A Change of Lifestyle

by forehandcrosscourt

The changes one can go through are perhaps the hardest to endure. However, for veterinary student, Ed Rigas, these changes would be more difficult to overcome. He wakes up to find he is in an area known as the Pridelands, far from his comfortable home country. To make things more unsettling, he is no longer the species he once was. How and why is he there? Only time will tell.

22. Pushing For Little Talks

Chapter 22- Pushing For Little Talks

I couldn't sleep. How could I sleep? I knew what I had done was wrong for many reasons, the main one being that I had gone behind Simba's back and been unfaithful to him. I felt the guilt in the pit of my stomach, keeping my expression glum the whole time. I thanked the stars that no one seemed to notice, though I did keep it well hidden until we were away to go sleep. After eating, we didn't spend too much time socialising, but I did meet some of the lionesses that I would be practicing combat, as well as hunting with once I had proven I would be able to help in a hunt. I forgot to take in any of their names, still preoccupied with the troubling thoughts I had to deal with. Even with all the socialising, I kept away from the royal family, associating any one of them with what I had just done with Fikiria. Looking at it, it would seem like it was just an embrace between the two of us when it happened. That wasn't weird. I had nuzzled others before. What told me it was something of concern was the emotion that I put into it, but not only that, the emotion Fikiria showed in it too. I didn't know why we started doing that, but I knew it took a lot of strength from me to break away from it. As wrong as it felt, there was no mistaking the connection Fikiria and I felt towards each other. It was like the first time we met, but stronger. In the moment we were holding each other, I didn't have a thought towards Simba or how wrong it was for me to show that kind of affection for someone else when I was with Simba. I didn't know how he hadn't noticed me looking upset, or even picked up on the fact I was less enthusiastic than normal. I had to assume he thought I was just tired. So, when we laid together, he was the first to fall asleep, and all I could do was watch him and struggle as I couldn't find any way to drift off. On a normal day, I would have been out like a light, but the whole night had my mind swirling. That moment of weakness replayed in my thoughts, haunting them with a constant presence.

When I could get to sleep, it wasn't an escape, my mind not allowing me to hide away from what I had done. I couldn't stay asleep for long, waking up several times, never feeling as if I had been rested. It was almost a relief to see some sunlight start to creep into the den. It meant I wouldn't have to fight with myself and I could stay awake. I'd look tired, but I would wait until sleep could actually take me, as opposed to forcing it. I knew my mind would stop me, so instead I decided to push on with the day; hoping that no one would ask too many questions. I had one more brief encounter with a restless sleep, and when I woke up, Simba was gone. I remembered that Fikiria had offered to go on patrolwith him. I hoped they would become friends, but with what happened, if it was ever found out, I didn't know if that would be possible.

With Simba not by my side, I stood up and stretched out, yawning a little bit as I padded forwards, sitting just outside the den so I could watch the sun rise into the sky. The gentle glow of the early morning sky was calming, the warm oranges and deeper blues that came with the sun's rising led to a beautiful violet to mix in with all the colours there already. For that moment, I could sit and feel all my worries drift away. Apart from a few of the early birds chirping, it was silent. It felt like it was the cure to all my worries at that moment. I afforded myself a smile, just taking in the view, the living, wild colours of the grasslands ahead, both green and savanna, they provided a beautiful contrast to the backdrop of the sky. I knew to remember this image, feeling like I would need to recall it when things got hard. I made another mental note to myself, getting up to see more sunrises. It felt strange to be making that kind of reminder for myself. It was like I was thinking I didn't have much time left. In truth, I still didn't know how our incoming collision with Scar and his hyenas was going to go. Thinking about it, I realised I was more nervous about it than I first thought. Still, with the scene in front of me, I could feel my body get heavy as I relaxed more. I laid down, keeping my eyes open as I tried to spot any other details that I would have missed otherwise. I yawned again, finding nothing, though the expanse ahead of me was enough to keep my mind at ease. The dull ache I had from all the travel was still there, though it had been much less than it was before, prompting me to groan when I forced myself to sit back up after I heard some noise outside of the subtle songs of the birds in the area.

I could feel my ears twitch and move around to pick up the source of the sound, unable to work put who it was coming from. I could tell it was another lion, but because the peace had been interrupted, I wasn't excited to see who it was, regardless. It was like my lack of sleep had soured my mood, the stunning colours in the sky not even having an impact once my bubble had been burst by whoever was making the noise. My claws came out and I dug them into the ground, trying to suppress my irritation as the noise got closer. From that, I could detect that there was more than one at the focus of my interruptions. The laughter that I could heard from both grated on me, causing my expression to shift to a frown. I could tell I would need to catch up on sleep at some point, not wanting to get as irritated by noise as much as I was at that point again. I was about to turn around into the den, but before I could, I stopped to see Simba making his way over to me. Of course, he wasn't alone. Fikiria stood a few steps behind Simba once they got to me. Neither of us looked at each other, instead my eyes falling onto Simba. The future king smiled at me, looking far more awake than I felt.

"It's not like you to be up this early." He chuckled, quite happy to tease me. "I guess you just want to see me go off on patrol for the first time, huh?" He asked, looking at me with a bit of pride when he cast his thoughts to how impressive it must have sounded that he was going on patrol. I offered a small smile to him, but wasn't given the time to respond, "You don't have to worry about me." He teased again, "Actually, I was thinking, how about you come along with me and prince Fikiria. I figure that if you two are friends, it'll make patrol a bit more fun for all of us." He offered, looking between the two of us. For a fraction of a second, my smile dropped, and I could feel the guilt in the pit of my stomach again, weighing me down like a rock. In that same space of time, I looked to Fikiria to see a flash of his own reaction. His expression wasn't readable, but I could imagine there would be some guilt for him to feel, though not on the same level as mine. For the briefest of moments, he was looking back at me, holding us in an intense, uneasy stare whilst neither of us answered Simba's question. Time had slowed down in that moment, but in a different way to how it felt when I looked into his eyes the day before. Seeing his teal eyes look back at me, all I could see was the potential pain I could cause Simba. It shouldn't have happened. The fact it did happen made me feel wore the longer I looked into his eyes. I knew that if Simba wasn't there and my guard was down, I would have a similar reaction to the day before. However, I reminded myself that I needed to keep myself away from any awkward situation if I could. Sticking with two lions I had a lot of affection for wouldn't be easy. One of them I felt an intense connection with from the start, even if we hadn't known each other for long; highlighted with what happened just a day earlier. The other lion I had built up a strong bond with, but I had also agreed to be his queen. I knew I wasn't the ideal one for it, but in what was happening, I was the only one who could have stepped up to it. Zazu made it very clear that the Pridelands would want the return of the true king to also have a queen by his side when he returns. It was a lot of pressure, but it would be nothing compared to the pressure I imagined Simba would be under. If I was the one to start the chain of events that would lead to him being king, then I felt I had to be the one to help lighten the burden I had thrust onto him. He was a great lion, and I cared about him so much. I knew that it wasn't the same spark I had with Fikiria, but it was something I wanted to work on, build up. I knew it would be worth it, which was why I was so worried after what I had done. I didn't want to risk everything on what was, in all things considered, a moment of weakness. With Simba, I knew he would always be there for me, so I had to do the same. "Tish? Wake up, lazy." Simba brought my attention back to him, taking me from my deep thoughts, "You really spaced out there." He chuckled, nudging me again. "You still didn't answer me. Are you going to come with?" He asked, leaning in to give me a small nuzzle, making it easier for Fikiria and I to exchange another awkward look to each other, although this time it felt more like a longing stare. With that, I made my decision.

Breaking from our small embrace, I put a smile back on, not forcing it too hard when I started to answer the prince, "No, I think I'll leave you two to it. Maybe next time. You two have fun." I batted the side of his face with a paw, keeping it in a playful manner though, "Besides, from what we've been told, you have a lot of training to do." I smirked for a moment, feeling better as my worries were forgotten so I could focus on just messing with Simba a little bit, "I expect to see you exhausted when you come back at the end of the day, okay?" I challenged, winking at him. This only seemed to ignite a playful fire in the young prince. With that spirit shown to me, I leaned forwards and started nuzzling him for a moment, breaking off with a smile, our purrs dying down as I spoke up, "Now get out of here, before I make you spend all day with me, talking about how much I hate grubs." I warned, a sneaky smile on my face grew as Simba mimicked it, nodding before he turned away, Fikiria doing the same without any eye contact to me. After the little back and forth, I was able to watch them walk away, feeling my anxiety leave me for a moment. Seeing where they were going, I decided to go and explore some more of the Kifalme lands, though I made sure to go a different way to the other two lions, wanting some more alone time, needing the peace.

Having met with them both, even as I wandered through the lush grasslands, I couldn't erase that feeling in my stomach, holding me down in more ways than one. Seeing the two of them together, starting out a friendship. It made sick to think of how I had betrayed Simba so soon after agreeing to be with him. I looked across to see some of the animals enjoying the start to their day. In the distance I could even see a cheetah peering out from a small rock that rose above the grass. Sure, it wasn't the most camouflaged, but who cared when you were that fast? Walking by myself did allow me to think of how far we had come in just a few days. In that short space of time we had gone from the safe haven of the jungle, where we could have lived without any trouble it seemed. We crossed over a desert, we even went back into the Pridelands, if only for a small amount of time. The fact we made it to Nguvu's pride in one piece was nothing short of a miracle, at least in my eyes. I cast my eyes to the morning sky, wondering if the kings of the past had any influence on how smooth our journey was. I stared out there for a while, just letting a gentle breeze pass me by, running over my fur. Still, my mind couldn't shake the fact I had let both of them go together. I knew if I was there with them, I wouldn't enjoy it, but I didn't know if I could trust Fikiria not to say something. I had no way of knowing. He looked nervous about it, much like I did, but I couldn't know if he would tell Simba, thinking that it would fix things, or if he would look to ruin what Simba and I had. I had to remind myself that he wasn't the kind of lion to do something like that, even in the short amount of time I had known him. If he was anything like his parents, who seemed kind, then I didn't have to worry. Though, I didn't think his parents would have gotten into the situation we found ourselves in.

I took in a deep breath, thinking of thigs that would calm me. Sure, they would be together, but after their patrol, where Simba would be learning, more than anything else, they would be training with the other lions of the pride. They had to work out the best way for Simba to end Scar's reign. Nguvu was certain it had to be Simba, and no one else. I had no mind to argue with him, trusting the large lion's judgement. I didn't know how they would be training. All I could picture were the little playfights Nala and I would have gotten into. It was all I knew of any form of combat. My other thought of combat training wasn't one I wanted to remember; Fikiria and I fighting, trying to outmatch each other, before it happened. I shook my head from those thoughts, looking out to the horizon as I continued walking through, paying no mind to the smaller animals I passed. Nala, thinking of her made me sad. It didn't seem fair that I left her to be the only cub there. She would have grown as well, but I still felt guilty for leaving her with no one her age. With what I could only assume was Scar's worsening reign, I could picture Nala being forced to grow up fast. I knew all the lionesses would look out for her in the same way they had been doing for me. I made a little promise to myself; to make the effort to be there for Nala when I returned, win or lose in the war against Scar. If it came to the worst, I would make sure to keep Nala, Sarabi, Sarafina and Simba with me. Those thoughts led me to imagine how Sarabi was doing. She would have had time to adjust after I ran away, but after we had gotten so close, the thought of seeing her again worried me. I didn't want to hurt the bond we had, but there was no other way for me to go. I was afraid that she would be colder towards me. She thought she had lost her child, so when I left it must have hurt her. I knew for the others she would put up a strong front though. I didn't want her to keep doing that though. When I returned, I would have to take the weight off her, especially as I was going to be queen after her. Even as I continued to pace through the Kifalme lands, I had to hold back a shudder at the thought of being queen. It wasn't something I ever thought of before I had come to the Pridelands, and even then, it was thrust upon me by Scar. Now though, it felt like a responsibility rather than an honour. I guessed I felt that way because it was all going to happen fast. Not long after Simba would become king, I was expected to take his side, and because of a war that I was responsible for starting, I was going to become queen. I worried that from another's perspective, it would look like I was doing this for my benefit and nothing else.

A sigh escaped me as I found a place to stop, sitting to take in my thoughts, letting them wander some more. Even with the heavy thoughts I was having, I didn't feel as if it was adding stress. Simba and Fikiria, if they talked and he did find out what happened, then I knew I wasn't at risk of anything more than what I deserved, which I imagined would include some heated, teary words from Simba. It scared me to think of his reaction towards me, but I knew I would deserve it if it ever did come. The other thing that worried me though, was the impact it would have on Simba. If he knew, then he would be upset, but he would also be in a land where he doesn't know anyone other than Timon and Pumbaa. He wouldn't let himself become friends with Fikiria, so he would feel alone. He would push me away. If he pushed me away, there was a chance he wouldn't even want to go back to the Pridelands. I knew that to some extent; he was doing it for me. If he pushed me away, then the whole plan might break down. I thought of the consequences. I didn't know if Nguvu would have felt like I wasted his time, or if because of what I did, I was the reason for everything failing. I had seen him look stern, but I was sure I didn't want to see him angry. He was a huge lion, and I was not. The thought intimidated me, forcing my expression to shift into a worried look. If that were to happen, then I could be banished from the lands, forced to wander in between prides. There would be no way of going back to the jungle. The worst part though, would have been the fact my bond with Simba would be shattered. I winced, thinking about how one act could have cost everything. I knew I had feelings for Simba, so why did I do it? It was a question that repeated in my head, tormenting me whenever a thought of the princes came up. I knew that staying with Simba was more important for the future, so, with another gaze up to the sky, I steeled my expression, nodding for my own benefit. I would have to make sure I didn't do anything like that again and treasure my moments with Simba.

My mind didn't stop there though, meandering over to Fikiria. I frowned, thinking about him. I didn't dislike him. Quite the contrary. I really liked him, but we knew what we did was something we shouldn't. I could see his face looking back at mine, a concerned expression painted on. No matter the spark that I felt with him, I had committed to a role in the future. Even if there was always going to be something there, we had to know what we were going to do about it. Thinking about it, whilst it was a natural response to something like that, I knew I couldn't be awkward and distant with him all the time. I could see how others would notice it and start asking questions. Neither of us wanted all that attention on us. I would already be getting plenty of attention, and he wasn't the kind of lion to throw himself into the spotlight. As hard as it was going to be, especially if I was going to speak to him alone, I had to tell him how it was going to be with us. I wasn't sure I could say what I wanted to in front of him, knowing that little spark would appear again, softening whatever harsh blows I was going to deliver. I could picture the scene playing out in my head. I would ask him to come speak with me, he would know what it was about, then just as I get to it, I would let him off, worrying about upsetting him. Staying distant with him would be worse though. I got the feeling a form of resentment would grow if I did that. With another nod, I told myself I had to speak with Fikiria, iron things out with him.

It took no more than a second before I went back on my own thoughts, deciding against it. Nothing would change if I said nothing, which was fine, at least for the time. I just needed longer to pluck up the courage. Feeling as if I had done too much thinking, and had wandered too far, so it was time for me to turn back. Just as I did though, I was stopped in my tracks when a voice caught my attention, "Princess Tishala, how lovely it is to see you this early in the morning. I was told you were a heavy sleeper. Perhaps Kifalme lands agree with you." The voice chuckled. It took me no time at all to identify the voice's owner as queen Amali. Hearing someone happy to see me lifted my mood some, prompting me to turn and face the queen, giving a little bow at seeing her. It wasn't long before she was by my side, looking out where I had been facing. "You wouldn't be the first to find that out, of course. We have seen many animals experience an easier life here." She continued, though didn't look don to speak to me, instead keeping her focus ahead.

With a little chuckle of my own, I responded, "I don't know what it is, but I always seem to bump into queens when I least expect it." I offered a smile up at her, which she returned, though I could tell she wasn't finished just yet.

"Maybe it's not random chance that queens have found you out of nowhere. You're by yourself out here, which is unusual, especially fir a young lioness like yourself. Maybe queens are able to find you whenever you're looking like you're feeling low. Don't think I didn't notice, just because I didn't say anything." She looked down at me with a smile, as if trying to support me with it.

Seeing that reaction from her, I didn't know what she had read, but it was clear I couldn't get away with lying to her, "Any chance I'll get to have perfect sense of timing when I'm queen?" I asked, my reply sheepish, even with the smile I had, I knew I would look nervous to her.

Her head shook, "I don't have any of that because I'm queen. I can sense these things at the right time because I'm a mother. Being as young as you are, it means that you don't know how to hide things as well as you'd like to think. I am sure that any other mothers who know you would pick up the same unsettled demeanour about you that I did. Tishala, I don't know what's troubling you, and that's fine. You don't have to tell me right now. You don't have to tell me or anyone ever. However, if it continues to trouble you, it will show in time. I have a feeling you would prefer to keep some control of whatever it is, so I do recommend you tell someone, even if it isn't me. You'll feel a lot better for it." She offered me another kind smile, pressing against me, letting her warmth ease me some. "Take advantage of your elders being there whilst you can. Before you know it, you won't have them here. You'll be the one who is turned to when help is needed. Sharing your problems is often how some wisdom is passed down. When it's your turn, you'll be able to help. Of course, a lot of growing up involves you being able to solve some problems yourself, but if you've had help and advice, then you'll feel much better about giving it. Do you understand what I am trying to say?" I nodded, "Good, I'm glad. I'm not your mother, but I am a mother. I will listen if you need me to. Don't forget that." She stood up, stretching out, "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I need to go and make sure everything isn't falling to pieces without me." She chuckled. "I will see you later." She started to walk away but didn't get very far before turning back to me again, "I just remembered something. I discussed it with Nguvu, and we think it would be beneficial for you to shadow a hunt. I will give you a few days to settle into a routine with your own training, but it would be good for you to come along. At your age, you would be doing this anyway, but seeing as you missed out on a lot of practice, I think this would bring you up to speed. I will inform Laini to help your hunting skills in particular. I know the others will help where they can until you're skilled enough. A few days of this should be enough before you join us on a hunt. I feel I should warn you about Laini though. She is...quite an intense lioness. She does mean well though, and she is the most loyal to the pride, so I know she will help you become the best huntress you can be. Your training won't just be hunting, of course. You will lead, alongside Simba, all of us into overthrowing king Taka and his hyena resistance." She looked to me with a more serious expression, revealing the name of who would be my lead instructor. If she was intense, I could tell I was going to butt heads with her already. I just hoped it wouldn't put me in bad favour. "Now I really must go. I will see you later." The queen made her move, darting away with long, graceful strides. A large part of me couldn't wait until I was that large, able to take great strides and speed everywhere.

Seeing her figure get smaller in the distance, I decided it was the right time for me to head back. Having spoken to Neema after eating the previous day, I was told she would meet me by my sleeping den to take me to training for the first day. The thought of training with other lionesses, all of whom would be older, was enough to make me nervous again.

As I was getting back, I could see Neema waiting at the entrance for me. I noticed her surprise to see that I was approaching form outside the den. She walked over, meeting me in the middle, "I thought I'd woken you up in there. I was waiting for you to come out. Are you ready to go?" She asked, her expression vacant of any emotion. I couldn't tell if she was excited for me to start training. Whilst I was smaller and younger than all of them, I took some positive energy from the fact none of them had been training for a war before, so I wouldn't be at as big a disadvantage.

Looking towards the den for a moment, as if I might have forgotten something in there. Of course, with no personal belongings, that wasn't possible. "Sorry, I went for a walk. I should have told you I would do that, but I didn't know I'd do it until I started." I explained, offering an apologetic smile, which she seemed to take, though she made it clear she was still waiting for an answer, "Oh, yeah, I'm ready to go. It's not that far a walk is it? I didn't see any lionesses gathered, so maybe I went a different way...actually, now I think about it, how come you offered to take me there?" I raised a brow; the thought having crossed my mind at that exact moment. I figured there was no harm asking. She hadn't been nasty towards me, but she hadn't shown much in the way of affection either.

The lioness mulled over her answer for a moment before responding, "Kiburi told me it would be a good idea. I agree. You don't know your way around here yet, even if prince Fikiria did take you on a walk. You both seemed rather absorbed in each other. I'm not giving you a full tour. I'm just going to show you the way to where we will be training. I expect you to remember it after today though. It's important we all train, so I can't be responsible for you too. I hope you understand, princess." She bowed her head to me, a calm smile on her face as she awaited my reaction.

"I understand. You won't have to worry about me." I replied, hoping that would make our talk a little less tense. I felt like it would annoy her if I couldn't work things out by myself, which only made echoes of what Amali had been telling me. There had to be a point where I was going to be the one asked for help, so I needed to prepare myself so that wouldn't be a problem. "The queen told me that the lioness she has put in charge is called Laini. What is she like? Will she like me?" I asked.

Neema thought about it for a moment, taking time to consider how she would answer. The hesitation she had was clear, even with her composure, I could see she was thinking of ways to twist her words a little, "Well, Laini is a fierce, loyal pride member. She has helped younger lionesses learn to hunt for a long time now. You'll see how experienced she is in fighting too. I don't want to ruin it for you though." Despite her rather matter of fact tone, the lioness shot me a wink as she continued, "I don't know if she will like you or not. You'll have to work hard. In fact, because she'll know you're the future queen of the Pridelands, she will probably be harder on you than anyone else. I mean, that makes sense, you are future queen, you need to be held to the highest standards. She's not unfair though. I guess just work hard and you'll be fine." She offered her advice, trying to reassure me.

Before I could respond though, Neema gestured that I walk with her. It became clear I had been stalling, making her anxious to get a move on before we were late, at risk of facing the wrath of Laini. "Okay, so she's going to make me work harder than anyone else...she won't expect me to be the strongest straight away, will she? Actually, don't answer that, I don't think I want to know the answer to that. I just want to fit in and get on with the work." I paused for a moment before speaking my thoughts again, "Are the other lionesses going to hate me? I am a large reason why this pride is even getting ready for a war." I asked.

Neema looked at me again, her expression remaining unreadable, "No one is going to hate you. Look, why don't you just wait until we're there? You'll realise you have nothing to worry about." She stated, picking up her walking pace. I decided it would be best not to continue talking to her until we arrived.

---

A few days later and I had managed to keep a more positive front when near Fikiria. Although we hadn't talked much, the fact he and I were at least being friendly to each other was a relief. My worries that he would tell Simba what happened proved to be exaggerated. Simba had no clue about any of it. The few times we did talk, it was light chatter, both of us avoiding talking about anything that might lead to us being serious. Because of this, I felt less tense than I had done in the days before. Things looked like they would return to normal, which was calming. That calm meant I could get easier sleep, which I needed, having experienced some of the days training that Laini put us through. I knew what Amali meant when she told me the lioness was intense. It was like she knew if anyone was holding back, only accepting their full efforts. I was no exception to this, having to push myself to the limit, and then break past those limits. So, even if I was more relaxed, I could feel my body ache in the following days. Even in the young, strong body I had, I knew the ache wouldn't go for a while.

So, it should have been no surprise to anyone that I was a little grouchy at being woken up so early. I swiped with a paw, then realised I had just swiped at the king, Nguvu. It was fortunate that he had a sense of humour when it came to my deep love for sleep. However, it wasn't just me he woke. This time, Simba was woken up as well. I didn't listen to whatever Nguvu commented, but I could guess it was about the way I cuddled up to Simba during my sleep. Simba had made a comment on it too, but a day before. It started happening the day after I began training. I played it off as nothing serious, but I knew, in the back of my mind, I was doing it as a way to sort of make up for what I had done to him, even if he wasn't aware. After Nguvu made the comment, Simba smiled at me and gave me a loving nuzzle. In the presence of the king, I went red in the face and pushed him away, the prince rolling onto his back, but a smirk on his face as he knew what he was doing. Before we could start arguing with each other though, the king interrupted, suggesting we follow him outside.

Once we got outside, we both saw Amali was there as well. I raised a brow, wondering why the king and queen would want to have us meet them. The tow of them offered us to walk with them. I wasn't about to say no, so we went along. Though it was silent, I could tell that would end soon, guessing they must have a reason for asking us to walk with them. I couldn't piece together what it would be about though. I hadn't woken up enough. "It is wonderful seeing the two of you integrate into our pride so well. Amali and I were concerned at first that aside from our family, you wouldn't interact with other pride members as much. The fact that you two are able to do that is actually quite a good skill. This is not a pride you're from, yet to adapt in a way that's seamless, not everyone can do that, though it is useful for building good relations." Nguvu started, giving me enough to realise what these two had been planning to talk to us about. "It is something your father, Mufasa, was very good at. It seems you picked it up from him." Nguvu looked back at Simba with a smile. At the mention of his father, I got a little worried at how Simba would react, but he just smiled back to the king, looking rather modest and appreciative, rather than boastful. Seeing that, I couldn't help but smile at him, happy to see he was maybe starting to move on from the trauma and focus on the positives he had from knowing his father when he did. "Tishala," he looked at me, "I imagine you picked up this from your parents as well." He paused for a moment, "I suppose it is a reminder that even when our dearest are gone, they live on in you. It is important to remember that." He nodded, looking ahead again as his queen walked by his side, "When you arrived with the news of what you had been through and what has transpired, whilst it may have been seen as a rash decision, I am confident that we are doing the right thing. In truth, a war is never pleasant. Even with the strength of our pride, I anticipate there will be some losses. In war, it is inevitable. Despite this, I still have to address the worries of my pride. I cannot ignore them, so if any of them do not want to risk their lives, then I will not force them. The only thing I can do is remind them of the importance of what we are doing." He explained, his deep voice holding in my ears as I digested what he was saying. He stopped for a moment, sighing.

Queen Amali took over, supporting her king, "What Nguvu is trying to say is that whilst he may accept the risk that comes with what is being planned, he must respect the members that wish to have no part. We felt it would be appropriate to make you aware of this. We also felt that we should tell you that even if those lions don't want to fight, they will still support you. The popularity of Simba's father as a king was widespread. To see his son become king, especially given the treachery you seemed to have uncovered, they fully support you. Both of you. We didn't want you to think that there were those who disliked you in the pride due to the circumstances surrounding your arrival and staying here. Both of us were concerned, in particular with you, Tishala. We've been told that you sometimes take a while to fully engage in the training being provided." I perked my ears at that, raising a brow as if I didn't know what they were talking about, "Don't give me that face. You know that those words are true. None of the lionesses hate you, so stop acting like they do. You might find you enjoy it more if you don't walk around like you have a chip on your shoulder. Just give it a try." I could almost see her roll her eyes at my expression, both of us knowing full well that she was right.

I pouted for a little longer before relenting, accepting that I would have to push through it. Simba raised a brow to me at first, not having thought I would have been flagged up like that. He couldn't ask me about it though, because Nguvu started speaking again, "Having discussed it several times, I believe that if you two are ready, as well as the rest of the pride, then we can set our plan into action upon the next moon's arrival. If we find that either of you aren't ready, we will postpone until the following moon. This is not something we can go into without the right amount of preparation. I know it will be hard work to do all this training for that long. However, I am sure you can both understand. Given what I said about the nature of a war, the better prepared we are, the greater chance we have of avoiding heavy losses. I believe giving you this much time should be enough to prepare you. Regardless, we will strike no later than necessary. From what you've told me, we can't take too long to prepare either, as there are Pridelanders at risk, with that risk increasing the longer they are left under that kind of rule. If it comes to the situation you two are still not ready, then we will have you go with us, but stay away from the fighting. Is that understood?" Both of us looked to him with growing determination, nodding. There was no choice but to agree. "The two of you rising as the Prideland rulers is the most important outcome of this. I have already outlined that Simba must be the one to end his uncle's reign. Once that has been done, it will not be long before the two of you are crowned as king and queen. That is another reason we wanted to speak with you two." He looked to his love, gesturing for her to take over the talking, though first she would have to wipe our confused looks.

She smiled to her king before looking back to both of us, "Simba, you may have had some lessons from your parents when you were younger. Tishala, I would assume you also had some lessons from king Taka. However, both Nguvu and I think it would be wrong of us not to educate both of you on some of the things you can expect to happen when you are king and queen. We will teach you at the end of every day after your training. In truth, there is no perfect way of ruling, but we thought that if we shared some of the experiences we had, we can tell you how we handled them. I may not have as much knowledge on Pridelander culture and traditions, but Nguvu is aware of a lot of them. We think that if we can show you the basics, then the two of you will be able to manage ruling, before you find your own ways. That is quite often how it goes. As you get more of your own experience, you can adapt what you've been taught, to fit your own situations. I'm sure you'll be tired after your long days, but it will only be beneficial for you. It may be the case that sometimes we will teach you individually, with Simba learning from a king and Tishala learning from a queen. Some things will require that, but rest assured, we have the best intentions for you two and your future kingdom." She nodded, waiting to hear any objections or questions we might have. Simba looked at me with a beaming smile, his chest puffed out a little before he leaned in to show me some affection again. I closed my eyes and returned it, both of us looking back to the queen with our positive expression being all that she needed for answer. "I'm glad to see you're in agreement. By the time you two are on your throne, I've no doubt you'll be a wonderful pairing for king and queen."

With an amused look on his face, king Nguvu stood next to his queen, chuckling to himself, "Yes, no doubt you two will be adored. I'd love to see if you're as enthusiastic about these lessons when we start to talk about more...family-based matters." He snickered again, Amali rolling her eyes at him, even if she had the same amused look about her. Simba and I looked to each other at first with some confusion, but then as we thought over what they were laughing about, our cheeks went rosy. Looking back at Nguvu for a moment, I could see the normally imposing lion showing the side that his family only likely saw, where he could be a little bit goofy, and definitely knew how to make someone feel embarrassed. If it wasn't directed at me, I would have laughed too.

Just as he was about to start speaking again, all our ears perked and our heads turned to face Neema, who got our attention by clearing her throat. She was looking straight at me, a small glare about her, as if I had done something to irritate her. It was perhaps the first time I had seen that kind of reaction from her since meeting the lioness. "Tishala, have you forgotten something?" She asked, raising a brow. All eyes were on me again as I stared back at her with a blank expression, suggesting how little clue I had on what she was talking about. "Somewhere you need to be?" She asked again, her eyes narrowing a little bit, as if she was trying to give me the answer. I would have appreciated some clarity.

Then, like a light switching on in my brain, my blank expression shifted to surprised and somewhat worried. I gasped, almost jumping out of my skin. I calmed myself to reply, though I could feel myself shaking, "Have I missed training?" I asked. Neema softened her features before sighing.

"Not yet. You're late though. Laini told me to retrieve you. I looked at your den, but you weren't there. It was just the meerkat and warthog in there. I tracked you though. We need to go, now. I apologise your majesties." She bowed her head to the king and queen before shooting me a look that suggested she didn't want me to waste any more of her time. I looked at the two ruling lions, unsure.

Amali nodded to Neema, "It is important for you to go. Neema, tell Laini that Tishala was late because of an impromptu discussion with the king and queen. Tishala, you need to go. Try your hardest. Remember, you need to set the example of how to work. You are the future queen. You have more influence on others than you think. As one of the leading members, you have that duty, among others to uphold. Now go, you two." She gestured for us to make our way, with Neema showing clear relief that she could finally get going and stop waiting for a decision to be made. "Simba, stay with us, we still have some more to discuss before you continue your training with Nguvu and the other lions." The two of them got to Simba's side and started walking. Simba joined them after sending a small goodbye my way. With that, I followed Neema back, actually knowing where to go now.

I broke the silence between us, "You're not angry at me, are you?"

Though she continued walking, she glanced back to me, "No. I'm not angry at you. I am a little irritated though. Even if the king and queen did want to speak with you, you could still have walked towards our training grounds. That way, even if you were late, Laini would have seen the reason, and then wouldn't have made all of the other lionesses take her frustrations. It's not like she is violent, but it still isn't fair on anyone else. As a future leader, you should know you are responsible for more than just yourself. Lionesses work together. If one of us is late, the rest will bear the punishment, but that's not the way to approach being one of the lionesses. Laziness will not be tolerated for long." She huffed.

Her response made me frown, "I wasn't lazy though. Sure, I forgot I was missing training, but that wasn't my fault. I-" It was impossible for me to finish, because Neema had stopped me.

"You can't place the blame on anyone else. You had the responsibility to remember, so you should have. When you're queen, you will have a lot more responsibility than that, so it's best you start acting serious with it. If you don't, with what we're trying to do, lives will be at risk. You don't want to be a queen remembered for that. Don't take any of this as an attack on you. These are just things that should be known. I won't come looking for you next time, Laini will." With that final warning, I shuddered, not wanting that lioness to come looking for me in a bad mood because I was late.

Upon our arrival, all lionesses stared. Once we closed the distance, joining them, it looked like they weren't too angry, though some may have been hiding their frustration for my benefit. The lioness who didn't hold back though, was Laini. I was glad I had been warned about her before meeting her the first time. The lioness was large, not just in height, but she had great bulk to her. Of course, just looking at her, it was clear all the extra bulk was muscle. To say she was intimidating was an understatement. Her eyes cast down to me, a stern frown on her face as she started speaking to me, "How nice of you to join us. I was just telling the others that I'm sure there would be an acceptable reason for this negligence in time management. So, what is it?" She let out a small growl, as if daring me to come up with an answer she could swipe down, making a mockery of me.

Neema answered for me though, maintaining her composure in front of the pride's most powerful hunter. She looked her right into those piercing yellow eyes, "Her presence was requested by the king and queen. She and the future king of the Pridelands were no doubt being informed on important business." Her answer made the giant lioness show a flicker of surprise in her eyes, but only for a fraction of a second. I looked to Neema, a little confused on where she stood on things. Only a short time before, she had been lecturing me on what I needed to do, and how I should act. However, there she was, defending me when I wasn't quick enough to throw an answer at our instructor.

Giving a nod in approval, Laini turned herself around, showing the various little wounds that left patches of her golden fur lacking. "Very well. Next time though, I will not accept you being late. Especially as you are future leader of a pride alongside your king. I cannot hold anyone to different standards. Join the others. We will be sparring today. I expect to see you do well, your highness." She spoke, walking away to where she would normally direct and observe from. As she walked away, I could see further evidence of battles she had been in, shown with her tail missing its tip. I didn't argue with her command, taking in a deep breath before joining Neema and the rest of the lionesses for training. I didn't make too much eye contact, still unsure of how I sat in all of their views.

---

The sparring that we had to take part in was brutal. It was hardest for me, being smaller than all of the other lionesses. Sure, I had been growing, but I was younger than them, and there was only so much strength I could gain in a small amount of time. I was unfortunate that I didn't have the benefit of being more agile from my smaller size. Their added strength made all of the others nimbler as well, so almost every spar I had felt almost impossible to win. Laini had made it clear from the start that she wouldn't tolerate anyone going easier on me just because of who I was, so there were points where I feared for my safety, if only to a small degree.

One of my sparring partners, a light brown furred lioness, she was so fast on her paws, giving me little chance. It started off in a scrappy fashion. I tried to remember what I had been taught, but often my swipes just didn't have the same reach of the others. I growled in frustration, which wasn't good. It allowed my opponent to see the fragile mental state I was in for the fight. She let me try and get closer hits, just missing every time. Her expression was blank, a picture of focus. Seeing her dodge everything I tried with little effort, I could feel my blood boil. I had always been the competitive type, so when the challenge was thrown down, I could feel my heart rate increase, a rumble coming from me as I growled again. Unlike the first growl, this one was a signal that my frustrations had gone, and I felt I had nothing to lose. For a brief moment, I could see the lioness give a small change from her calm demeanour, allowing me the chance to strike. I didn't waste it, propelling myself forwards with all the strength I could from my back legs. However, I knew she would be quick enough to anticipate the jump, though there was only so far she could get, so I prepared to change direction the moment I landed, going for another leap in an instant. With that, I landed my first proper his, hearing the pained growl of my opponent. Causing her pain wasn't enough to warrant this bout ending. Only Laini would decide, except in the case where a more serious injury could take place. Regardless of that flimsy rule, hearing the pain in her tone, I hesitated. That was a big mistake.

Sensing how I held back, the lioness I attacked was able to push me off her with ease, prompting me to land on my paws, albeit unsteady. I just about managed to roll out of the way of the incoming attack, but that was another mistake. I couldn't right myself onto my paws in time before I had the full weight of a lioness pinning me down by my shoulders, her deep growl in my ear as an effort to intimidate me, in addition to the lioness feigning her jaws going for my neck. Once she had done that, she let me go, waiting for me to stand. Looking rather unhappy with my performance, but also with how hard I had been pressed into the ground, I let the lioness know my distaste for her methods. Much like Neema, there was no flinch from her as we looked to Laini, awaiting her judgement of the bout. "That was fine in parts. Tabia, you need to improve your anticipation. I don't know what happened, but Tishala went stiff. You did well to take advantage of that opportunity, but in a real situation, you may not have that chance. In all, it is good to see improvement at such a fast rate. Tishala, your efforts are admirable, but you lack the killer instinct. The moment you gained control of the situation you froze up. Against real enemies, you may not live to regret that chance you didn't take. I have to add that it is worrying you are trying to swing at your opponent with no tactic at all. The moment you meet someone with a small amount of brain power, you'll be in a dangerous position. I also don't think you should roll away from an attack. You gave Tabia all the time she needed to get in close enough to finish it. I understand you haven't done anything like this before, but you need to learn fast if you want to survive." She cleared her throat, looking out to everyone else, "I know you have all worked hard today. You all need to improve, but I think we have enough time to get you all to the standard you need to be. Before you all go, we will see another spar. Tishala," she looked to me, her frown never leaving her face. She could tell that I didn't want to go again, "you will have to go against..." she scanned over all the faces, "Winda." All eyes went to a sleek, golden furred lioness, her green eyes having a similar hue to Scar's. Having seen her before, I knew I was doomed in this one.

I stepped out to the spot where I would start from, though I looked back at Laini, frowning at her, "How is this fair? I just finished a fight. Why do I have to go twice in a row?" I questioned.

The leading lioness answered in a manner that suggested her fury wasn't far away, "Do you think in a real situation you would be allowed to rest? If you were being attacked by several hyena, do you think they would wait some time before they attack you again? You can't have the privilege. I need to make sure you have the endurance, the will to push on, even when your body is screaming for you to slow down, to stop. If you listen to your body, you will die. Your mind is your most powerful weapon, Tishala. Don't forget that." The way she spoke, it wasn't clear if she was scorning me, or if she was giving me advice to help. Despite her words, I hadn't been calmed when I turned to face my opponent. Winda looked ready, and far more relaxed than I was. This time was a bit different though. As we were the last training battle of the day, the rest of Laini's pupils circled around the two of us, giving a distinct arena. I didn't like it; I had less room to run.

Just as I expected t be told to start, Winda started talking, her confident tone travelling to my ears fast, "I'll try to make this quick, your highness." She and some other lions snickered at her words. It was clear she was one of the lionesses who found a little humour to the fact I was a future leader, and yet, I couldn't even come close to besting them. Having seen it happen, I could tell it was in jest, so didn't take it to heart, even if I wanted to. I knew I couldn't let emotion control my actions. We got the gesture to start, and both of us circled, moving around the edge of the 'arena'. Along my way around, I heard small cheers in support of Winda, a few more mocking taunts of my status, but maybe a couple of words in support of me, although I guessed they would be from pity. "You first, your majesty." She bowed, keeping an eye on me.

"I'm not going first. You can do that." I replied, unable to find a way to taunt her. I didn't know enough about her, having not made a massive effort on socialising with the others when we were able to during the training. I always felt that none of them would want to know me anyway. The moment I finished speaking, I had to leap to the left, just about avoiding a charge from the group's most skilled learner. This time, when I landed, I made sure to be facing her, ready for another dive. It came, and I dodged it again. I knew I couldn't keep it up though, because she was too smart to keep falling for it. Just when I was thinking of something else, a paw collided with the side of my head, knocking me onto my side, my head hitting the ground. I winced at the pain of it, my head throbbing, though I got back up soon enough. I saw that Winda hadn't moved, instead waiting for me to get up, judging what would be the next best move for her. My eyes locked with hers, both of us holding a hard stare for a moment. In the blink of an eye both of us were leaping at each other, though I started later, and being smaller meant that I couldn't cope with the extra force she had, being knocked back again, landing with another thud. Even with the pain of the impact, I could stand again, adrenaline taking affect at that point. Winda was several paces away again, toying with me at this point. I lost any anger I had building, instead opting for a smirk, "That's the best you've got to offer?" I grinned, seeing her mood shift to the more extreme, "I thought you were supposed to be the best in this group. Maybe that should go to Tabia instead. Come on, one big strike." I encouraged. I got the reaction I was looking for, getting her to pounce at me. Her charge at me wasn't as calculated as the ones she had become known for, allowing me to move aside, twisting myself enough so that when she went past, I could strike. I landed a full swing of a paw, the impact being as big as I could muster.

However, I forgot that I had my claws out as I made the hit. That meant my claws sunk into her fur, one of the getting through her skin a little bit. I was lucky to retract my claws fast enough that I only caused a small scratch. The damage was done though, Winda mixing in her adrenaline with the raw pain she felt, a fury erupting from her. In an instant, she turned to me, growling. I knew I was in danger, realising I had done wrong, so I wasn't ready to attack again. Instead, I had to dodge a flurry of attacks that were sent my way. At this point, all of the lionesses who formed a circle around us had realised things were starting to get out of hand. One tried to step in to help, but I called out to stop her, not wanting to risk anyone else. I could feel my heart race as the situation became scarier for me, those claws extended and missing by less than I was comfortable with. I knew she would calm down but didn't know how long that would take. I took a deep breath and leapt forward to her, attempting to push the lioness hard enough she might snap out of it. That didn't happen though. Just after I leapt, I was hit three times as Winda swiped fast, the third blow knocking me onto my side again.

Even with all the pain coursing through my body, when I heard she hadn't calmed still, I forced myself to stand, facing her, staring her down as I got ready to try again. The two of us started a charge, but we never got to collide, skidding to a stop as Laini stepped in, between us. She roared and then looked to us with a cold fury. "Enough." I recoiled back a few steps, Winda doing the same thing. "I have seen enough. Winda, control your emotions. Yes, Tishala shouldn't have used her claws, but it was an accident. A cub could have told you that. Tishala, I don't need to tell you about the use of your claws. You did better. You still lack a lot, but at least you can show some intelligent thought under pressure...sometimes. One of your lionesses was going to get in to help you. You denied her. When you are in need, don't be to proud for help. Those who are to proud to ask for help when they need it, they are the ones who die. Lionesses work together. There is no shame in getting help from your pride sisters. All of you need to remember that. I expect you all to help each other when you see the need to. Is that clear?" She waited to get a sea of nods from all of her pupils. "Very well. We will train even harder tomorrow. I expect all of you to be ready for it. I expect all of you to be on time, isn't that right, Tishala?" She raised a brow, looking to me, getting me to nod again. I could see that a lot of the others were looking at me again, "If any of you fail to appear on time tomorrow, I will see to it that everyone is going to suffer. When your let yourself down, you let your pride sisters down. You will need to act as one unit. If I haven't made this clear from the start, then I think you will have a very hard time. There are kings and queens, but in a situation like the one we are approaching, you will all look out for each other the same, regardless of status. With that in mind, I will see you all tomorrow. You may go." She finished, turning to walk away.

Once Laini was further away, chatter grew amongst the group of lionesses. I made an effort to find Neema as fast as I could. Before I could find her though, I had Winda step in my way. To my pleasant surprise, her expression was not furious. I expected she would still be upset I used my claws. "Your majesty." She bowed her head, teasing me again, though I could tell it was done in a friendly way. "If you're heading to the dens, you can walk with our little group." She gestured to a group of other lionesses, all who were talking with each other. I was surprised by the offer, looking at her with a raised brow, "You don't have to look so surprised. Those who are hunting have to go back there anyway." She responded to my look, chuckling a little bit. "Oh, and sorry I went a little crazy just now."

Hearing her apology, I started to smile back at her, "It's fine. I should have remembered to put my claws away. It's not like you're at fault. Claws hurt, so I kinda get why you went scary like that." That made both of us laugh a little bit, any tension that had been between us, it disappeared at that moment. "I would love to walk with you then. Queen Amali asked me to shadow the hunt today as well, so that saves me the job of looking for where the hunting party is." The two of us got to her group. One of those in the group was Tabia, who greeted me with a warm smile. Before I knew it, all five of them were bowing at me, giggling afterwards, and I couldn't help but join in their amusement. "Okay, let's get walking." Winda directed, all of us setting off in the direction of the dens. Between the seven of us, there was a positive buzz about the group, anxieties fading now I had been approached.

Looking around, I realised Neema wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Uh, Neema doesn't travel with you, does she?" I asked, getting attention of all the group.

Tabia was the first to respond, shaking her head as she smiled to me, "No, she doesn't. She's always the first one gone. That applies to everything. If she's not by prince Kiburi's side, it's like she's uncomfortable. I don't know, each to their own I guess." The lioness shrugged.

Talk of Neema and the prince got one of the other lionesses to speak up. The lioness had a somewhat ash brown colour to her fur, with hazel coloured eyes that glinted with the mischief in her head, "Well, it's so obvious why Neema goes running to the prince. She's mad for him. That's called the love bug." They all giggled, Tabia just rolling her eyes once this other lioness suggested that, "I predict there will be tears from her when he actually gets betrothed." She continued.

In response to this, I smiled, finding I wasn't the only one to think there nay have been feelings between the two, "I mean, all you've got to do is see how Kiburi is around her as well. I know he won't admit it, but I think they both have a thing for each other." I smirked, the group looking at me with a similar expression, a few laughs flying off as well.

Winda sighed, "Poor girl, she's not even here to defend herself, and here you lot are, proclaiming her love for the crown prince. I'd rather wait to hear her say it herself." She then looked to the ash brown lioness, a smirk growing on her face, "I seem to remember you fawning over the prince, Kali. If I remember, your exact words were full of envy, talking about how you'd like all that undivided attention that Neema gets from prince Kiburi." The lioness in question started going red in the cheeks.

She laughed it off, beaming to the others, "Hey, it's not like I'm the only one to have a small crush on him. I'm definitely not the only one to have a small crush, either. I seem to remember Nuru and Kichaka arguing over who would be the one to go up and talk to Jabori." She gestured to the two lionesses who were yet to be targeted until that point, both with a similar chocolate colour to their fur, "It took them so long to decide, then they found out he already had an interest in someone else before they could even try flirting with him. I'm just saying, at least my eyes are set on a lion that we'll always know the relationship status of." Kali purred, winking at Winda, prompting the rest of us to smile at her, waiting for a response. At first, I didn't know if she was going to take it as a joke, but when I saw her start to smile, I knew she was joining in. "You're not as subtle as you think, Winda. We all know you have a bit of a thing for prince Kiburi too. Don't get me wrong, we're glad...we used to think you had a thing for the king." Kali grinned, teasing her friend.

She took the tease in her stride, making it clear to me this had been a long running joke, "And who could blame me if that were true? Kiburi and king Nguvu are as close to identical as you can get without them being twins. No one can deny that the royal family are a bunch of good-looking lions. It's not an opinion at this point, it's an objective statement. Anyway, we're missing the real opportunity here. We have someone new in our group, and we need her opinion on a few things, don't we?" She raised a brow to them for a second. In just a moment, even as we continued walking, all five of them were crowded around me.

With all those faces close to me, I felt a little nervous, knowing the topic wouldn't change, just the focus, "So, Tishala, now you've been here a few days and eaten with everyone. You've seen all pride members. What do you reckon? Seen any lions you might be interested in? We're friends with plenty of them, so don't worry, we can get things rolling along before leaving the two of you alone." Tabia giggled, the others joining her to varying degrees.

With a sigh and a nervous chuckle, I replied, "Is this really appropriate? I'm not going to stay here for that long. Plus, I'm going to be Simba's queen, so I guess I haven't really been looking."

Kali took over from Tabia, a certain amount of swagger in her voice, "Well fine, but that doesn't mean a lioness can't look. You can already be in love and still appreciate the wonders that are the different male forms and faces." She purred at the thought, all of us chuckling with her, "If your beloved doesn't like that, well, then you can tell him that he's gonna have to live with it. He may be king, but you, you're queen." Some of her friends gave a surprised reaction at that, "Don't give me that look. If a lion is so insecure, he can't let his partner look at others and appreciate them, then he isn't worth it." She shrugged off the looks, keeping her head high.

Looking more amused than others, Winda retorted, "Yeah, you can look, but Kali, it sounded like you were encouraging the future queen of the Pridelands to have an affair." She snickered, "That's not something to encourage. Wars have been started for less." She commented, shaking her head as she and Kali walked a little further ahead.

I was unlucky in that Tabia wasn't done with asking me, "It's okay though, because we didn't even need to ask. Some of us already know who Tishala has been looking at anyway." She grinned at me, taking joy from the confused expression I showed her. "Cast your minds back to a few days ago. Nuru and I just so happened to be walking together when we saw Tishala and the prince." She shook her head, chuckling, "Nope, not prince Kiburi. She was sparring with prince Fikiria. It seems like she has made her move before any of us knew. Now, whilst he has been in his brother's shadow, it hasn't gone unnoticed that now he's growing up, he is looking like he will be a stunning lion. He has the queen's beauty, but as a male. He will be very popular once that mane grows fully. However, her royal highness, Tishala, has already gotten close." She snickered, getting all the others to do the same, whilst I was left to feel awkward, my cheeks going red. I did not know anyone had seen us. If they saw us playfighting, then who was to say they or someone else didn't see what happened afterwards.

"Hey, that doesn't mean anything. There was a time when we might have been betrothed, but that got called off once I left the Pridelands...also, we agreed that we were going to be friends before anything else. I think you may be reading too much into it." I replied, trying to take the heat off.

The jesting didn't stop there though, Kali lending her voice, "And that's how it starts." She spoke in a tuneful manner, smirking back at me. "I will be amazed if you can both keep that promise of just being friends. One of you is bound to break that. Like I said, they're a good-looking family. Still, staying faithful to your future king, that's great." She nodded, not knowing how much those words stung me. She was talking as if nothing had happened. It made the memories of it fresh, painful as if I was back to that endless night where I worried about the consequences. I was lucky that my expression didn't shift, still looking as if I was trying to hide any blush that was showing. If any of them knew, they would have hinted to it, but none did. I felt at ease a bit more, knowing only Fikiria and I were aware of our small moment together, showing affection in a way friends normally wouldn't.

Winda rolled her eyes again, speaking up, "Kali, you know, you can be such a bad influence sometimes. Let her be with who she wants to be. Honestly. Tishala, do what you want, or don't, no one is going to think any different of you. If being with Simba is what you want, then don't change a thing." All the others looked at her with a smile and nod. "I think we've had enough gossip for today. If it was off putting, by all means, don't walk with us next time." She offered, a sheepish smile on her, which surprised me, considering I felt like I was the one who was out of place.

It was my turn to chuckle, shaking my head, "No, you're all fine. I can take a bit of gossip, even if it is at my expense. Next time though, I'll fight back." I shot them all a wink, causing the other lionesses to smirk, eager to see how I planned on getting back at them.

Tabia was the first to reply to it though, "Well, if you think you can keep up with us, then you're welcome. I know sometimes we can lose others with what we talk about. It's not always about the guys, don't worry. We just did that to put you under some pressure." She grinned. "I'm wondering why we didn't ask you to walk with us after the first day. I think we just assumed you would stick to Neema, seeing as that's what you did when you got to training the first time anyway." She pondered.

A shake of my head gave an immediate answer, "No. This is going to sound silly, but the reason I didn't approach anyone after training was because I was pretty sure no one would want to be around me. I mean, news seems to travel fast here, which made me think that maybe I would be seen as the reason for a war that didn't actually affect you. I was worried I'd caused enough damage without even showing my face." I explained, keeping a serious expression, trying to gauge their reactions.

Kali leaned in, brushing against me, if only for a moment, "It doesn't sound silly." She started, her confident smile returning, "The thought did cross my mind. I wondered why we were being trained to help out a couple of lions from a kingdom that's not ours. I spoke about it to my parents after the first day of training. They told me what they knew about the Pridelands, and the reason you and Simba were here. They told me that our king wanted to put the rightful king in the Pridelands, but it would involve a conflict. They mentioned something about the two prides becoming allies as a result. So, yeah, at first, I didn't understand, but I do now. Even when I didn't though, I didn't resent you. I didn't know you. I still don't know you too well, but you seem fine. I don't think anyone disliked you. No one knew who you were." She shrugged, earning nods from all the others, confirming this was the case. Learning this made me smile a little more.

"As touching a moment as this is, we have a hunt to join. Queen Amali and a few of the older huntresses are waiting right over there. Good thing we aren't slow walkers." Winda brought our attention to the adult lionesses who were watching us approach. "Your majesty." She bowed to the queen, who didn't react, used to it. "We are ready for the hunt. Princess Tishala told us you have arranged for her to shadow this hunt, so we came with her." She let me step forwards to the queen.

The tow of us exchanged a small bow. "Thank you all. I thought it best for a future queen to learn from a hunt. She will stay close to me, so don't worry about her. Treat this as any normal hunt, please. It would be the best way for her to learn. It won't be long before she is leading her own hunts, of course." Amali explained, then outlining who had what role in the hunt. With that covered, I followed the queen as she led the hunting party out to where they would start. At first, the travelling was normal running, but the moment we spotted the prey, a large group of antelope, every member got low to the ground. I was reminded of the things Sarabi had taught me, trying to implement them. I made sure to extend my claws, really feeling the earth beneath my paws as we stalked forwards. Several of the lionesses went in different directions, trying to cover all angles of escape the prey could use. I did the same as the queen, checking to see if we were downwind. We were fortunate there was no wind. I couldn't believe how close we were to the antelope, and we still hadn't attacked. There were a few looking a bit suspicious, but most of the antelope had no clue. I wanted to ask Amali if I should stay but didn't want to risk making noise by talking. Lucky for me, she looked back and indicated that I stay in place. I could just about make out other lionesses in different spots, all of them ready for the signal.

With a sharp nod from the queen, I saw some of the lionesses emerge from the brush, coming into view of the antelope, but it was too late. Whilst most got away, the smaller group that didn't react as fast were left to run in one direction, only to see a lioness waiting for them. They were trapped. I watched, feeling my heart race with excitement as I waited for the final blows of the encounter. Of course, there was still some risk to this. The antelope, scared as they were, flailed their bodies in fear, the antlers providing some danger. In addition, there was still a chase to be had. I could see one being tracked down by three lionesses and one almost in the claws of a single lioness. Winda was that single lioness, and seeing the intense look on her face, it didn't scare me, it inspired me in a way. The thrill of the chase had a very literal meaning to me, watching it first-hand. Amali had joined in, surprising one of the prey species with her appearance, with it having thought it could see an opening to escape. The only escape it got though, was from the hardships of being alive. I stayed in place until all of the targeted antelope were on the ground, no longer living. I knew if I was human, the sight of all those antelope dead would have made me feel something closer to sadness, even if I knew it was all part of the food chain. However, as a lion, I looked at the scene with wonder, but the main feeling I had was hunger. Seeing all of those antelope, I knew it would feed all of the pride members. I just didn't know how all of them would be taken back to them.

Padding over to Amali, who, much like the others, had her maw stained red. I could feel the bounce in my steps, "That was amazing. You were all so in sync with each other. I'm guessing that takes you a long time to get that good. I'm not going to lie; it makes me a little nervous about my first hunt...whenever that may be." I chuckled, looking to the ground as I wasn't confident enough to look Amali in the eyes.

The queen appeared to have an idea spark into her head, "Well done everyone, that was successful. The princess and I will meet you back outside the dens. Take the antelope with you, we will be back later." She announced to all of them, waiting until the hunting party worked together to start carrying or dragging the antelope they were responsible for taking down. "Tishala, follow me." I did as asked.

The two of us wandered for a couple of minutes before I was signalled to stop. "Okay, if I'm going to help you as a hunter, I need to see what you can do now. Not far from us is a group of klipspringers. I want you to catch one. Try and do whatever you have been taught." She started smiling, "Don't be too nervous either. Everyone has to start somewhere." She stepped aside to let me go forward.

Straight away, I lowered myself, stalking through the grass, impressing myself with how quiet it was. It took no more than half a minute before I could see the klipspringers. I saw they were all eating, but one of them had strayed a little further. Seeing I could get closer, I made the move, but only after I checked if there was any wind, mimicking what I saw Amali do earlier for the real hunt. It wasn't long before I was right in front of the animal. I could see they had no idea. At one point, they looked right at me, not able to detect my concealed form within the grass. I looked back to see my tail was starting to lift. I lowered, so as to not give away my position. I waited a few more seconds, hopeful the target would get closer, not that I needed them any closer. I looked around, as if scanning for the other lionesses would be there to help me, even if I was alone. It was pleasant to see Amali was playing her part in this, staying in position, our eyes meeting as she had picked up where I was. She made no signals to me on what to do though, waiting to see my judgement of the situation. I could see the klipspringer starting to turn around and knew my window of opportunity was closing.

In that moment, I struck, leaping out and taking an extra couple of extra steps to get to my target. It alerted all of them that a predator was there, and they all scattered. However, the one I had been stalking, it stood no chance. I was already there when it looked back. I didn't waste time in pinning it down, using all my body weight to press it to the ground. Before I could go any further though, Amali emerged from her spot, walking towards me, "That's plenty. Let the animal go." I gave her a surprised look, but let the mammal escape, the panicked, heavy breathing followed it as it darted away. "We didn't need to kill it. I just needed to see what you do. Perhaps next time we try something a little larger. I like what I see. You will need practice and a few more things to do before I can let you join in a hunt. What do you say about joining in the hunting by the next half-moon?" She offered, "It does mean you don't have that much time, but I know several lionesses who would be willing to help you. In addition to your daily training, that is." She chuckled, "Getting ready to be queen isn't as easy as one would think, is it? Never mind. I can see you're strong enough to persevere with it." The queen paused for a moment before gesturing for me to follow her back to the dens, "Being as strong willed as you are, it's great to see, Tishala. However, I think you could be more focused. We spoke the other morning, and it seemed like something was troubling you. Looking at you, even now, I can see it still troubles you. To be able to do all the things you need to as queen, you must have a clear head. I know it can be hard to face something you don't want to, thinking you can hide it and then it will go away, but that isn't how it works. The pressures of being queen mean you can't afford to do that to yourself. I know I sound old and boring, lecturing you, but I just think of this is something that will trouble you for a long time, which it seems to be, then I suggest you tackle this problem, whatever it is. Deal with it as soon as you can, because you don't want it to affect your mind. I've seen what can happen when someone doesn't deal with issues they were hiding. It all comes out in a much worse way and all that pressure becomes too much. As a future queen, if you were to do this, I can only see it hurting the kingdom that you and your king have sworn to rule over and look after." She explained, still guiding the two of us back to the dens. I could catch the smell of the antelope, suggesting we were close. Of course, when I actually used my eyes, I could see how close we were.

"Okay, I'll deal with it, I promise." I nodded, choosing to walk alongside her in silence thereafter. I knew what I had to do, and I knew avoiding it any longer would not be the right thing. It wouldn't be easy, but I would have to push past this mental block I'd made for myself.

Once we returned, I could see all the pride members enjoying the hunt's catch, smiles all around. Through the sea of faces, I picked out Fikiria straight away. He wasn't eating but was moving in to start. Without warning, I sprinted across to him. I could feel my heart race faster with each step I closed the distance. He noticed me running towards him, our eyes locking. I could see he was confused and even a little scared to see someone charge at him, even if I was smaller. I guessed I hadn't thought to change my expression, still charging in with a determined look. Once I realised I had been drawing more attention to myself by running in, I stopped, going for a quick walk instead. I looked around again, checking if anyone was looking. "Hi Fikiria." I spoke, feeling my voice squeak a little bit. If he didn't know I was nervous before, that gave it away. From the running, I was a little out of breath, "Uhm, can we go and talk somewhere. In private?" I asked, looking around again as if there would be scandal just from that question.

He looked to the food that he was going to have to wait longer for, then back at me. Even if it wasn't a comfortable situation, it felt nice to talk to Fikiria again. I had missed it, despite it only being a short time since I wasn't being awkward with him. "Uhm, okay, yeah." He nodded, walking away, around a corner with me before he sat down, facing me. "This is a surprise. I thought we weren't talking to each other. This is nice though." He started to smile, those eyes taking me in again.

I blinked, taking myself away from those kinds of thoughts, "I need to talk to you about what happened the other day. If I'm being honest, it has been killing me on the inside. I shouldn't have been bottling it up, so I need to talk now." I looked to the ground, huffing as I felt a little exasperated speaking to him.

His smile faded when I brought it up, but it came back, as if he was offering support. "No. I'm not going to talk about it right now." He looked away from me for a moment. I was shocked, my brain trying to work out if he had actually just said that.

Feeling a slight twitch, is spoke again, "No? What do you mean no? Fikiria, please tell me you're joking. This has been eating away at me, and it must have been eating away at you. You can't just tell me that we aren't speaking about it now. Not once I've asked you. It's something that involves both of us and it pretty important. Are you even listening?" I frowned, my tone turning a little sour as he started looking away from me.

He shook his head, "No, I don't mean we won't talk about it. I just can't talk about it now. When you said talk in private, I didn't realise you meant that private." He explained, calming me a little, "Look, I promise we will talk about it. Come on the morning patrol with me tomorrow. We'll do that, talk, and get back in time for all our training. Okay? Everything will be fine." He smiled, placing a paw on top of mine. That did enough to keep me calm.

I looked down to his paw on top of mine, feeling my heart flutter a little bit. I knew if I looked into his bright eyes, I might make the same mistake that became the reason we even needed to have a talk with each other. I didn't move though, enjoying the feeling of being close to someone. I could feel he and I were going to sort this in some way. "Okay, tomorrow morning." I paused, "Y'know, it'd be nice if we could be how we were before...well, you know. Before then. I miss it." I offered him a smile, looking at him, though making sure I didn't look into his eyes. I could get lost in them. His answer was given when he squeezed my paw beneath him, the two of us nodding. "Just don't wake me up too harshly, okay?" I finished, causing both of us to snicker a little.

A/N: There it is, another chapter. Things are building quite nicely, I think. I don't own Lion King, that's all Disney. Please, let me know what you think about this chapter, I'm really curious to know what you think about it, or even what will happen. Hey, I'd even be happy to see what you think should happen. I love seeing all that kind of stuff. If you want to discuss anything, also don't hesitate to message me in PM. I'm quite friendly, really! Once again, please leave a review, I'd really appreciate it. Until next time, see you then!