Shuri learns more about what has been happening these last few months. T’Challa and Ramonda make last minute preparations before the wedding.
OC Visuals
The letter is actually from T’Challa and her mother. It had arrived a few hours before Killmonger’s letter by royal messenger. As M’Baku details its contents, Shuri’s thoughts fly. The Jabari lord switches between English and Standard at different points, so Barnes can follow along. The parts he keeps in Wakandan send chills down her back. How could all of this be happening? A harem? A wedding? What about the council? Why was Killmonger *still* king? Shuri has been pacing the small room and it hasn’t helped one bit. “Your cousin’s letter is much shorter.” M’Baku finishes summarizing the first letter and begins on the second. Shuri doesn’t care, she doesn’t want to know what Killmonger had to say. She wants to *see* the letter M’Baku just summarized, not hear whatever lies this false king had to say. But she listens anyway. “He invited you to the wedding, threatened the Jabari-Mainland peace treaty… and promised diplomatic immunity to you and your mother.” M’Baku delivers the sentence in his usual dry tone and Shuri just stares. “Threatened?” “Yes, threatened. The treaty only stands as long as Panther Tribe keeps its dainty paws outside of Jabari land.” Shuri didn’t count as a threat, Lord M’Baku offered her asylum. But Killmonger sending people to come get her absolutely would. “Can’t you refuse him?” She wouldn’t go unless her mother and T’Challa said it was safe. “We plan to. But your new king doesn’t seem to respect anyone least of all a treaty.” “When can I see both letters?” She doesn’t think she will believe it till she reads it for herself. “Once my council of mothers reaches a decision. There is still…” M’Baku trails off, eyeing Barnes pointedly. Killmonger hadn’t mentioned her plus one and her Mother and T’Challa only gave vague reassurances. There were no promises which did not bode well at all for the foreign white man. “Why is the wedding happening so quickly?” A royal wedding took months to plan and the wedding itself could take up to a week. M’Baku shrugs, “I didn’t listen very well when my teachers told me about your people’s marriage rituals, you should know more than me.” Shuri flushes in guilt. She should know more, but she hadn’t paid much attention either. Who cared about what precedent the Cormorant dynasty set for royal engagements or which dynasty established the consort rankings? She certainly hadn’t. “I need to speak to your council. This concerns me, I should be involved.” She insists vehemently. “They will call you themselves, don’t worry.” M’Baku sounds bored. Shuri doesn’t understand. “Shouldn’t you be worried? Killmonger is dangerous. He’s threatening you and your people!” M’Baku’s own words. “Because of you.” M’Baku replies and Shuri loses some of her momentum. Her eyes fall on Barnes, sitting silently in the corner. She couldn’t explain him, whenever someone came for her. So unless her mother and T’Challa found a way to hide or camouflage his presence… “You should have listened to me in the beginning, princess.” M'Baku, seemingly reading her thoughts, speaks very softly. Shuri refuses to feel regret. When she finally says something the words are almost mechanical. “Thank you for telling me this news, Lord M’Baku. I will be waiting on your council.” M’Baku leaves shortly after. Shuri turns to Barnes. “How much did you understand?” The man takes his time to answer and when he does it’s only one word. “Enough.” “People will be coming for me soon. Things are—“ Terrible. “—complicated. I don’t know what will happen. My brother can not guarantee your safety and I’m not sure how to even get you out of the country.” To speak nothing of her own safety. Just thinking about the situation M’Baku described makes her furious. But what could she do? She had none of her tools, no lab, no way to even contact her own mother that wasn’t archaic and crude. Not that the Jabari would let her. Barnes doesn’t say anything and Shuri doesn’t speak any longer on the subject. After M’Baku pulled them aside most of the warriors from the morning left but there were still some stragglers. Shuri waits impatiently for them to leave as well. It’s not till the surrounding vicinity is clear that she exits her rooms again. She didn’t want any onlookers while she exercised. In the beginning when there had been nothing to do but sleep, eat and scare herself with worst case scenarios, she would watch Barnes exercise. At some point, out of boredom and curiosity she joined him. Shuri had at the time immediately regretted it. Her martial fitness wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t good either. She never thought she would need to fight physically, her weapon of choice was her brain. But left alone with little to do, she started to train her body as well. At first Barnes didn’t say anything or even act like he noticed her copying him, but then he started to correct her. He would slow down so she could see his movements better, adjust her positioning or give terse advice on what to do better. The two of them made a very odd duo, but after a month of the torture—Shuri could see improvements. It didn’t hurt so much when she ran and she could do more of the simple exercises. Most recently, Barnes acquired a short blade. How, Shuri has no idea. Maybe one of the fighters gave it to him. Or he stole it. The two of them were treated like unwanted children and nothing ‘dangerous’ was left within their general vicinity. So the blade was kept hidden and out of sight when anyone but the two of them were around. The blade isn’t thick or heavy and the dull edges made her think of the practice swords she would see kids play with. Yet somehow it turned into a deadly weapon when he used it. It certainly felt like one when Shuri was desperately trying to avoid being pinned by it. That was this afternoon’s workout. Barnes with the blade and Shuri using all her wits to not get tapped by its dull edge. The first few times they did this Shuri lost in 30 seconds or less. Today she held out for almost 4 minutes, twice! To call it a ‘spar’ would be a gross exaggeration but Shuri feels proud anyway. After, they go running and the steady—too fast pace keeps her mind occupied. When they return there’s a group waiting. -:- M’Baku sometimes wonders what he had done in a past life to deserve the number of problems he’s had these last few months. First there was the failed challenge—a bitter loss after years of campaigning to be allowed to challenge in the first place. Then there was T’Challa losing swiftly after to an unknown cousin, having to take not just the former king’s sister but her white pet and finally being derided incessantly by certain members of his council for the last decision. Now this. He hadn’t told the princess the full contents of Killmonger’s letter because it didn’t pertain to her. But it was bound to cause trouble for him. Mainland’s new king was demanding a meeting with him and threatening to come himself if they took too long. Audacity aside, it was an explicit declaration of intent. Whether the intent was full on war, or just the usual Panther Tribe mischief was to be seen. M’Baku has had the dubious pleasure of listening to his council argue and fight over it for hours and he’s ready to see himself out. “Where is the girl? Didn’t you send someone for her? Bring her here!” One of the mothers demands and M’Baku stretches his neck towards the door. “I’m sure she will arrive soon.” His words are short and meek, he didn’t want their ire directed against him. He’s still not recovered from their decision months ago to retain him as Hanuman’s avatar. After suffering such a loss to the Black Panther he fully expected for someone else to take his place. But the council had been uncharacteristically forgiving. He knows now they hadn’t expected him to win, and wanted him to experience Panther Tribe personally to be more clear on why the Jabari were the way they were. Whether or not that’s been the case is debatable. He gave the princess’ white pet asylum after all, against their wishes. The large room falls into thick silence when Shuri finally appears. The princess looks out of breath, sweat clinging to her forehead. She’s dressed like one of their children—not yet accustomed to the cold might—thick coats and a thin, soft, grey thermal under-layer. Yet in front of a room filled with the Jabari’s most venerated she doesn’t shrink. Back straight, expression deceptively calm. Utterly Panther Tribe. Shuri gives a stiff bow to the room, “I am princess Shuri. Daughter of king T’Chaka. You summoned me.” Her Jabari is almost perfect, M’Baku silently applauds. She could only say a few sentences, but she picked those sentences well. “A child.” Someone murmurs and the room agrees. M’Baku doesn’t translate, Shuri has heard these words before. “Her people want her safe return. We will give it but we will not accept them into our lands.” The speaker announces after a time. M’Baku translates. Shuri’s brow furrows. “My brother, prince T’Challa and my mother, dowager Ramonda have given their word to wait. But the king is not someone I can speak for.” M’Baku translates and there is another drawn out conference before the speaker says: “Your king is not our responsibility. If he acts unjustly we will retaliate in kind.” This time M’Baku doesn’t translate faithfully and he tells the princess, “If your brother and mother can not convince your cousin to be patient you could become a prisoner of war. None of us want that.” “Why can’t you take me down the mountain now? If I leave before anyone comes then we could avoid all of this.” Shuri asks and M’Baku considers the words before translating. On a deeper level he is aware that Shuri doesn’t understand them, or even the history between their two tribes. Otherwise she wouldn’t ask such a silly question. “If you meet an unfortunate accident on this journey, that is as good as declaring war. It’s better if your accident has nothing to do with us.” He tells Shuri before translating for the members of the council who did not speak the mainland standard. The princess to her credit doesn’t argue and her demeanor turns more subdued. His council is less supportive. One member even says it would be for the best. Better that they move first than to let Panther Tribe drive them to desperation again. Fortunately most members are not so blood thirsty. Once a consensus is reached to keep the princess and wait for her retrieval party at the border, M’Baku dismisses her. Shuri doesn’t leave. “I want to see the letters.” She reminds M’Baku of her request from before. “I will bring them to you tonight.” Only after he promises does Shuri leave. -:- “So no one knows?” T’Challa can’t keep the incredulity out of his voice. Killmonger killed a priest of Bast, a high ranking priest and no one knew. The public had no idea and the council in their infinite wisdom had made the information privileged. Small wonder people were going about as if things were business as usual, they had no idea! “This isn’t information that can be released lightly.” His mother doesn’t sound perturbed, and T’Challa fumes. The two of them are sitting at a table for two and have been discussing for hours. The current topic came up because his mother mentioned going together to the capital’s temple under the guise of seeking blessing for his marriage. “Zuri should not have died that day, N’Jadaka’s actions were malicious” It didn’t matter that Zuri interrupted the challenge and that N’Jadaka couldn’t be prosecuted for killing Zuri, it was still wrong. “T’Challa, if Zuri’s death was announced then the circumstances around it would have to come out as well. For once this is a decision I agree with.” “It should come out! Mother, if these things don’t come out we become complicit.” This is something T’Challa refuses to bend on. “We are already complicit. T’Challa your father hid this man’s existence for years! His father is a traitor! It doesn’t matter that we didn’t know, who will believe us?” T’Challa doesn’t relent. “We shouldn’t cling to a mistake because it’s been so many years in the making. Someone has to do the right thing.” It had never crossed his mind to deny N’Jadaka’s heritage. He wanted to make things right and if he had a little more restraint maybe he could have. “Doing the right thing is honoring Zuri. It is honoring your father. It is not giving that man more leverage to stain their legacies.” The dowager’s voice is unyielding and her expression dares T’Challa to disagree. T’Challa subsides reluctantly. The truth was there was nothing he could do at the moment to right things. Not when he would be going against the king, the council and his own mother’s decision to let the past die. T’Challa didn’t believe N’Jadaka would be so magnanimous for long. He trusted his cousin to trot out his version of the truth when it suited him. Which was partly why T’Challa was so vehement to be the one to admit wrongdoing first instead of waiting to be accused later. “As a consort you can’t move about the way you used to. Placing you in governing bodies will be harder but it’s not impossible.” Ramonda continues the previous thread of conversation and T’Challa listens dutifully. “The less important the council or committee the better.” T’Challa observes and his mother agrees. “Wakandans need to know you have them in your heart, and your efforts at a local level will not be wasted.” Even better if N’Jadaka made no serious contributions at the national level. T’Challa’s dedication to his civic duty would only stand out more. When the topic of assistants and attendants comes up he immediately thinks of some of the people who he had worked with before. His mother shoots them down almost immediately. “N’Jadaka has dismissed many people since he ascended, trying to reuse the same staff isn’t wise. They may no longer be loyal.” Like several times before she explains carefully, revealing the foresight that had made her a force to be reckoned with for so many years. T’Challa considers her words and asks, “Who do you recommend?” She wouldn’t bring it up if she didn’t have recommendations. “There are a number of older service members that retired in years past. They would be more suited with the experience you need to be effective.” T’Challa can’t help but grin at the ingenuity. They didn’t have the time to train up new staff, nor could they trust anyone who offered themselves up. But older service staff, specifically ones that worked under his father… they would be a different breed. Perfect for T’Challa’s current position. The two of them continue like that, going back and forth. They agree more than they disagree and T’Challa manages a few times to convince his mother to do it his way instead of hers. The last thing they discuss is the issue of James Barnes. T’Challa offered him asylum in a moment of whimsy and empathy. Now it could very well be the nail in the coffin of his reputation. A Black Panther’s discretion didn’t endure past their service. Protecting Shuri was already one ordeal and they couldn’t even guarantee her safe return from Jabarilands just yet. Barnes was another can of worms. T’Challa doesn’t know how they could possibly explain this. Not once N’Jadaka found out anyway. How they managed to keep him secret this long was more of a testament to the Dora Milaje’s secrecy and his sister’s security handling any footage of Barnes & Ross’ entry into the country, than anything. “We still have not heard back from Shuri. I will not jeopardize her safety over something so foolish.” His mother makes her stance clear and T’Challa momentarily feels ashamed. This whole time he had spared little thought to his sister, besides a desperate belief that she *had* to be ok. Perhaps it was childish of him, naive even to believe in Lord M’Baku’s honor, but he did. But pit against a mother’s worry… not even honor was enough. He knows how many sleepless nights his mother has had, worried over her daughter and him. Yet here he was asking her to consider something as prideful as his word to an outsider… when her daughter’s wellbeing lay in the balance. “If Barnes is still alive then we will have to answer for him.” T’Challa points out the obvious while he gathers the courage to say what he needs to in defense of his plan. N’Jadaka was too busy to send a proper retrieval party for Shuri but it was only a matter of time. “The Jabari hate outsiders, who says they have not already killed him? They have no reason to shelter him. Shuri alone is my miracle.” Ramonda is immediately resistant to T’Challa’s idea and he has to fight not to cave to her vehemence. When it came to tribe politics he naturally deferred to her. But this wasn’t an internal matter. “If he is dead then this problem is moot, but if he isn’t… mother his friend is Captain America. This man could bring the rest of the world knocking at our door if we do not handle this carefully.” Then it didn’t matter how well they hid, they would have international attention focused on their every move. “What you are suggesting is unbelievably risky. How confident are you that N’Jadaka will comply? Wouldn’t it be better to not tell him? We can always find another way.” Ramonda speaks reasonably and T’Challa has to form his argument even more carefully. “N’Jadaka is doing many things internationally he doesn’t want people to pay attention to. If he doesn’t work with us, it would be detrimental to his machinations. It is not in his or our best interest to kill James Barnes. Rather we alter his memories and send him out.” T’Challa says the last part for arguments sake, he has no intention of further tampering with the former ‘Winter Soldier.’ He had promised to help heal him not break him further. Fortunately it seems like his mother is actually considering his idea instead of immediately dismissing it the way she had previously. “He has spent a lot of effort in order to win those elders in the council. He gave the Mining Tribe full rights to the production under the mountain… the likes they haven’t had in centuries. River Tribe can’t even use all the land they just reclaimed… Merchant Tribe—“ Ramonda kisses her teeth. Her dissatisfaction and disgust with these ‘gifts’ is apparent. “—All for him to use that favor for… intentational shell companies and—and agricultural development. Do you know what he could possibly be planning with this nonsense?” T’Challa doesn’t answer immediately. Not for the first time he thinks, ‘Nakia would know.’ In her absence he tries to summarize what he has discovered and what he has hypothesized. “He is preparing for something. Most of the work is being done by Division, but the goal seems to be global manipulation. Food such as grain and rice is what much of the world runs on. He seems to be buying many things, perhaps to force monopolies later. But he is doing it very quietly. I don’t think he will be as successful if certain people or even members of the global intelligence community realize these actions are coming from one source and are not just random market events.” After he’s done explaining his mother considers him. T’Challa feels momentarily like a schoolboy who had been called in front to read aloud. “He has not responded well to negotiations in the past. Why do you think this time will be different?” His mother doesn’t sound skeptical, rather like she was waiting for T’Challa to fully convince her. “His only focus these last few months has been abroad. He has barely touched day to day politics that affect the tribes. He wouldn’t have bothered at all if the council hadn’t forced him to marry. What he cares about is outside of Wakanda… anything that threatens that is worth negotiating.” T’Challa speaks with more confidence than he actually feels. There was nothing stopping N’Jadaka from imprisoning Barnes till a time he saw fit. But T’Challa was hoping that the threat of Captain America and the potential scrutiny might be enough to stay N’Jadaka’s hand. At least long enough to fulfill his promise. “I will think about it.” His mother says and T’Challa takes it to mean her agreement.