Chapter 3: Homecoming

*Disclaimer: I do not own Oban Star Racers*

AN: Sorry if this took too long to get up. Once again I got preoccupied with college and now sorority stuff. Also it may take me a while to get on with the story because I have to think about how things will turn out, so just be patient. Well here you go.

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"Eva? Eva, wake up." The light was blinding and everything was blurry at first. Soon Eva's vision returned and she could see that people were rushing to gather their things and the shuttle had grown quiet. "Huh? What's going on?" Eva asked as she rubbed tears of exhaustion from the corner of her eyes. "We have arrived at Nourasia Eva," Aikka replied with a hidden tone of excitement. "Really? That's awesome! Oh sorry about falling asleep on the flight. I had to get up earlier than usual so I was really tired," she explained as the prince helped her out of her seat. "It wasn't a problem at all. It was a pleasant flight." Eva fell asleep leaning against Aikka for the entire trip and that made Aikka quite happy. "Well, are you ready to see my kingdom Eva?" he asked with much anticipation. Eva's only reply was "You bet!"

They made their way through the shuttle port and arrived at the front doors. Aikka opened the door for Eva and as soon as she stepped out into the warm sun her mouth opened with a smile full of child-like wonder. She couldn't believe how beautiful the city looked. Each building was built of the same material. They all gleamed with a pristine white adobe, as if they had been just built. Many were very boxy in their structure and many had oval windows. The roofs looked like arches with very decorative tiles covering the ceilings. But the buildings weren't the most amazing sites. What Eva saw in the streets was even more exciting. The streets had lots of space and in them were people selling various trinkets, clothes, fruits, and other interesting valuables. As they strolled down the dirt streets Eva saw children running around, playing with balls and chasing each other while many women conversed as they held jars of liquids above their heads. They were all dressed in clothes that hung loosely against their bodies and saris colored in every imaginable color: orange drapes, purple blouses, green dresses, blue shirts, red pants, and more. Many people were haggling and many others were weaving baskets, sewing oriented drapes and molding clay into fantastic pieces of art. In the main square of the streets there was a pattern of tiles arranged around a tree that looked very much like the pear trees on Earth, but it bared a type of fruit that was definitely not from Earth, looking more like a pink star. Many of the merchants and buyers were gathered around the tree, laughing and sharing joyous stories. It all seemed so joyful and happy, as if the people hadn't a care in the world and this was a great utopia. The feeling of delight that filled the streets soon encompassed Eva and she immediately knew she would like it here.

To her left, Eva could see a magnificent structure that was unmistakably the palace. A large moat surrounded the large structure and the buildings and windows were framed by glittering gold. Its towers seemed to stretch towards the heavens. The walls were pearl white and seemed just as smooth as a pearl. Many evergreen, bushy trees scattered around the courtyard of the palace. Lush vines crawled up the walls, creating beautiful murals of natural art. It rivaled any palace on Earth. It was so intimidating as well.

Aikka observed Eva without saying a word. Her eyes sparkled with wonder and eagerness. He was soon filled with pride as he saw how excited she was about just seeing the lower part of the kingdom. There was still much more to come. "Do you like what you see?" he asked with confidence. "Oh Aikka!" Eva cried with pleasure. "It's wonderful. You have a very lovely kingdom. This is all so amazing!" Aikka couldn't hide his smile. His friend had approved of his home with much fervor and he was pleased that he could share the wonders of his kingdom with her. "Well these are just the common streets. Most of the kingdom is made of places like this, but there are other places that have more extravagant items for sale. Only noblest and those with high ranks can buy them. But for the most part, much of the kingdom has street markets. One of the most successful street markets is right next to the palace."

"So, when can we go shopping?" Eva asked with a sly smile. Aikka couldn't help but to chuckle at his friend's expression. "Unfortunately, we cannot go exploring right away. I must go back to the palace to inform my parents that I have returned. I would also like for you to meet them Eva." Eva's expression changed to one of surprise and worry. Eva started to get anxious, she had just arrived and she was immediately going to meet Aikka's parents. It wasn't that she didn't want to meet them; it was just that they were royalty and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her friend's parents, who had much power. "Aikka, are you sure that's such a good idea. I mean, they don't really know me and I don't know them and well..." Eva questioned with a slight unsure tone. Aikka noticed this. He took Eva's hand and gave her a warm, confident smile. "Don't worry. You won't embarrass yourself and my parents will love you." Eva began to feel her cheeks burn when she gazed into Aikka's reassuring face. "Okay," was her only response as they gave each other a small smile.

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King Lao and queen Nori sat patiently in the throne room for their son to grace them with his presence. The king was quite anxious to see his son and get to business while his wife was just as anxious, but no for the same reasons as her husband. She was excited to meet this friend of her son that had preoccupied his mind so much. Aikka finally entered the throne room, leaving behind Eva so he could have a private conversation with his parents. He respectively bowed to his parents and waited for them to address him.

"So my son, I hope you had a good trip. It is good to have you back," the king announced. Aikka replied, "Yes, I did indeed have a good trip. And my friend has come with me as well." "Good. Now prince Aikka, remember are agreement," explained his father, "You have until your birthday, in exactly two months, to show your friend around the kingdom. Then you must marry once your birthday has arrived." Aikka had a confused look upon his face. "But father, if I must marry on my birthday in two months and I only have two months to spend with Eva, then how will I find a bride?" The king sighed and began to explain once again. "Well either I find you a bride to marry you or you continue your search for one while your friend is here. A week before your birthday, you will announce who you shall marry, or I shall do it for you," putting much emphasis on the last part. "Remember my prince, you may have the responsibility of being a host to your friend, but you still have other duties you must attend to." Aikka closed his eyes and nodded to his father, knowing what he said was true. He would have to find a bride for himself, knowing that he wouldn't like anyone that his father would choose. But he didn't want to do it while Eva was around. He didn't want her to know that he didn't have a fiancée and it would be embarrassing to have to meet women while Eva was there. He didn't even want to be married; all he wanted was to spend time with Eva.

"Well," chirped Queen Nori, "now that that is settled, how about having your friend join us so we may meet her? Aikka, why don't you go and retrieve your friend. We would be so pleased to meet her." Aikka's smile returned as he left to go and fetch Eva from the hallway.

Eva leaned against the wall of the hallway. The palace was even more extraordinary up close. The ceiling was easily twenty feet above her with all kinds of mosaics and paintings, reminding her of the Sistine Chapel. The hallway was very airy; large windows shaped like huge arched doors cut into the wall that faced the kingdom. Eva stared down at the floor and was deep in thought about how meeting royalty was going to be like. Would they really like her? How would they act? How should she act? Suddenly, someone snapped her out of her trance and she looked up to see Aikka with a small smile spread on his face. "They are ready to meet you," he announced as he offered her his hand. "Okay," she said sheepishly as she took his hand and they walked into the throne room.

Eva was amused to see the throne room. It was just as huge as everything else in the palace. It looked like it could double as a ballroom. Many chandeliers hung from the ceilings and glowed with a strange, magical glow that resembled pure sunlight. Curtains were strung everywhere and a gorgeous blue and gold rug lead the way to the king's throne. Eva felt a bit intimidated as she and Aikka stepped closer to his parents. They both looked quite wealthy and serious, well at least his father did. The queen had a more approachable air about her. Aikka lead her straight to his parents where he bowed to them. Seeing how he acted, she immediately bowed down as well, trying to hide her fearful face. King Lao's booming voice was the first to shatter the silence. "Welcome Miss Wei. Welcome to our kingdom of Nourasia." Eva looked up to see a slight smile spread across his face. "I am King Lao and this is my wife, Queen Nori." Eva turned her attention to the queen. She had a very pleased look upon her face and a small twinkle in her eyes. It was a very loving look that made Eva feel a lot better. Then the queen spoke with a soft, comforting voice, "It is so nice to meet you Miss Wei. I do hope that you enjoy your stay here on Nourasia. Tell me, how do you like it so far?" Eva was still a little shocked to be in their presence but she snapped out of it once the queen asked her the question. She didn't want to seem disrespectful and not answer the question right away. "Oh, I love your kingdom. It's so beautiful and peaceful."

The queen sat up from her throne and began to approach Eva. Eva felt a surge of nerves race up her spine, but when she looked up at the queen's gentle gaze she felt a wave of warmth cool her nerves. Queen Nori stopped in front of Eva and beckoned her to stand. She immediately stood up and noticed that the king rose from his throne as well and started to follow his wife. Eva felt the nerves build up again as the king came forward. His large build was far more intimidating than that of the slim queen. Eva just looked back to the queen and found those nerves once again disappearing.

"Well that's good to hear." Queen Nori's face brightened in a small smile and Eva couldn't help but to return the gesture with her own little smirk. The king then stated "It's getting pretty late, why don't we go to the dining hall and join the others for dinner." "Others?" questioned Eva. "Yes," rang in Aikka who now stood next to his mother. "Many of our noblemen are joining us for dinner to discuss diplomatic business. You don't have to stay for the entire dinner though." Eva nodded with understanding. She had just met Aikka's parents and now she was going to meet the noblemen of his land too. She couldn't believe how many important people she had to meet on her first day on Nourasia. At least she hadn't embarrassed herself in front of the two most important people of Nourasia. King Lao stated with a strong voice, "Let us adjourn to the dining hall."

As they began to leave the throne room, Aikka took his father away for a moment to discuss something with his father. "Father, may I ask you a favor?" King Lao nodded his head as his son continued. "Please, let's not discuss anything about my search for a bride during the meeting or at any time in front of Eva. I don't want her to have to worry about any of my duties. This is her time to enjoy being here, not to worry about royal duties that don't concern her." The king continued to nod his head and agreed with his son. "Let's not worry about such things right now. We must go and enjoy our meal."

The dining hall was not as big as the magnificent throne room, but it still had the same sense of royalty to it. In the middle of the room was a rectangular table that was very low to the ground with many silk cushions around the perimeter. The table was decorated with fine china and blossoming flowers with hues of lavender and yellow. The morning dew seemed to still cling to the leaves and the aroma filled the room. Around the table were seven men of various ages, all dressed in exquisite garments. A few were accompanied by women, most likely their wives Eva deducted.

The king and queen first entered the room, followed by Aikka and his friend. King Lao sat at the end of the table, the queen to his left and the prince to his right. Eva sat next to Aikka and thoroughly enjoyed the dinner. The food consisted of juicy fruits, succulent vegetables, and tender meat. Eva ate it all with vigor, but she still kept her manners. She learned that the noblemen were called the Royal Parliament and were appointed by the king to look over various parts of his kingdom. The entire planet was ruled by the king, but the noblemen governed over the main seven lands of Nourasia. Eva was pelleted with questions herself throughout the feast about Earth and her school and life and about other things that interested them about the earthling. They all shared in stories and jokes and everyone enjoyed themselves. Aikka was pleased that his friend was having a good time and got along with the Royal Parliament. But soon the fun had to stop and it was time to get down to royal business and Eva had to leave the party and retire for the night.

Aikka wished her a good night and Queen Nori showed her out of the dining hall and to her temporary quarters. They entered an ornate door that lead to an even more decorated room. The room had a ceiling the walls were as smooth as pebbles and streams of faint paint around the room illustrated the calm winds of Nourasia. Two maids in white robes stood next to the bed and were eager to await their order. Her luggage lay upon the cushy bed that was big enough for Eva four-times over. Poles of gleaming gold sprouted from the four corners of the bed and reached for the ceiling. Purple silk hung down from the poles around the bed, ready to create a veil around the bed. A gold-encrusted, wooden vanity desk sat against the opposite wall and with glossy mirrors and drawers galore. Plush chairs took up space in the corner and a red lounge couch sat next to the bed. A large glass door divided the room from a balcony that that lay above the palace courtyard.

Upon seeing the fluffy bed, Eva flew over to it and landed on the cushions with a soft thud. The silk sheets were so inviting and smooth that Eva was almost lulled into sleep. She had been through a lot that day and was ready to rest. Nori couldn't help but smile at the young woman's pleasure of all that was presented before her. Soon, this would all be familiar to her thought the queen. Nori broke Eva out of her peaceful trance, "I hope you found the food and company pleasant." Eva turned to address her properly. "Oh yes. It was all so wonderful and delicious. It's been a great first day!" Queen Nori responded with a gentle smile and continued, "These two are your maids-in-waiting," pointing to the two young girls next to the bed who bowed. "They will assist you with anything you need."

Eva turned and bowed as well. "Well I'll be alright by myself; I won't need any assistance for now." Upon hearing this, the two girls left the room and Nori continued to explain everything to Eva. "They will be outside your room if you need anything. Over there is your washroom," pointing to a regular sized door with swirls of wood as decorations. "Go ahead and prepare for the night. I'm sure that my son is planning an extravagant day for you tomorrow, so make sure you get a good night's sleep." Eva nodded and bid the queen a good night as she was left alone in her room.

Eva headed to the bathroom and was amazed at the porcelain room that dazzled without a speck of dirt. The sink was in the shape of a shell and water poured from the wall without a faucet. The towels were golden yellow and of the softest cotton. As Eva rubbed her face against the towels, she eyed the elegant bathtub. It enticed her with its warm vapors and lily petals floating on the water's surface. The maids had prepared the bath for her earlier and she eagerly slipped into the water to relax her tense muscles from the day's travels. The water lulled her into a false sense of sleep and allowed her to let go of any tension that had built up that day.

After about an hour, the chill of the cooling water woke her from her sleep and she got out and went on with preparing for bed. She fished her pajamas out of her bags and put them on. Eva was ready to go to bed until something outside on the balcony beckoned her to go outside. She opened the glass door and strolled out to the balcony's railing where an emerald bird rested. Red streamers flowed from its head as well at the end of its tail. Before Eva could reach the bird, it flew off into the starry night. There were so many constellations that Eva couldn't recognize, but they all looked spectacular. A cool wind blew against her face and caressed her long flannels and pressed her light tank top against her body, making her shiver a bit. She looked down to the courtyard. It was deserted except for the few Nourasian knights that kept on guard. Lamps lit the courtyard with dim lights, shining with the same kind of light in the throne room. Yet the lights outside had more of a blue tint to them, but still shone with the same kind of magic. A sudden movement across the courtyard again caught her eye, as she moved her gaze to another balcony. It was the prince, still in his royal garments, obviously not quite ready for bed.

She enthusiastically waved to the prince and he returned her gesture by waving back at her. She smiled uncontrollably and yelled out to him "Hey Aikka! I can't wait for tomorrow!" Her comment echoed throughout the courtyard and the guards stared up at the little nuisance. She saw their stares and slowly retreated from the edge of the balcony, giving them a sly, 'sorry' smile. Aikka saw her reaction and couldn't help but chuckle at how she acted. He thought her little retreat made her seem cute, just like back on Alwas and Oban. It filled him with a strange feeling and it felt good. He waved back at her again and responded to her comment. "Make sure you get a good night's rest, my Earth princess. It shall be a busy day." Prince Aikka then retired into his room and left Eva to blush at his 'princess' comment.

She had always been amused by how everyone at the great race teased about her being an Earth princess. It had embarrassed her back then, but now it felt great to be complimented by the prince and it filled her with a strange feeling that she didn't recognize. She didn't care what the feeling was but it felt great. She went off to bed feeling jittery and excited about what adventures the next few months would bring.