Chapter 19

"Come on Musa, you can do it…come on, crawl…just follow my voice…that's it…"

Lifting her head from where she was currently bathing her daughters, Zuri watched while Kopa was trying for the fifth time since that morning to get his little brother to crawl toward him. The cubs were only five days old, and though they were moving more, their eyes had yet to open. She watched with a smile on her face as Musa's little body squirmed while he dragged his paws along the floor of the cave trying to pin-point the older cub's voice to follow it.

Chuckling inwardly while she watched his tiny little nose crinkle as he sniffed Kopa's scent and used that to his advantage. "Careful with his Kopa, he's not that big yet!"

"I will Momma!" Kopa grinned from ear to ear while he watched his little brother attempt to crawl towards him. Unable to go outside and play, the young Prince was making up for it by trying to teach his new brother and sister's to crawl, walk and hopefully talk but his mother had informed him on his few attempts that they wouldn't be really talking anytime soon. For now, all they could do was mew when they wanted something.

Taking her eyes off her two sons to bring her attention back toward her two little daughters whom mewed for their mother's attention, both were lying on their backs cradled inside her paws. She ran her tongue along both their stomachs watching them squirm a little at the sensation and listened to their tiny mews.

"There, there my little ones, it's not so bad!" she cooed as she used her nose to roll them over so that she could finish bathing the rest of them. She felt like chuckling when she watched them squirm as much as their little bodies allowed them too, musing over the fact that as a cub, she loved baths but it seemed her daughters didn't…then again she thought, catching a quick glance at her eldest cub from the corner of her eyes.

Kopa had loved baths when he was born, and he grew out of liking them the older he got.

"You'll learn to enjoy them, don't worry," she whispered to her daughters while she nuzzled them both. She smiled as Kiara rolled onto her back once more and placed her paws on either side of her mother's nose and licked the bottom of her chin.

She smiled and nuzzled her cubs then one by one lifted each girl and placed them beside her so they could eat. "Kopa, bring Musa over here please!" she called to her son who quickly jumped to his paws, abandoning his efforts to get Musa to crawl across the cave to him and picked his brother up by the neck to carry him toward their mother, setting the cub down along side their sisters. Mewing, Musa sniffed the air, noticing he was close to his mother; he crawled closer toward the warmth of her stomach where he proceeded to join his sisters for their evening meal.

"How long will it be before they can see Mom?" asked the young Prince, who moved to lay beside his mothers head. The Pridelander Queen reached out with her paw and scooted her eldest closer to her where she started to give him his own bath to clean him of the dust and dirt that collected inside the cave.

"Another few day's dear. Be patient. Even when they open they won't be able to play with you…well not fully anyways. They're too little to be wrestling around like you and the other cubs do. But in a few weeks they'll be strong enough to run around with you, so don't worry!" the Queen answered in-between bathing her son.

At the mention of his friends, Kopa's mood dampened with a heavy sigh he laid his head down on his mother's paws. Not really in any mood to stop his mother from bathing him "I miss them," he whispered.

Eyes softening, but sighing inwardly Zuri knew how much her son missed his friends and she felt guilty for keeping him away from them. She knew the other cubs were missing Kopa just as much, but least they had each other to play with, Kopa was alone, there was not enough room for Zuri to run around with Kopa inside the cave, plus she could not leave her newborns alone and they were too small for Kopa to play with. Laying her head down beside his, she gave him a little nudge and smile "I know you do," she whispered back to him "But you'll see them soon…"

"Promise?"

Zuri wasn't sure what to say to that, she had, had two peaceful nights of no nightmares but they had started again on the third night the triplets had been born. The threat with Zira still loomed over them…she did not know whether she or her son would see the other cubs again but she wanted to have faith. She wanted to return to Pride Rock. See the pride, sleep with everyone inside their den rather then the cave which she was beginning to grow tire of. She longed to run around the grasslands with her pride sisters, hunt with them, play with her cubs in the grass, and snuggle beside her mate at night.

She missed the warmth of his body beside hers. Of course she had her cubs to cuddle with. But they weren't their father. They weren't her Simba.

Every morning when she woke, she had this fear that it would be her last day, and she would no longer be able to see her mate. To nuzzle his mane, to roll around in the grass with him, to chase their cubs with him, to see that loving look in his eyes, or even that cocky smile of his.

"Mom?"

The sound of her cub calling her jarred her from her thoughts, to find him staring intently at her. "Well?"

"Well what…?"

"Do you promise?"

Oh, she thought to herself, she had gotten too lost in her thoughts she didn't remember what her son had been talking about. Closing her eyes, Zuri took a deep breath and said the only thing she could have said to keep his spirits high, "I promise."

She could not help but smile at the wide grin that came across the young lions face as he curled in close to his mother burying his face in her chest before twisting his body and laying his head down upon her arm so that he could keep an eye on his brother and sisters. He felt that it was his duty to protect them, especially when their father was not always around at the moment.

Simba had stayed a night and day with his family to keep an eye on his mate and cubs. He had left Zazu in charge of patrol and reports which the major-domo was happy to oblige. Sarabi had stayed the night after. The former Queen had come as her son had instructed. Just after the hunt she brought enough food for the young lioness and grand cub.

Sarabi had been ecstatic to see her new grand cubs. She gave them so much attention that Kopa wondered if she had been that way when he was born, in which she replied that she had been. He had been her first grand cub, something she thought she would never have again. She had stayed just as long as Simba had before returning to Pride Rock. Since then other lionesses one by one had stopped by to see the new royal cubs. Kopa could not understand lioness's fascination with cubs; he pushed it aside as simply a 'female' thing.

Catching movement, he lifted his eyes to watch Kiara push away from their mother and squirm a little until she bumped into Kopa's nose when he leaned further over Zuri's arm to get a look at his sister. Nudging the cubs head with his nose, he watched as she mewed and then sneezed making him laugh but he quickly stopped when he noticed it had startled her. Not knowing what else to do, he reached over and wrapped his paw around her and ran his tongue down her head and along her back much like his mother would do whenever he was scared and upset. He watched the cub calm instantly, and it caused him to grin.

"Sorry Kiara," he licked the cub again listening to her mew. Climbing fully over his mother's arm, he settled himself down next to Kiara who soon started snuggling up to the warmth her brother's fur provided. Making sure she was comfortable, Kopa laid his head down near her tiny body while he curled around her. "I'm sorry," he said again, "Nothing will ever hurt you Kiara…Or Eshe or Musa…I'll protect you…"

Watching her two cubs cuddle together, Zuri's eyes saddened as she listened to Kopa pledge that no harm would come to the triplets. How brave her son was, he reminded her so much of both Simba and Jaali…heck, he reminded her a bit of her Uncle and she bet that even part of his courage came from Mufasa and of her father as well. Of all the great lions that came before him.

If Kopa would live to become King, she knew he would do anything to keep his sister's safe as they became vital members of the pride, and hunting party and hopefully one day have cubs of their own. She knew Musa would become a strong lion and stand along side his brother to oversee the Kingdom, she would raise her second son to see that being second and not becoming King would make him still an equally important member of the pride. And if Kovu and Nuka stayed then they would be helpful too, more males to protect the Pridelands and their lionesses…and Vitani would be close to Kiara and Eshe and the strife that had been created would mend with their friendship…

Zuri could feel the tears filling her eyes as she pictured a life that she wished her cubs would have and what she hoped they still would have…She would love nothing more then for her cubs to grow up where they were born…and to die of old age, not in cub hood. In her mind she was fighting whether she should tell Simba the truth now, but also try and find a way to spare the three innocent cubs first.

Perhaps lure them away from Zira, have them come to the den and then run Zira off. She did not want to kill Zira, it would only anger her cubs, but if they lied and said Zira had run off without them then maybe, and just maybe…she shook her head. She did not see how that could work, Zira had a group of lionesses on her side that seemed at the ready to defend Zira. A fight would surely break out. Perhaps if they told the cubs the truth…but would she really want to turn the cubs against their mother, even though Zira was not in the right state of mind she was still their mother. Would she do that just to keep her sons friends within the pride?

Casting a glance at her cubs, the young Queen knew, sooner or later should would need to make a decision she really didn't want too. She would need to make a decision, her cubs or the cubs of another…what was more important? She knew the obvious answer, but she did not know if she had the heart too. She wanted her cubs to live; she wanted to live to watch them grow. To watch her son become King. Watch her daughters become hopeful leaders of the Hunting party till Kopa took a mate…

Closing her eyes, she sighed inwardly. She had no choice. She had too tell Simba, and then go home, rally the pride and then they would decide the fate of Zira, her lionesses and the cubs. Perhaps there was a way that death could be avoided…and the future of the cubs would be stable…

Opening her eyes at the sound of her cubs, she watched as now Musa and Eshe climbed and curled up with Kopa and Kiara and as she watched her cubs all curl together and fall asleep, Zuri knew what she had to do to keep them safe.

Her cubs came first.