-AN-
hey guys! sorry I haven't uploaded a new chapter since last year *ba da bum tss* some bad jokes to start the new year lol.
one more things guys chapters are getting longer cause otherwise this story will be 100 chapters long :/
-Ali
Chapter 21
2 months later
Kopa's point of view
I had another long day ahead of me today lessons with dad in the morning the run to the other side of the kingdom to meet with mom and for a hunting lesson and then on the afternoon then after lunch our combat practice
"Well look who finally decided to join us" Kiara rolls her eyes as I run to catch up with her and Kion at the grasslands for a hunting lesson with mom something I'm not looking forward to.
"You're late koko" Kion smirked
"Oh so you can call him koko but we can't call you Ki?" my sister asks him and he rolls his eyes and then turned to me "where were you anyways?"
"Oh I know!" Kion smirked nudging me "he was someone whose name starts with a V"
"And ends with itani?" Kiara laughed nudging me as well
"I was not with her today!" say getting flustered
"But you were yesterday…" Kion pointed out
"And the day before that…" Kiara added
I swear if wasn't covered in fur you would see the reddest red painted on my face. I have been spending a lot of time with Vitani lately but I was hoping they didn't notice "And the-" Kion tried to go on but luckily mom came to my rescue
"Stop tormenting your brother" she said in a warning tone without even turning to look at us, she was obviously in huntress mode right now
"Thank you mom but if they must know I was with dad" I explained and they rolled their eyes "and I'm not even going to ask why you two didn't assist today"
"Hey! Uncle Ehsan took me on patrol with the guard" Kion said retorted, understandable excuse I mean he will become the leader one day.
"I just didn't feel like going" Kiara answered with a smug look on her face, oh Kiki even after being grounded for 2 months she learned nothing. I think she was actually happy with the punishment cause she didn't had to go on the morning lessons and dad could tell so he doesn't forces them to come anymore its usually just me and him. I wanted to say something to her but I figured it was no use she doesn't even listens to dad so we just kept following mom trough the tall grasses until we reached convenient location with a clear enough view but still hidden from the herds and she decided to test our knowledge usually she would just bring us along and tell us the basic rules and end the lesson with a demonstration but this time was going to be different.
"What's the first thing we do?" she asked in a low voice
"We study the heard for weak spots?" Kiara answered and mom nodded, my sisters scarlet eyes scanned quickly through the lands, sometimes puts too much pressure on herself by comparing her hunting skills to mom's and right now my sister is trying to show her that she knows what she's doing I know she's been trying to improve her hunting skills so she can be ready to go on her first solo hunt before she turns two like mom did and I think she will be. She spotted something and leaned closer to mom whispering "there! Up ahead" and pointing at a lonely zebra
"Perfect, a straggler and he's injured" The poor animal was limping and his heard kept moving as if they didn't care, oh kings I usually love seeing my mother smile but this time I have a bad feeling about it "well, let's go" mom said with a smile and began moving towards the zebra.
"We're going too?" I ask and she nods in response, Kion and Kiara grin in excitement and follow mom's lead while my face goes blank
"Make use of every bit of cover, stay hidden for as long as possible and use surprise" she explained turning to us and her eyes fell on mine I sighed and furrowed my brows "don't give me that look"
"Mamma, I'm not interested in hunting…" I began
"Kopa, you have a very privileged life here in the Pridelands specially being a prince, but knowing how to hunt is a basic skill that you as a lion should have because knowing how to hunt can be the difference between living and dying" she says firmly but without losing her temper, I nodded my head slowly understanding her point but inside my stomach was already churning at the thought of killing a living being "come on now" she said and we all moved into attack positions. I kept eyeing mom nervously waiting for her to pounce, the zebra inched closer to her and when it was close enough she pounced clamping the herbivore's nose and mouth shut with her jaws while my siblings jump on its rump and wrestle him down and I'm still frozen a few meters away from them.
"Kopa go for the throat!" Kiara yelled as help on to the zebra preventing it from kicking
"Now, Kopa!" Kion yelled as he stood on its back weighting it down "What are you waiting for? Take him out!"
"I can't" I say shaking my head, mom clenches her jaw hard on the zebra within seconds it all ends I know the zebra is dead when it stops struggling.
"What's wrong with you?" Kion frowned jumping off the now dead zebra
"What in the Pridelands Kopa!" Kiara snapped at me "why didn't you help us?"
"I'm sorry, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself" I say looking down at the ground
"You see this?" Kion said getting in my face with his teeth showing "this are made to kill"
"And so are these" Kiara sneered unsheathing her claws and slashing the zebra's throat, I winced and looked away horrified at the scene. "There, that's how it's done" she says and storms away with Kion.
"Mamma I-" I choke out, she sighs closing her eyes "dad, grandpa Mufasa and Rafiki always taught me that all life is sacred from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope"
"Yes. All life is sacred" she replies "they have taught you well but remember Kopa you might be a gentle spirited prince but you're still a lion, and this my son is what lions do" she said turning her head towards the carcass.
Kion's point of view
You know I can understand that Kopa was a bit frightened by our first hunt I was too but I got over it because I've learned to not disobey my parents yeah two moths grounded does things to you, anyways as I was saying Kopa disobeyed mom today and he disobeys her every day when he refuses to attack during training combat and all I'm saying is that he never gets in trouble for it but oh if it was me who did it, dad would've grounded me for another two months but since it was Kopa the wonder prince he only had a heart to hear talk to him and gave him permission to skip hunting lessons until he felt ready to give it a try again and while I was only mad by the favoritism shown to my brother Kiara was also mad because he almost ruined the hunt.
"We had that zebra right there and he refused to deliver the final blow" Kiara fumed as she passed back and forth "Can you believe him?" she asked our group of friends while we were sitting under pride rocks peak.
"Ugh fluffy, that lily liver-" Vitani rolled her purple eyes
"That lily liver is your boyfriend" I smirked
"He's not my boyfriend!" she thundered raising her par to strike me but before she could Kiara spoke
"Maybe he should be" she said "having Vitani as a girlfriend would toughen him up"
Vitani tried to hide the smile on her face, oh kings can she be more obvious? "We already have Vitani on board for that but we should see if Kopa accepts" I say and everyone laughs as Vitani smacks my arm
"There's nothing wrong with Kopa is he's very kind and sweet…" Tiifu spoke out, we all turned to look at the usually quiet cub "and no one should try to change him" I mean she's right I'm sure Kiara was kidding; I know I wouldn't want my brother to change I was about to tell her that but Vitani beat me to speak
"Nobody asked for your opinion Tiifu" she narrowed her eyes at her younger sister; Tiifu lowered her green to her paws and everyone looked at each other.
"I think she's right" I shrugged hoping to fade the awkwardness by being silly "If we didn't have cowards, we couldn't tell who the brave ones are" I said puffing my chest and they all laughed
"If I'm you all think I'm the coward then why are you afraid to say it to my face?" a voice said behind me and I cringed, I slowly turned my head to see Kopa's teal eyes glaring at me
"We would but you would run and tell dad" I shot back
"Kion, don't pick on Kopa You know he's always been sensitive" Kiara says making a pouting face at Kopa
"I'm not sensitive!" He snapped defensively, Kiara and I laughed as he bounded off furious I turned my gaze to see my mother watching us from above with a serious look on her face.
"Oh kings…" I grumble. Kiara follows my gaze, her ears drop when she sees her and we sigh bracing ourselves for another 'you are triplets you must get along' speech.