

“Apologies,” I replied in the same overly dramatic fashion while pressing a palm to my chest. “Forgive my epic rudeness, Master Voln. My name is Ciara Stark, medical doctor with an epidemiology specialization, and a proud member of the Interstellar Doctors Organization for the past fourteen years.”

“Fantastic! I’m impressed. Well, Dr. Stark, would it be too bold of me to address you by your first name?”

I grinned. “Not at all, Kayog. These events may be a bit stuffy, but I’m far more laidback.”

“Thank the Maker!” he replied with an exaggerated relief that made me smile further. “My Linsea constantly rolls her eyes at me for my lack of decorum in these types of settings.”

I gave him a sympathetic look, even though I knew he was grossly misrepresenting how badly he misbehaved. Although brief, the period during which I observed him with his mate showed he perfectly handled himself in these stuck-up environments.

“I can only imagine. What I have a harder time picturing is how a matchmaker and an ambassador ended up getting married. I never thought such a pairing would work, and yet you two look absolutely perfect together,” I mused aloud.

His face melted with that same tenderness he displayed the few times I caught him glancing at his wife.

“We’re indeed perfect for each other. She’s my soulmate. And this pairing is quite useful. Every time I accompany my beloved to these types of events, I get to meet countless people, which further helps me find the right match. And that usually occurs in the most unexpected places.”

I nodded as the lift came to a stop. “That makes sense,” I said while stepping out of the cabin.

“But what of you, Ciara?” he asked as we walked back towards the gathering hall at a leisurely stroll. “I do not see a ring on your finger. But feel free to tell me to mind my own business.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay. My life is nothing like the type of stories you’ve probably heard a billion times before. There’s no ring because I threw it in his face before kicking him to the curb once I found out he was stealing my research.”

“Oh no!” Kayog exclaimed with a genuine air of sympathy.

For some silly reason, that touched me. I gave him a resigned smile.

“Sadly yes. Collin also worked with the Interstellar Doctors Organization. Like me, he specialized in epidemiology. We worked on a couple of projects together and started dating. I like to pride myself in being a smart woman, but I was so freakingblind. He never loved me. The entire time, he was using me to prepare the type of article that would open many doors forhim.”

“Ambition can be a cancer in many relationships,” Kayog replied with an apologetic expression.

“Right, except it was completely dumb in our case since I’ve never been the ambitious type. All the idiot had to do was to ask for my help, and I would have given it freely. I didn’t need the glory. He would have been entirely welcome to it,” I said, the old anger resurfacing.

“I’m sorry. You certainly deserved better. Was that recent?” he asked, in a gentle, almost paternal fashion.

I smiled reassuringly and shook my head. “No. It all went down a few years ago.”

He hesitated and appeared to carefully choose his words as he came to a stop near the railing at the edge of the promenade looking down onto the lower floors. I stopped as well and eyed him with curiosity.

“Do you still have feelings for him?”

I snorted and looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Good God, no! I’m definitely not pining for that asshole. The feelings I still have for him are a strong urge to punch him in the throat. But no, I’m beyond over him. I was devastated when it happened, but I’m glad it did. I dodged a major bullet. Next time, I’m steering clear of anyone who is also in the medical field and who has big ambitions.”

He cocked his head in that odd way birds often did as he eyed me with great intensity. “No medical field… Hmm. And what else would you like or not like in a potential mate?”

I chuckled, suddenly realizing that he was doing his thing of assessing every person he met as a potential candidate for him to matchmake. Although I’d been single for a while, I wasn’t actively on the market to find a mate. That said, now that I had the Matchmaking God’s full attention, I suddenly found myselfcaught up in the game and wondering if he actually could find my soulmate.

“Well, since you’re asking, I would want someone who is Collin’s opposite when it comes to values. He would need to be honest, with solid morals, generous, selfless, and in this relationship for me, not what he can get out of me.”

The Temern nodded, his beak stretching in as wide a smile as its stiffness allowed. “Someone trustworthy and highly principled like an Obosian?”

“Oh, God!” I said, fanning myself in an overly dramatic fashion. “You should know better than to tease a woman with the prospect of marriage to one of those fine specimens,” I added, casting a not-so-subtle look at one of the two Obosian guards patrolling the promenade. “Too bad they won’t give us the time of day.”

It was his turn to chuckle. “I do get an insane number of requests from human females to be paired with one of these impressive males. So does that mean you would love to be matched with an Obosian?”

“Of course! What a silly question to ask,” I said, giving him a playfully chastising look.

“Excellent! Because your soulmate happens to be one!” Kayog exclaimed enthusiastically.

My brain froze, and I gaped at him, wondering if he was pulling my leg.

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