Chapter 11
Swirling in patterns around him, the water glinted and shimmered around the beads on his wrist as he descended to his quarters behind the throne room of Talokan. The princess had told him to keep an eye on the technology as he descended, in case anything were to go awry. So far, he had not noticed anything out of the ordinary for the small beads, except for a slight glow in the grooves of the symbols when he moved. Down here so close to their sun, however, the beads seemed to be reacting with the water around him. I will send her a message later.
He had only been gone from Talokan for a handful of days, but he found that many affairs had piled on his desk in his absence. With the first officially sanctioned group of Wakandan soldiers arriving within the next two weeks, the buildings were alight with anxiety and preparations. Disturbingly, he had found himself almost reluctant to leave Wakanda for Talokan. It felt like a betrayal to his people, but parts of him longed to stay in the beautiful nation and take in more of its people and traditions instead of returning home. Above all else, he should value his people, their time, and their protection. Yet there he drifted in his quarters, wishing to swim back to the Panther’s nation with nearly all of his person.
There were no more excuses to stay in the surface kingdom, though, and he could not justify taking up so much of the princess’s time when her people clearly needed her as well. She will come with her people, of that I have no doubt. Undoubtedly, she was working in her cluttered lab to make some new marvel of technology for her soldiers to use in their time in Talokan. A smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the scores of strange artifacts spread on every surface of the room she had shown him.
The currents around him shifted, alerting him to a presence in the doorway to his quarters. Spinning to face his visitor, he was surprised to find Li’ika’lani floating with a look on her face that could only be described as menacing. Or perhaps maliciously gleeful. Gods grant me patience.
He opened his mouth to speak, but was halted in his movements by the widening of the old shrew’s grin. Groaning, he closed his eyes. I am far too old to play her games. “Yes? Speak your mind, child.” The words were gritted as he spoke, unable to relax with her all-knowing eyes piercing into him as they were.
In the light of the room, her teeth glinted white like shark’s. “You figured it out.” A statement. Narrowing his eyes at her, he spoke calmly, as a god-king should.
“You will have to be more specific, Li’ika’lani. I have figured out many things our people have not over the years.” The shark across from him swam forward, hand resting on the fan at her hip as she drifted forward.
“Don’t play coy with me, K’uk’ulkan. I can see it on your face. I knew the moment you returned that you realized what draws you to her so.” A bolt shot through his spine, forcing his shoulders straight as he stared down at the gleaming eyes before him.
“I have. What of it?” Lies were useless to him, especially now. Especially when it came to her.
Hearty laughs burst from the old woman before she spoke again. “Ah, it is good to see you as yourself again, King. Unsurety does look terrible on your stature. When should I expect the royal decree?” Her tone was playful, but it grated on his nerves. He was beginning to grow bored of these games she played.
“What decree would that be, Li’ika’lani? Enlighten me.” Gods, I am tired.
Her gleeful expression sobered up, picking up on his mood shift. “Should I not expect a wedding in the future? You intend the Panther to be your bride, yes?” Bride. Wedding. Panther. Somehow, the words sent a curling feeling through him, lingering low in his stomach. No, those words do not belong together. Not yet. Perhaps not ever.
“I do not. I have all I need here, in Talokan. The Panther has her own kingdom to tend to. I have no intentions to marry the princess.” They were right, these words, but they ached like something empty. Li’ika’lani gazed at him for several moments, quiet and unwavering.
When she next spoke, her words were softer than he had ever heard them. “I see. A difficult decision, my king. But an honorable one. Forgive me for my impudence. There has been little to talk about besides politics as of late; I see I have become carried away by my speculation.” Calmness followed her words like a wave, and he felt his posture relax as she gestured farewell to him and took her leave. At least the woman was insightful enough to drop the subject, but the currents told him that she was not insightful enough to avoid an eavesdropper.
“Whomever lingers beyond the door, you may enter.” The words were a sigh from his lips, Why did I wish for more palace gossip while I was away? I quite dislike being the center of it. Shyly, Mali crept forward from the opening on his right, a meek expression darkening her face.
“I didn’t mean to overhear, my King. I meant no disrespect.” Her words wavered in the water between them, and he found himself slipping seamlessly into the role of the Feathered Serpent.
“Child, it is of no consequence. What is it you have come to me for?” Seeing his subjects fearful or wary of him always set him on edge, never wanting to be the cause of their discomfort.
“A delivery, from the development team in the east research dome. They would like you to look over the designs before they have the communications center forward it to Wakanda.” In her hands, she held a woven bag filled with what appeared to be fabric and tablets. He floated forward to accept the delivery from her hands, dismissing her with a gentle grab of her shoulder and a grateful smile. Likely suit designs using our technology instead of the princess’s. She’ll want to see these now instead of waiting for her communications center to send it to her.
A soft cough from the doorway caught his attention as he shifted to begin examining the contents of the bag. Looking up, his eyes catch on the nervous wringing of his attendant’s hands in front of her. Glancing at her eyes, he found her intently staring at the stone floor of his quarters.
Waiting for a moment, she spoke softly in the near-empty room. “Forgive me, if I am overstepping my place, my King. But I must ask. Is it true? Do you really not intend to court the Black Panther?” The words caught him off guard, throwing him into his head for a moment, scrambling for an answer.
He cleared his throat. “I do not intend to court the princess, no. Does that come as a surprise to you?” A small sound akin to a squeak came from the young girl, who blushed terribly before coughing once more.
“No, King. I just didn’t understand why Lady Li’ika’lani would bring it up if you hadn’t voiced the intention already. But you spoke as though you were so sure and yet also as though you were burdened and if it has to do with us, we would adore you just the same regardless of if we had a queen, but I’m sorry I didn’t realize you had no intention of- Gods, that was so rude of me to imply. Oh K’uk’ulkan, please forgive me I should never have said anything, I’ll–” He raised a hand to silence the poor creature. Her rambling was turning her face purple and her hands seemed about to break under the force she was wringing them with.
“It is none of your concern, Mali. Talokan and its people will always be my highest priority. The princess is merely our ally. Ignore Li’ika’lani, she believes she knows better than even I sometimes. It is a trait you would do well to avoid. Take your leave, I will summon you if I require anything.” He tried to keep his tone even and warm, not wanting to scare the young attendant even more. She visibly relaxed, bowing her head to him and raising her hands to him in goodbye. He returned the gesture, waiting until she was out of sight to turn around again.
He slumped in the seat behind his desk, exhausted for reasons he could not fully grasp. He could not blame Mali, though. She was still a child, after all, not even sixteen yet, and she was bound to be swept up in all the theatrics of palace rumors. It was a shame that her mother lost her sight last year, but he was true to his word as any king would be, and took Mali in her place as attendant. The family saw it as the highest honor that they were his personal servants the last five hundred years, and a nagging feeling told him that the young girl had not been fully prepared for the job when she took over the mantle with her cousin. I should have a talk with her later, she is bound to be embarrassed for some time, and I do not need a distracted attendant to accompany all the chaos these days bring me.
The mental list of tasks to complete for the week grew by another line and he groaned, rubbing his fingers at his temples in an attempt to stave off the headache he could feel growing. The Panther was not in the water, and that alone left him feeling on edge and out of sorts. Combined with returning to the depths after many days on the surface, and he knew he was going to need a pain tonic by the end of the day.
Pain tonic… Pain tonic… Perhaps? A thought skirted just around the edge of his weary mind. His fingers paused in their massage, and it hit him. Quickly, he scratched down a note on a spare pad lying on his desk, then called for Mali to come deliver it to the library for him. While she darted out of the room, he began to sort through the designs in the woven bag he had been given, noting that most of the samples were nearly complete aside from the decorative details.
By the time Mali had returned with an armful of tablets from the library, he had compiled a descriptive list of all of the designs in the bag as well as a description of the kimoyo bead’s odd behavior around his sun. Thanking his attendant with a quick smile, he took the pads and began flipping quickly through their records to roughly when the Talokanil pain tonic was created and what all went into perfecting it. A smile broke out on his face as he recalled the princess grumbling about her s’ushi. I have a message to write.
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The ocean has a sound, one that can only be described as muffled rumbling in the absence of life. For once, he had nothing to do with his time. All of the tasks for the incoming Wakandan precession were being handled by the cultural committee and Attuma, which left him with a surprising amount of spare time on his hands. Being in the palace made him restless, and he did not feel in the mood for the damp air of his cavern abode near the surface, which left him wandering the outskirts of his nation alone to pass the time.
His people smiled and swam with him as he passed through their outskirt towns, rarely seeing him in person as the people of his capital often did. The familiar tug of joy and possessiveness spread from his heart as he played, swam, and talked with his subjects. Mothers and fathers shoved sons and daughters his way for the chance at grabbing his attention, and he paused to entertain them all. The children in particular were always fascinated by his wings, and would hover their fingers around his ankles in awe as they fluttered to keep him stable. If he used them more than necessary for swimming, they did not have to know. The smiles that lit their faces were enough of a reward to last him a lifetime.
Now, he had reached the very edges of his territory, and only the occasional border guard was there to greet him. The back of his head held an empty void that he knew would come alive the second his princess stepped foot in the water, but it made him particularly aware of just how alone he was with his thoughts at the moment. He could hear his blood in his veins, and the distant sounds of one of the border towns bustling with sleepy movement, but besides that it was just him and the ocean. Closing his eyes, he felt the currents on his skin, the slight sting of the rocks in the sand under his feet, the brush of the occasional fish as it passed him by. Soothing, that is what this is. Just me, and the echoes of my home.
Searing hot fire ignites at the back of his mind and spreads like electricity through his body. He smiles. She is on her way. The Wakandan envoy was meant to arrive in a vehicle of some kind, yet he could feel the Panther in the water. Is she attempting to swim the distance? Focusing in on her presence, he felt a tinge of excitement raise the hairs on his neck. Apprehension lingered in his palms and fingertips, while determination seemed to flow under his muscles. Her essence lingered across the ocean for a few moments longer before retreating once more into obscurity. Ah, so it was a warning, then. He catches himself grinning wider where he floats and he shakes his head at his own response.
Leisurely, he began the swim back to the central city, knowing that even Wakandan ships still took hours more to cross the ocean than he did. Green and pink flashed past his body in vibrant streaks as he weaved in and out of large coral reefs the border towns had been cultivating. He lowered his arms to brush lightly across the sea floor as he swam, and let himself enjoy the feeling of the warm waters around him.
Perhaps I should greet the visitors at the training grounds? Namora will likely insist. Though, the temptation was there to wait in his palace, to make her come to him as he had to her in her lands. Speaking of his cousin, he sighed as he realized he would need to locate her before the official welcoming began to ask her to accompany him. Since Attuma assisted him in Wakanda, it was only fair that his other general should assist him in Talokan. It had nothing to do with the fact that Attuma would be distracted looking for the blue general the entire time instead of focusing on his duties. Nothing at all.
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His eyes glued themselves to her figure the second she walked through the archway of the training domes. She was beautiful, of course, she always was, but she walked with such grace and lithe power that it took his breath away. It seemed that in the two weeks he had not seen her, his mind had forgotten just how regal the Panther was when she needed to be. Her suit was not the black, white, and gold of her panther habit, but rather shades of black and brown lined with lines of white dots and gold inlays. Her head was exposed, her chin in the air and an appraising look to her eye as she paused to gesture in greeting to him and his cousin.
For a moment, he stared at her, baffled by the difference in the woman before him compared to the slouched, liberated version of her he had become accustomed to in Wakanda. He returned her gesture with a grin fighting at his lips, allowing his cousin to begin the welcoming speech for all of the warriors. It gave him time to study the princess, and for that he would never complain.
Her gaze was sharp and focused solely on Namora as she spoke. Beautiful, dark curls were piled atop her head, looking soft and full even from where he was standing some distance away. Her face was relaxed and open, nearly glowing in the warm lamps of the dome. The material of her suit was thick, but molded to her every curve, highlighting her lean physique. Her hands were folded diplomatically in front of her, and he noted that they were entirely covered in the fabric that enveloped the rest of her body. On the outside, the princess appeared composed and diplomatic, more so than she had been for her own council. However, as he stared, he began to notice cracks in her demeanor that hid under the facade of regality she was projecting.
On each of her wrists, she wore the bracelets of their people, worn with age and use. Her eyes were sharp, but her eyelashes fluttered with every twitch, blink, and shift of her attention. Her mouth was set in a polite line, but her bottom lip pursed as she seemingly chewed on the inside of her cheek. Greedily, he absorbed every detail of the true Panther that shone through the formalities of greeting a foreign delegate. Movement caught his eye, and his gaze shifted from her towards his cousin, noting that she had finished her speech and was now indicating to the attendants around the room.
“These are attendants that will help guide you throughout your stay here. They are your guides, your translators, and your assistants for anything you may require in your time here. I invite you to get to know these people well, as you will be seeing more of them than your own warriors during your training here.” With that, she nodded her head once and stepped back, allowing for the warriors to wander around and greet their companions for the coming weeks. Fondness filled him looking at her now, reminded of not so long ago when she was small and determined to be his protector despite their age difference.
A throat clearing to his left snapped his gaze to dark brown eyes and he smoothed his features into a mask of cordial greeting. “Welcome back to Talokan, princess.” He was met with a wry grin and eyes alight with barely concealed excitement. The Panther’s hands were restless, drumming against her thighs in an uneven rhythm.
“Thank you for having us, Namor.” She turned to his cousin then, and dipped her head in greeting. “And you, Namora, for graciously hosting my warriors with your own.” Looking to his cousin, he found her huffing through her water mask, but returning the slight bow nonetheless. Clearing his throat, he swept an arm behind him.
“Princess, would you accompany me to one of our research domes? I believe there are projects there that you indicated an interest in?” The Panther barely waited for him to finish his sentence before a mask was forming around her head as she nodded in agreement. The mask was curiously clear in the front, allowing him an unobstructed view of her face. He also noted with amusement that the top of the helmet was adorned with two small triangles in an imitation of her battle mask. A cat is never complete without her ears, I suppose. His lips turned up, forcing him to turn away or risk angering the princess with his mirth.
“Very well. I hope that suit of yours is suited for our waters.” Leading her to the waterlocks, he reigned himself in. I will not push her today. She should start off this visit on a good note this time. Glancing at her as the room slowly filled with water, he hoped to all the gods there were that this visit would not end in tragedy as her last visit had.