For the Goldlands, the next morning came much quicker than anyone expected. In fact, quite a few lionesses were surprised at how fast the sun came up, and for some it felt as though the sun was down for only a few minutes. Then again, none of them felt the need to complain, as they felt as though they were well rested anyway. Malka, especially was happy and content as he decided against sleeping with the rest of his family. Especially given what would happen if he went home, for he would no doubt be punished if he made the choice. He only hoped Othello and Jezebel didn't get punished in his place, but he also knew that he was perhaps a little too hopeful.
As the rest of the Pride woke up and exited the den to make their way to the waterhole, Malka followed them. And as he did, he admired the way the mid-morning sun had made the older lionesses look. Granted, they were all nice-looking anyway, but on this morning Malka really appreciated the view. As they all took a drink, however, Malka smelled a scent that was distinctly… not a lioness. He couldn't see what it was, but he knew one thing was for certain. It wasn't any wild dog, nor was it a hyena or a leopard.
It was another male lion, and it was just Malka who took note of the scent. Both he and Mato looked in the direction the scent was coming from, and both swore that they saw a lump of dark chocolate fur buried within the golden, honeyed grasses. And as the two males stared at it, they also thought they noticed a black mane swaying in the wind. This was definitely an intruder, and intruders of the roguish kind were bad news. But, both Mato and Malka noted that this intruder was different than the ones they've seen before. He might just be passing through, or he might not be interested in the Pride. However, the both of them decided that it was just be best to wait and see as they started their day. Mato stretched his muscles, preparing for the daily patrol. While Malka went back into the den to watch over the cubs.
Just as morning seemed to approach quickly, so too did the afternoon creep up without anyone truly suspecting it. Then again, playing with the cubs and generally spending time with them was fun to Malka, and when they all exited the den, they noticed two things. First, the sun was high in the sky and their eyes needed a minute to adjust. Once they did adjust, all of the young lions in front of them recognized the second thing. And no, it wasn't that Lana was back or that she looked solemn and serious for a change.
Rather, it was the adult lion next to her. Malka knew, as soon as he laid eyes on him, who he was despite not knowing anything about him. This lion was undeniably Lana's father; the dark chocolate fur, the luxurious jet black mane, and, now that Malka could see them clearly, lavender purple eyes had all been translated perfectly on to Lana, as though the Spirits had taken these traits from this lion and put them onto a female cub. More than anything, Malka and the cubs took note of just the way this lion carried himself. There was an air of intellect and stateliness about him that conveyed a calm, collected philosopher, but Malka and especially Sefu suspected that there was much more to him than a well-spoken lion. He looked over everyone present, from the yearling that stood before the rest of the group as a sort of barrier, to Sefu and Khari as they cowered before the huge, dark stranger who nonetheless looked like the familiar face they had been playing with on a regular basis. They didn't know why, but they both felt as though they should be afraid.
"You two must be Khari and Sefu. Lana has told you much about you two. I was also told that your father is nothing like your grandfather. That… remains to be seen." He said, and the smooth voiced lion looked to the yearling, the hardness of his resolve clear in his eyes. "And you must be Malka. My daughter speaks highly of you, and your younger siblings Othello and Jezebel. But, as I'm sure you know, it's your brother Iago who concerns me the most. Where is he?" Icarus said, and the venom with which he said Iago's name could have poisoned the elephant herd three times over. Malka hid a smirk; he now knew full well what Icarus was here for, and was happy Lana finally told her father about Iago's behavior.
"Of course. Right this way…" Malka trailed off, and Icarus caught on. "Icarus. King of the Kuatan Jungle, proud father of that beautiful princess right there." He said, and Lana's eyes sparkled with pride. "Stay here, enjoy your day with your playmates." He said, before signaling to Malka to lead the way. As the yearling lead the dark lion to the zebra plains, and cleared away the brush that was obscuring the entrance to the makeshift den, Malka couldn't help but hope that Iago would do something to deserve the calculated lion's wrath. Kill him. Please, kill him. Malka thought as Icarus took a deep breath and prepared to use his first resort: words.
But, what Icarus saw made him realize that words might be ineffective here.