𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

002.

002. The Garden of Bia

"Welcome to the Garden of Bia," Bia said as she greeted the group that had just entered her shop.

"This is King T'Challa, Bia," M'Baku said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

Bia glanced at the man beside M'Baku, feeling her heart skip a beat as she noticed how handsome the King was. "Your Majesty," Bia greeted him, respectfully.

"Bia, it is a pleasure to meet you at last," T'Challa said, extending his hand. "M'Baku has told me so much about you," T'Challa added.

"I hope he has told you all good things about me," Bia said as she placed her hand in his, shaking it politely.

T'Challa chuckled.

"He calls you his annoying little sister that he never wanted but is stuck with because no one else can match his humor as you do," T'Challa told Bia.

Bia placed a hand over her heart.

"Awe, M'Baku, that's the sweetest thing you've ever said behind my back," Bia said.

M'Baku snorted.

"Let's explore the garden, it's very beautiful around this time of year," M'Baku said.

"My garden is always beautiful no matter what time of year and you know that M'Baku," Bia stated, gesturing to the entrance of the garden. "Enjoy the nursery, I have new plants growing," She said.

Bia eyed the women lined behind the king, feeling a tad bit annoyed by the way they were staring at her.

T'Challa noticed the way Bia was looking at the Dora Milaje, smiling. "They mean no harm, they're just overprotective," T'Challa said.

Bia nodded understandingly, smiling a bit as Erik in his cat form runs out and starts biting T'Challa's ankle. Erik is biting and scratching at T'Challa's ankle.

"No, Erik, stop it!" Bia exclaimed, grabbing the cat from causing damage to T'Challa's ankle.

The women chuckled while T'Challa froze at the mention of his cousin's American name.

"You have a cat named Erik?" T'Challa asked Bia.

Bia held up Erik to T'Challa's face.

"He looks like an Erik, does he not?" Bia replied.

Erik proceeds to hiss in T'Challa's face causing M'Baku to laugh. T'Challa sweas on Bast, that the cat looks more and more like Erik. Even had the same hateful look in his eyes that Erik had when they fought for the last time. T'Challa truly deeply didn't want to fight his cousin to the point that the literal only way to defeat him was by taking his life. It was brutal. He'd even thought to himself. He could have done more to change his mind and save Erik but Erik was stuck in his ways.

"It seems like all Eriks do not like you, T'Challa," M'Baku said.

T'Challa sighed.

"It seems so," T'Challa said.

Erik hissed at T'Challa before looking at Bia with hopeless eyes. Bia sighed and understood what Erik wanted her to do.

"Here hold out your hands," Bia told T'Challa.

T'Challa did as she said. Holding his hands and Erik threw up a hairball then jumped out of Bia's arms and went back to his area in the garden.

Everyone was shocked.

"He's warming up to you," Bia said.

T'Challa walked over to the trash and dropped the hairball into the trash. He wiped his hands on his pants before following Bia and M'Baku to the nursery.

A black Panther came over and rubbed their head against T'Challa's leg. T'Challa looked surprised to see a black Panther walking around in Jabari Tribe.

"Ra, honey, come here," Bia called out to the Black Panther.

"M'Baku what is a black panther doing here?" T'Challa asked M'Baku.

M'Baku shrugged.

"Bia attracts all kinds of animals," M'Baku answered.

They walk through vast rows of plants, herbs, groundcovers, shade plants, and rock garden plants. Bia runs her hand across the flowers as T'Challa marvels at the gardens and they continue.

They walked further into the garden when T'Challa gasped at the sight of the heart-shaped herbs. Bia fidgeted as Erik walk over the rows of the plant with a smirk on his face.

"Why is there heart-shaped herbs growing here?" T'Challa asked.

"Because I grow them here," Bia answered in a duh tone.

"It shouldn't be able to grow here," T'Challa said.

"They can grow wherever I want them to grow," Bia said.

"What do you mean?" M'Baku asked.

Both men furrowed their brows confused until they saw a soft purple glow start to form in Bia's right hand. The hand held a heart-shaped herb. T'Challa's mouth hung open while M'Baku's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline. The two were speechless.

"How could you keep this a secret?" T'Challa asked.

"No one ever asked me," Bia replied.

"You must have heard about the sole field where the herb grows being burned down. Why didn't you say anything?" T'Challa asked.

Bia tilted her head.

"Bast does not want you to have this batch," Bia told him.

"Why?" M'Baku asked.

"I don't know," Bia answered.