Melena had been three months older, but still in the same year of school. He'd spent their entire formal education sitting opposite her at their group table and fallen madly in love with her. They had both been raised in conventional households and he'd never touched her, no matter how much he'd wanted to. In all the pictures of them his mother used to display, there was a tiny slice of sky between them. She'd been so proud.
Despite all the discipline his family had imparted to him, Ronon flunked no less than four exams their last year at Nestr Academy because he'd zoned out staring at Melena's cleavage. As a result of Melena's breasts, he hadn't been accepted into a University and hadn't gotten a deferral from military service. Meanwhile, Melena had gotten into one of the top nursing schools in their nation-state and they'd both been given ship-out dates for training.
He'd knelt before her the night before they'd both left, forehead touching the floor, and presented her with the traditional glass bead of promise. She wouldn't take it, wouldn't even speak to him, and he'd left the bead at her feet and gone home to finish packing. Ronon had given up on ever having her and when he'd arrived for training he'd checked the box that applied him for an arranged marriage.
It was the second cycle of Tirka, not the dark ages, and most people found love matches, but the government agency that had chosen all matches just one cycle before was still operational, even if it no longer served the majority of the population. Certainly he could have held out and found a love match, but at eighteen, with the love of his life walking away without a backward glance, he'd just given up. When he'd gotten back from essential training, there had been a notice from the Ministry of Social Contracts telling him to report for civil union.
He'd almost passed out when he'd shown up at the appointed time and found Melena waiting for him, dressed in blue, his shiny promise bead braided into her hair. After they'd said their vows, she'd whispered, "I'm sorry, I was scared," just before her lips touched his.