Disclaimer: I DO NOT take credit for The Lion King characters or their respective storyline. They are owned by Walt Disney. This story is just a depiction of said story with the characters turned human. Some original characters and ideas will appear, and I will take credit for them as they do. I hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you think of the idea :). Note: this is rated T for possible language and possible slight violence.
The (Human) Lion King—the Retelling of a Classic Tale
Chapter Four: Uncle Scar
Prince Thomas, or as he was known by basically everyone now: Scar, stood on the balcony of his quarters smoking a cigar, an activity he found himself habitually repeating. The day was hot, yet peaceful. Scar felt himself irregularly at ease, relaxed even. Suddenly the door burst open and in flew his nephew Samuel. Good feelings: gone.
"Hey Uncle Scar, guess what!" Samuel shouted. He bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet, making his shoes squeak as well as annoying his uncle very much.
"I despise guessing games." He said monotone hoping the little twerp would get bored and go away. He didn't.
"When I grow up, I'm going to be the King." the boy crossed his arms and smiled cockily. Scar rolled his eyes.
"Really!? I had no idea." If Samuel noticed the sarcastic twinge in his uncle's voice, he didn't react to it.
"My dad just showed me the whole kingdom…and I am gonna rule it all!"
"Yes, well, forgive me for not leaping for joy," Scar drawled as he plopped down onto his large bed. "Bad back, you know."
"Uncle Scar, when I'm King, what'll that make you?"
"Dead," he said into his pillow. "Hopefully." Samuel laughed obnoxiously.
"You're so weird."
"It runs in the family," he smiled a tight slipped smile. "So, your father showed you the whole kingdom, did he?" the boy nodded vigorously.
"Everything." He confirmed.
"He didn't show you what's beyond that rise at the southern border…?"
Samuel frowned, a portion of his excitement now snuffed. "Well, no…he said I can't go there."
"And he's absolutely right!" Scar sat up quickly with an almost comical wave of his hands, causing Samuel to jump. "It's far too dangerous, only the bravest of heroes go there."
"I'm brave!" Samuel insisted. He puffed out his chest, trying to appear larger and more intimidating than his meager size. "What's out there—?"
"I'm sorry Samuel, but I just can't tell you," said Scar dramatically. The boy pouted.
"Why not?" he whined like the obnoxious little brat he was. Scar, though he wanted nothing more than to grab the boy by the scruff of his neck and kick him out, instead wrapped an arm around him with all the affection he could muster without wrenching.
"Samuel my dear boy, I am only looking out for the well-being of my favorite nephew."
"Pft! Yeah right, I'm your only nephew."
"All the more reason for me to be protective," Scar insisted. "The Haunted Graveyard of a Thousand warriors is no place for a young prince…oops!"
Samuel's eyes widened and the smile returned to his face. "A haunted graveyard!? Whoa!"
"Oh dear! I've said too much," Scar mussed with a theatrical flourish. He pulled the boy close to him once again. "Oh, just do me one favor. Promise me you will never visit that dreadful place!"
Scar could practically see the gears turning in his nephew's head. A mischievous smile appeared on the young boy's face. "No problem," he said it in a way that implied he would do anything but what he was told. Not that his uncle cared.
Scar simply smiled and said, "There's a good lad. Now run along and go have fun."
"Yes Uncle!" Samuel made a dash for the door.
"Remember, my boy:" Scar called. "It's our little secret." The boy nodded as he scurried away. Scar was alone once again. He smiled as he gathered his long coat and hat. He had a plan: a terribly wonderful plan and he was going to execute it.
o-o-o-o-o-o
Samuel burst into the sitting room, hoping to find his friend Nina inside. She was but to Samuel's disappointment, so was his mother. Drat.
"Samuel, what on earth are you doing?" Queen Sarah chastised. "How many times have I told you, no running inside?"
Samuel blushed sheepishly and Nina giggled. "I'm sorry mother."
"You are forgiven. Now go wash up for breakfast please."
"Yes mother." The young prince turned sharply, almost running into Lady Elizabeth while doing so. "Oph! Sorry, Lady Elizabeth!" Samuel blushed an even darker shade of crimson as he skittered off, careful not to run into anyone else. Lady Elizabeth watched him go whilst laughing.
"Is he always so rambunctious in the mornings?" she asked the Queen. Sarah sighed and shook her head good-naturedly.
"You have no idea."
Lady Elizabeth, childhood best friend of Queen Sarah and mother to Samuel's best friend Nina, took her seat at the breakfast table next to her daughter. She was tall and slim with a heart-shaped face and slender features. The blue chiffon gown she wore accentuated all her petite curves and contrasted her soft chocolate brown eyes. Sarah, who was four years her senior, simply adored Elizabeth.
They met as children, when Elizabeth and her diplomat father had visited Stolz from a neighboring kingdom to talk business with Sarah's own father, who was also a diplomat. They had an instant connection and played together whenever Elizabeth would accompany her father on his business trips. When Elizabeth's father died twelve years prior, Elizabeth once again came to Stolz to see Sarah, this time a young woman and six months pregnant. She told the tale of how her father, along with her young husband and many other able-bodied men, had lost their lives in a skirmish. She had no one else in her own kingdom to call her family and wondered if perhaps she could seek shelter for a while in Stolz. Of course Sarah, who was now Queen Sarah, much to Elizabeth's joyous, did more than expected and invited Elizabeth to stay permanently at Stolz palace, to raise her unborn child. After all, Michael and Sarah were trying to start a family soon; perhaps their children could be friends.
And so they were. Elizabeth recalled how just a year and a half later, Samuel had been born. The children had become fast friends, inseparable even. They did everything together: school work, studies, chores, and on most occasions, goofing off together. They were adorable together, and Elizabeth was glad Nina had found such a deep friendship with the young prince. Who knows, Elizabeth thought with a gleam in her eye. Maybe one day they would be happily married together.
That train of thought was broken when Samuel came barreling in once again, freshly washed. He took his chair and scooted it uncouthly next to Nina and plopped down.
"Hi Nina."
"Hello Samuel."
"You wanna go on an adventure?"
"Samuel, I'm eating breakfast."
"And so are you, son." Sarah reminded. The Queen set his plate down in front of him and ruffled his hair playfully.
"Mo-om! Samuel pouted as Nina giggled again. "You're messing up my hair."
"Sarah laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Just eat your breakfast dear."
Samuel sighed. Oh well, he thought. The sooner he finished eating, the sooner he could show Nina the forbidding graveyard. He quickly shoved the ham, sausage, eggs, and buttered bread in his mouth in a record breaking five minutes and finished it off with a big gulp of crème milk.
"There, I'm done. Can we go now?" Samuel pleaded.
"Where exactly are we going?" Nina asked as she finished her food and politely wiped her mouth with her handkerchief. "It better not be any place dumb."
"No!" Samuel insisted. "Trust me, it'll be really cool."
"So where is this 'really cool' place?" Queen Sarah asked. Samuel cringed. He hadn't expected his mother to ask that. He panicked.
"It's…uh…at the market place."
"The market place!? What's so cool about the market place?" Nina complained. Samuel shot her a look that said shut up and just go with it. If the mothers noticed the odd look, neither of them mentioned it.
"Well the market place is in the village," Sarah reminded. "Kind of a long journey for you two."
"We'll pack sandwiches," Samuel promised, hoping his mother would say yes. "And we won't wander off, I swear."
"Can we go, mother?" Nina asked. Elizabeth looked to the Queen.
"It seems fine to me. What do you think, Sarah?"
The Queen sighed dramatically, pausing an elongated, anticipating second before answering. "Well…" she drawled.
"Please?" Samuel begged which began a long line of pleases back and forth between Samuel and Nina. Queen Sarah held her hands up, palms forward, to silence the children and smiled. "It's alright with me…" they cheered. "…As long as Ezekiel goes with you."
The cheering stopped and the children looked at each other in disgust. Not the worst babysitter in the entire universe: Ezekiel (or as Nina liked to call him, Deadbeat-Zeke). He was all business and no fun when he would watch the children. Besides, they would never be able to get to the graveyard with Deadbeat breathing down their backs. They would just have to ditch him, Samuel thought. Again.
o-o-o-o-o-o
"Step lively," Ezekiel said with a tight-lipped smile as he met the children by the palace gate. He obviously was not looking forward to spending the afternoon as a baby sitter. "The sooner we get to the market, the sooner we can leave." He trudged forward and the children followed behind, just out of ear shot from Ezekiel.
"So where are we really going?" Nina asked quietly.
"A warrior's graveyard."
"Ew!" Nina exclaimed, only to be shushed by Samuel. "Sorry. Why do you want to go there?"
"'Cause it's haunted! How cool is that? We could probably see a ghost or something!"
Nina shrugged. "Better than the stupid market place, I guess. So how are we going to ditch Deadbeat?"
"Well," Samuel smiled mischievously. "I was thinking—"
"Oh, just look at you two!" Ezekiel, who had stopped suddenly, startled them. "Little seeds of romance blossoming in the spring. Your parents will be thrilled! What with the talk of your betrothal, and all."
Samuel arched an eyebrow. "Be-what?"
"Betrothal," explained Ezekiel. "Intended…affianced."
The clarification was lost on the children. They looked at each other in confusion, then Nina asked, "Meaning…?"
"One day you two could be married!"
"Yuck!" the children said in unison, looks of disgust on their faces. Samuel moved closer to Ezekiel and lowered his voice so Nina wouldn't hear.
"I can't marry her. She's my friend."
"Yeah," Nina chimed in. he obviously hadn't been talking discreetly enough. "We can't get married, it'd be too weird."
Ezekiel scoffed. "Well sorry to burst your bubble, but you two turtle doves would have no choice! It's a tradition dating back for generations."
"That's stupid."
"Yeah," Samuel agreed. "When I'm King, that will be the first thing to go."
Ezekiel chuckled as if the boy was joking. "Not so long as I am around."
"Well in that case, you're fired." Samuel smiled with confidence and Nina giggled. Ezekiel, on the other hand, just frowned.
"Nice try young master, but only the King could do that."
"Well, he's the future King." Nina joined in the teasing. Samuel's grin grew even larger.
"That's right! So you have to do what I tell you to."
"Not yet I don't! With an attitude like that, I'm afraid you're shaping into a pretty pathetic King, indeed!"
"Ha! Not the way I see it!" Samuel laughed mischievously, then turned to Nina and winked. He then stood atop a wooden crate and shouted to all who were listening, "Hey look! Prince Samuel is in the town square!" Samuel jumped down off the crate, grabbed Nina's hand and took off running, followed by curious spectators.
They rounded a corner and ducked into an alleyway behind a broken wagon as the crowds passed, not lacking one Deadbeat Zeke shouting, "Prince Samuel, you get back here this instant! Nina! You too, young lady! Oh, Michael is going to kill me!"
The children snickered quietly. When the crowd had dissipated, Samuel once again took Nina's hand in his and leapt up from his crouched position.
"C'mon, we've got a graveyard to sneak off to."
Nina sighed "This better be worth it."
"Trust me Nina," Samuel smiled a huge catfish grin. "It will be."
For character references, here is who has been introduced from the movie so far:
Michael- Mufasa
Ezekiel- Zazu
Sarah- Sarabi
Samuel- Simba
Thomas- Scar
Renée- Rafiki
Nina- Nala
Elizabeth- Sarafina
I've had someone ask me why I didn't use the name Sarah for Sarafina (Nala's mother) since…well, since they are very similar. If you haven't noticed, most of the character's human names start with the same letter as their lion names. Yes, originally I was going to make Sarafina's name be Sarah, but I thought the name was better suited for Sarabi, as it has more of a regal sound. The name Sarah translates from Hebrew to "Lady" or "Princess". Elizabeth is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Elisheba, meaning "Oath of my God". *shrugs* I chose the name Elizabeth for Sarafina because it sounded younger, more light hearted, whereas Sarah had more of a noble, motherly vibe. Hope that explains my thinking process :) thanks for reading!