"Hang on, don't I recognise you?" he asked her.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied quietly, but angry. I know you weren't called Jimbala last time I saw you."

There was another moment of quiet again, as Jimbala turned her words over in his head. I understood however – here, of all lions, was my father in law.

It dawned on him. "Ah, I see… Dear Sarafina! Tell me, how is our daughter?" and he laughed again.

Sarafina was furious with him. "Don't you laugh you evil tyrant!"

"Oh, why ever not?!"

"It won't please the three of us who want you out of our lands," spoke up Usiku. I looked at her in amazement that she would actually come out and say such a thing.

"Four of us," came another voice. From next to Jimbala. It was Shuku. Nothing could have prepared me for that. Shuku also held a look of anger, or betrayal. Whatever it was, it was a strong emotion.

"Wha…" said Jimbala, looking round to see Shuku staring at him with distaste. "Oh, another dear traitor. How glorious!"

"You see?" I began, "you're not really welcome here. So, I recommend you leave, straight off, and don't bother us again. Live on your own land!"

Jimbala looked down at the floor, sighing. I stared at him from a little way away. Usiku was behind me on my left, and Sarafina on my right, both angry beyond measure. Jimbala was trapped between us, though I planned to let him escape past Shuku if he wanted. As I looked at him, thoughts flashed through my head of the things that he had done, of the pain he had caused. I didn't understand how a simple love of power could do this to someone, could drive them to killing innocent cubs, or tricking a loyal or loving lioness in spite.

Jimbala stayed still, staring at the floor. He began to speak slowly. "Well, if it is your majesty's wishes, I will go. But remember, our prides will never see eye to eye King Simba. I will be back, and next time you really had better worry."

"Not so," I replied, to his back as he began to skulk off, "you will never cross the border again."

He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at me, before walking past Shuku.

I should have seen it coming. He cuffed her hard around the face with his paw, claws out, and suddenly, the chance of a peaceful ending was gone. The two of them scrapped fiercely, Jimbala the stronger of the two, but both old, and weakening, so neither was the fighter they used to be. In the mêlée, a River Pride lioness had also turned up, no doubt keen to see how events were going. I recognised her from the border, and Usiku whispered in my ear. "She killed Ella!" before whisking off into her path, and beginning an even more ferocious fight.

Sarafina looked at me in wonderment, before running to help the two Pridelanders. I was worried for the three's safety, and charged in myself, wondering why, despite my best efforts, it had to be solved like this.

By the time I'd pinned Jimbala to the ground, the other lioness had been subdued and was held under Usiku's weight. Jimbala was clearly in a lot of pain, injured as he was. Shuku was no better, having fought him so fiercely, she had taken a lot of blows and lost a lot of blood. I stood over Jimbala, baring my teeth.

"I said before. Leave."

"Never without a fight!"

"You're in no fit state. Go, and I will show mercy."

Subdued, he didn't answer, knowing that I was right – that being fitter and younger I was more than capable of beating him in a fight, despite his larger size. I stepped off him and he stood up and turned.

"Don't let him go!" screeched Shuku in distress, and she made a final move for him, charging into him whereupon he cracked his head against a rock on the floor, and lay motionless. Shuku was sprawled on the floor next to him.

I rushed up to her, she was still alive – just.

She looked at me, "I'm sorry, King Simba. I was wrong. Forgive me for my sins, and please don't ask me to explain why. Remember me as I was, Simba. A good, devoted lioness to your father. I was led astray and now I have paid for it. I regret it all from the bottom of my heart. Forgive me, and let me be."

"I will forgive you, and keep questions to a minimum, Shuku. But please tell me just one thing. What started all this off?"

She was about to answer, but she groaned in pain, and breathed her last, rolling onto her back. Her underbelly had been ripped out by one of Jimbala's hind claws, and I bowed my head as I stood over the two of them, bemoaning the fact that I had only managed to fuel hatred and cause more bloodshed. Where my grandfather had succeeded in quelling the antagonism between the two Prides, here I was, but I had a dead member from each Pride on my hands. How did that live up to Ahadi or even Mufasa?

Usiku stood opposite me. "Do not be troubled, Simba… The two of them will be better in their death, for their life would have been nothing but pain from this point on."

"You are right," I said, "but what of the rest of the River Pride? Will they not want revenge for the death of their King?"

"They will not. I heard things in my time there – many of them crave peace, despite how they hate the Pridelanders. With this tyrant's death comes a new opportunity for them. Leave them be, and I believe they will do the same for you."

I nodded. "So it shall be," and turned to the other lioness from the River Pride who stood a way away, cowering.

"Riverlander, what is your name?"

She squeaked an answer, "Chunta."

"Chunta, you will return to your Pride, and you will inform them of what has happened. And you will not seek revenge or bloodshed. I am told you crave peace, and I will give it to you, if you give it to us."

"I agree, King Simba, on behalf of my pride."

"Is it true the herds do not use the land we gave you in the past?"

"No, King Simba, that is a lie. Those lands are plentiful."

"Good," I replied, "Now go and make haste. See to it that I do not see your Pride again."

"You are noble, King Simba," she replied, before bowing and heading off.

I looked around, and Sarafina nodded at me, before making her way out of the small valley and presumably back to Pride Rock. She had settled her demons, and could now live out the rest of her days peacefully, amongst all her old Pride sisters. I was pleased for her – the burden must have been difficult to bear for her whole life, and now, only now was it gone. She disappeared from sight. That left Usiku and I alone.

In our previous respectful moment, I had known that it had taken a lot for her to return to the Pridelands. Facing up to the past was difficult, I knew that, and I held a lot of respect for her for returning. Even more so because for a brief moment I had not trusted her, which was fully wrong of me. I gave an amused smile, before joking, "I asked you to return when things got better, not to help them get better!"

She laughed.

"How is Mtifu?" she asked, clearly worried.

"She misses you terribly," I replied, truthfully, "Things will be fine."

"I hope so."

We stood in silence for a couple of seconds.

"Are you here to stay, Usiku?"

She looked up, "If the pride will have me? Yes, for good."

I smiled at her, and I was pleased she had found her place at last.

She gestured to me to lead the way out of the small valley, and I clambered up the side, before waiting for her at the top.