Long Live the Queen
Prologue – Dreams so pretty
The world was floating like water. Without any specified time marks, Nala saw the past, the presence and the future as one, calm river, going in well known direction. Simba was on her side, standing on the ledge of Priderock. They both were looking on crowds of animals before them. Creatures came there just to bow their rulers… not as sign of submission, just to check that all was the same, all was as usual. Sun was shining from northern sky, dazzling queen's eyes. So she turned her stare back to see Kiara standing next to her.
No, something was wrong. Kiara was in the past, but presence and future lacked of goldenfurred princess. "Princess?" asked herself Nala. "No she is a queen… but how? I'm a queen too!" That meant vision of past and present times mixed. "Kiara is not here. There is just Tanabi… What happened to him? His eye?" gasped queen silently. "No… that's…"
Slowly memories of recent events deluged Nala. One by one events of fresh and aching past appeared in vision. Tanabi, standing on the ledge with lioness that Nala didn't recognize… or didn't want to. Wound on a forehead, one damaged eye… Sad stare of the other. And that lioness, she was an enemy! The crowd of animals was the same, but hailing not pridelander's pride, but… some outcast! Nala recalled her name. It was Vitani.
That was the last element of puzzle that came to its place. Queen… no! former queen then knew it all. She wasn't standing with king Simba on Priderock – she was standing with ex-king Simba, far from there, in Green Den. Vision of family's keep was impossible, it was just a part of dream. "I am dreaming." Though Nala. "I see things that should be, but aren't! Oh, Simba, why it came to this!?"
Vitani was looking on predecessoress with barely hidden irony and triumph. Nala had to turn her stare down for not to see those blue and deep proud eyes. "It's too much… Simba, stop it!" she called into her dream. As if someone obeyed her, she woke up.
Former queen opened her eyes to see the half-darkness of Green Den. Small lair in rock-range of Border River Cliff was nothing compared to the main cave of Priderock. It had barely ten on four metres, maybe even a bit less. But suddenly Nala felt lost and confused, very small in big and cold inside of den. She cuddled closer to sleeping Simba, who just sighed in his slumber. When she felt warmth of her mate's body, she felt more confident. However the bitter taste of dream still was keeping her confused.
She stood up and walked to exit. After few steps she sensed a pain in her left paw's joints. "Funny, it passed just few months of me being deposed and I feel old. I guess that aging is not a matter of time, but state of mind. But now…" she exited the lair. "…I must overcome it. Whatever it takes!"
Her eyes were struck with bright light of dawn, because entrance of Green Den was directed due east. "As in my dream." Thought Nala, squinting her eyes. She looked aside, to look Zazu, peacefully sleeping on branch of acacia. Old major-domo was slumbering indifferent to raising day, what for Nala seemed somehow very irritating. "Year ago, he would be already awake now, gathering morning reports and looking over vicinity. But now… he is useless. Just like we are!" She instinctively looked back to the cave, where Simba was still sleeping. She couldn't get it – her mate seemed to be fully reconciled with status quo, giving no slightest sign of disapproval for their son's actions. "Simba… you were a perfect king… Why did you let it go so easily?" She again turned her head – back to sun. That time with growing anger. She closed her eyes, but kept her face against sky flames.
Nala wasn't power-hungry. She treated being a queen much more like a duty than a privilege. But that didn't mean she gave up her duty easily. She felt that if she once had taken that burden with Simba, it was natural to bear it until she die. But actually she could left her title without any huff, if that would done in proper way. And her office would have been passed to the proper person.
"Simba…" she thought, that time looking on horizon and growing sun's disc. "I love our son as well as you… but it doesn't make me blind. Tanabi did a grave mistake by overthrowing you and restoring Scar's memory… And did fatal error, taking Outlandress as a mate. It's not a problem of Vitani as a lioness… but that she is Zira's daughter. We can't… he can't run his kingdom, basing his rule on former rebel."
She knew that most of her complains are late ones. Tanabi was loyal to his mate – he upheld her decision to banish Nala and Simba from Prideland (although former queen had to admit that her son interpreted that ordinance in so wise way that it allow old royal couple to keep their authority), supported Vitani in everyway. And since few months new rulers were also parents. Their son Dhahabu was the best guaranty for new order as could be.
"Your son…" Nala addressed in her thoughts directly Tanabi. "It's not his fault that his mother is Outlandress… He is your heir and I love him as I should love my grandchild… But I'm afraid… I don't mean blood, it's doesn't mean too much… but he his descendant of our enemies. Are you sure he will manage to bear that burden?" Then something interrupted her silent reverie.
She jumped in place, turning aside. She was ready to fight, whatever any fight was improbable then. She was on her land, under protection of Simba and whole pride. But habits of old days were strong.
"It's just me!" whispered Vinia with regretful voice. Former queen hid her claws to pawpads and looked on grey lioness with curious stare. "I'm terribly sorry, ma'am." She added. "I'm here for some time, but… I was scared to interrupt your cogitation."
"Yes, you succeeded to be stealth for few minutes." Murmured Nala with tone of irritation. But then she asked, a bit confused. "What are you doing here on such a weird time. Has something happened?"
"No, that's nothing special…" she replied. "I just… I asked sir Tanabi if there is need to stay with you constantly. You know… to assist you…"
"Oh." Smiled Nala with poisonous smile. "Or maybe your queen asked you to have an eye on us?" Vinia's eyes narrowed.
"Stars… no!" she gasped, shocked. Then Nala felt like an idiot. That was very improbable assumption and a bit offending one. "Ma'am, I here to help you in hunting and remind you about edict. But I wish to accompany queen mother…" she turned her stare down. "..if she wants me to."
"I'm sorry, my dear." Replied Nala and came to young lioness. She hugged her with motherly tenderness. "I said something stupid… Of course, I'm glad you want to help… But to sleep with us? Sorphi and you have to watch us for day anyway... I think you have enough of that."
"Sorphi is there." Vinia pointed cluster of bushes nearby. "We got here late at night, so we didn't want to wake you up."
Just like as response to command, from cluster appeared a head of second lioness, assigned to Simba's and Nala's escort. She looked with sleepy stare on former monarchess and on friend, then stood up and came closer to lionesses. She bowed before Nala.
"So, we start another day of your glorious assignment?" asked Nala with irony.
"Maybe we think about hunt." Advised Vinia and nudged Sorphi in side.
"Yeah, that's good idea." Replied lioness and they both set off in savannah direction.
"Again." Sighed Nala. "Believe me, I would be grateful for replacing you in that duty. But I know… the edict… So, good hunting." She said, following two huntress. Suddenly Vinia stopped.
"Ma'am!" said with a bit scared voice. Nala understood and stopped too.
She was on the edge of stone-plate of Green Den. Just before her was beginning actual savannah of deep green. But also it was a border of Pridelands. With one paw former queen was in her old home. She was ordered not to put it on that ground… ever.
"Yes, I almost forgot that my space is so short." Murmured Nala and carefully got back her limb. "Thank you." Said to guardian.
"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am!" said Vinia with shivering voice. Former queen sensed that she was close to cry and felt genuine compassion towards her.
"All right." Nala replied. "As Simba said: you only do you job."
"It's king's…" sobbed huntress.
"And queen's order." Added queen-mother. "In first place queen's. But it is not you problem. Just… go."
Both lionesses set of to run, as if they were relieved from very unpleasant duty. Perhaps they were. For them it was barely standable to serve as guards for their old king and old queen. Nala was sure of their deep hidden aversion to their roles.
"Maybe…" in that moment a spark of long unfelt emotion came over her spine. It was hope. "Maybe… I'm not only one, who remember how our life should be." She whispered. "Is there any way to check it… and sense emotions of pride?"
She opened her eyes and looked directly on east. Sun already had raised a bit over horizon, so she could look freely. And then she saw another view that gave her strength and more of hope. A silhouette of another lion. "She came yesterday… and today… Again on morning, before hunting. She will have to back to Priderock and set of with team. But still, she came to visit her old monarchs…" Umeme came closer to green den. With rays of early sun her fur – naturally golden – seemed to be made of actual gold. "She is so alike to my beloved Kiara." Smiled old queen. "Both with appearance and her gentle heart." She smiled even wider, when newcomer noticed queen-mother waiting before den.
"Ma'am…" she called. "It's a bit early for a sunbath."
"My child… it's a bit early for chat with your aunt." Replied Nala. Umeme added a burst of laughter to that greeting.
"Right, ma'am." She said. "But I was wondering how are Sorphi and Vinia going."
"In keeping me?" asked Nala with sarcasm. "Well, I'm still here, so my guards are vigilant." But there was no usual bitterness in that joke. Just was just a… joke. Nala could jest in that way only with few persons. Umeme was one of them.
"Oh, Umeme…" she thought. "I always hoped that you will become Tanabi's mate… and my daughter by that. It came in different… worse way, but you seem to treat me like a mother. It helps me very much." Then she added aloud. "And… what has changed on Priderock?"
"Since yesterday? Not too much." Laughed lioness. "At least nothing what couldn't be undone."
It could be just coincidence, but Nala took an impression that whole world was asking her to make few steps back… and return to yesterday. "Simba, my dear." She thought. "Although you lost your hope, I will hope for you!"