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we are the kings and queens of promise
The view of Golden City from the crown prince’s bedroom was beautiful, overwhelming even.Nakia rested her forehead against one of the large windows that lined the outtermost wall and peered out at Wakanda below. It was one of those scenes you’d picture in a movie when the guy blindfolds his love interest and brings her to his favorite spot, usually a bridge or on top of a hill and the entire city is lit below them. T’Challa had bragged about his view for as long as she’d known him but tonight she got to experience it firsthand. She could even see the River Province from there, though, in the night, it was just a blur. “Ndixolele,” Nakia blushed as she returned to bed. If she could see out, she wondered if anyone had witnessed her and her lover a few hours before. She dreamed of the River Province. The roar of Warrior Falls in the near distance was always the first thing she heard in the mornings and the lullaby that put her to sleep. Remnants of her childhood reminded in her mind; the sun bouncing from the water and stinging at her eyes. Nakia could feel her bare feet sinking into the damp river clay as she and T’Challa prepared to train in the water for the first time. The idea was to prepare them both for ritual combat, giving that they both had a blood right to the throne.Nakia remembered the day perfectly for two reasons. One, she wiped the floor with T’Challa (he never stood a chance to begin with). And two, it was the day she got her period.Her body willed her to wake, not even an hour later. Nakia placed a hand on T’Challa’s chest just to make sure he was still breathing as if his unnaturally loud snoring wasn’t assurance enough. She scanned the room for signs of anything out of place and found none.Absentmindedly, Nakia slid her free hand between her legs. She was met with a warm sensation. In the soft glow of vibranium pouring in from the windows, Nakia could faintly see that there was blood on her fingers. Nakia didn’t bother to turn on the light in the bathroom. There was enough moonlight from the small window above the bathtub for her to see. Nakia ferociously scrubbed at her shaking fingers until the blood was gone. The girl inside of her was freaking out. Her brain was trying it’s best to keep things under control.This is normal. Blood is normal. She thought. And it was true; her cousin had once told her that she bled after losing her virginity. You’ll be fine. Nakia damped a towel and slid it between her legs to soak up the blood. It wasn’t even that much blood, but it was enough to send her inner girl into a frenzy. She used her thighs to hold it there as she turned her attention to her reflection in the mirror. Nakia didn’t look like the greatest warrior the River Tribe raised, but she did look tired and defeated.Admiring her naked body in the mirror was a bit awkward with a towel between her legs. Bed hair was not a good look on her; Nakia noted as she grabbed a shirt T’Challa had thrown across the bathtub and slipped it on. The shirt swallowed her but she didn’t care because it smelled like him, it smelled like home. It wasn’t until then that Nakia cried.She didn’t cry because of the blood. She didn’t cry because of T’Challa. Nor did she cry because of the wreck she saw in the mirror. She cried because she had a decision to make and, truthfully, Nakia was scared.Bast, did she hate the 3AM Nakia. Three minutes is all it took for Nakia to get a grip on herself. She prayed silently to Bast and threw her fears behind her.The bed creaked beyond the bathroom door. Nakia wiped at her tears and found herself smiling. The crown prince could sleep through almost anything, it was nearly impossible to wake him once he had fallen asleep. But, of course, T’Challa would wake up the second he heard her crying.“Nakia,” T’Challa breathed, appearing in the doorway. “Is everything okay?” “I’m fine,” Nakia smiled, but she was sure her eyes were most likely red and had given her away. “I’m fine, now.”Silence passed between them as Nakia watched him watch her. He was beautiful in the moonlight, he was beautiful period. The boy she met nearly ten years before was still there in his face around the eyes. Sleep tugged at those eyes, now. T’Challa had taken up the mantle of Black Panther nearly two years ago. He was tired more than ever nowadays and she could always see it in his eyes.“Nakia,” T’Challa repeated.Nakia pulled her down her lower lip. She could see the defeat in T’Challa’s eyes and it nearly killed her. T’Challa joined Nakia on the floor next to the bathtub, pulling her closer to him. He didn’t seem upset.“It’s selfish of me to want you to stay,” T’Challa said after a while. “To keep you and your capabilities from the rest of the world.”“I keep thinking I can be greater here,” Nakia finally admitted, pulling away so she could look him in the eyes. “As a Dora like my mother and so many others. But I can’t turn my back on our underprivileged brothers and sisters around the world.”T’Challa stared back at her, his eyes searching every inch of her face. Nakia bit her lip as she waited for him to say something, anything.“Bast, you’re beautiful.”“T’Challa!”“Okay, okay.” T’Challa laughed and took her hands. “You would not believe some of the things I’ve seen recently, some of the places I’ve visited. There’s a lot of bad here in Africa and even more so in the Americas and Europe. And it pains me that I cannot do anything about it, but you can. I see your aura, your light. I see the good in you, Nakia. The world needs your good light. And I will not stop you from doing what is good.”“Enkosi kumkani,” Nakia kissed him.“Andikho ukumkani,” T’Challa returned her kiss, and then moved his lips to her forehead.“You will be.”