Chapter 17

The laughter of cubs was always something Binti enjoyed hearing. It was the sign that a pride was flourishing when you heard the laughter of so many cubs, the mashariki were lucky for how many cubs they had. And hopefully the Pridelands would be too with the cubs the Queen was about to give birth to, there were six in the mashariki pride…and four in the Pridelanders and if Binti was correct and the queen would give birth to multiples then they should have just as many.

And hopefully there would be more females. The pride could always use more lionesses. They were the stability of the pride. More lionesses meant more cubs for the future. And with their males in the pride, that could be rest assured, although if they made allies once again with the Eastern pride, then that meant many arrange mating could be made. And if the cubs knew each other, it would make it all that much easier.

"How is everything in the Pridelands, Binti?" asked Jozi's mate, Hala.

"It is just as beautiful and bountiful as they were in the time of Mufasa and the other Great kings. Our new King is young but he is capable, and he's a good mate and father. Our Queen comes from a pride called the Rasheda's they reside across the desert in the Jungles that was where he was saved and brought too…thank the Great Kings if he had returned sooner Scar might have killed him...and he brought allies from there the young prince…well I guess king now and some lionesses to help…they returned home after the King was restored to the throne…" Binti crossed her paws in front of her while she watched her prince play.

"You mentioned she was expecting?" Khal asked taking his eyes off his daughter to face Binti.

"Yes, what from we can tell it may be a few cubs. Many of us are hoping for a new Princess, we only have one other young female cub in the pride…Scar's daughter, Vitani," explained Binti.

Furrowing his brow, Jozi asked "Why did you let your enemies offspring live, aren't you afraid that they may one day seek revenge for their father's death? You already said that this Scar's mate was after your Queen!" he looked at his mate and then the cub she was holding and grinned proudly, this was his first cub, a son.

"The cubs are nothing like their parents…they're in all sense of the word, innocent. Plus the Queen just adores them; she spends a lot of time with them as well as Kopa. They're all the best of friends. Plus Simba didn't have the heart to kill them or cast them out, and neither did Zuri. With hope with how the Queen and King have done things for them, it will keep the pride from breaking up anymore then it already has!" it would be sad to see the pride break apart anymore then it already did, true Zira's followers weren't born Pridelanders but that didn't matter they were still Pridelanders nonetheless with how long they lived with them.

She could not understand why they were so loyal to her, but that was the way it was. She knew it saddened Zuri; she wanted to join the two separate parts together and for the whole pride to love each other.

"Pride sisters shouldn't hate each other."

Binti would have thought the same thing, as well as many of the other lionesses but with what had gone on in the past, it was pretty hard. The others were loyal to Scar and it didn't seem like they would be to Simba…

She shook her head, and looked back toward the cubs getting to her paws when she couldn't see Kopa anywhere, but she saw his head peek out from behind a rock and relaxed seeing that the cub was just hiding from the others. She was about to lie down when Hala spoke up, "Who's that hornbill?"

Hornbill? Thought Binti, turning her head to the sky she saw Zazu flying in their direction with a panicked look on his face he would have ended up passing by if she hadn't called out, "Zazu?"

Zazu who been flying for some time in search of Binti and Kopa, turned his head downward when he heard someone call his name and spotted the lioness he was searching for resting beneath a tree with some other lions. Sighing, in relief, he flew down and landed on the branch in the tree above them and took a moment to catch his breath.

"What is it Zazu? Is something wrong?" Binti asked.

"The…it's the queen…she's gone into labour…she seems to be in a great deal of pain…" zazu panted out.

Eyes widening, Binti cursed she hadn't really realized that they had been gone so long; they shouldn't have been or have gone so far. "I will hurry back as fast as I can! Zazu, go find Simba!"

The major-domo bent his head and took in deep breathes, he knew it would be a long flight to find the King but he knew it was needed and had to be done. "At once…" he breathed when he got his second wind he spread his wings and with a few good flaps had taken off again this time toward the Pridelands heading in the direction he had last seen his King go.

Now in complete panic, Binti turned toward the three with her, "I'm terribly sorry to run off like this…"

Hala shook her head, "Your Queen needs you, if she's alone right now she will need help…" she licked the top of her sons head, she too had, had trouble delivering her cub and knew if their Queen was having difficulty with multiples then Binti had best go and help.

Jozi stood, "I shall lead you back to the borders from here!" he offered, and Binti gave him a nod in thanks as she turned and called out for Kopa.

"Kopa!?"

She looked around confused when she could not see the young Pridelander prince anywhere and this worried her. Had she lost the prince? She relaxed when she heard him shout that he was coming and looked off to where she last seen he had hidden behind the rocks and wondered why he had wandered off further then that. But it wasn't what was important, what was important that the cub hurry so they could hurry back to his mother.

When minutes passed and Kopa still did not show she called out again…

"KOPA!?"

She heard him call back again, and sighed in relief when she finally saw him appear around the rock running in her direction. The cub slowed and padded the rest of his way and smiled up at her, "Sorry Binti, I was hiding!" he apologized but the smile faded when he saw the urgent look on the lioness' face. He had to wonder what was wrong. Had she seen him talking with the two strangers? Was she mad at him? Maybe she had just been so worried about him when she couldn't find him…

"What's wrong?" he asked nonetheless.

"It's your mother…" she said, "We have to hurry back."

His mother? What was wrong with his mother? Now he was beginning to worry. Had something happened to his mother, had the threat that he heard the adults talking about that they been hiding from gotten to her? Was she hurt? Was she dead? His eyes widened, no, his mother couldn't possibly be dead! He thought.

"What…"

"She's gone into labour; she's going to have the cubs. We must get back to help her, Zazu has gone to find your father but we must get back as well!" Binti wasted no times in grabbing the cub by the scruff of his neck, even if he was getting too big for this it was the fastest way, she looked toward Jozi who nodded, giving his mate and cub one last nuzzle the mashariki King began to lead the two back toward the borders between the Pridelands and the their lands. The whole border range was nothing but mountain like rock formations but from time to time they could get through if you knew the right path.

Binti ran along behind Jozi as fast as her legs would allow her as she carried the prince in her mouth. The prince himself was beginning to get to the point that he would eventually be too big to carry any more but she couldn't afford to let him run on his own, in case he lagged behind he was still a cub and did not have the strength and speed of an adult.

Binti picked up the pace when she noticed the rock formations coming into view. But they were far from the spot they had come in through, but it was too late they'd have too take the another way. It was too urgent to try and find the way they had come in through at the moment.

Slowing his pace, Jozi looked toward Binti, "Good luck with your Queen and I hope she bares healthy cubs. Tell your King it would be an honour to meet him and his mate one day and for Kopa and the other cubs to come play!"

Binti could do nothing but nod as she carried Kopa in her mouth. The prince grinned and waved his paw at Jozi, but didn't have time to say anything as Binti bolted and took a running start and jumped onto the rocks, he was confused this was not the place they had come in from but Binti didn't say anything, she just continued on climbing the rocks until she got on top.

She set him down and lowered her body downward, "Climb onto my back and hold on tight!" she said giving him a stern look that he knew better then to argue with and climbed onto the lionesses back and wrapped his paws securely around her neck.

Once she was sure the prince was secure. Binti climbed back to her paws and looked for the safest path to take and began bounding away hurrying fast jumping from rock to rock till she found enough smooth surfaces to run along. On her back, Kopa bounced a little while trying to keep his hold on her, each time she jumped she would give him a warning in which he tighten his hold but each time he would often feel himself start to slip just a bit.

"Are we almost there?" Kopa called, as he nearly lost his grip when Binti bounded up over a steep rock formation and slid down the other side with her claws digging into the rock to slow them down before she pushed off it to land on a smooth surface and just kept on going. It took all of Kopa's will not to use his claws to grip onto the lioness not wanting to hurt her.

Binti took a sniff of air and could smell the Queens scent…with the familiar scent of blood. This caused her to speed up as her heart thundered in her chest to the point she could hear it in her ears as she tried to make it. The scent of blood wasn't much it was expected with birth but she knew the Queen was already in the middle of birthing. "Almost…" she breathed out. She was almost out of breath. She had managed to catch her second wind a while back but she knew she couldn't waste another second.

She knew they were getting closer, for the scent started getting stronger, but it was then she noticed a new scent in the area. It was familiar but she couldn't quite place it, it wasn't lion, but nonetheless she hurried along. Coming to a halt outside where the cave would be, she told the young Prince to hold on as she leapt and landed on the ground with a thud loosing her balance she fell on her side causing Kopa to fall off her and roll.

"Kopa!?" she quickly got back to her paws and looked at the prince.

Lifting his head, Kopa shook it a bit and then reached up with his paw, touching his head slightly when it didn't hurt he looked up and grinned. "I'm okay…whoa!" Binti didn't wait; the moment the cub said he was okay she grabbed him by the scruff and carried him on into the cave stopping when she noticed a familiar figure looming over the Queen.

"…..Rafiki?"

The Mandrill Shaman looked up and over his shoulder at those who had entered, Binti quickly set down Kopa who bolted away from her and over to his mothers side. Zuri opened her eyes when she heard her son coming closer to her and tried to force a smile to see that he was back and safe. She caught strange scents on him, but when she cringed in pain she knew it was not the time to ask.

"Rafiki, how did you get here so fast?" Binti asked hurrying to the Queens side; she moved behind her and laid her paw on Zuri's head she could see the Queen was in a great amount of pain. From the blood she would have thought a cub would have been born, but by the look on the Shaman's face he thought something was wrong. And this concerned the old lioness.

"I speak with de great kings of da past…I was told de young Queen needed help…" Rafiki had arrived just shortly after Zazu had flown off, when he had gotten word from the spirits that he was needed he had left his tree and had travelled east as fast as he could. And he was right to have come as quick as he did, when he arrived the Queen could barely lay still from the amount of pain she was in.

That was until the mandrill had given her some of his herbs for the pain, this wasn't the first difficult birth he had helped another animal with.

Binti bent her head to Zuri's and nuzzled her "I sent zazu to find Simba," She told the Queen. Zuri turned her head to give her a small smile "Thank you…" she breathed when she felt a wave of pain."Oh…" she cried out rolling onto her stomach she took deep breathes she knew this pain all too well.

"Mom!?"

Grabbing the Prince, Binti took him to the back of the cave and then dropped him "Stay here!"

"But…"

"Don't argue…" if this was pride rock, the prince would be kept away from the den and in the watchful eyes of the lionesses but here there was only them and she knew the Queens pain was scaring the young cub. "Don't worry about your mother, this is what birth is like…but stay right here okay!" licking the cub she turned and hurried back to Zuri's side as the Queen got ready to push the first cub out…

The King had just finished his patrol of the Western and southern borders. He had run into several birds that Zazu had spoken with that had told him more news of the wild fires to the west but they also brought good news that the storms to the north seemed to be heading down their way. Wild fires often brought new life, but only after the destruction that they caused. It was something that Mansa had taught both him and Jaali after the raining seasons when parts of the Jungle often caught fire if lightning got too close to the trees.

The fire's had never come close to the grove, but they could often see the smoke over the trees and hear the cries of the animals in the Jungle, those who got trapped by the fires and those who were running too escape. If a fire was caused just by a stormy day the lionesses used it to their advantage because the fires often drove prey into their territory.

Sighing, Simba shook his head, lately he found himself thinking too much of the Jungle. He loved that he had returned to the Pridelands, he had saved his family and friends, but he missed the Jungles from time to time. He missed the Rasheda's. The next time he visited Zuri, he was going to bring up the idea of visiting the jungle once the new cubs were born. He had made up his mind. It was about time they visited and the Rasheda's got to see their cubs. He knew the lionesses would love to see them. He knew Leta alone would love to see her niece's cubs.

Lifting his eyes to the sky, he saw the sun was going down to the west, it wasn't quite down yet and was a good amount of light but it was right about time that Zazu should be checking on Zuri. Perhaps he should go himself…meet the major-domo half way…

He shook his head; he still had one more border to patrol. He was beginning to wish he had another grown lion in the pride to help him; he might have to speak with the lionesses. But then again that was how a Pride was, the lionesses did the hunting, and taking care of the cubs and the males patrolled the lands.

But he knew when it came to a threat, the lionesses would rally together to help him. He seen the way they had fought against the hyenas once they had been given new hope, there was no doubt that his pride was strong. And his pride was only going to get stronger, he thought with a grin.

Taking a look toward the east, he turned and began making it toward the North to finish off the rest of that days patrol. He stopped when he caught the scent of Nala and turned his head and raised his eyebrow when he saw her bounding through the grasslands and she wasn't alone. With her were three cubs. He smirked, it wasn't often he saw Nala playing with the other cubs, but he was glad to see her starting to come out of her shell and into the one he remembered her to be when they were cubs.

With a moment of thought, he turned and began making his way over toward them. It wasn't long until they noticed him approaching and stopped what they were going. The cubs bowed their heads when he stopped in front of them, but he grinned and reached out and lifted each of their heads and shook his. "No need…" he looked at Nala grinning and gave his old friend a nudge with his head against hers, which she returned. "What are you four doing out here?'

"Nala was playing a hunting game with us!" Vitani answered with a large smile, obviously she been having fun with her brothers and Nala. But she had wished Kopa was with them. But it wasn't often the other lionesses like Nala played with them unless Zuri was also present it was a refreshing thing, she thought.

"She was, was she?" Simba grinned "I don't think Nala is the best lioness to teachmufufu!" the rest of Simba's words were muffled when Nala pushed her paw against his mouth and glared at him. From behind her paw, she felt him grin and shook her head as she placed her paw back down and looked toward the cubs, "Don't listen to him, he's just a silly male!"

"Oh, silly male now am I?" asked Simba.

"Yes, and Nuka and Kovu don't you take after him, we need strong lions, not lazy ones!" Nala turned and smirked smugly at Simba only to find said lion was squaring his shoulders and bracing himself as if he were about to attack. "Simba, what…whoa!" Nala didn't have much time to say anything else as Simba lunged at her and tackled her to the ground causing them both to roll.

The three cubs stood and watched as the two rolled about on the ground, each trying to dominate the other.

"Go Simba!" The boys shouted.

"Go, Nala, go!" cheered Vitani jumping on the spot.

Nala laughed as she rolled, using all her strength to wrestle Simba off her each time while the King playfully fought back. Flashbacks to her cub hood days flashed through her head as they fought, days of when the two of them would wrestle amongst the grass while their mothers watched them from a distance.

"Ha!" Nala let out a triumphant laugh, as she slammed Simba down beneath her standing on his chest with a proud grin on her face. "Pinned yah!" she laughed her face close to his, she stared into his eyes as he grinned up at her, lifting his head he nudged his nose against hers. Suddenly Nala was off him and backing up as bit as he stared at her confused.

"Nala? Are you alright?" Simba asked, rolling onto his paws he pushed himself up and approached the lioness that backed up a bit more from him, causing the King to stop his advance on her. "Nala?"

Nala could feel her heart racing and the skin beneath her fur heat up as she stared at Simba, for months since she found him and since he had become King, she felt a stirring in her she could only explain as something she shouldn't be feeling…not for a mated lion. But they were feelings she had no control over…he was her cub hood friend…the only friend she ever had as a cub…as she grew she had to make other friends with the older lionesses. She and her mother once discussed growing up, about how she would find a mate of her own…Simba was thought to be dead, her betrothal…and the only other male was Scar or Nuka and Nuka was far too young…Nala thought she would never find a mate or bear cubs…well, she knew if she did it would not be with a lion she loved or so she had feared for years. As one of the youngest lionesses in the pride she often feared Scar would try and make her bare his cubs if Zira could not give him a healthy male heir he was looking for…

But when she had found Simba…it stirred more then just new hope in her…but something else. She did not want to admit that it had secretly broke her heart when she discovered that he had already been mated to another lioness, but she could not blame him, and she did not blame Zuri either. She thought it would pass, she knew she could not have Simba, he was another lioness' mate…she had his cubs…

But as she stood there staring at him, her best friend, the one that had returned from the grave in a sense, staring back at her. Memories of their days as cubs flashing through her head, and feelings she could not control building inside her, sadness and some jealousy for a lioness that was lucky to have such a lion as a mate…she took a deep breath as she felt her eyes sting with tears that did not fall.

Knitting his brows, Simba stepped forward again, "Nala, what's wrong?" he asked coming to stop right in front of her. "Come on, tell me what's wrong!" he pushed wanting to get an answer as to why Nala was suddenly acting so weird. To the side, the three cubs had come over and stood a foot away from them watching the two adults with looks of confusion written across their faces. "You can tell me anything!" added Simba.

Could she? Nala asked herself, could she honestly tell him what was bothering her? She wanted too so badly, but what difference would it make? She thought to herself, Simba was already mated and the father, but she stopped to think, then again it wasn't unusual for some lions to take more then one mate. Thoughts rushed through her head, when she heard Simba ask her again what was wrong and to tell him.

Looking toward him, she stepped closer, "Simba…I…" she paused for a moment, "I don't know how to say this…but I lo…" Nala suddenly fell short when there was a loud squawking from above them. Raising their heads to the sky they watched as Zazu came nose diving toward them, too quickly that he was unable to stabilize himself when he ended up crashing into the ground.

"Zazu?!" Both adults hurried toward the ruffled up hornbill that was coughing up dirt from his landing as he climbed slowly to his feet and shook his wings to unruffled his feathers and shake the dirt and grass off them.

"Zazu, what in the name of the great kings was that all about…" the King asked his major-domo. It took a moment for Zazu to get his findings before he turned toward Simba with wide panicked eyes, "The Queen…she's in…labour your majesty! Binti sent me to find you!"

"Labour? Zuri's in labour!?" Simba snapped his head off toward the East, he knew he shouldn't have bothered with the Northern border and had gone to check on his mate. Jumping over Zazu he began making his way East when he stopped and turned toward Nala, suddenly remembering the three cubs that were with them that didn't know that Zuri and Kopa were in the eastern caves.

He cursed, he knew if he took the time to head to Pride rock with them and then bolt for the eastern boarder he may be too late for the delivery. He didn't want his mate to be alone out there, not sure what to do he looked at Nala who as if knowing his silent question nodded her head for him to go. Mouthing 'thank you' Simba turned and made it seem like he was heading toward pride rock before zig zaging off toward the east.

Nala stood watching him run off, her shoulders drooping and her ears lowering against her forehead as she watched the young King rush off to the aid of his Queen and their cubs. She smiled sadly, it didn't matter if she loved him, Simba wasn't hers, and he may never be. For now his heart belonged to another…

"Come cubs…we should be getting back to pride rock…" she said stepping around the cubs she began making her way home with the cubs falling in line behind her. Zazu had already flown off toward pride rock more then likely to alert the other lionesses of the news of the Queen giving birth.

"Nala, will Zuri be okay?" Vitani asked as she hurried to walk along side the lioness.

"Will we be able to see the cubs?" Nuka asked as he walked along Nala's other side.

Looking down at the cubs, Nala thought for a moment before answering, "We can only tell, sometimes delivering cubs can be hard…" looking at Nuka she shook her head, "We shall see how they are first…" she wasn't sure how to answer that exactly but they would have to come up with a plan to try and keep the cubs from wanting to see the new royal cubs.

Picking up the pace to return home, Nala cast one last look over her shoulder toward the east with a heavy heart.

"Come on Zuri, just one more push, you can do this!" Binti encouraged the young mother, she stood along side Zuri as the Queen laid on her paws using her strength to push the second cub out. The first had already be delivered and taken care of by Rafiki and given to Zuri to tongue bath and get the cub use to her scent and bond with it's mother for a moment before the shaman moved the cub to the side to check on him.

The first cub was male, and brown in colour like his mother, with a tan underbelly and paws. The cub mewed as it was removed from his mother, his blind eyes unable to see but he knew by scent the animal holding him wasn't the one who was just cleaning him before.

Setting the newborn cub down, so that he may assist the Queen once more, he looked toward the young prince who was watching all this with wide eyes, he motioned with his hand for the prince to come over. Casting a look at Binti and his mother, who was panting and laying on her side as the second cub was being delivered, he jumped up and made his way over toward Rafiki. "Yes?" he asked eyeing the mandrill. He'd only seen the shaman a few times, and never really knew what to make of him.

"Watch de cub for your mother while I help her," the shaman grinned patting the young prince on the head as he made his way back to Zuri's side and picked up the new cub and brought it to her to bathe. For a moment he was silent, before he announced, "It is a girl…" the cub much like the other was brown in colour like her mother, with a milky white underbelly and the white on her paws went up to her elbows on her front legs. The cub mewed as Zuri wrapped her paw around her and drew her close and started to bath her.

She had a daughter…a son…and a daughter…she felt the tears come to her eyes, she had two beautiful healthy cubs. She smiled and looked up and was just about to ask Kopa who she saw watching his new brother with a look of awe and joy on his face to bring the cub over so she may feed them both when she felt another clutching pain.

"OH!"

Binti who been watching the whole thing with a wide smile, thought that as the second cub was born it would be the end, two healthy cubs, and she chuckled that they both resembled their mother this time rather then their father like Kopa did. She jumped when she heard Zuri cry out once more and realized the Queen wasn't yet finished giving birth, "Rafiki!"

The Shaman hurried back over and took the newborn princess and set her with Kopa who had jumped at his mother's cry as well and looked at her worriedly before the shaman gave him his new sister to watch over as well. He couldn't believe he was a big brother, to a little brother and sister, he grinned proudly as his little sister mewed in protest at being separated from their mother and pulled her tiny body along the cave floor blindly. He moved in front of her and bent his head down and licked her head making her look up blindly and mew at him, causing his grin to broaden. "It's ok…" he reassured looking over his shoulder at his mother who had rolled back onto her paws and braced her body to push out the third cub. "Mom…"

Opening her clenched eyes, Zuri stared toward her cubs as she felt the pain rise, she clenched them shut again and pushed her hardest to deliver the third cub. "It's okay Kopa…mama's fine…" she gritted through her teeth, though the herbs the shaman had given her lessoned the pain then it had been before delivering cubs was never easy…especially when you were delivering more then one. She could feel her strength giving way and fell onto her side.

"Zuri!?" Binti laid beside the Queen and pushed her up a bit so that Zuri's upper half was laid up against her.

"I…oh!" Zuri cringed in pain as she tried to push but she found herself having difficulty pushing the third cub out all the way. And the more she tried the more the pain seemed to build inside her, hurrying over the shaman realized the problem, "Da Queen doesn't have the strength…the cub isn't coming out…" he laid his hand on the young queens stomach and rubbed it to try and get her to relax but the pain was only increasing.

Turning her head to nuzzle Zuri, Binti nudged her nose against the Queen's head, "Come on Zuri, you got to keep pushing…" she didn't want to worry about what would happen to the cub if Zuri had trouble getting it out.

She was trying, Zuri thought, she was trying her hardest to push her cub out. But something was wrong, she thought with a panic, something was wrong and she couldn't get her cub out. What if her cub died? The panic rose inside her at the thought of loosing her cub, sure she had three others…but she seen what one still born cub had done to her aunt and she knew Leta never got over her stillborn sons death.

Taking deep breathes, Zuri braced herself on her paws using the last of her strength to push the cub out. Rafiki was ready, once the cub was partway out, he reached out with his hands and pulled it from Zuri himself as the Queen lost her last remaining strength and the moment the cub was from her body she fell forward.

If it hadn't been for Binti, she would have hit the cave floor.

"Zuri!?"

"Mom!?" Kopa left his siblings sides and rushed toward his mother who Binti lowered gently to the ground. Zuri's eyes were closed, and she looked not to be breathing but after laying her head against the Queen's chest, Binti gave a sigh of relief to see the Queen's heart was still beating. "It's okay Kopa…" she looked at the cub who was nudging his mothers head trying to get her to wake up. "She's only lost a lot of strength and passed out…she should be fine!" she looked toward Rafiki with a worried look as she said this, the Shaman who had cleaned off the third cub himself walked over and checked the Queen over and nodded "Da young Queen just needs rest," he confirmed as he looked over the third cub, who Binti for the first time took a look at.

The cub was dark tan in colour, and white bellied like Simba, in fact the cub looked like a tanner version of Simba. She figured the darkness to the tan was from Zuri's own dark fur. "How…how is it…?" she asked nervously hoping and praying to the great kings that the cub had made it.

Rafiki looked the cub over as he held it in the crook of his arm, and rubbed it's furry body with his hand to check it's breathing. When the cub gave out a soft mew, he grinned and nodded. "She is fine!"

She. Another girl.

A smile cracked across Binti's face at this. Another Princess…the pride had been blessed with two new Princesses and a new Prince. She watched as Rafiki picked up the last two cubs and made his way over and set all three down in front of Zuri and nudged them close and watched as they began to suckle from their mother and get their first well needed meal from her.

Kopa watched all this from where he sat by his mothers head, moving around her, he climbed partway on her back and peered down at his new brother and sisters. They were so tiny he thought, he looked at their spots that they each sprouted, he remembered when he too had once had spots. "Wow…" he breathed out. He couldn't believe he was a big brother and not to just one cub but three. "What are their names?" he asked looking up at Binti.

The old lioness smiled and shook her head, "That's for your parents to decide…" as she said this she heard the sound of paws climbing the rocks outside and braced herself but calmed once she saw a familiar brownish-gold body and stock of red mane push his way through the opening. "Your majesty, you've arrived…" she greeted stepping away from Zuri she made her way toward Simba who seemed out of breath from how far he had run in such a short amount of time. His paws and legs ached because he never stopped once on his way to the caves, looking at Binti he asked "How is she?"

"She's passed out but…" she didn't have time to say anything else for the moment she mentioned Zuri had passed out, the King bolted around her and over to his mate who Rafiki was now looking over to make sure she was alright entirely. "Zuri…" Simba breathed bending his head to nudge his mate's, not yet noticing the three new cubs that were suckling from their mother.

"Da Queen will be fine," Rafiki reassured him, "And de three cubs are fine as well."

Three?!

The King's head snapped up at the mention of the cubs. Three? He had three new cubs? He turned his head eye the three cubs pressed against his mates side and blinked for a moment taking all of this in. "What…"

"One male and two females your majesty!" Binti stepped up along side Simba and smiled down at the newborn cubs. She looked toward Simba who still seemed for a loss of words as he stared at his new cubs that once they had their fill of milk started mewing as they crawled over one another. Seeking their mothers attention as they nestled against her.

He stared at them for what seemed like forever, taking in them in, his son and daughters. He had another son and now two daughters as well, he looked down as he felt something push against his paw and looked down at the darkish tanned cub that was pushing her head up against his paw mewing as she found something blocking her way. He grinned and very carefully he slipped his paw beneath her tiny body and lifted her up bending down enough to put his face close to hers.

His grinned turned to a full blown smile as he felt a tiny tongue flick against his nose from the cub he cradled in his paw. His little girl…he thought, his daughter, this tiny little cub was his daughter. He nuzzled the cub, running his tongue along her tiny body to get her use to his scent before placing her once again down by his mate. He gazed down upon his other daughter and his second son, "They're beautiful…" he whispered.

Kopa jumped over his mother being mindful of his siblings and laid down beside them watching as the male cub crawled toward the new scent and climbed over the older cubs paws and laid across them mewing. Grinning, Kopa put his face close to the cubs and asked "Dad what are there names, Binti said it was for you to decide!" he looked up at his father who had moved himself to lay beside Zuri, moving his mates head to rest on his own paws rather then the cave floor. He gave her head a few good licks to try and wake her when he heard his son ask and looking toward him then the cubs. "Uh…lets wait for your mother to wake up…" he chuckled when he watched Binti roll her eyes. It had been Zuri who had named Kopa, after her father, and they hadn't really discussed names for the others. Much less what to name three new cubs.

The king turned his attention toward Rafiki, "Thank you old friend," he bowed his head to the Shaman. He wasn't quite sure how the mandrill had gotten there before he had if Zazu had come to find him, but he was grateful nonetheless that his mate had the help of both he and Binti.

The old Shaman could only grin and nod, as he leaned upon his staff looking at the royal family a sad feeling welling up inside of him as he watched the young prince scoot closer to the cubs so they laid between him and his mother. The plans of the Great Kings was no secret from him, he knew of Mufasa's plan but how that plan would be carried out was something he was against as he turned and made to leave the cave hobbling along with his staff, stopping to look back once more at the royal family and watched the loving look come over the King's as he looked upon his resting mate and cubs.

With a sigh he shook his head.

'Oh Mufasa I do hope you know what you are doing…'