As this chapter goes up, I'm writing a chapter for Year 4 in SA that's Iqadi and Imanu based, so this is perfect timing.

Chapter 184: At Wakanda's Borders Part Two

Wakanda's Palace - 16:25 PM

On his way to the Great Mound, Imanu passes the kitchen to see Kili leaving it with a heaping tray of food in her arms and her backpack slung over one shoulder. They lock eyes and he looks at her disapprovingly as she grins from peeking over her mountain of food. Despite having over a decade between them, her being almost a legal adult and him being "old" (in her words), it never felt like he was a real adult to her, although he's the prince consort and happily married (and "old"). Although he wasn't around much when she was growing up because of his work in the mines starting from around the time she was born followed by getting married, she still found entertainment in irritating him because Princess Iqadi was and still is "way too cool for him", in her words.

It's not like he disagrees with that notion. King T'Challa still probably agrees.

Imanu knew Kili would be somewhere in the palace since their parents made her stay in the castle since they went to visit a conservation in Johannesburg with Iqadi's parents after Emily and Daniel's wedding. While Iqadi and Imanu were in charge of running logistics around Wakanda, Kili's been staying with them.

"What?" Kili asks her brother. "You know I have to stay here since I can't stay home alone. I don't know why I can't be left alone since I'm almost an adult, but might as well reap the benefits."

"We're having dinner in a few hours," Imanu says although he knows it won't matter to her.

"I haven't even had lunch yet and I just got home," Kili explains. "I'm famished."

"You were at school. You didn't eat there?"

"Don't worry. I was saving my appetite for palace food so you know I'll eat all this and still have room for dinner."

Imanu can't argue with her on that because it's true. He tried to keep his composure when he first ate at the palace (and anytime he ate here, even to this day) because the food was always so much more decadent than what they ate growing up. Kili first came to the palace when she was ten so it was more socially acceptable for her to express herself. She didn't like eating vegetables back then and sometimes made a fuss, even when their parents subtly glared at her. In their defence, this would happen only a few years ago when she was old enough for it to be embarrassing. Imanu often snuck eating her vegetables because he knew that Kili really wanted dessert instead and was saving room (her excuse). One of the moments when he never loved his wife more was when he caught her giving her dessert to Kili just to watch her light up.

Imanu will always have eyes on him since he has a role to play. Kili can do whatever she wants but Imanu knows that if she had people watching her with the same scrutiny that they observe him, she would still act the same.

Imanu tries to snag a cracker from her tray but she smacks his hand away. It's not like she would miss it considering she has enough food to feed all the guards in the palace.

"Where's Iqadi?" Kili asks, starting to snack on some slices of fried plantains.

"She was handling a hunter threat at the border last night," he responds.

"She's so cool." No disregard for having food in her mouth as she said that. "What are you doing?"

"I was on my way to the Mound."

She laughs. "Ha, that sucks."

Imanu narrows his eyes at her. "So when I was there helping pay to raise you, it didn't suck?"

"I got the house to myself and, I mean, it got you to marry up."

"Marry up?" Not the first time he's heard that but he only accepts it from his sister.

"Went from a vibranium digger to a gold digger, although gold is way cheaper."

The only reason he allows her to say those comments. "Not ideally true."

"I'm not judging. I'm only laughing."

"Just for that, I'm not helping you with your homework."

Kili scoffs. "Don't need it. I'll be in the throne room."

"There are libraries and workspaces here. You have a desk in your room here."

"The throne room is my workspace. Have fun at the Mound."

-o-

Kili sits sideways on King T'Challa's throne with a binder open on her lap as she listens to music that nearly blasts through her ears. Her legs dangle over the throne's arm and her tray of food is on Queen Ororo's throne while her bag is on the floor behind her. It's not that she's doing this because she's unsupervised, she'd pull this stunt when everyone's home. Her parents reprimand her for "disrespecting the throne," especially after Princess Iqadi and her parents have done for them, but it's not like anybody's really watching her. She's the Prince Consort's younger sister still in high school. Her classmates and teachers acknowledge that but she doesn't let it get to her head because it's high school. Her brother doesn't get it because he has informal education from working in the mines since he was a child, but she has to be liked to survive high school.

At most, she just has to keep her mouth shut about what happens within palace walls. Everyone wants to know everything as if they think being the Prince Consort's sister gives her clearance to any of the secret operations. If she isn't at school, she's at home or out with friends. She's only at the palace when they're hosting an event she's allowed to attend (which isn't a lot since they mostly happen on school nights and her parents make her do her homework and go to bed) or when she decides to drop in and bother Imanu while hanging out with Iqadi, which isn't as often as most people think because they've always had busy schedules. They handle most of their own tasks.

Even now, when she's here to be "babysat," she's up to her own devices.

And it's great.

Someone taps her shoulder and she jumps. Her binder nearly falls to the floor as she takes out her earbuds. Her heart stops but starts again when she looks back, arching her neck, only to see Princess Iqadi in the most beautiful black casual jumper cinched at the waist with pockets and flat sneakers that cut at the ankles. Kili imagines that Iqadi took down the bounty threat in that exact outfit.

"Cute outfit," Kili says. "Can I borrow it?"

"If you like," Iqadi responds. Wouldn't be the first outfit she snagged from her sister-in-law's closet. When she was in America for a wedding, she got a weekend's worth of clothes to wear to school and hasn't returned them yet (but Iqadi would let her keep them).

"You're back early. Imanu said you were dealing with … something and I figured it'd take forever."

"I never said when I'd be back and you don't know when I left."

Kili grins, especially since Iqadi said that with such a straight face. "Whenever I tell Mother that, I get grounded."

Iqadi smiles down at her which warms Kili up. "Where's Imanu?"

"The Mound. Something about supervising or needing him to check something? I don't know. I don't listen when he talks. I guess he'll be back for dinner."

"I'll see you at dinner if you're still hungry by then." She points to the tray of food sitting on her mother's throne.

Kili waves it off. "I'm always hungry for palace dinner. Wait, you're going to the Mound? I thought you hated it there."

"I don't hate it. I avoid it."

"Because you hate it."

Iqadi sucks in a breath. "It's a closed space, you know that."

"I know and I'm sorry." Kili closes the binder on her lap. If there are two things Imanu told her to be sensitive about when talking to Iqadi - and that's saying something since his wife has a mean poker face and barely acts on emotions - it's the miscarriage and claustrophobia. In that order. "Do you want me to join you?"

"Kili, it'll be fine. I don't think I'll be staying for long."

"Are you sure? I could bring the food and do my homework there instead."

"No, no, Your Highness, finish your grand meal and math problems."

Kili looks at her skeptically as she opens her binder again. Iqadi snags her pencil for a quick second and answers the first problem in the most beautiful scribble Kili's ever seen. Of course, her chicken scratches are basically calligraphy. How did her brother score the most perfect woman? They've been married for eight years and she still wonders.

Kili knows that Iqadi has never entered the mines but she heard rumours that the princess has dropped by once for an unscheduled maintenance check or something along those lines. Even if she was on the observation deck, just looking down there in the dark abyss of vibranium that probably goes all the way down to the centre of the Earth (according to some Wakanda conspiracies), Kili would assume it'd give her claustrophobic sister-in-law carpal tunnel just thinking about it. Sometimes, it gives Kili the chills.

Kili's visited the Mound when her brother recently got married. It was nothing like she's imagined, even with Imanu's stories. She was only a child so she was more thrilled by the vibranium and all the cool technology they had in there. Now that she's older and has learned more not only in school but under the royal guise, she understands how she doesn't understand the mines at all. So many secrets in the little crevices in vibranium. Their whole country sitting on an old meteorite that struck their country with the world's most valuable resource.

In all honesty, she doesn't blame Iqadi for being scared to enter The Great Mound.

Our "rando" for this arc will be Kili, Imanu's younger sister.