The answer hit her a few moments after the thought came.
"That's right," she thought. "It's the only chance I have."
In the end, the only person they found willing to marry all three of them, without forcing them to convert to some religion or another, was a terran apparently cut from some of the same stock as the pirates they'd fought with over the leyline. Aisha had heard the terms "Asian" and "Chinese", but had mostly shrugged it off, not like she could tell the difference between one ethnic group of humans and another.
The man did have one teensy, weensy, requirement, however.
And it would likely have put them into bankruptcy if Suzuka had not stepped up with some help, which Aisha was sure they would have to pay back eventually. At least it wasn't Fred Lowe, then again, she doubted that Lowe would have ever supported a marriage by Gene to some woman.
As for the requirement.
That was simple.
They had to go through The Ceremony. That was how it sounded in Aisha's mind now: The Ceremony.
The long, torturous ceremony where she was expected to remain still and "lady-like" for she didn't know how many hours.
The only consolation was that it was a beautiful dress. Well, that and the fact that Gene appeared equally uncomfortable. Melfina, of course, was bearing through it completely unfazed, but that was to be expected.
They had contemplated looking further, but there was a time issue. It had already been two weeks since the...event when they came up with this plan. Postponing too long would make it hard to fake matters, even if the official date said they were married before the conception. So, they were stuck.
At least they were getting pictures, courtesy of Jim, but then her family might not appreciate being left out of something as extravagant and visually beautifully (if physically irritating) as this.
The wedding finally ended, Aisha was declared Aisha Starwind, and it wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be.
There was a sense of something slamming hard shut behind her, as if she'd passed a point of no return, but it didn't have the bite she thought it would. Or perhaps it just hadn't chosen to bite her yet.
She took a long, steadying breath as she stepped into the palanquin to be carried along by the wedding parade back to their hotel.
Aisha Starwind.
That was who she was now. Aisha Clan-Clan was no longer.
Only time would tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
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(Posted Thu, 08 Jul 2004 06:02)
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