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You Never Know.

Chapter Two.

As I headed back for the kopje, Rafiki's words had reverbed in my mind.

It was a normal thing to do; how else would a lioness have reacted if a trusted shaman had just announced that something would involve itself in her future life? Maybe it wasn't a big deal, as I had the pride and Simba to support me, but most of the time I preferred to be independent- and that was the problem. Even if I was dying right before my pride, I'd fight in order to help myself by myself. I never wanted to put anybody else in danger, because of me. It was a horrible feeling if someone had gotten hurt simply because you couldn't fight for yourself.

After some minutes, I finally arrived at the den to find the lionesses gathered in a circle, with Simba, Sarabi and my mother in the center. To my surprise, Tama and Kula were there. For a moment, I thought they had been waiting for my arrival; so I hesitantly placed a paw forward and crept into the scene. But the lionesses seemed to be dismissing Tama and Kula, who were fed, well-rested and fully prepared for their prolonged journey throughout the Serengeti.

They stared over at me once everyone had noted my late arrival. Kula saw me, and curtly avoided my gaze, throwing her muzzle up in the other direction. Tama seemed to be less impudent, forcing a smile at me and shrugging her shoulders as I moved deeper into the circle.

"Nala, there you are!" Simba yelled happily as he approached me. "Kula and Tama are about to leave. They're willing to go and find Malka, Tojo and Chumvi and bring them back to the Pridelands."

I merely snorted, to Kula's dismay. She was probably expecting an apology of some sort. But while she did earn the apology, I couldn't help but also feel stabbed in the back about their plan... Was it up to us to rebuild the Pridelands on our own? By the time they'd return, there'd be nothing left to do!

Simba noted my malaise, solely ignored it and turned to the rest of the pride. I scuttled over to sit beside him, in front of the pride. Everyone averted their gaze to Simba, as he finally finished his speech.

"They've chosen to take a risk in order to retrieve their loved ones, and bring them back to safety - which only sets the rest of us an example to care for one another. May we wish them the very best for their future."

The lionesses threw themselves onto Tama and Kula one by one, some tear-stained, others flustered with pride. I could see how much Mheetu would miss them too, he'd clamped his paws around their forelegs. They simpered down at the young cub. "We could never forget Mheetu, of course!" Tama laughed, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and placing him on Kula's back so that she could properly nuzzle him.

I sniffed, wanting to cry. I just felt so... alone in this jovial scene; everyone embracing and cuddling, sobbing and tittering, while I simply sat in the background with a harsh image of something I so badly wanted right before my eyes. Instead I was in a sort of rivalry with my friends - who were going possibly for years. I was so caught up in my emotions that I couldn't even murmur a goodbye to my best friends who'd known me my entire life. Guess I was so determined to find Simba, bring him back and restore the Pridelands, that I had forgotten how many desires and dreams would arise in this and the opportunities of them being conquered.

As if sensing my current emotional break down, one of the lionesses behind me placed her paw on my shoulder blade. It startled me, so I jumped and accidentally whacked her face with my paw. She collapsed without a word, staring deeply at the ground.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry," I yelled, panicked. I pushed her shoulder blades with my muzzle in order for her to stand up.

She stood up, but she wasn't as vexed as I thought she'd be. The contrary, she wore a bright, gentle beam that assured everything was fine. Even so, I was slightly anxious.

"No, it's totally fine," she beamed kindly at me. "It was my fault, anyway. I've...gotta learn to keep my paws to myself."

I shook my head. "Not at all, and I guess I kind of needed that assurance."

"I guessed that," the slightly younger lioness shrugged happily. "Are you Queen Nala? I just realised how foolish I was, I'm so sorry!"

It was then that I guessed she was one of the new lionesses that might've come during Scar's tyranny. I did remember the hyenas rounding up at least four new lionesses and turning them in to Scar. I doubted he'd let them get away that easy, or that they'd support Simba. But here they were, the four of them, generously dismissing Kula and Tama. We were all part of the same age group, but this lioness was probably only a few days or so younger than me.

I shook my head again. "You can just call me Nala. And... I'm not exactly the queen yet." She nodded at me, encouraging me to ask my questions. "What's your name? And how did you know... well... how I was feeling?"

"I'm called Salina. One of the lionesses that was brought here during Scar's reign- I know I should say King Scar, but after all he's done, he doesn't deserve such a name," Salina added with a soft growl. "And I'm not sure, I guess because I know the feeling... You looked kinda lonely, and once I saw everyone together and you were just alone, I felt sorry for you and knew right away that I would be able to relate."

As we spoke, we watched the lionesses end their session of saying goodbye.

"I'm not sure why you're feeling left out, but I'm here if you need to vent, queen or not."

At that moment, I just couldn't hold it in. Somehow, her words had helped me more than Rafiki's had this morning. All I wanted was someone who I could tell everything to, and not keep secrets. Sort of like a best friend. While Tama and Kula were my best friends, I guess they had each other's backs and I sometimes felt third-wheeled. Just like at that moment, when they'd decided to leave without me. And Salina sensed that.

The kings had finally blessed me with someone to call my own best friend - who wasn't Simba, always away on his duties and wouldn't ever understand the problems I was going through. It was Salina.

I only embraced her, without saying another word, squeezing her tight as a sort of thank you for registering some happiness in my life to come.

"Thank you so much," I managed a mutter out after some seconds of ending the cuddle. "I really needed this."

Tama and Kula had departed on their journey. I felt a little chagrined on the fact that I hadn't dismissed Tama and Kula, but a little more uplifted thanks to Salina. After we all gathered to observe their crossing of the border, Pride Rock pretty much went back to normal. The next group of lionesses were led by the chosen lead huntress for that specific hunting group, towards the plains in order to land something for the pride to eat later.

My mother and Sarabi headed to where they always went to relax; beneath the acacia trees where most of the lionesses would bathe their cubs. It was a place I spent a lot at as a cub and until now, Sarabi and my mother continued to repose there.

I figured Salina and her sisters were currently hunting since they didn't take part in the morning hunt. And of course, Simba and Zazu had taken off to the borders to resolve some problems with the residents of the Pridelands and to go and patrol.

Once again, in barely what seemed to be pretty much half of the day, my loneliness had just started. I was a little hurt that Simba, knowing it was a job for the king and queen, hadn't once asked me to accompany him in order to resolve some of the problems with the herd leaders or the crocs or the giraffes. Was it all up to me to tag along like always, or was he at least going to ask me to join in one of their king/queenly duties together?

I sighed. I was the one who'd left to go and perceive Simba, brang him back - with Rafiki's help - and now making an effort to rebuild the kingdom. But nobody would let me take part. What kind of queen would I be if I sat by and did nothing?

Well, I could try running after Simba...even if he did seem a little far already.

But suddenly I remembered something. The hippos down by the small lake were complaining of being constantly attacked on by at least three lionesses. If Simba was going on patrol with Zazu and to speak with the herd leaders, he wouldn't possibly have time to deal with incensed hippopotamus.

Elated that I finally had something to prove myself as queen, I gathered no more than five lionesses to accompany me on my mission. I faced them, explaining them of the problem. "The hippopotamus have been complaining that some lionesses have been attacking them and their calf. Our job is to go there and investigate, find clues at least." I carefully announced to my followers. "When we get there, we must be quiet. Their calf is probably resting. That being said, we must not interfere with the hippos, but only the actual problem."

The lionesses nodded, one by one, certain they'd be able to deal with the situation with no sort of problem.

We strode through the kingdom towards the said destination. Once we'd reached the creek, we noticed that several hippos had formed a sort of circle around the resting calf, who'd currently outwitted several attacks.

The leader of the hippos awaited our arrival. I'd sent Zazu to inform him that we were heading over to help them. At our presence, his face scrunched up into a look of disgust. It frightened me.

"Hello, Sir Hippo." I greeted politely, bowing in sync with the other lionesses that were accompanying me. Politeness was a great way to get one on your side... Especially one that could bite your head off. "I've come on hearing the fact that some lionesses had been attacking you."

The hippo snorted. "Queen Nala," he acknowledged coldly. "It's about time you'd arrived. We've been waiting for so long, for either you or King Simba to resolve this problem! It is absurd! And if it is one of your pride lionesses, they must be punished severely."

A lioness from behind me named Siku stepped forward with a snarl. "Well the queen's here now! Consider yourself lucky we even came to deal with the problem instead of being so bossy and ungrateful!"

"The only ungrateful ones are you lions attacking on an innocent calf!" The mother of the calf came into sight. "You have an entire kingdom at your paws and yet you attack us for something other than food!"

Siku's sister, Doa, stepped forward. "And who said we're to blame for this? Simply because we're lions?" she demanded, obviously insulted. "The king and queen are here helping the kingdom so it moves forward so the least you can do is blame us. We're not the only lions on the plains, you know."

"Alright, everybody!" I shouted, jumping back into the conversation. I was evidently frustrated and awfully perplexed. My expression said it all.

At my outburst, Doa and Siku stepped back, and the hippos continued to glare at them.

"Sir Hippo," I called leisurely. "Zazu informed me that you've found some tracks as to where the lionesses had been coming from. Can you show them to me?"

The hippopotamus curtly stepped out of the water and led me towards some tracks. Still freshly-made, approximately three days old. The tracks had some sort of scent from a lioness that I couldn't wrap my head around. It was oddly unfamiliar. I soon realised there was another scent coming from the bush nearby. The others could smell it too. We all sniffed the air.

I approached it cautiously. The scent was, again, unfamiliar to me but this time I could tell it was a warning. Mostly likely, a male lion came here and sprayed his scent on the bush- establishing his rank and status. He seemed to be high up to food chain compared to the other lion or lioness. And clearly, he wasn't alone when he decided to commit such a crime.

This was nor mine, the lionesses or Simba's scent. Scar couldn't have placed a scent- he was either dead or somewhere far out. Plus, he didn't have such an uncanny scent.

As I calculated everything, I could see from the corner of my left eye that the hippo looked displeased. He furrowed his brows at me, contorting his face brusquely. "You don't know who it was, do you? Well, it looks as if we will have t leave."

I gasped. "No!" He couldn't leave. He and the rest of his hippos were the only residents, besides us, currently residing in the Pridelands. If they left, we'd have no chance of a meal and we'd starve. Everything would go back to Scar's reign. I came closer to him. "We may not know who's responsible for this. But give us some time to find out."

He stared at me thoughtfully for a moment, before his more approachable mate came and replied for him. "We will stay for five nights more. If you have not come up with even a plan or suspect by then, we will leave." she said. "We cannot withstand these outrageous attacks in such a barren and unsecured kingdom any longer."

I sighed frustratedly, turning to the lionesses. "Let's return," I suggested. "We'll discuss this with Simba once he's returned from his duties. Thank you for your time, Sir. Hippo. We will try our best."

The lionesses and I were getting ready to depart. I, thanks to my keen hearing senses, could hear the old hippo mumble from behind, "You better."

"Simba, I need to talk to you."

Simba had arrived some minutes after we had. He quickly dismissed Zazu, before attending to the pride. The flaxen lion approached me and nuzzled me, before staring into my eyes lovingly. I exchanged the gesture. But the hippos' crisis weighed my mind; it concerned me greatly. Not only did the situation concern their wellbeing and decision to depart, but it also affected us and the reputation of the Pridelands. At this rate, the herds would only be fleeing from here.

Simba, as the king, needed to sort something out with me so that the situation could soon be overlooked. I pulled out and offered him a look of concern.

"The hippos have a problem," I started, cutting straight to the point. The king appeared skeptical. "They claim that some lions are attacking them. The lionesses and I went to investigate and we found some-"

"You went without me?!" Simba shouted, stunned. I was a little shocked, taking a safe distance back to ensure nothing dangerous would occur. The lionesses had formed a crowd around us, each observing our every next move. Honestly, I was clearly hurt that Simba had yelled at me like so. "Nala, I told you to not go off and do things on your own!"

He was right. He'd told me numerous times, but I was the queen! I couldn't wait around for him- Rafiki said I needed to trust myself. And so I did. I trusted my instincts to investigate the situation and report to him. "Simba, I'm not a cub." I narrowed my eyes, my stare piercing into Simba's face. He pulled back a bit. "The hippos needed help. They've been pleading for help for three days now! I couldn't just sit around and let this be overlooked without being dealt with."

I felt all eyes on me as I retaliated against the king's wish. "As the queen, it's also my duty to ensure the kingdom is safe. I couldn't allow an innocent family of hippos to be hurt so badly they'd leave, destroying the Pridelands reputation, while you did nothing."

"Nothing? I have been having a hard time managing the kingdom on my own," he said, his voice slightly calmer.

"It wouldn't be so hard if you allowed me to help." I said bitterly. "Besides, it's not like I did it entirely on my own. I came to you as soon as possible to sort it out. But if you can't even cooperate with me, I see there's no point in even asking the king to deal with another major problem in his kingdom."

I said nothing else. I simply stormed out, wanting to flee from the obnoxious gossiping of the lionesses that stood. Tears clouded my vision as I escaped, reclining in another compact cave that was lodged on the back of Pride Rock. I instantly recognised this as Scar's old den that he'd occupy during Mufasa's reign.

The area didn't seem so hygienic. Bones littered everywhere, adjacent with pesky flies that buzzed raucously. I entered the den leisurely. To my right there were several claw marks on the wall- I assumed that Scar counted as the days went by. For what? I don't know. Perhaps till he'd confess to me, which he did in a forceful manner, or the time he'd planned to take over the throne.

I shivered as I thought about those times. How Mufasa had been laying motionlessly on the ground, Sarabi and some of the other lionesses weeping painfully. The night where Scar had announced his and Simba's deaths, and introduced the hyenas. The beginning of the Pridelands' hysteria.

I sprawled beside the small promontory that Scar often rested on, paws positioned beneath my cheek. I felt a tear roll down on one side of my face, and quickly wiped it off to hide it. I didn't want to cry now, the others were nearby. But to my dismay, as I smudged my tear, another one emerged from my right eye. And even more came from the left. I couldn't hold it in. I might as well have just let it out.

There I was, howling my discontent and bawling my eyes out. I was certain Simba could hear my, but I didn't care. My maw was hindered in my paws; I refused to lift it. But paw-steps triggered my senses, and I soon noted a silhouette of a lioness in the cave entrance. The lighting from the sun outside formed a sort of halo around her body, and once she'd fully entered, I recognised her face.

Salina. It was her, ambling into the den at a hastened pace. Willing to aid me like she'd done before.

I was too embarrassed to show my face to her at that moment. I rapidly looked elsewhere as she took a seat beside me. The moment was slightly uncomfortable and awkward for me. I simply wanted to be alone. But I could never reject the lioness's help. Strangely her help was something I grew very keen on.

The lioness stroked my paw with hers. I pulled it back quickly. It seemed harsh though I instantly regretted it. Despite that, she smiled at me.

"We could hear you crying," she said, almost sounding as if she was teasing me. "The king heard it too."

"Did he do anything?" I asked, my voice trembling from the hysterical tears. Surely, he didn't. I bet it wasn't even him that sent Salina here to check on me. He never cared. He loved me, but right now he was doing a very bad job at showing it.

I could tell that Salina felt bad for me. I was pathetic- getting so hopeful on an idea that Simba had sent for me. She shook her head leisurely. I was wrong. Of course, he wouldn't send for me. He was probably raging right now.

"I knew it," I uttered hastily. "He doesn't care right now. He's just as angry as I am."

I looked back at Salina, who appeared a little more saddened. "You see where I'm coming from, right? It's my job as queen to help him. But I can't prove my worth to the pride if I don't show it!," I pulled my paws closer to me, as if they'd be safer under my chest. "I'm always left in the shallows to chase after an opportunity of trouble. It's not fair."

"I think," Salina began, "that he's just trying to protect you. Because he loves you. He wouldn't make you a queen if he didn't care for you. He wouldn't be your mate."

"That's true..." I said, having nothing to argue back. "But, he-"

"King Simba made you queen because he knows what a high rank it is and how protected and supported you'll be."

"Yeah, but that's not all it takes to be a queen." I replied. "Simba made me queen knowing I could take care of the kingdom beside him. He better not see me as a cub bearer!"

Salina laughed shyly, glancing down at her own two paws. "You'd be lucky to find any lion like him," she admitted. "I'd kill for a mate that'd protect me like that. And I'd love to bear cubs."

"That's true, Salina. But it doesn't feel like he's protecting me. He's keeping me out of his way, like I weigh him down." I gathered my thoughts. My opinion on Simba was even worse than anticipated. Simba cared for me, but he saw me as a weakling. A cub bearer. But I had to admit, he was extremely affectionate, powerful and would make a great ruler.

My friend cocked her head, simpering sadly. "Ah, Nala," she sighed, giggling. "You and Simba will be talking in no time." She stood up. I smiled at her.

"Care to go on a walk? I could use a stretch."

"Humm, maybe later," I mumbled, also standing up. "I think I need some time to myself. To think over things, you know?"

"Yes, of course," she nodded, bowing. "I'll be around if you need me, Your Majesty." With that, she left the den. She was probably going back to her sisters, or to go on that walk she mentioned.

In truth, I also wanted to walk a little. But I wanted to do it alone- so I could reflect. Not to be distracted. I needed to contemplate my position as a queen, as Simba's mate, and as a lioness. I wasn't officially the queen or Simba's mate. But I would be in a matter of days; so the other lionesses, Rafiki, Zazu and Simba considered calling me queen already, and treated me like a queen so I could accustom the idea of being one. I was already Simba's mate, making me the queen either way.

I left the den in a hurry, praying that Salina hadn't left yet. I wanted to flee from Pride Rock for some time, and I didn't want anyone knowing where I'd go.

I rounded the path towards a secluded area- matted with several shrubs and towered with saplings. This was just the place I needed for some peace and quiet.

That's when I saw him.

Lounging on the ground alone was him.

Entirely motionless was the one who'd caused everything to happen in the first place.

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