Chapter Text
The flames that stretched towards the night sky were mirrored in their dark eyes. She had finally done it today. Finally she was able to show her family something new. Something that she had created all by herself. Only she didn't quite know whether her parents would accept it or not. Shuri had tested the small device hundreds of times, but would it also work if her family was there? She could only hope or pray for that. But if Bastet would finally hear her this time...? She didn't know.
"Shuri!"
Shuri blinked and turned her eyes off the flames to look towards the house. Her big brother, T’Challa, came up to her with a smile.
"What are you doing all alone out here?" He sat next to her on the bench made of darkly beaten wood. "It's late and you really have to go to bed earlier."
Shuri rolled her eyes annoyed and looked back into the fire that crackled in front of them. "I'm well rested, don't worry." But her body did not back her words seconds later when she had to yawn heartily.
T’Challa snorted and shook his head in disbelief, but with a little smile on his lips. "Did you at least finish your latest creation?" He took a skewer with fried vegetables that by judging the black spots, has been there already for quite a while.
Shuri kneaded her fingers. She was nervous. Her brother realized it immediately. She also chewed on her lower lip and turned her eyes off the fire to look elsewhere, but not at him.
"I have covered you so often the last few days, you can tell me when you have finished it." He bit something of the skewer from the not yet charred areas. "Come on, you know, I can't stop Mama and Baba from it for a long time, in your-"
"Yes, yes... all right," shouted Shuri and took a deep breath before she continued. "I completed it." She saw the surprised and also proud look of her brother in the corner of your eye. "But I don't know if it will work."
Her brother let the skewer sink with the vegetables and turned his body completely to her. "Shuri, you kept telling me that you test your creations before you show them to us..."
"I do that," said Shuri in between.
"... then I wonder why you are hesitating now to demonstrate it to us," continued T’Challa and looked at his little sister with a built-up look.
Shuri rubbed her hand over her face and massaged her eyes with her thumb and index finger. "Because I don't want it to be just a letdown again, like all the last times I have presented something to you. It should also help Mama if her hands stiffen again... "
Their father T’Chaka, had a factory, not far outside the village of Wakanda, where everything was made. Things such as screws, weapons such as swords, spears, pistols and much more. Parts for ships that have to drive on the high seas to get to different parts of the world.
Shuri had already been thrilled as a little girl. Every time she came out of school, she wanted to go to her Baba in the factory to watch him at work. Unfortunately, she always had to do her homework from school first before she could, which was a bummer. And then only accompanied by her mother, or her bodyguards. The Dora Milaje, as they were called. A unit that consisted only of women. Shuri herself, when she was small, was trained by them under the supervision of her mother. Her brother and N’Jadaka, their cousin, were also able to defend themselves if someone should try to harm them.
While her brother worked towards the takeover of the factory and company of their parents, Shuri was able to work in a place assigned to her and invent different things. There were no limits to her fantasies. Unfortunately, it was mostly designed with complications and then the resulting consequences.
Once, she wanted to make a fire extinguisher. Something where some kind of foam was inside a metal container until it was released by pressing a switch on the upper handle. But when she wanted to present it to the people in the factory, she accidentally set fire to an entire room.
Then there was the somewhat small explosion that tore a hole into the western wall when Shuri wanted to present one of her many other experiments. Even if her parents complained to her, they still gave her the freedom to build and experiment other things. But to protect everyone in the factory and herself, Shuri got her own place on the huge area of the factory premises to continue and test her constructions.
This time, she had done something small. Just to keep the damage in a small frame if something went wrong again, which Shuri hoped that it would not happen. Her mother was suffering from something two years ago, which made her hands stiffen in different cycles. Nobody knew what they could do about it. Even the doctors didn't.
If such a cycle occurred, Shuri had to do the whole household with T’Challa. Even if her brother should be more in the factory, since he would soon take over it because their father slowly wanted to rest and wanted to be more with their mother. That is why Shuri had developed something so that it would take help her mother, at least while she was eating.
"Come on, present it to us," suggested T’Challa and got up. His hand on her shoulder, his gaze encouraging. "You know how much Mama and Baba love your inventions."
Shuri made a half-hearted snort, but then rose from her seat. "But only if I don't blow everything up or burn something else to the ground."
T’Challa laughed out loud. "I know you know what I think of it."
His words made a smile appear on Shuri's lips. "Even if they are failures, you always learn from your mistakes."
"Exactly", her brother agreed and winked.
Accompanied by him, she walked along the gravel path, which was framed on both sides of Lavender bushes. Towards the huge mansion, which over the years had been framed in places by clover that had climbed up the stone walls. Two large chestnut trees provided shade when the summer sun was high in the sky, spreading its warmth to every corner of Wakanda. Shuri knew no other house where she preferred to live. At the age of 22, she loved the quiet in the afternoon when she returned from the factory. Since their house was a bit away from the city, she didn't notice the many loud voices of the residents, the carriages or some of the first attempts at cars.
It was just wonderful and Shuri never wanted to miss it. She loved it so much. Just like how she loved her family. She never wanted to leave from here. And if she found a young man she would love at some point, she could well imagine a life with him here, a little further away from the city in the countryside. Of course not in this house, they would have to build themselves, but yes, something like that she could imagine. But that still had time. Shuri still wanted to learn so much and her parents finally allowed her to make a trip with one of the two ships they had. To sail over the sea to see the other countries from which her father's factory got the ores and many other valuable means, and then process them to the objects, which they then sold to others.
Meanwhile
"Where are you?" The young woman's laughter echoed through the night as she ran along the pebble paths surrounded by tall bushes, creating a small labyrinth.
Unfortunately, she didn't get an answer from her playmate.
"Where are you? Come out," she called laughing and looked around.
Because the labyrinth was known to be a little further away from her husband's mansion, the warm lights of the lamps and candles didn't quite come close. Only the moon was her companion, shining its cool light on her. The green leaves seemed dark in the light of the moon, almost seemed to take on a blue hue.
She stopped in the middle of the labyrinth a little out of breath. A small fountain made of light, sand-colored stone stood in the middle. There was a swan with a fine stream of water coming out of its mouth and flowing into the pool. A light breeze blew through her hair.
"I was told that I'd find you here, Dorothea."
The young woman turned, eyes wide open, terrified. She held up the skirt of her dress with her fingers so that she could run around properly in the labrinth, but now, it slid out of her fingers.
"Aaron ..." she looked at her husband as if she would see a ghost. She hadn't expected him so early, at the latest in five days she was told that her husband would return from the negotiations with her father. But they seemed to have been mistaken, or the negotiations had ended so quickly that Aaron had already returned. Dressed in a uniform, he seemed to have just returned and immediately went looking for her.
He lifted his hand and Dorothea froze, out of the thought that he would probably hit her again, but he only stroked a stray dark curl from her heart shaped face. His light skin, a total contrast to her dark brown skin.
Aaron was a baron and she was the daughter of another baron. It was a wedding that was not forced, but was simply closed out of love. No question, he loved her idolatically and would do everything for her. But every now and then another side came out in him and he abused her. Even if she had loved him very much at the beginning, this love faded over the years, until there was nothing left of it.
"Well, my love," Aaron raised his voice again and looked at her with a testing, even warning look, not to lie to him. "Who is your playmate?"
Dorothea swallowed. She had to tell him, but didn't want her visitor to get into trouble. He promised her to help her divorce... But now that Aaron was already here, she would have to say goodbye to that promise.
"It's me."
The voice of her playmate had goose bumps running over her entire body. In the corner of her eyes, she saw how he stepped out of one of the aisles that had been built from many tall bushes. Her husband's eyes widened noticeably and he stepped back from Dorothea to indicate a bow.
"K'uk'ulkan." The name came across his lips with awe. Was it maybe a touch of fear that she heard in his voice? Because his eyes couldn't hide it.
"If you hadn't interrupted us in our game, we would have already arrived at the best part of it." K’uk’ulkan came toward them. His long, dark brown coat billowed lightly behind him as a breeze blew across the landscape. His dark eyes fixed on the baron.
Dorothea swallowed. He was a duke, but everyone only knew him under this title, K’uk’ulkan. Nobody knew his true name. Furthermore, his enemies knew him under the name, Namor. Of course she called him K’uk’ulkan. Out of respect and also because she didn't want to feel his dark side.
"K’uk’ulkan, I didn't know that it was you," Aaron said in a slightly shaky voice and turned his gaze from the duke to look at the ground when he couldn't withstand the dukes gaze. "Please, I didn't want to disturb you in the game, let me go back to the house-"
"You really want to leave it like that?" K’uk’ulkan raised one of his curved eyebrows a little incredulously. At the questionable look of the baron, he explained his words in more detail. "Your wonderful and beautiful wife has been sharing a bed with me for a few months. I ask you again, do you really want to leave it like that?"
The baron's expression went from awe to sheer horror and anger in just a few seconds until Aaron had his emotions under control in front of the duke. But he had watched the spectacle closely in these few seconds.
Dorothea stared in horror at the man who had promised her so many things. How could he tell her husband something like that? He would throw her out of the house - which, by the way, would actually be a good thing, then she would be rid of him - but like that, she would lose her reputation and almost certainly end up in the gutter. She cleared her throat, a pathetic attempt to get K'uk'ulkan's attention as he was focusing all of his attention on her husband Aaron.
"So?" K’uk’ulkan looked down on the baron, who was half a head smaller than he was. "I don't like to repeat myself."
"I-" Aaron started an answer, but was interrupted by K’uk’ulkan.
"You really don't want it? I have been enjoying your wife for months. Now you have found it out. Don't you want to defend your honor?"
Dorothea still couldn't believe it. She had heard that K'uk'ulkan was fond of doing outrageous things, but something like this? Challenge, if not force, her husband to a duel?!
"What do you like?" Asked K’uk’ulkan with an undertone that Dorothea could not quite interpret. "Sword, spear or the pistol?" Joy came up in him when he saw the fire of revenge in the eyes of the man that stood in front of him and saw his world crumble down right before him.
"Pistol," was the simple answer from Aaron.
K'uk'ulkan's mouth twisted into a smile that was more cruel than amused, but he said nothing. He turned to Dorothea, raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek with the knuckles of his right hand. His look spoke volumes and a promise. Then he turned and walked towards the house.
A few minutes later
Four servants, Dorothea and a weapon master, stood with Aaron and K'uk'ulkan in the meadow on the eastern side of the large mansion. The weapon master first went to Aaron, who was standing on the left, and handed him the pistol on a dark cushion.
His look was indecisive. Not like ten minutes or more ago, when they were still in the labyrinth and K'uk'ulkan spoke to him about a duel as simply as if it were a child's game or even a common thing at any time of day, on any day.
The weapon master went to K'uk'ulkan and handed him the pistol with a dark cushion like Aaron. K'uk'ulkan had taken off his long coat for the duel and placed it on a small table, made out of stone, in the pavilion, which stood right behind him.
The two duelists stood twenty feet apart. Everyone had one bullet, made out of metal, in the pistol. A chance to hurt or even kill the other person. Dorothea fervently hoped that the latter wouldn't happen. Even though her love for Aaron was no longer in her heart, she still wouldn't want the death of the man she still called her husband.
"The duel will start now," the weapon master's rough voice rang out across the grassy field into the darkness of the night. "The baron shoots first since he is the challenger. K'uk'ulkan shoots second."
Aaron raised the weapon and aimed at his opponent.
Dorothea held her breath. She knew that her husband was an excellent marksman. He had shown her again and again during his morning rounds when he shot at clay pots. But K’uk’ulkan? Her eyes darted over to him. His face betrayed nothing of his thoughts or feelings. He seemed to have peace within himself. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't read this man, even after months of spending time together. Well, there was never much talking to begin with... but still...
The baroness jumped, her eyes automatically closing as the first shot rang through the air. Her ears caught a thud, then a gasp. Trembling with fear, Dorothea opened her eyes a crack before snapping them fully open as she saw K'uk'ulkan lying on the ground. Her eyes darted to Aaron, who was still standing there, eyes wide. His pistol seemed to have fallen out of his hand and was now laying on the grass next to his feet.
"Is-Is he ...?" Aaron did not get a decent word out of his mouth.
The weapon master took four steps when a jolt went through K'uk'ulkan's body and he sat up with a grunt. He pressed his left arm tightly to his chest. Dorothea's eyes widened even more when she saw the blood on his shoulder, slowly soaking through his white shirt and his dark vest over it.
"Stay where you are, baron," the weapon master warned. "The duel is not over yet."
Aaron looked back and forth between the weapon master and K’uk’ulkan. The blood had probably been stolen from his body. There was no color in his face, he was so pale. Aaron was terrified for his life.
K'uk'ulkan managed to get to his feet. But when Dorothea looked into his eyes, she could see no pain that should come from such a wound. He had Aaron locked in place and pulled the trigger on the pistol. The second shot pierced the night air.
Dorothea jumped again. But her eyes closed for just a millisecond. Smoke came from the barrel of the gun, which was still pointed at her husband. Then there was movement in the corner of her eye.
Aaron hit the ground with a thud. His coat in the chest area immediately turned dark red. His breathing was rapid. His eyes darted back and forth in confusion.
"The duel is over," declared the weapon master. "K'uk'ulkan is the victor since he is still standing. Get a doctor so he can save the baron and look at K'uk'ulkan's arm." He took the duelists' pistols and left. His work was now done.
The servants ran to their baron, one ran to ask for the doctor, who should have arrived long ago.
"Don't worry, my love." Dorothea jumped again as she heard K’uk’ulkan’s voice in her ear. "He will survive, but in return, you will be free. I will make sure that you are free of him in a few days after he has healed somewhat."
She looked at him with a mixture of fear and gratitude. The fingers of his right, uninjured side danced gently over her temple, down to her chin. His eyes followed his thumb as he stroked her bottom lip. Then his eyes found her own again and Dorothea thought she was looking into a dark, bottomless well.
"You'll find someone who will love you and never hurt you again," he said, leaning forward slightly so that his next words brushed the shell of her ear. "I actually already have someone you might like. But if you don't like him now, he'll be happy to wait for you while you get to know each other better. Maybe you would still like to share the bed with me for a while." His lips brushed against her cheek and for a brief moment, Dorothea closed her eyes and lost herself in the feeling. "I will wait for your answer."
