Avengers The Captain's Secret Book 2: Waiting for Thor

Part 28: Before the Council

LESEDI POV

We were walked to the council room entrance under guard. 

"Sweetie, I need you stay here," I told Steven.

"But--"

"I need you stay here and stay still," I told him. "I need you to behave."

Steven sat on a chair, and crossed his arms. A guard stood on either side of him.

"Don't fight," I reminded with a wagging finger. 

He sighed, and sat back in his chair. The guards looked incredulous, but truthfully, he could give them a run for their money.

I went into the counsel room. Bathed in light was a circle of seats, the one with its back to the sun belonging to T'Challa, King of Wakanda. To his left sat his mother, Queen Ramonda, and I guessed the one to his right which was empty belonged to his sister, Shuri, who was probably still in the lab.

"Good afternoon, Lesedi," he greeted. 

I bowed my head and curtseyed, raising my eyes to him.

"Sit."

"Thank you." I took an empty chair across from him, and looked around me.  I was introduced to elders of the Mining, River, Merchant and Border Tribes.  They all stared at me as if they were trying to figure me  out or intimidate me, but they'd have to do better. I had faced off with people from other worlds. I folded my hands in my lap and waited for the questions to begin.

"You are Lesedi Evelyn Munroe Rogers?" the Border Tribe elder asked.

"Yes."

"Where are you from?"

"I was born in upstate New York, United States of America." I saw some looks of disapproval, and tilted my chin up a little.

"Your mother?" Queen Ramonda asked.

"Kymera Munroe."

"Your father?" she asked.

"Loki of Asgard." I swallowed hard, and looked around. That got some looks of disapproval.

"You said this is your ancestral land," T'Challa said softly. "How is this so?"

"My mother's mother is Ororo Munroe." I took a deep breath and said, "My mother's father was Prince Arizarri of Wakanda." I saw T'Challa frown, his gaze sliding to his mother.

"Arizzari T'Jaka of  Wakanda," Queen Ramonda corrected and exhaled heavily, then turned to her son. "It is possible, my son."

"How?"

"There is a small reference--" She nodded toward Storm. "to a queen consort to King Arizzari before he married T'Chaka's mother. I did not know or realize that this was Ororo Munroe, or that she had offspring."

"Another child?" T'Challa wasn't pleased. "We just laid another to rest."

"Another?" I asked, leaning forward.

T'Challa gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Not important to the situation at hand."

"Did you kill him?" I asked, feeling some sort of regret from him.

"So, if what you say is true, you are my cousin." 

"Do you have any aspirations for the throne?" the Merchant elder asked.

"What? No." I shook my head. "I want a safe place to raise my son--"

"Who is descendant of Wakanda and Captain Steve Rogers?" T'Challa interjected.

"Yes."

"I know Captain Rogers," T'Challa said quickly, a frown forming on his face. "He has never said anything of a wife or a son, so you must realize this is hard to believe--"

I took a deep breath. "It's the truth."

Suddenly, a video monitor cast in the center of the circle.

"Ororo Munroe?" T'Challa said.

"She is also called Storm," I interjected.

"Yes, Your Highness," Storm gave a respectful nod.

"Which do you prefer--Ororo or Storm?" T'Challa asked.

"Storm, Your Highness," she replied softly. "Ororo was a lifetime ago."

"A lifetime with a child?"

Storm swallowed hard. "Kymera has been dead for some time."

"But she had a child, did she not?"

Storm took a deep breath. "Yes, but I have not seen her--" Suddenly the monitor turned to me, and she gasped. "Oh, my God! Lesedi? Lesedi, is that you?"

"Yes, yes, it's me."

"Why were we not informed of this?" T'Challa's voice was still soft, but had become intense with anger.

"She had special needs as a child--"

"I couldn't control my powers," I explained further. I felt a bit of anxiety coming from the circle. "That was a long time ago--"

"I heard you were doing alright--" 

"I had a foster father who took great care of me," I blinked back tears. "I'm--I'm married now."

"Married to someone in Wakanda?"

"No," I shook my head slightly. "Married to an American."

"Ah."

Shuri entered the room. She was moving quickly, and her eyes remained locked with her brother. She gave a curt bow.

"Do you have any news to clarify--"

"DNA tests are conclusive," Shuri swallowed hard. "Lesedi is a descendant of the royal family." 

"And the boy?"

"What boy?" Storm frowned.

"He is her son...and a direct descendant of Steve Rogers."

The silence was so thick it could be cut with a knife, and the rising anxiety didn't help, nor did the resentment. "I only want asylum, Your Highness."

"You will receive more than that," T'Challa said quickly, sitting back in his throne. "Storm, please let us know when you would like to visit your granddaughter and great grandson so arrangements can be made."

"Thank you," Storm nodded. "We have a break coming here at the school soon. I will visit then."

"We will be in touch," T'Challa ended the transmission.

All attention turned toward me. There was a lot of anxiety and indecision in the circle, but T'Challa was curious.

"It is time we spoke to our grandfather." He said with a nod. The council began to object, but he held a hand up, and they all went silent. "I will do this the right way."