25c. The Key

"Princess, what do you think you're doing?" He sneered. "What are you looking for?"

Shuri didn't know how he managed to appear at the worst times. It was nighttime in Talokan. Perhaps. Their time passed differently. If not for her enhanced abilities and hearing, he would have spooked her. He's nearly caught her in the act, rummaging around his—their bedroom.

"The keys, dummy," she thought but knew better than to say aloud.

In seconds, they will all be dead, so Shuri does the only thing she can think of. Her knowledge of escape routes, where to pinch on the neck to knock someone out, and years of capoeira and taekwondo momentarily leave her. So, she kisses him.

They are in Namor's private room. She is wearing a set of poisonous earrings as a last resort. If she takes the earring back off, there should be enough poison to immobilize him until they can escape. But she can't fight him in these close corners. There's barely anything to bounce off or knock him into. The room is a wide-open space with little furniture. He's a frugal winged-fish man it seemed. Not to mention, she was in a jade Talokan dress. The jewelry albeit beautiful was heavy.

Nakia and the Dora Milaje were behind her in what seemed to be a closet. Namor had her pressed against a table.

She literally wanted to crawl out of her skin. To kiss her mother's indirect killer brought a variety of thoughts and feelings. But Wakanda needed to live to fight another day, and she was the clear embodiment of Wakanda now. So, she needed to live as well.

She didn't know which death would be quicker, one at his hands or his people.

Already she had extended more of herself than wanted. Being forced into an alliance and heavily persuaded into a marriage. The Wakandan elders cared for her as a daughter but none opposed Namor's proposal. They could only see the benefits without any thought to how she felt. Only the Dora Milaje and Nakia had raised a fuss. Those women were like her older sisters, and here, they were trying to save her from this sham of a marriage.

The ladies wore their midnight angel costumes and Nakia was fitted in a repurposed wet suit that she had been working on earlier. In any other circumstance, she would have been overjoyed to see them.

Despite that, the 3 or 4 weeks she had been captured—No, living here wasn't bad. Even comfortable. Serene. His people were always curious but kind. His warriors were less so but never violent with her.

Namor and she had an agreement. She was supposed to spend half her time in Talokan and the other in Wakanda. The exact duration still wasn't official as any flimsy whim caused him to increase her stay on his turf. Shuri didn't care. She signed for a month and a half, and that was all she intended to stay until the next contract renewal.

With the mess she had involved herself in, she didn't know when she'd be returning now.

She would've calmly bided the month she agreed to stay there (he had a lab built for her to keep her mind from going idle) until she knew about the Americans locked up. He was still perusing top-tier college campuses for vibraninum-detector creators. Riri wasn't the only smart one, but her design had been the best and most functional. It made her smile a little at how capable Riri (her friend? She sure hoped so. Life was isolating as a genius. And now she had someone who understood and could trade TikTok memes with) was. The native Chicago girl had cracked in a mere semester what took these seniors 4 years to do.

Were they ignorant of the destabilization and international political snafu this created? Yes. But they were still innocent. Just college kids, who didn't deserve to be executed or held in a cell. They had homes and families to return to.

Instead of freeing herself, she asked the Dora Milaje to free the students. They had agreed but were adamant about returning their princess home. Marriage alliance be damned.

Shuri realized upon seeing the holding cell with the students that the one she and Riri had been in was more lavish. Yes, it had been surrounded by guards, but they had hammocks, change of clothing, and even books to keep them company. But she had been too wired to think of it. Or appreciate it because, hello she had still been kidnapped. As her favorite young adult novel had coined, really, she had offered herself as tribute then.

So yes, Princess of Wakanda with all her intelligence and panther abilities could only think of kissing to distract him. For one reason, she had to get to him quicker. If the Dora or Nakia reacted, she wasn't sure Wakanda would survive again. All of the women combined could have very well killed him, but they wouldn't live to enjoy it. They would be joining him in a watery grave once the Talokans found out.

Namor stilled for a moment, surprised then relaxed. Any trace of anger was gone.

"Princess, it's always been you. The only one for me."

Then, one of his hands cupped her neck and the other around her waist. He kissed her deeply. Fiercely even. The passion was smoldering and intense like his eyes. She could feel the callus of his palm, smooth like leather against her skin. Was it possible for a pair of knuckles to look beautiful on a man?

She gasped, inadvertently giving him more of her mouth to explore. A sigh of contentment followed, and what was worse was that it came from her.

Trying to open her eyes while he kissed her was so intense. It was tempting to close her eyes and fall back into the rhythm. She hated it really, a part of herself. But he was goodt with a 'T' as Riri put it.

'Don't melt. Don't lean into his embrace. You're doing this for a reason' was her mental mantra for her own sanity and to keep respect in the Dora's eyes. She hugged herself to him, clutching at his back. He squeezed her closer to him. Any closer and they would be sharing the same hipbone.

Namor's eyes were closed in concentration. His eyelashes were even longer than hers.

Shuri spoke with her eyes and subtle tilts of the head to her startled women. The key was on a nightstand in his room. In one of the drawers. But she didn't know which. That ostentatious but beautiful mural of the Talokan God vs. Golden Black Panther was near it.

Expertly Nakia dashed to the table, making quick work to find the key to the jail cell.

He broke apart from her. If he heard Nakia by some chance, she wouldn't let him focus on it.

Starting to turn his head, she yelped his name.

"Namor!"

At once, his eyes turned dark and stormy.

"Oops, not good. Recalibrate, Shuri!" she thought.

So shyly, she told him, " I ... I said mmh more!" She moaned softly. "Don't stop." Her eyes had to be big as saucers. Her heart was beating fast not just from the exertion of the nonstop kissing.

He stroked her face. Although smug, she could sense the sincerity in him. Trying to fight his own very apparent desire.

Namor sighed. Showing a rare look of vulnerability, he said, "Princess, you wouldn't even look at me after the celebration. Now, you cover all parts of me." His other hand loosened its grip at her waist and slid down her arm. She was finally starting to develop some muscle. He played with the white cuff of her sleeve almost boyishly.

The best lies were mixed with a little truth.

"Our—our alliance is shaky. We started on bad terms, but we can't deny our connection. The chemistry. This is nothing more than a little physical pleasure. I still cannot stand you or love you," Shuri told him.

His eyes were half-lidded, stroking her lip. Beautiful. If not for still trying to gesture the Dora to leave, she may have been caught up by his gaze. In moments like this, she didn't see a haughty, ruthless ruler, just a man who loved. Wanted to be loved.

Nakia waved the key in the air. It shined from a light overhead. Namor's back was turned to Nakia, none the wiser. The Dora silently brandished their weapons. Their queen had done more than enough in their eyes.

She shook her head. Gesturing toward the right, down the corridor of Namor's room where the prisoners were held.

For a moment, she hugged herself into the crook of his neck, so Nakia could see her mouth the words: "Leave! Go Right. Prisoners!"

Nakia wasted no time flagging down the Dora to follow her. If Shuri weren't so preoccupied, her heart would swell with pride. As a girl, she had wanted to be a Dora Milaje herself. Younger Shuri hadn't realized she was royalty, not combat-ready, and ineligible. Those women were lethal as poison, beautiful as models, and unnoticed as a shadow unless they wanted to be.

"K'uk'ulkan," she panted, moving away from his neck. How much was faking and what was real was getting murkier by the second.

It was amazing. The force he grabbed and sat her atop the table, her legs automatically straddling him, without hurting her. But she could feel the raw power brimming in his muscles. The heat in his gaze.

It took her foggy hormonal mind a few seconds to recollect and feel aghast he might try to touch her. He rubbed his hands against her thighs hesitantly. Her Talokan dress was getting rumpled from the heavy petting and stroking.

She could feel heat warming her everywhere his fingertips touched. His big hands felt strong, and Shuri was tempted to trace her fingers over the calluses. To admire them.

Namor drew back, her legs still wrapped around him. He had an expression that looked equal parts enthralled and pained.

"Shuri, may I touch you more? Which places?"

Taking a breath against his shoulder, she gently pushed him away.

"I … For now, can you just hug me?" she asked. A part of herself was disappointed at dousing the fire. At forgetting why this impromptu seduction had started. But above all, it was her decision, and she was proud to set the boundaries. "There will be time for more later. To continue this," she finished and meant it. They still hadn't consummated their marriage.

He leaned his forehead against her, waiting until his breathing evened. Namor pulled away with some strain but nodded.

"I understand. Besides, we've more pressing matters to address." He rubbed at his eyebrows. Perhaps, surprised at losing himself in her so easily.

Shuri hopped off the table and smoothed out her dress. Her face twisted in confusion.

"Like?"

"My people have destroyed those machines. And let the surface dwellers go."

She blinked. Opened her mouth. No words came out.

"What?"

"Should I repeat myself? We let them go. My scientists are seeing if our chants can be used to erase memories in addition to coercion. This may very well be our first successful attempt."

"So, you drugged them?"

"More so their minds, yes. They won't remember this time under water or what they built. If only, we could take away their lust for blood and debauchery. But that's second nature for them."

"You said first attempt," Shuri repeated, her scientist mind beginning to work. "Have you had a trial run yet? Any failed attempts? They're geniuses even if they've forgotten. They still have the skills to rebuild it."

"This is the trial period now. The prisoners have shown drowsiness and short-term memory loss." He explained with a small smile. "If it fails or they remember, we can just kill them."

Namor was at least trying to avoid death if possible. A miraculous change, for sure.

Feeling more herself now that they weren't touching, she circled around him and crossed her arms. "For you, Kuku, that's great. I'm … I'm so pleased."

Namor didn't comment on it, but she could tell he was proud of her acceptance. She saw it in the confident lift of his eyebrows and the sparkle in his eyes.

He asked, "Kuku?"

"Nickname," she answered back just as fast.

Namor crossed the room to his drawer, looking for one of his capes. Shuri immediately felt her hands become sweaty. Soon enough, he found a long red one with gold embroidery. "Come, it's almost time for our meeting."

Ever since their month-long marriage, he had been including her in the Talokan community meetings. She would sit right next to him and say nothing. But the people bowed and greeted her all the same. His meetings were less structured than Wakandan royal court, and her kimoyo beads translated okay but with small errors and cultural gaps. They seemed to occur once a week if going by her time.

He paused for a moment. "Bring the gadget you were working on tonight. Our people will be joyed to see your mind work."

Shuri would have blushed if it were visually possible. He had noticed. Yeah, he had built her a lab, but she hadn't known he paid attention to what she made. He wanted her to show her talent to his people.

"Umm, maybe next time."

He lifted his hands in a sign of mock surrender. In another one of the drawers, he placed blue feathers around his ear and handed one for her to tuck behind her ear and box braids.

Shuri readjusted her necklace and toyed with the feather that kept falling to the floor. At her frustration, he helped her position it.

A question popped into her mind. "Kuku, when did you free those college students?"

He shined his jewels and the jade piece in his nose with a fabric cloth.

"Yesterday evening," he replied, absentminded.

Shuri gave a weak smile. Oh Bast, oh no, no!

"Now, if you'll excuse me, honey, I left my purse in the jail cell. Bye bye!"

Shuri didn't give Namor a chance to question her. She was already sprinting down the hall trying to prevent Nakia and Dora Milaje from getting caught.