CandyLuv99; Uru is suspicious as well. We'll see if it's with reason. As for Taika, we can only hope.
Disclaimer: The Oc fully introduced in this chapter belongs to CandyLuv99.
On to the next chapter of Pride And Prejudice. Enjoy!
Balance? That was his lesson today while his aunt took him on patrol. There's a balance to the laws of the Pridelands.
The laws brings order, hierarchy, a right time and place for everything. This is why we have kingdoms and territories, borders, successions, leaders, subordinates… all of the above. That way they can separate from the savage ways prides live in certain parts. Like the Western Stretch.
After returning to priderock, Nefertiti dismissed her nephew and went off on her own.
As Prince Taika came closer to the pride's den, he noticed that, as usual, the lionesses were taking their rest after a long day of hunting, where as their cubs were all playing some sort of a game within the reach of their parents' hearing.
The first cub to notice the reddish-brown cub approaching was Mufasa.
"Look, everyone! My brother's back from his lessons with Aunt Nefertiti!"
All the cubs turned his way to say 'hi', while the future leader of the Guard marched in their midst puffing up his chest proudly.
"Very good, Muffy. Shall I name you the keenest of sight in my new team?" Taika grinned at his brother.
"Hmf! I already have a job, in case you forgot, thank you very much!" Uru and Ahadi's heir answered the challenge of sarcasm.
"Hey Taika, how is your training going, by the way?" asked Baraka and Imara's daughter, Sarafina. The reddish-brown cub smiled at her, making her blush.
"Oh, not bad at all, thank you for asking. Nefertiti took me to the Western Border today, after which she told me a lot of interesting things about the Balance of the kingdom's laws…"
"Balance of the kingdom's laws, huh?" wondered Mufasa. "Father has been teaching me about for the past few days."
"Oh, was he?" Taika asked dismissively. "And what about you fellows? Have you been staying away from tall trees and other dangerous places?"
Das received a deriding stare, and looked quite humiliated when the others started laughing.
"Very funny, Taika…" the yellow-peach cub growled lowly.
"We were actually practicing wrestling before Muffy started telling us about what King Ahadi was teaching him today." Sarabi said in order to loosen up the atmosphere.
"Is that so?" this time, the young prince directed his sarcasm at her. "Have you been sparring with my brother, or is it still a bit too early for that?"
Again, the cubs snickered, but Mufasa pierced his brother with a look of angry abashment.
"Taikaaa!" the gold prince hissed, clenching his teeth. "You shouldn't have said that…"
But the reddish-brown prince only kept on grinning. Then, for some reason, he approached Das.
"I'm actually up for a bit of exercise myself. Hm? Do I have any volunteers?"
He began to poke the other male cub in the chest with his claw. They were comparable in size, although Das was a bit younger than Taika like Sarafina.
"Stop it! Doesn't your aunt train with you?" whined the yellow-peach cub with a reddish tuft.
"She does, but I'm not tired yet!" Taika lied, as this day's activities did not include physical exercise. "C'mon, Das, you're not afraid, are you?"
"Taka, you big show-off…" Wivu rolled her eyes.
Then, suddenly, as he was almost about to grab the younger cub to start grappling with him, he felt somebody's strong paw on his shoulder.
"I'd volunteer to wrestle with you anytime, brother!" Mufasa laughed.
Without warning, and to his greatest dismay, Taika found himself totally overpowered by the strength of the older prince's muscles. And though he groaned and writhed and tried to bite, in a matter of moments, his brother managed to stand on his chest and completely immobilize his front paws with his own.
"Pah!" Taika spat out the dust that got into his mouth. With terror, he now saw two smiling faces right in front of his nose. Mufasa and Das, mocking him.
"Let me GO!" Taika struggled, trying to kick his opponent in the stomach. But his brother was holding him down tightly. "You'll ruin your clean fur, I'm warning you… Mother's going to be angry with you…"
The lionesses giggled.
"Don't worry about my fur, mister lion guard!" Mufasa responded with a smile, but without loosening his grip in the least. "Now let me give you a lesson about the laws of balance!"
Taika tried to free himself again, but to no effect. He was starting to feel extremely anxious… Sure, he'd lost duels with his brother multiple times before, but now it was different. He was just announced as the new leader of the Lion Guard, and what was worse, all of his friends were watching him!
"Mufasa, please let me go… this isn't funny…"
-"Oh, c'mon, Taika! It's only a game! All you need to do is to accept my authority. The Laws is about hierarchy, remember? And the only one who's higher that the leader of the Guard, is the king!"
Now the younger prince started to feel a new sensation. Meaning, he wanted to seriously hurt his brother. Not as a game.
"Call me king, Taika!" demanded Mufasa, grinning mischievously. "Just say 'long live the king', and then you'll be free to go!"
"You're not the king yet…" Taika's answer came in the form of a vicious hiss.
Those were not the words Mufasa was waiting for. Still he continued pressing his sibling to the dirt, with others looking on curiously, waiting for what would be the outcome of the brawl. This was all becoming too unbearable…
" Long… live… the king!" snarled the furious younger prince finally, his humiliation reaching its peak.
While Taika ran off humiliated by his own brother, a pair of greenish-blue eyes quickly disappeared.
~PP~
Princess Nefertiti was on her ledge away from priderock, chewing on a bone when her ears perked.
"I know you're there, Leila."
A creamy-peach lioness around the dark gold lioness' age approached. "Are you sure this is a wise idea?"
Nefertiti tossed her bone away before looking at her friend. "Having doubts, La'?"
Leila shook her head. "I'll follow you to the end of course. But.. wouldn't you want to use the roar while you have it?"
Nefertiti looked away before turning her green eyes in the direction of priderock. "The roar of the elders wasn't never truly mine to command. After Sambi's death and the show good faith, Uru named me the new leader. But I know it's a load of bull."
Leila followed her friend's gaze to kopje not far away. "What's the plan?"
Nefertiti turned back to Leila. "I have been grooming my nephew discreetly. When is heart is full of hate, he'll give me my just revenge. And at the same time, Taika gets what he wants, even if he doesn't realize it yet."
Leila tilted her head. "And what's that?"
Nefertiti grinned. "To be King of course. But anyway, how our little Das do today?"
Leila frowned. "Well, my nephew mocked him but it was Mufasa who humiliated Taika in front of everyone. I'm sure you know, Taika has a soft spot for Imara's daughter."
Nefertiti perked her ears as she smiled. "Mufasa? What has the golden one done?"
Leila pinned her ears as she looked at her friend. "He pinned Taika and forced him to say Long live the king."
"Say it Nefertiti!" grinned a goldish cub.
A smaller, younger dark gold cub looked up with tears in her green eyes. "Long... live... the Queen!"
Nefertiti shook her head to get rid of the tears threatening to fall from the memory.
Leila nuzzled the dark gold lioness. "Are you alright?"
Nefertiti growled as she stood. "Things will be different this time."
The lionesses turned to gaze at priderock before they left the ledge.