Mordred's Lullaby
By Heather Dale
Vitani lay on the cold floor of the cave she once shared with her mother. Panting, she smiled down at her newborn son who was suckling at her side. His pelt was the color of her mother, while the small tuft upon his head was coal black, like her father's.
"Do you see him, mother? The very image of you! The perfect heir!" She said to herself.
So much had happened to her since her mother's death. After a small lapse of judgment, she turned against her beloved mother. It didn't take long for her senses to come flying back, the fact that she had just stood and watched as her mother dropped to her death almost destroyed her. The one thing she regretted more than anything else. Her misplaced affection for her traitorous little brother was the culprit.
She bared her teeth at the thought. Kovu. Traitor to his people! Traitor to her mother! If only she had been more like Nuka, more loyal to mother.
At the thought of her deceased older brother, Vitani hung her head in sorrow.
"Oh, Nuka," She whispered to herself, "you were truly an example for us all."
"But," she said as she picked her head up, "mother was right in not making you the heir. You were incomparable and an utter disappointment to the name of Scar."
She sighed, "My dear father, never avenged for your wrongful death." Her eyes glistened with the same determination as Zira's once did, "Until now. I shall take my rightful place as heir, as the chosen one, and take back what is rightfully ours!"
Insanity fluttered across her face, "It should have been me from the beginning! I am more than capable! Nuka couldn't hold a paw to me! And Kovu wasn't even of royal blood!" She snarled at her last few words, "I could have killed Simba, I could have avenged Scar, I would have made mother proud! But no, for some reason Scar choose Kovu!"
She looked up and continued, "But they must have seen their mistake! For they blessed me with my darling son, the very one to avenge them!"
A wicked smile played on her lips, "My dear little brother will die at the hands of my son. My heir! Future king of the Pridelands!"
She turned to look at the combination of her parents, "Watch, mother! I will train him as you did Kovu! He will know about the greatness of his grandparents, and he will know the corruptness of Simba. He will grow strong, kill Kovu, and take his rightful place as king!"
"Mother," Her voice dropped back down to a whisper, "I'm so sorry that I failed you. But, my son will go far. The Pridelands will be filled with our blood! Can you imagine it, mother? My son, accomplished and blood stained, standing on the ledge of Pride Rock, roaring out a new era!"
The tawny lioness face turned from exuberance to grievance as she watched her son suckle with sad eyes, "Oh, mother. I wish I would have been the daughter then that I am now. I wish that you could have lived long enough to see your grandson."
Her eyes narrowed in determination, "You won't be disappointed, mother. I will groom him into the perfect killer. I will instill all your teachings inside him. You'll see, mother, he will be everything Kovu should have been! Everything I would have been!"
Lost in her own world, she barley registered the cries of the newborn. Eyes full of ambition, she smiled and moved the cub in between her paws, "Hush, my little one," She recited. "I will make you a king!"
Vitani licked her cub clean while he continued to cry. When she pulled back, she started to hum a tune, one that would be her son's lullaby. She moved to nuzzle him and started to sing,
"Hush, child, darkness will rise from the deep
and carry you down into sleep,child.
Darkness will rise from the deep,
and carry you down into sleep."
Alright, I know that I shouldn't be putting out stories before I get done with "Monster" but I couldn't help it. I sat down to write the 5th chapter and this came out! It's inspired from the song Mordred's Lullaby.
I'm not going to neglect "Monster" for this, I just put it up to give you guys a preview of my next story. I will continue with this one after "Monster" is done. Which, there's only about 9 more chapters til its finished.
For those of you who know the song, or the story of Mordred, King Aurthur's son, you can probably guess where this is going. If not, I will explain in the chapters to come.
If you guys think I should abandon this, lemme know! I don't want to write something you won't enjoy.
YMAW