Promising

Promising is the precursor to being mated on Asengar. A girl must be seventeen to Promise.

Customs
The young man typically will go visit his intended with a bouquet of blue and white flowers symbolizing his desire to obtain the Promise of a woman.

A bouquet of blue flowers, the Flowers of Promising, are carried by the young woman as she goes to her intended's home. The Promised girl lives in the home of her Promised for the Waiting Year before the couple is officially mated. If the young man has a sister, his sister is sent to live with the Promised girl's family for the Waiting Year. A bouquet of purple flowers, the Flowers of the Waiting Year are carried by the sister to her new family to indicate their daughter was Promised.

A Promised couple will have a purple stone embedded in the skin above their sternum. After the Waiting Year, a second blue gemstone will be embedded above it to indicate they are mated. The stud include coral growth that ensure the studs fuse permanently with the bone.