Secrets of the Gale (Chapter Two)

Dusk was over the Galelands, its fading light outlined the Great Baobab where the pride made its den. Inside the cave carved in the massive trunk, Queen Busara welcomed two cubs into the world. Only one was truly hers, the other was from her oldest child who was currently unconscious, drugged so that she would not be aware of anything. Only one of the two cubs that the Queen and her heir had brought into had lived. The other was a limp mass of fully developed cub, but held not a trickle of life in his tiny figure. The only boy born into the Galelands royal family had been stillborn, but Jani did not know this...and she would not know this. Busara gently washed the young cub on her arms, admiring the little bundle of fur and feeling regret that her child would not know the truth. Maybe one day...but it would not be anytime soon. The Queen drew back, then noticed something. The cub's eyes were opened even though she had been asleep only a heartbeat before. Her eyes were dark as she had not gained her eye color, but yet the child's eyes were focused, so much that it startled the Queen who was used to many strange sights.

The lions were on the move. A stray wind had blew its way into the den and swirled around the chamber, it brought lions with it. Some were young cubs, others were old, there were males and females. They were all pale white, translucent so that the ceiling and walls of the den were visible through their bodies. They were dancing. Twisting, turning, leaping, and running. Having fun and being carefree as if there was nothing to disturb their happiness. The little cub watched them in silent awe, not quite understanding what she was seeing but yet she could not look away. She was entranced by the wind lions. Another thing that she didn't understand was the faint figure of a cub suddenly joining the dancers. She saw it clearly, but did not know what she was seeing, but she kept watching until the breeze drew away and the dancers vanished.

The cub blinked her eyes and looked up at her mother. Busara was saying the sacred naming ceremony for all young cubs. "I shall name you Uru, for you are my precious little jewel." The Queen gave her child one last lick then gently plucked her up and settled against Jani's snowy white side. The cub blinked up at her before she settled down to feed. The Queen did not linger on staring down at the child that she would have to pretend to be a grandchild, she had to make sure that nobody knew about the dead cub that was Jani's true cub. There would be no evidence of this event. The pride had only assumed that their Queen was helping her daughter, given that Busara also had some medical knowledge from her time spent with the mandrills in her youth.

Nobody would know what really happened...until Busara was ready to tell little Uru the truth. Right now...Uru would be the daughter of Crown Princess Jani and granddaughter to Queen Busara. It was all good.