[ WP ] As one of the children of the king , you alwayes knew one day you might be married off to strengthen diplomatic ties to allied nations . You just always expected to marry another human .

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Arona. She lived in a splendid castle of white stone atop a green mountain, and life was simple and happy for her. Arona spent her days playing with her brothers and sisters, as well as all the children of the servants who tended to her family. She had curious green eyes and an infectious laugh that seemed to reverberate throughout the castle, causing even the most serious guards to smile as they stood watch. She read what she wished, and her books made her yearn for adventure. She wanted to go beyond the castle walls and see everything: dragons and unicorns, swamps and fields of wildflowers! That's what she wanted to be when she grew up; she wanted to be an explorer, like the ones in her stories. And secretly, she just *knew* she would meet her prince out there. They would save a village together, or discover a new forest. They would fall in love, and live happily ever after. 
 
 But as she grew older, the complexities of royal life slowly unfolded, revealing the darker, uglier aspects of being the Princess of a powerful kingdom - powerful not only by strength of arms, but of political prestige. 
 
 King Arahan ruled on Erthos, a small but rich planet on the very edge of the human-centric Pegasus system, a cosmic stone's throw away from Triyeda cluster - a region of the Milky Way controlled by the quadrupedal Shaga. And thus, his kingdom was quickly designated as a liason society between the two species. 
 
 Ever since first contact in 2267 CE, the Shaga and human races have enjoyed an unusual peace with each other. They bonded over shared their carbon-based and water-fueled biochemistry, allowing for relatively easy visiting and social exploration. However, they say that familiarity breeds contempt, and this old, banal saying seemed to hold some truth here. As both races continued to expand their reach across the galaxy, hungry for the same general resources, friction began to develop. Though war still seemed unlikely, skirmishes were becoming far too common, and heightened tensions between the two, particularly at the borders of controlled space. 
 
 King Arahan was a wise and old ruler; rejuvenated every decade by fresh blood and tissue created in his personal laboratories, he had experienced contact with the Shaga from the very beginning. He knew that though there were a great many differences between them and humans, the similarities were much more important: they both needed the same life-sustaining forces, and they were both very ambitious, ultimately selfish species. He predicted the conflict to arise within a century; he was only off by a few years. He knew it was time to enact his plan. 
 
 `` I can not believe this, Father,'' Princess Arona cried out, smashing a delicate wine-glass to the floor. The King winced at the sound. `` I always knew that I one day might be forced to marry some man, to further your political agenda. But a *Shaga*? This is completely ludicrous.'' 
 
 `` My dear,'' the King said softly, `` it is for the good of our kingdom, and potentially of the human race.'' 
 
 `` How?'' she fired back. `` What benefit does this give anyone? And why do you think the Shaga would agree to such a proposition, anyway? The very idea of marriage is alien to them.'' 
 
 `` I have spoken to Vancer Karrus,'' he replied. Karrus was the Shagan equivalent of Arahan - the beloved leader for the liason society that represented the Shaga in this region of space. `` He was the one to suggest it.'' 
 
 Arona growled in frustration and sat heavily down upon her bed. Her world was crumbling about her, and she just wanted to keep lashing out in anger. But it was a pointless exercise; raw anger never moved her father. Only calm discourse did. She closed her eyes and began to breathe purposefully and evenly. 
 
 `` My daughter,'' the king spoke, `` I do not wish to push you into this arrangement, so let me make this clear: you have a choice. If you truly do not wish to make this sacrifice, I will endeavor to find another way.'' 
 
 Arona did not answer, but only opened her eyes and watched the king. 
 
 He cleared his throat. `` I spoke with Karrus in a private meeting designed to highlight points of tension between our societies, and how they may be resolved. To my surprise, I found him to be extremely knowledgeable of human history, and he then suggested this union.'It will help us understand one another,' he explained.'It shall be an experiment, the first of its kind - human and shaga, living together. If two individual aliens can learn to tolerate one another, why not their entire races?' 
 
 I was taken back by the suggestion, and was not entirely convinced by this argument. However, I was more shocked when he insisted that it must be *you*.'Why Arona? Why not any of her brothers and sisters?' I remember asking. And his reply was interesting, and gave me a window into the Shaga psyche:'Arona is most beloved of your children,' he responded.'It would be a sacrifice for you to part with her, and an even greater sacrifice on her part - for she is giving away all that she held familiar for the sake of uniting two major societies. And if there is anything we Shagans admire above all else, it is sacrifice.''' 
 
 The King paused in his narrative for a moment. `` You are correct, of course: they do not marry. But this union would be so much more - it would be a partnership where you and Relaux learn from each other, in a way no human or Shagan has ever had the opportunity to.'' 
 
 `` Relaux?'' she asked, confused. Relaux was a Shagan with whom she was good friends with - they enjoyed discussing matters both political and cheerfully mundane together. `` He is not related to Karrus, as far as I know; in fact, he has no ties to Shagan royalty at all.'' 
 
 The king smiled. `` Their society places little weight on such ties, Arona. Relaux is well-liked by Karrus and his community; he is an intelligent individual with unorthodox, intriguing ideas. And considering that you two are already companions, I thought it would be easier on you.'' 
 
 `` Right,'' she said, mouth a thin line. She was much calmer now, but her head was still buzzing angrily with a million thoughts. `` Do I have some time to think about... all this?'' 
 
 The king stood up. `` Of course, Arona. I will return.'' As he left, the Princess sank into her sheets, thinking hard. 
 
 
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