Talokan Forever! - Black Pather: Wakanda Forever

~Queens and Spies~

Wakanda

"They were waiting for us.  They came up from the water on the backs of whales," Okoye recounted to Queen Ramonda and the Council of Elders immediately upon their return to Wakanda.  Kalyna was present as well to provide her account of the events that lost Shuri. "I struck three down, but they rose again, as though unharmed. I wish to leave immediately to retrieve our princess." 

She was met by tense silence until the Queen spoke.  "Okoye, you will be stripped of your rank and title as General of the Dora Milaje-"

"No, please My Queen," Kalyna spoke up, but Ramonda continued.

"-And of Dora Milaje altogether."

Stunned, Okoye let the words sink in. Then she knelt and asked for permission to speak.

"You may." 

"Please, My Queen, I have given everything. Let me die defending my country."

"Perhaps we are being too hasty," the Elder of the Border Tribe spoke up.  "We are speaking of a woman here to raised a spear against her own husband in the name of Wakanda."

"And where is her treacherous husband now?" Ramonda barked.  "But in a place where she can visit him whenever she likes. Where is my husband?" Her voice broke.  "Dead! And my son? Also with the ancestors.  And my daughter? I don't even know if she is alive. I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone! HAVE I NOT GIVEN EVERYTHING?! And do not forget I watched as you and the rest of the Dora Milaje stood by Killmonger while I had to flee into hiding as he took the throne - I am done! I am done."

"Please, My Queen," Kalyna stepped in in a last desperate attempt.  "I feel responsible as well - please, this enemy is formidable, we didn't stand a chance and still Okoye defended us all. We cannot lose one of our best warriors at a time like this."

Ramonda was silent, looking from her daughter-in-law and to Okoye and back and forth again. Could she be reconsidering?

No, the Queen had made her decision, and it was final.

"I am done."

With a wave of her hand, she disbanded the Council and cast Okoye out.

--------------------------------

"I wish to go after Shuri and Riri myself," Kalyna told Ramonda after the Council meeting once they were alone.  "As I said, I feel responsible too."

"Kalyna, think of your family. I cannot send you off alone against these new forces, especially ones that are so formidable and who we know so little about."

"Griot said he lost contact with Shuri in the Atlantic Ocean - that's a start. And, well, speaking of Haiti, I wouldn't have to go alone..."

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Haiti 

The little boy with the biggest smile waved to Kalyna from where he ran around playing in the courtyard of the school with the other children. She smiled and waved back, her heart full. 

"Bonjour," she and Ramonda greeted the headmistress. 

Nakia whirled around.  "Kalyna, Queen Mother."

"You were missed at T'Challa's funeral," Ramonda told her once all the greetings were over. 

"Oh." Nakia turned away momentarily.  "I was worried how final the funeral would feel."

Kalyna's heart went out to Nakia. She and T'Challa had been friends and lovers long before the marriage arrangement was plotted between the then Prince of Wakanda and the then Princess of Sokovia. 

"Nakia, you have lived in many nations, but you are still Wakandan, and you know that death is not the end."

"I know." Then she smiled.  "You have come to visit Toussaint?"

Ramonda remained grim.  "I am afraid our business here today is much darker: Shuri was taken."

"What?"

"By a new formidable force," Kalyna told her.  

"Nakia, you have infiltrated many nations as a War Dog-"

"Oh," she sighed, knowing where this was going.  "That was a long time ago - I was a completely different person then."

"Please Nakia, will you help us?"

She looked between the Queen of Wakanda and Queen of Sokovia.  "For the Royal Family, anything."

-------------------------------------------

Talokan

"Ah, my dear," Namor addressed Ofelia when she entered his hut. 

"Ku'ku'lkán." She bowed her head and gave their traditional gesture. It didn't matter that they were betrothed, she still addressed him like any other Talokanil would.  "I was hoping to see you and speak with you before you met with the princess."

"As I was hoping to see and speak with you. May I have the bracelet of my mother's that I gave to you as a betrothal gift?"

"Oh, of course-" She slipped off said bracelet and held it out to him.

"Thank you, my dear. I wish to present it to Princess Shuri as a token of allegiance."

"You wish for a more peaceful solution." Relief washed through her. "Oh Namor, I am so relieved. The scientist, she is a child. Brilliant but so young. We cannot kill her-" She trailed off upon seeing his expression.  "Wait, you knew? You knew who she was and still you sent us after her? Would have us kill her?"

He came over and took both of her hands in his. "It does not matter who came up with the machine, the bottom line is that they still created it. And her invention easily and quickly fell into the wrong hands. We must prevent that from happening again, whatever the cost. You saw first hand what they did, which led to your death."

She pulled her hands from his and turned away. "Yes, I remember very well, thank you for reminding me." She shuddered.

"I did not mean to upset you, but you must understand where I am coming from."

Of course she knew where he was coming from, of course she did. She had been there that day they had risen to the surface to bury Princess Fen along her wishes. She had been a witness to Namor's initial rage against the surface people. They had held hands as the world around them burned, standing in silence in honour of his mother who had given life to them both, him through birth, and her through rebirth. 

"I understand, but I do not agree with you." 

"I am sorry it has to be this way, I truly am-" His eyes darkened, as they had that day several hundred years ago.  "-But to protect Talokan, I would do anything." 

(I really want to know what Fen named her son before he took on 'Namor'!

Also, any time I have only Talokanil's speaking to each other, I imagine it's in their own language, just as it was in the movie :)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))