AN: Thank you for all your visits.
graywolf95: Thank you for reviewing every chapter. I know that school is a horrible time consumer. They think that we don't have any other interesting occupations that school ;-) I've always said that the school (and now college) is destroying my social and family life and hobbies. Moral - school should be forbidden XD.
Chapter2: Well, I'm happy to hear that you liked it. To answer your question: Makali and Uru are twins but Makali was born first and it makes her the heir (if there's no male heir.) That's why Uru ironically calls her a big sis'. I probably should write it somewhere, it's my fault. Uru has never considered herself as a next queen and isn't very interested in politics, but it may change... She somehow has to become the next queen and Ahadi's wife, right? ;).
Chapter3: Thanks. Ghafi is a prickly aristocat and she will be the most noticeable antagonist in the story. I tried to create the interesting evil character with some background and I think that I succeded (Yeah, I'm bragging a bit ;-) ).
Yesterday was almost whole chapter about hyenas' issues, today it's about lions. Read, have fun and remember to write some reviews ;-) There is some footnotes, marked with * and number, e. g. *1. The notes are on the very bottom of the page.
Chapter 7 'I've never expected this.'
Betrayals during war are childlike compared with our betrayals during peace.
Anthony Minghella, 'The English Patient'
The next days were very calm. The sisters' days were filled with pleasant naps, some hunting and cubsitting. The nights they spent with Usiku and Joma. Makali's boyfriend turned out to be very understanding. He agreed to stop intimate contacts during her heat if she hadn't wanted to have children. She felt great, with her nose dug into his bushy mane, hearing his constant purring and listening to his stupid and sweet compliments. She never presumed that she was so avid on praises. Only sometimes she felt a short sting of anxiety, but it wasn't very disturbing.
Quite demanding and time-consuming duty were the lessons with Mohatu. After the reconciliation the king decided to teach the both sisters, not only Makali. They walked through the Pridelands, listening about different types of animals, their problems and conflicts between species.
For example the giraffes often had conflicts with the elephants. The giraffes ate acacias, the trees that can pump toxins into its leafs after a few minutes of feeding and can "communicate" sending substances travelling with the wind that made other acacias also became toxic. That's why the giraffes nibbled one acacia and travelled upwind to the next tree.*1) The elephants have much more varied diet so they don't mind if they disrupt the giraffes' feeding. Obviously it led to the endless feuds. Uru felt as if her head was going to explode from the knowledge excess, but Makali seemed to feel great.
'It's quite evident that she's a walking encyclopedia.' Uru thought with a lot of admiration, but also with a pinch of jealousy.
That day they were talking about positions in the kingdom.
'So, what is a difference between a majordomo and a chancellor? Uru?' Mohatu asked.
'Uff, an easy question.' Uru thought with relief. She answered: 'A majordomo means a chief of the king's home. He gathers information about the kingdom. He also keeps an eye on the royal etiquette. On the other hand a chancellor cares about the foreign affairs, advises the king and replaces him in time of an absence.'
'Good. Let's talk about the chancellors. When they can make decisions on behalf of the king?'
That was much harder question. Thankfully, Makali saved the sisters' honor, making a decent lecture about the chancellor's powers and then about the historical reasons of hereditary staffing of majordomo position by the house of Zazu, a well known hornbill family.
'I'm impressed.' The king said when Makali finished.
'Thanks, dad. The chancellor Ghafi has taught us this. She's a great teacher.'
They slowly walked back to the Priderock. Uru leaned to Makali.
'The chancellor Ghafi is… what?' she whispered.
'Well, if we want to make her step down, I will be good to make her attack first.'
'My big sis is so smart?' Uru purred.
'Huh, maybe even smexy. I don't feel well with such compliments.' She said unwillingly. 'Just watch me now.'
She walked a bit faster to overtake Mohatu.
'Dad, is it true that every former chancellor and advisor has right to that title and the entitling position in the pride.'
'Absolutely true.' Mohatu nodded.
'So why is Madame Imani, a former chancellor and queen's counselor, sitting at the last row on every ceremony and during prey partitions?'
Mohatu stopped. He seemed very confused with his brows rose high and dazed eyes.
'Well, Ghafi is settling the order. You should ask her.'
'We asked her only to hear some senseless allegations. Could you talk with her and explain it?'
'Well, I'll see what…'
'Dad, please, just do it.' Makali interfered and kissed Mohatu in his cheek 'I love you dad.'
From that time Imani was sitting in the first row and the sisters celebrated their first victory. It was even sweeter when they saw a short hateful look in Ghafi's eyes before she sobered up enough to smile gallantly.
The following days were extremely hot, not unusual in an early dry season.
The sisters tried to find a nice, shadowed place. It wasn't easy. They could hide in some bushes but it was stifling hot there. So they maundered without any aim.
'Hey, what are you doing here?' somebody shouted to them. The sisters looked around a bit feverishly. It was Ahadi. He also looked overheated.
'We'll boil here. I know a good place with a cool wind.' He said.
'Oh, you're saving us!' Makali sighed.
Eventually they crawled to a small hill. On the top of it there was some boulders giving a shadow and a promised cool wind.
'Ahh, how nice..' Makali moaned. 'This heat is a horror.'
'A horror?' Uru asked 'You know nothing about the horrors. Guess who is the only dark-coated lion in this pride. I'm dyyyyying!' She sprawled herself on the grass, looking almost lifelessly, only panting heavily with her tongue out of the mouth.
'Maybe you should shave yourself. You would feel much cooler.' Ahadi suggested.
'Only if you lend me your mane on colder days!' Uru answered provocatively.
Makali closed her eyes, listening to her arguing friends. They're as good as a cabaret, so she didn't disturb them, just occasionally giggling when she heard next jests.
'It's too hot even here.' Uru decided. 'I'm going to the waterhole to drown myself.' She got up and slowly set off.
'Come with us, it'll be fun.' Makali tipped a wink to Ahadi.
'Isn't it a bit dangerous?' he asked rhetorically.
'No, I'm so fat that I float.' Uru yelled with some irony.
'She's a great swimmer.' Makali whispered.
'The lions can swim?' Ahadi asked with disbelief. *2)
Yes, they can. Ahadi could see it on his own eyes when Uru jumped into a waterhole with a loud squelch, splashing the water and spattering her friends with small drops, glittering in sun.
'Ahh, what a relief!' Uru moaned when she emerged, strongly paddling with all her paws, much in the way that dogs swim. 'Hey, guys, jump in!'
'I can't. I could wet my mane and I'd look like an old carpet.' Ahadi said.
'Okay, everybody knows that you're spending a few hours every day making your mane more "cool". We don't want to destroy that piece of art! Makali?'
'Neither do I. The water is too cold' Makali imitated a voice of a spoiled princess. 'Really I can't. I'll tell you why later.'
'Where is she?' Ahadi asked when Uru dived.
She emerged near the bank powerfully splashing water and completely wetting Ahadi. He looked like an old carpet.
'I expected something like that from you, Uru. You won. May I go and dry myself now?' he asked calmly, looking a bit miserably.
'Suit yourself.' The younger princess nodded.
'So what's that "great secret"?' Uru asked when Ahadi left the place. Makali leaned to her
'I have a period.' She whispered.
'Oh, holly dolly, girl, don't scare me like that.' Uru caught her arms and shook her. 'I really thought that you might be pregnant.'
It was a kind of irony that the lioness that loved the cubs was so scared that she would have one. The moral that Makali should have made up from this story is that she shouldn't have had a premarital sex in the countries where she can't get a decent condom or pills.
Obviously it didn't stop her from meeting Joma, but on her behalf I have to say that she kept her calendar much more carefully to check her safe days.
At the afternoon, after a refreshing bath, Makali decided to visit her friends, group of three young lionesses - Kribi, Mpira and Nzuri, Imani's daughter.
'Come with me, please.' Makali begged Uru.
Younger sister didn't like Makali's friends, especially Kribi. They couldn't help arguing as soon as they faced each other. Meanwhile Mpira and Nzuri seemed very boring to Uru, as they were always talking about boys, but they never did anything to see with them.
'They don't like me. I'd rather take a nap instead.'
'Please. I'd be so happy if you could just… spend time together.' Makali continued. 'Do it for me…'
'Don't make those puppy eyes.' Uru sighted. 'All right, I'll go.'
Makali's friends was lying in the shadow around The Rocks. Kribi was unofficial leader of that group. Maybe that's why she hated Uru, who considered herself as an unofficial leader of everything.
'Hi girls!' Makali greeted her friends. They're very happy to see her. Uru wasn't accepted so friendly.
'Oh gosh, what did you drag with you'. Kribi asked Makali.
'I can leave right now.' Uru growled.
'Stop it, girls, really.' Makali cut the starting quarrel.
'Guess what? I passed my first hunt ceremony.' Mpira exclaimed. Makali hugged her tightly.
'I was sure that you'll manage.' she said.
'We're celebrating it right now.' Kribi said. ' Mpira hunted a nice zebra. That was great. She pounced at the zebra, completely surprising it. It didn't utter a one squeal.'
'Thanks, darling.' Mpira giggled.
'It was you second attempt, wasn't it?' Uru asked. She really felt awkward and unfamiliar when everybody looked at her with disgust. 'Sorry. I just wanted to know.'
'Yes, it was.' Mpira said coldly.
'Makali, we couldn't find you for last few days. What did you do?' Nzuri asked impatiently. She was a light-brownish coated lioness with a beige underbelly, skinny like Imani and a pessimist.
'Nothing, I stuck with Uru…' The older sister said, a bit embarrassed.
'Makali also caught something. It's big, sweet and very fluffy…' Uru smiled mysteriously.
'You'd better tell them about your new boyfriend, Usiku.' Makali said, blushing under her fur. It wasn't fair of her, but she really didn't want to tell about Joma. She was ashamed of her own behavior.
'Don't change the subject.' Uru laughed.
'Do you want to brag about your "conquests" again?' Kribi scoffed sourly.
'You may lose a few teeth because of such comments.' Uru growled. Makali tried to stop them but Uru silenced her with a gesture. 'I want to explain that. Have I ever bragged about my boys? Sometimes, I repeat sometimes, I answered your questions because you wanted to hear something interesting. Is that right?'
Mpira and Nzuri nodded hesitantly. Kribi just snarled.
'Okay, I'd better go before Kribi will explode. Kribi, remember, dear - soreness harms the loveliness and you don't have much loveliness to save.'
'Uru, stay. Please.' Nzuri said. It was surprising for Uru. As Imani's daughter she was always nice for her, but Uru would have never suspected that she could stand up to Kribi. 'This place is really boring. I like listening to the gossips you tell us. I don't want to live from one hunt to another, just sleeping between them. I would die!'
'Okay, okay.' Uru smiled and sat down. She told a bit about Usiku and some gossips from the Ushindi Pride (their king, Chafuko, was said to be very handsome and his sexual achievements were legendary). Even Makali said something about Joma, and all the lionesses agreed that he must be really cute with so fluffy fur. An atmosphere became friendlier.
'What animal do you like most?' Mpira asked. She always thought up strange games or talk subjects.
'The singing birds, like the starlings. They are pretty like the superb starling, you know, that small bird with orange belly, metallic blue wings and black head and they also sing beautiful songs. ' Makali said. Nobody knew what that "Superb starling" is as the normal lionesses don't pay attention to those small, sometimes irritating feather balls.
'I love hyenas.' Uru said self-confidently.
'No way! They're ugly and obnoxious!' Kribi taunted.
'They are ruled by the females.' Uru smiled.
'So they're stupid. It's against the laws of nature.' Kribi disagreed.
'Why? Are we inferior to males in any way?'
An uncomfortable silence…
'Kribi, your turn now' Mpira whispered.
'I like the lions. Especially the male ones.' The asked lioness said, causing a great laughter.
At the evening the weather cooled down and the sisters exploited it to go on a walk. The dusk came very early.
'We'll go starseeing today too?' Makali asked.
'Oh, you're that impatient? You like Joma, huh?'
'It's quite obvious' Makali smiled. 'Let's go and ask father.'
'He said that he'll come back late. I don't want to look for him. We informed Ghafi where we are going, she'll tell him.'
Makali nodded.
I remember that when I was small, I made up a funny song…
'Oh, everything but not that!' Makali moaned.
'Have you ever thought
In your brightest caught
That the this love could
Be the greatest good
To me '
'You were always prolonging this 'meee' is such annoying way.' Makali said 'Exactly like now'
'Nestled at your paws
Guarded by your jaws
I was passing by
In the quiet bliss
When you gave me kiss'
'Probably "a kiss". Grammar, Uru, grammar. And you've lost a one rime.' Makali scoffed.
'Come on. I was three then I came up with that. It's quite an achievement.'
'I'm waiting on that song that you've been thinking up for a last month.'
'Shut up.' Uru whispered, becoming somehow serious. She stopped.
'No, I won't. You're just lazy.' Makali disagreed.
'No, somebody's talking. It's Ghafi… and Mohatu.'
'So what?'
'Let's sneak up to them and eavesdrop what they're talking about.' Uru said.
'Why?'
'Don't you want to know what Ghafi's planning?'
'It's a bad idea. It's a bad idea.' Makali repeated in her mind when they sneak up. 'Why I'm agreeing on such things. Uru has bad influence on me.'
Eventually they managed to close enough to understand the chat.
'…Ghafi.' Mohatu purred lustfully. 'I can't believe that after so many years you still look so intimidating.'
'Oui?' Ghafi asked joyfully, as she bantered with him.
'Of course. I could pounce on you like on a gazelle.' Mohatu purred.
'Rather like on a hippo.' Uru thought.
'Really, you don't have to worry about Imani. It means nothing. You know that she deserves that damned place.'
'She pushed out mes disciples… my followers.' Ghafi said sourly.
'You'll reward them in other way. Don't worry about that. Think that our son will be the next king.'
Ghafi involuntarily patted her belly.
'We don't know if it's a male. It's just a first mois… month.' She said.
'Oh, I'm sure about it.' Mohatu chuckled and leaned to Ghafi to give her a kiss.
'And what about your les nullard daughters? What if they won't agree?'
'I'm their king. They don't have a choice. I can betroth them to some princes and just send them away… I haven't decided yet…'
'With help of foreigners they can be even more dangerous. Especially that petite salope, Uru. *3) You should finish her or she'll harm your son!'
'Maybe… Don't hurry so much. We have a whole life for it…' Mohatu purred lustfully, leaning to Ghafi.
Makali uttered a strange sound, resembling a sob, and ran away, making a lot of noise.
'What was that? Somebody overheard us!' Ghafi exclaimed.
Uru froze. Cold sweat descended between her blade-bones… She understood that she won't stay alive if they catch her…
AN: Footnotes:
*1) Really. I've read it in a one popular science magazine. You can read about that in the wikipedia.
*2) Yes,the lions can swim and some even hunt in the water. If you don't believe, watch the great documentary "The last lions".
*3) Ghafi calls Uru "la petite salope" - "this small bitch" in French. Not very kind, Ghafi!
AN: Thanks for reading. I hope that you liked it. There's a nice cliffhanger and the and, isn't it. ;-) But you will have to wait till next friday on the chapter 7. Have a nice week and remember about the reviews :)
