A/N:Thanks everyone for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Thank you, WTF123 for the help with the rewrite. Here's chapter thirty five, enjoy and remember to leave a review. Thank you.
Kiara managed to smile at the confession for a brief moment, but she soon frowned. Hodari noticed this and turned to his daughter-in-law with a smile.
"Princess Amira is your great aunt. She ran off not long before your father was born." He said.
The queen smiled again as she stood up. "It's wonderful to have one of our own kind back, but I have a promise to keep, and you need you to rest right now."
Ara looked at the younger lioness in earnest appreciation. "I understand." he said softly. "I know about keeping promises like you do. And besides, I'm feeling a bit sleepy right now."
Kovu stood up and headed out of the den with his mate, his father and his sister. "Get some rest." He said comfortingly to Ara. "We'll send someone to check on you later."
Ara nodded before he laid his head down in between his paws and closed his eyes, breathing softly. Outside of Pride Rock's den, Hodari and Vitani went their separate ways, leaving the king and queen alone. Kovu looked to Kiara with a hopeful look in his eye.
"If it's not any trouble... could you bring Jaali with you?" He asked her.
Kiara smiled before she nuzzled her mate. "Of course." She replied happily, placing a paw on Kovu's shoulder for comfort.
He smiled lovingly at her before nuzzling back. The brown lion stepped back before watching Kiara head out into the savannah, and with a sigh, Kovu went in search of a certain someone.
/
Baruchel walked through the grass plains of the kingdom, enjoying the sweet smell of grass and the soft feeling it gave him under his paws. The light brown lion had a lot going through his mind. Why could he not connect with another lioness, like he had with Kiara? It wasn't as though he didn't desire Kiara even though she had a mate, but she doesn't meet his needs. The time he spent with her beforehand had felt amazing to him, but it wasn't enough. With a heavy, confused sigh, the Spirit Land prince headed for the Water Hole, stopping and standing at the edge of it. He looked at his reflection and sighed again. Most of the others would undoubtedly say he was handsome enough, which he was with his kind, brown eyes and the way his dark brown mane would flow his face.
"Baruchel!", he suddenly heard a voice call.
The lion shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts and turned to see Kovu trotting over. For some reason, the king looked at him differently than he had before, as though he was seeing the former rouge in a different light. Baruchel's eyes widened before he shook his head.
"Where the hell did that come from?", He whispered to himself. With a deep breath, he smiled at the approaching king. "Good morning, Kovu."
He said calmly. Kovu smiled pleasantly at the other male. "Good morning, Baruchel. I wanted to talk to you. If you don't mind?"
Baruchel smiled lightly and nodded his head. "Sure, don't have much better do do right now I guess."
Kovu ran a paw through his mane and smiled. "Listen, I.. I know you're the father of Kiara's first two cubs, whether I like it or not. Since I took them in as my own, I'd... like to get to know you. Maybe become friends. You know, for Kiara and the cubs."
Baruchel listened intently as his ears seemed to come out of their droopy posture just then.
"I know you love them, and I love them too. So... what do you say?"
Baruchel smiled, but before he could reply, the two lions were suddenly joined by Vitani and Uziah. Kovu looked from the light brown lion to his sister and his friend.
"What's going on? Is everything alright?" He asked them both.
Vitani and the light grey lion shared a look before looking at the lion king. With a deep breath the light tan lioness spoke up. "Kovu... Uziah and I have been seeing each other." Vitani started. "We want your blessing, since I'm expecting."
Kovu looked at his sister dumbfounded before blinking his eyes. "What? You are? I'm going to be a uncle?" He asked excitedly.
Vitani smiled and nodded before nuzzling the light grey lion in his black mane. "Sounds like you're happy about it."
Kovu quickly came over and embraced the two with a radiant smile. "Of course you two have my blessings! But... Did you ask dad first?"
Uziah smiled gratefully at his future brother-in-law. "Yes. He gave it to us just this morning, but since you're the king, we had to ask you as well."
"Well you've got mine as well. Congratulations you guys!"
Baruchel smiled lightly at the news as he stood and watched the happy moment nearby, but soon his smile faded. He thought that if the two former Outsiders had finally found happiness, why couldn't he? With a depressed sigh, Baruchel turned and headed back towards Pride Rock.