A Funeral and A Wedding

When their parents found out about Ororo's child, they were all excited. Barely a couple of days before, they had found out that T'Chaka had died because of the plans of a madman. Even if they caught him, that was not enough to extinguish the pain and anger in Ramonda's heart. But a grandchild. A grandchild was an unexpected blessing from Bast.

Over the next few days, N'Dare and Ramonda had locked themselves in the Queen Dowager's chamber going over all of the plans for the wedding. The food, the guests, the decorations. They were choosing it all without either the bride or groom. But this was the normal tradition in Wakanda. So all the couple could do was spend the next week enjoying the other person's company.

The duo was lying in bed together and looking at the ceiling. Their hands were intertwined as they were trying to come up with names for the child.

"What about we name them after your grandfather?"

"Azzuri?" J'Zaki laughed. "I already promised Shuri that she could have that name for her children in the future. Also, we don't even know if the child will be a boy. What if she's a girl?"

"Then we shall name after one of my ancestors," Ororo suggested. "If it is a boy, I get to pick the name of one of your ancestors. Whichever one that I want. If it's a girl, you can pick the name from one of my ancestors. Sounds fair?"

"Hmm." J'Zaki didn't really care about who named the child or what the child's name would be. The only thing that mattered to him was that the pair were having a child together.

The next few days were quiet and peaceful for the pair. It wasn't until the day before the wedding that the duo left the manor. The pair were wearing all white and walked towards the castle where all of the other members of the Royal Family were waiting. They were each dressed in white like the couple.

The group nodded at each other but they didn't speak. Instead, they walked down to the front gates of the castle where General Okoye and several Dora Milaje were carrying a casket. Carved into the casket was the face of T'Chaka. The royal family walked past it and began leading the way down the steps. The Dora Milaje were close behind.

The group began walking through the streets of the Golden City. But unlike the members of the Royal Family and the Dora Milaje, the people of Wakanda were cheering. Music filled the air, men and women were dancing on rooftops and in the streets, children were throwing white flowers all around.

This was the way of Wakanda. Even in mourning, they did not forget to celebrate. They mourned for the previous king's death while celebrating his life. The life of an amazing king, an exemplary father, a great warrior, a protector. Those of Wakanda were celebrating everything that King T'Chaka had done for them and his ascension into the Ancestral Plane.

As they marched through the streets, the city celebrated all around the Royal Family. When the funeral procession reached the front gates, they were greeted by a group of men and women in white feathers dancing before them. These people took T'Chaka's casket from them before placing it on the ground and dancing all around it. By the time they were done, a jet appeared from above. It sent down a beam of light that surrounded the casket before lifting it up and carrying it away.

With the body taken care of, the Royal Family had to partake in the celebration. Even if they wished to cry and howl, they did not. They put smiles on their faces and joined in with the people to celebrate. The celebration lasted all day and went late into the night.

The next day, the citizens of Wakanda needed a break. But the Royal Family and the Clan Leaders were not afforded that. There was a wedding to be held.

N'Dare and Ramonda had invaded J'Zaki's manor to kidnap Ororo early in the morning to get her ready for the wedding. While they were preparing Ororo, J'Zaki was able to relax in his room. Only when it became noon did J'Zaki get out of bed and prepare for his wedding. He got showered and shaved before walking into the closet and pulling out a black outfit.

Since it was the king and queen's wedding, there was only one rule. One of the two had to be wearing the Black Panther habit since that was the responsibility of the king. But since T'Challa was the Black Panther and was allowed to keep the mantle, it made things slightly more complicated. So instead of thinking about it too hard, J'Zaki had gone into the royal treasury and picked up one of the older Black Panther costumes.

When he was all dressed, Linoh knocked on his door and opened it before he could answer. When she walked in, she was surprised by what she saw.

"So you've chosen to wear your grandfather's habit. Excellent choice. I think it will go well with what your mother and Lady N'Dare have designed for Ororo." J'Zaki nodded. His father had always told him stories of Azzuri when he was a child. Of all the Black Panthers, he was the one that J'Zaki admired the most.

Azzuri's habit was different from modern ones. It was made of soft materials and had a long elegant cape attached to it. When Azzuri went to fight in WW2, he did not want to let the rest of the world know how much vibranium they had so he sacrificed protection of himself for the protection of the nation. A decision that many admired but also ended up costing the former panther his life.

J'Zaki was led out of his room and down the steps to the courtyard of his manor. There, the place was completely different than the day before. There were countless flowers and decorations all over the place. There was also a large number of chairs that had people in them.

'Idie, Nezhno, Nadia, the elders. Even M'Baku and Elza have come.'

But his eyes only stayed on the others for a moment. Because at the end of the path and standing next to the priest was Ororo. She was wearing a beautiful white dress with jewels and beads adorning it as well as the crown N'Dare had created for her.

J'Zaki walked down the aisle and stood across from his fiancee with a foolish smile on his face.

'Today is truly going to be one of the happiest days of my life. I get to marry a woman that is my biggest ally and one who truly knows my heart as well as I know hers.'