Chapter Six: Interlude

Kovu sighed when he saw Kiara and Sarabi coming back. He'd been thinking a lot about Sarabi and Kopa, and their position in the pride now that they had returned. Kiara didn't seem very fazed about the situation, but then again, Kovu knew that she'd always been unsure about being the next queen. And Kiara's thoughts and emotions could sometimes be difficult to read; it was more than likely that she was thinking about the situation much more than she let on.

But Kovu had grown used to the idea that, as Kiara's mate, he would be the next king of the pride lands. If Kopa decided he deserved to be king, Kovu would be shunted aside, would be the lowest ranking male for the rest of his life here. He didn't know how he felt about that.

Annoyingly, an image of Scar kept coming into Kovu's mind. Scar had been in a lowly position too, and his jealousy had driven him mad. What if the same hatred sparked in Kovu's heart, making him forget everything important to him and become power-hungry?

But when these uneasy thoughts came to him, all he had to do was think of Kiara, who was so untainted by such malevolence. She would be his anchor, his strength. He would support her through anything, and follow her anywhere. He could never think of hurting her.

Sarabi was still mistrustful of the Outlanders who had joined Simba's pride. But Kovu didn't really hold that against her, even though his feelings were a little hurt. Scar had ripped apart her family, and beaten her down for years. It was a wonder she was still alive, actually. It made sense that she would be wary of anyone she associated with the lion who had hurt her so badly.

Kovu didn't know what the future would hold. But he hoped things would sort themselves out, and that he would come out of it all right in the end. He hoped he could secure some happiness for himself and Kiara. He hoped he could someday shrug off his shifty reputation and be the lion he had always wanted to be.

--

Nala sat and watched Kopa sleeping.

He had grown into such a fine young lion, and she was proud of him already, despite knowing so little about him. He had so much potential, so much strength, and she loved him as much now as she had the day she'd watched him walk away from her, and start his life in exile.

It had broken her heart to do it. She'd pleaded with the stars, and prayed for a way for her whole family to be safe, but back then the ramifications of Scar's rule were still apparent. Zira had just been exiled, and she had openly threatened Kopa's life. Sarabi had taken him away, rather than see him struck down out of spite.

But now he was back. Nala had to admit, she'd almost given up the hope that he might return. He'd been so young, and even with Sarabi caring for him, they'd been vulnerable. The world was unforgiving. But Kopa apparently had enough of his father (and, indeed, his grandmother) in him to survive a life of exile.

Nala now looked forward to living out the rest of her life, knowing that her family was finally complete. It was a good feeling.

At her feet, her son began to stir.

--

Kopa knew his mother was watching him, but he didn't let her know he was awake. Her joy at having him home made him feel happy, refreshed, strong.

Everyone had gotten along well enough so far, but there was still some tension in the air that Kopa hadn't missed. He knew his grandmother's attitude toward Kovu and Vitani, and the rest of the Outlanders. But Kopa actually liked them all, and the only differences he saw between them and Simba's original pride were trivial physical features.

Sarabi had told Kopa all his life that if he returned to Pride Rock, he would be the next king. They hadn't considered the possibility that there would be a new heir, a second cub. Kiara had grown up in the thick of the confrontation, and had played a crucial role in ending the feuds. She had brought the ultimate peace to the Pridelands. Kopa had done nothing half so important in his lifetime.

But he hadn't had a chance yet. He was older than Kiara, maybe he would be just as good a ruler as she would. Kopa supposed it all came down to who wanted it more.

Kiara had already found a king who was capable of ruling by her side and producing heirs. Kopa had had little contact with any lionesses, and so was a bit awkward around them. He'd already made friends with Vitani, and was comfortable in her presence. She was a neutral lioness, and it was nice to talk with someone who watched all the royal goings on from the sidelines. She'd been a princess in the Outlands, but she was just as happy to live comfortably under someone else's charge.

It was an old, outdated tradition that a male heir took the throne when he chose a mate; a female heir took the throne when she carried her first litter. Kopa didn't know if that custom would apply here. If he chose a mate before Kiara became expectant, would that automatically make him king?

Kopa had a lot of questions. Maybe it was time for some sort of meeting to iron out the details of this whole sticky situation. He would ask his parents, and they, along with Kiara and Kovu, could figure everything out.

Slowly, Kopa opened his eyes and looked up at Nala, who was watching him with a wistful expression. He smiled up at her.

"Hi, Mom."

--

Sarabi was already very fond of her granddaughter. She was beautiful and cheerful, but strong and loyal to her homeland. Those were admirable qualities in a lioness, especially one who might one day be a queen.

But Sarabi could see that Kiara was getting impatient. She must still have so many questions about the whole situation. Sarabi wanted to give her more information, and soon. It was dangerous to draw too many conclusions based on so little information.

Perhaps Rafiki was still around, and could help them all. Sarabi wanted to speak to him; he had always been very wise. But he, like Sarabi, must certainly be getting on in years. She didn't even know if he was still alive. She decided they should seek him out; or, knowing the wily old mandrill, he might already be in the area, waiting to deliver his wisdom and then disappear mysteriously, as was his habit.

Sarabi was unsure about anything, but she had faith in the Pridelands, and she trusted the stars to guide her down the right path. She knew that one star in particular would be looking out for her, and she could feel his influence in everything she did.

Now that star was telling her that there wasn't much time to lose.

--

A/N: Hey guys! I just wanted to thank everyone for R&Ring! It means so much to me. I still have plenty of story left here, and I've managed to write a few chapters and get ahead of myself, which I never do. Yay! I did this chapter differently to kind of gauge some of the other characters' thoughts and feelings. I love it when you guys ask questions about the thought process of certain characters, because sometimes I just get stuck in the head of one character (i.e. Kiara) and forget to look at things from another perspective. So this helps me a lot too. Keep an eye out for more :)