Attention to detail

When looked at from afar, Priderock looks nothing so much as a toothless, gaping maw of some dark and ancient monstrosity trying to break free from beneath the Pridelands' rolling green hills, turned to stone. A long, pointed visage, with a short jaw and an underbite. The face juts out vertically, the sheer cliff on the inner side being all that's left of the palate, while the eroded and pock-marked incline at the other end could well pass for the cadaverous remains of eye- and nose-holes. The jaw stands at an almost-but-not-quite straight angle, propped up by another rock jabbing out from the ground.

Though really, it's just rocks. Picturesquely arranged and strategically located, but a big pile of rocks nonetheless. The face and jaw are just a high peak and a lower, upwards-sloping promontory. Then you see beyond those, and all the myriad details come into view: countless platforms, ridges, pathways, slabs, boulders and caves litter the site, and a smaller rocky complex on springs up across from the north end, situated across a barren gully. Not a once living creature, not a purposeful creation but just vagaries of the terrain.

The lions' main den is an expansive cave on the lower level of the large, jutting peak, and opens to the north, looking out on the smaller site. It's not the largest cave in the complex, but owning to its orientation and the adjacent rocks, it's shielded from sunlight throughout the day, making it the perfect place to sleep the noon's heat away.

A lone tawny, dark-maned lion did not keep to the den, however. That afternoon, he had retired to a quite different abode, also a cave hewn into the great peak, but higher up, level with the base of the promontory, looking east. He lay alone in the back of the cave. The entrance was both the highest and widest part of the space, allowing the outside light to flood the room, yet as you walked deeper into the cave, it became progressively more cramped, lower, focusing the attention of all who entered on the slightly elevated alcove situated at the very end... and the current occupant, reposing there.

The dark-maned lion attempted to clear his mind of the myriad troubles that had occupied him all day, and he let his gaze wander. With a subdued smile, he marveled at his own ingenuity in selecting this exact spot for his throne-room: anyone walking the length of the cave would perceive the walls to be closing in, unconsciously causing them to stoop as they neared the small plateau at the end. The perfect place for a king to receive his supplicants.

Of course Mufasa had never had much use for such a place!

My idiot brother never had to resort to sophisticated techniques like this to impress his underlings, the lion thought bitterly.

Even in death, the late king managed to cast a shadow over the dark-maned lion's every thought - not a moment's peace was allowed him. His smile drooped into a disgusted frown. Mufasa! Anyone who ever met that hulking brute could't help but shrink in awe at the mere sight of him, or be cowed by his terrible booming bass-voice. No need for a subtly intimidating chamber, he carried terror with him everywhere he went!

No such luck for pitiful little Taka, no, nothing was ever just handed to him! He always had to rely on his smarts to get anywhere, at best coming up with ingenious gimmicks, like this cave. Of course, that's not how a real lion handles things! Oh no, between them, Mufasa had always been the real lion, and he'd never shied away from making that abundantly clear, mocking his weaker brother at every turn in their younger days.

"But who's laughing now, dear brother?" the lion chuckled to himself, "Turns out brains beat brawn after all."

"Scar?"

The lion flinched, and abruptly turned towards the entrance, scowling at the disturbance. The silhouette of a lioness was outlined against the daylight outside. Only as she moved further into the cave did Scar recognize her for who she was. Head held high, the burly, cream-colored lioness strode over to him. Significantly, she ignored her instinct to crouch at the shrinking surroundings, and remained upright. Of course she did, Scar considered, annoyed. Queen Sarabi would not bow to anyone, or anything.

"Is that how you would address your new king, Queen-dowager?"

That halted Sarabi in her tracks. Scar could see her lips tighten and eyes narrow. How proud she was, still. But in the end, she only hesitated for the shortest instant.

"Apologies... your highness."

"No need for apologies, Sarabi, all this is as much new for me as it is for you," Scar waved his paw casually as he spoke, "I'm sure we'll get used to it eventually. Now - what is it?"

"We've finished clearing the animals out of the plains below. The... ceremony is over now. All that's left is for you give the word, and we can commence the feast."

With a groan, Scar put his head down on the rocks, clutching his face with both paws in frustration. That Sarabi managed to stay so formal and polite only added to his embarrassment. Queenly material to be sure. Just a slight pause before "ceremony", that was all.

Heavens knew she had ample reason to pause.

"Awfully generous of you to still call it a ceremony," Scar growled through his paws.

It hadn't been a ceremony, it had been a damned slaughter!


That morning, things had started out well enough. Rafiki had arrived at Priderock with uncharacteristic punctuality, and the weather was excellent: some clouds to block out the day's worst heat without being overcast, and a slight breeze. Perfect conditions to ensure maximum turnout for the ceremony formally announcing the death of Mufasa, and the crowning of King Scar. The prospect of it had made the soon-to-be king almost giddy. And sure enough, massive crowds of animals showed up to gawk at their new ruler.

What a sight it had been, standing up there at the pinnacle of Priderock's promontory! Row upon row of animals all staring up at him - the dizzying mess of the zebra herds, the dull gray uniformity of all the wildebeest, broken up by the delightful sight of a gaily colored pack of wild dogs. Majestic giraffes, lumbering elephants, hulking rhinos, the sleek and graceful cheetahs... And all there to see him, Scar! When they bowed down in unison, he had felt positively intoxicated - the terribly vague yet overwhelming feeling that it all had to mean something!

It lasted about the blink of an eye, before reality intruded - and how! From his vantage point, Scar had been uniquely well situated to see that perfect picture of order and harmony turn into a seething cauldron of violent chaos in no time at all. It had started at the edges of the crowd - impossible to see from that height what it had been exactly that set everything off, but all the more suited to observe the unfolding disaster. Some animals at the easternmost edge of the gathering had suddenly started darting any which was, most of them into the open plains, but others deeper into the crowd. Startled and panicked because of the others running into them, the next rung of animals in turn moved to flee wherever they could. Except that they had no open plains to flee into, only more crowds. Like a stone dropped into a pond, the ripple of agitation spread out from there.

The animals were packed too tight, with no room to run. Yet they ran, or tried to anyway. All the commotion kicked up a blooming dust-cloud, only adding to the confusion. Panicked and blinded, the bigger animals trampled some of the smaller underfoot, only to trip and be themselves crushed by the hooves of their companions. After the worst of it had passed, it took the entire afternoon to calm the crowds, restore the herds, and send them on their way. So much for this most triumphant celebration!

And there he had been, King Scar, witnessing it whole. All that purpose, triumph, and elation, it had all felt so... nice. But then, a lot sooner than usual, the crushing feeling of having it all turn to ash. He cursed himself for getting so carried away.


"Your highness, good news!"

A high-pitched squeak echoed throughout the cave. Scar lifted his paws of his face, shooting a deadly look at the source of the sound. A blue hornbill landed next to Sarabi, seamlessly transitioning from flight, to landing, over into a graceful bow - all in one smooth move. The bird took pains not to look at Scar, though, in stead remaining prostrate for the longest time.

"I very much doubt that," Scar sneered, "But go ahead, I'll bite: what's the good news, Zazu?"

"A-a most miraculous occurrence, your excellency," Zazu stuttered, rankled by Scar's reflexive skepticism. Mufasa would never treat his majordomo with such cynicism! "I have made the final tally for the stampede, and I can report that in the end there were only a dozen fatalities, a phenomenally light toll considering the sheer size of the assembled multitude! The list breaks down as follows: four gazelle, ..."

"Heavens, if that's what passes for good news, I dread the day you come bearing bad news," Scar interrupted with morbid glee, "Good news, sire! Only two out of three cubs were stillborn. Good news, your magnificence! Bad as the wound may be, the pain will surely stop once you die..."

Scar yawned.

"... and so on. Any more of that good news you care to share with us?"

There were a lot of snide and snooty replies Zazu could fire off, but he thought better of it. Scar was his new king, after all, and it would not do to antagonize him so early in his reign, or after that day's most embarrassing display. Sure, they could not stand to be near each other, and Zazu had always relished getting in a good dig at Scar in front of Mufasa... but that was in the past now. No doubt, both the new monarch and his majordomo just needed some time to adjust, to learn and understand each other, and all would be well!

"Well... yes, your highness! I have more good news, in fact. After conducting a most rigorous investigation, and interviewing many witnesses, I have managed to determine the cause of the stampede."

"The cause of this stampede was the same as the cause of any stampede: panic," Scar waxed absentmindedly, wondering exactly how rigorous an investigation you could conduct in one lazy afternoon. Especially with that many potential witnesses. Then again, Zazu did have wings, so...

"Of course, sire. I should rather have said: I have determined the culprits."

Scar's ears perked up. That actually was good news! Punishing someone for this fiasco would prove most therapeutic, if ultimately pointless; his first impression as a king before his assembled kingdom had been inadvertently ruined no matter what he did. But after punishing someone, at least he'd feel better for a while.

"Well? Don't just keep me waiting, spit it out, man!"

"Ah, yes, my apologies, sire. It turns out that someone violated the King's Peace this morning, and went hunting. I needn't tell you that this is a most heinous crime, violating an ancient and..."

"Yes, yes, yes, but who? Give me names," Scat insisted, now standing up and leaning forward, claws gripping the edge of his podium.

"Well, sire, we don't know who it was, exactly, only that they were, eh... hyenas."

The temperature in the room plunged instantly. Scar's expectant grin turned to wrathful scowl, while Sarabi managed an almost undetectable smirk. She could as well have said "I told you so," but really, why even bother? The king withdrew back onto his perch, and plopped down dejectedly.

"Of course, that figures," he grumbled. For a while, he sat silent, motionless, while Zazu and Sarabi waited anxiously. Then he suddenly exploded at them: "I'm surrounded by idiots! Get me Shenzi, NOW!"


Scar's fury notwithstanding, finding the hyena matriarch proved to be surprisingly easy: she was on Priderock grounds, not all that far away from Scar's throneroom, in fact. As Zazu flew out, his ears still echoing with the furious roar Scar had let out, he could plainly see and hear the hyena pestering the lionesses for a chance to see the king.

Shenzi had attended the botched coronation ceremony, along with a delegation from her clan - that is to say, Ed and Banzai - and from a (subdued) place of honor at that: on Priderock itself, along with the lionesses, be it at a short distance from and slightly below them. Seeing as how the presence of the entire clan would have overshadowed the lionesses, the other hyenas had of course not been invited to Priderock itself, and they had to make do on the plains down below with the rest of the animals. All well and good, until someone got it into his head that a spot of hunting would go nicely with the ongoing celebration. The query crashed into the assembled crowd, and then: pandemonium.

Not long after the ensuing stampede, several hyenas came running to Shenzi to assure her that, no, it hadn't been them who did the hunting - nothing to do with it in fact! - but that they sure knew who did! Who exactly was at fault remained unclear - from experience, Shenzi knew to take the word of a snitch with a grain of salt. But that it had been a member of her clan, well, that seemed pretty obvious.

And if it was on a member of her clan, it was on her. Her clan, her responsibility. Being a matriarch isn't just about getting first dibs on a meal, or bossing others around; when it came to dealing with outsiders, she was both the face of the clan, and their shield. Whatever came at them, it was on her to try and steer it away. So she straightened her back, grit her teeth, and went to see Scar - only to find out that the king didn't want to be disturbed.

"You're full of it, I could see that one lioness enter his cave just now! Same with that blue bird that's always talking sh..."

"Ahem!" Zazu intoned, landing a few steps away, "I'll have you know that anything I have to say is pertinent to the workings of this kingdom - not that I would expect the likes of you to understand..."

"The working of this kingdom would be better served with you turned into ragout."

"And you'll serve the kingdom best if you keep working on those comebacks. In the meantime: the king has asked to see you."

Shenzi swallowed, immediately forgetting about that windbag of majordomo. It's always better to ask to see the king, than have the king ask to see you. Too late for that now, though. How she dreaded facing Scar. All the time she'd known him - the better part of a lifetime! - he'd kept going on and on about how much it would mean for him to be the king, between bouts of self-pity and free-form melancholy. And these last few days, it'd been all about the coronation - she could only remember one other time when she'd seen him as exited. And now Shenzi's folks had gone and ruined his big day - right after he'd done them such a solid, allowing them into the Pridelands!

Time to put on a strong face; to a hyena, showing weakness amounts to inviting abuse. Trying not to look too anxious, head held high, Shenzi ambled towards the cave. Unlike Sarabi, though, she did fall victim too the throneroom's optical trickery, and by the time she reached Scar she'd already bent her head below her shoulders again. And at the sight of the former queen, she shrank even lower. There was a lioness whose mate had just been killed, and who believed her only son dead as well - yet here she stood, cold and implacable, not even as much as twitching here ears as Shenzi entered. She might have as well been hewn from the rocks itself. Shenzi's hearth ran cold at the thought of this queen ever finding out who was behind her mate's death.

Zazu followed, landing in front of the hyena, again managing to transition straight into a bow.

"Sire, as requested: Shenzi, of the hyenas."

"Well that was fast. What'd you do, fly her here?" Scar asked, taken slightly aback by the speed of Zazu's return.

"It's because I've been trying to see you all afternoon, but nobody would..." Shenzi's whine petered out as she watched Scar rise up and stare at her with a fury she didn't before think possible.

"If I were you I'd keep very, very quiet," he growled through gritted teeth, "I've got half a mind to have you thrown off Priderock right now! I allow you into the Pridelands, and the very first thing you choose to do with your time is to ruin my coronation, causing a stampede that kills dozens! Unbelievable! What are the other animals supposed to think of me now? A trail of dead right on the heels of my ascension! Heavens, I can't imagine a worse omen... "

"Very inauspicious," Zazu agreed, earning himself his second murderous glare from Scar.

Shenzi's first instinct was to joke that having a stampede at his coronation seemed rather appropriate, given the circumstances of his rise to power, but she bit her tongue. Better save that one for Banzai and Ed.

"Eh... sorry..."

"Sorry won't cut it! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in? I'd be well within my rights to banish the hyenas all over again for this. You've broken sacred laws..."

Shenzi glared up at Scar, suddenly grinning.

"Oh, so we've broken sacred laws, Scar? What kind of laws, like against murder, you mean?"

Scar's eyes went wide, and he felt a sudden tightness in his stomach. Don't you dare even think about it, mangy little cur, I'll kill you where you stand! But he had gotten the message, and eased up a bit, signaling it by sitting down again and tempering his voice.

"Murder?" The word came out almost in a hiss, suffused with barely restrained rage "No, not that... You sound very confused, Shenzi dear. Allow me to waste some of my precious time on the futile endevaror of trying to educate you, pathologically ignorant as you are. During the coronation, and until I signal the beginning of the feast, all animals are under the protection of the King's Peace, and no hunting is allowed. That's all there is to it. It is an ancient law of this kingdom."

"That's all very well, Scar...'

"Your highness," Zazu corrected, aiming to ingratiate himself with the king.

"That's all very well, your highness, but I don't know if you've noticed: we weren't part of this kingdom for the longest time. I don't know how it is for lions, but hyenas can't smell ancient laws! How are we supposed to know any of this stuff if no-one bothers to tell us?"

"What do you mean nobody told you?" Scar asked, squinting.

"Well it ain't like any of your lionesses ever deign us worthy of a friendly chat," Shenzi complained, mean eyes fixed on Sarabi, who was still there, unmoving, and staring straight ahead of her, "And besides, ancient laws usually don't come up during casual conversation anyway, ya know?"

"Sure, but were you not invited to the ceremony?"

"Well, yeah, me and the plus-two. Everyone else could watch from down below."

"And you didn't think to inform your associates that this implied good behavior?"

"I'm not stupid, Scar," Shenzi snapped, slipping out of decorum again, "I told the clan that if they wanted to come and watch, they couldn't hunt any of the animals that were there, or I'd have their ass."

"That's not how it works, you're not allowed to hunt anyone - it's not just the animals attending," Zazu corrected, "Hunts have a way of moving around - prey don't like being eaten, you see. So there is to be no hunting anywhere in the kingdom, and not just near the ceremony, to avoid the kind of panic we saw today."

"Well now you tell me!"

"She has a point, Zazu," Scar said, "I ordered you, as my majordomo, to extend my formal invitation to all the animals of the Pridelands, via their designated representatives. Did you pass my message on to Shenzi, as matriarch of the hyenas? Or did you lazily assume that was already taken care of because she and I are on such cordial terms?"

"Well, sire, I'll have you know that I did not lazily assume anything," Zazu responded, sounding quite insulted, "I passed the message to the matriarch just like my duties prescribe."

"Lovely. And did you also mention the King's Peace?"

"I..." the majordomo hesitated, "Sire, with respect, you asked me to extend your formal invitation to all animals, not to simultaneously explain our laws and customs..."

"Really now?" Scar sneered, "And I suppose that you would forgo breathing, too, if not ordered to do so? Is it really too much to ask that you go about your duties without me needing to spell out every little detail?"

"Scar," Sarabi suddenly spoke, loud yet flat, intentionally forgoing honorifics, "If you had wanted the King's Peace explained to the hyenas, you should have ordered it so. That is why you are the king."

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. Or perhaps a slight scraping-sound: Scar digging his claws into the rock. He was fuming at being put in his place like that - who did she think she was to lecture him - Mufasa reincarnate? He needed to do his utmost best to restrain himself from raking her across the face then and there. He did restrain himself, though; it would not do to abuse the poor widow of the great Mufasa, not with everyone still spooked by that disastrous inauguration.

"That is not how I will do things," he declared once his rage had subsided, "I expect better sense from all of you in the future, in stead of relying on me to guide your every step like you were a bunch of blind cubs. A king should not concern himself with details, but trust in the good sense of his loyal, dutiful, and responsible subjects. Can I rely on you from now on, Zazu?"

Without waiting for a reply, he then turned to Shenzi.

"As for the hyenas... When I spoke of exiling you again, well, that is something within my power as the king... But I won't. I'm not going to punish all hyenas for the actions of a few - that is not how I will do things, either. But those directly responsible will have to be punished for breaking the law and violating the King's Peace..."

"But they didn't even know what the law was," Shenzi complained, reflexively defending her clanmates.

"Be that as it may, ignorance of the law is never an excuse. It's a basic principle of civilized society, and now that you live in the Pridelands, you'd do well to remember it. You know the hyenas best, so I'm leaving it up to you to find those responsible, and hand them over to me so I can decide on the appropriate punishment."

"Wait a second, they are my people, only I get to..."

"Silence!" Scar thundered, fed up with Shenzi's constant haggling, "You do not seem to get it, do you? The hyenas live in the Pridelands now. I am their king, they are my subjects, and when they break the laws of my kingdom, I will be their judge. Or, if that goes beyond your limited understanding: my house, my rules."

As the matriarch, it was Shenzi's duty to protect her people as best she could - that included trying to protect them from their new king. But she knew Scar well enough that he wouldn't be pushed any further - and besides, he was right: the deal had been for Scar to become their king, too, and in return the hyenas were allowed back into the Pridelands. That, and one bloody detail best left unmentioned in the presence of former queen Sarabi.

"As you wish... your majesty."

"Good. One more thing: I don't want to see you or any other hyena anywhere near the feast tonight - as much for your own safety as anything else. You didn't have much of a reputation to start with, and I imagine it won't be long before word spreads on how you were responsible for the stampede. Do yourselves a favor and keep your heads down for the time being. Now get out of my sight, the lot of you."

Sarabi and Shenzi were more than happy to leave by now - probably the first time they'd had anything in common. Zazu lingered for a moment, however.

"Eh, sire..."

With a belabored sigh, the king again turned to face the majordomo.

"And what is it now?"

"Sire, if it is any consolation, I do think there is a silver lining to this morning's events, and all the, eh,... death."

"If there is, I fail to see it."

"Well... If you think about it, with all the freshly killed prey just laying around, the lionesses won't have to do any hunting for tonight's feast! As I am sure your hyena associates would appreciate, waste not, want not."

It took him some deliberation, but in the end, Scar managed to crack a smile.


postscript: hoped you liked it, our first look at the nitty gritty of Scar trying to run a kingdom. A bit unfocussed as of yet, maybe, but at least I get some world-building done that way.