Chapter 10: sibling disputes

" how about we stop for dinner?" Tony suggested

The group agreed and Tony went to make reservations.

"What do you think of New York King T'challa?" Bruce Banner asked.

"You have many things to do. I don't think anyone could get bored "

"Never! There's always something to do. Princess Shuri, what did you and your friend think?"

The group turned to Shuri and her friend who just stood and blinked. They had followed them but stayed towards the back of the group.

"Princess?" Captain America called.

Tchalla made his way toward his sister and tried to touch her shoulder but when he did his hand went right through her.

Okoye made a sound of irritation and said "Holograms!"

Tchalla sighed and called his sister.

Her beads rang but there was no answer.

He called again and she answered, "What can I do for you brother?"

" Not disappear. "He said with a tone of impatience.

"Our guest was giving us a tour and you making us look bad," he said in their native tongue.

His sister sighed and said " I didn't think anything of it. I simply wanted to discover New York at my own pace. I'm sorry I embarrassed you. I would have said something, But I knew you would want me to take one of the Dora with me and I didn't want them hovering. I'll see you back at the tower. Send Tony my apologies." With that said she hung up

T'challa turned to Tony apologizing for his sister's actions.

Tony was going to speak but Wanda beat him to it. She gently approached T'challa and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not apologize for your sister. She has done nothing wrong. The princess is nineteen, correct?"

T'challa nodded.

"Well, I think it's only fair she gets to be a nineteen-year-old. This is what normal young adults do correct? Hang out with their friends? Go out? I wouldn't want to be stuck with a bunch of adults who treat me like a child either."

"How dare you-"

T'challa stopped Ayo in her tracks as she began to give Wanda a tongue-lashing.

"No disrespect here Ayo. I appreciated Miss Maximermoff's opinion. And she is only half correct. I do desire my sister to have fun but at the end of the day, my sister is still the princess of Wakanda and next in line if something happens to me. She cannot just go running off in the city of New York."

Wanda shook her head as the group began to walk again. all of them listening to the debate between Wanda and T'challa.

"That may be correct, but you cannot put your sibling in a bubble. They will resent you."

"You know this from experience?" T'challa questioned.

Wanda wrapped her arms around herself and said "My brother Petro. I was the older one. We both had mutations giving us powers. I always protected him. I was overprotective. We joined the Avengers. In our first year, we had an intense battle. I tried to protect him, to hold him back but he became angry at me and went to fight. He didn't come home. I miss him every day and I regret how tightly I held the reigns. You talk to her and come up with a compromise."

T'challa gave her a look of sorrow and understanding.

"I understand your pain of loss. I will consider your words. Thank you."

Wanda nodded and the two walked in a comfortable silence.

…..

Shuri laughed and dry coughed as she and Ch'ah lay on the soft, thick blanket under the giant tree.

The sun was beginning to set, and they were enjoying the concert. Different artists came and sang love songs and for once, she felt comfortable expressing small displays of affection for her husband. For once, she didn't have to worry about prying eyes and curious people.

Neither one of them got to speak because a song caught their attention.

I will love you anyway

Even if you cannot stay..

I think you are the one for me

Here is where you ought to be…

Shuri hummed along with the song as her husband embraced her in his arms. She was sitting between his legs. The coolness of his body felt good as the summer night embraced them.

Ch'ah sent gentle kisses against her skin.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About our children?" he asked gently.

The song changed, as the crowd began to go quiet.

This time, this place,

Misused, mistakes.

Too long, too late

Who was I to make you wait?

"Of course! Children are the future!" Shuri smiled.

"Are they a part of our future?"

Shuri blushed and looked away.

"Of course…" she said shyly.

"Are they in our future now?"

Shuri leaned away.

"It's a bit early for that! We've only been married for a short time!" she said in a light panic. She could barely handle being a princess to Wakanda, and a queen to an underwater kingdom. How in the world could she be someone's mother?

"And I've waited centuries for you mia amore. Im not going to say I don't desire children now. Because I do. I desire to see you round with our future. I desire to teach our future. To see you teach our future. But I respect how you feel. I just wanted to tell you what was on my heart."

The panic in Shuri was snuffed out as she looked at her husband. He was thousands of years old and yet he had to watch most of his family die. For the first time, he had someone other than his kingdom to think of about. Someone with whom he could be vulnerable. All this time he had been ruling his kingdom alone.

"Why have you never taken a concubine? Surely you could have created heirs any time you wanted."

"Reina Pantera, intimacy is sacred where I come from. Unlike the surface world that just jumps from one lover to the next. We form bonds in Talokon. The dissipation of a joint union is rare and only happens in cases of abuse and infidelity. Which again is very rare in our kingdom. So, for me to take a concubine would have been shameful to our culture. Besides, I wanted to share my gift of virginity with my mate. And the gift of sharing the water and air. I couldn't just lay with anyone. I had to be careful."

Shuri leaned her head against his chest another dry cough coming from her lungs.

"I understand. But do you mind waiting at least a year or two before we have guppies swimming around?"

Ch'ah laughed.

"Guppies? Is that the new term these days?"

"Ch'ah…" she coughed.

He didn't reply to her comment. He was instead looking at her in concern.

"You've been coughing a lot this past hour. Tell me how you feel?"

"A little warm? My throat is dry. Almost like im in the desert."

Ch'ah pulled the collar of her shirt down just a little and made a sound of displeasure.

"Hmm, we need to leave."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Your gills. They are dried out. You'll suffocate soon if we don't get you into the ocean."