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Okoye led us home, well, she led T'Challa home and me following them. Okoye took us to the palace where the king and queen stood. My parents next to them with my siblings close behind. My mother and the queen let out loud sighs of relief. "Mother?" I asked my mother rushed down the steps wrapping her arms around me. Her hand holding my head, I returned the hug breathing in her scent. She let go of me and my father took her spot, I leaned into the hug thankfully.
"How did you get out?" Mother asked after all of my siblings hugged me
"I planned our escape, we decided to work together and we overpowered the men," I explained "she tried so hard to get the location of the stone but I kept my mouth shut," I told them "How are you two?" I asked looking at my sibling "I saw you get shot," I elaborated
"They were tranquilizers, she only wanted you," Kazi explained I sighed in confusion why would she only want me. That doesn't make any sense, she didn't talk about anything other than the death stone. I looked at T'Challa who's face had the same expression as we stared at one another.
"We can worry about that later, right now you guys should shower and eat," Mother spoke giving me a look I sighed knowing I wasn't going to win this argument.
"We can show her to a room where she can clean up and we can all eat together later," The queen spoke, I looked around the room noticing that everyone seemed at ease with each other. The king and father spoke to one another like there was never an age-old feud between our homes. Before I could question the sudden change a Dora milaje came to lead me to a place where I could shower. She pointed to where I could find clothing and other things before making a swift exit. I looked at my self in the mirror. My curly hair had small mats littered around it. My face had blood and dirt around it. The cuts and bruises around my eyes and lips framed my sunken eyes. My skin was pale, I looked sick. I frowned turning on the tap that was in front of me putting my hands under the water and rinsing my face off. I looked down at my dirt-caked fingernails and sighed out loud.
I stepped into the rushing water, allowing myself for the first time in over a month to completely relax in its warmth. I watched as the dirt and blood wash away and my skin starts to look healthier than before. Though the dirt and blood was only half the battle. I washed my hair out trying to run my fingers through the dirt and matted hair that sat upon my head. I stood under the shower head a little while longer before I felt sufficiently cleaner than I did when I stepped in. When I came out I went and dressed in the slightly oversized clothing that I was told to use. The sweater I wore hung about midthigh and slightly off of my figure. The leggings that had to belong to someone smaller fit better. I brushed through my hair with the comb that set aside, when I finally got through my curls they hung in ringlets falling to about my sternum. I then left the room to attend the dinner that was to take place.
Dinner was awkward, no one wanted to ask what had happened to us but they also didn't know what else to bring up. T'Challa sat closes to me, I had noticed we had taken to the habit of eating so close to one another that whenever I made a sound he would react like he did when we where in Amara's captivity. Dinner stayed quiet though, it made me miss how everything was before this happened.
