All the Bright Ones live in the sky, and they are ruled by Alte-re, the Queen of the Stars, the brightest and cleverest of all.

Ivri-roh, though, dwells in the sea and rules over that dominion: the waves and the storms and the deep places.

In the early days of the world, the people lived in the sea as well, and were no different than any other of the creatures of the sea.

But Alte-re loved the people and saw that they could be more.

And so, in secret, she went down to the place where the sea and the sand and the starlight all meet, and Alte-re called to the people in a sweet voice most beguiling.

The people swam up to the edge of the shore, drawing close to Alte-re, and as they emerged from the waves and came up onto the sand, Alte-re placed a hand on each sleek, shining head, and smiled down at them.

"I give you the gifts of thought and language," she said. "I give you the gifts of song and story, and of art and writing. For you are my people, and I would have you be mine, and be great."

And the people began to walk on the land, and they forgot how to swim, and they were the water's no longer, but Alte-re's, and they sang her praises loud and joyous. And in all ways, they belonged to her, and they sought only to use their gifts to please her, just as she desired.

Well, when Ivri-roh realized what had happened, they were, of course, very angry. So Ivri-roh sent towering waves to flood the lands and drive the people back into the waters and back to Ivri-roh.

But Alte-re was too clever to let that happen. She taught the people to build ships, and to sail upon the waters, so that all of Ivri-roh's waves and anger came to nothing.

And this made Ivri-roh even angrier than before.

So they then instructed all the fish to stay far away from the spears of the people in their ships, for they intended hunger to pull the people back into the waters and back to Ivri-roh.

But Alte-re taught the people to make nets, and to cast them deep, and in this way the people pulled the fish from the sea in spite of Ivri-roh.

This filled Ivri-roh with dismay, and in their anger, Ivri-roh called up a great storm, to drive the ships of the people away from the land and make them lose their way in the darkness and bring them back to Ivri-roh.

But Alte-re set the Guiding Star in the heaves, so that, no matter where they were, the people would always be able to look up and find their way home.

At this, the people sang Alte-re's praises even more loudly, and Ivri-roh waxed very wroth indeed.

Eventually, still angry, Ivri-roh determined to make the journey to the Court of the Sky, and protest Alte-re's theft of the people. It was a long journey, and a difficult one for Ivri-roh, whose powers weaken when they are away from their domain. But, at long last, Ivri-roh arrived at the Court of the Sky.

The Bright Ones assembled, each in their accustomed place and Alte-re, in all her finery, on her throne. And the Bright Ones looked down their noses in contempt at the strange, unluminous figure of Ivri-roh.

"What is this dark, unlovely thing that dares stand before us as an equal?" sneered Alte-re's sister Khel-tek, the goddess of the sun. "Leave our skies; there is no place for you here."

Alte-re quelled her sister with a look, but the Bright Ones whispered derision amongst themselves and hid mocking laughter behind their shining hands.

"I am Ivri-roh," said Ivri-roh, voice ringing out, "And I stand here as the equal of Alte-re and no one else."

Khel-tek flushed with rage, for she understood this as the insult it was, and the other Bright Ones, too, were outraged and astonished.

"My sovereignty has been disrespected," said Ivri-roh, "the children of my waters have been stolen from me, and I have journeyed here to demand their release."

Alte-re looked cooly upon Ivri-roh.

"All things," said Alte-re, "are under the rule of the Queen of the Stars. The people are under my protection. You have been my people's enemy, Ivri-roh. Cease your attacks on the them, lest you make yourself my enemy as well."

"Does the thief claim friendship, then?" snarled Ivri-roh.

Alte-re's eyes flashed with anger.

"Your queen claims patience, merely," she said, "for your misguided behavior."

"You are no queen of mine," said Ivri-roh.

Enough!" declared Alte-re, rising from her throne, "My patience is now at an end—begone! The Queen of the Stars has no equal! The Court of the Sky acknowledges no sovereignty but its own!"

So Ivri-roh left the Court of the Sky with a dark and terrible rage like a hurricane building in their heart. And they watched the people secretly for many days and nights, and they brooded long and hard in the deep places beneath the waves, until one night, Ivri-roh rose up again through the water and moved close to the shoreline, so that they stood but half beneath the waves.

Once there, they took the form of one of the M'ega, for Ivri-roh, like the inkfish of their domain, can change their appearance at will. Cloaked in this false form, they wept bitter tears and cried out loudly for help from Alte-re.

Alte-re, deceived by the false form and thinking one of her people in distress, came down from her place in the sky to offer her aid. Her feet touched the sand of the shoreline and she called to Ivri-roh, telling them to come to the shore and be comforted.

But Ivri-roh replied that they were in great pain, and said they could not come to the shore.

So Alte-re waded into Ivri-roh's ocean and out to them, her fine garments floating out behind her.

And when she reached Ivri-roh, they cast a net over her, taking, as they did, their own true form. Alte-re fought, but, taken by surprise and in Ivri-roh's element, she was overcome at last, and Ivri-roh pulled her beneath the waves.

And there they held her captive for many days and nights.

"I do not see," said Alte-re, the starlight of her burning bright against the dark bonds of ivri-roh's magic, as Ivri-roh tethered her to the ocean's floor, "what you can possibly hope to accomplish with this."

"I am making," said Ivri-roh, "a point."

Much later, Alte-re watched as Ivri-poured out the tea. She raised her eyebrows.

"Really, though, a net, Ivri-roh?" she said, "How unoriginal."

To her surprise, Ivri-roh did not appear angered at this comment. They placed the teapot down once more, their robes fluttering in the water, and smirked at her, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"It worked, though, did it not, Alte-re?" they said.

Alte-re pressed her lips together, annoyed—with Ivri-roh, for being so smug, and for daring to capture her, and to call her by her name instead of her title; and with herself, for falling for the trick, all those nights ago, and for the way her lips wanted to curve up in an answering smile, now.

That was the worst and most irritating aspect of Ivri-roh, she decided: the way they could almost lure her into forgetting that she was a prisoner.

(A prisoner, she told herself, but not defeated. She would win her way free yet, and Ivri-roh would kneel before her and Alte-re's wounded pride would be assuaged.)

Alte-re took one of the cups of tea.

"Did you have to have to learn to make nets by copying the people?" she asked.

Ivri-roh blinked.

"Yes," they said, "I watched them and I learned."

"Can't you create anything for yourself?" Alte-re asked.

At this, the expected flash of anger did come, though it was swiftly followed by something that looked surprisingly like hurt. That, too, vanished quickly, leaving Ivri-roh's face strangely blank.

"I suppose my talents have always lain more in the direction of destruction," they said, and smiled again, and there were riptides and dangerous currents and shipwrecks in their smile.

"How very sad," said Alte-re, and took a sip of tea.

Ivri-roh's mouth went flat. They picked up the remaining teacup.

The time of Alte-re's captivity was one of great technological innovation. For Ivri-roh strove again and again to impress Alte-re with their creations, and Alte-re, in turn, strove to establish her own superior cleverness by pointing out the flaws in Ivri-roh's designs and loudly proclaiming herself unimpressed.

Gradually, however, this turned from mere antagonism to a kind of collaboration, until the day came when Ivri-roh showed Alte-re their latest creation—

—and Alte-re could find no flaws.

They were drinking tea again, and, when she said it, Alte-re saw Ivri-roh's eyes go wide, their hands clutching at their cup.

"—oh," they said, sounding as if they could not remember how to form any other words.

Alte-re took a sip of tea and smiled at the shocked look on Ivri-roh's face.

It was an odd thing, Alte-re thought, but here, in their element, Ivri-roh did shine softly—not as the stars glow, but as phosphorescent things that live beneath the ocean waves do shine.

"Oh," said Ivri-roh again, very quietly.

The nights and the days of Alte-re's captivity continued to pass, and, together, Ivri-roh and Alte-re discovered how to make ships that might sail into the wind, and how to measure the passage of time with the flow of water, and how to measure the density of an object with water displacement. And they drank tea and danced together, Alte-re's fine garments floating upon the waves and winding around their limbs, tangling them together until they stopped the dance in laughter.

"They are better off, now," Alte-re said, hands curled around her teacup. "Surely you must be able to admit that."

Once, Alte-re knew, she would have said 'surely even you must be able to admit that', but Alte-re had come to know Ivri-roh better, by this time, and to know that Ivri-roh was very clever indeed, and not so over-proud as to be unable to admit to mistakes in their thinking.

Still, to Alte-re's frustration, Ivri-roh shook their head.

"No," they said, "they are not better."

"They have learning now," said Alte-re, "and they make clever and beautiful things! I have made them great! What were they, before I gave them my gifts?"

"They were free," said Ivri-roh.

Alte-re looked at them in confusion.

"Many gifts have you given to the people, Alte-re," said Ivri-roh, "But all things pale in comparison to free will. And the people you have taken from my waters have it not—they use their gifts to please you and they sing your praises, and they make many beautiful and clever things, but until they have their freedom, they will never be great."

And Alte-re the Most Shining, the Queen of the Stars, heard Ivri-roh's words and, for the first time, her heart knew doubt.

"I love the people," she declared, gathering her certainty around herself once more.

"Then you must give them their freedom," said Ivri-roh.

Alte-re was silent for a moment and Ivri-roh smiled, but their eyes were filled with hurt.

"One cannot love someone," they said, "and yet still hold them prisoner."

And without warning, Ivri-roh loosed the bonds that held Alte-re fast, and a great wave rose up and swept Alte-re to the surface and washed her ashore.

When Alte-re found herself on the sands, and free, she was bewildered and astonished—and not a little annoyed. She had thought to break free, herself, to fight Ivri-roh and defeat them, and emerge from captivity triumphant. This sudden release—in the middle of a conversation!—left her feeling cheated and off-balance.

But she shook off her annoyance and ascended to the Court of the Sky, for long had been her absence, and she feared harmony had been disrupted while she had been away.

She found the Court of the Sky in disarray—Khel-tek had declared herself sovereign in her sister's absence, leading to much chaos and discontent—the sun blazed in the sky both night and day, and all of the Bright Ones had been crowded and pushed aside to make room for Khel-tek.

When Alte-re returned to the Court of the Sky, all rejoiced.

Khel-tek, though, did not.

For Khel-tek longed to be the Queen of the Stars in her own right, and she was discontented and dismayed at her sister's return. And when Khel-tek learned that Ivri-roh had been responsible for Alte-re's absence, and that Ivri-roh had actually held the Queen of the Stars captive for a time, it came to Khel-tek's mind to seek an alliance.

The people, like the Bright Onces, rejoiced at Alte-re's return, and at the return of order to the Court of the Sky, and they made her many gifts to please her. But though Alte-re still smiled on them, she was quieter, now, than had been her wont, and often she looked out toward the sea, and at these times her eyes were troubled.

Well, it came to pass that there was to be a great festival celebrating the return of Alte-re. The Bright Ones came down from the Court of the Sky and joined the people in rejoicing, and Alte-re sat in the place of honor and all praised her and bowed down before the Queen of the Stars.

Khel-tek, though, slipped away from the festivities and went down into the water, and sought out Ivri-roh.

She found them in the darkest heart of the ocean, surrounded by all the things they had made during the nights and days of Alte-re's captivity, and when Khel-tek hailed them in a loud voice, they did not look at her, but continued to stare listlessly into the darkness, turning a thing of metal and glass over and over in their hands.

"You held my sister captive," said Khel-tek.

Ivri-roh did not answer, but continued to turn the thing over in their hands.

"How did you catch her?" asked Khel-tek. "How did you hold her?"

Still Ivri-roh did not answer.

In frustration, Khel-tek snatched the metal thing from Ivri-roh's hands.

"What is this?"

"It's called a telescope," said Ivri-roh.

"Is it a weapon?" demanded Khel-tek. "How do you use it?"

"It's for looking at the stars from far away," said Ivri-roh dully.

In disgust, Khel-tek crushed the telescope and threw it from her. And when Ivri-roh still did not arise, Khel-tek thought that her sister must have so thoroughly defeated Ivri-roh as to break their spirit entirely. And so, in angry regret, she gave up her plan to ally herself with Ivri-roh, and to overthrow her sister.

In her anger, though, it occurred to Khel-tek that she might curry favor with her sister, and impress the other members of the Sky Court, by capturing Ivri-roh, and bringing them back as a prisoner. So she leapt upon Ivri-roh and bound them hand and foot, and brought them to the surface.

And Ivri-roh offered no protest or defense.

The festival had reached its height when Khel-tek emerged from the ocean and dragged Ivri-roh from the water and threw them, still bound, at her sister's feet.

"Behold!" cried Khel-tek, "I, Khel-tek, bring Ivri-roh! I, Khel-tek, have defeated the dark thing that held the Queen of the Stars captive for so many days and nights!"

Khel-tek had worked the capture of Ivri-roh up in her mind into a great battle, and she strutted before the people, and the astonished Bright Ones. She was feeling very proud and strong—she needed no allies to defeat Alte-re! Had she not singlehandedly defeated one who had once held her sister in their power?

"I, Khel-tek, am greatest and brightest," crowed Khel-tek. "Let Alte-re acknowledge this and yield her crown to Khel-tek the victorious!"

Alte-re had gone still when Khel-tek threw Ivri-roh at the foot of her throne. But she rose now, and on her face was an expression of terrible wrath.

Khel-tek, seeing this, was filled with delight, for the love of battle had woken in her heart.

Each sister reached for her spear and then the battle was joined.

Long and long the battle raged between Khel-tek and Alte-re. The pride and confidence of Khel-tek gave her strength, but so did the anger of Alte-re give her strength. Each gained the upper hand in turn as they fought, but at last, Alte-re broke Khel-tek's spear and cast it away.

And Khel-tek, knowing herself defeated, was forced to acknowledge Alte-re as the victor, and as the rightful Queen of the Stars.

The Bright Ones and the people rejoiced, and loud were their praises of Alte-re.

But Alte-re turned away from them, to where Ivri-roh still huddled at the foot of the throne.

Alte-re cast aside her own weapon and moved to stand before Ivri-roh, who kept their eyes downcast as they knelt before Alte-re.

And Alte-re frowned.

"Great is Alte-re, and we belong to her!" sang the people.

Alte-re looked up at them, starlight flashing in her eyes.

"No," she said.

The people went silent in dismay and confusion, and Alte-re smiled at them in reassurance, for she saw that they were afraid.

"You will always be beloved of Alte-re," she said to the people, "but you belong to no one. Your choices are your own to make; your songs yours to sing, and all the works of your hands and minds belong to you, and to no other. You are free, for I do love you, and one cannot love someone, and yet hold them captive."

Alte-re smiled again at the astonished people, and then she bent and kissed the top of Ivri-roh's bowed head, and Ivri-roh's bonds fell away.

"The Court of the Sky acknowledges the sovereignty of Ivri-roh over their own domain of the seas," said Alte-re, "Arise and take your place among us as my equal, Ivri-roh."

Still, Ivri-roh did not look up and did not rise.

"The Queen of the Stars has no equal," they said.

Alte-re caught their face in her hands and tilted it up, so that they looked at her.

"Yes, she does," she said softly.

"I called you a thief once," said Ivri-roh, voice hopeless, "and I spoke truly, for you have stolen my heart, Alte-re."

Ivri-roh looked up at Alte-re, their eyes wide and wounded and uncertain, and Alte-re looked down into their face and she knew, at last, what was in her own heart.

"And very thoroughly are you revenged, Ivri-roh," said Alte-re gently, "for you have stolen my heart as well."

Ivri-roh's eyes went even wider and Alte-re smiled down into them.

"I would not have you kneel at my feet, Ivri-roh," said Alte-re, "but if you will have me, I will stand at your side forever."

Ivri-roh stared up at her for a long moment, and then they rose to their feet, slowly, like a wave rises. Alte-re caught them in the net of her arms, and pulled them close, and kissed them sweetly.

And Alte-re and Ivri-roh sank down beneath the waves together and were as one.

And thus it is that, during the day, Alte-re and Ivri-roh dwell together in the sea, and, during the night, they dwell together in the sky.

Always, though, in the sea or in the sky, are they at each other's side, united, forever.

For great and deep and without ending is the love of Ivri-roh and Alte-re.

This translation of The Courtship of Alte-re and Ivri-roh can be found in My Time Among the Blue People: Observations On M'ega Culture, Society, and Social Behaviors.

The unnamed author of that treatise also included a set of handwritten explanatory notes on the story:

The story of Alte-re and Ivri-roh's romance is a demonstration of the kidnapping-as-courtship behavior that forms such an important aspect of M'ega society. The pattern of ritualized capture, declaration, and release in the story is accepted as the model of M'ega romantic ideals, which would have been helpful to know when I first came into contact with you, Vereshkai, you idiot; I thought I was going to die-

in another hand, beneath this:

don't be nonsensical, syx-shss, you know you enjoyed yourself, really

that is an incorrect statement. stop writing on my notes.

kiss me, then; I'm bored and I love you

you are ridiculous and I don't know why I love you so mu-

(the text of the notes ends here)