"If You Were Half The King..." (Sarabi & Taka/Scar)
Short Story by Rina Archer Rafie Drewgong
Sarabi and the lionesses were out in the fields, coming back from another unsuccessful hunt that would lead them into a disastrous tantrum from their new king and no doubt some new punishment that they could only imagine Scar could come up with. Sarafina and the others were trembling slightly as they walked just at the thought of what the king would do, but also because they were so hungry. Like the overshadowed queen she was, Sarabi led them forward but there wasn't a falter in her step or a lack of confidence in her eyes. Those rubies of hers still casted glances over the dry lands of the Pridelands that she didn't think would ever be. How she missed Mufasa. But everyone knew she missed him in the worst way while the other lionesses only missed him because he was such an improvement of a king.
The sight of Pride Rock was getting closer to their views even though their heads were drooped, but only filling Sarabi with even more confidence to tell this new 'master' of theirs off. How she didn't tell him off in the first place was a mystery to her until she remembered that she was a mere lioness against what seemed like over a thousand hyenas and a large male who possessed the same blood as her beloved.
As they walked through the entrance of their darkened home, the hyenas rushed over to them in high hopes of finding something delicious to eat but alas their search was soon met as hopeless.
"Nothing again, lionesses?" A hyena snapped, Sarafina and Sarabi stepped in front to show off their size as well as their claws unsheathing for preparation to battle them off.
"Why don't you go and try to see if anything is out in those fields" replied Sarafina.
The typical hyena response of cynical and provoking laughter riled up over the slight snarls of the females to the point where some of the lionesses started roaring out of order. Did they really need to bring a fight to boil to the surface right now when they were tired and hungry? Not really, and so Sarabi did her best to calm them down with her own roars.
"Hunting is the lionesses' jobs" one of those stupid deformed looking mutts dared to tell Sarafina.
"Easier said than done when you're a hyena who does nothing but lay around and complain all day-" Sarafina started ranting, but a roar besides Sarabi's was heard; a deeper more male toned roar. The felines and canines looked up and saw that of their dark king looming over Pride Rock and looking down at them. His sneer though was obviously not meant for the hyenas as his emeralds only rested on Sarabi.
The proud queen walked forward with her ears flicking before they bent backwards, her chest out and sturdy steps for even a queen who was starting to waver and show signs of hunger.
Scar hinted for her to follow him and turned his own back to her whilst walking through the hoards of hysterical hyenas. They knew she was in for it now.
The two mighty beasts entered the cave of Pride Rock, Scar turning around to face his old friend. Sarabi's ruby hues were bathed in malice at the sight of what this once delightful and charming young Taka had turned out to be.
"I have told you and your hunting party more than once that you need to get your act together. How are you supposed to provide for the cubs that I have so graciously kept around, and my own heirs on their way if you can't even feed yourselves?" Scar questioned the lioness who still held her ground no matter how badly she knew she was screwing up. She was the queen, and it made her seem like this was all her fault. Sarabi knew deep down though that she wasn't the one who disobeyed the Circle of Life teachings Ahadi and the kings before had set in place, as well as allowing ravenous hyenas to live in the pride.
"You could become a vegetarian" she replied coolly, only receiving a snarl from the moody king of hers. Sarabi sighed, "the herds have moved on. Dry season is bad enough in the Pridelands but it's worse now that we have no herds who will come back to re-join our Circle".
Scar grazed his unretractable claws across the stone ground, obviously showing signs of unhappiness that things were turning out this way. They both knew he wanted to be king, but out of the two who stood in the Rock's den, only Sarabi knew there would be much disaster. He shifted his gaze from his razors to her dagger eyes, "and you're to suggest we leave then".
"I have told you this before, and I will say it again: we need to leave Pride Rock in search of another pride who may take us in, if only for a while" the queen spoke with wisdom that was not to penetrate Scar's internal pride.
"If we leave, no one shall know of my greatness as the new king of the Pridelands" Scar wavered in his tone, almost sounding like the young cub he was all those years ago. They were both aged now and were focused on new problems than the ones that were applicable as to when they were children, but he still had that way about him.
"If we don't leave," Sarabi moved in closer for what seemed like dramatic effect, "no one shall know the greatness of any new kings either". Taka pivoted his orbs to the side where she stood and started walking around him.
Sarabi hoped that maybe perhaps he could understand her means of using the language of a leader to interpret into his own thoughts of what they would do. The lioness could only hope. But as soon as she saw Scar's devious glint in the back of his green eyes she knew there was no hope in telling him in such a way but rather to tell him the only way that any lion would understand when it came to his following.
"The lionesses and I are prepared to leave".
"Under your command?" Scar snarled before being cut off by her own.
"Of course my own! You may be the king, but I am their queen. They listen to me, more than they would a power-hungry brother of one of the greatest kings we were lucky to have had" she spoke with poison in her tone, obviously letting her female charm go and reverting to her killer side. "Perhaps you share Mufasa's blood, but you could never share his heart".
Scar smirked, not allowing his temper to get the best of him now. "You are correct my dear," Sarabi rose her brow, "if I were half the king Mufasa was...I would imagine you would be smitten with me. Practically begging to bear my cubs and be at my side for the hopes of the pride to once again flourish and rule the lands".
Sarabi's ears were pulled back once again, her eyes glazed over with tears now. At her falter in power over the situation there was an opportunity to put her back in her place and as Scar walked up to her with a lick to the neck, he cackled lightly. "I suggest you and the lionesses try again for some food. Or else my little heir inside your belly might not make it out" he moved away, "if I am not pleased with it, then you can expect the same fate for it as your baby Simba".