A/N: Hi all!

Thanks so much to all that have reviewed this; wow, 50 reviews…I'm so happy! Thank you so much!

An interesting thing about this chapter: I had it planned out, but when I started writing it; my muses took over and this is what you get! I have to rework some details in my mind, but this story should be finished soon and still come out the way (I think) I want it to.

Enjoy and Please don't forget to RR!

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Chapter 7:

The light rain that had been falling just moments before now was a blowing mist over the pride lands as Kiara and Uzoma looked for their parents outside.

"I don't think they would be out here," Kiara said as she searched with her eyes around the land.

"I know I saw them near the water hole," Uzoma replied as Vitani walked up to the lion and lioness.

"Are you looking for Simba and Nala?"

Vitani inquired, looking at Uzoma and the princess of the pride lands;

"Yes," Kiara answered, "Have you seen them?"

"They were at the water hole, but I saw them go in to the cavern," Vitani replied, indicating with her head where the cave was.

"Thanks," Uzoma said as Kiara nodded and the two lions walked back to the den.

"The rain has let up; we'll head back to my pride tomorrow…"

Kiara and Uzoma overheard Bakari talking to the king and queen and Tamu as they entered the cavern;

"Mom?"

Uzoma inquired as he sat in front of his parents;

"Daddy?"

Kiara copied as she sat down;

"What is it?"

Tamu asked, looking at the two sitting in front of them;

"We know," came Uzoma's short reply.

"Know, what?"

Simba asked, genuinely confused until it clicked in his head what the kids were going on about;

"Hasana told me," Uzoma said his voice calm, "Kiara and I are not going through with the little arrangement you made for us."

"That's right," Kiara put in, "I love Kovu, and Uzoma loves his girlfriend back home."

"Aziza," Uzoma said as Kiara nodded.

"I know you may be upset right now, but Kiara you've known Uzoma all your life and this Kovu lion for not that long and…"

"That will not work on Aziza and me mom," Uzoma said as Tamu shook her head.

"Kiara," Nala's soft voice cut in, "You're father and I were betrothed, it's a tradition…"

"Going back many generations," Kiara finished in a bored tone.

"What betrothed?"

The lions gasped as Kovu made his entrance in to the cavern, shaking the rain from his coat as he strolled up to Kiara;

"When we were cubs, our parents made me and Uzoma betrothed," Kiara explained as Kovu's eyes widened.

"You're betrothed? Do you love him? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yes we're betrothed, I love her like another sister, and we just found out like twenty minutes ago," Uzoma answered Kovu's oncoming questions.

"You can't control my life mom and dad," Kiara spoke up, "I love Kovu and I want to be with him. Kovu loves me, stop constantly controlling my life!"

"It makes sense now why you've been building up Kiara to me, and talking down Aziza," Uzoma spoke as he glared at his parents.

"Listen Kovu," Simba began, "the tradition of betrothing one's heir goes back very far in my family, which is why I passed on that tradition to…"

"Control my life and force me to marry whatever lion is good enough for you," Kiara snapped as Simba roared.

"You don't speak to me in that way Kiara!"

Simba shouted, making Kovu flinch;

"Perhaps," the young lion said, "I should leave."

"No," Kiara firmly said as tears formed in her eyes, "Don't leave, we'll work this out."

"All my life you've told me what to do, who you think is good for me," it was Uzoma to yell now, "I've had enough! Just because Aziza is different, does not give you the right to betroth us when we're just cubs!"

"Actually," Nala started, "We decided to betroth Kiara when she was just born, we weren't sure what your mother was going to have so we waited and she first had your sister then you. If your mother would not have had you, there was one other lioness that was pregnant."

"What!"

Raged Kiara, struggling to hold herself back from striking out;

"I don't think that helped much," Tamu whispered as Kiara posed a question.

"Who was the other lioness?"

"Faizah," Nala replied as Kiara blew out a breath of air in anger and frustration.

"I don't believe this," Kiara said as she took a few steps back from her parents, "I'm going for a walk."

Kiara looked at Kovu as he nodded and the two lions left the cavern, despite protests from Simba and Nala;

"Don't you dare go anywhere with him!"

Simba bellowed as Kiara looked back and glowered at her father before storming out of the cavern;

"Uzoma, you have to give this marriage a chance…"

Tamu flinched as her son raised his paw then put it down, clenching his teeth in anger before he made himself speak his voice full of venom, "I'll never forgive you for this, never."

The four elder lions watched helplessly as Uzoma followed Kiara's path out of the cavern and out of the sight of the adults;

"What do we do?"

Inquired Nala, looking after the three lions that had just left, her eyes gazing in the direction that they had run off to.

"Give them time," Bakari replied to the queen's question, "My son will marry your daughter, don't worry your majesties."

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