The sun was perched high in the sky as Kiara lay contently at the peak of Pride Rock. She gave her chest a content lick as a soft breeze blew through the savanna. Despite the Dry Season being in full swing, she couldn't help but enjoy a good lounge in the sunlight. It's nice to take a break, with all the running around I've been doing the past few days… She gave a yawn of content and rested her head between her paws. After her botched hunt with the rest of the lionesses, Kiara had decided that worrying about when Kovu would return was doing her no good.

She had decided to join every patrol, every hunt, and join her mother and father to observe how they settled several problems throughout the territory. When she had tried to join the patrol that morning, the other lionesses kindly told her to take the day off. She hadn't complained too much. Whenever she found herself fretting about Kovu, she simply thought to herself, He could just be taking a bit longer to settle things with the Outlander's new pride, or he could be spending some time with the Outlanders since they were his original pride, or maybe he's waiting for Rafiki to finish his reunion so they can journey home together. She had even decided to stop taking count of how many days he had been gone. He'll be back soon enough...

Kiara let out a breath as she flicked the troubling thoughts away as if they were a pesky fly. The wind quieted for a moment, allowing for her to pick up the sound of her parents softly snoring within the Royal Den. They had spent the night running throughout the Pridelands, trying to catch a rambunctious set of gray parrot fledglings who had decided scaring up herds of gazelle and zebra in the middle of the night was the most hilarious idea. Kiara couldn't help but smile as she remembered how furious the parrots' mother had been. Kiara wasn't sure if the silver bird was more angry at her twin's misbehavior or from being woken up in the middle of the night.

The wind picked up again, bringing another sound on the breeze. The panicked yelling of a familiar voice and a flurry of wing beats met Kiara's ears. She raised her head to find Zazu fluttering swiftly towards her, his eyes wide with panic.

"Sire!" He called, his feathery chest heaving for breath. "SIRE!" Zazu dropped ungracefully behind Kiara, his blue feathers uncharacteristically ruffled with fright.

"My father is asleep. What is it Zazu?" Kiara stood up, her heart beginning to pound from the urgency in the majordomo's voice. Zazu barely managed to shake his head as he began to stumble towards the Royal Den. "Zazu, please. I can handle it, my parents need their rest. If it is something important, you can trust me as the Princess of the Pridelands to figure it out." Zazu turned back to her, molting feathers with almost every movement. He took one last look at the entrance of the lion's sleeping quarters before addressing Kiara.

"Princess, you must come quickly. This situation is serious. We must hurry, I'll tell you on the wing." Zazu lifted up into the air. Kiara nodded and swiftly descended down Pride Rock to the ground. Her paw pads felt slippery on the rock, the weight of having to face the situation without her parents dropping down onto her shoulders. She raced after Zazu, her claws digging into the earth with every stride as the grassland passed her in a golden blur. Kiara glanced up at the hornbill as he drifted down within shouting distance.

"At the watering hole! It's the crocodiles!" Zazu squawked. "They've killed an okapi calf!"


Kiara's thoughts began to clamor within her head as she approached the watering hole, a ruckus of agitated herbivores reaching her ears. They've killed an okapi calf… Zazu's words repeated in her ears. This is bad. Very, very bad. Her father had granted several okapis refuge within the Pridelands, barring any predator from hunting them or their young. With their kind having low numbers, Simba had made it known throughout the land that the okapi were not to be bothered. There were plenty other herbivores within the Prideland's boundaries to hunt. Preying upon the quaint brown plant eaters was a foolish and disrespectful choice.

Zazu had already taken up roost in a tree overlooking the watering hole, conversing with other birds who had already spread the news to other sectors of the land. Kiara took a deep breath before cresting the short rise that overlooked the watering hole. Zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest all clustered together as their restless hooves turned the area into a dust bowl. A troop of elephants gave irritated grumbles, annoyed at the feebleness of the smaller herbivores. A she-cheetah wavered at the edge of the water, seeming to wonder if a drink was worth being in the same vicinity as all the boisterous herbivores.

But what drew Kiara's attention the most was the female okapi that stood within the water's shallows as the murky water lapped at her striped legs. She paced back and forth, bleating in vain to a calf that would never return. From a deeper spot within the small lake, a slick of blood had formed on the water's surface. A few of the herbivores looked Kiara's way absently, thinking she was nothing but one of the pride's other lionesses. They were naturally expecting the mighty presence of Simba's red mane, or the matriarchal aura of Nala's sleek form. It was only when one of the elephants pointed their trunk at her did the rest of the herbivores grow quiet.

Kiara shivered as the silence grew, numerous eyes watching for her next move and countless ears swiveling to hear her words. She took another deep breath and began the descent towards the edge of the watering hole. The herbivores parted and made a path for her, their hooves stamping as they watched her slink past. In situations like this, the herbivores seemed to lack any fear of their natural predators, and Kiara found herself bristling as their heads swiveled to follow her movements. As she approached the shore of the lake, a glistening form apparated out of the depths to meet her.

"Macho," she spoke as she came to a stop in front of the crocodile. "I've been informed your float has made a kill here. Is this true?" Kiara spoke slowly, hoping to flatten out any tremors that threatened to rise up in her voice. She watched as Macho gave a slow blink, water dripping off of his dark green scales and knobbly skull. Kiara couldn't read his reptilian expression much, but she could almost smell the puzzlement he was experiencing at not being confronted by the king or queen. Kiara observed as he seemed to give a toothy grimace, seemingly the crocodile version of a sly grin.

"Yes…" Macho hissed in reply. Kiara waited for him to continue, but she soon figured out that he had decided to rely on her to continue this confrontational conversation. He knows I can't force him to say anything… She quelled the growl in her throat, the rumble forming from both frustration and insecurity.

"What was the nature of this kill, Macho?" she paused for a reply but was only met with Macho's cold stare. "Would it have anything to do with the distraught okapi cow over there?" She motioned to the female who had now retreated from the water, her head hung with sorrow. Kiara was about to press further when she thought Macho would remain silent, but the crocodile eventually spoke.

"Calf got too close while my float sunbathed… One of my crocodiles used their teeth to warn him off…" Macho paused, letting out another eerie hiss. "Wasn't our fault the calf snapped like a twig from what was an honest warning."

"And you decided to consume the body?" Kiara lifted her eyes to the dark blot within the water, growing smaller as the blood began to sink to the bottom.

"Would have been a waste otherwise." the crocodile replied flatly. "Now, the calf's death was not in vain and my float gains a meal." Macho let out a guttural bellow and several scaly heads appeared at the surface of the water, their eyes holding the same cold expression as their leader. Kiara acknowledged them with an unmoved stare, playing off her lashing tail as simply swatting away the flies from her flanks.

"Macho, you know that-" Kiara began.

"Enough, princess," Macho cut her off, his eyes gaining a predatory glint. "I will talk with you no more. I will only be speaking with the King himself about this matter from now on, not his little cub." Kiara knew he had raised his voice for all to hear, using his words in an attempt to ridicule her. She felt her skin grow even hotter at his demeaning tone and she did not hold back her growl this time. Macho gave a reptilian chortle, swinging his body around to return to his watery domain. Instinctively, Kiara slapped a paw down on the crocodile's tail as he turned his back on her.

Before she could even react, Macho's jaws were a whisker's length from her head, wide open and letting out a bellow that rattled her skull. Kiara froze, her blood running cold. Her nose was assaulted with the odor of his breath; the damp smell of fish, blood, carrion, and death. A flash of her encounter with crocodiles as a cub made her gut clench and her throat tighten up, almost allowing a crackling whimper to escape her mouth. The creatures around the watering hole went quiet, even the soft chatter of the birds and shuffle of hooves had ceased. The only sound to be heard was the soft crying of the calf's mother. The mother's wails carried over the water, engulfing Kiara in the emotion of her lost child.

I can't bring her calf back… Kiara's wide eyes ran over every tooth in Macho's bone-crushing jaws. But she deserves justice, and that's something I can give her. Kiara blinked slowly as she gathered herself. As she opened her eyes, she pinned her ears and rose to her full height. She was still smaller than the crocodile leader by a fair margin, but she didn't let that deter her.

"Macho, leader of the crocodiles," she began. "You have ignored several rulings made by the King of the Pridelands. You have made the water undrinkable for the rest of the day by churning up mud and silt. And not only have you made a kill at this watering hole at a time that has been deemed inappropriate," She motioned to the position of the sun in the sky, emphasizing her point. "But you have also blatantly ignored the King's wishes when it comes to the predation on okapi." She watched as Macho's mouth slowly began to close, his eyes flaring at her words. "You're right, Macho. I am the Princess. But that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if I'm the future Queen, a giraffe, a vulture, a mouse, or even a lowly dung beetle. Your float's actions were wrong, and you know that. The Pridelands has rules when it comes to the Circle of Life, and everyone must follow them if they wish to live here. And just remember, the other animals within the Pridelands have a say in who gets exiled from the territory." She gave a small glance over her shoulder as a commotion caught her attention, and her chest swelled with hope as she saw the herbivores crowding closer with their heads held high. She turned back to Macho, her voice calm and smooth.

"The King will hear about this, Macho. And when he does, you will have to answer for what you have allowed to happen here. That's all I have to say." Kiara gave the best impression of her mother she could muster by giving a graceful nod. Macho finally closed his mouth and slowly slid back to the water, taking note not to turn his back on her this time around. He growled softly before him and his float dipped under the surface of the water with barely a ripple. Kiara let her posture relax, and let out a shaky breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She turned to find the entire crowd of herbivores staring at her, their eyes gleaming in expectation of her next words. She thought quickly of what the next best option would be.

"The watering hole will need time for the mud to settle before it will be drinkable again, and that may take some time. The river should be a safe drinking spot for now. If the hippos give you any trouble, please send them to Pride Rock to voice their concerns." Kiara spoke to the crowd, her confidence bolstered by their faith in her. At first, nothing happened. But eventually, the herbivores moved in unison to the direction of the river that ran through the Pridelands. The sound of fluttering wings filled the sky as birds soared off to share the news. The female okapi caught Kiara's eye and gave her a soft blink before melting into the stream of hooved animals.

With the herds on the move, Kiara began to return to Pride Rock to give the news to her parents. A clatter of wings sounded above her and she felt the weight of Zazu land on her shoulder. They traveled in silence for quite some time, both of them quietly mulling over the day's events. With each step, Kiara's legs grew weaker until she eventually collapsed and fell on her side. Zazu fluttered off before he could get squished, but returned to place a comforting wing on Kiara's head. She closed her eyes, letting the rush of adrenaline leave her trembling body.

"That was very brave of you, Princess," Zazu spoke. "If I had realized it would have put you in that much danger, I never would have given you such an important task." Kiara gave a sigh of acknowledgment at his words, still too dazed to speak. After a few more moments, she finally found her voice.

"Do you think I handled it the right way, Zazu?" she asked softly.

"Well, the right way depends on a lot of things. Do you think you handled it the right way? That is what's most important." Zazu responded. When he didn't get an answer, he continued. "Whatever you think Kiara, I thought you did reasonably well. I personally would've been a bit less foolish...or brash...or physical… But you looked like the spitting image of a seasoned queen from where I was perched."

"Really?" She gave a small smile.

"Really! The way you stood up to Macho and gained the support of the herbivores, even with those teeth of his a whisker away from your face? I would've fainted from fright and the stench right on the spot." He gave her a sideways smile in return. "Kiara, I grew up with your grandfather and helped him and your grandmother grow into great rulers. I helped your father and mother when your father returned to rightfully claim the throne. And I'll be there for you and Kovu when the time comes for it. From what I saw today, you'll do just fine."

"Aww, Zazu." Kiara giggled and snatched him in a tight hug. "I didn't know you had such a soft side!" Zazu put up a small struggle for show but settled into Kiara's snug embrace.

"Ah, well, yes. I assume I've gotten a bit sentimental in my older age." Zazu responded dryly but didn't pull away. Kiara released him, and he ruffled his feathers back in order before flapping into the air. "Come now Princess, mustn't dawdle. We need to inform your parents on what has happened." He lifted higher into the sky and soared in the direction of Pride Rock. Kiara followed steadily, her legs still a bit numb. She set her jaw as she formed a retelling of events in her head to tell her parents.

This had been her first real test, whether she had realized it or not. She thought back on her cubhood and her troubled attitude towards the position of queen in previous seasons. As an only cub, she had wanted nothing to do with the position as queen. When her brother came along, she had tried to embrace the role to set a good example, but it never felt natural to her. Kiara mulled over Zazu's words. Maybe being a queen doesn't have to feel natural… Maybe it just needs to feel…right… She quickened her pace as she made her way home to Pride Rock.


A/N: Glad to be back. I told y'all I wasn't going to abandon this story! This chapter was originally supposed to center around our human characters, but I thought to wait four months to read about humans doing human things would've been a bit drab. And as I've been thinking about this story more and more, I want to develop Kiara as well. She may be more of a device to show how things are going in the Pridelands, but she's not just Kovu's lovebug. She's the future queen and should be treated as such!

Until the next chapter, happy travels. :]