Honor to Us All

Prologue

There is a planet, in another galaxy far, far away from our own.  It is a beautiful planet, with deep, rich soil that grows delicious crops and fruits, with endless blue oceans as clear as crystal, with a sun as red as the blood that flows through our veins.  This planet, is named Krypton.

The founders of this planet had named it after their old home planet, which had exploded it to radiation poisoning deep within.  Because of this, the people decided that from hence forth, they would no longer depend on technologies for their needs, and built their new lives around the olden ways.  The scientists and inventors got different jobs, and factories for things like clothing and household objects relied on assembly lines of people.

But perhaps the most notable thing about this planet is how they shaped their society.  On Krypton, the man is the head of the house, working to earn his living, to feed his family, to make ends meet.  He has four options in life—one, he must take over his father's job in the circle of his village.  Two, he goes to college to become a scholar or professor.  Three, he could become a soldier and serve in the Kryptonian army.  Four, he sits at the corner and begs for money.  Those were his options, nothing else.

But women...a Kryptonian woman was much more limited.  She spends most of her childhood at home, helping her mother keep house, learning to sew and cook.  At a certain age, she is given special lessons so that she may become a proper lady.  She learns how to curtsey, how to act at a special gathering, how to play instruments and sing, how to dance gracefully, how to properly serve tea.

Lessons on how to serve tea may seem silly to you, but to the Kryptonians, it is a complicated process.  The lady serving must execute these actions with style and poise, moving her arms in graceful flourishes, creating a sense of elegance and dignity radiating off of her.  She must do everything in a certain order, never mix up said order, and finish with her guests perfectly satisfied.  Mastering the tea ceremony is the mark of a refined Kryptonian lady.

Once her training is complete, the woman is dressed as a bride and sent off to meet the village matchmaker.  There, she is tested on her appearance and her skills.  If she passes, the matchmaker will arrange a marriage between her and a man.  This was how a Kryptonian woman brings honor to her family.

Other options are offered to her.  She could become a schoolteacher, or a priestess in a Temple to one of the Gods.  But the best way to do her family proud is to marry into a good family, to a good man whose children she would bear.  She has to be demure, obedient, graceful and ladylike to pass the matchmaker's test.  To the Kryptonians, a woman is not supposed to be smart, or brave, or good at sports and fighting.  All she needs to do is look good and have babies.

And now that I've explained everything, let out story begin...