Chapter Text
The celebration hosted by the king and queen of Toh energized their kingdom in a way it hadn’t been for years and years.
Guests from lands near and far came to marvel at Toh’s wealth and abundance. Local and foreign royalty alike paid their respects. And all paid special attention to the reason for this gathering– the young princess, now three months old.
The king of Toh stood from his throne and raised his hand. All fell silent.
“The kingdom of Toh is delighted by the presence of all who are here to celebrate my daughter.” He gestured slightly behind him, where his queen sat on her own throne with their child in an adorned bassinet between them. “Our child is now three months old and able to be carried by the hip. No princess of Toh will see anything less grand for such a momentous occasion.”
The king then gestured to a pile of gifts on the other side of the dais. The gifts were numerous and no less fitting for the princess of a mighty kingdom. Gold, jade, and pearls glittered among the hoard.
“We thank you for these gifts for our daughter. Toh is proud to call you all allies and friends. And we are most proud that the king and queen of Wakanda, our foremost ally, have accepted our request to sponsor our child for today.”
A round of applause sounded as he indicated said king and queen, who were sitting just below the dais in seats of honor. As one, they rose and approached the dais with their servants carrying packages between them. The king of Wakanda clasped arms with the king of Toh, and the queen of Wakanda nodded at the queen of Toh before reaching into the bassinet and placing the young princess on her hip.
“I, Queen Ramonda of Wakanda, greet the king and queen of Toh,” said the queen. “And I give my first gift to your precious child. A necklace of cowrie shells, to remind everyone of the worth she carries.” She passed the child to her husband, who then carried the young princess on his own hip.
“I, King T’Chaka of Wakanda, greet the king and queen of Toh,” he reiterated. “And I give your precious child her second gift. A comb of vibranium, to represent her unbreakable nature.”
This continued on, King T’Chaka and Queen Ramonda passing the young babe from hip to hip for nine times, each proclaiming the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh gift. A coat of quetzal feathers, to remind everyone of her divine heritage. A handful of flowers carved from jade, to represent her everlasting sweet nature. A knife of engraved bronze, to represent the beauty that would be both admired and wielded once she reaches marriageable age. A hairnet of pearls, to represent the treasure she was of the kingdom of Toh. A jade ocarina, to represent the sweet song she was to her parents. A handful of cacao beans, to represent the wealth that she brought to her people.
King T’Chaka gave the eighth gift– a beautifully carved loom, to signify the prosperity the princess of Toh would bring to her kingdom, and handed her to his wife’s hip for the final time and for the final gift. Queen Ramonda said, “For her ninth gift–”
A strong breeze, unnatural and sudden, blazed through the open courtyard. All the guests hollered and screamed as their clothes, hair, and items were tossed every which way. Queen Ramonda held the child close to her bosom for protection, and King T’Chaka threw his arms around his queen. The king and queen of Toh were rooted where they were by the wind, unable to move a single step even as they fought on.
Then, suddenly as the wind started, it died.
“Apologies to all of Toh for my tardiness.”
Loud murmurs arose at the new voice. People turned behind them and saw a lone man with a wooden scepter, wearing a cream-colored cloak with gold and pearls around his neck. The man’s smile at the attention could almost be described as congenial– if not for the malice lurking within.
Namor walked through the crowd with his eyes focused solely on the dais where the kings and queen of Toh and Wakanda stood. The crowd parted for him easily, as though he were diseased or covered in blood. He did not stop until he was precisely sixty handwidths away from the queen of Toh’s seat of power.
The air was sucked of all sound as he stared at the queen of Toh, unmoving. She did not speak, the fear stark in her eyes. The feathers on her headdress trembled. But she did not look away.
Namor smiled.
“Ho!” came a surprised shout from behind him, and the murmurs of the crowd increased in volume once more. He did not turn his head, and was not surprised at the jaguar appearing at his side. She sat and yawned, showing all her teeth and insolence.
Finally, Namor spoke. “Well.”
He made a slow circle on the spot, taking in for the first time the people who have appeared on his auspicious day. Women dressed in cotton, feathers, silk, jade. Men with elaborate loincloths, the beads glinting in the light of the sun. Priests daubed blue for their status.
“An excellent crowd for an excellent occasion, Queen Mother .” Namor savored the venom that dripped off his tongue. “Your elite, finely dressed. Your peasantry, well fed. And…” his eyes caught on the table of food placed before the throne, well-prepared for a feast and largely untouched by the recent breeze. A foreign boy sat there, his eyes showing more judgment than fear. “You’ve even invited foreign rabble, it seems.”
“What do you want?” the king of Toh demanded.
Namor did not deign to answer. He walked to the table of food and sat on one of the stools placed around said table. The boy’s frown grew more pronounced as he prepared his plate with careful, methodical movements. Steaming tamales, stone-fried tortillas, spiced fish.
His jaguar approached the table to sniff at his plate. Namor paid her no mind. Taking a bite of his tamale, he surveyed the room once more before addressing the throne. “I was rather concerned that I did not receive an invitation for such an illustrious occasion.” He scooped up some of the fish on his plate with a tortilla. “I understand I am somewhat responsible for the entire affair.”
His jaguar stood on her paws to sniff further at his plate, then suddenly transformed into an eagle with that telltale ring of gold around her neck. Namor’s smile sharpened at the gasps and screams from the crowd. The king of Toh looked as though he would expel blood and vomit on his own clothing.
“You were not invited! This city cannot withstand the presence of a filthy, fatherless, godless monster!” The king’s finger shook with the intensity of the words he spat, as though he would curse the very seat Namor was sat on. Namor’s shoulders rumbled with laughter even as his eagle cawed in protest.
“I’ve made this an awkward situation, then. You and this entire city have my condolences, king.”
His eagle was restless. She hopped on his plate, pecked at his food, then hopped on his shoulder. Then Namor felt two arms twine around his neck, warm and supple.
The murmurs of the crowd reached fever pitch. There were more screams, and the king of Toh looked as though he could not be any more sick. Whispers of “xtabay, xtabay” moved through the people. He was not surprised, if she was wearing what he thought she was wearing.
Somehow, the queen of Toh spoke. The fear on her face was so palpable he could almost smell it off her pores. “Are you not offended…K’uk’ulkan.”
Namor straightened on his seat. His Shuri slid sideways onto his lap, her thin black-and-green huipil doing little to hide her curves. Her golden necklace dipped down to her small breasts as she leaned back into his form, her eyes unmoving from the queen of Toh. Namor rested his hands on her thighs. The queen of Toh observed all this with a look of pure confusion.
“My true name is Namor, Queen Fen,” he finally said. His Shuri squirmed, sensing the anger in those calm words. “And I am not offended. I have brought my own gift for your child.”
“We do not need your gifts, Namor.” The queen of Wakanda’s sudden interjection was a surprise to all. “My husband and I have already provided plenty.”
Namor chuckled once more. “A young princess can never have too many gifts. Three months is important, no?” He tapped his Shuri’s hip,and she transformed into a large snake. His snake slithered along the table as he stood, his attention now firmly fixed on the babe in Queen Ramonda’s arms.
So young, yet old enough to be held on her mother’s hip. A child so like him when he was her age, yet vastly different. Connected by blood and bone and dam.
“Listen well, all who hear my words.” He lifted his scepter, and a soft blue glow emanated from its orb. No one moved. No one spoke.
“The Princess Namora shall be beautiful and sweet and kind and lovely, as her parents all hope for her.” His eyes hardened. “But such gifts will be for naught. Because on her sixteenth birthday, she will sink into the embrace of the water and drown, never to be returned from the underworld. So I have said it, so it will be.”
Queen Fen broke into wild, wailing sobs. The crowd was now yelling and screaming and in pure frenzy. No one heard the king of Toh call for his guards. None of the guards were able to reach Namor. Somehow he and his snake moved beyond the dais, beyond the crowd, unseen.
The last words everyone heard were, “I hope you enjoy my last gift to you, mother.”