Chapter 6

"Yeah, I know," Sarabi replied to the queen. She stared at Uru for a while before she scoffed and shook her head, turning her shoulders away from the lioness of higher authority and collected her thoughts. She had much on her mind right now; she was thinking about Zebenjo, Naanda, her mother and father, and now that the queen was probably second-guessing her decision to allow Sarabi into the Pridelands.

"It's alright," Uru brought Sarabi's attention back to her and out of her condescending thoughts, "I just want to make sure you're careful and looked after." Sarabi nodded before giving a faint smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her sister and Mufasa looking at her but she quickly lost her focus on them and looked towards the path she would now take away from the gentle confrontation.

"Excuse me, please." requested the lioness before trotting back down the rock and to the grass. She could hear she was being followed, and the scent indicated it was her sister who was at heel. Interesting, seeing as how she was pretty happy by Mufasa's side, but perhaps this could be a good sister-sister talking time after a day of getting used to their 'new home'. The sisters walked away in silence from the watch of the royal family and to their own structure. Perhaps this was being used by another group of animals, but they were willing to take their chances. It was a small area. Guarded by the crisp grasses surrounding a small, clear lake, a rock overlooked it and gave them overlook of the Pridelands not nearly as much as Pride Rock did, but all the same for the wandering eyes of the young lioness.

Sarabi crept through the grass, Naanda following closely behind as though she was trudging through dangerous territory. Might as well have been treated like that, but Sarabi was far too concerned with her own thoughts to be thinking about the dangers of wandering around here. The real danger would present itself if something bigger than the lionesses presented the want for this land.

The oldest princess laid down on top of the rock, peering down at her younger sister. Naanda was staring up at Sarabi with a certain glint in her eye before Sarabi flicked her ear, "Yes?"

"Aren't you going to ask about my day with Mufasa?" Naanda questioned, walking over to the structure.

"You're able to tell me if you would like." replied her sister. Naanda seemed to look like she was taking offence to this response as her ears laid back and she narrowed her ruby hues at her sister's attitude. Finally though, Sarabi sighed and smiled softly. "What happened?" Naanda perked up again.

"Sarabi, I had the most wonderful day! Uru and Ahadi showed us the Pridelands and told us the laws that we need to follow when we're king and queen. Being with them that day made me feel like... like I was a part of something other than the family I was born into. And Mufasa... I think he really likes me."

"I don't see why he wouldn't; you're a charming young lioness." Sarabi replied. Her voice indicated that she was less than interested in Naanda's affairs with her potential mate and king.

Naanda had obviously picked up on her sister's sudden lack of care in what her sister was doing and how she was feeling and picked up on her sister's mood. The young princess placed her front paws on the beginning of the ledge off into the water, coming up to a better view of her sister's matching eyes. "Sister, are you okay?"

"Yes. Why?"

Naanda sighed and flicked her ear. "I just thought you would be happier for me." she admitted, awaiting her sister's response. It could go one of two ways; Sarabi could be the caring sister, or the careless sister.

Sarabi shrugged and looked away from her lighter coloured sister. "I am happy for you, but I just have other things on my mind right now."

"Like what?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Naanda. Okay?"

Naanda allowed herself to land lightly on her front paws again, looking up at her sister for a prolonged period of time. It almost looked as though Naanda had just been kicked in the stomach. "You always talk to me about things that are bothering you."

Sarabi nodded, "Yes, I do, but I just want to keep it to myself right now."

"Is it about prince Zebenjo? Did you meet him today?" Naanda perked her ears like she knew her sister would spill the beans. She was to be sadly disappointed.

"I don't want to talk about it, Naanda."

Pushing her ears back again, the young princess looked up at Sarabi then down at the water with a large sigh. She was herself in the water, completely still and then peered over to the reflection of her sister upon the rock with a powerful look upon her face. The water started to toss Sarabi's reflection gently, skewing her shape.

Naanda sighed once more. "We're not with mother and father right now; we can let loose a little." Though that was very true and Sarabi knew it, she was reluctant to allow her sister to acquire that knowledge. At least for now. Knowing now for sure that her older sister was not about to budge in her decision to keep her tongue tied, Naanda sighed with more hiss in the back of her throat. Sarabi turned her head to look down at the future queen of the Pridelands. She was scowling, but Sarabi paid no heed to the childish act of deprived attention on herself. "You know, Sarabi, you're really good at keeping yourself locked up when you have the ability to be free."

Sarabi turned her head once more, but her younger sister was already vanishing into the sunset grasses, leaving her older sister behind and to come back when she pleased. She watched for a few moments before looking down at her paws, and then back at sleepy sun, a sigh released from her before shaking her head slowly. She doesn't understand, Sarabi told herself.

"Ow," a voice cracked from the grasses behind Sarabi, alerting the princess to what was behind her. Her lips were slightly pursed and her ears perked, looking over her shoulder at what was to emerge from the grasses. She wasn't stupid enough to think it was stubborn Naanda coming back with her tail between her legs about wandering around the Pridelands alone near night, so she awaited the sight of who it was.

Suddenly a thought dawned on her: Zebenjo! He hadn't actually thought that because he was to have a meeting with the princess that he was to come upon these lands that hated his king, was he? He wasn't that stupid, she hoped. But no, turned out what she was expecting as a lanky, brown lion emerged as a gold prince with a crimson red mane still growing itself in. It was young Mufasa.

Mufasa shook his mane, relieving it of the twigs and grass that were magnetized to him and looked up at the rock. He spotted Sarabi right away, cocking his head back, but then looking around feverishly. "Naanda isn't here, is she?" He asked, rushed and pushing himself back into the grasses.

Raising her eye brow, Sarabi dropped her jaw. "No." she replied, her tail slapping the air around her. "Shouldn't you want to see her? She's your intended, after all." Sarabi reminded the fearful king, watching him slowly come out of the greenery and greeting the water beside the lioness with a grateful smile.

"I know we are." he commented, leaning his head down to lap it up, his reflection distorted.

"Then why so hesitant for her to be around, prince?"

"Please don't call me that."

"Answer my question then." Sarabi retorted, ears flat to her head and scowl vacant on her features.

The prince lifted his head up, his mane expressing obvious growth deprivation as it stood up on end despite being heavy and rich. He looked upon Sarabi as he did his father; hesitant and careful. If that was the kind of relationship the current king and the future king had with each other, then Sarabi was starting to wonder if her little sister should be involved with this kind of relationship.

Mufasa inhaled deeply. "Just need some guy time." he replied, sitting down as if he bought himself a chance to relax with Sarabi, but she was less than pleased with his action.

"Lift your butt off the ground and get back to your duties, future king."

"Duties?"

"Aren't you supposed to be talking to herds about their needs and such? Making sure there's enough water to go around? Stuff like that." Sarabi replied. Did this prince even know what he was to do? Mufasa seemed like he was less concerned about the well-being of the Pridelands as he should, seeing as how he was to inherit the lands one day when his mother and father were not part of this world any longer.

Mufasa's eyes grew wider with every word she spoke, his head wrenching backwards against his mane and blinked multiple times. He doesn't give a wildebeest's behind about this Pridelands, does he?, she asked herself.

"I'm, umm," Sarabi leaned her head in closer, revealing her ruby hues underneath her sceptical lids, "taking a... break?"

"Sounds like you do that quite often." she replied. She started to turn from him and settle down on her rock once more. Her ears flicked when she heard his sigh, but she didn't bother looking at him. He seemed to think he was the type of prince that could graduate to king because of his birth right. Little did he know what kind of things the environment could suffer if they weren't cared for as well as Uru and Ahadi did.

"I'm not my brother," mumbled the older prince. Sarabi lifted her head to him and watched him, eyes judgemental and heavy, "I don't know as much about the Pridelands; what happened in what parts of time, how conflicts between prides were dealt with, and how to keep the grass green and the water fresh."

"You don't bother to ask?" Mufasa shook his head. "Wow," she snorted, "you really don't know what you're in for when you're king. If you even make it that far."

The prince lifted his head up and looked the lioness straight in the eye. For a princess, she sure spoke with the arrogance of a queen who hadn't had her own handed to her. And there she sat, looking down at Mufasa as though she had just had a casual conversation with him. Like she never said anything hurtful or mean. As the lion peered into the female's eyes, he saw no hint of confusion as to why he was looking at her with risen brows.

Mufasa brought his neck back to a comfortable position and let out a huff of negative air. As he noticed Sarabi was eyeing him, seeming to wonder what he was looking so upset about, he lifted himself off to his fours and started walking back where he came.

Sarabi wouldn't return to Pride Rock that night to sleep with the others. Instead, she would stay out in her own little oasis to calm herself down, think things over, and wait to see if the sun shed a new light over the Pridelands tomorrow.