Two days after, Swhari went to say good morning to his mate. He scretched slowly, growling in pleasure with the warm morning sun. He roared over his domains, at the tip of Pride Rock. He then went to the den where she was. He suspected something was wrong, lionesses never stayed for that long in the medical den unless something happened. He stopped and hesitated for a bit before enetering, but at hearing the cub's weird and incessant cries, he removed the ivy curtain…

And what he saw froze the blood in his veins. Kijani was lying on the floor. Her claws out, and the rock where she was lying showed some scratches, undoubtedly made while she struggled to life. Her muscles were tense, and her before shiny and happy green eyes showed no life, but a tremendous fear instead. Her mouth was open in her last growl of her life, and a small thread of dried blood stained her lips red. She showed no apparent injury, except one on her belly, that was now just healing. The cub was just crying in hunger, trying to suckle milk in vain. There wasn't any doubt that she had been dead all night.

"No…" said Swhari. "NOOOOOO!" He roared, waking the rest of the pride. They quickly came to the scene, to be just as horrified as the king. He cried, nudging her for the last time. One of the lionesses of the pride picked up the cub, and put it with her own. He inmediately started drinking, relieved. She smiled, conforting him and making him feel at home with the other three cubs, a male and two females. The healer of the pride, a young lioness, white with intrincated grey patterns on her face, arrived. Her calm nature bothered the king, as she came slowly as if nothing happened.

"Kujali, come on, we don't have all day!" he growled. All the pride was surprised by this, but the healer kept going with as steady pace. The lion flexed his claws, nervous, growling. No one had seen him so anxious.

"Your nerves don't help, my king." She said, so low she nearly spit the words. He growled, but took a step away from his mate. She then went to the dead queen. She sniffed carefully, all over her. "You do know I appreciated her as much as you did." The king just growled

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING?!" he roared, jumping in front of her, but she didn't even flinched.

"Simply because she didn't told me anything. Yesterday she was fine, you saw it. She must have died just a few hours ago." The king, knowing this was true, sat down, defeated.

"Well, let's get to it…" said the healer, more to herself than for the others.

"I see no mortal wounds…" she muttered. Swhari kept pacing. Kujali, the healer, was actually very caring and kind, although her excesively calm nature didn't let others see how she actually was. Still, all the cubs loved her, and everyone who had been ill showed a deep respect to her, even if she had only been in charge for a couple of months. The white lioness opened carefully Kijani's mouth, and inspected it. "And she hasn't eaten anything bad." She ended.

"It must have been an illness. Probably an infection or virus. It could have entered from there there, and then to her blood." She pointed to the wound in her belly. She was right. Swhari went to his dead mate, but Kujali stopped him putting a paw between him and the corpse.

"It could be infectious. It's better to touch her the least possible. We'll carry her away from the den, and bury her." Said the lioness. "Volunteers to help me?" she asked, raising and eyebrow. Swhari inmediately offered himself, and a lioness offered herself too. Kujali nodded thankful, and with that, she went away, to prepare the tomb. She started digging at a nice distance of the den.

"Kujali, Kujali!" said some cubs, that were playing.

"What does my favourite boy want?" she asked kindly, nudging him. The other stood there shyly, but she nudged him too, and he smiled happy.

"What are you doing?" they asked

"You know… just digging" she kept going.

"Oh,I know that!" said the cub, rolling his eyes. The other nodded. "I want to know why are you digging!"

"A lioness has completed her journey. And she needs to rest." Said the lioness, sitting in front of the cubs. Her white paws were brown from digging.

"Is it…" started the shy cub. "The queen?"

"I'm afraid, so, my little friend." She answered. The cubs lowered their heads, sad.

"And who will tell us stories and teach us now?" said one of the cubs. Kijani's occupation was teaching the cubs, and she loved it. She usually told them stories to tell her lessons, and they loved it.

"She will."Said Kujali, looking to the sky. "This night, look at the stars. When you see one that is very bright, that will be her, guiding your path. She'll be watching you." A tear flowed from Kujali's eyes, remembering what her master used to tell her. He was now in the stars, with the queen. "So behave and be good,she'll be proud of you whatever you do." Smiling to the cubs and nudging them again. They went off, now happier knowing the destiny of the queen. Kujali smiled.

"Take care of her." Muttered Kujali, still looking to the sky after the cubs were gone. She then shaked her head, and kept going, with rage, making all her fur brown with the wet earth. It wasn't entirely her fault, no one said it was, but still, she felt it was. If she had found the wound earlier…