TW: Death by childbirth (only in a dream)
It was ripping through Shuri's body. Her body wasn't supposed to perform this type of labor. The last nine months were the hardest of Shuri's life. She knew pregnancy wasn't fun, but this was torture on another level.
K'uk'ulkan's hand was in hers. Shuri screamed out for her mother, but it came out inaudible. "I can see its head," the doctor said. Whatever lived in her womb for the last nine months was about to pop out.
The small child slipped out of her. Shuri couldn't see her child. She dropped dead on the bed.
Days past since Shuri gave herself up, and she ignored her betrothed like the plague. She held herself up in her bedroom most of the time. Shuri mostly just communicated with the servants. Namor would check up on her through the servants.
Namor stood outside of Shuri's room. She was crying, but she would never admit that to him. His two most trusted generals, Attuma and Namora, approached him. "She'll come around," Namora said.
"I don't want her to just come around to the idea of our marriage," Namor said.
"Why do you care?" Namora asked. "I thought you only wanted a bride for an heir. If you wanted romance, you shouldn't have blackmailed a girl into marriage. Every girl in Talokan would happily become your queen."
"I want her to be happy here," Namor said.
"I have a suggestion," Attuma said. "If you want her to be happy, give her something."
"I have adorned her room with the most beautiful pearls I could find in the ocean," Namor said.
"A gift of something that means a lot to her," Attuma corrected. "Ask yourself, what is she into? What is her special interest?"
Namor began to think. "I'll think of something," he said.
Later, Shuri ventured from her room. She decided to explore the palace. She didn't bother anyone, and they didn't bother her. Truthfully, she doesn't think she'll ever be able to call this place home.
Shuri found herself in the throne room. The room got filled with paintings. Most of them were of Namor, but one, in particular, caught her eye. It was a painting of a woman. She was Talokan, but Shuri hadn't seen her before.
"Admiring the view?" Namor asked. Shuri turned around, spotting him.
"They are some nice paintings," Shuri said.
"I painted them myself," Namor responded.
"Really?" Shuri asked.
"Yes," Namor responded. "I painted everything in this room. They are lovely."
"Thank you, Princess," Namor said. He noticed the painting she was admiring. "That's my mother."
Shuri was surprised by the woman's identity. Many theories ran through her mind, but surprisingly, the idea of her being his mother wasn't one. "She passed away before the war started," Namor added. "I was physically only a child. I think it was for the best she didn't live much longer. The war would've broken her heart more than it already was."
"She was beautiful," Shuri said.
"And she had the kindest soul of anyone I ever met," Namor said.
"It sounds like you two were very close," Shuri said.
"We were," Namor responded. "If you want, I can paint you too."