It had been a little more than an hour since Xureila had gotten "comfortable" in this new space.

Within that hour, Nasila tried her hardest not to run the semi-frightened American woman off, but she already knew that she had such a strong, overbearing, personality that it was almost inevitable. So, the two young adults settled for a quick tour of the small apartment- literally, it was only paces big- and they opted to cook together. Nasila begged for a simple American recipe, but all she got in return was a stank face from Xureila.

Of course she didn't know any damned recipes. She barely knew her damned self.

"Ehheh" Nasila timidly laughed with a shrug. "Forgot already, sorry" She apologized innocently.

Xureila offered her a small smile. "It's alright". A beat. "What should we make?"

And from there, they pulled random items from the shelves and spice cabinets until they conjured a meal that seemed it fit together. The newly dynamic duo ended up with stove roasted artichoke, brown rice, corn, chicken Yassa, with a side of Kelewele.

As both Xureila and Nasila laid the plates on the table for a buffet styled dinner, they both shook their heads at their selection.

"Ohh, Umama would have a fit if she saw this!" Nasila exclaimed.

Xureila just offered a small smile, before sitting herself down in one of the four chairs. Nasila followed, seating directly across from her.

As the two piled their plates, the room had gotten eerily quiet, making Nasila slightly uncomfortable. While she was not usually alone, she is always one for conversation. She does not understand the dynamic of a comfortable silence.

So this uncomfortable silence made her want to claw at her skin.

The only sound to be heard was the two women scraping their spoons against their plates.

Xureila was the first to finish. As soon as she took the first bite, she tried to remember the last thing she ate. Not to say that they didn't offer her food in her confinement, but she was not in the right mental state to even think about eating.

But once she was done, she dropped her hands to her lap and closed her eyes, relishing in the moment. She had a full belly, she was warm, she had nice company and a place to lay her head.

Sadly, she knew she would not be able to stay here, but she did not want to think about that just yet.

She sighed deeply, running her hands up and down the front of her pants in an attempt to calm her ever-so rising pulse.

Nasila tried to hold her tongue, but she could not help feeling a little off. I mean, she did initially invite a total stranger into her home without hesitation, but now that Xureila is obviously mentally disconnected, she is becoming a bit unsettled. Okay, she is totally freaked out.

"Hey, Xureila" Nasila called out to the dread-head.

Xureila did not respond immediately like Nasila desired. Instead, she took a deep breath that she inhaled through her nose and released through her parted lips.

"Yes?"

"If you want, you can head to bed and I'll clean all of this up-"

"No, no it's fine! I promised I'll help, so I will"

"No, you look like you're about to pass out. I got this"

Xureila seemed to slump deeper in her chair "Are you sure?" She slurred.

"Yeah, go head. Go to sleep" Nasila smiled softly. Xureila wasn't able to make any further comments. Her body was finally shutting down on the weight of the day's trauma. She didn't even have the energy to move to the futon that Nasila set up for her. Xureila finally felt a sense of peace... Serenity. In her subconscious mind, she wished she could stay in this tiny apartment with the overly annoying roommate, but that would be impossible.

The next morning was something she could not describe. She was startled awake- yet again- by Nasila. She felt her body getting shaken roughly and when she finally opened her eyes, she was greeted with her make-shift roommate's tearful gaze.

"Is it true?" She sobbed.

Xureila blinked in confusion, using her hands to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. "What?" She asked in a groggy sleepy voice.

Nasila was having a hard time speaking in between her tears. She had a hand over her heart with her head thrown backwards so her face was pointed towards the heavens above. "You need to get out" Was all she was able to make out.

Xureila's heart dropped. Of course she was gonna leave, but she thought she would at least have a little time. "Wait, what is going on? Nasila, you can trust me!"

"Fuck!" Nasila cursed, making Xureila jump in fright. "Get out! Get out! GO!" Xureila damn near jumped from the futon she didn't remember even moving to and ran to the bathroom.

She hurriedly slammed the door behind her and locked it, just in case. Xureila looked around frantically trying to find something, something, that could help her out right now. She saw a window and immediately stepped to it, slightly struggling to lift it open. As she peered out, she was the seemingly calm citizens of Wakanda running around. "What the hell" She whispered to herself. With one last struggle, she was able to lift the window, and the first thing she heard was a blood-curdling scream from an older woman accompanied by a younger man. The younger man just held her while he wiped his own tears.

There were screams and shouts of horror all around, and she had no idea why.

Three rough pounds at the door cut her off from her investigation. "Xureila, you need to come out now" Nasila demanded in a voice that did not sound like hers.

And when the door opened, everything felt like it was in slow motion. From the door of the bathroom was the clear view across the room of the television. It seemed like a news cast, but all she could focus on was the image plastered in the top left corner of the screen.

It was T'Challa.

Though she understood not one lick of Xhosa, she was sure she knew what was going on. But she still had to ask.

"T-That's T'Challa!" Xureila managed to sputter out. Nasila's head whipped towards the obviously senile American woman before her.

"Do not act like you do not know what is happening!" Nasila accused. "I know you have something to do with this! You need to go, now and I will not ask you again! I will not get caught up in...whatever you are involved in! GO!" Nasila actually screamed, letting her tears fall freely down her face.

Xureila's vision was blinded by tears of her own as she made her way to the door. She wanted to say something for herself, but the door was snatched open and she was pushed out.

From here, the sounds of the screaming Wakandans rang in her ears, and she could not help but feel something. Was it her fault?

Wait.

She still never knew what actually happened.

So, she headed to the streets.

The people were hysterical. This is something she would never think she would see in real life- this was something that only belonged in a horror film.

Then there was this shrieking alarm sound. It seemed like the longer it rang, the louder the sound became. Although Xureila was not a genius, she knew what that bell meant.

It was Wakanda's very own hell alarm. After the ringing caused for the citizens to stop and listen, a voice rang out.

It wasn't just any voice, it was the voice of Okoye- the General in the King's guard. Xureila desperately tried to strain her ears, hoping she would be able to make out at least one word from the foreign language. And as she listened, she heard her name which sent her into a state of pure panic.

What if Okoye just issued a search against her?

Xureila snapped out of her thoughts and immediately spun to speed walk through the crowded streets, but was stopped by two hands grasping her shoulders. The American born woman shrieked and blindly swatted at the hands of her assailant until she heard Nasila's voice shushing her.

"Shut up!" She hissed, successfully restraining Xureila's hands.

"Whatever she said I did, I-"

Nasila cut her off again, slapping a hand over her mouth. "We can't talk here" She whispered. Nasila threw a vibranium woven blanket over Xureila's body to hide her face as she escorted her through the streets. Nasila was not stupid enough to take her back to her own place, so they walked and walked until they got somewhere a little less familiar.

"Bitch! What went down at the palace?!" Nasila broke the silence first, crossing her arms over her chest with attitude. "Don't lie either, or I'll turn you over to the new King!"

Xureila's face screamed bitch, what but all that left her mouth was "huh? You must have forgotten that I don't speak Xhosa, so I have been confused since you threw me out. Which, now I'm confused about since you sought me out literally less than two minutes after!"

"It's not like you got that far away" Nasila mumbled shrugging.

"Can you please tell me what's going on" Xureila begged. Nasila nodded, looked over both of their shoulders before pushing open a door that resembled something from an abandoned building. The two went in and Nasila secured the door back into its original place before sitting on an old love seat.

"This is my grandma's storage unit. I felt like this might be the only safe place for you right now. But this morning when I woke up, I sat down to watch some TV. started with my soap operas, but then I got bored so I turned on the news" She paused after this to take a deep breath. "At first, I was confused because I tuned in mid sentence. But once I finally caught hand of what was going on, they said that the King was dead... That there was a man in America born to Prince N'Jobu who came today to claim the throne. I guess he won" She said dejectedly. "General put out a message for you-she said to stay where you are. Does she know..." Nasila trailed off. Xureila knew what she meant.

"No, she does not know that I'm with you. Princess Shuri gave me this bracelet-"

"Ohh!" Nasila squealed, pulling the bead set from her back pocket. "This one?!"

Xureila shrieked and slapped the bracelet to the ground. "Jesus! Where did you find that?"

"Umm... the bushes down the street from my house. It was vibrating, so I grabbed them. Girl what is your problem?"

"If you have those then that means they know where we are! She was using that to track me, she told me they would find me after-"

"After what?! I swear, I know I'm supposed to be serious right now, girl, but this is better than any soap opera I've ever watched!" Nasila exclaimed.

"That's the thing, I don't know. I was just asleep in my cell when the Princess and her guard came to wake me. They told me to get out before he came. I don't know who he is but...I thought they were talking about T'Challa"

"Wait? The Princess broke you out of jail?! Who are you?" The Wakandan born woman giggled.

"Please be serious, Nasila. I think they knew the new King was coming and they wanted me to leave"

"But why?"

"I don't know" Xureila whined. She was under a lot of stress, too much stress. "God, this is too much" She continued, pulling at her locs.

Nasila sighed, not quite sure what she should do. That was until the discarded Kimoyo beads started a low hum that alerted the two women.

"Oh my god" Xureila mumbled.

"Are you gonna answer that?"

"No?" She answered which sound more like a question than a confidant statement.

The two young women circled around the humming bracelet just watching it illuminate until Xureila bent down to hold it in her hands.

"How do I answer?" She whispered. Nasila gave her a lingering look before swiping her own thumb across the single purple bead.

It was then that Princess Shuri's face popped up as a hologram. "Sister! You're okay?!" She exclaimed in a shaky voice.

Xureila nodded wildly. "Y-yes I'm here. Shuri I-"

"There is already someone on their way to get you. Listen, sister, we have to get you to the mountains. I think I have a theory why you were brought here, and if I am correct than you are not safe, ok?"

"New King? Where's..." Xureila trailed off, not wanting to complete her sentence. Even though Nasila already told her, she just wanted to make sure.

That's when a sob erupted from the Princess. "He is gone". Shuri was having a hard time processing her brother's death, seemingly because of how close they were. Xureila and Nasila watched with tears of their own at Shuri's actions. Then, there was another face that popped into the hologram.

It was the Queen Mother. She offered Xureila a small smile before speaking in her usual grace. "Xureila, dear, Nakia is on her way. She led us on the path to the mountains and she retreated to retrieve you. She shall be there any minute now"

...

Nakia and Xureila hiked up the mountain in silence. It was then she remembered that she had not eaten since the previous night when she started feeling a little weary. "Not to be a brat, but are we close? I just haven't eaten since last night and-"

"You are alright" Nakia chuckled genuinely. "We are close maybe-"

She was interrupted by the sound of something lurking behind them. She spun and saw a well-built man clad in white furs standing right behind them.

"Nakia" Xureila whispered, staring down another man also draped in the white fur who blocked their straight away path.

"Shh, stay close to me" Nakia whispered back, holding out her arm to scoop Xureila closer to her side.

One of the men barked making the two women jumped. After the initial bark, more followed coming from the trees and surrounded them until they were circled around men in the furs. "Do not panic" Nakia coached calmly.

I feel like my chapters are too damn short, so here is some extra effort into compacting content in a chapter (yuhh).

It was gonna be longer, but I cut it. Might be a part two to this chapter.

enjooyyyyyy