A City of Milk and Honey

Butterflies

Thank y'all for being so patient and waiting so long for this chapter. I have been on a roller coaster these past two years. I lost 2 babies, was partially homeless, depression hit extra hard, COVID happened, moved out of my aunts house because of mental abuse. But thankfully I'm in a safe space and I can breathe and just be me again. I hope y'all like this book. We only got a few more chapters to go on this journey. Bone apple teeth! ☺️

It had been a few months and there was peace. Something I have rarely ever known my whole life.

Erik and I were getting ready for our wedding. The whole palace was abuzz with activity. Dress fittings, hair dressers, flowers, cakes, "ONE MORE DINNER AND I AM GONNA FLY OFF THE FUCKING WALLS ." I screamed tired of all the anxiety inducing activity.

I honeslty just wanted to have a small intimate wedding with just our two families and thats just it. But the royal family wanted something flashy.

I was ready to astral project myself out of the whole country at this point.

"Calm down sister. You only have one more week to go then things will slow down." Okoye said rubbing her now seven month stomach. To think that only yesterday we were both kids running through our grandparents garden and getting into mischief.

"You know, when T'Challa and I got married, it was just like this. Maybe worse because it wasn't long after his fight with Erik." Nakia said with her almost one year old in her lap.

It's already been so long, yet it feels like everything just happened. "No one ever speaks about that." I say looking at the two.

"Because we would rather not think about a time when we almost lost our country and ourselves to hatred and vengeance." Queen mother replied looking at the dresses that the tailor brought. She is too caught up in this wedding, I swear.

"One's history defines one's future. If you forget the past, how can you correct the mistakes you are to make in the future? Erik has embraced his mistake and humbled himself, T'Challa has learned from Erik and his father's mistake and made it so that we can not only protect Wakanda, but also our brothers and sisters around the world. Its easy to forget Queen Mother." I say walking to a beautiful purple gown with a pleated skirt and intricate gold embroidery creating a rose pattern all around.

"If I wasn't as old as I am right now and you weren't as young, I would think you were Zola." A knowing smile on her lips as she joins me next to the dress that caught my eyes. "Your mother, always has a way to put me in my place." She says placing her hand on my shoulder. "My mother always has a way of intervening into my body." I say annoyed and fix my obsidian bracelet.

"This time next week, I will be walking into the sunset N'Jadaka as my husband. Just as long as there is no mishaps." Turning away from the dress, I made my decision. "This is the one." I was ready. Ready to be Mrs. N'Jadaka Erik Stevens Udaku.

Erik's POV

I lost the fucking ring... how?

Flashback

We were all at this club in Cali. Surprisingly, T'Challa thought it was a good idea to party in my home town one last time, and honestly I enjoyed myself. Bottle, music, flashing lights and my last night as a somewhat free man.

We met up with a few of my old friends who I grew up in Oakland with and just enjoyed each other's company. That was until some scrawny motherfucker tried it with T'Challa and then M'Baku stepped up to mans and then I had to jump in and try to get them to calm down. Bad idea on my part because I was the last person you should fuck with period.

Homeboy's friends came to his aid and all hell broke loose. We tore up the club, ended up in jail, had Nick Fury bail us out because any of the women find out, we would all be dead. On the way back to Wakanda, two things occurred to me, I was about to be married to the woman of my dreams and said woman was about to kill me because I ain't know where the ring that was in my pocket vanished to.

End flashback

"So the ring is missing." I say and feel the air craft get more tense. "I'm sorry, you lost the what?" T'Challa said, eyebrows raised. For someone so fearless, he sure looked scared. "It's not in my pocket. It might have fallen out my pocket during that fight." I was dead. Like dead dead. More dead than when T'Challa stabbed me. Vibranium won't bring me back this time, I thought. "We still got hours before the wedding we can get a replacement." M'Baku said... He smart but he dumb too. "One of a kind ring that she picked out and had customized" yup.... I'm dead.

"We are here." The jet lands and we all file out only to see my mother, sister and Okoye waiting for us. The looks of disappointment was evident on their faces. "Would you like to explain or would you like me to explain it?" My mother began. Honestly now was not the time. I needed to find a way to get that ring back. It was stressing me out.  "I'm gonna save you the trouble because you look paler than the colonizers, here." She said throwing me a small, velvet, black box. Catching it, I realize it's the fucking rings. "How?" Was all I could get out. "I took it out your lab coat before you left and replaced it with a fake." Shuri said shrugging and I could have hugged her right then and there, but we have a no physical contact policy because my keloids freak her out. "Thank you lil sis." Letting go of a breath that I didn't know I was holding in, I look to my mother to see her smiling. "If someone would have told me that I would have three amazing kids, I would have told them that they were lying." Sucking my teeth, I wipe a tear from her cheek and hug her. "You know I don't like you crying. Stop that."

I really came a long way from being vengeful. Well, not all the way.

Amina's POV

Shoes. Hair. Makeup. Dress. Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue? "Where the fuck is my necklace?" I said tearing up my room. It was something Erik had gotten me on our first date and losing it right now was not an option. I searched high. I searched low. Where the fuck could it be? I used my powers to look for it and then I found it. Under my pillow.

Looking at the mess I made, I cringed, but could focus on cleaning up as I had to finish getting ready for my wedding. Putting on the necklace, I went to Queen Mother's room to finish getting ready. It was almost time. Dear bast why is time moving so slow today? My stomach is going crazy as I slide into my dress. I felt like a real princess now. Soon, I would be one too.

Erik's POV

In ten minutes, I'll be standing across from Amina, giving her my heart and my soul. Time felt like it was truly going slow. My brother helped me with my tie and it should have been my father. "You know, your father would sometimes make visits to Wakanda." T'Challa says tugging my tie tight. "He would talk about this beautiful woman he met and how he couldn't wait to marry her so that I could have someone to play with. After a while he stopped coming. I guess that was around the time you were born." Placing his hand on my shoulder, "I wish we had gotten to meet under better circumstances brother. But I am happy to have been on this journey with you." Patting me down he nods and walks around the room.

I am left with my thoughts. My plans. It's like he channeled Amina's optimistic nature. "Damn that woman." I say smiling as there is a knock on the door. "Time to go son." My mother says coming to walk me down the aisle.  My stomach was a tangle of nerves and butterflies. I'm about to be married!