Namora

Shuri’s personal lab was connected directly to her room. It was not as huge as the palace lab but accommodated enough for her personal space very well. While she hardly did her work in her own room, this place created a much better space for her to relax. No pressure to create improvement or the pressure from the kingdom's responsibility. Here she could be Shuri, not Her Royal Highness.

Just as she was tinkering her way through her new GRIOT’s algorithm, her door was open suddenly.

That’s definitely Namor. Remembering it really well how he remembered her room code number and the only person other than Nakia and Okoye to know it. The only one who would stay silent until he went closer to her.

Shuri waited for a while, still focused on writing on her screen. She’s expecting the man to just walk in but nothing. Even any sound of his heavy footsteps couldn’t be heard. Consumed by curiosity she raised from her seat and walked to her door. 

“Namor, what are you doing-”

Namor was not there, but replaced by -Namora. 

Shuri raised her eyebrow, harboring so many questions in her mind. Then the girl raised her finger on her finger, gesturing to her to be silent and it only created more questions in Shuri’’s mind. 

Then a heavy step could be heard outside of her bedroom. 

“Where is she? Namora, where are you- you have to pay for what you've done!”

Attuma roared in the hall as his footsteps gradually got far away from her room. Shuri put a hand over her mouth as she tried not to tell the truth, that her room was soundproof.

After a while staring into each other Shuri opened her mouth, “What did you do to him?” Because despite being one of their fierce warriors, Attuma was kind. Out of the three, he smiled the most than Namor and Namora. 

Namora tried to avoid Shuri as she looked around rudely. Walking past her and around her room. 

Truly Namor’s influence right there.

Unlike Attuma who had so much voice and loudness but still kept some of his gentleness within him. Namor took awhile to warm up while being in the palace but in the end he smiled more and spoke his thoughts with enough politeness so the council would not try to start a war at every second he opened his mouth. Up until now, Shuri realized Namora took the longest to feel comfortable in Wakanda. 

But then out of the three, Namora was more the logical one. She was the perfect diplomat. Easily fit into the political arrangement and fulfill the role of the Talokanil princess. 

But then again all of that thought was wash away immediately when Shuri saw the amazement she show in her eyes as she looking through all of her invention delicately.

She looked like a child then, indulging herself in her own curiosity and it reminded her so much with Namor. 

But there’s also another matter that needed to be addressed, “Namora how did you know my room password?”

“My father told me.”

Oh of course. 

Shuri messaged her temple knowing well how the girl was basically the Princess. She could get away from anything and Namor would be the first person to pamper her.

The first time they met Namora was neutral with her. After the war, after Namor chose to yield and forge an alliance with them, she had changed. While Namor embraced their alliance with an open arm, Namora on the other hand was so against it. She was rigid and firm, hard to negotiate as if Namor rage had been passed down to her. It took time for her to be at ease, even a slightest bit. Took more than a year for Shuri to even see her smile. 

But then again Shuri understands her rage. The same rage she had spat out at M'Baku, screaming at him that her mother's life should be paid in an endless war. Her mother, who had lost her husband, her son, and almost lost herself, had all the right to be paid in war.

As much as fair for Namora had the right to be in rage when her father's pride was taken away. 

"What is this?"

She pointed at her first creation. A shield that she made resembles a bracelet. She made it to defend herself when her brother was too busy being the prince. Shuri was only a princess, a nerd, lacking social skills, and many kids hated that idea. They probably think that she was an easy target. 

"That's my first invention, a kinetic shield. It can absorb an opponent's strike. So when someone punches me and I dodge it with my hand I would not be hurt. But when they try to punch me again the energy from the previous punch would fire back at them."

Namora looked in awe, her eyes glistening despite her not giving a slightest smile at her invention. 

"I used it because I had no one else to protect me but myself. I think that's why I wanted to be a scientist."

Namora hummed in agreement in a way that reminded her of Namor so much that Shuri couldn't help but smile softly at her. 

"When I was young people used to hurt me too."

Shuri was shocked and cannot comprehend a young Namora trying to defend herself despite being a king's daughter. Where the hell are you Namor?

"Where's Namor when that happened?"

Namora shook her head, "It was before he took me in. I used to live in a facility for kids without parents."

"An orphanage."

"Yes."

Shuri walked behind her then, as she walked all the way through all of her inventions. 

"Do you fight them back?"

She shook her head, "Not at first."

Shuri tried to imagine a small child. Alone in this world with nobody to defend her and was humiliated by the same peers that were supposed to understand her circumstances. 

"But I punched them in the end."

Shuri laughed and smiled wholeheartedly, that's the spirit. More like Namora she knew. Fearless, even as a child. 

"When did Namor take you in?"

The girl finally looked at her after keeping her eyes on all of her inventions. There's a nervous nerve Shuri felt at the back of her neck, as the girl looked at her. 

"There was an intruder near our border. They crashed into our home. No one survives that, but me."

Namora looked different then, younger. Namor had told her before that Namora was younger than she looked, even younger than her. But she hardly accepted that, not that she wanted to clarify it herself, it was just that she looked so much more mature than her. 

Wiser and fearless. 

It was all because of her life. Her story before all of this. How she was orphaned, humiliated, then raised and taken care of by their king. She was once just a girl, just like how Shuri always had been. No wonder Namor pampered her, trusted her with everything he had. Even telling her the Wakanda Queen's private quarter password. 

Then they were standing there on her balcony, looking at the sun almost engulfed by the horizon and darkness slowly came to them. 

"I used to ask my father what the sun is. Some of the children told me there's another sun, outside our nation. Much brighter and warmer."

For a long time, Shuri had been so ungrateful with everything they had. Their freedom, their technology, their nation, even their sun. She had been so adamant to be better, to upgrade everything, to keep moving and moving, forgetting to stop for once in a while and take a deep breath and see. As she looked at her sun, basking her in their warm, she could hear children running around, people talking, and the sound of the wind dancing through. 

It took her entire family to die for her to stop and be grateful. While there's people out there, under the sea, living in the darkness. Either waiting for the danger to come or the day for them to see the sun directly just like what their ancestors used to. 

Shuri had nothing to say then. Just silent and nothingness and the warmth of the sun dissipated slowly replaced by the cold night wind. 

"I uhm-"Namora mumbled. Stuttering her words as Shuri looked at her. 

Namora looked so small, like a cub. Lion cub maybe. Embarrassment creeped to her throat as the words that she wanted to say stuck in her.

"Are you uhm, going to marry my father?"

There's no princess of Talokan there. Neither a warrior from an underwater kingdom, who was strong and fearless. 

Just Namora.

Shuri held her breath then exhaled it in a long nervous wreck. 

She's not just dealing with Namorabut also Namor's daughter. 

Most orphans didn't have a name. No one dared to name them because they were afraid they would have to claim them. Some of the children choose their own name, but not her.

The words echoed at the back of her mind, as her eyes mirror the girl in front of her. Afraid, angry, and sadness dancing in her eyes. 

I named her Namora. 

Namor claimed her. As his daughter, giving all the love he had kept for hundreds of years. The love that shows its fruit in the form of devotion and loyalty nothing could compare, even Shuri's own love was not as big as her. 

Shuri had a hard time to find the right words but her umamam always said to just say the honesty first, "Yes."

Namora tears fell, Shuri confused and afraid. Is that rejection? A disappointment? 

"Namora, i assure you i-"

She took a step forward closer, not quite touching the young girl but close enough to show her comfort. 

"-it might be under the disguise of political agreement. But the truth is I love him."

Namora looked at her then, "I know." She pouted with lips pursed like what her nephew used to when he was upset. 

"Then what's wrong? You can tell me Namora."

"I don't know."

Shuri liked to fix them. She was a scientist after all and this made her head go wild because how do you comfort your future step daughter? Shuri had an impression that Namora would not care or even hate the idea. Just mainstream in both directions. But not this. 

Because Shuri's as confused as Namora is. 

"Namora-"But maybe more reassurance could make a tiny difference. 

"-i would not take your father away."

Namora wiped her tears and went silent as she heard her words delicately. 

"We might be married but I will stay in Wakanda. He too will stay in Talokan. As for me, our nation came first more than anything."

And for your father, you came first Namora. 

Shuri then slowly and delicately came to her, wiping her tears away and squeezing her shoulder. 

"Are you okay with that Namora?"

Namora nodded slowly, despite her agreement and understanding she still kept crying. 

"Are you sure you are okay? Do you want me to postpone the wedding? Because honestly if you don't want us to be wed you can just say."

"No! It's okay,"Namora shouted as she tried to conceal her smile. 

Shuri had nothing to say about her feelings but she looked at peace. Much relaxed and happier. Maybe this was her misery, a dilemma for her part. 

"He loves you too, you need to know that,"she whispered softly. It sound like a pleading and a promise Shuri wanted to keep. Shuri nodded and smiled at her softly like the sun.

Namora loved her father as much as her father loved her. It could be understood as to why she was so protective. He's the only one she had. After all the hardship and loneliness she bears. She deserved to be loved. To be cherished and adored, Namor made sure she gained all of that.

She deserves the world, she whispered in her heart. Because deep down under the facade of a fearless and brave Princess, there was only just a child. Her father's child.

Shuri hugged her side, as she liked this hug. Reminded her with her brother's hug. 

I named her Namora, 

His voices echoed again at the back of her mind. Softly like a stream in the river, full of love and adoration.

-a girl with love. 

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"-also what did you do to Attuma?"

"I write 'Okoye's Slave' on his forehead."

"Oh Bast, Namora-"