It was nearly sundown when Simba, Kiara, Nala and the rest of the lionesses finally made it to the edge of the Pridelands. The heartbroken princess dangled limply from her father's jaws, sighing softly as Pride Rock came into view at the top of the ridge that led down into a grassy valley - the Pridelanders' hunting territory.

Simba stopped walking abruptly, making Kiara's heart skip a beat as she realized what was about to happen.

Nala, too, had noticed that the king was no longer following the rest of the lionesses, turning around to check on her mate. "Simba?" she prompted curiously.

"Mmhmm," Simba cleared his throat, gesturing to the cub he was carrying with his red eyes.

Nala gave Simba a knowing smile, turning and following the others back to Pride Rock...and leaving Kiara alone with her angry father.

Simba set Kiara down on a nearby rock, and the princess tried to turn on the charm, grinning up at him and giving him a bashful giggle.

The king glared irritably down at his daughter, not having any of it. Kiara's ears flattened, and she looked down at her paws with a sigh.

"Kiara, what did you think you were doing?" Simba asked her, sounding more pained and disappointed than angry. "You could have been killed today!"

"But Daddy, I didn't mean to-" Kiara stammered, looking up at him as he circled the rock she was sitting on.

"I'm telling you this because I love you, Kiara," Simba went on, his voice gentle and full of worry as he bent down to nuzzle her. Clearly there were a few of Mufasa's qualities he hadn't adopted when it came to raising his daughter. "I don't wanna lose you. Understand?"

"I know," Kiara replied, feeling even worse than she already did. "But-"

"If something happened to you, I don't know what I do," Simba went on, turning to look out across the Pridelands. "One day, I won't be here...and I'll need you to carry on in my place." He stared up at the sky, noting the few stars that were starting to shine through with a grin. "You need to remember that you are part of the great Circle of-"

"Circle of Life, I know," Kiara groaned. She couldn't count how many times Simba had reminded her of the weight of her role as princess...and right now, she didn't want to think about it. She wanted to think about Kovu...who she'd probably never see again.

"Exactly." Simba looked down at his only cub with pride, placing a paw over her. "And you need to be careful. As future queen-"

"What if I don't wanna be queen?" Kiara protested, moving out from under his paw and staring up at him defiantly. "It's no fun."

Simba shook his head. "That's like saying you don't wanna be a lion, Kiara. It's in your blood...as I am. We are part of each other."

Simba smiled down at Kiara again to see that the princess was playfully mocking him, holding her head high with her eyes closed. He smirked and gently nudged her off the rock she was perched on, making her slide down to the grass below.

"Oof!" Kiara yelped, shaking her head and looking up at Simba. The king raised an eyebrow, flashing her a charming grin.

Kiara couldn't help but admire her father, despite how overbearing he could be. She flashed an awkward smile in return, leaping to her paws to nuzzle beneath his chin.

The two of them purred affectionately at each other before taking a rare moment to explore their domain together. Simba had been busier than usual lately trying to defend his kingdom from Outsiders, and Kiara was always with Nala or one of the other lionesses learning how to be proper royalty. Crown princesses of the Pridelands had always had to prepare to shoulder more responsibility, as they were meant to be hunters and mothers as well as rulers.

*insert "We Are One" sequence here, y'all know how it goes*

"As long as you live here, this is who you are," Simba murmured to his daughter as they arrived at Pride Rock and paused on its surface. He brought her close and nuzzled her, licking her affectionately. "You'll understand someday."

Kiara watched sullenly as her father leapt to a higher ledge, looking over his shoulder at her and flicking his tail for her to follow him inside.

The princess sighed, looking out towards the dark, desolate Outlands laying just beyond Simba's domain. She couldn't help but think about him...the dark, handsome cub she'd met that day, despite how much of a cocky brute he was.

Kovu...I hope I see you again...