Knotted by Viola Grace Page A

while her niece bubbled over with enthusiasm for her upcoming training. The other young ladies were excited by meeting actual aliens. Rowen simply kept her mouth shut and drove.
     
    Lori had her date of departure and Rowen had hers as well. It was a conundrum. Should she tell her niece about the deal she had struck or should she spring it on her later? She decided that honesty was the best policy, even if Lori became irritated at sharing the joy. The irritation wouldn’t last long, it never did.
     
    It was difficult for her sister, but within the month, Rowen and Lori were packed, and Lori’s shock had turned to enthusiasm when Rowen had explained that they were not only going to different worlds but different societal structures. The only thing they were sharing was the shuttle to the moon base.
    “Are you excited, Aunty?” Lori was nearly vibrating with energy as they walked through security with their bio scans letting them pass.
    “I am. It will be weird, but I have been shown images of the gardens, and I can hardly wait until I get my hands into that soil.” She rubbed her hands together.
    “I can hardly wait to work with the Citadel and get the training they offered for channeling my mood.” Lori hugged herself.
    They walked forward with half a dozen more trainees and filed into a shuttle. The adventure was about to begin.
     
    Rowen’s training at the moon base was short. A few days of combat training and weapons management and she was slated for her position on Irudan, far off in the Nyal Imperium but known for its gardens and sought for herbal remedies to just about everything. There was only one catch, Rowen needed to be legally married to accept the position. It was a detail she hadn’t shared with her family.
    At dinner with Lori, she stated, “I am leaving tomorrow.”
    Lori paused, “That soon?”
    “I don’t need the same training you do. The more I can do my thing, the stronger I get, and I have already put all the plants here into the pink of health.” She put on a pompous look and placed her hand on her breastbone. “My work here is done.”
    Lori reached out and put a hand on the table, palm up. Rowen covered it with her own. A wave of worry and hope twisted up her arm.
    She smiled. “You need to work on that, Lori. Your worry came through with the hope.”
    “I will work on it, Aunty. Will you be in touch?”
    “As well as I can be. I will be on Irudan, so when you are at the Citadel for your finals, give me a call.”
    Lori leaned back. “How did you know I was going for final polishing at the Citadel?”
    Rowen tapped her palm. “I told you, you gave me more than you thought with that touch.”
    “So, you just get to slide into a gardening position on Irudan?”
    Rowen rubbed the back of her neck. “Not quite just. They have strict immigration guidelines, and I have to be married to work alone for some reason. I need to be wed to an Irudan citizen. The Imperium has found someone willing to give up his freedom on paper. I am going to the administration offices after dinner to get my wedding band.”
    Lori stared. “What?”
    “Proxy wedding. I agree and I get a band on my wrist. He agrees and he gets a band on his wrist. We get on with our lives. Easy peezy.”
    “I am coming with you.”
    “Fine. I suppose you can be my bride’s maid.”
    Lori was quiet for the rest of the meal, but when it came time to go to administration, she said, “I will catch up.”
    Rowen sighed and she got to her feet, putting their trays in the cleaning slot.
    Alone, she headed to the administration office, and to her surprise, Lori met her there with a bouquet of flowers from the oxygen farm. “Every bride needs flowers. Even a proxy one.”
    Rowen batted tears from her eyes and smiled as she took the bouquet from her niece. “Thank you, Lori.”
    Administration Specialist Twonai smiled, and it reached all six of his eyes. “Welcome, Rowen. The flowers are lovely. Do you offer your life and