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Chapter 1: The New Leaders Of The PrideThe afternoon sun was just setting but the whole of the Pride Lands were still abuzz with what took place earlier that morning.
Flashback
A roar could be heard, followed by many others. Across the lands and animals cheers and applause nearly drowned out the lions call. This was no meeting. A new king and queen had taken over the throne.
As the heads of the animals looked up at the majestic rock, the place that held the lions in this part of Africa, they stared at the lion, who was now their king and at the lioness who would be queen.
The two lions had a majestic presence about them. With the light, the blessing of the past kings and queens, shining on them, their coats brightened.
Behind the newly anointed rulers the pride sat in awe. Two lions in particular had smiles of pride and love.
A skinny but somewhat muscular lion with grey fur and a dark brown mane sat with a smile of respect and admiration, his violet eyes shining brightly as they gazed upon his brother, the king.
The lioness with golden fur, sat next to him with the same expression. She smiled at her mate and rested her head on his shoulder. Her light green eyes also shined as she stared at her friends.
The lion turned his head slightly and licked the head of the lioness, but his eyes were still on his brother. He sighed happily. "I can't believe he's a king. He's gonna do just fine," he said to her.
"Of course he will Uchaji and he has you to help him. You are Prince Consort," his mate replied.
"Yeah, that's true. Thanks Hawa. I love you."
Hawa smiled at Uchaji. "I love you too."
The prince and his mate turned their heads back to the scene before them.
Uchaji smiled and chuckled softly, lowering his head a bit as he did.
Hawa looked at him curiously. "What is it?" She asked.
Uchaji shook his head, allowing his mane tuft to fall in his face. "A part of me still can't believe that he fell in love with her. But maybe it's a good thing. She loves him and he loves her back."
Hawa looked at her brother-in-law and new sister-in-law and smiled too. "You're right," she said softly. "Kuenzi does love her in spite of everything. I truly think that Tasa will make a good queen and since she's a better huntress than me, she'll be a great hunt leader."
Uchaji nodded his head in agreement but whispered so that Hawa wouldn't hit him later. "You are a brilliant huntress Hawa."
The golden lioness licked Uchaji on the ear and they both turned their heads back to watch the ceremony.
Still standing on the promontory, Kuenzi felt the wind of past rulers flow through his mane, touching his face gently.
He sniffed the air and wondered if his mother and father were up there watching. Suddenly he heard a voice whisper in his ear, "I love you Kuenzi and I'm very proud. Of both you and Tasa." Followed by the voice a familiar scent in the flow of the wind blew around Kuenzi's body.
The grey king stretched out his neck letting the wind and its small leaves fly into his mane. His teal eyes looked up at the sky and he smiled.
Turning his head to the lioness at his left side, Kuenzi smiled all the more and nuzzled her lovingly. "I love you Tasa," he purred in her ear. "No matter what happens," he continued. "I will never be dishonorable to you. You're the one I love and will continue to love until the day I die."
Tasa looked at Kuenzi and licked him on the cheek, sighing with happiness and joy. Her grey eyes shined in the sun's presence, as did her and Kuenzi's fur.
Before all this Tasa wasn't sure if she wanted to be Kuenzi's mate. "I'm unable to have cubs," she told herself two weeks before the coronation ceremony. "Yet he still loves me and swears his loyalty."
Shaking the past thoughts from her head, she whispered into his ear. "I love you too Kuenzi."
Once the sign from the spirits faded away as did the animals but they didn't leave before bowing down once again to their new rulers. Kuenzi and Tasa smiled at one another and walked down side by side to join their pride mates for the ceremonial feast.
The feast was warm, social and grand. Kuenzi and Tasa couldn't be happier. As the lionesses padded up to them for congratulations, one lioness stuck close to the den.
She was very pretty but a devilish look. Her red fur glistened in the sun but turned dark in the shade of the night. She lifted her lips, showing her white teeth, growling softly with her dark purple eyes becoming silts at the sight of the king and queen sharing a nuzzle.
Then without letting anyone see her, she swiftly turned into the darkness of the den.
The lioness' disappearance didn't go unseen. Hawa quietly excused herself from her family and followed the lioness into the cave. It didn't take her long to find out where the lioness was as Hawa stopped, hearing some words that were supposed to be quiet mutters. She perked her ears up and listened closely.
The lioness was pacing her cave up and down muttering angrily to herself.
"How dare he! How dare Kuenzi choose HER over me?! I thought he loved me! I'm gonna kill her! I swear to the gods I'm gonna kill that pathetic excuse for a lioness! She's no queen! She's weak!"
Looking at the cave wall and standing on her hind legs, front claws unsheathed, the lioness ran them down the wall making a deafening screech.
Hawa heard the loud noise and pinned her ears back against her head, gritting her teeth. She growled softly and clawed the cave's floor softly to get the lioness' attention.
Flicking an ear, the red lioness turned to see who was at the entrance. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What do you want Hawa? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Yes, I can and don't understand why. What's wrong with you Onea? I thought you'd be happy." Hawa wanted to say that she heard the lioness talking to herself but didn't want to start any big arguments… yet.
Onea just scoffed. "Like you don't know. I seem to remember you having a crush on his 'high and mightiness' years ago and yet you fell for his brother." She said 'high and mightiness' with a hint of disgust and sarcasm. "I didn't think you could stoop so low."
The green color in Hawa's eyes grew wide, but decreased as silts of anger came into her field of vision. Claws still out, the fur on her back standing up, the princess growled dangerously. "You better watch your mouth Onea. Don't forget I'm the princess of these lands now and Uchaji and I have just as much power as Kuenzi and Tasa."
Onea snickered. "Oooh, I'm shaking."
"You should be!" Hawa shouted with fury. She walked up to the red lioness until they were face-to-face, muzzle-to-muzzle. "If I ever hear you speak treason against Kuenzi and Tasa, I will personally come over her and slap you so hard, it'll make your head spin."
Onea just smiled not saying a word.
Hawa growled softly and walked out, feeling the blood in her body rise and boil. Once outside the cave, Hawa breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Uchaji saw his mate and walked over with a concerned look on his face. "You okay?" he asked, nudging her in the shoulder gently. She didn't respond. He tried again. "What is it?"
Hawa looked at her mate, staring into his dark purple eyes. He had an expression on his face, which she could read very clearly. Then without realizing it, placed her head underneath his chin, purring to calm the anger she was feeling.
Uchaji didn't ask what was bothering her. He placed an arm around her back drawing her near. He licked the top of her head for a second then put his chin back on her head, purring also.
A few quiet moments passed and Hawa was feeling better. "Thank you Uchaji," she whispered.
Uchaji smiled but didn't break the embrace. "You don't have to thank me Hawa. I'm here for you and always will be. I love you."
"I love you too," she answered.
Kuenzi and Tasa walked up to the two lions.
"Is everything alright?" Kuenzi asked.
Hawa removed her head from Uchaji's chin and looked up at her friends. "I need to speak with both of you," she said with a serious tone. She turned to her mate, "You as well Uchaji but not because you're my mate but because you're Kuenzi's brother. There's something the three of you need to hear."
Tasa and Kuenzi looked at each other confused until Tasa spoke up. "Let's meet here again, when the stars are out yes?" she suggested.
Kuenzi took a moment to think then nodded followed by Uchaji and Hawa in agreement. "Yeah, that's good," he said.
That very night when the stars shined, giving their blessing to the lands and it's new leaders, Tasa, Kuenzi, Uchaji and Hawa sat on the near the cave in deep conversation.
"Wait a minute Hawa," Kuenzi said, raising his paw in the air. "You don't think Onea is gonna try anything dangerous do you?"
Hawa lowered her head, sighing deeply. "I don't know, but the look in her eyes suggest that she may."
Tasa lifted her lip nervously. "You know," she said turning to Kuenzi. "She might be bluffing. We all know that she still has a crush on you."
Kuenzi thought for a second. "Maybe, but we can't be too sure. Onea is a lioness with a very strong temper and anyone who gets her mad…"
"They don't leave without some sort of marking," Uchaji finished for his brother. "Remember what she did to that one lioness in the hunting party a few months ago? Dhaifu?"
There was a chilling silence in the air as the four lions nodded their heads slowly, shivering slightly as the memories of those months crept into their minds.
Hawa's ears lowered in sadness. "Dhaifu has made a remarkable recovery that is true," she said softly. "But she will never hunt again with her left leg being the way it is."
"Onea really did a number on her," Uchaji whispered.
"What makes you think that Onea would try to harm me?" Tasa asked Hawa.
Hawa looked away for a minute then stared at Tasa. "Perhaps she was talking out of anger. I honestly don't know. It could have been nothing."
"Either way," Kuenzi spoke up. "Onea should be under careful watch, just in case anything happens."
Tasa nodded. "Yes." She looked at Hawa with a serious expression. "Hawa, I wouldn't ask this if I didn't believe you could do it but…"
Hawa knew what the Tasa wanted. "You want me to keep a good eye on Onea?" she questioned and smiled. "I will do that… mainly because I don't trust Onea anymore than I would trust those crazy hyenas in the graveyard." She snickered. "We're lucky enough to trust Ari and his family and they are wild dogs."
Kuenzi chuckled. "Maybe so, but without them, we wouldn't know what the hyenas do in the graveyard nowadays."
"Ari is a good friend and I for one enjoy his company, even more so when I start patrolling the lands," Uchaji said.
Kuenzi looked up at the sky seeing that it was well in the middle of the night. "Well, I think we should turn in. We all have a long day ahead tomorrow."
Uchaji yawned. "That's a good idea brother." He stretched then stood turning to Hawa. "Come on Hawa."
Hawa merely smiled, standing next to her mate. "I'm tired too. Goodnight Kuenzi, goodnight Tasa."
The king and queen bowed their heads to the prince and princess and watched them go into the den.
Kuenzi was quiet for a moment breathing a heavy sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by Tasa.
She looked at him curiously. "What is it?" she asked.
Kuenzi stared at her. "I really pray that Onea doesn't do anything rash. She's still angry with me for falling in love with you." He drew closer to her and whispered, "I wouldn't change my feelings for you for anything. If I could do it all over again, I'd still want you as a wife and queen." He nuzzled her and licked her cheek.
Tasa sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. The night was calm and quiet. Kuenzi spoke again. "Shall we turn in?"
Tasa yawned quietly. "Yes."
The mates stood up and stretched out their legs. Then side-by-side, their coats rubbing against the other, walked into the den and into their chambers.