Laurel Chin led an ordinary, comfortable life.

While many might think waitressing wasn't a great job, Laurel Chin loved it. She enjoyed meeting the customers and working side by side with her family in their small Jamaican-Chinese fusion restaurant on the edge of Birmingham's Chinatown. Like everyone else, she'd been astounded at first when the aliens appeared, but as they offered friendship and trade, she soon lost most interest in the news about them. If there was anything to worry about, she trusted Prime Minister Simms and Parliament would let the public know. She settled back into her routine of work, Sunday lunch at her mother's, and hanging out with her sister.

Tellan was honoured to be named Ambassador.

Tellan knew the Mylos were in need of fresh genetic trade. The humans of Earth were a bit less advanced socially and technologically than their past trade partners, so great care had to be taken when offering treaty terms. If all went smoothly, he'd soon see human institutions of higher learning teaching Mylos science and philosophy and Bride Registry Centres open across the globe. Then the Bride Fleet assigned to Earth would arrive and Tellan could return home for less fraught diplomatic duties.

All was not as it first seemed.

Neither Tellan nor Laurel knew that their governments had already made certain arrangements. Laurel definitely would have been wary of taking social media quizzes had she known what was about to happen. As for Tellan, he was matched and that was that, no matter how much he disapproved of the method used to do so. They had to try to make this work - the fate of both their worlds and a galactic civilisation sat upon their shoulders. It was duty, but if the match was accurate, it was also a fated love.