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Tony was very aware of how both his daughter and her partner (did they really get married in Asgard? Tony still didn't have a straight answer for that) had be dealing with the arrival of the Wakandan royals. Whilst Pietro had been argumentative - almost as if he was trying to provoke T'Challa into admitting he was housing the Rogues - Honey seemed to avoid them all entirely.
Thank god for Laura and Pepper, otherwise everything would be more awkward that it already was. JOCASTA had informed him of Pietro's outburst in the face of Princess Shuri's outright distain for what seemed to be everyone outside of Wakanda. Tony respected the struggles that his (maybe) son in law went through (especially seeing as he himself was partially responsible for) but he also recognised where Shuri's arrogance came from. Being a child genius did not always lend well to making friends. That didn't mean that he liked her talking down to the people who worked in the Compound, but she had time to mature and get better at being around people.
Queen Ramonda, on the other hand, was a very intimidating woman as she sat at her stepson's side whilst he and the Avengers discussed world protection, the Black Panther's role in that protection...anything other than the Rogues and where they could possibly be. She was also very clearly listening to what Rhodey had to say about how the Black Panther's role as Wakanda's protector could cause problems in any situation that wasn't the end of the world. Any woman who T'Challa took as his queen would have big shoes to fill.
There was another part of Ramonda that Tony recognised however. The glow that settled over her skin and the way she wouldn't let anyone outside her family touch her bare skin...it reminded him of Honey when she was a teenager before...before Rogers.
Could the Queen Dowager of Wakanda be a Veela?
"You see Piet, the way Veela society works is based on democracy. The Veela Matriarch is elected every ten years and for that time her family are treated like royalty..."
Honey walked to the guest wing with some trepidation. FRIDAY had said that the queen had requested her presence - and she couldn't refuse a queen.
As she got closer and closer to the guest wing, the young Veela felt herself relaxing from the sense of a similar magic to her own.
The queen was sat in the middle of the room, a few of their bodyguards (the Dora? She'd heard them called that anyway) were at the edges of the room, four women who were badly hiding their boredom. Honey felt a little bit insulted by that - the Compound might not have been their home country, but it definitely wasn't boring.
"Your Majesty." She felt herself bow in the traditional way a young Veela would bow to one of her elders, especially when that elder was a relative (the sister) of the Veela Matriarch.
"It has been too long since I have seen such manners." Her tone sounded warm and cheerful, "You are very welcome here child."
"Thank you Madam." Honey sits next to her cautiously, looking back at the Dora, "Are you...are you well?"
"The Dora are here to protect me, not to stop me from escaping." The Queen looked amused at the idea, "Not anymore..."
The confirmation that those two words implied made Honey's eyes widen and her mouth drop open in shock.
"T'Chaka did not steal me himself, you misunderstand. He's men...there may have been a miscommunication, I was never fully convinced," Ramonda laughed softly, "I refused to let him anywhere near me for months...but his son. That boy was so quiet, and alone...If being his mother meant that I could never see my home again, that is something I came to terms with long ago."
Honey took a moment to think about that. It certainly did sound more plausible than a king of an isolated kingdom trawling foreign countries looking for a Veela bride...
"Does your daughter know?" She eventually asked, "Does the Princess Shuri know the secret in her blood?"
The Queen sighed softly.
"Not yet. I was going to tell her, but then after what happened with N'Jadaka I have not been able to find the time. But she is young, she has a year left."
