Lioness | Erik Killmonger

Chapter seven: Beginning of the end

' Anyone who knows what
Justice is

Will understand '

Chapter seven: Beginning of the end   

There had been a great feast to celebrate the season's festivities.

Sagirah frowned down at her food again in dismay and glanced over to where her sister Adara sat among the other women. Adara loved the traditional food. Everyone loved the food. "Sagirah has to eat," Erik told their mother continuously. "If she is to grow as big as you say she would grow, she would need to eat." When Anila had asked Sagirah why she didn't touch her food, Sagirah had sniffed.

"I don't like it.", Anila heard her mutter in her soft childlike voice.

Not this again, Anila glanced furtively across the room, worried that Erik had looked over and began narrowing his eyes. Anila was sitting with her princesses and prince, and her ladies all in smiles and admiration. It was not often they had sat together like this and ate, but as it was a festival, and visitors were present, Erik had demanded that Anila and the children sat away. She thought her place should be beside Erik, as it should and always had been, even when he was around the chiefs, W'kabi and Okoye, the members of the Dora Milaje and others. But, soon reminded herself that she couldn't be where she wanted to be all the time.

Anila studied the grand hall again, looking for some way to distract herself from her distasteful thoughts of her husband and the annoyance of Sagirah's complaining.

She looked glumly at the faces around Erik. Nomada pulled her fork from her mouth and swallowed.

"Tenzians," Nomada said suddenly, knowing what Anila had been thinking. "And, that one there - that's the son of chief Adaku, Karmi."

Karmi and his men wore bright large cloaks and blindingly gold jewellery - very usual for such narcissistic people like the Tenzians. There were four Tenzian men, accompanied by their wives and subjects, a little girl - Karmi's niece sat on his lap and listened to every word Erik had uttered to her uncle, and her father, Karmi's brother, sat leaning over toward them.

"What business do they now have in Wakanda?". Anila felt the grip of her fingers tightened over her cutlery.

"I've been told that the king wants to form an alliance," Nomada said. An alliance? Anila heard herself scream in her mind. The Tenzians had never been one to be trustworthy, they were disloyal to everyone and even themselves, therefore forming an alliance with them would've been the upmost ridiculous idea. It had only been four years ago that Erik had suffered at the hands of their disloyalty, something Anila warned him of. But, it seemed that the warning hadn't come through far enough.

"He will never learn," Anila said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the music and indistinctive chatter and laughter.

Erik raised his eyes. He worn an expression that was far from welcoming, a face made for scowling. "Excuse me, Karmi, it seems as if this woman wants my attention."

"Your wife," Karmi corrected, soft and delicate. He smiled at Anila. "Maybe she wishes to be introduced?"

Erik nodded as he got up. "I think so." Erik made his way toward their table, his hands at his back and stopping when he had gotten too close.