Disclaimer: I don't own any Lion King things!
Title: The Silent Queen
Summary: The tale of Senka, the shadow queen, from cubhood to death. Warnings put in each individual chapter.
Chapter Title: New Law
...
Senka allowed her mind to wander as she cleaned her pelt, the scent of dust still on her nose.
The waters may be back, but prey wouldn't hunt itself. The lionesses were pushed to their limits, yet they brought back little. She took as much time to herself as possible to pitch in, but it wasn't enough. At this rate, it never would be.
Spitting out the hairs clinging to her tongue, she glanced at Outcast, who was watching her. Staring, really. Even with her pelt coated in dust, she was prettier then Senka would ever be.
"You're sprucing yourself up." She commented blandly. "What's the occasion?"
"An announcement." Senka replied, having only just come to the conclusion. If she were being perfectly honest, it'd been a fit of jealousy more than anything else; an attempt to make herself look half of what her adviser was. "I can't go looking like I bathed with hippos."
"You look good." Outcast assured her, tail twitching lazily. Senka couldn't get a read on what she was thinking. "Very pretty."
Senka stood and stretched. "I look as good as I can. No more, no less."
Outcast paced their shared cave with a sort of confidence that made it not look like pacing. "And what sort of announcement are you making, if I may ask?"
"The kind that will never go well." Senka answered dryly, examining her paws. "I'd better sharpen my claws while I'm at it."
Outcast's eyes bore into hers. "Do you think you'll need them?"
"With how things have gone recently? It's not a bad probability."
The adviser slowly nodded her head. "I'll go gather the pride."
Senka felt a stone weight in her belly as she padded to the edge of the meeting rock. She hated being up there; it made her feel snooty. It was harder for her voice to carry down below, however.
She briefly caught sight of Ciman, poking his head out to see above the other lions. His face gave her courage.
"The waters have come back." Senka announced, head high. "But it will take time for the plants and prey to come with it. Hunting is hard, and we need as many cats on board as possible. And so, with this in mind, I have decided that all lions will learn to hunt."
Senka thought she heard a lioness rumble that it was about time.
"Lionesses hunt!" A lion- his muzzle was criss-crossed with scars- called. "That's how it's always been!"
"Times change." She replied steadily. "If we don't get more hunters, we'll starve."
"I always knew she was crazy, but this is too far!" Another called.
"If you want to challenge my law, then step forward. We'll settle this with words or claws; take your pick." Senka reluctantly leapt down. She'd feared it would come to this.
As fighting a queen is a big deal, no one moves for a long moment. Then, the first opposer stepped forward.
"I challenge you. You've gone too far this time, shadow queen. Tradition is what makes us who we are."
"You want to hold to old law." She acknowledged him with a curt nod. "And maybe that's whats right, in the end. But our pride won't be around to celebrate right or wrong if we don't learn."
"We learned how to fight!" A lioness called. "It didn't kill us!"
Senka sent them a grateful look.
The lion charged.
She felt the air be knocked out of her as she dug her claws into his back. Lips drawn back in a snarl, Senka sunk her teeth into his mane.
Murmurs of shock ran through the pride as the two lions wrestled for their ideals. Outcast stepped closer to help her, then backed away at Senka's frantic shake of the head. Claws raked across her face. Returning the favor with a growl, Senka rammed her body into his legs to knock him over, pinning his back firmly to the ground.
"Enough!"
The second lion- a small built, skinny thing- bowed his head before padding over. "Your majesty, if I may?"
She nodded to him, chest heaving. "Speak."
"My name is Azubuike." Azubuike rumbled. "I also go against your new law. I will lead any opposing pride members away from your kingdom. We need not fight."
"Please, stay within the boundaries." She didn't argue him, tail dropped. Senka would never be half the speaker Afa was. "This land is yours, just as it is mine. If you wish to live separately, I won't stop you. The less mouths to feed in these times, the better."
"Thank you, your majesty." He bowed his head again before turning to the pride. "Who will come with me?"
"I will."
"Me!"
"Anything is better than this."
Senka watched as a little under half the pride gather at his paws with a sense of dawning horror. It felt like she'd caused a war of her own. "You may come and go as you please." She tried. "This is no banishment."
"The same goes to you." Azubuike signaled to the group, and without another word they turned and slunk away.
"You have scratches." Outcast hummed, licking a wound on her back. "You should see a healer."
"Let them scar. I must never forget this day." Senka quietly set her head on her paws. "I've managed to tear my own pride apart."
"They'll be back. In walking away, they've become responsible for their own hunting. Once they see the truth to your words, they'll return."
She lifted her head. "What about you, Outcast? What do you think of all this?"
Outcast shrugged. "I think that starvation is a horrible way to go."
Senka hummed, remembering her days as a rogue, prior to finding Lion. "You're not wrong."
"Your majesty?" A voice wafted inside. "May I come in?"
"Of course." She called back. A long-legged lioness trotted into the entrance and bowed.
"Your majesty, queen Senka. I have a message for you. From king Merari."
Senka's ears pricked. "Come inside. This is a private matter."
Author's Note: I return!
I promise, I'm not done with this fanfic. I'm just taking my time.
A new name! Azubuike means 'the past is your strength' and/or 'your back is your strength.' (At least, so the internet tells me.)
-Mandaree1
