Erik smirked at the man in front of him, tilting his head in challenge. T'Challa stared right back at him, but there was no challenge in his eyes the way there was in Erik's, feeling his head spinning and his breath tightening at the physical proof of the history of his family he had been finding out about, standing right in front of him.

"Your choice King, you talk to me, or I talk to them," Erik said lowly nodding to the Council around them.

"Who is this…"

"Mother!" T'Challa held his hand out to his mother.

"T'Challa this boy can not just…"

"Everyone leave the room," T'Challa ordered.

"T'Ch…"

"Now!"

The room emptied of everyone but Okoye, all of them eyeing the two in the middle of the room as they slowly filed away. Okoye closed the doors behind everyone else and then stood with her back to them watching the two men carefully but making it clear that she would not intrude on them.

"You know who I am then," Erik stated rather than asked, his eyes tracing every single reaction, twitch and movement of the other man.

Despite the fact that Erik was the one standing in chains, it was clear that he was the one that had the upper hand right now.

"I know who you are," T'Challa nodded.

"And how long have you known?" Erik sneered.

"I only just found out. When I saw your ring, I asked Zuri about it," T'Challa said softly.

"You're not lying," Erik tilted his head back, the only physical sign of his shock.

"I was told nothing about it," T'Challa closed his eyes, the pain clear on his face.

"I was angry you know, for a long long time, I knew about you, my dad told me when you were born, told me I had a cousin, the future King of Wakanda. Told me stories about how we would play together one day, I was five, I believed him," Erik laughed joyless laughter.

"What happened, to your father, I am…"

"Do not apologise!" Erik snarled.

"I…"

"You had nothing to do with it! You were a baby," Erik huffed and T'Challa stepped back when the chains that had been binding his arms behind his back fell to the floor. Okoye stepped forward, but T'Challa held his hand up stopping her.

Right now, with his world turned on its head, he felt as though whatever Erik wished to do to him, he would just allow it. His mind hadn't stopped spinning since seeing the ring around Erik's neck, his stomach had not stopped rolling since Zuri had told him what had happened that night and who Erik was. His world had not stopped spinning and rolling since he had heard that Erik was here. He had reached saturation level.

"Your father's sins are not your sins. I thought a long time about coming and here and destroying you, destroying Wakanda, I learned to kill and to hurt, I learned to destroy countries," Erik smirked stepping closer to T'Challa.

"It is not Wakanda's fault, it is not…"

"It is not your fault, or Wakanda's or anyone but our daddies," Erik snorted. "My daddy for betraying Wakanda and not trying another way, yours for killing him, then hiding it and leaving me,"

"I…"

"There were a lot of ways that I could have done this, but I am going to do it the way my daddy should have done," Erik straightened.

"Do what? What way?" T'Challa asked lost, he sounded empty even to his own ears.

"Make things right. And I am going to do it politically with the position that I hold. My Daddy taught me about Wakanda, he started my education into our country, its rules and laws, its rituals. Rituals and rules that even the King and the Black Panther are not exempt from. And he left me all the books and information that I needed to finish that education myself," Erik tilted his head, and T'Challa could see in his eyes that he had planned this for a long time, he had known exactly what he was doing.

If this was a chess game Erik was already several moves ahead of T'Challa, he had been able to see the board for a lot longer, and T'Challa would bet that he had nearly every variation of a move T'Challa could play completely covered. It was improbable that T'Challa could win this game, a game he had been losing without knowing it.

"Do you plan to challenge me?" T'Challa asked.

"I could," Erik acknowledged. "I am the elder, and of Royal blood after all. But no, that is not what this country needs, and the risk of rebellion and upheaval that it will cause, including discovering what actually happened to my father, that is not the easiest step to achieving my goal,"

"And what is your goal? What is your plan?" T'Challa asked, his mind racing as he tried to figure out which of the Wakandan rules he was going to use to get the upper hand if it was not Ritual Combat, something that T'Challa was not sure he would win against his older cousin should he demand it.

"My goal is that Wakanda should be part of the world, it is centuries too late, but it needs to happen, this country can no longer turn its back on the pain and suffering of the rest of the world, it can no longer ignore how our brothers and sisters suffer while our people hide here, safe, happy and content behind our borders, hoarding our technology,"

"We…"

"You brought Ross back here didn't you, because you had the technology to help him and did not want to see him die, out there in a world where they might have saved his life but they would never have saved his legs," Erik growled stepping closer. They were so close now T'Challa could feel Erik's breath on his face, could see the golden glint of his teeth. "You have your reservations about this as well, I can see it in your eyes,"

"Yes, but my duty is to my people," T'Challa said softly.

"Your people are part of this world, part of humanity. What difference do you think would have happened if Wakandan weaponry had been available during the Battle of New York? How many would have lived in the years that Wakanda has been hiding its healing technology here? Your duty is to Wakanda, but this country has been strong enough to defend and protect itself from those who would take what is not offered, and still, it hides!" Erik growled.

T'Challa fought the urge to summon the Panther suit as he was backed against the throne, Erik's fist landing inches from his face as he punched out in his anger. Again he raised his hand to Okoye. She was looking more and more unhappy, but she was also reading no sign of attack against her King in the outsider's posture, so she stepped back.

"I intend to argue this point with the Council, but it will take time and I have few on my side," T'Challa admitted.

"You will have me at your side," Erik smirked.

"What?" T'Challa looked at him with wide eyes.

"My plan," Erik reminded him. "You have two choices. I challenge you to Ritual Combat, and you risk losing against me, which I am sure by now Ross has informed you that I have trained and honed my body to be a weapon, you would have to be very sure of my defeat,"

"And the other option?" T'Challa asked, gaining a smirk from Erik. He knew that the question made it clear that he was not in fact sure he would be able to defeat Erik and had played a hand that he should have kept close to his chest.

"Just like that?" Erik smirked.

"I am tired, my life has been completely different to what I had thought it to be, and my father lied to me and kept things from me and I have found out days after he was murdered in front of me. I have been involved in a civil war between Superheros thinking that I was getting revenge for my father's death, only to find out that I had been tricked. I was challenged for the throne and wounded only days after that, and then had my world completely turned on its head," T'Challa wasn't sure what made him admit it, but looking up into the eyes of Erik, he was sure he saw a softening.

"Well then, the second option should be much more to your choice then," Erik tilted his head, clearly to take in every moment of T'Challa's reaction to his next words. "Ritual Marriage, we bind our houses and our lives in peace, and we change this country, the world together,"

"What…"

"It is my right as eldest to claim the throne, or claim the King," Erik gripped his face, "I would rather have you sitting on my cock than me sitting on that throne,"

"But...you...you…"

"I know who you are, I have been watching you for a long time now T'Challa, I claim my right to claim you, or we fight it out and I defeat you, those are your options. I would treat you right, care for you and be a kind husband, I would gain the seat beside you to argue my point and we can change things together. The choice is yours,"

"I surrender my body or risk my throne, not much of a choice," T'Challa scowled, trying to will down the furious blush that had formed at the crude words Erik had spoken earlier. His heart thundering in his chest.

"No it isn't, but it is a choice. I will allow you time to think, 24 hours," Erik shrugged taking a step back.

"That is very kind of you!" T'Challa snapped.

"I can be kind," Erik smirked shrugging again.

"Okoye, have two of the Dora Milaje take Erik to the family wing and give him a room," T'Challa closed his eyes rubbing them tiredly.

"My King," Okoye banged on the door and the Dora Milaje walked in.

While she was giving her instructions Erik and T'Challa stared at each other, the elder refusing to look away. "I am sorry that my existence has upset your world so much,"

T'Challa opened his mouth to snap, but the expression on the other man's face said that his words were honest, even if they had been drawled out in his dangerous tone. "It's not your fault, it's our fathers," T'Challa repeated the words from earlier that Erik had spoken, making the other smirk at him.

"Chose me and I will look after you," Erik shrugged before turning and following after the Dora Milaje that Okoye had selected to take him to his room. "24 hours!" He called over his shoulder, waving before he left the room.

Okoye made her way to his side and looked at him questioningly, no accusation in her expression.

"Could you fetch Nakia please and W'Kabi, meet me in the family room, myself, mother, Zuri and Shuri will be there," T'Challa sighed. "I need the advice of those I trust,"

"Yes My King," Okoye rested her hand on T'Challa's shoulder for just a second before turning and leaving.

He had a choice to make and not that long to make it.