Dress Up [A T'Challa Udaku Story]

Chapter 8

"I still do not understand why the wedding had to be moved up to this week!" Kamyra fussed as T'Challa opened the door and helped her back into the car. "Kamyra, let us not do this right now okay. I have enough of a headache already," the king groaned and ran a hand over his face. "Oh and that's my fault too? That the tramp went around pretending to like babies, so this lady thinks she can just hand me one and I'm gonna fawn all over him?!"

"Watch your tongue," the king growled. "Why because you love her?" The princess instigated. "No, because you are the one who put her in the position so you could run away and live some fantasy without having to tell your father that you just want to go to school!"

"You don't know shit about how I grew up and the hell I endured," angry tears flooded her eyes.

"Only because you won't tell me. If you want to go to school, that is all you have to say. I will make it happen! I am not your father. When we first met I wanted to get to know you. In hopes that we could have had a friendship of some sorts. But you came here with all your walls up and blamed me for all of the evil in your life because you couldn't blame your father."

Kamyra sank back in her seat,her heart stuck on one thing the king had said. "You would allow me to go to school?"

"Yes," T'Challa sighed, "Anywhere your heart desires. Gender roles are not as conservative here in Wakanda as they are in your home country. You would know this if you would stop pushing all of us away."

"I apologize," Kamyra broke the silence minutes later as the vehicle pulled up to the palace. "I do as well, I should not have raised my voice. However, we need to talk about the wedding this week." The couple walked in silence through the palace into T'Challa's office. The king gestured for Kamyra to take a seat before he moved to sit in his window. "Am I correct in assuming that you do not actually want to be married still?"

"That is correct."

T'Challa nodded, "Then I may have a solution for you. We have a way to annul the contract our forefathers signed. If you are willing to go along with the plan, we will allow you to seek asylum and full Wakandan citizenship if you do not wish to return home."

"Where will I live?"

"Here, you will stay in a royal estate as a dignitary or we will help you find housing anywhere in the world you choose to live."

"I do not have to stay here?"

"No you are not a prisoner, depending on how you react to the plan of course," the king frowned. Kamyra tensed, "What exactly is the plan?"

"We have concrete evidence that your younger brother made an attempt on my life while you were gone. Because you were gone, we assumed your innocence,"

"I am!"  Kamyra assures, she stood out of her seat and sighed, "My father would have killed me if I had known about it, had not given you a son, and not made sure you were actually gone. My father is strict about image and traditionally consolidating power. Ephram however is pure ambition. We have another brother, Aton, who is slated to take the throne, so it makes sense that Ephram would grab at any chance to take power for himself."

"What your brother did not understand is that power is not handed down based on birth right or gender. Even if he had succeeded, Shuri would have just battled for the throne and ruled."

"Trust me when I say, we are both very glad he did not succeed."

T'Challa offered a weary smile in response, "An assassination attempt will be enough in the council's eyes to void the contract at gathering this weekend. Afterwards, we will plan for you to make a transition to life here as a citizen."