Happy Valentine's Day!
"What are you grinning about?" Tiifu asked Zuri as she approached the group.
"Oh, I just saw the king give the queen the most romantic present!" She gushed. "He hunted a puku just for her! I love it when couples act all lovey even after years of being together, it just melts my heart!"
"They don't exactly strike me as 'lovey,'" Vitani deadpanned from her perch in the acacia above Kiara and Kovu's heads. "They're nice, but not exactly soft and squishy."
Kiara noticed that her parents had become more affectionate since the end of the conflict with Zira. Their marriage had clearly taken a hit when Kion had followed the Great Kings' instructions to leave the Pride Lands on a spiritual journey, and the stress of Zira's plot coming to fruition had driven them even further apart. They didn't argue in the den, didn't behave aggressively or dismissively towards each other. In fact, they hardly spoke at all. Instead, a chilly quiet had settled between them. They still walked together, still slept next to each other. But it was all just motions repeated either out of habit or out of duty.
Just when she was worried that things might never return to how they were, her father had climbed up to the den and dropped a hunk of clay-colored organ flesh at her mother's paws. It was the liver of a large herd animal. A very large herd animal.
"This is too big to be a wildebeest, it looks almost like a..." her mother tilted her head to look at him in pleased confusion. "What is it?"
"Cape buffalo," he'd shrugged. "Don't worry," he'd interrupted before she could protest, "I didn't hunt it, I traded for it."
This wasn't just any gift. Cape buffalo didn't travel through the Pride Lands, and were notoriously dangerous to hunt. But, Simba knew of a leopard leap just outside of the Pride Lands who were known to hunt the great beasts. Simba had found time to bargain with their leader Maluf, an old friend of his, and agree on a fair trade for this delectable piece of their kill. Maluf had generously accepted the trade, and ensured that a cape buffalo was hunted the day Simba had arranged to meet him again. Nobody ever found out what Simba had traded for the liver, which he dismissed as unimportant, but they knew this was a lie. Whatever it was was either rare, or difficult to obtain. He had managed to accomplish all of this without Nala ever realizing that he had been up to something. It was a rare delicacy that had taken days of planning and timing to obtain, something only one of his status could afford, in a manner of speaking. It was a truly a labor of love.
She remembered the shocked look on her mother's face, which melted into admiration as her father assured her that he hadn't risked his life to bring the animal down, as if that had somehow cheapened the gift. "Just a little something for you," he'd insisted, refusing to give more details about what he'd gone through to get it. "You deserve it."
"I think you're both right," Kiara rested her head against Kovu's shoulder. "They certainly have their own way of showing love."
"How'd your dad propose to your mom?" Kovu snickered. "Give her the heart of a hyena in front of all the Pride Landers?"
"Nope," Zuri chirped, "they were engaged at birth, he never proposed. It's how things used to be."
"Actually that's not true," Kiara corrected. "He did propose to her."
"What?" Zuri exclaimed. "How did I not know this?!"
"Well, it's a bit of a story," the princess smiled. "Technically, he proposed by breaking off their engagement."
"He didn't!"
"How did that work?" Tiifu squinted.
"It all went back to something he told her when they were cubs," Kiara thought back to the story her mother always told with a smile on her face, a story about a time before Kiara had been born.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" She demanded. "The crocs will follow the herds, you need to bring the hippos back to keep them in check! We talked about this!"
"I didn't say it didn't matter," his voice tightened. "I said it didn't matter tonight." He tried to walk past her.
"When are you going to find Amanifu and talk to him?" She stepped back in his path, her shoulders squared against his stooped posture. "He's the only one who will listen to you, you need him."
"I'm sorry," his voice twisted sarcastically, "it's been a while since I've lived in the savannah, are elephants nocturnal now?"
"You need a plan, Simba. You can't just charge into every situation like a bull elephant and expect it to go well."
"I'll look for Amanifu at sunrise, alright? I will be on the hunt before the birds start singing, I'll find Amanifu and I'll beg him to come back to the Pride Lands."
"With who?"
"Please, I'm pretty sure I can track down an elephant in a wasteland."
"I mean in case something happens," her voice softened.
"I can handle a few hyenas."
"It would be more than a few, we only managed to kill about a dozen before the rest ran off."
"Who am I supposed to take with me?" He challenged. "The pride needs to stay together, you all need to just, you know, stick together and take a breath. Go lie in the sun with your mom, take a walk with Kula, do the stuff you used to do before you had to grow up so fast."
"Things aren't like the way they are before."
"What clued you in?"
"Simba, someone needs to go with you."
"Fine," he stepped past her. "I'll take Pumbaa."
"Has Pumbaa ever used those tusks for anything besides lifting a rotten log for bugs?"
"Pumbaa always did whatever he had to to keep me safe," Simba looked over his shoulder to defend his friend. "I'd be dead without him and Timon. Just because they know how to relax doesn't mean they don't know how to handle themselves when they need to."
"I'm sorry," she took a deep breath. "Fine. I'm sure you'll take care of each other."
"We always do," he turned back to the fields beyond. The grass swayed in the warm night breeze.
"Where are you going?" She asked. He stopped, and she watched his shoulder blades sag as he sighed heavily.
"A walk," he glanced back. "I'll be back, you know, soon."
Nala parted her lips to ask when 'soon' was, but closed them again. The cub she knew abhorred silence, and craved constant companionship. He was affectionate and warm. But Simba wasn't a cub anymore. He'd been chased, betrayed, broken and beat down. It showed in the inflamed red lines streaked across his body, and in his eyes. This lion wanted, needed, some time alone. He was right; he could take care of himself. At least for a night.
"They didn't always get along," Kiara recalled. "Dad says there were weeks when they argued more than anything else. They both had very different ideas on how to do things, and you all know how, well, stubborn my parents are. But, he knew he wanted to argue and make up with her for the rest of his life. My mom will always be my dad's best friend."
"Aww," Zuri crooned.
"That's kinda sweet," Kovu admitted.
"It is," the princess nodded. "But he felt guilty for spending so long in the jungle when she and the rest of the pride were suffering. Even though he was the king, he didn't feel worthy of her. Because my mom is so loyal to her pride and home, he knew she'd follow tradition and marry him to keep the pride strong. But he didn't want her to marry him out of duty; he wanted her to fall in love with him and marry him because it made her happy. So, first he brought back Amanifu the elephant leader. Then he recruited the crocs, giraffes, elephants, he started bringing all the animals back. The Pride Lands began to repopulate, and my dad called his first summit, where he made his first official decree in front of all the leaders of the Pride Lands."
"I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to meet with me today," the young king cleared his throat. "I've talked to each of you about your concerns, and I promise that I will address each one. But first, I'd like to take care of something I promised to someone many years ago." There was a pause as the lion glanced at his pride. "My father was a great king. He led with wisdom and integrity, and I have deep respect for the traditions of the homeland. However," he looked back at the modest gathering, "Change is the nature of the savannah, and there is something to be said for a fresh start. With that said, it is my first decree that the longstanding tradition of arranged marriages is now severed, across the Pride Lands. I will not bless any marriage that is not formed with love and consent. I don't believe marriage should be a tool, rather an eternal expression of love and commitment between two animals, free of external pressures and obligations."
"Wow," Kovu rose an eyebrow. "Talk about a power move."
"What'd your mom think?" Vitani asked.
As the last of the animals finally dispersed, she approached the king as he breathed an audible sigh of exhaustion.
"You sure love a dramatic entrance, don't you?"
"Oh, that little opening liner?" Despite his weariness, he flashed a cocky smile as she sat beside him. "Just keeping my word. 'When I'm king, that'll be the first thing to go.' Remember?"
"I do. Is that what that was, then? Just keeping your word?"
"What else would it be?"
"It's just," she glanced at Sarabi, who was waiting just out of earshot to address her son. "I don't think your mother-"
"I didn't do it for her," he interrupted pointedly, "I did it for you. Nobody else," he stood, as if to punctuate his statement.
"Nobody else, huh?"
"I sure as hell didn't do it for me," he commented as he stepped past her.
"He remembered after all those years?" Tiifu asked. "That's actually pretty cute."
"Well, not everyone thought so."
"You WHAT?!" Timon gripped the fur atop his head.
"Take it easy, Timon."
"You mean to tell me your idea of proclaiming your love to her is by publicly breaking up with her?! HAVE I TAUGHT YOU NOTHIN'?!"
"Come on," Simba rolled his eyes, "it's not like that. It's just something personal between us, she gets it."
"Kid, there is no 'us,' you dumped her! We've been over this, you can't just dump a girl when she starts getting too close!" The meerkat leaped up to Simba's face and grabbed his whiskers. "WHEN WILL YOU LEARN TO STOP REJECTING AFFECTION?"
"That's not," the lion painfully shook the meerkat off, "what this is! I made a move on her, Timon. You don't have to understand it."
"But does SHE understand it? How do you know she didn't just take your dumping at face value and assume, I don't know, that you dumped her?!"
"Because she's not dumber than a rock."
"Oh," Timon crossed his arms. "Was that a jab at me, or the lovely ladies you were so previously enamored with?"
"Actually Timon," Pumbaa cut in, "I think it's sweet. Two joined souls bonding over the antics of their youth..."
"Pumbaa, you've approved of darn near every spring-headed fling the kid's had since his dome started growing red fuzz, you don't get a say!"
"Neither do you," Simba rose an eyebrow.
"So, what," Timon rubbed his face, "are you just gonna keep romantically screwing with your family's sacred tradition to impress her or do you have a better plan?"
"I don't have any plan, it's her move now."
"What makes you so confident that she'll make one?"
"I'm not," the young king admitted. "I'm just hoping she will. When she's ready. That's the whole point. She has to want to be with me."
"How could she not," Timon deadpanned, "after all you've done to publicly reject her?"
"While everyone in the Pride Lands was wondering why my dad broke off his engagement to my mom, Mom knew exactly what he was doing."
"And?" Zuri prodded.
"It worked," Kiara smiled. "They courted, and he proposed to her with a small kill and a promise to always take care of her. She says that she spent the entire courtship wondering when he'd ask her, she never had a doubt in her mind."
"I need me a man like that," Tiifu sighed blissfully. "Someday."
"Yeah, that sounds like something your dad would do," Kovu nodded.
"Wait, wait," Tiifu leaned in, "I need more details, what exactly did he say when he proposed? You can't just leave us hanging!"
"Sorry Tiffu, I don't know exactly what was said," Kiara admitted. "I just know that after he abolished arranged marriages, Mom shoved him into the watering hole and asked him on a date. That's um, sort of an inside joke between them."
"I like her style," Vitani commented.
"I wonder who you would have been arranged to marry," Kovu wondered aloud.
"Doesn't matter," she cuddled against him, beaming. "I would have chosen you."
"Pretty sure your dad wouldn't have liked that," Vitani pointed out.
"He still doesn't," Kovu snorted.
"Hey, that's not true," Kiara nudged him.
"Whatever."
"Simba thinks you're..." Tiifu looked to Zuri for help.
"He thinks you're a good hunter!" Zuri supplied quickly.
"Yeah, and um, he knows you're good at a lot of things, things that are important to him, you know, like uh, um, ooh! Like tracking!"
"Yes! Tracking!"
"I get it," Kovu stood. "I'm um, I'm gonna get a drink." When he was gone, Kiara sighed.
"Thanks, guys, I'm sure that didn't make him feel worse."
"How are we supposed to know what Simba thinks of him?" Zuri hissed.
"Yeah, it's not our fault we can't read your dad's mind!"
"Have either of you ever tried just being quiet?" Vitani asked.
"Shut up, Vitani, it's not like you helped," Tiifu scowled.
"Oh yeah," Vitani rolled her eyes. "But you two were such a big help."
As Kovu treaded through the grass, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It wasn't that he was scared of Simba, per se, but the king did command a rather formidable aura. Their...colorful, one might say, history only further complicated Kovu's feelings for Kiara's father. But he felt confident enough that if he proposed a question, Simba would answer it honestly. Kovu was beginning to learn that while Simba was capable of dishonesty, he strongly preferred to speak in the truth even he had even a sliver of a motive to do so. Kovu finally spotted the red-maned lion where Sarabi had said he would be, in the field near Timon and Pumbaa's little oasis.
"I'm just sayin'," Kovu could hear Timon's voice before he could see him, "it's the principle of the thing!"
"Uh huh, sure," Simba shook his head, before turning to watch as Kovu approached. "Kovu. What's up?" Simba's question was phrased casually, but lacked the cavalier attitude that usually accompanied the phrase, letting it fall flat in a way that suggested he wasn't completely open to the conversation.
"I um," Kovu stopped before the trio awkwardly, "sorry, I just, I wanted to ask you something kind of weird, but I know you're busy right now, it can wait, I just wanted to ask if I could borrow you for a few moments at some point."
"Now's fine," Simba stood.
"What? No it's not!" Timon protested. "Buddy, pal, come on! Things were just gettin' started!"
"Pipe down, drama queen," Simba regarded the meerkat with a mixture of both affection and mild irritation, "you just heard him say it'll only take a few moments, I think you'll survive."
"Fine, fine," Timon waved them off. "Go have your talk, but I'm finishing my story without you! You'll never know how it ends!"
"And thus," Simba rolled his eyes as he led Kovu away from them, "my life is rendered incomplete." Kovu allowed himself a soft snicker. "So, what's your question?"
"Well, the thing is, Kiara was telling us earlier that it's your pride's tradition to arrange marriages, but you stopped the practice."
"That's correct."
"How did that work? Like, how did parents decide who their children would marry?"
"Usually it was political, marrying two cubs from different prides forged an alliance between them, cut down on fighting."
"But Nala was born here, right?"
"Her father was a strong warrior, my father and mother thought that it might be a good idea to bring that blood into the family, so to speak."
"Whoa, really?"
"Mhmm, Tsaro was a force of nature. Nala, even more so. In the end, I guess they got what they wanted."
"So," Kovu glanced away, "did you ever think about doing that with Kiara?"
"No, Rafiki and some of the lionesses pressed it, but we wouldn't consider it."
"But, if you did, what would you have looked for?"
"Kovu, is this a long-winded way of asking me who I would have married Kiara off to?" Simba rose an eyebrow. Kovu sighed.
"Not exactly. Look sir, I love Kiara, but I know I'm not who you would have picked for your daughter to marry. I mean, obviously. But I want to become someone you would want her to marry. I just need to know what that means to you."
"You are."
"No, I'm not."
"Listen to me," Simba sat. "I've seen that you respect my daughter, you'll risk your safety to ensure hers, and most importantly, you love her and make her happy. That's all I want for her."
"That's just what you're supposed to say, with all due respect I don't think it's true."
"Kovu, with all due respect, I'm the king, I'm not 'supposed' to say a damn thing if I don't want to. My kingdom is stronger than it's been in generations. I don't need more alliances, I have no use for them. And nobody could offer me anything in the world that would be worth the price of my daughter's happiness. Nala and I have been training Kiara her entire life to rule when I'm done, she doesn't need you to know how to do her job. She just needs you to support her. Just keep being the lion she needs you to be, and you and I are good. That make sense?"
"Yes, sir." He wouldn't dare show it, but Kovu felt strangely emotional. He'd never had that sort of validation from Simba. It meant a lot to him.
"Good."
"Wait, who did Rafiki want Kiara to marry?" He cracked a small smile.
"Oh, there's some pride miles and miles away that my ancestors used to have an alliance with, but the tie has since been weathered down. Rafiki thought it would be good to reignite the union between the two prides, but I didn't see a point."
"What happened between the prides?"
"Nothing, that's sort of the problem. The Pride Lands have gotten bigger, but the Night Pride's kingdom never did. There used to be a lot of travel between the two regions, but not so much anymore. Rafiki tried to arrange a meeting between my parents and their rulers, Sâhasí and Ãnanda, I believe their names were, but my father died before it happened, and unfortunately Sâhasí and Ãnanda have also since passed. I don't know whether or not they ever had children, but if they had, that's who Rafiki would have wanted us to consider wedding Kiara to."
"Huh. I've never even heard of that pride. I guess you never know what'll happen, huh?"
"Life's funny that way," Simba shrugged.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is."
Many, many miles away, Kion lounged under the twilight sky, gazing up at the stars wistfully.
"I know I have to go back," he murmured, "and I want to, I miss them so, so much, but I don't want to leave you."
"It won't be forever," she crooned, rubbing her forehead under his jaw. "Right?"
"Right," he smiled, nuzzling her back. "Nothing will ever keep me from coming back to you, Rani."