As soon as the youngsters were out of the room, T'Chaka set him drink aside and looked at Tony and Pepper.
"I have to apologize," he said, using the voice that his wife and son privately called his official regal voice. "And to thank you," he added. "My daughter is young and what she did was foolish. Through no act of yours, you ended up with a diplomatic incident on your doorstep and you kept her safe until we were able to come get her. I cannot thank you enough – or apologize more for what she has done."
"You don't need to do either," Pepper told him – and Ramonda. "We're glad she's alright – and it gave us a chance to meet her."
"And you," Tony added. He smiled. "Now I can say I've hosted royalty. Heady stuff."
"You are gracious," Ramonda said, clearly appreciating it. "But we have brought with us a token of our appreciation – and our apology."
T'Chaka turned to one of the security people, who set her untouched drink aside and then handed him a beautifully decorated wooden box. There were small precious stones along the outside and carvings of various animals that looked realistic enough that they might come off the wood and run around the living room if given a chance.
"For you and your family," he said, handing it to Tony, who only hesitated for a moment before taking it.
He didn't like being handed things, but he knew not to decline it and there was no way for Pepper to politely take it, instead. Stark put it on his knees, balancing it while he opened the lid and found himself looking at a square piece of a dull black metal. About the size of a loaf of bread.
"Is that vibranium?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at T'Chaka.
The king smiled, pleased.
"It is."
"Wow." Tony knew what it was and knew that it was something special. He also knew that it was extremely rare and valuable – and that it had properties that no one had had a chance to explore, since no one that he'd found had ever had enough of the stuff to experiment with. A secretive material from an elusive nation. "This is incredible, T'Chaka. Thank you."
"It is our honor," he was assured. "And it is little compared to your hospitality to my daughter."
Pepper smiled at that.
"She's a sweet child."
"Once you get beyond her arrogance," T'Chaka said.
"She fit in just fine, here," Pepper told him, giving her husband a pointed look that made him roll his eyes, amused. "Are you planning on remaining in town?" she asked. "We were going to invite you to stay here, rather than making you travel to the hotel, tonight. If you would like," she added, making sure that it was an offer and that they understood that it was alright to turn them down.
"Is there room?" Ramonda asked.
"Depends," was Tony's reply. "We'd offer you and T'Chaka Peter's room, because there are two beds there and Shuri could bunk with you, but my AI – the program that secures the house and our network – is fully integrated into his bedroom. To keep him company if he wakes in the night. We do have a guest room and there's a large, comfortable bed – with more privacy. You two could have it. There are sofas here and in the game room and we can get a couple of roll out beds for everyone else to sleep in here or in the game room."
"That would be fine," T'Chaka replied before his own security people had a chance to veto the idea of splitting themselves overnight. "If the bed in your guest room is large enough, Shuri can sleep with us – or she can make due with a sofa. T'Challa can sleep in Peter's room – or on the sofa," he added, looking at his son. "Whichever he would prefer."
"If I am not out here, it will make space for one of the others," the prince said, smiling good-naturedly at the thought of having to room with a child. He was clearly down to earth enough to not mind the idea. "And it will give me a chance to learn more about him."
He was the son of Tony Stark, after all, and there hadn't been all that much information about him in their briefing on the plane beyond that which was public knowledge.
Tony smirked.
"Don't get him started if you want to get any sleep," he warned. He looked at Nick. "Will SHIELD make the arrangements for the roll out beds and whatever else we'll need?"
"Of course."
"Tell me more about Wakanda," Pepper asked, now taking the box from her husband. "And about vibranium."
It was time to get to know their guests, after all, and Pepper was very good at getting to know people in a short amount of time and with little awkwardness. It was what she did best, really. Ramonda smiled, again, visibly relaxing as she took a sip of her drink.
"Of course."
OOOOOOOOOO
"Wow. Your dad built this for you?"
Peter preened. He wasn't very materialistic, really (although if asked, he wouldn't have known what that meant), but he was proud of his Ironman suit and the fact that it had been made, specifically for him.
"Yeah." He hit the button that made it form, and the girl shook her head, amazed, as it did. "It has a batman, see?" he added, pointing at the hip.
"Can I put it on?"
"It's too big for you. It's designed to fit me." When he saw that she looked a little disappointed – although she was trying to hide it – he shrugged. "You can try, though."
Shuri made a happy noise and wriggled herself into the suit – even though she was too tall for it and had to stoop a little. Luckily she was fairly lithe herself, and with some pinching and sucking in of her breath, she was able to get the metal suit closed around her.
"This is amazing," she said, looking down at herself, and then bringing a hand up, pretending to have a pulse cannon at the end of her palm. "What will you do with it when you outgrow it?"
"I don't know. Tony keeps all of his old suits. Maybe I'll have a big collection, too."
"Wow."
"The next suit is going to fit better, though," Peter added. "Once Tony finishes up the technology."
"What kind of technology?" she asked curiously, beginning to take the suit off.
It was amazing and exciting, but it didn't fit and when dealing with a metal suit, not fitting was incredibly uncomfortable.
"Proprietary technology," JARVIS replied before Peter could say anything. "It has to remain a secret, for now."
Peter smiled, apologetically.
"Yeah. Sorry."
"It is all right. I do not care to share my ideas until I have them completed, either." She frowned when she realized that she was having trouble getting her arms free of the metal outfit. One at a time, or both, it wasn't working like it had. "Hold this part," she ordered the boy, putting the gauntleted hand out for him to grab.
Peter took hold of it and held it while the girl tried to shrug out of the suit, and he scowled when he realized she was stuck.
"Get it off…" he told her.
She scowled, too.
"I am trying."
OOOOOOOOO
"There may be need of some assistance in the game room," JARVIS said, politely interrupting a description of the palace that T'Chaka was giving his hosts.
The Wakandans all froze, startled, even though they had been told of the AI's presence.
"What's going on in the game room?" Tony asked, already getting to his feet.
"You'll want to see for yourself," JARVIS told him. "Their majesties should come, as well."
"Uh oh."
