Author's note: This may be my last chapter for a while. I'm fighting off a cold and finals are coming up. I'll try to put up chapter 7 next Sunday (the 9th) but I make no promises on that.
If you've read this far, please R/R. I'd love to hear your opinions.
Before sunrise Nala bolted awake with a scream that woke both Sarafina and Roho, who was again avoiding his snoring sister. "I-it was just a bad dream. I'll be okay," she stammered, pretending to go back to sleep.
In her dream she and Roho were lying under the shade of the acacia tree by the dry riverbed watching Huzuni's mirage in the distance. But this time Huzuni was crying. It was the worst sound Nala ever heard. They tried to reach her so they could comfort her but somehow every step they took only drew out the distance. Huzuni seemed to drift further and further out of reach even as her sobs grew louder. Then she heard something behind her and saw three hyenas on their tail. When she turned around Huzuni was suddenly in front of them. Hyenas were leaping on top of her and tearing out her flesh as she screamed. Nala and Roho could only watch. The next thing she remembered the hyenas were closing in on them with teeth bulging out of their dripping maws.
Nala lay awake until the sun's rays warmed her face, still thinking about her dream. Nana Uru once told her that some dreams have special meanings. Sometimes dreams are the Great Spirit's way of telling you about something important that happened in the past or that will happen in the future. You could always tell which ones to pay attention to because they made you feel a certain way, she said. Was this one of those dreams?
No, just a nightmare. Everybody has nightmares.
Nonetheless, she felt relieved when her mother finally woke. They went down to the watering hole for a morning drink and Roho tagged along because his family was still asleep and he didn't want to be left alone. She didn't tell them about her nightmare. Roho followed them to the nursing den behind Pride Rock. A few hyenas gathered there as if holding a vigil along with a sleepy looking Captain Banzai, holding his post as always. Seeing this Roho decided to go back to the den to see if his mother was awake yet.
As they descended into the den Nala's fur prickled. She glanced at her mother and it was clear she smelled it too: there was a male in Sarabi's den.
In the main chamber the King and Queen laid side by side, their tails intertwined. Scar's darker tail swooped under Sarabi's and draped around her ankle. To her the tail seemed like a poisonous snake. Even when Mufasa was alive she never saw them together like this, there was something almost obscene about it. Sarabi lifted her head, revealing a dark, fluffy furball nestled in her arms. Scar stretched out his toes and yawned, digging his black claws through the dirt.
Sarafina plodded over to the Queen and hesitantly bumped heads with her, keeping one eye on Scar. Nala did the same. Looking up she saw Scar watching them and felt the urge to curl up in submission under his heavy gaze. Averting her eyes toward the cub in Sarabi's arms, Nala noticed his fur was dark and spotty and undistinguished. He was the most defenseless looking thing she ever saw.
Sarabi smiled. "It's so good to see you, Sara."
"It's good to see you, too. I wasn't expecting…"
"I know. I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. These are difficult times for us…"
Sarafina nodded perplexedly. Scar looked fondly at his queen and said, "Don't fret my dear, I'll explain everything. As you know my reign has gotten off to a rather 'controversial' start. We feared that once the pride knew of her pregnancy they would make a monster of our cub before he was even born." His voice dropped dramatically into a pit of melancholy. "I wish it didn't have to be that way. You may think I don't know the things the lionesses say behind my back but I do… I do. Of course we have to protect our children. It's far easier for them to hate the idea of Scar's son than a newborn cub with the breath of life still fresh in his tiny lungs."
Sarabi added, "We decided it would be best to tell as few animals as possible until our son was born. Only Uru knew. I hope you can forgive me."
Something in her mother seemed to give and her eyes sank. She looked at Sarabi and Sarabi looked at her. There was sadness in Sarabi's eyes, that much was clear, but there was something more too and try as she might Nala could not make sense of it. During their short silence the air seemed to grow heavier. She also noticed Scar looking at Sarafina with an unreadable yet somehow oppressive gaze. Nala realized that he was paying very close attention to everything. "Sarabi, you know why some of the lionesses want to leave. This cub won't fix that," Sarafina said sadly.
"Then what will?" asked Sarabi. Sarafina fell silent. Nala, too, didn't know what to say. She wanted the pride to stay together as much as they did. The Queen continued calmly, "We cannot simply get rid of the hyenas. Even if we commanded them to leave they would refuse and they outnumber us three to one. I won't risk lives to evict them when they haven't done us any harm."
"In fact they're an asset to us," Scar interrupted. "Less than a year ago patrolling the boarder was left up to the King and a mere handful of lions. Now with the hyenas here we have the protection of a full-time border patrol. Nothing can touch us; our cubs are safer than ever."
Sarafina did not look impressed with this. Nala watched her closely, expecting her to object again, but she said nothing. Sarabi said, "New life has always brought us together. Now that my son is here our lives can finally return to normal."
"Do you really think he can replace Simba?" It was a hard question that Sarafina delivered like a soft tap. Even she winced a little.
"Nothing can ever replace Simba." Sarabi's said somberly. "But our pride needs a prince. How can my subjects believe in a bright future if we can't show them a light?"
Now Nala saw her first chance to interject. "How come you didn't make Ruka the heir? Or Binti?"
Sarabi did not look offended by her spritely question, though her mother cast her a disapproving glance. "That's alright, Sara. Nala has a right to know these things. Binti was never raised to be a queen – neither was Chibi. Since they were girls I wanted them to grow up with the choice to rule or not, as I did." She smiled at Sarafina. "Ruka would make an excellent queen if she could learn to control her impulsiveness and temper. With Kivuli we're beginning with fresh earth. Besides, I missed having cubs. Scar wanted to be a father."
Something stirred in Nala's heart and she suddenly understood. There had been something missing from the Pridelands and it was not merely the dead. No cubs had been born since Mufasa and Simbas' deaths. The Pridelands seemed devoid of joy, only the hyenas laughed. When Nala felt happy here the feeling was short lived with a bitter afterglow. She lived in the stagnation for so long she forgot that the Pridelands used to be a place of ease and happiness. She looked at the cub dozing in Sarabi's arms and wondered if he could really change things.
"Kivuli, that name means shadow doesn't it?" Sarafina asked.
"Yes," Scar rumbled with pride. "For how like a shadow he shall follow in his father's paw prints and bring glory to the Pridelands. Ho ho, he's such a handsome little boy. Don't you agree?"
Sarafina nodded passively.
Now Scar turned to her. She pressed her lips together awkwardly and looked again at the baby. 'Handsome' was not the word that sprang to mind. However, with Scar looking on expectantly, she couldn't risk being so blunt. "I guess so. I've never seen a newborn before."
Scar grinned with satisfaction. "Sarafina, your daughter is simply charming."
"Thank you."
"Tell me Nala, what do you think of all of this?"
The question surprised her. First of all, she never expected the King to care about her opinion. Second, Scar had never taken any interest in her before even when she and Simba were practically inseparable. She struggled to put words together. Should she be honest? Her mother would want her to be tactful, but deep down inside she only wanted to be heard. "Well, to tell the truth…" She heard her mother's tail thump hard on the ground behind her. Combined with Scar's hollow stare, this was enough to make her lose her nerve. "I-I don't know. I guess I think the pride should stay together, too."
"You 'guess'?" Scar scrutinized her.
She lowered her head, embarrassed. Maybe she should have said what she thought after all. Even her mother did nothing to rescue her from the pit of shame. After what felt like an eternity, Scar turned to Sarafina and said, "If you don't mind, Sara, there's something Sarabi and I would like to discuss with you in private."
Sarafina wrinkled her nose. Only Sarabi was allowed to call her that. She nodded anyway. "Why don't you go back to Pride Rock and see what Roho is up to? I'll find you when we're done."
Nala stuck out her jaw defiantly, but when her mother's eyes narrowed she knew she meant business. Why didn't she stand up for me? Does she think I'm not old enough to handle myself in front of Scar and Sarabi? I hang out with Sarabi all the time! And Mufasa always liked me! Two-thirds of the way up the tunnel she stopped. Outside, Captain Banzai was softly snoring. This isn't fair, she decided. Mom doesn't know I didn't go all the way to the surface. I'll just stay here and listen.
For a short time all was silent. She started to worry they knew she was listening, but then Scar said, "I believe Sarabi would like to do the honors."
The Queen took a deep breath. "It was so wonderful having you be a part of my family when our cubs were engaged. It would mean so much to me if we could be a family again."
Nala blinked. What on earth are they talking about?
"Sarabi… you can't be serious. The age difference alone is… And he's just been born!"
"I know this is a lot to ask. We are all still grieving but the time has come to move forward; The Circle of Life goes on turning whether we want it to or not. Right now what the Pridelands need most is a sense of normalcy and stability. With a prince our future is secure but many of the lionesses will still refuse to accept Scar unless someone else takes the first step. I thought that our marriage would earn their confidence but now I see that it was not enough. With you and Nala standing beside us, I know we can heal these wounds."
"And the hyenas? How can we have a pride with these monsters driving us apart?"
"Watch your tongue, huntress," Scar growled. "The hyenas are here for a reason. With them we are stronger than any pride in Africa."
"Then why don't they do any work? Why don't they help? All they do is eat and sleep and complain!"
"They are protecting us!"
A deep growl echoed in the dark. There was a short pause and then Sarabi spoke again, her voice astonishingly gentle for such grave words, "I'm aware of the problems with the hyenas. Remember that we are the ones who banished them. So far we've given them no reason to respect us and many of them are just as unhappy with us as we are with them. It will take time for us to learn to trust each other but I promise you we're working on it." She paused as if to gather her strength. "This pride is the most important thing in the world to me. When I was weak and alone this pride gave me a home, a family, and my life. They've given me four beautiful children, a loving mate, and a very special friend. I cannot stand by while my family tears itself apart. Everyone must make sacrifices during a time of crisis. I regret that I must ask one of you and your daughter, but I will only ask as a friend. Please, at least make an appearance at the ceremony as our guest of honor. We need your support."
"Don't forget about your bargain with your father," Scar said sternly. "To seal the alliance between our prides your firstborn daughter must wed the king's son. That was the price you paid to allow Sarabi to take your place as queen. As I am now the king you have an obligation to fulfill."
Dread crept into Nala's chest like a dizzying poison. No, this couldn't be happening. Sarabi couldn't be asking for that, not again! At least when she found out she was engaged to Simba she had been too young to understand what it would mean for her future. She would have to be with one male for the rest of her life and have his cubs. That might be fine for other lionesses, but not for Nala. She knew what terrible burdens Sarabi carried and wanted none of them. She wanted to be a huntress and a fighter, someone to be depended upon, but not at the expense of her own freedom and happiness.
The walls of the nursing den seemed to close in around her and she fled up the tunnel before any of them could say another. For all the times she heard the story of the alliance of King Zimwi and Ahadi no one ever told her this final piece of the story, this terrible plot that sealed her destiny before she was even born. This was why she was engaged to Simba. This was why Sarabi needed Sarafina – no other lioness would do! Her own mother betrayed her!
She heard Captain Banzai snort awake shout something as she ran from the den. She kept running without looking back. The dust from the earth mixed with her tears and stung her eyes. Nala hated herself for crying and yet for the first time since Simba's funeral she could not stop. As she ran her chest burned with every sob and the pain brought more tears. She ran without looking where she was going, afraid someone would see. Soon the hard ground gave way to tall grasses whipping her face. When she couldn't run anymore she collapsed into the tall grass and buried her face in her paws to muffle the sound. She didn't want anyone to find her.
…
Nala wiped the tears from her eyes. Her tears turned the dirt into mud and stuck to her paws, which only upset her more. She rubbed harder at her face, causing the mud to smear and get into her eyes. Now she would have to get the mud off her face somehow. In the dry season there were few places to take a bath. She cringed at the thought of letting her mother clean her face and taste her tears. "This is a disaster…" she sighed, head bowed.
She stood up straight in a rush as Roho emerged from the tall grass. She advanced on him, teeth bared. "What are you doing here!? Were you spying on me?"
Shocked Roho backed away crouching. "N-no! I mean, I heard you crying and – I didn't want to bother you but – I'm sorry – you looked like you needed help."
"I don't need anyone's help! I can take care of myself, thank you very much."
"I know."
"How long were you standing there?"
"What?"
"Were you spying on me!?"
Roho shook his head so hard his big ears flapped against his head. "No!"
He crumbled too easily to sustain her anger for long. After a while she just started to feel sorry for him. She wished Chumvi was here so she could have someone satisfying to yell at. "Are you okay?" he asked timidly.
"How do I look?" Nala growled.
Roho lowered his eyes. "Sorry."
Silence. Realizing he wasn't going to leave, Nala sighed in defeat. "Roho…"
His ears perked up.
She bit her lip. This next part made her uncomfortable. No one outside of Nala, her mother, and the royal family knew about her previous engagement to Simba. "I think I have to get married. I'm supposed to be the next princess."
He blinked, unsure of himself. Finally, he said, "Oh… well… that makes sense. You're the best one for the job. I'd sure hate to have Ruka as queen. Not that she could be, since Kivuli is her cousin. What's wrong?"
"I don't want to marry anybody. And even if I did, I wouldn't want somebody else to choose for me."
"Yeah, I can understand that. You don't have to marry him right away, right? It's gonna be a year or so?"
When he put it like that Nala felt even sillier for crying. Roho was right, lionesses only got married after they turned two years old and she was barely one. Somehow in the heat of the moment she felt as though her marriage to Kivuli would take place the next day with Scar dragging her toward the peak of Pride Rock by the scruff of her neck. Thinking like that wasn't rational. She should have known better.
"Don't worry," Roho said reassuringly, stepping closer to her. "There's still plenty of time. Maybe they'll change their minds. If they don't you could always come with me when I go into the Roguelands. I'd be lonely out there by myself."
What does he mean by that? Roho suddenly looked embarrassed. "Um, you've got something…" He touched his nose.
Nala went cross-eyed looking at her nose. Oh, right, the mud. She sighed. "My paws are dirty."
"I can fix that for you. I mean, if you don't mind."
"That's okay." Better Roho than her mother. For some reason she felt less ashamed when only he knew she was crying. "I'm sorry I was mean to you. I'm having a rough day."
"I know. I'm used to it, so don't worry." Roho licked the back of his paw and used it to wipe the mud from her face. She felt bad for him. Always the smallest, the weakest, the butt of the joke. Now that he brought it up she did actually worry about him being alone in the Roguelands in a year or so. Chumvi would do alright and Amiri would probably be fine, too. No one would look out for Roho in the Roguelands the way she did. As she closed her eyes, letting Roho clean them with his paw, she wondered how many young males perished during their trial in the wilderness. The only rogue she ever met was Ni and judging by his appearance life in the Roguelands must be harder than anything she could imagine. Nala suddenly realized that Roho also had a difficult future ahead of him, yet he had known his fate longer than she knew about her mother's deal and acted as though it was nothing.
Roho wasn't exactly the optimistic type. Inside he must have dreaded his trial more than she dreaded her impending marriage, only he was better at hiding it. She never expected to learn something about courage from her least courageous friend. "You can open your eyes now."
Nala blinked. She couldn't feel dirt in her eyes anymore, though her brow felt slightly damp. "Thanks, Roho."
She didn't want to go back to Pride Rock yet. She still wasn't sure if her mother knew she ran off after listening in on them or even how long she had been gone. Roho suggested going to the river to look for more smooth stones. A good luck charm, just what they needed.