CHAPTER FIVE
When Annalina returned home, Scar was waiting for her. He lectured her, yelled at her until she was reduced to tears.
" Daddy, I didn't mean to." She sobbed, " Alani can be so….annoying! She had it coming to her."
" No she didn't." Scar said, " Alani has done nothing to you. She's been a good sister. Which is more than I can say for you." He sighed, " I am very disappointed in you Annalina. I expected better from you."
" I know." Annalina wiped at her eyes with her paw, " H-how is her eye?"
" Sore. And will have a scar-just like mine. I want you to come in and apologise to Alani."
" Okay." Annalina agreed. She will apologise so that Daddy will stop being mad at her. She didn't have to mean it though.
" Dad?"
" Yes Annalina?"
" Will I still be Queen?"
" Yes my dear. You will still be Queen." Scar had to smile but turned out to be a grimace. " You are a true fighter."
" I t-thought…you might change your mind and make Alani the Queen instead." Annalina sniffled.
" The thought never crossed my mind." Her father assured her.
" G-Good." Annalina took a deep breath and smiled up at her father, " You're not angry anymore?"
Just looking at his daughter's lovely face made him forget his anger. " I can never stay angry at you." He admitted. " Let's go inside so you can apologize to Alani." He turned and disappeared into the cave.
Annalina smiled to herself. She could get away with anything! At that moment, she felt powerful; as if she was already Queen.
You have to do something about your sister, a voice whispered in her mind, she's still in your way. No matter what he says, she could still become Queen.
" Yes," she whispered to herself as she walked back inside the cave, " Alani is in my way. I must do something about her and fast."
* * *
Alani coldly accepted her sister's apology. They both knew Annalina didn't mean it. Annalina was such a convincing actress, she had their parents believing her.
She's got them so fooled, Alani thought as she watched her parents fawn over Annalina as though she was the one who was injured and not Alani.
It's like I'm the bad guy and she's innocent. Alani curled up in the a corner and sulked.
Her eye hurt with a searing pain every time she blinked. And the stupid leaf was making it hard to see what was going on. She had to rely on her good right eye.
I hope this stupid eye heals. She grumbled to herself.
Two days later, Alani woke early and headed out the cave. She knew she looked silly with a leaf stuck to her injured eye but Mom insisted it stay there so sand and dust couldn't get into the wound and infect it. She cleaned herself and her mother joined her and cleaned the places Alani couldn't reach.
" I'm off to the lake to get a drink," Tamali said, " Would you like to come?"
" No thank you." Alani shook her head, " I don't anyone to see me with a leaf stuck to my face."
" All right then." Tamali left her daughter and Alani sat by the cave to watch the early morning sunrise.
She heard her dad and sister talking in the cave. Alani knew she was wrong, but couldn't help listening:
" Dad, how am I supposed to become Queen when everyone knows Simba is going to be King?"
" I'll take care of that." Her dad assured Annalina, " Simba won't get in your way. I promise."
" How are you going to do that?" Annalina demanded.
" If I tell you, you must promise never to tell a soul."
" I promise Dad."
" Because if anyone else did know, they'll try and stop me and ruin my plans. Then you'll never be Queen. You understand?"
" I understand. You can count on me."
" All right then. I plan to do away with the King and the Prince." Scar explained and Alani's eyes went wide with shock and disbelief.
" Do away with King Mufasa and Simba? What does that mean?" Annalina sounded puzzled and Alani rolled her eyes. How can her not-so-smart sister rule the entire savannah was beyond her.
" It means to kill them." Scar replied in a whisper that sent chills through Alani. Her father was going to kill a powerful royalty like King Mufasa? This was horrible!
" Kill them?" Annalina sounded shocked too, " How?"
" Never mind about the details dear. It might give you nightmares. Now that you know, you don't think less of me do you?"
" No way. I really wanna be Queen and it won't happen with Simba in the way." Annalina sounded so sure of herself Alani shivered again. Annalina was as cold-hearted as her dad was turning out to be. The voices stopped talking and Alani quickly hurried away.
Alani saw Annalina poke her head out of the cave. Annalina caught sight of Alani a few meters away and frowned. " Alani, how long have you been standing there?"
" I just arrived." Alani answered, " I went for a walk. Why?"
" I just thought you were eavesdropping on me and dad."
" I don't eavesdrop." Alani lied.
Annalina could tell she was lying. For one thing Alani wouldn't look at her directly. If Alani had heard their father's plans…
" You look silly with that leaf." Annalina said finally, changing the subject.
" I wouldn't have it on my face if it weren't for you." Alani shot back.
" It was an accident." Annalina defended herself.
" No it wasn't and we both know it. You deliberately attacked me and you actually got away with it. I know you didn't mean the apology yesterday. You may have Mom and Dad fooled but not me."
" You're too smart for your own good." Annalina remarked, " and you know what? I'm not sorry I attacked you. You deserved it."
" I already know that you're not sorry." Alani muttered.
" I just wanted to say it to your face." Annalina smiled cruelly. " Bye-bye. Dad and I are going to the lake and you aren't invited." Then she whirled around and stalked off her tail flicking.
Alan scowled at her retreating sister. She felt hurt by Annalina's cruel words. How had things come to this? When they were a little younger they had been close. Now they seemed to be growing apart.
" I have to do something about this." She murdered, " I must foil dad's plans for murder." She sat down on the ground and thought long and hard when an idea popped into her head. She knew what to do.
I must warn the King and Simba. She decided and that means leaving the Outlands and going into forbidden territory.
And betraying her family.
When Annalina returned home, Scar was waiting for her. He lectured her, yelled at her until she was reduced to tears.
" Daddy, I didn't mean to." She sobbed, " Alani can be so….annoying! She had it coming to her."
" No she didn't." Scar said, " Alani has done nothing to you. She's been a good sister. Which is more than I can say for you." He sighed, " I am very disappointed in you Annalina. I expected better from you."
" I know." Annalina wiped at her eyes with her paw, " H-how is her eye?"
" Sore. And will have a scar-just like mine. I want you to come in and apologise to Alani."
" Okay." Annalina agreed. She will apologise so that Daddy will stop being mad at her. She didn't have to mean it though.
" Dad?"
" Yes Annalina?"
" Will I still be Queen?"
" Yes my dear. You will still be Queen." Scar had to smile but turned out to be a grimace. " You are a true fighter."
" I t-thought…you might change your mind and make Alani the Queen instead." Annalina sniffled.
" The thought never crossed my mind." Her father assured her.
" G-Good." Annalina took a deep breath and smiled up at her father, " You're not angry anymore?"
Just looking at his daughter's lovely face made him forget his anger. " I can never stay angry at you." He admitted. " Let's go inside so you can apologize to Alani." He turned and disappeared into the cave.
Annalina smiled to herself. She could get away with anything! At that moment, she felt powerful; as if she was already Queen.
You have to do something about your sister, a voice whispered in her mind, she's still in your way. No matter what he says, she could still become Queen.
" Yes," she whispered to herself as she walked back inside the cave, " Alani is in my way. I must do something about her and fast."
* * *
Alani coldly accepted her sister's apology. They both knew Annalina didn't mean it. Annalina was such a convincing actress, she had their parents believing her.
She's got them so fooled, Alani thought as she watched her parents fawn over Annalina as though she was the one who was injured and not Alani.
It's like I'm the bad guy and she's innocent. Alani curled up in the a corner and sulked.
Her eye hurt with a searing pain every time she blinked. And the stupid leaf was making it hard to see what was going on. She had to rely on her good right eye.
I hope this stupid eye heals. She grumbled to herself.
Two days later, Alani woke early and headed out the cave. She knew she looked silly with a leaf stuck to her injured eye but Mom insisted it stay there so sand and dust couldn't get into the wound and infect it. She cleaned herself and her mother joined her and cleaned the places Alani couldn't reach.
" I'm off to the lake to get a drink," Tamali said, " Would you like to come?"
" No thank you." Alani shook her head, " I don't anyone to see me with a leaf stuck to my face."
" All right then." Tamali left her daughter and Alani sat by the cave to watch the early morning sunrise.
She heard her dad and sister talking in the cave. Alani knew she was wrong, but couldn't help listening:
" Dad, how am I supposed to become Queen when everyone knows Simba is going to be King?"
" I'll take care of that." Her dad assured Annalina, " Simba won't get in your way. I promise."
" How are you going to do that?" Annalina demanded.
" If I tell you, you must promise never to tell a soul."
" I promise Dad."
" Because if anyone else did know, they'll try and stop me and ruin my plans. Then you'll never be Queen. You understand?"
" I understand. You can count on me."
" All right then. I plan to do away with the King and the Prince." Scar explained and Alani's eyes went wide with shock and disbelief.
" Do away with King Mufasa and Simba? What does that mean?" Annalina sounded puzzled and Alani rolled her eyes. How can her not-so-smart sister rule the entire savannah was beyond her.
" It means to kill them." Scar replied in a whisper that sent chills through Alani. Her father was going to kill a powerful royalty like King Mufasa? This was horrible!
" Kill them?" Annalina sounded shocked too, " How?"
" Never mind about the details dear. It might give you nightmares. Now that you know, you don't think less of me do you?"
" No way. I really wanna be Queen and it won't happen with Simba in the way." Annalina sounded so sure of herself Alani shivered again. Annalina was as cold-hearted as her dad was turning out to be. The voices stopped talking and Alani quickly hurried away.
Alani saw Annalina poke her head out of the cave. Annalina caught sight of Alani a few meters away and frowned. " Alani, how long have you been standing there?"
" I just arrived." Alani answered, " I went for a walk. Why?"
" I just thought you were eavesdropping on me and dad."
" I don't eavesdrop." Alani lied.
Annalina could tell she was lying. For one thing Alani wouldn't look at her directly. If Alani had heard their father's plans…
" You look silly with that leaf." Annalina said finally, changing the subject.
" I wouldn't have it on my face if it weren't for you." Alani shot back.
" It was an accident." Annalina defended herself.
" No it wasn't and we both know it. You deliberately attacked me and you actually got away with it. I know you didn't mean the apology yesterday. You may have Mom and Dad fooled but not me."
" You're too smart for your own good." Annalina remarked, " and you know what? I'm not sorry I attacked you. You deserved it."
" I already know that you're not sorry." Alani muttered.
" I just wanted to say it to your face." Annalina smiled cruelly. " Bye-bye. Dad and I are going to the lake and you aren't invited." Then she whirled around and stalked off her tail flicking.
Alan scowled at her retreating sister. She felt hurt by Annalina's cruel words. How had things come to this? When they were a little younger they had been close. Now they seemed to be growing apart.
" I have to do something about this." She murdered, " I must foil dad's plans for murder." She sat down on the ground and thought long and hard when an idea popped into her head. She knew what to do.
I must warn the King and Simba. She decided and that means leaving the Outlands and going into forbidden territory.
And betraying her family.