Hello, dear readers... thanks for the last reviews, I'm glad to see that you still like what I write.I am very sorry for the long time it took for me to update, but life has been very busy. I also wondered what would happen next, so here it is. Hope you like this next chapter, which also turned out to be a long one. Please do review... Atrice
Part 13 – Sarabi's Secret
Sarabi wandered back and forward in the large, royal cave on Pride Rock. She looked nervous, like she was afraid of something. The last lion she wanted to see, when feeling like this, was of course the first one to come around. She stopped her wandering, staring at the one who just entered the cave; his green eyes were bright in the faint light in here.
"Scar… what are you doing here?" she asked, and backed away from him. She didn't want him to see her, not now.
"Oh, I was just curious to see how the queen were… you don't look too well, dear Sarabi." He said and stepped closer to her, and she went to the side to avoid him.
"I am just fine… and don't call me 'dear' – I am less than that to you!" she snapped.
"False… though you may not believe it, you are dear to me. Yes, you betrayed me, but… how shall I put it? I think we're equal now." Scar said with an unusual calm voice.
"I don't trust you… won't you please leave?" Sarabi then tried to beg, but it only made the king's brother more curious.
"Like I said, we're equals now… I don't trust you either. So, what is wrong?" he actually tried to sound like he cared, and somehow he already guessed what was up with the young lioness, whom he once loved. She didn't answer him right away, but looked to the entrance. No sight of any of her sisters, or Mufasa for that matter.
"You're right… I'm not doing fine. I think… that I may be bearing the next king or queen in me…" she said the last with a whisper, like she didn't want to believe it to be real.
"Really? Let me be the first to congratulate you… but… you don't want the cub?" Scar asked, when he saw how nervous she looked.
"Of course I want the cub… no, I'm not discussing this with you. Please leave!" Sarabi changed her mind constantly, which amused Scar quite a lot. And he knew a secret now… how did he use that? He smirked and went towards the sunlight outside again. He was soon gone, leaving the pregnant queen alone in the cave again. It was the truth, what he said. It was her first cub, and that was the reason why she was afraid. What if something went wrong?
x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x
"Scar? Have you seen Sarabi?" Mufasa caught Scar just below Pride Rock, strolling around with a superior smile on his face.
"Sarabi? Oh yes… she's in the cave. You should go to her, she's not doing well." Scar said, not letting the smile leave him.
"Not doing well? What do you mean?" the king asked, now worried, and looked towards the opening he could see on the rocks.
"To me, she doesn't seem happy. Do you make her happy?" Scar then asked, leaving the smile behind for a more suspicious look.
"What do you mean? Of course I make her happy… more than you would ever be able to!" Mufasa growled, Scar hit a soft spot. The king did all he could to make the queen happy, but it was true, that lately she had been acting strange. Didn't she love him anymore?
"Easy now, brother… go to her, and ask how she's doing." The dark brother knew, that Sarabi wouldn't tell her mate the truth to begin with. Not when she was already afraid of the outcome, she would keep it hidden for awhile. For everyone else but Scar, he thought to himself. Mufasa sent his brother a strange glance, then leapt up the the cave.
x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x
It had become evening the same day… and Scar thought it was about time he tested some important steps. The sun had gone down, and it was now dusk. He climbed Pride Rock, and looked around. Nobody saw him, as he began to walk towards the peak of the rock. The place where news were announced and cubs were given their part in the circle of life. He stood on the very point of the rock, and took a deep breath. It sure felt nice to stand here. What if Scar one day stood here, as the king, and it was his cub that was to be presented?
"Scar!" he was ripped out of the calming thoughts, when he heard the voice of Sarabi far away. He turned around and saw her come towards him.
"My queen…" he said and bowed, but she didn't buy it.
"What have you told Mufasa about me?" Sarabi said, almost with a cry, still coming closer.
"Nothing? Except for that I was worried about you… is that wrong?" Scar answered, sounding hurt by the fact that it could be wrong to be worried. He was so good at acting, he thought.
"It is not… but he thought that… that I was doing something with you! That I didn't love him anymore… you must have said something!" she assumed.
"Not anything like that … he must have made that up himself. Trust me, I would never harm my brother that way." He walked past her, back towards the rock where the cave was. Sarabi stood still a bit, wondering if he was really telling the truth. He once promised her something… that he would never hurt anyone in his family. And yet Scar was the reason that king Ahadi died.
"What if I choose to trust you again?" she called to him.
"Then it's your choice…" Scar was tired now, and just wanted to get inside. He had considered the conversation for ended, but she didn't agree. He turned around and looked at her. Sarabi had tears in her eyes, he could even see it from a distance. She began to run towards him, and Scar found himself smiling of real joy for once. She trusted him again! But everything went too fast, and he wasn't sure he believed his own eyes when it happened.
"Then I choose to…" Sarabi said while running, not noticing she was too close to the edge. She slipped on a loose stone, and fell from Pride Rock down to the ground below; not landing on all four like a cat should do. Scar was stunned and didn't move out of the spot for seconds…