THE SCARRED KING AND QUEEN NALA - Ch V

Notes : See? All that's needed is a little faith in ol' sulkenwolfpup, and she'll come back to treat you to more 'The Scarred King and Queen Nala' galore. Oh, and, I'll tell you, 'The King of Broadway' from 'The Producers' is a VERY good prop for this fan-fic. And in case you wanted to know, I write these fics in Humana Serif ITC TT, so if you want 'em in their original state... Oh, and I just wanted to say something. The other day, at school, we were discussing matters of politeness and such. A school-mate of mine said this, "... unless they like, commited suicide or something stupid like that." So guys? Is suicide stupid? That's what this story is about, isn't it?

A gentle arid wind was blowing from the North. It blew the mane of an old phantom, and the lashes of a great beauty.

"You don't have to be my queen," said Scar, the following day.

Before Scar's comment, Nala had been soundly slumbering. At this, she gasped and her eyes snapped open. She darted her head about, before suddenly coming to her senses. Turning her head to meet Scar's gaze, she realised the disastrous doings of the night before.

The two had such an argument, Nala wasn't sure whether she could go on. But when Scar had blurted out that he was Kivuli, Nala had only broken into tears in remorse. Now, she realised her fate.

Nala had dried her tears on her father's mane, fallen to slumber in his grasp, and ultimately trusted him with her troubles. "W-I- what?" She stuttered.

Scar only gave her his famed coy smile. "Hello, Nala," he said, his smile growing to a sure-fire grin.

At this comment, Nala's eyes filled with moisture. But her eyes did not water from the arid winds that surrounded them; there was no misplaced leaf bit about Nala's eye; these were purely tears of sorrow. "I'm sorry, okay?" She blurted out, "but I don't love you. I don't believe you."

"You don't?" Scar protested, with a coy smile.

Nala sighed, and shook her head, solemnly. "At least, I don't want to." She turned back to look at him, her face growing sour. "You're my own father, and you want me to be your queen! What kind of a man are you, anyway, to do such horrors?"

The look upon Scar's face was plain and expressionless. "I'll tell you this, Nala. I shouldn't have told you all I've told you, you would be better off not knowing the truth.

"But I'll tell you this. Much as you doubt it, your mother loves me. She probably tried to hide the truth from you, but she does. What exactly did she tell you?"

"She told me... that your name was Kivuli, and that you were dead."

Scar's face was not of confusion, but of understanding. "How did she say my death came about? Or did you not ask?"

"Oh, I asked," Nala sighed, "she said 'suicide'. Why? You're alive, and so self-obsessed - that's the most far-fetched idea I can think of!"

Instead of cocking an eyebrow or shouting, 'WHAT!' Scar shook his head. "Your mother was right. Much as I tried to keep myself alive, I think that Kivuli has completely worn away."

"What? What does that mean?" Nala still did not understand.

"I was born Kivuli. I suppose that, since you are my daughter, and you seem to be curious, I should tell someone a detail or two of my past.

"It was my late mother's idea to name the two of us, Mufasa and I, Takua and Kivuli. But shortly after my birth, my mother fell dead. Ahadi blamed me for the murder. And thus, I was thrown to the pit of certain death.

"But, since you see me here, it's obvious that the death was not certain. I lived the horror. A female hyena called Kwajuka adopted me, and took her as brother to her own cubs; Shenzi and Monty."

"Shenzi?" Nala repeated. "Shenzi?"

"Yes Nala," Scar said, "Shenzi. We've been friends for quite the time. But I had to return to the pride when I grew of age, where Ahadi treated me like scum and Mufasa became king. Realising the true fate and after watching Ahadi murder Kwajuka, I became jealous of Mufasa's place on the throne. I do not fear to admit it - I am a murderer. I murdered my brother, Mufasa."

"You're a murderer!" Nala shrieked. "I'm daughter of a murderer!"

"Yes Nala, you speak correct." Scar nodded, raising both eyebrows and with a solemn expression upon his face. "You may admit it to the pride, for all I care."

Nala shook her head. "No Dad," she said. "I don't want to. I don't want you killed." Nala cursed herself. Dad? Had she just called him Dad?

And so Scar grinned and turned away. Walked away. Nala stared pleadingly at him, but he didn't even turn to face her. Sighing, the young lioness turned toward the main pride, where she was certain her mother would sit.

"Mother," she said, reaching her.

Sarafina's face lit up. "Nala!" She exclaimed, and furthermore, "you're back! Where have you been?"

Nala frowned. "Mother? Did you lie to me about Kivuli, my father?"

Sarafina's eyes turned shallow, cold, and afraid. "W-why?" She stuttered.

"King Scar claims to be my father," Nala said, looking crossly at her mother. "And furthermore, he wants me to be his queen. He wants to marry me, Mom! He told me to ask you - said you'd agree with him!"

Sarafina sighed deeply. Nala could tell by glimpsing her that she was going through quite the effort to calm her daughter. "No, I didn't lie. I said he commited suicide because jealousy took over the Scar - the Kivuli - I knew. We grew up with each other, but he lost it when we got older. He changed so much! I said he commited suicide because that side of him seemed to die away," but Sarafina continued, "but if he told you all this, I was apparently mistaken."

"But he wants me to be his queen!" Nala cried.

Sarafina shrugged, sighing again. "I think you're lucky."