Chapter Three
Padding up to a darkened shape in the deadened brown grass, Nala found the emerald eyed lion staring up at the stars. "Nala! You made it. Come, child, sit beside me if you wish. Feel the breeze and the crisp night air."
Nala complied.
She gave her mother full details of the night she spent with the king, from stars to him catching a zebra just for her. He had been polite and caring, like any mate should.
Months went by, and as Nala neared her sixteenth birthday, she found herself rapidly...falling...in...in love... with the orange lion. She had seen another side of the one called Scar, a side of fear and rejection, of childhood pain he was unable to let go. And she could see, through his eyes, how he had become the lion he was, bent on having everything his father denied him growing up.
The throne, a wife, cubs, love, and to leave a legacy? If that was all he wanted, Nala supposed, then it wasn't too unreasonable. He had gained the throne from a terrible tragedy, and he had wept into her paws earlier this year when Simba's birthday came about. He had whispered how he wished things would have been different between them... What that meant, Nala didn't know, and she didn't care. His grief had been unmasked, real agony that had obviously burned inside him for the ten years Simba had been gone. And, her heart remembered with a sharp pang, this would have been the day she and Simba would have married, as he would have been seventeen and she sixteen.
Playing with her paws, Nala shook away all thoughts of him. No! This was her life now, and where ever Taka took her, it would be a fine adventure. Finally going to the special place beneath the stars where she and 'her' Taka resided at night, she caught his emeralds and nuzzled him gently.
"Taka. You wanted to see me?"
"My Dear, I do believe you are the only one who can get by with calling me that. But yes, I did. I wanted to ask if you would...if you...would be my..."
Scar gulped and looked away.
"My wife, Ma...mate, and Queen. Maybe even eventually mother to my children."
The next morning, she padded slowly into her mothers den with a smile on her face. "MOTHER! He asked me to marry him. He did. Oh Mama! He..."
She froze at the sight of blood surrounding her mothers still body, and six hyenas surrounding her. Letting out a scream of fury, she threw herself forward and killed two of them quickly by landing on their spinal cords, snapping their necks. Letting out a screech, she threw her head back in pain as one jumped on her and bit the scruff of her neck.
Then, all at once, she felt the hyenas weight lift off of her as King Scar grabbed it and tossed the female into a wall. "This is the Queen. Back off! If you come near my mate again..."
Trapping the remaining three hyenas under his paws, he watched them quiver with fear, and the three looked at him with a begging gaze. "Your mate? This is... Your mate? We didn't know that, did you Kisura?"
"No, Eddashara. Uhh... Ubatili?"
The grey hyena whimpered a 'No' and Scar roared once more, lifting his paw for the females to exit.
As they made a hasty retreat, Scar ignored them and took Mheetu out, leaving Nala alone. She was furious by this, and when he entered a few moments, she did not hesitate to scream at him for twelve straight minutes. As she finished, he looked her in the eyes and spoke softly, walking up to her gently and placing his paws on her shoulders. "So you would rather I leave my one year old daughter to see her mothers torn and bloody body? Nala, I don't think so. My... My love. This is a time to grieve, not shout angry words you surely do not mean. There was a time I cared much for your mother, and my heart aches as yours does."
"I seriously doubt that Taka." Nala scoffed, and while Scar frowned he looked into Nalas bright blue orbs and confessed something.
"I had a son, once. When I was fourteen. I fell in love with a beautiful lioness. She and I... We made love under stars one night and two weeks later, she comes to me secretly and tells me she's pregnant. I told her 'okay' and 'we will raise it together' but she... she wasn't sure. Still, she stayed in my cave and when her birthing time came I helped deliver our cub. It was a boy I named Chaka. He was so beautiful. A caramel color, with dark red eyes inherited from my mother. His tuft was messy, like I always went around tussling it. He died three years after his birth, falling and hitting his head while I tried to teach him to climb. His mother never forgave me, and our love was lost the day he died. Our marriage of one year was dissolved at her request. That lioness... Was your mother. And you, Nala, were born two days later, from a rogue who had caught your mother's eye."
Scar hesitated and spoke softly. "I knew how high a rank she held, and so I claimed you as mine- though you could not be. We had not touched each other since Chaka's conception. Our marriage was nothing more than a formality. But I watched each day, as she loved and cared for you, and saw that you were her entire world. I never should have been a part of it."
Nala stared at her fiancé, then let out a strangled scream and sunk to her belly. "Oh gods, oh GODS. Make her return to me, Taka! I need her. I need her I NEED HER PLEEASEE!"
Taka flinched and turned as Shenzi entered the door and growled angrily at Scar. "King Scar! You attacked my daughters, and I see only three of my six pups. Where are the other three, especially Heri? Where is my oldest daughter? My heiress?"
Taka grabbed his old friend and slung her towards her daughters body. "Your daughter killed my wife's mother and attacked my wife! Ultimate punishment was served. Grieve as you must. And know this had better not happen again or you will be the one dead!"
Shenzi let out a crazed laugh. "Kill me? Kill ME?! As if! You know I have complete control of the hyenas. It would be political chaos if you dared-!"
"I don't give a flying fuck, Shenzi. This is my family, and I will defend my family until my dying day. Now GET OUT!"
She scampered away, and Nala raised her head at him. "That's the first time I've ever heard you curse. And why do you put up with them?"
"Politics. I promised them the world if I got the throne. I'd had no idea how uncontrollable they would become. And now I'm stuck. I can't do ANYTHING about it and I just...GRAH!"
She hesitated then left the cave. "Sarabi, bury my mother properly. Then in two days time, a marriage ceremony between myself and Taka is to be performed. On my birthday I wish to be wed. Mheetu shall be at my side, Kula can be my matron of honor. Thank you Sarabi."
Chapter Four
It was nearing sunset, and the entire pride was gathered. The old baboon stood there, below Pride Rock, and Scar was to his right, dark blue paint forming a head stripe and dorsal stripe which started at the tip of his nose and ended at his King smiled at Nala's 'Aunt' Sarabi who had white flowers around her neck. Scar's grandfather, Mohatu, stood at his side as Scar's Best Lion. The creamy brown pelt was ragged with age, and white had taken over much of his facial mane of the ancient lion was almost entirely grey by now, with much of it more of a white. Only his tail maintained its dusty red color, and his eyes, dulled with age, watched as Nala made her way forward. She had a string of pink flowers around her neck, and two strands of white flowers all the way around each ear. Gracefuly, she moved into her place and Rafiki began the vows.
"Do you, Nala, of the Pridelands, deem yourself applicable to love, cherish, hold, and honor Scar, in sickness and in health, till death do you part? And do you, King Scar, swear to protect, love, honor, and cherish her, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
"I Do."
And as the vows were said, and everyone rejoiced, Nala and Scar retired to the cave for their wedding night.
Scar felt the fear, saw it in Nala's eyes. She quivered beneath him, her tail automatically moved to the side, allowing Scar entrance to her secrets. Months before, Scar would have taken her without hesitance, but now he paused and spoke. "Dear Nala, if you do not want this... it is okay. I won't be angry if you are unready. I can wait."
But her head shook, and she turned around and kissed him with those teal eyes fluttering, finally settling on his pink scar. "Taka...my dearest love, I am ready. I was born ready. Take me, and let me be your mate, let me carry your children. Let me give you all you never had."
"He nuzzled her tenderly, and his voice hitched as his reply was spoken. "You already have. If you need to stop at any time, let me know."
And with that, they cemented their wedding vows for the rest of the night.
