THE WILDERNESS. ❨ T'CHALLA UDAKU ❩

00. | WHEN WE WERE YOUNG

ZERO ;
PROLOGUE.

DECEMBER, 1999
THE OMOYA VILLAGE, WAKANDA.

( when we were young )

HER EXTENSIVE CURIOSITY WAS GENERALLY WHAT GOT HER INTO trouble with her mother, but it was just too hard to deny the urge to know more, to unravel all the secrets and see what the truth was- especially after her mother had told her the legends of the Black Panther.

Plus, the King of Wakanda visiting her mother wasn't something that she could just walk away from. She had to find out what was going on.

So, Mari being her sneaky little self, had followed after one of the Guards as they led King T'Chaka and his son to the ancient caves of the Omoya Tribe where her mother often spent her free time- the caves were one of the many things they were known for- and listened in on the seemingly serious conversation.

"My King, my Prince," Mari's mother- Jeanne-Mari- smiled kindly as T'Chaka and T'Challa approached, bowing to them both. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

King T'Chaka let out a hearty laugh, pulling Jeanne-Mari into a brief embrace. "My friend," He said with a grin, resting his hand on Jeanne-Mari's shoulder once they had pulled apart. "you do not need formalities. I know Ramonda would have my head if she found out that I was making her closest friend address me by, 'My King'."

The two adults shared a laugh and Mari mentally blanked, her mother was friends with the King and Queen of Wakanda?!

After calming down from her mental freakout, she peered down and noticed the young Prince staring around the cave in unkempt fascination. She smiled softly, that was her first reaction too.

And seeing the caves never really got old. She didn't see how they ever could.

"How are you holding up?" T'Chaka- Mari figured she wouldn't have to mentally refer to him as 'King T'Chaka' just T'Chaka- asked after the two had sobered up, clearing speaking of something Mari was not aware of.

"It is hard," Jeanne-Mari admitted, fingering one of the flowers Mari knew to represent love and loss. Who had she lost? "but I still feel him with me. I am slowly but surely getting much better."

T'Chaka smiled softly, he truly was a great King, Mari noted with an awestruck breath. "That is good. I am sure he is watching over you and your daughter, Mari, yes?"

Jeanne-Mari smiled fondly and nodded her head. "Yes, Mari."

By now, Mari had gotten bored- despite the fact that they were talking about her- and zoned out, failing to notice the lack of Prince T'Challa's presence.

Fiddling with the hem of her homemade shirt- she'd always wanted be a fashion designer- she jumped and almost fell when a hand touched her shoulder, luckily, that same hand caught her before she could.

With wide eyes, she backed away from the edge while simultaneously removing the hand, whipping around to give the person an icy glare before she saw just who the person was.

"My Prince," She gasped quietly and prepared to cross her arms over but T'Challa sheepishly shook his head and waved her off.

"Please don't," He murmured quietly. "I … I get more then enough of that at home."

"Apologies," Mari bowed her head with a guilty smile but then looked up with wide eyes. "Oh!" She whisper shouted, pushing him back and further away from the edge as to not risk the adults hearing them. "You can't tell my mother I was up here, she'll keep me in the house for weeks."

"As long as you treat me as you would another person," T'Challa said with a causal shrug, acting as if he wasn't partially blackmailing her.

Mari blinked. "Excuse me?" She questioned, making sure she had heard him- the Prince- correctly.

"I think you heard me."

"Oh, I did," She confirmed with a nod of her head. "I just wanted to make sure you were serious."

T'Challa nodded vehemently and said, "One hundred percent."

"Okay then," A mischievous smile came across Mari's face and she reared her fist back, punching the poor Prince in the shoulder.

He muffled a pained yelp, instead letting out a quiet and elongated 'ooowww'. "What was that for?" He demanded incredulously once the pain had simmered away slightly.

"Just treating you like another one of the guys," Mari uttered out with a deviously innocent smile.

T'Challa rubbed his still sore shoulder and grumbled, "I regret that deal already."

With a wide grin, Mari replied, "Too late now, Princess."

And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

• • •

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

I am ashamed of how short this is, but it's about eleven over here and my sister's been keeping me up so I'm tired af and really just wanted to get this published.

Wakanda forever!
- Queen of Death.