Eleven - The New King

"I'm losing everyone who believes in me."

A pained wail escaped her lips. Ramonda and Shuri also cried out.

"I-I think I'm going to be sick..." She stumbled.

"Princess!" Niyah and Felix were at her sides in seconds, as quickly as Ramonda and Shuri were gone. Nakia had taken them away.

She had just watched the kindest, sweetest man she knew be beaten to the point of spitting blood, stabbed, and then hurled off a cliff to his death.

He was dead. T'Challa was gone... And that meant...

"I'm your king now!" Erik roared again victoriously, turning to face the spectators, now his subjects, arms outstretched. "And the Black Panther!"

A new shaman brought over a beaded necklace and placed it around his neck. All the spectators just stared back, utterly shocked, until finally Okoye and the Dora crossed their arms over their chest, gesturing to the new king, and everyone followed suit.

Erik had emerged as victor of the challenge and was now the new king of Wakanda, and she was to be his queen, as the arrangement went.

"Are you going to be alright?" Niyah asked gently once they were inside. Erik had been taken to the herb garden to complete the coronation.

Perhaps she had prepared for this politically, but not emotionally. It had all happened so fast. She had had every faith that T'Challa would win, and had vastly underestimated Erik. She got the sense that people had been underestimating him his whole life, so he had made it his lifelong goal to ensure that no one would underestimate him and that he exceeded all of their expectations.

"Y-yes..." She managed to stutter out. "I-I just need some time." She asked them to leave her while she took some time to wander the palace halls, all which seemed strangely empty and dark.

"Princess!" A sudden hushed voice made her jump. She turned to see Nakia enter the hall.

"'Kalyna', please," she bade the other woman, who nodded. "Ramonda and Shuri - they are safe?"

"Yes, I've taken them into hiding."

"Good."

"Now come on, quickly," Nakia urged. "We must join them. We have to go and get Agent Ross and then we'll sneak out - I know the way..." Her words trailed off. "You're not coming."

Finally, Kalyna turned to face her. "No. I can't."

"But Kalyna, you have to. It's not safe here anymore."

"But I can't. I'm bound here by my word. I don't like it, but I must take responsibility for my actions. I made a deal with him - I am pledged to the King of Wakanda, and he is King now."

"Kalyna, he is a maniac! A murderer!"

"But the fight was fair. Even I know that, despite knowing little about your culture and customs, I know that as T'Chaka's brother's son, he had every right to challenge T'Challa for the throne. I just wish T'Challa hadn't accepted..."

"Kalyna, please. Okoye has already said that she and the Dora will not come with me. I need you."

She was torn. "I can't, Nakia, I'm sorry-"

"Who are you loyal to?"

"Oh don't talk to me about loyalty, spy!" Kalyna retorted. "And so you're saying I should just leave, just turn my back on my word. What kind of ruler would that make me? What kind of person?"

"You don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand!" She had snapped. Her sadness had turned to anger. "You are not a ruler with a country to think about! So no, it is you who doesn't understand!"

Nakia looked taken aback, but remained firm. "T'Challa would have wanted you to-"

"T'Challa is dead!" she cried. "He is gone!" The weight of it settled upon her. A sob broke through these last words and she stumbled back and sat on the window ledge as more sobs wracked her body. "I'm so sorry, Nakia, forgive me, please." Now Nakia sat at her side, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder, not as someone responding to a princess, but as a friend. She let Kalyna cry for a few moments. "I loved him," she admitted. "But I was too proud to admit it, worried he would think it was all just because of that stupid marriage arrangement our father's created for us. But it was real, and I never told him, nor did we part on such good terms. And now he's gone, and I will regret it for the rest of my life." Another sob caught in her throat.

"Oh Kalyna, he loved you too. The way he would look at you-" Nakia gave a sad smile. "I say that we are both very lucky to have had the love of such a man."

Kalyna nodded in agreement, giving a teary-eyed smile. "Yes, very lucky." Then her smile fell. "I'm scared, Nakia. I don't know what's going to happen. But I know I have to stay, for the sake of my country."

Nakia nodded, understanding. "And that is very noble of you, very honorable. I hope your people know that they have such a woman leading them."

"Thank you. And I will have Niyah and Felix, and Okoye and the rest of the Dora here, so still some friends within the palace. Now you must go, quickly, while you still can. If only things were better back home, I would offer you safe refuge in Sokovia. Oh, but take this." She withdrew T'Challa's ring and held it out to her.

Nakia gasped just as she herself had when T'Challa had given it to her. "His ring!"

"Yes, he gave it to me before the fight. Please, take it."

"But I cannot-"

"Give it to Ramonda, or Shuri."

"You must keep it-"

"I don't deserve it-"

"He wanted you to have it." Nakia pushed it back into her hands.

Finally, she accepted it. Then she reached out and gripped the other woman's hand. "My heart is with you all, good luck."

"Thank you, you too." They hugged.

"Nakia-" Kalyna stopped her just as she was about to leave. "Wakanda forever."

Nakia smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Wakanda forever."

"First Baba, now my brother," sniffled Shuri, leaning against her mother. Ramonda held her in a close embrace and stroked her hair, trying to hold back tears of her own.

As soon as it became clear that T'Challa would not be winning the challenge, Nakia, thinking quickly, had devised a plan to get the Queen Mother and Princess out of the city. She had taken them into hiding in the forest, before going back to recruit some more self-exilers.

There was a rustling in the trees then. Ramonda and Shuri jumped to their feet, Ramonda holding up one of the vibranium-powered disk weapons.

"It's just me," whispered Nakia's familiar voice. She emerged through the trees.

"Oh, Nakia." The Queen Mother sighed in relief. Then she noticed the unfamiliar man who was with her. "Who is this?"

"He is a friend of T'Challa and Kalyna, he saved my life."

"Where is Okoye?"

"She is not coming. She and the Dora Milaje will serve the new king."

Ramonda nodded sadly. "It is their duty. And Kalyna?"

Nakia shook her head. "She will remain as well, and stay true to her word."

Shuri looked devastated and Ramonda heaved a heavy sigh. "At least we know then that our throne and kingdom is in some good hands."

Nakia had left, was gone, leaving Kalyna alone in the room, T'Challa's ring in her hand. She stared down at it sitting in her palm. She tried slipping it on each of her fingers, one by one, hand by hand, but it was too big.

She gripped it in a tight fist and held it to her lips. "I'm losing everyone who believes in me. Mama, Papa, T'Challa..." She sighed and pressed the ring to her lips again. "Wakanda forever."

Wakanda forever...

Unfortunately, we are nearing the end of this story, but don't worry there are still a few chapters left! :) Thank you so much for reading and, as always, I hope you enjoyed! And thank you for the reviews! :) (Kalyna and Erik will interact more in the next chapter ;))