As night approached, the rain clouds began to slowly appear above us once more.  If it meant that the dry Pridelands soil could be drenched once more and allow things to grow again, then that brought joy.  But  somehow I couldn't get it out of my head that the rains meant the River Pride would be forced to live upon the old Pridelands that my grandfather had given them so graciously.  Maybe now our gift of the Princess had been taken from us so cruelly, perhaps I could do the same to them?

I dismissed the thought, chiding myself for being so selfish.  If I did that, it would only lead to more scuffles as the Riverlanders would be forced to venture over the borders into our lands again.  The dark and bloody history of my lands and the Riverlands had finally been established, and all the while I knew that both members of our pride and members of theirs would be waiting for my reaction.  It was more than I could bear.  I needed to seek counsel.

I rose gingerly, unwatched by any of the lionesses save Nala who had been lying at my side.  She rose to follow but I shook my head and she relented, understanding.  Out of the cave I went and into the blackness of the night.  Being cloudy, I found it something of a struggle to look up at the stars and ask the great Kings of the past for their help.  But then, I reminded myself, that didn't matter. 

"He lives in you."  Rafiki's voice went over and over in my head.

So I had Mufasa's help with everything I thought.  I settled down upon a rock and went over everything in my head.

There was the expectation, and the realisation of all that had happened today.  What the others would be thinking.  How I'd react.  Whether I'd do this, or that?  But the thing bothering me most was the image of the sweet lioness from the River Pride I had seen earlier that day being battered by her own King.  Well, I supposed it was her King.  Somehow I knew, our paths would cross again, but it wouldn't be for the better.

Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice what would have been two familiar figures making their way clumsily towards me.  Gradually, however, I became aware of a pair of voices coming from behind me.

"Timon, d'you think he knows we're here?"

"Sssshhh! Pumbaa, how you think we're gonna spring a surprise on him if he hears you?"

"I, uh... Yeah, but he looks so... so... thoughtful," Pumbaa decided on the word, "What if he's thinking about something important?"

"HA!" laughed Timon so loudly that it would have brought me out my trance even if I hadn't been already, "that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, what if.." his voice got lower, "hey, Pumbaa, what if he's thinking about something important? Maybe we 'd best not bother him right now..."

"I – uh..." Pumbaa began.

"C'mon, it can wait. Right?"

I smiled.  Just listening to them helped make all my problems seem that much less important.  I was reminded of Hakuna Matata and laughed inwardly at their indecisiveness about whether or not to 'trick' me.  After all, if they were worried about my reaction, then they weren't listening to their own advice!  As they continued bickering noisily, I slowly turned round to face them.

There, dressed in what looked like a few leaves thrown together to look what looked like was supposed to be a tree, was my old pal Timon sitting on his chum Pumbaa's back.  "Hey fellas," I said.

Timon looked up shocked, "Hey! Simba," he said.  Then realising what he was dressed up in, stumbled on, "I, er – how do you like my new image.  I was getting kinda tired with the whole yellow and brown thing, thought I'd try some nice green.  Hmm, yeah...  Lovely isn't it?"

Pumbaa took over, "Oh yes, green is this years burgundy, don't you know.  We thought we'd try it out.  But, I – er, I'm not sure it's really me."

I laughed.  Not once in three years in the jungle had they ever managed to scare me, and all I had to do was growl and they scarpered like antelope.  But you had to hand it to them, they were still trying.  It was just... green leaves didn't camouflage well in the savannah, particularly before it had regrown and it was night time.

"So, how'd the expedition for grubs go?" I asked.

"Weeell, lets just say I don't like the bugs from the South Western border," said Timon.

"Oh yeah, they had proper defence mechanisms and everything, real scary they were," continued Pumbaa.

"Oh, I bet they were," I laughed sarcastically, "reeeeeal scary, worms are."

Timon looked at me indignantly, hands on hips, "I'll have you know, King Simba, that beetles that fight back are cheaters!"

I laughed again, "whatever!" I said, winking.

"So, anyway King Simba, whatsup?" asked Timon, "come to talk to the bunch of royal dead guys again?  You do that a lot you know..."

Pumbaa looked shocked, "You can't say that Timon!  That's really offensive that is!  Oh dear, your majesty!!   Oh, please, please forgive him!" he pleaded with me.

I was surprised.  "I told you two, nothings changed now I'm King.  You're still my old jungle mates, and you're always welcome here.  And don't worry, I'm not about to banish either of you," I added, noticing Pumbaa's worried expression.

Feeling a whole lot better about myself after this chance meeting with my two old mates, I left them to their bug searching and returned to Pride Rock.  As I neared the mouth of the cave, Nala came bounding out, looking very upset, and headed up to the top just as I had only yesterday.  I briefly toyed with my emotions, wondering whether I should let her have her own free time, just as she had to me only a few short hours ago.

But my love got the better of me, and I bypassed the cave entrance, heading up to the top to see her staring towards the Eastern border.  At the time, that didn't strike me as strange.  I crept up alongside her, and followed her gaze to the horizon.  Now it was dark, it was difficult to see anything at all.  Remembering how I'd felt when she'd licked my face when I was feeling at a low ebb, I did the same to her.  Bending her head and resting it on my shoulders to acknowledge me, she began to hum a mournful tune.

I sat with her for a long time, comforting her, until she felt the need to explain or return to the cave, whichever came first.  From my own experience, I knew that you couldn't push someone to tell you something before they were ready.  Gradually, however, she came round, and said "Zazu's story, that was new to you... wasn't it?"

"Yeah, of course," I replied.

"You didn't know anything of the history between our pride and the River Pride?"

"Not really.  I didn't live here long enough to hear my father tell me that one."

She smiled weakly, "Yeah."

A couple of minutes passed.

"I knew there was rivalry between the two," she explained, "but I never knew how bad.  And now it's just gonna get worse, after... today."

"I – er - expect so," I whispered, wondering where this was going.

"Well, there's something I have to tell you.  But you have to keep it a secret, because only my mother knows apart from me."

I waited expectantly.  She knew I was more loyal to her than anyone else and didn't need my word.

"My – father," she began, "he was... he was a member of the River Pride."

Whatever I had been expecting, that wasn't it.  I was silent for a few seconds.

"My mother, she didn't know.  She thought he was a rogue.  He tricked her."

I still wasn't quite sure what to say.

"She never told anyone, but returned to her pride and kept quiet on the father.  No one ever asked, and she never told anyone.  Except me.  She said I had to keep it quiet and never tell anyone.  That I might be thrown out of the pride."

"You know that'd never happen when I'm King," I said.

"But it might not be down to you.  If the other lionesses find out, they might round me out against your wishes.  They might forgive my mother because she was tricked, but for sure they wouldn't let me stay."

"Even after all this time?" I asked.

"Who knows?" she said.

We sat there again for a few minutes longer, before I spoke up, "Well, if they still don't know, we won't tell them.  It can be our secret, it won't matter."

"But what if it somehow slips out?"

"It won't!" I said confidently, "I won't let it."

She turned to me, smiled, and said "I'm glad you're here Simba".

I was glad too.  The thunder sounded, and the rains began to fall.  We headed together down the slope and back into the cave.