Human Nature A T'Challa Udaku Short Story

Part 4

If they say why (why?), why (why?)

Tell them that it's human nature

-Michael Jackson "Human Nature"

Naomi Udaku was many things but petrified was not usually one of them. Yet, here she was, staring out the tinted windows of a Mercedes passenger van, on her way to the airport, to get on a private jet, to fly halfway across the world, to see the country that her husband was the king of, which made her the incumbent queen. Did she also mention that she was going to meet her husband's family, who had no idea he was married. Talk about a great first impression.

Petrified probably wasn't even the word to describe how she felt.

Naomi looked up to find her husband already staring at her. He had a goofy smile on his face and she wanted nothing more than to wipe it off. How dare he sit there, looking devilishly handsome and debonair even in his dressed down jeans and t-shirt. Why couldn't he look like the hot mess she felt like. She turned back to face the window.

"You are fidgeting again," his deep velvety voice ran down her spine. There was that accent she loved. She sighed, no wonder he hasn't lost it, he's always going back home. "I wouldn't be if you had told me the truth. I wouldn't have to wonder if your mother and sister will hate me because we got married and you didn't tell them. It could be a normal meet the family where I only had to wonder if they wouldn't like me for me."

Naomi turned and watched the smile slide right off her husband's face. Part of her felt guilty, but he deserved it. She still wanted to marry him, and she was boarding this jet less than 24 hours after she found out that he was the monarch of a country. She felt guilty, but she knew he should consider himself lucky she wasn't more upset. The wedding planner felt his hand on her thigh. "They will not hate you," the king reassured.

"How can you seem so sure? What if they had a bride picked out for you already? I'm ruining a plan I didn't even know existed until a few hours ago."

"This is why I needed to make things right as soon as I was crowned. Granted, I should have done it much earlier, but I knew that they would try to make me take a wife as soon as possible. I don't want any other wife than the one I have right now." Ever the charmer, her husband raised her hand to kiss the back of it. In spite of herself, she felt the blood rush to her face. T'Challa grinned knowing what was happening, even though he couldn't see it. "Shut up," Naomi grinned as the car came to a stop. The couple slid out and T'Challa grabbed the bags. Naomi grabbed her second smaller bag and they walked across the tarmac. As her husband kept walking Naomi had to stop to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. "T'Challa, baby," the black woman called. The man walked back to her side," Yes my love?"

" I thought you said we were taking a jet?" Naomi turned to him. The king laughed, "It is a jet."

"T'Challa, this is not a jet, it might as well be a spaceship," Naomi gaped. "Come on," T'Challa pulled her closer to the ship. A ramp emerged from the underside of the ship as it hummed to life. "I feel like there is something you are not telling me," Naomi uttered as the couple made their way up the ramp. The metal echoed under Naomi's feet as she subconsciously reached for T'Challa's hand. The king grinned and placed the suitcases against the interior wall of the jet. Naomi smiled when she felt his hand grip her own. Her lover grabbed the small bag from her hand and placed it on the bench that wrapped around the ship. "You ready to go?" T'Challa smiled down at her. "As ready as I'll ever be." Naomi sighed back. The new king nodded and pulled her towards the front of the ship.

"Naomi, meet Nailah, a member of the Dora Milaje." The woman in the, what Naomi guessed was a cockpit, crossed her arms over her chest. "Sister Naomi, it is nice to meet you."