It had been several weeks since the defeat and death of Scar, and life in the Pridelands had pretty much returned to the way it was before. And for Nala, the one who brought the rightful King of the Pridelands home, things were better than they were before. A few days after Scar's defeat, she and Simba got engaged, having both proposed to each other. Notwithstanding Zira, Scar's most loyal follower, marching in, accusing Simba of regicide and subsequently fighting him to avenge Scar's death, only to be banished upon losing said fight, it was the happiest day ever for the two of them. The King had given his future bride a ring of gold with three diamonds like shining stars, and inside were engraved the words "Feeling the love tonight and forever". This was what Nala was looking at during her afternoon walk, and on her face formed a smile that was so big it almost touched her eyes. But then she was interrupted...
"Bonjour!" a man with a thick, French accent. "How about some chocolate for the beautiful, young woman?". "They do look scrumptious, sir," Nala admitted. On the man's stall was every type of chocolate imaginable; it was so intriguing that it made Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory look like plain vanilla. Even so, Nala was able to resist the urge to buy some, knowing that she would likely have a lot of sweets at her wedding the next day. "But I'd rather not,". "D'accord," the man said... and he leaned forward to give Nala a kiss. Horrified, Nala ran off before he could get to her. "Why did the pretty mademoiselle run off?" he asked. "You know something, Frenchy?" Zazu, who was accompanying Nala, said. "You must be the only person in the Pridelands who doesn't read the news. That "pretty mademoiselle" as you call her is getting married tomorrow, to our King no less. So maybe, instead of letting those chocolates of yours go mouldy whilst you try unsuccessfully to woo the women, you should put them to good use. Aren't the French known for their pastries?". As Zazu walked off, the Frenchman had a taste of one of his chocolates. "Now that I think about it," he thought to himself. "Maybe I should try and bake something with them,".
That evening, Nala was trying on her bridal dress. It was white and flowing, with flowers embroidered onto both the skirt and onto the veil she would wear. Her pumps were cream with a diamond stitched onto each one. Nala had been deliberating a lot over what way to wear her hair. Should she wear her hair loose, as brides traditionally did? Or perhaps she should wear her hair tightly coiled into a bun? Also, what colour was she going to be? Should she change her hair back to brown, like it was naturally? Or should it stay blonde like it had been since she was nineteen? And these were the most trivial matters! Thankfully, though, she had managed to get organised and everything was more or less coming together.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Nala, it's Sarabi," the voice from the other side said. Nala walked over to the door and opened it. There stood her soon-to-be mother-in-law. "Why, you look absolutely stunning," Sarabi smiled as she admired Nala's wedding dress. "Every man is going to be falling at your feet,". "Well, they're out of luck, I'm afraid," Nala replied. "Because I'm already taken. Simba is the only man I am ever going to love. Ever,". "And you are the only woman he will ever love," Sarabi nodded. "I can see it in his eyes; he has never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. One can tell from a mile away that its love,". "Thank you, madam," Nala smiled humbly as she stepped aside and let the dowager Queen enter. "If Mufasa were alive, he would be beaming from ear to ear with pride; he would love you as his daughter-in-law,". "And I would love him as my father in law," Nala replied, closing the door. She never knew Simba's father too well personally, considering that she was about five years old when the old King met his grisly end at the hands of Scar, but she was still well aware of Mufasa's reputation as probably the greatest King the Pridelands had ever known, and on a more personal level, of his loving, influential nature.
"So, have you got everything ready for tomorrow?" Sarabi asked her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "Pretty much so," Nala nodded. "Your "something old"?" Sarabi asked. "That would be the Queen's tiara," Nala replied. "It's about a thousand years old,". "Very good," Sarabi nodded. "Your "something new"?". "Well... everyone will find out sooner or later," Nala said awkwardly. "And I'm going to give you your "something borrowed"," Sarabi stated as she removed her earrings from her ears and gave them to Nala. "Now, these earrings were my "something new" for my wedding to Mufasa, so please give them back to me after your wedding to my son,". "I will, madam," Nala smiled as she put the earrings in her ears, touched by Sarabi's gesture. "Thank you so much!". "My pleasure, my dear," she smiled. "What's your "something blue"?". Nala picked up a blue ribbon from her dressing table. "Well, I'm going to use this ribbon to tie my hair in a side ponytail," Nala said. "The bow will be my "something blue",". Nala had ultimately decided to retain her blonde curls as opposed to changing her hair back to brown. She took the ribbon, gathered her hair into one big bunch, allowing it to rest on her shoulder. Then Nala positioned the ribbon under the mass of hair and tied it around it, making it into a bow. She looked quite simply bowtiful... I mean beautiful. "And I've got a sixpence in my shoe," Nala added.
"What a gorgeous bride you are," Sarabi beamed. "There's just one thing missing...". She gestured to the Queen's tiara that was on the dressing table. Although Nala was technically not Simba's Queen yet, Sarabi had given her the tiara upon hearing that Nala was marrying her son. "Madam, are you sure?" Nala asked humbly. Sarabi nodded, and Nala picked up the tiara from her dressing table and gave it to her fiancé's mother. The young bride-to-be placed her veil over her hair. "Now," Sarabi smiled as she lifted the tiara up. Nala gave a curtsey as Sarabi placed the tiara on her head. Her look was now complete. "There; you're now ready for tomorrow," the dowager Queen declared, giving a genuine smile. "You're going to make my Simba a very happy man indeed, Nala,". "And he's already made me an even happier woman," Nala grinned, hardly able to contain the happiness she felt in her heart, knowing that she and her true love were going to officially be one from tomorrow. She bid Sarabi farewell before going to sleep, dreaming of the next day.
The following morning, Simba and Nala's wedding was being held. Simba stood at the altar, wearing a military uniform as opposed to his usual tunic. Rafiki, the man who had helped the King so much throughout the past few months, was to preside over the ceremony. Timon and Pumbaa, his best men, sat in the front row in the church. "You know something, Pumbaa?" Timon asked his friend. "Er, yeah, Timon," Pumbaa nodded. "Probably not quite as much as you, but I know a lot. I know that Isacc Newton discovered gravity. I know that carbon dioxide turns lime water milky. I know that France won the World Cup in 1998. I know -". "Pumbaa, Pumbaa, Pumbaa..." Timon cut him off, giving a face-palm. "This is a wedding, not a pub quiz. Let's try that again... you know something, Pumbaa?". "What?" Pumbaa asked. "This is much nicer than the wedding I would have had to Shenzi,". "Yep!" Pumbaa nodded. "No offence, Timon, but I'm glad she turned down your proposal; you ain't right for each other,". "Touché," Timon nodded.
Just then, a little flower girl started throwing multi-coloured petals down the aisle, and a silence fell on the guests, knowing that the bride was on her way. Two minutes later, Nala entered in her bridal wear and walked down the aisle towards her new husband. An elegant piano tune filled the air, and a classic love song, which I am absolutely obsessed with, filled the air.
Female Part: Who knows what tomorrow brings
In a world, few hearts survive
Male Part: All I know is the way I feel
When it's real, I keep it alive
The road is long, there are mountains in our way
But we climb a step every day
Both: Love lift us up where we belong
Where the eagles cry on a mountain high
Love lift us up where we belong
Far from the world below, up where the clear winds blow
Male Part: Some hang on to "used to be"
Live their lives, looking behind
Female Part: All we have is here and now
All our life, out there to find
Male Part: The road is long, there are mountains in our way
But we climb a step every day
Both: Love lift us up where we belong
Where the eagles cry on a mountain high
Love lift us up where we belong
Far from the world below, up where the clear winds blow
Male Part: Time goes by
No time to cry
Life's you and I
Alive, today
Both: Love lift us up where we belong
Where the eagles cry on a mountain high
Love lift us up where we belong
Far from the world below, up where the clear winds blow
Love lift us up where we belong
Where the eagles cry on a mountain high
Love lift us up where we belong!
As the bride's procession reached the altar, Nala's mother Sarafina, who had accompanied her on her journey up the aisle, gave her away to her husband. Nala could feel butterflies within her stomach as her love pulled back her veil, making her face visible. With nothing but genuine love shining in his red eyes, the King whispered in her ear "Inside and out, you put the most beautiful flower in the world to shame,". Smiling, Nala planted a kiss on his face and whispered "Je t'aime, mon chérie,". "Dearly beloved," Rafiki declared, addressing the congregation. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If anyone present believes that these two should not lawfully marry, speak now or forever hold your peace,". After a few seconds of silence, there was a noise. It wasn't someone objecting to Simba and Nala's marriage; it was Pumbaa, who really didn't do well in crowds at all. He slowly raised his hand. "Er, could I be excused for a minute please?" he asked awkwardly. Rafiki gave a slow nod as Pumbaa swiftly made his leave, with Timon following close behind. When it was clear that no one had any objection to the marriage, Rafiki gestured for the rings to be brought forward. The bride and groom recited their vows, promising to love, honour and cherish each other all the days of their lives. By the time each of them uttered "So help me God,", tears of happiness had flooded their faces.
"Having such love in your hearts and having cemented that love by exchanging rings, I now pronounce you man and wife," Rafiki declared before turning to Simba. "You may kiss the bride,". Not wanting to stay apart from Nala a second longer, Simba obliged, and the newlyweds shared a passionate kiss. Applause filled the church, and Timon and Pumbaa, who had recovered from their incident earlier, burst into hysterical tears. After the service that followed the wedding, Rafiki called Simba and Nala forward to sign their license, the document that makes a marriage legal. Afterwards, hand in hand, the couple left the church. Outside, Nala gazed into Simba's eyes. "We're married," she said, love in her voice. "Indeed we are," Simba smiled, putting his hands on his bride's waist. "So, what should we do now? The wedding reception doesn't begin until later this afternoon, so we have about two hours to kill,". "Mmmm," Nala pondered. "What would you like to do?". "Well, we could... go to the pub like many newlyweds do," he teased, causing Nala to chuckle. "Well, whatever we decide to do, it will be wonderful because I'll be doing it with the man I love," Nala smiled as she and Simba locked eyes. Simba kissed his wife, their bodies filling up with warmth.
"Well, as you can see, I've got my "something old", my "something new", my "something borrowed" and my "something blue"... and, of course, the six pence in my shoe," Nala continued. Simba looked carefully. Nala was absolutely breathtaking, regardless of whether she wore a white wedding dress or casual wear, whether she wore makeup or no makeup or whether her hair was brown or blonde. "Pardon me for asking, my angel, but what's your "something new"?" Simba asked. Nala smiled contentedly as she put her hand to her stomach. "It's in here," she said quietly. Simba blinked as a look of disbelief formed on his face. "Nala, are you...". "Yes, my love," she giggled excitedly. "I'm pregnant; we're having a baby. It must have happened that night when we reunited. A new life is growing inside me,". By this point, the look of disbelief on Simba's face had faded and been replaced by one of pure joy. The King smiled at the memory of him and Nala in the cave together that night, sharing their love for one another. "Oh, Nala!" Simba smiled as he kissed her, tenderly on the lips at first and then passionately all over her face. "This is incredible. Oh, God; I can't believe it; a tiny baby. A baby we made out of our love,". "I know, Simba; isn't it wonderful?" Nala beamed. She was so happy Simba was delighted about becoming a father; he was quite frankly adorable.
Unsurprisingly, Simba ditched any plans to go to the pub upon hearing that Nala was with child, and they instead opted to go for a walk in the park, enjoying each other's company along with breathing in the fresh air, taking in the smell of the flowers and the freshly cut grass and having a karaoke involving the harmonica that Nala had given Simba as a present when they were kids. At the wedding reception two hours later, they danced and cut the cake. And can you guess who helped out with the food? The Frenchman who had flirted with Nala, Zazu having recognised his talent for desserts. That evening, when the reception had ended, Simba and Nala went to the royal chambers. Much to Nala's surprise, however, Simba left as soon as they got there, saying that he would be back in a minute. The King had been gone for much longer than a minute though, and his Queen was starting to get worried.
Much to her relief, he returned. Not wanting his pregnant wife to move around unnecessarily, Simba didn't knock but instead entered the chambers himself. And it was then that Nala discovered why he had been so long. He had brought her a tray of ripe, ruby-red strawberries with both a dark chocolate and a white chocolate fondue. "Room service?" Simba said, giving a copy smile. Nala sat up, a gigantic smile on her face. A smile so bright that one would need sunglasses to look at her. "Simba..." Nala said, touched by her husband's romantic gesture. Simba laid the tray on the bed between them. "Thank you so much..." Nala smiled. "Anything for the woman I love," Simba beamed, removing the bow from Nala's hair and fingering her blonde curls. "I figured that I could give the royal chef a night off,". "Wow," Nala mused, realising that Simba had done all this work himself. "You are something special, aren't you?". Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a drawing of a heart with an arrow going through it made from chocolate. "You okay?" Simba asked, pretending not to know what Nala had seen. "Never felt better," Nala smiled as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder and Simba kissed the top of her head.
"We should probably start thinking of baby names in the next while," Simba suggested. "Indeed we should," Nala nodded. "Oh, Simba, wouldn't it be lovely if we ended up having at least one boy and at least one girl?". "It certainly would," Simba smiled. "But in truth, my love, I will love our babies no matter what because they will be made out of our love,". "And so will I," Nala beamed as she gazed into Simba's eyes. "What names do you like for a girl?". "Er... maybe... Kiara?" Simba suggested. "What a lovely name!" Nala exclaimed. "Princess Kiara... You know something? I don't think I can top that one; I reckon that name is perfect for our baby daughter; it's beautiful, there's a sense of magic to it, but it's also practical,".
"What if the baby is a boy?" Simba asked. Nala thought for a minute. "Boys' names are harder to think of," she said. "Maybe... Kovu?". "No," Simba frowned, immediately shaking his head. "Zira's son is called Kovu,". "I thought her son was called Nuka," Nala stated. "Yes, but she also has a six month old baby called Kovu, who, mind you, was chosen by Scar to follow in his footsteps. That's one of the reasons why Zira went axe-crazy that day,". "Remember, Simba; Kovu is only a baby," Nala gently reminded him. "I know, Nala," Simba sighed. "And I'm not going to do anything to hurt him. But Zira knows that she and her family aren't welcome in the Pridelands, so hopefully, she doesn't try anything she'll regret,". "What about... Kopa?" Nala suggested. "Not bad," Simba nodded. "I can picture a baby boy, and Kopa would be nice for him... or perhaps Kion?". "That a good name as well," Nala smiled. "Of course, not all our possible names for our babies have to begin with "K"; if we had a son, we could call him Askari,". "Maybe," Simba nodded, though secretly, he thought that this name sounded a bit too much like "Scar" for his liking, even if it was also the name of one of his ancestors, the first leader of the Lion Guard. "I think it's going to be a toss-up between Kopa and Kion though,". Simba picked up some of the flower petals that had been scattered over their bed. "But mark my words, Nala; this baby is going to be perfect regardless of what name we pick,".
With that, he sprinkled the petals onto Nala's belly. Since she was still fairly early on in her pregnancy, her bump was hardly noticeable, but that didn't stop her getting a tickling sensation as the petals landed on her belly. Simba smiled as his wife giggled... only for Nala to take some more petals and sprinkle them onto her husband's chest. They embraced, relishing every second they spent with each other. Simba then turned his attention to the strawberries and chocolate he brought. "Would my beautiful wife like dark chocolate or white chocolate on her strawberry?" he asked. Nala thought for a few seconds. "Both, please," she replied. So, Simba dipped part of the reddest, juiciest strawberry on the tray into the dark chocolate and part into the white and gave it to Nala. "Bon apetit!" he grinned. "Thank you for making this the happiest day of my life, my love," Nala beamed as she kissed her husband's cheek. "Thank you, Nala," Simba smiled as he kissed her back. They had a lovely evening of strawberries and chocolate, after which they snuggled up under the covers. Knowing that they had already consummated their love, the couple spent the night cuddling and snuggling up together, happy to have had a beautiful wedding day.
The End.
A/N: See the next page for my closing author's note =).