For the past few days, nothing felt more than perfection. Shuri stood in front of the mirror, excitedly looking at her naked body. Namor's handprint is imprinted all over her body; it's exciting. The only way she can describe this feeling is of pure joy. The need to feel claimed is overpowering.

But her heart felt like it had broken into pieces. She should be happy that she was returning home to her mother, but she wasn't. The two weeks she spent with Namor in Talokan were perfection. Granted, she mainly had spent her time with him in their cave, but she didn't want to leave. For so long, she was Princess Shuri, next in line to the throne, and she couldn't remember the last time she was just Shuri. Namor allowed her to breathe, let her be herself, and not feel stressed and overwhelmed to meet everyone's expectations. Bast, she loves this man. "I'm not ready to return home." namor kissed her forehead.

"This is your home, Shuri. You do not need to leave." his words comfort her, but she knows this can not last. Her mother and her people need her, and being the lead scientist for her country, she must go back.

"It sounds lovely, but I must go back to my home. Wakanda needs me." Namor sat up. The desire is instinct in him to be selfish for himself and his people. He knew deep down she still had her duties to her people, and as her people became his. Ramonda must be excited, waiting at the shores to reunite with her daughter; as much as that woman annoys him, she has raised a very stubborn, strong, brave woman. He can even see the annoyance and years of stress Shuri has brought onto her mother; it delighted him. He couldn't help but wonder if Attuma was struggling with the same feelings he was dealing with.

Packed and ready, Shuri insisted on keeping her things in their home. Knowing she wouldn't have to pack puts a smile on her face, along with Namor's promise of her more clothing. She didn't get to wear any of the ones he had provided except for her tunic dress, which was ultimately see-through. She had worn that dress to her pleasure at the surprising feeling of being risky. In Wakanda, she never entertained the thought of wearing something like this, yet she wasn't ashamed of the thought of wearing it for Namor. The man looked at her as a predator ready to attack her at any given minute, an authentic action of a serpent that made her shiver in delight. This time, she wore a thicker material strapless to show her neck, shoulders, and clavicle. Looking at herself in the mirror again, she can feel she gained a few pounds. Her chest grew a little, her hips seemed slightly rounded, and her bottom bigger than usual. Shuri joked around once that she had the body of a boy, and that fear grew in her at seeing his reaction. He made her swear no such negative was to ever come out of her mouth, that she was perfect, and if she wanted to gain weight, he would gladly feed her himself. She could be as small or as big as she wanted. His love for her will never change, and his desire will never waver. His words to her had indeed made such a positive impact he noticed the difference in how she carries herself, and hopes remain once she leaves his side. Now, she just needed to figure out what to do with her hair.

Shuri wasn't blind to caring for her hair, but she always had someone do it. Prioritizing her lab over anything else, if his hair grew long enough to the point that she didn't want to sit down for it to be taken care of, she would quickly chop it off without a second thought. "Come sit." Shuri looked to see Namor point to the ground between his feet. Confused, she obeyed, kneeling before him and seeing him chuckle. "Turn around, Itza." Following, she felt his hand rub around her head. The next thing she felt was him dampening his hair with water, carefully combing out her dry, short curls. Closing her eyes, she thought of him massaging coconut oil to her hair, and the smell of mint and mangos filled the room. "This should help soften and hydrate your hair."

"I didn't know you could do hair?" tilting her head up, his lips pressed on her forehead.

"I do not, but I am willing to learn. There is a village by the ocean that keeps our secrets, and in exchange for their fruits and secrecy, I provide protection and help during the harsh seasons. There is an old couple whose son left to live among the colonizers to help provide for his people and keep me updated. Surface dwellers call him a banker or finance advisor. He handles Talokan's business in hopes of Talokan one day living on the surface. He married a Nigerian woman who was once married and had two girls in that marriage. They shared knowledge of hair care with me." Turning to face him, she couldn't help but feel this relationship was one-sided.

"You have done so much for me that I haven't given you anything in return." Namor smiled.

"You have given me everything, Itza. You have given me you. I showed that I could provide and be a worthy mate, that you accepted me and trusted me with your heart and your life. That is the greatest gift you have given me." hearing the joy in his voice, Shuri couldn't help but kiss him as a tear escaped from her eyes, and the feeling of his thumb brushing it away sent her shivers. Slightly pulling away, tears fell as her heart weighed heavily in her chest. She did not want to leave him. The desire to stay is evident that she did not want to ignore, but she had to.

"It's time to go." her voice cracked at her words. She was afraid to open her eyes, seeing Namor's reaction.

"This is not a goodbye, Itza." Feeling her emotions, Namor pulled her up to him, squeezing her as tight as he could without causing her harm. The ride home was quiet as she held him tightly in his arms until they reached the beach where her mother was waiting. Removing her helmet, she looked up at him in tears. It was clear to him she did not want to do this, and the sight of her made him happy to see such emotions for him. They kissed one another goodbye, but Shuri was dominant in this kiss. At this moment, this kiss expressed every word she couldn't say. Their foreheads touched, both breathing heavily for air; he watched her take her kimoyo beads off and put them on his wrist. Begrudgingly, Shuri headed to her mother in tears. Namor watched painfully as each step felt like a stab in the heart. Ramonda looked at her daughter in shock and worried, moving towards her and pulling her into a hug. Shuri cried in her mother's arms as Ramonda looked up at him angrily, ready to judge, but stopped hearing her daughter's words. Namor could listen to it himself. Her admittance to her mother that she did not want to leave broke him. Without a second glance, he swam back to the deep toward home, taking the scenic route to give himself some time to relax himself. Talokan needs their King to stay focused.

Ramonda couldn't be happier to see her daughter return home to her. She could barely sleep after receiving news from a few unwanted visitors, and her annoyance changed to being filled with Joy. Ramonda had tried to contact Shuri, but to her disappointment, Shuri had turned off communication. Waiting on shore, she watched them reach the surface, still halfway in the ocean. She saw the interaction between Namor and Shuri. Her daughter so affectionate to another man was surprising. They looked so caring to one another, but it was wrong. When Shuri finally turned away from him, she saw sadness in her daughter. Tears falling, she could not think. She only ran towards her daughter into the water and held her. Anger filled her heart as she looked at a man who hurt her daughter, but when Shuri cried, she did not want to leave him. It surprised her. Was she indeed a terrible mother? Eyes back on Namor, she didn't see his face as he dived back into the ocean, leaving them in the water. In realization, Ramonda couldn't deny her daughter's feelings towards the sea king. She understood this feeling her daughter was experiencing and, for the moment, turned the switch from being a Queen to her people to a mother to her daughter.

Ramonda held Shuri in her arms as they lay in her bed, listening to her daughter share her stories. In each story, she found it difficult to hate the man, even to dislike him. Namor was the man Ramonda always dreamed of for her daughter, and it annoyed her in such a way as to admit he was good for her. The man showed traits of what T'Chaka and T'Challa strived to be as an example for herself and Shuri. Shuri reacted to every emotion, telling her the stories of getting to see Talokan, the night at the beach where Namor shared his vulnerability of living longer than her, the feeling in that moment she shared about her underwear when she first arrived, how she felt negative towards her body, how he treated her and how he made her feel secure. Ramonda didn't want to know about her daughter's sex life but felt relieved that Shuri's comfort was more important than his own. Within these stories, she found herself pulling Shuri into her arms to comfort her when Shuri became vulnerable, admitting her joy to be back home and see her, but the pain and sadness of leaving him and their cave was and is overwhelming. "Is this how it feels when Baba used to leave?" That question struck her to her core.

"At times, it felt harder than others." Ramonda smiled softly and lifted her head by her chin to look at her child's face. "Even when I know he will do whatever he can to return to us. I believe he will do the same as will you."

"Umama, please tell me you support us." more tears fall at the mere look of Shuri's pleading eyes and the knowledge she now knows. How can she not support this?

"As long as you are happy and he treats you well, that is all that matters." Ramonda couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's vibrant smile. T'Challa would have been joyous to see his sister smile like this. They are so used to seeing Shuri excited about anything with science and technology that this smile is such a rare emotion to see. "Invite him for dinner tomorrow." Shuri squealed in excitement, using her mothers to leave a message for him.

"Oh, that reminds me, I need a new kimoyo. I gave Namor mine." After calming down, Shuri asked her how she was doing and handling everything. Ramonda added that the council is not happy with the information given to them and insisted on getting you back by all means. They even tried to offer their grandchildren up as partners. Shuri became angry with what was shared and, in anger, refused every single man offered up to her. Her eyes once again changed color to bright electric purple. The threat in her voice was well heard, promising Namor would bring war upon their people over the stupidity of the elder council's decisions. Her declaration of war between her people would bring great travesty and be avoided at all costs. Unable to calm her down, Ramonda listened to her Kimoyo beeping a call that alerted her it was Shuri. She knew who it was; she quickly answered it, seeing a holographic image of Namor. She watched the exchange between them as her daughter relaxed. Namor had calmed her down in three stages: anger, crying, and smiling. It was so easy to him that it had given her an idea. Namor should arrive before breakfast. She would speak to him one-on-one, have Shuri show him around correctly, and then sit in the council meeting. The council will see them together for themselves, and Ramonda will support how Namor treats her. Remembering what Namor had said, she did not want to regret losing her daughter when she could still have her in her life even though Ramonda did not like him, but after seeing this play right in front of her, she could not deny the proof of her daughter's happiness.

It may be better for you to arrive early in the morning. Namor stayed quiet in thinking and nodding his head in agreement.

"I will see you then, Queen Mother." his response showed he understood her very well.

"Bring a giant king crab. Mother must try it." Namor chuckled at Shuris' request that Ramonda pauses at this. Would he cook it for her?

"Shuri, he is a guest..."

"Do not fret; I do not mind. It would be an honor to share one of my people's delicacies with the queen mother of Wakanda. It may help us build a better relationship than just being allies." After hanging up, a thought hit her. How did he know to call her to calm Shuri?

"Shuri, how did he know you were angry?" confused and yet interested, she desired to know if he had spies watching them as they spoke.

"We bounded. It's this connection that I have yet to explain, but I can feel it. At first, I couldn't, and I also couldn't decipher it, but I know. If Namor is hurting, angry, or sad, I can feel it, and he can feel mine. It's this feeling of being safe, if I can explain it. I am still figuring this out myself."

"I'm going to have to like this man." Ramonda ground in annoyance with a smile on her face.

"He will be a perfect son-in-law." she playfully pushed her daughter away. They had spent the rest of the night in her room catching up with everything, eating food, and watching movies, spending quality time with mother and daughter instead of Queen Mother and Princess of Wakanda.

Waking up to her side of the bed empty, she can only guess Shuri is either getting ready or he is already here being shown around. Getting herself ready, the information her daughter had given her continued to play in her head, the feeling that maybe her daughter had shared too much with her. However, she couldn't remember the last time or possibly ever of a time Shuri shared her interest in someone. Listening to her daughter share her feelings before the matter of the situation made her realize when was the last time she was just a mother to her child. T'Challa was always the go-to person for Shuri about her feelings on the opposite sex or to share her frustration. T'Challa was always there for Shuri, and when he passed, she had lost her confidant that she secluded herself with her work in the lab, shutting everyone out, including Nakia. She became angry with everyone for hiding the truth about her nephew. She saw the built rage in her daughter that she pushed everyone out on top of everyone, learning that Wakanda wasn't the only nation that lived off of vibranium. Namor found his way to Shuri, and it angered and frustrated her. She had almost died because of him, yet he was the one she had fallen for. It felt weird, but she couldn't feel angry over it. Her brother was once a war dog and died from a mission T'Chaka had sent him out to investigate during his first year of being King. She had blamed him for his death, hating him, but she had grabbed his attention, and he had chased after her. He was persistent, and her parents were so excited that the King wanted their daughter's hand. She hated him and her parents, but the man had worn her down, still showing interest, always appearing around in unwanted or unexpected places. She hated that man when it came to ruining her dates; he had scared off anyone interested. Namor almost killed her, but he saved her from drowning. His words were threatening, informing her that she still breathes only for the princess's interest. She took a deep breath and couldn't deny that he would suit her daughter. Yesterday, it felt like she had officially gotten her daughter. Shuri looked like Shuri once more, and it broke her tears. For her age, she truly had experienced many things, and being the head scientist of Wakanda at age fourteen was groundbreaking. As hard as it was to admit this, she had to thank the man.

Okoye couldn't help but smile at the frustration on Attuma's face. He had made her watch the Little Mermaid live rendition, and she wouldn't stop laughing. Okoye can admit the film was stupid to her, but she enjoyed sharing a few things from the surface that seemed to perplex Attuma. "If she loves this surface dweller, why not keep the surface and ocean?" Attuma questioned in annoyance.

"Would you give up the ocean for me?" Okoye asked playfully to see his answer.

"No. Giving up who I am to be with you is unheard of. In my culture, embracing both cultures is the right thing to do. Doing such a thing means denying the other person who they are. I can not ask you to give up Wakanda as much as you can not ask me to give up Talokan. Loving does not mean diminishing oneself." Okoye froze in shock at his words. She did not expect that answer, and hearing him say that felt refreshing.

"What else should I know about your culture if I agree to be courted by you?" Attuma turned his body to give her full attention.

"Our names, for one. We can combine our names. We do not need to change our name to appease the other if one wants to and by the coursing of the other. It would be of great honor to carry your name onto mine."

"I hate it and want to get rid of it." Okoye quickly answered, startling Attuma but bringing a smile to his face.

"In our household, unlike the surface dwellers, it is an honor to raise our young in our home. Men do not see it as a burden. Children are our legacy and viable proof of the love that created them." Okoye, intrigued by this, interrupts him for clarity.

"Are you telling me if I wanted to stay working, you would stay home cooking, cleaning, and raising our children without regrets and prejudice?" Attuma rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Then men on the surface are, as you surface dwellers call pussies." Okoye's eyes widened, trying to stop herself from laughing, "Did your ex wish you to give up on being a warrior once you bore him children?" Okoye reaction to his question gave him his answer. "He did not deserve you."

"But you, the King's second in command and Namora, wouldn't give that up to raise our guppies." Attuma looked at her sternly.

"If you asked me to do so, it will be done without questioning." Okoye was left speechless at his sincerity, making her change her decisions. She wasn't a Dora anymore but was now the leader of a different and new Wakandan warrior. Shuri called it the elitist, meaning the best of the best, and she couldn't deny she did train the Dora's, but it took many to try and bring her down. The only person who had embarrassed her in defeat is Attuma himself.

"Are you just saying everything to convince me to agree to your courtship?" Attuma looked offended by her question and rolled his eyes once again.

"I do not need to lie to win your heart that is below me." When he said that, a thought came to mind, and he decided to lean on it.

"I'm stubborn." she declared with authority.

"Tell me something I don't know." he shrugs, unfazed by her words.

"I will always be bald." raising an eyebrow.

"You are beautiful with or without hair; it doesn't bother me."

"I don't want to have kids." She crossed her arms.

"Is that so post to scare me off?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to cook anymore."

"All the more dishes of my culture to win you over."

"I'm still in love with my ex."

"We both know that is a lie," he asked her. Do you think I'm going to fall for that look?

"No, it's not." he pulls his really face.

"Okoye, it's me."

"Shut up." She turned her head away in disdain.

"I do want to have kids."

"I know you do." he smiles.

"I don't know if I want to be a housewife for some time."

"and that is fine." he shrugs as if that was a deal breaker.

"I like cooking but do not believe in cooking every day."

"Surface dwellers call it meal prepping very resourceful."

"You just have everything to say."

"You are stubborn, and I am not just a warrior."

"Well played."

"Is that a yes?" he smiles with his cocky grin.