VICTORIA'S POV

"We will initiate landing procedures in fifteen minutes. We have received confirmation that everything has been prepared," Santhi said from my left.

We were finally here.

Thanzor.

I could feel everyone's excitement. I couldn't blame them. After being away for a little over a decade, I would be excited to be returning home as well.

Except, this wasn't my home.

I was nervous. I wondered if the Thanzorians harboured the same thought about us Earthians. I worried that we wouldn't be accepted, not fully.

I squeezed my hands together.

"Your highness," Atoma addressed me, "You need to make your way to the doors now if you want to get there in time for their opening."

This is really happening. We are really here.

"Right." I breathed heavily.

I turned and was led to the doors. There was so much commotion on the ship. People were running up and down trying to get their matters in order.

I wish I could be as excited as they were, I really did, but I was too nervous. I kept swallowing while a thousand thoughts raced through my mind.

Where in God's name is Xeris?!

And then I stopped in my tracks. I couldn't believe I had forgotten. What sort of mother forgets their own child?

I turned to Adima, "Where is Nessa? We have to go back and get her." as I turned to head for our apartment, he stopped me, "She is with his highness, your highness."

"Oh, right. He did say he would get her." I said while looking at the floor.

"Your highness, if I may," it was Atoma. He and Adima glanced at each other before he talked, "Thanzor will love you."

"What?" I asked, surprised by that.

"We have noticed that you are...anxious for our landing. We were all wrong in our thinking about Earthians. You have shown us that just like Thanzor, not all of Earth's seed are bad. Though you may have quite a few more bad seeds than we do," he chuckled nervously and continued, "just as you won this entire ship over, we have no doubt that you will win the planet over as well."

How can they be sure? The entire planet will not be forced into spending five years just to get to know me.

"We have faith in you as one of our leaders, your highness," it was Adima this time, "it is time for you to have faith in yourself."

I looked at him sharply, "Forgive me if I have overstepped," he said as he bowed.

"No, no. Thank you both, for your kind words."

I can do this.

I turned back and headed towards the doors, head held a little higher this time. I had finally reached the doors and saw Xeris with Nessa sleeping in his arms. How she could sleep in all this commotion was beyond me. He was talking to the heads of each department. Even Santhi had left command to be welcomed by the royal family.

They hadn't noticed me approaching, but Xeris did when I was a few steps away. He turned slowly and faced me, a small smile on his face. I smiled back and stood next to him. Everyone bowed and welcomed me.

Xeris and I had adorned our more formal attire with crowns on our heads and a little tiara on Nessa's. I turned to look at my little angel and smiled lovingly. I had put her curls into pig tails that went a little past her shoulders. I still couldn't believe that she was already two. How time flew.

Once the talks were done, they stepped back and gave Xeris and I some space. He turned fully to me and lay his hand on my swollen stomach.

"How is my little warrior doing?" he asked as he caressed my seven-month bump.

"And what about me? Are you not worried about how your wife is doing?" I teased. "Ever since Nessa was born, you gave her most of your attention, and now he will steal the rest." I gestured at my stomach with a pout that only he could see, on my lips.

He smiled and asked, "Is this you being jealous?"

"Of course, with the way he kicks inside me, I can tell he will have you running around after him. Nessa already has you wrapped around her little finger. There is nothing left for me." I kept the pout on my face, making sure no one saw it.

He couldn't help but chuckle at this. I finally smiled at him.

"Are you nervous?" he asked while smiling.

"Who wouldn't be? I'm meeting your parents for the first time. Normally, i would meet your parents first, maybe move in with you and then get married and have kids. But we messed the whole thing up. I moved in with you first, got married, had kids and now I'm meeting your parents. It wouldn't be a surprise if they disapproved."

The mission was to reproduce for Thanzor. Courting on Thanzor usually took a few years. Pairs were matched according to compatibility and marriages set early on in a couple's life. And then their supervised courting wold commence. We were supposed to wait till we got to Thanzor to get married, but my impatient husband asked me to marry him already.

I only knew of this after Nessa was born. Because the prince had gotten married, the other couples on the ship got married as well, and some of the personnel of the ship decided to get hitched too. Most of the couples aboard the Exodian had babies, you could hear their cries as you walked through the section of the ship they occupied.

"Do not worry, my princess. They should be glad that we have succeeded in producing the next generation of Thanzorians. And if they are not, then too bad because what is done, is done," he comforted.

I looked at him and thought of how far he had come. To the rest of the ship, he was more approachable, shared more words with them, especially Bulba. He had told me of her true identity the morning after our wedding.

To me, he had become an even more passionate lover and a caring friend. He doted on Nessa and our unborn son. There were murmurs all over the ship of his love for me and for our children. We were dubbed as 'soulmates', even more so once our compatibility rating was leaked.

I smiled and determinedly nodded my head. His hand was still on my stomach, and I don't know when, but my hand had found its way and covered his hand.

Santhi approached, "Your highnesses, we are about to begin landing." Xeris acknowledged his words by nodding.

He then led me to our designated seats and strapped me in, Nessa still in his arms. She stirred and finally woke up as he took his own seat on my right.

She balled her tiny fists and rubbed her eyes. She blinked a few times and looked at her surroundings with her big green orbs. Xeris had a loving smile as he watched her.

"Mama," she called out to me.

"Yes, baby?"

She looked up to her father as she sat on his lap. He smiled more and tilted his head a little. She whispered something in his ear and he smiled at her and nodded. He said to her, "quickly."

She smiled at him wide, showing her dimpled cheeks. It seems she had caught everyone's attention. They all gazed at my daughter with smiles on their faces.

She quickly, well as quick as a toddler can, got off his laps, with his help of course, and came onto my own. I secured my arms around her. She made herself comfortable and spoke to her brother.

"Don kick me."

The smiles of those around grew bigger while a few chuckled. I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped my lips.

I turned again to my husband. His eyes were glowing as he looked at Nessa, then at me. We looked at each other for a few moments, smiles on our faces and then turned forward, for we had started to descend. We landed with a small thump and everyone stood from their seats. Nessa got off my lap and went to her father, arms stretched to him.

He picked her up immediately and held her in one arm. His free hand took my own as the doors opened to shouts of welcome and applause.

He turned slightly to me and said, "welcome to Thanzor."