Pain soared throughout her entire body. Nova rolled her head back, forgetting that she was tied down to the stalagmite. It brought her discomfort, but she'd be lying if she said this wasn't partially her fault. They had brought her clothing to change into. One thing let go another and Nova came close to chopping one of their heads off. So, they tied her up. It didn't help that she made a joke about feeding them to the sharks.
A water being dressed in a orange dress toned to the color of a bleeding sunrise kneeled down offering her the bowl of fruit. Nova glared, raising her knee up high. The fruit scattered around.
"In case it wasn't clear the first time, I'm not interested" Nova seethed. The water being walk off annoyed. They had tried their best to be polite, but Nova didn't care. This was the last place she wanted to be. As a matter fact, Nova couldn't seem to recall how long she was down here for. Just that it was getting cold. And that she was hungry, but she refused to eat their fruit no matter how sweet it smelled. They were probably going to torture her. It wouldn't be her first rodeo doing this. Difference was she now had people to get back to.
Could Njari possibly feel her? The beat of her own heart slowing down it's rhythm? Truth be told, a mothers heart was never their own. Bits and pieces of hers were sown into her daughters, son and husband. An internal love that could not die no matter how broken the soul was.
Rocked to her core, Nova weeps echoed through the cave. Constant flashes of her children made the stalactites dull. When her body tore like a pomegranate, her first miracle came true. T'Challa was the first to hold their sweet little Nailah. Then, her morning song came. T'Challa's loving vowels echoing to magnify the arrival of their new daughter. Birds formed their own melody with the sun in the sky muted for its new star, Njari. Lastly, came his first words, and her first fall. His mouth at four months old opened wide like a cat, calling out to her. Cradling him in his arms sheered her from all her troubles. His fingers pulled at her chest to drink some of her milk, blabbing on to say, "dada." T'Challa was not there to witness his ultimate gift, but he was Azuri's first words.
T'Challa may have prepared them for his death, but she was not prepared to continue on without him. The funeral felt too final. Time brought her no relief. There were songs she didn't dare him a note to and hundreds of places she still feared to go because it was haunted by the ghost of their memories.
Out of the corner of her eye T'Challa sat beside her, he didn't cease to take his attention away from Nova. It felt like they were kids all over again. She was here hurt in some other kingdom and he was comforting her. Illusion or not, she finally was happy.
"What are you thinking about?" T'Challa softly asked.
"The first day we met" Nova's voice croaked. The lack of water in her system made her mouth too dry. "It was my first solo mission. I didn't know what I was doing. Until I met you. And it all just felt right meeting you"
T'Challa leaned in, putting his head at the crook of her neck. Just like old times. His small coarse curls tickled her cheek as his arms snaked around her waist, listening to her heart fading away. " I miss you, everyday" She whispered, shutting her eyes refusing to admit that her painful cries filled the nights. "We've gone through challenges, but I can't do this one alone." Her sobs grew louder. It captured the attention of a nearby guard, but she didn't care. The emptiness in her could not be filled without him. "Please, don't leave me."
T'Challa stroked her hair, smiling down at her. "I would if I had a choice, baby. By far you are my greatest gift. No throne or crown is needed for others to see you." He pressed his head against hers. Their hearts moved in sync. Nova melted into his touch. No place could make her feel as safe as she did right now. T'Challa was her home. "Eventually we'll meet again and our forever will finally be right. So for now, keep telling our stars about us. And I will continue to search for you in every sunrise." Nova kept still, enjoying this moment before it was too late.
Two guards approached her, disturbing their peace. Nova could no longer feel T'Challa. He was gone.
The guard gently tapped her leg waiting to see if she would move. They hissed in her ear, removing the ropes tied to her. Their words come out aggressive laced with worry. For a moment, Nova decided to go along with their assumption. Through her thick eyelashes, she peaked taking into account they had their own spears attached to their waist bands.
Instantly, Nova reared her elbow back. She ripped the spear from his hold, forcing him on the ground. Sweat trembled across her forehead. The guard alarmed others. A group of three stormed over. Nova flared her nostrils, refusing to go down without a fight. She owed it to her kids to give this a try.
"Nova" Namor called, keeping his hand out for her to listen. Nova darted her eyes between the man at her feet and the God. Jade ear spools pierced into his pointed ears. The white Huipil threaded with golden plates of armor rested on his broad shoulders. It was no shock that all Gods had an surreal aura behind their menacing beauty. "I would advise you to drop the weapon or there will be consequences"
"How the hell do you know my name?" Nova demanded. Rage boiled her blood. "Answer me or your fish friend here dies" she applied more pressure to the blade against his neck.
Namor scoffed in disbelief, "Threatening me is not going to keep you alive."
Nova doesn't cower. She hummed, mirroring his glare. "Right, but starting a war with Wakanda is?"
"It could've been different" Namor became defensive. "I warned the new Queen" Nova tilted her head, watching him carefully. "Now her people are facing those consequences — mourning their loss, burying their dead"
Nova let his words sink in. The words new Queen repeated like a broken record. Mortified, that's what she felt realizing Queen Ramonda was now dead. She frowned, attempting to cool down, but the anger pulsing through her veins amplified. "No, no, no!" she released a agonizing scream. She raised the spear and thrusted it deep into the coarse rocks. A crack stretched out to the Gods winged feet. His people took a step back cautious of the spy's strength.
"Oh, my Queen" she sobbed once again. Her chest heaved, struggling to calm down. The world had taken far too much from Shuri. Njari, Nailah and Azuri had neither of their parents to comfort the loss of her nana. Nova fell to her knees, pressing her head against her bruised hands. "When is it gonna end?"