The Sun

"My, my. I only left four days and what happened? Kenu finally got a girlfriend! Congratulations, sweetie. Couldn't get a closer look before she left, but she seemed quite young thou. Is this why you never gave me a chance? Am I too mature for you?"

"No." The slender lion blinked blinded by the rising sun behind the lioness. "It's your behavior. Good morning Jua. How are you? That is a greeting. The common way to start a conversation. Not whatever you said. Come on. Try it."

The lioness sighed. "Good morning Kenua", she repeated.

"Nice to see you too Jua", the lion replied. "See? Didn't hurt at all. Oh, could you please take a step to the left? One more?" He opened his eyes a slit wide. Now the lioness stood right between him and the sun, her shadow falling directly into his face. "Perfect."

"A sunblock, huh? That's all I am for you?", Jua asked and let her head hang down. "Who is the rude one now?"

"What goes around, comes around, you know?"

"I only tried to be funny."

"Nice try in that case. You sucked at it."

"I bet you were way gentler with your little guest. Tell me, for how long do you meet each other by now?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but this was her first visit. And there is no need for you to feel threatened by her. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one she was looking for. I don't even know her name."

"Lucky me then." She lifted her head with a smile. "So, there is still a chance for me?"

"Oh my…" He laid a paw on his forehead. "What is it this time? A walk by sunset? Some alone time at your waterhole?"

"Well, after four days of hunting we finally took down a wildebeest." She put her head a little to the side, probably trying to look cute. "And, you know, I thought, maybe you wanted to dine with us."

His eyes widened and he put his paw down. "You're really trying to bribe me with food? Are you serious? Great kings, what did I do to deserve this?"

"You know damn well! You mur…"

"Don't say it! It's already weird enough. I always thought with everything I've done I would be the crazy one but compared with you I am more than normal."

"Belief me Kenu, I am perfectly sane."

"Tell me, which sane lioness desperately tries to get a date with her father's…?" He struggled to finish his sentence.

"Shhh… it's fine." She took a step forward and rubbed his cheek with her snout. "We all know he deserved it. We all know what he had done to you and your family."

"Stop that!", he growled and she let go of him. With bared teeth he stood up, forcing her to retire even further. "How often will I have to tell you? I will never become part of the pride, that betrayed my parents. Not as your mate, not as your king, never! The only thing I want is every one of you to remember day by day, that you did nothing, when the ones who protected you were betrayed and forsaken."

"Oh, belief me, we do! I do!" Jua strengthened her stand, showing she wouldn't retreat any further. "We were friends once. You were my first and only love. I cried when I heard what had happened to your family. Not everyone was fine with what my father did but he still had his warriors with him. Do you really think anyone would have even thought about challenging him?"

"No one did after they were gone."

"We simply had learned to life with our past, for whatever we would have done, it wouldn't change. But you might have noticed, that no one intervened, when you returned. We all knew it was your right to claim vengeance." A tear formed in the corner of her eye and slowly ran down her face. "Do you know how it felt like to see you after all these years? You literally rose from the dead! More so, you had become one of the strongest and most fearsome lions I had ever heard of. How couldn't I immediately fall for you once again?"

The rage disappeared from Kenua's face, replaced by sadness. But Jua never knew, for he turned his back to her. "And how could I love you, when all I can see while looking at you are Ushindi's eyes?"