Chapter 2: Betrothed
A few weeks had passed and Shani had grown into a more adventurous, but still shy cub. While appreciating Pini's company, the princess sometimes found her presence too "in-your-face" for her taste, however, they were still good friends. There were a few other cubs in the pride, all around the same age, which was great; they all kept each other occupied. Kuhti, a dark brown male cub was one of the quieter lions in the group, Shani and he got along quite well and often sat together when the other cubs were being too much for them. They were a bit bolder around each other.
"Hey Kuhti!" Shani trotted over to him.
Kuhti was sitting with his mother in the shade, relaxing.
"Hi Shani!" he smiled a big toothy grin at her arrival, "Where is everyone today?"
Shani giggled, "They're all getting baths."
"Oh, I bet they're loving that," he laughed.
"Oh, thank you for reminding me Shani," Dumi said as she smiled and lifted Kuhti onto the sunning rock, "Kuhti needs his bath."
"Ohhw, Mum!" Kuhti protested, wriggling trying to escape her unrelenting grasp.
"So, I was wondering if you wanted to play after you got your bath?" she stared at him, raising her eyebrows, "well, if your mother says you can, of course."
"Can I Mum?! Please?" he looked at her with his big purple eyes.
"Sure, but you have to stay close by me, in my sight," Dumi answered.
"Okay!" the cubs replied in unison.
Kuhti's bath ended soon enough and as soon as he jumped down from the rock Shani and tapped his shoulder and yelled "You're it!" and ran off. Dumi had reminded them of their rules as they ran off. Although Kuhti was older than the creamy cub, he wasn't as fast as she was and she could blend in quite well with her surroundings. Shani ran into some long grass, crouching down staring at her hunter.
"Shani?" he called out, "Shani, where did you go?!"
The cub waddled along muttering about how this wasn't fair, little did he know there was another cub's butt wiggling, preparing...
"AHA!" Shani pounced on the unsuspecting boy's back, a little too hard which caused them to tumble in a brown and white blur.
Once they stopped rolling she pinned Kuhti to the ground, grinning.
"Hey, I was the one meant to be catching, not you!" he looked at her, still shocked.
"Sorry Kuhti, I just got bored, but I scared you, huh?"
"You sure did," he grinned pushing her off, "but I'll get you back, you wait!"
In the middle of their play session Kiara had come down to talk to Dumi. She had figured the princess would be playing with her son; she had taken quite a shining to him.
"Hello Dumi," she greeted the older lioness with a smile.
"Hello Kiara, searching for Shani?"
"Yes and no, I figured she'd be here, I was hoping to talk to you about something," the Queen laid down next to Dumi.
The cubs came walking back, nudging and pushing each other when they noticed their mothers talking.
"Hey Mum, has there been some good news?" Kuhti asked, noticing her excited smile.
"Oh, nothing that concerns you right now, just chatting with Kiara about something." Dumi answered.
"Ok then." He smiled; little did he know that he and the princess had just been betrothed by their parents.
Shani had been swatting at his tail, waiting for retaliation and she finally received it, when he playfully bit her ear and tumbled with her.
Both cubs tired quickly though, they had been playing all morning, so they both snuggled with their mothers for a midday nap.
