Not only did Isaiah come up with a way to provide me with valuable medicine, but he also gave me a whole week to adjust.
After that, we became true partners.
To me, he was still an uncontrollable, wild beast.

But at least he was attentive to my feelings.
As a result, it was barely two days before I fell pregnant.
Upon hearing the news, he was over the moon.
When the high lord of the alliance heard, he called another great banquet in our honor.
All kinds of expensive gifts were lavished upon me.
I learned that astral women were not only rare but that they also had extreme difficulty conceiving.

Most of them needed ten or twenty years to get pregnant.
Working back to our first time, it had taken me only three days.
This remarkable speed of conception served to heighten the astrals' admiration for human women.
From that day on, Enoch came to visit every day, bringing fresh food.

Seeing how he could effectively use his connections to procure the fresh fruit and vegetables I loved, Isaiah held off from beating Enoch to death.
After a month, I safely gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.
News of the event was broadcast all over the alliance.
It was at this point that the astrals made a realization.
They may live out their 500 years without ever birthing a girl, due to the ratio of males to females being 10,000 to one.
But for a human mother, that ratio might possibly be reduced to one to one.
Human women suddenly started receiving so much attention that they couldn't leave their homes.
Even then, there was a constant stream of suitors at their doors, shoving gifts through windows and over walls.
All desperate for just one favorable glance.
As a result, I was the object of these women's ire more so than ever.
This happy, carefree state of affairs would not last long, however.
I don't know how my sister got my optical computer's serial code, but one day, I suddenly received her call.
When I accepted the video link, her hollowed-out eye sockets and blood-soaked face sent a wave of terrified shock over me.
"Maria, you must have known Dirk was a lunatic, why didn't you warn me?
"He killed our child and then demanded I conceive a new one! He didn't even give me a chance to recover."
I covered my daughter's ears to protect her from my sister's hysterical screams.
Once our robotic servant had taken her safely out of earshot, I let out a scathing laugh.
"You have the gall to ask me that? You never gave me the opportunity to warn you.
"Besides, if I recall correctly, you were the one who wanted lifelong monogamy. Dirk's the only astral you're going to get that from; you're perfect for each other."
My words seemed to make my sister even more unhinged. She was rocking back and forth.
She leaned in close to the optical sensor and screamed:
"I'm your sister, you have to save me! Your new husband's an astral admiral, isn't he? He must have the power to rescue me!"
"Have you lost your mind? The last time I saved you, you stabbed me to death. How stupid do you think I am?"
She must have thought I was an idiot.
I wasn't about to repay her vile actions with kindness.
Realizing this, my sister fell to the ground, despondent.
Her optical computer's sensor followed her.
She was wailing inconsolably, her hands covering her face.
Her tears mixed with blood and flowed in great red rivers down her cheeks.
"Dear sister, I was wrong. Please, you have to save me. I can change!
"You don't know what Dirk's capable of. I was just looking at one of his crew. The next thing I knew, Dirk had killed him! He ripped out my eyes!"
My sister was clearly terrified.
"You brought all this upon yourself. You wanted monogamy, why would you even consider another man? Dirk never did anything like this to me. I guess he must love you more, why else would he be so incapable of dealing with your betrayal?"
I mocked my sister mercilessly.
I knew who she was. She was certainly very good at telling her side of the story.
Dirk was insane, but even he wouldn't rip out his own wife's eyes for simply looking at another man.
Not to mention, he was an accomplished leader.
He had risen through the ranks of the star pirates and even led a direct raid on an entire planet.
He didn't get that far by killing his own crew members at will.
"What betrayal? You know full well the astrals allow their women to have more than one partner. There was no reason to take my eyes!"
My sister was still unwilling to accept responsibility.
"Does that mean your protests of lifelong monogamy were just hollow words after all?"