Dress Up [A T'Challa Udaku Story]

Chapter 6

Ramonda pushed aside the curtain blocking her view of T'Challa in his private infirmary room. Doctors and nurses roamed around the quiet hallway. Her eyes fluttered to Sirobie who sat curled up in the chair beside the king's infirmary vitals table. "Are you sure that we can not just tell her that he will be fine, that the herb is treating him? He is only in a coma so that his body can heal-" Shuri pestered her mother.

"Shuri, Ramonda raised her hand to silence her, "I know and I understand everything you are saying-"

"Then let us tell her. The poor girl is killing herself in there. She thinks she killed him!"

"I know this! I know this, but we cannot have an outsider with this information. We may love Sirobie, and she may be playing as Kamyra right now, but she will be leaving us soon. Our secret, our way of life cannot get out into the world." Ramonda insisted.

"Sirobie would not do that to us-"

"Shuri," the queen turned back to the window, "We do not know that for sure, and as long as T'challa lies in that bed I have to do what I believe is best for Wakanda." The Queen dropped the curtain and sighed, "However, I will try to convince her to leave his bedside and shower and eat." Shuri frowned as her mother reached for the door. "He should just marry her anyway," the teen muttered as she turned to walk away. Ramonda shook her head and entered the infirmary room. A small smile caressed her lips as she glided over to Sirobie. She bent down to gently shake the college student awake. "My Dear," The queen kneeled down as Sirobie sat up. "Is he awake?" A frown blossomed across the artist's face when she noticed the king asleep on the bed. "No, but that does not mean that you should pause your life as well. You need to eat, and shower properly. Infirmary bathrooms are good hygiene for no one."

Sirobie glances at the bed, "What if he wakes up?"

Ramonda grabbed Sirobie's hands in her own and pulled herself and the girl up. She placed her hands on her cheeks and smiled, "Then someone will come to get you as soon as possible. I promise." Sirobie glances back at the bed, "I don't know. I feel like this is my fault. I should be here when he wakes up to apologize..."

"Sirobie, this is not your fault. They will find the people who did this, guns are not the common weapon of choice in this country, it should not be hard to track them down. But until then, and until t'Challa wakes up, you must take care and be gentle with yourself."

"But it is my fault. I should have told him that we should have just come back to the palace. He said that us getting to know each other was dangerous. Now look where he is after one date," Sirobie fought the tears at the back of her eyes. "I thought it was not a date?" Ramonda smirked, successfully coaxing a small smile out of the student. Ramonda laughed, "You two went out on that "not date" because you wanted to get to know each other," the queen grabbed sirobie's hands in her own. "There is nothing wrong with getting to know someone."

Sirobie nodded, "But what if someone came after him because they know I'm not Kamyra?"

Ramonda's face fell and her eyes hardened, "Do you think someone knows?"

"I don't know." Sirobie sighed and glanced back at the Queen. But it just seems like something was off, someone called for help, why would someone try to rob a street vendor and not the jewelry store T'Challa and I were standing in? And what about that suit he was wearing, nothing is adding up Queen mother. It has been plaguing my mind since the shooting. Have I somehow angered Kamyra's family?" Sirobie looked up at the queen from beneath her lashes. "What does Kamyra's family have to do with this?"

"The contract," Kamyra frowned as the queen twisted her face in confusion. "T'Challa did not tell you? If he does not marry Kamyra, then Shuri must marry her younger brother. The younger brother is a believer in "domestic punishment" He does not want that for Shuri. For her to lose all her spunk and her fire." Ramonda dropped her head and sighed, "I do not know why he would not just come to me," she muttered before looking up at the fake princess, "rest assured, T'Challa will be fine, but your mental state will not be if you stay here. You need to take care of yourself, in order to take care of others. One of the first rules of being a leader."  The queen began pulling and pushing Sirobie towards the room door, "Starting with taking a shower, in your own room, changing your clothes, eating a full meal, and taking a walk around the palace or in the gardens."