Chapter 4
Vitani had worried that after surviving the Battle of the Canyon, as it was becoming known as among the rebel creatures and fighters, many of the animals that had fought together with them would scatter and go their separate ways. Despite her grand speeches, she hadn't truly believed that so many different creatures could work together in the long run, and some of them had done exactly that. A few of them had gone their own ways taking advantage of their new, if brief, freedom to get themselves as far away from the Shai'tan as they possibly could and had ran the Pridelands borders as quickly as they could. They had headed south to the great desert or else tried to flee east and attempted to make it over the distant mountain ranges, trying to escape to the lands beyond the touch of the Shai'tan, or at least where their influence was less pronounced. It was a risky gambit. After all, none of them had any real idea of how far the power of the Shai'tan reached, especially with their ability to cross such cast distances in a single step. Before they even got there they would need to cross territory that was tightly under the grip of the Shai'tan. Some would make it. Some would not.
To her relief though, a good number of animals had remained. She had urged them to stay, to stand together against the Shai'tan and many of them seemed to have taken heed. Vitani wasn't entirely used to it yet, or to the way in which many of them looked to her for leadership. Kion was the expert when it came to handling such a diverse group of animals, and his advice had been invaluable. Surprisingly though, so was Jasiri's. Vitani found herself liking the former hyena leader. The three of them seemed to have a lot in common. Vitani stretched and continued to listen to one of the panthers give her some report about some argument that had broken out among between two of the animals and tried not to appear angry as she ground her teeth in frustration.
In the past, things had been too tense to argue about such petty things. They had been running for their lives when it had just been her, Damu and Almasi. Now as their numbers swelled, so too did the prospect of disputes and arguments between people who seemed to want different things. It made her growl with irritation. Eventually she muttered some excuse to the panther, promised she'd look into it, and then stood up and stretched. Then she set about seeking out Kion, and found him in the second of the two lairs which the rebels had carved out from the hidden hollows around Five Stones. The landmark was just about the oldest part of the Pridelands. She and her lion guard had met there on occasion before the fall of the Pridelands. Now, those hollows were filled with the injured and wounded or who needed treating with what healing they had available to them. Damu and the Shaman were hard at work. It was just about the only advantage they had over the Shai'tan. With three Shaman, not to mention at least two others who knew their way around herbs and flora, they had plenty of wisdom between them. The first thing they had done upon their arrival was send off a small pair of scouts to look for useful herbs and leaves. It wasn't as if they could afford to lose anyone. Kion was looking increasingly tired and anxious and that was never a good sign. He was also scratching at his neck. She knew without asking that they were running low on tuliza and it was starting to show for the Pridelands former fiercest. Simba's son was reliant on the coloured leaf to sleep and he occasionally took it during the day. Without the soothing herb, he was irritable and in pain, but they had to make what supply they had last. In the meantime he was being distracted by Makini, who was lying with her back to the wall of the lair. The mandril was lying on her back with vicious wounds cleaved across her chest and there was a layer of crushed leaves covering the worst of the injury. Kion was talking to her in a gentle voice when Vitani arrived and he noticed her.
"Kion? Do you have a moment?" She asked him. Kion stood up as she approached and Makini smiled and waved at her. She was conscious. That was a good sign. Hopefully it meant she was on the road to recovery.
"Hiya Vitani. Mind if I don't stand up?" She asked. Then she winced as her chuckle caused her to pull at her injury and sent a spike of pain through her.
"No of course not!" Vitani said. "I hope you're healing well, Makini. But I'm afraid I need Kion for a bit." She asked her. Kion nodded.
"I'll be back in a bit." He assured Makini as she waved him. When they were a short way away from any eaves droppers, her turned to her. "What's the problem?"
"Is Makini doing alright?" She asked him, first. Kion was very close to Rafiki's former apprentice.
"She's doing better than she has any right to." Kion told her. "I'd seen what Sundar had done for young Danyal but even so… I was really terrified for her back there, Vitani. I thought I'd lost her for good." He said shaking his head. "I've already lost so many. If I lost Makini or Jasiri or you right now, I don't know what I'd do." He muttered.
"Makini is tough." Vitani assured him. "And Jasiri has escaped from worse scrapes. They are safe, for now. I need you and your head here for a moment." She told him as she took him away from the healer's cave. Kion followed and tried not to be unnerved by her serious expression. They passed the others, and Vitani could count half a dozen species. Most of them gave them a wide birth even before they saw her stormy expression. The creatures who had lived in the Pridelands before the fall and the arrival of the Shai'tan looked nervously at Vitani but seemed much more relaxed around Kion, whilst the ones who had come to the Pridelands from other territories under the Shai'tan's rule didn't quite know what to make of either her or of the scared lion.
"You've got to tell me, Kion. How did you handle this sort of thing?" Vitani asked him. She was thinking about all the different animals and how they were already getting on her nerves. She'd only ever led a Guard of lions after all, although not especially successfully. They'd all been killed. The redmaned lion smiled sympathetically. He could remember plenty of occasions when he had wished he could solve their disputes by blasting them with the Roar of the Elders.
"Have you tried snapping at them and threatening to bite their paws off?" A voice asked her. Vitani didn't jump, but she cursed herself for not seeing its owner approach. She hadn't always been so careless. She needed to be vigilant! Fortunately, she knew the voice well. It was Jasiri the hyena offering that particular piece of insight, and it was only partly in jest.
"Jasiri!"
"Hi Kion. You've remembered I exist. I take it that means Makini is doing better?" The hyena asked cheerfully. Kion rolled his eyes.
"Vitani." Jasiri greeted her, and padded down next to them. She had been chasing after some of the others. She wished she had Madoa, or even Janja with her. Someone upon which she could rely.
"As I was saying. What you need is a Major-domo." Kion said. "Someone like Zazu. Or Ono. Who had been lots of places and deal with things before they get serious enough to need your attention." He suggested. There was little chance in getting a bird anywhere near Five Stones. The strange rock formation was the oldest part in the Pridelands, and it drove the birds to distraction. Something about it caused them to get lost and almost dizzy. It was their one other slight advantage at this stage, but it meant they were rather short on birds. Vitani growled in annoyance and pressed a paw to her head. Their discussion was interrupted again when they heard a cry of pain echo over the plains. She leapt to her feet as Kion twitched.
"That wasn't a lion, that was a cub." Jasiri said suddenly, recognising the youth in the voice. Vitani and Kion both rushed from their makeshift lair over the edge in panic. They ran into Almasi who held up a paw and stopped them as they did so.
"What's happening? Are we under attack?!" Kion asked with a roar, but Almasi shook her head. Her eyes were wide and her face pale, but she wasn't crouched ready for combat.
"No. It's just the cubs." She said glumly. She looked miserable. Kion frowned and looked past her and saw the source of the noises.
"Inti! Go for him, you can do it!"
"Look out Koron, he's coming round again! Watch out - ouch! That looked... nasty." Two cries pierced their hearing. Almasi and Vitani looked to one another.
"What do you mean it's the cubs?" She asked. Almasi shook her head wordlessly. Vitani found them, and understood what she meant right away. The two cubs were surrounded by about half a dozen of the other animals that had fought for the Shai'tan and Inti and Koron seemed to be sparring. Some of the onlookers were watching them with interest. Even Zira was there, keeping a keen eye on their movements and forms, and gave a nod of approval when Inti span like a coiled snake and struck out at Koron who returned blow for blow. Their claws were unsheathed, though there was little power behind their blows. Vitani couldn't help but wince when a claw came dangerously close to Inti's eye though. Not that the young cub was deterred, he lashed out with his powerful jaws, clamping viciously around Koron's neck, and dragging the other cub to the ground. Koron grunted and tried to free himself but Inti had already released him.
"I got you! You wouldn't be getting up after that in a real fight, that was you dead." He told him. Koron nodded in agreement and looked dissatisfied and Inti looked around in surprise as Vitani and Almasi approached.
"Mother? Oh. And Vitani. Did you come to watch us spar?" He asked carefully, but avoided his mother's eyes. He looked guilty and defiant at the same time. She scowled at him.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Vitani asked, looking furious. "Mother! Are you –"
"This is nothing to do with me." Zira protested. "I didn't say anything. I didn't think you'd want me to involve in such things myself." She said. She was right about that.
"We're training. It was mine and Koron's turn. Have to stay sharp." Inti said, by way of explanation.
"They've been at it all morning." Almasi muttered. "I thought that once you got out of that horrible place…" She trailed off.
"We've been over this. The Shai'tan won't care what we want when they catch up with us again." Inti said, hotly.
"The child makes sense." Zira offered, but fell silent when Vitani glared at her again, then she turned back to the cubs.
"You're serious about this? Not just playing?" Vitani asked him. Inti nodded.
"Sara wants to as well; she just doesn't want to upset mother." He said.
"Vitani you can't mean to let them –" But Vitani cut her off.
"Almasi, he's right. The Shai'tan won't wait to ask which of us feel like fighting before they try to kill us. They probably should learn to defend themselves. They've already fought, Almasi. It's too late to shield them from it." She eventually conceded.
"Please Vitani, no!" Almasi protested. Vitani sighed. She looked at Kion.
"You used to train with your lion guard when you were a cub? Maybe you could figure out –"
"Yeah. I'll get on it." Kion said, nodding. He looked at Almasi. "Safely. I promise." He tried to assure her. Almasi nodded but didn't look happy.
"Hmm." Zira made a noise, but she didn't dare contradict her daughter. Almasi looked as if she wanted to argue further but she didn't. Instead, she simply sighed and nodded in agreement. She didn't like it, but she would go along with it. Inti smiled, feeling that he won. Vitani wished he didn't. He was right, but Vitani hated that he was.
"Lady Vitani! Lady Vitani!" It was Calin. The cheetah cub that had been hanging around Danyal when he had arrived with the asiatics to their rescue. Vitani looked to him in annoyance.
"What!" She snapped, harsher than she had intended. He quailed for a moment, but she collected herself. "What is it?" She asked again, gentler.
"Someone who can shout orders needs to come quick!" Calin told her, looking alarmed. Vitani turned to Kion.
"You see what I mean?" She asked him.
"Should I come?"
"No. No you stay here." She said. "I'll handle this." Form once she was grateful for the distraction. She was eager to get out of Almasi's sight, and especially the sight of her mother. Zira had been watching the cubs train with an expression approaching thoughtfulness that Vitani really, really didn't like it. Kion nodded cautiously, and Vitani moved with Calin to find where he had been standing, to find another pair of beings arguing. Sara was standing between two of the felines, and seemed to be trying to hold them apart from each other. Her eyes lightened when she saw Vitani. Obviously, she had sent Calin, and just in time to. The jaguaress looked about ready to throw a swipe.
"I don't care if you think that you are owed a piece of meat. We hunted it, it's ours, and it will stay ours for the foreseeable future. Go and hunt your own." That was the voice of the jaguar. It was Darina, one of the other escaped fighters from Golgorath. Already the young female was proving to be a formidable force within their group and now Vitani found herself wishing she had brought Inti along. She didn't like the idea of Inti fighting, but it was well known that most of the former slaves listened to the twins, and she was more than happy to make use of that. He was far less likely to end up in a dangerous fight.
"Hey! Hey! What's going on!" She growled, getting their attention. Darina and the object of her ire turned to her. It was one of the asiatic lionesses. The lioness smiled to see her and bowed her head in deference but Darina bared her teeth, showing no respect for the leader of the rebels.
"It's none of your business!" She said sharply. The lioness growled in anger and pushed forward.
"Lady Vitani. Darina and her compatriots here are sitting on a pile of meat that they hunted a few days past. We've still got still plenty of wounded who need to eat and it's nearing the end of its prime, but Darina here is still refusing to share with anyone but her and her chosen few." The asiatic said, angrily. Vitani fought the urge to roll her eyes. Really? Before she could speak, Darina had snapped her teeth and hissed.
"You are free to hunt your own food! It's ours! We don't know when we'll get the chance for more, it's for our people, our wounded!"
"What wounded?" She asked. "Yours are all capable of walking!"
"My sister, Karina, is waking with a limp and can't hunt. And Forn is still very seriously injured!"
"Your sister has already eaten and as for that wilddog, don't you think he has caused enough damage without scrounging meat from the others?"
"Forn?! You take that back! That wilddog happens to be the only hound for ten thousand miles not in league with the Shai'tan! They tortured him for it, the same as the rest of us –"
"Is that what he was in there for? Because I heard that he murdered one of his pack-mates in their sleep."
"You can thank him later. The two don't happen to be exclusive!"
"So, we're joined by yet another backstabber? Watch yourself, Jaguar. Because between that wildcat of yours and this Forn, I am beginning to wonder just how many of you supposed fighters can be trusted."
"You little -! I'll gut you!"
"ANYWAY!" Vitani shouted, and the two animals blinked and turned as if seeing Vitani for the first time again. Vitani glared at them.
"Darina. You're not in Golgorath anymore. You don't need to hoard food." She told her. The jaguar was pacing on the ground, looking agitated, and glancing furtively between her and the lioness.
"But –"
"There will be enough to go around. I know you spent so much time there half starved, but you don't need to hoard it to make sure it won't happen again. Believe me. I know how that feels." Vitani told her. She could well recall similar arguments breaking out between the Pridelanders and former Outsiders in the days after their civil war. It was hard, after you had spent time without food, to adjust to having it freely available again, whenever you wanted it. Darina still seethed though and Vitani turned to the lioness.
"And you. Do you make a habit of attacking your allies? You talk about backstabbers. Do I need to watch my back around you as well?" She asked her.
"You? But –"
"But nothing. Stop this rumour mongering and spite. You are on the same side now, so start acting like it!" Vitani snapped, fully incensed. The two animals glared at one another and then at her, and went in separate directions without looking back. Vitani groaned. As soon as the threat of impending annihilation was gone, she found it almost impossible to command these. The asiatics respected her but Lukaan trusted her judgement far more than most of his lionesses and she couldn't blame them. The former slaves were more inclined to listen to Inti and Sara than her, and only paid her much mind after they had vouched for her. She doubted either cub realised quite how much sway they had. The former fighters were reckless and all seemed have at best a fragile relationship with authority. They would fight with them, oh yes, they could fight, but they tended to rebel against any kind of authority other than their own. Only Koron seemed able to control them, and only Inti and Sara seemed able to control him. The rest of the time, they were a shambles.
"Vitani!" Another voice called. Vitani almost screwed her eyes shut in irritation.
"What is it now!?" She snapped, and turned to see Danyal and the leader of the cheetahs from earlier. Most of the rest of the animals were giving them a wide birth. The cheetahs were formerly a part of the Imperium's armies, and many had fought against them in the recent battle.
"Vitani."
"Danyal. Please. Give me good news." She entreated him. Danyal looked at her funnily, taken aback. Then nodded slowly.
"We've been scouting around Five Stones and made sure we have water." Danyal said. "No sign of any imperials yet. It's only a matter of time, but we should have time to breath." He told her.
"Well. That's as good as we could hope for." She said. As he turned to go, she called out to him. "Danyal, wait!"
"What is it?"
"We need to have a talk."
She relayed to him the mornings events, and that there had been another clash between the groups that made up their fragile alliance. Danyal listened, and groaned in the retelling.
"This can't go on." He muttered.
"Agreed."
"They're going to have to find some way to work with each other. It could be moons before we find Kiava. I've been speaking with Rafiki about that. I think we should get some scouts together." He began, but Vitani cut him off.
"Jahi, get the others. We need to discuss this properly, and decide what we are going to do next." She said.
About an hour later, the leaders of rebellious animals were all gathered. Helio, Sundar and Lukaan sat together, representing the Asiatics. Danyal, Almasi and Damu paced next to them. And joining them, were Inti, Sara, and Koron. When Danyal saw Sara, he tried to move to stand next to her, but she was between the other two cubs. By some unspoken consensus, the three cubs now seemed more slave than Pridelanders. They had each been changed by their time in Golgorath. Sara seemed less affected than her brother, but there was still an edge to her and a quickness to her eyes that was new to her character. As for Koron, heaven only knew what Koron had once been like even before the tower of Golgorath had robbed him of his innocence but now the shadowy cub seemed quite at home among his elders. He seemed to her a rouge trapped in the body of a cub. Vitani explained the situation and recounted the day's events to them all, and received varying responses. Sundar and Danyal shared a look.
"After everything we have been through, we can't let things fall apart now." Damu protested, to which Danyal nodded in agreement.
"What's the big deal? You promised them a fight. They're here for that." Koron reminded them. "Or didn't you mean what you said, back then?" he challenged her.
"Of course I meant it." She said, sounding offended. "I still mean it. Defeating the Shai'tan is my first priority." She told him. Koron wanted to believe her, but he sniffed, not sure if he did or not.
"Good. Because I can't help but notice this King of yours is missing." Koron said. There was an awkward silence between them for a moment. Sara glanced at Koron, looking saddened. She had presumed that Kiava and Zuri were with Danyal. Learning that Kiava and Zuri were missing having fled the same attack that had led to their capture by the Shai'tan, had left her very upset. Her mother had assured her that they would find both her friends in due time, but she didn't know how that would be possible.
"Kiava will be okay. He has to be." Sara said.
"So, what will you tell them? Wait and see?" Helio asked. "I can't see some of the slaves going for that. You promised them a chance to reclaim the Pridelands, I don't think most of them will be willing to sit around and wait for Kiava to turn up again." He said. Lukaan cleared his throat.
"We are with you. No matter what." He said. "I don't think the same can be said for a bunch of creatures who've never met your brother or your nephew. Some of them were born a world away."
"I know! I know." Vitani said. She clawed at the ground. For a moment nobody said anything. She swallowed, and looked around at the others. She looked at Kion. Jasiri's eyes widened, realising something.
"Wait a moment. Kion. You're the Prince of the Pridelands. If anything were to happen to Kiava, you are next in line to the throne to the Pridelands, aren't you? Since we can safely assume he hadn't got any heirs of his own." Jasiri said. Kion shook his head.
"No. I'm not. I gave up any claim to the throne of the Pridelands to marry Rani, remember?" Kion reminded them. "I'm not… I won't undo that. Even with her gone. It would be like pretending it never happened. Rani. The Night Pride. Everything." He said. Jasiri swallowed.
"Right. Of course. I'm sorry." She said.
"I believe Vitani was King Kovu's sister. Does she have a claim to her brother's throne?" Lukaan asked.
"That's not how it works. It was Princess Kiara who was the royal one, Kovu just married her. He lost any claim to the throne when Kiara died; like Nala and Sarabi did." Danyal muttered.
"That seems unfair."
"She would have a claim through her parents though. If all of Mufasa's descendants were dead, she's Scar's eldest living daughter, she'd have a claim then." He said. Vitani growled.
"No! Absolutely not." Vitani said.
"And why ever not?" She jolted and saw Zira standing there. She hadn't been invited. "I want to rescue my grandcub as much as everyone here. But in the meantime, until dear Kovu's Son is located, I think that Queen-Regent Vitani has a nice ring to it." She said.
"Mother!"
"I've never understood you lions." Jasiri said. The hyena's head was cocked and she shook his head. "In the hyena clans, when a matriarch dies, her offspring usually have to fight off about ten different challengers. Hyenas have more of a 'dibs'-based approach to it. The matriarch's daughter, or son once in a while I guess, gets first dibs, but there is usually a huge… scuffle." Jasiri said candidly. Kion jerked his head towards Zira.
"She, is the reason we don't do things like that, Jasiri." He said, darkly. Zira growled in annoyance.
"I never would." Vitani said.
"You're the one who'll be calling the shorts anyway, daughter. What difference does it make?" Zira asked her. Vitani growled.
"I said no. I don't need you putting evil notions in my head." Vitani muttered. "I have enough of those as it is." She said. She shook her head. "No, Prince Kiava is still alive and still the Prince of the Pridelands. Besides it's not about claims. It's about giving these people something to fight for. Kiava is young. The product of the Pridelands most famous romance. He's emblematic of everything wrong with the Shai'tan. He's…"
"A symbol. Who inspires them. Hmm. I can see the problem." Zira said, staring at Vitani, who flinched under her gaze but didn't argue. Zira leaned down and sat back. Jasiri looked away and Kion made a noise. All three knew how useful that could be, but it certainly couldn't be said to apply to any of them. Kion was haggard and entirely too dependant on tuliza to even think straight half the time. And Vitani…
"Yes. And I… Am not. Not the daughter of the Devil-Queen. Not the failed leader of the Guard." Vitani snapped, spitefully. Kion sighed.
"I think you're being hard on yourself, Vitani." He said, shooting Zira a scowl. "But let's say for a moment you're right. That just brings us back to the fact that we don't know where Kiava is. Or how to help him." He said, guiltily. It was obvious why he felt that way.
"We keep doing what we've been doing. Helping him the only way we can: We become the biggest thorn in the side of the Shai'tan until their attention cannot be anyone but us." Vitani said. This was something she had been dwelling on. It was all they could do. So, they would do it. This would be the tricky bit. "We can't find our Kiava. But the others don't need to know that." Vitani said. There was stunned silence as they processed what she was saying. Zira's face twisted into a grin that was almost proud. That alone made Vitani look away and reconsider her suggestion. Jasiri's eyes were wide. Kion looked baffled, then shocked as understanding dawned upon him.
"No. No way." Koron said and got up and began to walk away.
"Koron, get back here!" Sara snapped. Her eyes were cold now as she starred at Vitani. "What on earth do you mean by that?!" She asked Vitani. Damu looked very distressed.
"If you are suggesting what I think you are."
"Look. I won't beat about the bush. We lie." She said firmly. "We can't find Kiava right now. So, we create something for the Shai'tan to focus on. To challenge. An illusion. Like Marsade did." Vitani said. There was more quiet.
"To trick the Shai'tan into thinking they are battling Kiava, when really they're fighting nothing of the sort? Just shades and echoes?" Lukaan asked.
"Not just them. Our fighters as well." She said. Sundar gasped.
"Wait, you want to lie to our own people? You can't! You can't lie to them about something like this!"
"It would stop them fighting among themselves." Sara said, deep in thought. "But it seems wrong to trick them."
"So, when they get hurt, or even die, they think they're doing it for a good cause?" Danyal said. "You can't seriously be considering this."
"How is that worse than dying for no reason at all?" Vitani countered. Zira smirked.
"Oh, that's good. That's very good indeed. If it all goes flanks up, the real Kiava will still be perfectly safe, too. And we can search for Kiava in our own time." Zira said, chuckling. "That's actually rather brilliant."
"In the meantime, the Shai'tan will call off the hunt for him and Zuri." Damu said. That was reason enough for her to be on board with the plan. Helio began to nod slowly.
"It could work. Misdirect them in the short term, then reveal the ruse eventually once we have found and rescued the real King." Helio said, surprising Danyal. He had assumed Helio would be against such a ploy.
"And if it works, the fighters won't scatter and get themselves killed one by one." Vitani said. "We'd be saving them from their own stupidity."
Koron scowled at that. "That's incredibly patronising you know." He snapped. But then he nodded. "I hate that you're right." He muttered.
"If it brings us closer to defeating the Shai'tan..." Jasiri shrugged. She didn't especially mind either way. If it worked then great.
"It won't just bring us closer; it is the only chance we have. We'll could end up devouring ourselves long before we get a chance to fight." Vitani said.
"I'm not sure I like it. What if the truth is discovered? How kindly do you think they will take to being lied to? We could undo everything we have worked for." Almasi said. Danyal nodded in agreement with her.
"Lukaan, you can't agree to this, you know your kind better than I do, you know they'll listen to reason..." Danyal said. Lukaan winced.
"I want what's best for people, Danyal. That means being a part of the new Kingdom. I want them to get used to fighting for the King of the Pridelands because your interests and ours are the same. Or I want them to be." He said.
"You going to manipulate them." Danyal accused. Vitani blinked.
"I don't-"
"Let them distrust one another for now. Eventually, they'll get over it! They will learn to work together, and will do so without us tricking them into it. They deserve better than this... They aren't your pawns." He said.
"And in the meantime, how many of them will die to get us there? How many of us will die? What's the most you're willing to sacrifice?" Vitani challenged him. "Whilst they learn to get along? Are you really willing to gamble your life on the idea that they'll just figure things out on their own?" She asked him.
"I don't know Vitani. I think I agree with Danyal." Almasi said. "I am not sure about this at all. It could work. But I can't help fearing it will backfire on us. I know what you're trying to do but…" Almasi said sounding very unsure. She looked very indecisive.
"Then let's put it to a vote. Agreed?" Kion asked.
In the end, Almasi and Danyal were outvoted. But even on the winning side though no one smiled. There was a grim sense of agreement around them, but not unity. Sundar sighed. Kion had voted against it, and Jasiri had changed her vote when she saw how unhappy he looked, but nobody else.
"Fine then." She said. "So, How's this going to work?"
Vitani sighed. Now came the tricky bit. "Only one of us has ever actually killed a Shai'tan." She said. Danyal froze. Surely, she didn't mean –
"Oh no. Absolutely not!" Danyal said sharply just as the others realized what she was suggesting.
"Oh… Oh Danyal…" Almasi said quietly. Helio barked out a laugh.
"Wait what?" Sara asked. "What are you talking about?"
"Danyal is young. Older than Kiava but just about young enough to pass for Kovu's son, to creatures who never met him. And most of the former slaves haven't really met you yet, you've not spoken to any of them other than Koron." Kion pointed out. Danyal backed away and looked as though he wanted to run away. Sara looked at him, in surprise.
"No. No. This is a bad idea! It would never work! This is insane... Almasi! Tell them" He said. Almasi was looking at him frowning, critically.
"I could see it."
"Almasi!"
"I'm sorry Danyal, but she's right. If we do something about his mane but... It could work. Having Kiava be an adolescent rather than a cub couldn't hurt moral... And you are right, Danyal killed Sekhmet. Danyal, that already makes you a legend. If the other animals heard that Prince Kiava had returned from exile to wage war upon the Shai'tan and that he had succeeded in killing one, others could flock to our cause..." She said.
"I thought you just said it was a bad idea!" He protested. Almasi looked askance.
"It's a gamble but…" Almasi looked unsure and Sara wasn't looking at him. He looked surprised by that, and hurt when she didn't meet his gaze. She had been rather distant lately, but this was new as far as he knew. Was she angry with him?
"What about our people?" Sundar protested. "It's all very well telling the former slaves that this is our King, but my Pride has already met Danyal, they spent weeks with him as he recovered from his wounds." She said, frowning. Lukaan sighed.
"We never met Prince Kiava though. All we were told was that there was a cub missing. What if we put it about that Danyal was the name of the other cub? That Kaiva and Danyal traded identities to confuse the Shai'tan? A decoy?" Lukaan suggested. Danyal blanched.
"They'll never believe we used a child as a decoy!" He said. Vitani sighed.
"They'd believe it of me... I am the daughter of Zira remember? Thanks to Zira they know all about her and the Pridelands history." She said, giving Zira a dark look. It was the sort of thing she'd have done. "I won't need to fake guilt over the cub's disappearance in any case." She said.
"Hey, HEY!" Danyal shouted. They looked at him. He swallowed. "Are you listening to yourselves? This is crazy. I know we said we would do this but I can't… I can't. Please. Almasi, Vitani, you can't!" He said. Vitani looked annoyed, but Almasi spoke first. She moved in front of the others so that Danyal could only see her and her features filled his vision and she saw how upset and worried he was. She pressed her forehead against his.
"Danyal. Danyal. Calm down. Just breathe with me." She said. After a moment he had calmed down. Sundar was clutching his paw and he held it tightly. He exhaled slowly. "Danyal." She said after a moment. "I know. I know. I don't like it either. We just talked about what this would do. This will help keep Kiava and Zuri safe. It will help the animals come together. It will be fine. Nobody expecting you to actually be a ruler, not by yourself Danyal. We're all in this together. I promise you." She told him. Kiava slowed himself.
"I think the idea is a good one, Danyal. I know you are capable of it." Lukaan said quietly. "You can do it. You were right before; I do trust you. We can't keep fighting among ourselves, and if there is one lion who could unite them in Kiava's place, it's you." Inti said.
"I... I don't look a thing like Kiava! His fur was royal gold, and his mane was pitch black! Mine is just a darlk brown, my fur only slightly lighter!" he protested weakly. Vitani actually laughed at that.
"You look more like Kovu than Kiava ever did, Danyal! Tell him mother. The real Kiava took after the both of his parents and I'll grant you, there isn't much of Simba or Kiara about you. But your fur is near as brown as Kovu's and your eyes are green too. It's not perfect, but you look enough like Kovu that it'll not arouse suspicion. Anyone with vague memories of Kovu will still see enough of him in you." She said. Zira grunted.
"I never met my Grandson, but she's right. You look enough like my Son that it'll fool most of them. It's good enough." She said. Ugh. That was a terrifying thought. Nana Zira.
"I… But…" He was running out of excuses. "Fine," He said after a moment. "Very well..." Danyal said at last. He gulped. "I guess... I am a Prince now." He said. It was a queer thought.
"No big announcement." Lukaan said. "Just start calling him Danyal in front of the others. It will filter through to the others soon enough. Then we'll do something… I don't know. Public, to explain it later." He smiled sympathetically at Danyal. "You'll do fine, lad. I'm sure of it."
Damu stood up. "I shall inform Rafiki and Yessen." She said. "They will need to be a part of this if it's going to work." She said. Sundar also stood up.
"I will speak to Calin. That leopard cub met Kiava, and he's is very close to Danyal. He must be told as well, to make sure he doesn't say anything foolish." Sundar said. Calin. Danyal hadn't even thought of that. Thank the Kings for Sundar's quick thinking.
When the others departed, only Vitani, Kion, Jasiri and Lukaan remained. For now, they would simply rest... and in some cases, prepare themselves. Vitani sighed. Danyal had a point... but in the long run, the deception would save lives.
"I worry it won't be enough, for all of that." Lukaan said, quietly.
"I know."
"Wrangling loads of different animals is like trying to heard a river." Jasiri said. "Sometimes you just have to nudge it and hope for the best and try not to end up soaked. They tend to all want different things." She said.
"Danyal did good work for your people without even knowing it, when he was recovering from his wounds. He told them the history of the Pridelands. My people are invested now in their past. I'm just not sure they such an investment in their future." He admitted. "They'll protect Kiava as they would any cub. But fight for him?"
"I have a plan for that as well." Vitani said darkly.
"What? How?" Lukaan asked. "Another way to use Danyal?" Lukaan asked, and Vitani could tell that although he might have agreed with the necessity of the Plan, like others, he was not over enthralled with the idea of it.
"Not exactly. How well do you know our traditions?" She asked him.
