"I will end my attacks on Wakanda and offer your country protection with one condition; a Wakanden girl must willingly become my bride."
Wakanda and Tolakan were at war for hundreds of years. No one seemed to remember why the war began. There had been hundreds of causalities on both sides. When T'Challa became king, he swore to end the war. After two years of negations, Namor, or K'uk'ulkan, stated his terms.
No girl in Wakanda was willing to step up to the plate. They knew K'uk'ulkan as the flying fish man who attacked their kingdom. They saw him as a barbarian. They were becoming desperate as T'Challa tried to negotiate new terms. K'uk'ulkan didn't budge; the only thing he desired was a bride.
The thoughts of Namor haunted Wakanda's Princess, Shuri. He haunted her dreams. Shuri never got approached to become his bride. She wasn't just the Princess. She was the head of technology. They needed her.
Shuri lay in her bed. She had awoken from another dream about him. His patience was growing thin. It had been several months since he made the proposition. The elders were getting desperate. They thought about electing a woman from one of the villages. A thought had crossed her mind; maybe I should go.
This night wasn't the first time the thought danced into her mind. She thought about going once before. That time, she called up a friend to learn if she should. Turns out, fighting a battle on the same side as the previous Sourcer Supreme got you connections. She visited him during her last visit to one of the Wakandan outreach centers. Stephen looked into her future and told her she had a fifty-fifty chance of ending happily with Namor.
Shuri heard voices outside of her room. "We need to figure something out soon," T'Challa said. "We only have a week left."
"We'll find someone," Queen Mother Ramonda said. Shuri waited until she could no longer hear their voices. Shuri grabbed a bag from her closet. She grabbed as much as she could fit into the bag. She hid her kimoyo beads at the bottom of her suitcase.
Shuri grabbed some paper from her desk. She wrote a quick note, which she left on her bed. The maids would find it in the morning. By then, she'd already be in Talokan.
Shuri's fingers caressed the shell. Namor had given T'Challa the sea shell to give to the tribute when one volunteered. She stood on the edge of the river. It was the same river her mother came to when she wanted to be alone.
Shuri blew into the shell. She sat near the river and waited. Waiting for him gave her too much time to think. She could run. Maybe hide out in Haiti with Nakia for a while. She lives near the ocean, though. Also, he'd be offended if he arrives and no one is there.
Namor emerged from the water. Shuri scrambled to her feet. She had met Namor a handful of times before. Her brother did most of the talking during those meetings, though. "Princess," Namor said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?
Shuri tried to hold her ground. "You were looking for a bride," Shuri explained. "Well, here I am."
Namor approached her. He took Shuri's hand into his own and kissed it. Shuri was shaking as he pulled her into him. "You don't need to be afraid of me, Princess," Namor whispered. "I'll keep you safe."
"If I go with you, my country will be safe?" Shuri asked. "The war will end?"
"I am a man of my word," Namor said. Namor pulled out a mask. "You need to wear this to journey to Talokan safely."
Namor placed it on Shuri's face. Shuri breathed, feeling faint. Namor caught her, cradling her into her chest.