Loving My King

Chapter 11

I open my eyes with a heart full of hope and optimism. I say a quick prayer that this day will go as smoothly as possible. Turning over, I see that my husband is staring at me. "About time you woke up love." One of my eyebrows shoots up, and my face looks like that of a very confused woman. "Have you forgotten about N'Jadaka's audience today?" "No...is that something I'm supposed to be attending? I thought this would be something between just the two of you?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Baby, you were the one that convinced him to take this path instead. Why wouldn't you be attending?" He does have a point.."Remember my love. You are now Queen. This is the type of thing you will need to be in attendance for. This could potentially involve the whole kingdom." "You do have a point...again." So I get up out of bed and start getting ready. With Isis by Joyner Lucas playing out of my speak, I start my morning routine. T'Challa joins me as I'm brushing my teeth. He puts his hands on my hips and plops his head on my shoulder, and stares at me through the mirror. I bend over to spit in the sink. He lets out a small moan and closes his eyes. I look at him with amusement in my eyes.

"It's been far too long my Queen." "It hasn't. You're just a freak." He busts out laughing. I laugh with him and walk into our closet to get dressed. Suddenly a very pertinent question pops into my head very suddenly. "If this talk with Erik goes well, what will you do? Hopefully you won't keep him confined to his room like a dog in the kennel?" I can tell my casual use of Erik's American name threw him off for a second.

"Well I can't very well let him roam around can I? Have you forgotten the whole reason we had to catch him in the first place?" I purse my lips. "No T'Challa. I haven't forgotten. But please don't let that cloud your judgement of what the man is saying, and trying to do." "And what exactly is that? Since you two seem to be so close now." It takes all of my willpower PLUS MORE, to not roll my eyes at this big ass man baby. 'I need this talk to go well...I need this talk to go well...' so I try again. "It is not me you need to be having this discussion with. Your audience is with Erik. Not with me." I finish getting dressed, and go to leave our bedroom.

"Avalon wait!" I stop with my hand on the doorknob. "I'm sorry. I just don't understand why you're so quick to defend a man who was so ready to take your life." "He wouldn't have hurt me. And I know his real mission here T. If you would take a few minutes to listen to what he has to say then you would too."

I make my way to the throne room to see that Erik is already there, and is looking around with genuine curiosity and admiration. "Good morning." I say as I walk into the room. He turns around and smiles a bit. "Hey baby girl. Did you talk ole buddy around?" I sigh. "I did my best Erik. But this won't go smoothly if you insist on these nicknames." He rolls his eyes at the same time as me. T'Challa entera and I roll my eyes again. "Trouble in paradise?" Erik asks. I discreetly flip him off and move to take my seat.

"So-" he starts, "my wife decided to forgive telling me the meaning of this meeting. Tell me why I shouldn't have you imprisoned on the spot for attempting to hurt my wife?" "Because shawty wouldn't have-" "AHEM!" I interrupt him and give him the look. Y'all know what look I'm talking about- "My bad my bad. I mean Ava wouldn't have let you. She knows my true intentions. And she knows I wouldn't have really hurt her. Like I keep telling you selective memory ass mother fuckers, I wasn't really going to hurt her. And she believe in what I believe in." "Which is?" T'Challa asks. "To arm Black Americans with what they need to protect and help themselves, in a country where it seems that everyone wants them dead, or to see them fail." Everyone's jaw damn near drops.

"Here in Wakanda, we choose not to meddle in the affairs of-" "I know damn well what you choose not to do. But by doing nothing, you allow these colonizers to murder our own people. That's just as bad as oppressing them the way the devils do." "Excuse me? We have nothing to do with that foreign countries affairs." N'Jadaka squints his eyes, and I know that what comes next is not going to be good. "Then you leave me no choice. Now back to square one. I'm challenging you for the throne." T'Challa opens his mouth to reply.

"That won't be necessary!!" I move to stand between Erik and T'Challa, who are glaring at each other like two kids fighting over a toy. "Erik I'm sure we can come up with something to help our people. Something that doesn't involve arming civilians however." The elders jump up in an uproar. "Who is this foreigner to give us orders? We let you marry the King, but it stops there." My eyebrows shoot up, as does T'Challa and Erik's. "You may have been born here, you may have been here longer than me, hell you MAY even be wiser than me. But you will not question my authority or my place in this Kingdom. So sit your ass down or I will have you removed."

Okoye gave a small smirk, but it was gone as soon as I blinked. And Erik straight out laughed loud as hell, and caused everyone to glare at both of us. I then turn so that I'm talking directly to Erik. "Now as I was saying. We will find a way to assist our people from the burden that the white people have placed on them." I turn to address everyone else. "And it will be Erik and I'd project that I- and only I- will be responsible for. I will personally oversee all decisions. And if it should backfire, I will take full responsibility. Happy? Great. Goodbye." I take Erik by his elbow. "Let's get THEE fuck out of here and get business started."