Zuri couldn't believe what she had heard. Tiifu just stared down at her paws and was angry at how she was right about how it didn't feel right being around Kiara like she was hiding a secret. The king just stared down at his daughter, silently wondering how to break the silence between them before Zuri got up off her paws and looked at him.

He could see how the lioness was itching to hit him but just couldn't.

"What else did she do? What else is she hiding?"

Kion sighed before gazing down at Alika. "Nothing else. I swear it upon my mother's grave. Kiara has done nothing else. She has only murdered my mother."

Tiifu growled, baring her teeth. "What about Kopa then?"

Kion rolled his eyes. "What about Kopa? What hasn't he done? You've seen him."

Zuri shook her head at the king. She knew that wasn't what Tiifu had meant. She had a feeling Kion knew it too. "That isn't what she meant."

But Kion never answered.

TLK: DOTNO

Mheetu jumped down as he watched the rebellion work at their fighting skills. He sighed heavily knowing very well that they didn't care about not fighting. He didn't want his baby sister harmed despite knowing what their bloodline was. Who they came from.

Paka was down by the watering hole getting a drink when Mheetu moved to join her, wanting to speak about the plan a little more. It was in his nature to be good at making plans. If his parents and uncle were good at making plans to kill his grandfather and grandmother, then why shouldn't he be good at the same thing?

The lioness looked up from the water and smiled at her friend.

Mheetu grinned before nuzzling in her greeting before looking down at his reflection. "Do you remember the plan?"

"Yes, I remember." Paka answered with an eye roll. She didn't know why Mheetu didn't want to kill or shed blood. That's what happened during a rebellion - bloodshed. But he was firm on keeping their paws clean of murder.

The crown prince gazed over his shoulder at Priderock before sighing. It would soon be time for his crowning along with Hatari. His parents and uncle were thinking about stepping down. Mheetu was old enough as he was an young adult, and Hatari would grow into a fine young adult if he was king - like Kopa was.

"What's wrong, Mheetu?"

The prince sighed heavily before explaining how he was worried about Alika. If they won then she wouldn't ever be able to figure out why her family was so divided. Why they hated each other to no end and she would be caught in the middle.

Paka frowned before thrusting her head underneath Mheetu's head, surprising him. "If we win and they lose, then you can always raise Alika as your own."

Mheetu slowly relaxed before returning the gesturing, purring away before smiling softly at her before shaking his head. "I rather have her know me as her brother. Not father. But, yeah, I'll be raising her."

Paka gazed away for a moment. "And what if she asks of your parents?"

Mheetu stopped still before sighing heavily without an answer. He didn't know what he'd tell Alika about their parents. But he knew one day, he'd have to tell the truth.

TLK: DOTNO

"Kiara!"

The queen looked up from her spot on Priderock to see the gazes of her childhood friends, but blinked in confusion at the sight. They didn't seem too happy.

"What's wrong?"

Tiifu shared a look with Zuri before she frowned heavily at the queen. "We know the truth."

Kiara was taken aback. What truth? Then it hit her and a sense of dread filled with vines. They surely couldn't be talking about her mother and father's death, could they? No. They couldn't. She and her brothers had covered up their tracks perfectly with lies upon lies! There was no way those two could've figured out the truth unless they were told.

But no one knew the truth expect ...

... expect for her and her brothers ...

Zuri's eyes shifted to the sleeping princess in the queen's paws before meeting Kiara's amber eyes. "We want to hear it from you before we do anything. Now, did you do it?"

"Did... did I do what? You're not making sense." Kiara laughed nervously.

The two lionesses shared a look before nodding. This time, it was Tiifu who spoke. "You know exactly what we mean," she growled darkly as she flicked her tail, "did you kill your own mother?"

Silence.

And then...

"No!"

Kiara roared, a bit too loudly as Alika whined and she was quick to smooth her daughter's cries before glaring at her two friends. At this rate, she knew they weren't friends anymore but how could they have known?

Zuri rolled her eyes as she took a step forward. "Don't give us that crap!"

The queen sucked in a sharp breath as she replied. "But I didn't. How could I have killed my own mother?"

Another glare was passed as Kion came out of the den before stopping at the sight. He could see how Kiara was pleading for him to take Alika and he nodded before grabbing his daughter before padding back into the den, sensing this was about to get ugly real fast.

Tiifu growled as she glared. "Don't play dumb! Your paws have your mother's blood on them!"

Kiara gulped as she stood up. "I didn't kill her! Why are you suddenly like this? Who gave you such an idea?"

They couldn't rat out Kion, he was the one who told them after all. They needed to protect him. From Kopa and from Kiara. It was time he broke out of that little mind control his siblings had going on but when he broke out, it would be for good.

"What does it matter, murderer?"

Kiara glared heavily. "I'm not a murderer."

Zuri smiled as she straightened out. A smug smile on her face. "Shall we ask Kion then?"

Kiara's eyes widened as she realized what they were implying. Kion wouldn't lie about Nala. "He would say I didn't murder our mother!" she tried saying but it only gained laughs from them.