Set in outer space, I am on a ship that is set up like the interior of an antique train. Heading to a neighbouring planet, my friend and I are of marriageable age and are sent out to find husbands. Once on the planet, we undergo rigorous testing, some of these tests are for intelligence, others for magic, and jet others for sleeping ability. When not being tested we are allowed to roam around the palace. It’s here I meet the matriarch's son and his friends. After a few days the son asks me on a date, I really like him and he would make a great marriage partner, so I go. It’s nice, I also really like spending time with his friend though, He’s from a tribe nation and wears funky robes, but has a smile like a million bucks. After the testing is done the matriarch comes to talk to us. In this world/galaxy, every planet has a matriarch, an all-powerful magician. The matriarch talks to my friend first. I wait patiently in the waiting room, when she does come to talk to me I am a little nervous. She shows me some test results. They seem to be around the top end of average. Magic is slightly above average, I look over at the matriarch, she doesn’t smile, just places another folder in front of me. She points to the first one with average scores and tells me this is my friend's results. She points to the second folder and tells me this contains my results. A little confused why she would show me my friend's results first, I open the folder. Everything is in average zones… except for magic. It appears that I was off the chart for the first 4 tests, each stronger than the one before. My friend got a quarter for the first test, which is above average for a normal human.
I look back up at the matriarch and ask what this means. She explains that there are only 4 tests for magic, anyone stronger than the 3rd is a very strong magician capable of ruling a planet as matriarch.
After the meeting, I go to my chamber instead of celebrating with my friend and the matriarchs son. Everything has changed, I no longer know what I am meant to do with my life. A matriarch? Me?
The matriarch, seeming very smug with himself bids us farewell and we leave.
Once back on our own planet we meet up with everyone else. I find out that my friend and the matriarch’s son have started dating, I’m happy for them but sad at the same time knowing things will never be that simple for me again.
We stand on a platform overlooking snowy mountains, my friend is to my right and the Kwantulu to my left. We hold hands, the platform leans downwards slightly so we are pressed against the glass. I turn my head to look at Kwantulu, I squeeze his hand and apologise for telling the matriarch his name. I offer him anything he wants that I can give, he asks if I would consider marrying him. He pulls me close and as he leans in to kiss me pauses and transforms into a woman. I recall that his race can change gender like some fish can. I turn my face and embrace him instead. I would have really liked to try being in a relationship with him, but now that I am a potential matriarch I just can’t. I tell him as much and let him go, turning to leave. He catches my hand and tells me that his name isn’t really Kwantulu, so I don’t owe him anything. We grin at each other before letting go. I leave, my friend walks beside me, she asks if I am angry at her for dating the matriarch’s son after we had started seeing each other. I tell her I’m not angry, just a little confused and sad, she nods in understanding.
We walk around a small grassy knoll, we have to tread carefully because there is dog shit littered across the grass. The matriarch’s son is at the bottom and waves my friend over, she skips over to him waving goodbye to me.
I sigh and keep going, walking a zig-zag path down the hill. Once at the bottom I continue along a path and reach an intersection. The pedestrian light is orange so I stop. A bike rider rushes past me and slows down in the middle of the road. I’m a little annoyed that he got over the light when I waited. A car whizzes past, honking his horn and drives around 3 bike riders who have just stopped in the middle of the intersection. How weird I think to myself.