Redemption

Chapter 13

"You look stunning in the sunlight," T'Challa gleamed,standing to greet the love of his life. "You say that every time," Zari chuckles as she let his arms envelope her. "It's true. You look amazing in anything."

"So if your wife wore sweatpants and a t-shirt to your wedding, you'd be ok with it?" The young designer raised an eyebrow as she looked up from her menu. "I'd prefer if you didn't wear that entle"

"T'challa," Zari chastised. "What?" the king raised his eyebrows, "all I did was make a statement."

"You know what you did your majesty," Zari shot a warning glance. "You know I wanna take this slow."

"I apologize love," T"challa gently squeezed Zari's hand. "It's fine."

The king intertwined their hands on the table and grinned once he noticed the blush on Zari's face. The two ordered and chatted the time away before their food arrived. As soon as Zari dug in, the monarch cleared his throat. "Entle,"

"Hmm," Zari kept chewing as she looked up at T'Challa. "I wanted to talk to you about something. It is somewhat of a delicate matter." Zari placed her fork back on the plate. She took a moment to swallow before addressing the king, "Okay. What's going on?"

"I have to go back to Wakanda in three week's time."

"Oh, I-"

"I want to take Aiden with me. And you." The king finished. "T'Challa I do not know if I am ready for that." "Zar, please. At least think about it. My son has family who don't even know he exists. People who would love to love him, but he has to meet them. He should his home, quite frankly, the place he will one day rule."

"Rule?!"

"Yes, Zari. He is my son. My only son. My ELDEST son." "That doesn't mean he has to rule T'challa.You could marry again."

"Zari," the king frowned at her, " we both know that the minute I claim Aiden as my own-," "Then don't claim him."

"You know that I would not do that to my son Zari. He is my blood. I will not let him grow up thinking that I am ashamed of him Zari. What has changed. When we were together in highschool, we both knew that this day would come. I would be king, then so would my son. You were ok with it." "I never thought we would actually get to this day T'Challa! Let alone a day when it might mean my son would have to be taken from me."

"Come home with us, be my queen. Let us have the family that was taken from us Zar. Believe in me," the king grabbed both of her hands. " I have to get back to work." The designer grabbed her coat and rushed out of the restaurant."

"Zar," T'challa slapped fifty dollars on the table and ran out after her, only to watch her vanish into a taxi. He slapped the brick wall next to him, before heading towards his own car.

Later that night, Zari tiptoed into the house. Slipping off her shoes she made a quick trip through the kitchen, only to run into Isha in the kitchen. "So you and lover boy are both coming home late tonight?"

"He's here?"

"Yeah he just ran up a few minutes before you did." "Good," Zari sighed leaning against the counter. "What's up with you?"

"I'm kind of avoiding him at the moment. We had a fight today at lunch."

"Over..." "He wants us, Aiden and I, to come back to Wakanda with him."

"That's a bad thing because?" Isha deadpanned. Zari sighed, "My baby is a prince Isha. T'challa wants to claim him, but I don't know if I want that lifestyle for my son. He's my baby."

"Yes, but he's also the baby of the new king. You know, the man you had unprotected sex with once, maybe twice, I don't know three times! You didn't think about that?"