Chapter 4, The Queen To Be

Early that morning, Mufasa came out of the cave entrance of the pride's den. Stretching out his two front paws, the king gave a growling yawn. After of which, he stood up and walked up over the ledge. As he came to stand over the very top of the Pride Rock, he gazed over the horizon at the sun rising in the distance. What would be the day that his adopted son and heir would soon embark on his first hunt.

He had long prepared Jay for this day as his own father had for him. Teaching him to hunt as his fellow lions and as part of the Pride. Though Jay was not a lion and was without fangs or claws, it was the silver claw which she had taken from the outsiders that acted as so. Though Mufasa was not keen art first of letting Jay have such a tool of man. He often advised that he never use it so much when he was younger.

Though when he and Sarabi began teaching him to hunt, the silver claw proved useful for him. Jay learned to swipe it like a lion's paw and plunge the knife when he was to bit down like their fangs.

And now on the day of his first hunt, he would be using the silver claw to make his first kill.

As Mufasa stood gazing at the rise, it was then that Zuzu flew up over the top of Pride Rock.

"Good morning, your majesty." he said, bowing to him.

Mufasa glanced down at Zazu.

"Good mourning, Zazu." Mufasa said.

"I am pleased to report that everything is in place for the hunt," His majordomo proclaimed to the king.

"The herds have migrated to the western plains as custom. And all reports from the underground say there is no hyena is in sight."

"Thank you, Zazu." Mufasa said with a nod of his head.

Mufasa then turned forward as he peered ahead at the sun rise. All the while, he continued to ponder of the day which lied ahead for his son and heir. The trial which lied before him to prove himself worthy of being the next king of the Pridelands. Zazu gazed up at the king, seeing that something was troubling him. He was well aware that this was Jays first hunt. Having to have been the majordomo, he was accustomed to the pride's traditions and that the first hunt of a king's heir would demonstrate their dominance and strength.

Zazu leaped forward as he came to the king's side.

"You mustn't worry, your majesty," Zazu proclaimed to the king.

"I'm sure that Jay will do fine. After all, the man-cub have followed your paw prints so far. And with all you have taught him, I believe he will make a fine kill today."

"As do I, Zazu," Mufasa claimed to him.

"I just hope that I have prepared him well to be the next King. This is the first time that a human will succeed a lion of being king."

"Ah, yes," Zazu said, nodding his head.

"Quiet indeed, your majesty. These are very strange times for the PrideLands."

Zazu then glanced to the side as though a sudden notion had then came to mind. Something of which he had been considering to bring up to Mufasa for sometime now.

"Though, you majesty," Zazu brought up.

"And I hate to bring this up, but have you considered that with Jay here in the Pridelands, more humans will come."

Mufasa glanced down at his majordomo in awe at the mention of humans. While he knew that Zazu would never accuse Jay of anything, the very notion that his adopted son would bring more humans to the Pridelands was absurd. Humans haven't been seen in the Prideland since the day the outsiders came. But they haven't been seen since.

"Bring more humans?" Mufasa said with a small hint of stern in his voice.

Hearing the sternness in Mufasa's voice, Zazu glanced back and forth as he hesitated to speak up. Though he knew he needed to say something at this point. He didn't want for Mufasa to think he was accusing the prince of anything.

"I only bring it up because Jay will need a queen one day," Zazu brought up to the king.

"And given that he is... well..."

"I am well aware of it, Zazu," Mufasa claimed to the majordomo.

"And it may be something that Jay will have to face in the future. But for now, Jay must focus on the today's hunt."

"Yes, of course, sire," Zazu proclaimed to the Lion king.

"I only bring it up as a... cautionary of the future."

While the idea hasn't ever come to mind before, it was still a possibility. Especially now that Jay was now a young man. Younger male's have been known to seek out a mate. And with Jay being a human, there was no question that he may wish to seek out his own kind to find a mate of his own.

Something he and Sarabi had often feared he would do someday.


Kovu groaned as he opened his eyes. He gave a loud yawn as he raised his head. He then glanced over at the entrance, where he saw the morning light peering into the den. He paused for a moment, pondering what he was about to do. His mother and father said that he would reclaim his destiny on this hunt. Not with the kill he would make but by ridding them of the one who stood in their way.

Jay...

He was to lead the buffalo to the hunting party. Yet he know that would mean endangering the other lionesses and...

He then glanced down to Nala, who was laying next to him. Pressing up against his side, Nala uttered a faint purr as she slept. He couldn't fathom the idea of hurting her. Nor could she think of hurting Jay.

His ear then twitched at a strange sliding sound. As it something was sliding across a stone surface. The two opened her eyes and glanced to her right, where Jay and Sarabi were sleeping. They saw Jay sharpening his knife against a rock. Sliding the blade against it's surface, he then held up his knife as he got a good look at the blade.

Laying next to him, Sarabi opened her eyes as she looked up to his son. She raised her head from her two front paws.

"Jay?" She asked.

Jay glanced down at his mother and saw she was awake.

"Sorry," he said, grinning.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

Sarabi smiled at Jay.

"Think nothing of it, my mtoto." Sarabi reassured her son.

Jay groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Didn't I say not to call me that anymore?" Jay said.

Sarabi chuckled at her son.

"You may no longer be a cub anymore, Jay," Sarabi claimed to her son.

"But you will always be my little mtoto."

Jay glanced to the side as he uttered a sigh, shaking his head. Yet even still, the smile over his face had not gone unnoticed by his mother. He'd hate to admit it, but he did kind of like when she would tease him like how she did.

Sarabi stood up over the platform as she glanced over at the cave entrance.

"It's almost time." She claimed to her son.

"I know." Jay insisted to her.

With one last swipe of his silver claw against the smooth surface of the rock, Jay held up his knife. Peering at the blade, it looked sharp enough. If he was to make the kill, he needed for his claw and fangs to be sharp.

"And I'm ready." Jay said with determination.

He then sieved his knife to the side before standing up.

"We should probably get going." Jay insisted to his mother.

Sarabi nodded her head in agreement with her son. She wished to drink from the waterhole before going on the hunt. But there was also something that she wished to share with her son regarding it. She then stood up over the stone plate form before glancing up to her son.

"Why don't we go down to the watering hole," she insisted to her son.

"There's something I have to tell you before the hunt."

"I know, Mother," Jay insisted to her.

"Father already told me."

"It is not about that, Jay." Sarabi claimed.

"Then what is it?" Jay asked, curiously.

"Come."

Sarabi turned and leaped off the plate form. Jay followed after her.


Sarabi and Jay walked to a small watering hole not far from Pride Rock. She came over the water's edge, where she narrowed down and began to drink. Jay came up next to her mother. He kneeled down over the banks, where he scooped the water in the palm of his hand and drank it.

For a short period of time, the two drank together in silence. Sarabi glanced up at her son. She then stood up, narrowing her eyes as she pondered. With her son soon to be king, there was a tradition of the pride which she needed to discuss with him. One of which would be much different considering that Jay was a human.

Just as Jay was to take a drink, he glanced to his mother and saw she looked upset.

"Mother?" Jay asked, curiously.

Sarabi glanced up at Jay.

"Jay, I need to tell you something." Sarabi insisted to her son.

"What is it?" Jay asked, curiously.

Sarabi gazed out over the watering hole.

"There is a tradition in the pride when one becomes king," She insisted to him.

"That you will have to chose one of the lionesses to be his mate. She in turn would rule by his side as his queen."

The very mention of choosing one of the lionesses as a mate caused Jay to glance to the side, groaning in utter contempt. He knew that he was a human and that he couldn't just mate with any of the lionesses. Nor did such an idea really seem so appealing to him really. But being tradition of his adopted family, Jay did wish to honor their traditions as his father had taught him to do.

"A-A mate...?" Jay said, rubbing the back of his head.

Sarabi glanced to her son, smirking as she was humored by his response.

"Yes, Jay," Sarabi insisted to her son.

"A King must have a queen to rule next to his side. And so that he may have an heir that will succeed him once his time as ruler had ended."

Jay narrowed his head.

"I guess that makes sense." Jay said.

You will have to chose, Jay," Sarabi insisted to him.

"Just as your father chose me to be his queen."

"But mother, I am not a lion," Jay claimed to his mother.

"How can I have have an mate? How can I have an heir?"

Sarabi narrowed her eyes. She wondered the same as her son. For never was there a time before that a human ever ruled the Pridelands. And being so he could not have a mate nor an heir to succeed him.

Though even if he could not have a mate of his own, that was not to say one of the lionesses couldn't be queen and rule along side him. And perhaps he could chose one of the other cubs in the pride to be his successor. But which of the lionesses could rule along side her son?

"Sarabi, Jay?!"

The two glanced back and saw Nala coming up to them.

"Nala?" Jay said.

"The Pride is gathering at Pride Rock for the hunt." Nala claimed to them.

Sarabi turned to face Nala as the realization then came to her. It was Nala. She would be perfect choice to be the next queen. Seeing as Jay and her and grown up together and had grown close to one another. The same way as she and Mufasa had did when they were their age. She had also grown quite mature and responsible as Jay has.

Nala would make a fine queen for Jay.

Jay gasped.

"The pride is gathering now?!" Jay exclaimed.

"We gotta go!"

Jay ran past Nala as he made his way back to Pride Rock. Nala glanced back at him as she turned. Sarabi came up next to her, staring ahead at her son.

"He will need you, Nala." The Queen insisted, glancing to her.

Nala turned to the queen.

"When Jay becomes King," Sarabi said to her.

"I want for you to rule beside him."

"Me?" Nala sked, curiously.

Sarabi nodded her head to her.

"It's has been a tradition that the king choses a mate of his own," Sarabi insisted to her.

"Jay may not be a lion, but he will have to do the same. Since you two have grown up together, I want it to be you that rules beside him."

Nala glanced to the side as she pondered what Sarabi had said. She knew that it was tradition for the king too chose a mate. That she ore one of the other lionesses would have to take Sarabi's place. Though like everyone else in the pride, she questioned how they could continue such a tradition with a human as King. For how could they be the mate of one from a different species?

And yet Sarabi has asked her to assume the responsibility of being queen. Out of all the lionesses in the pride, it was her she chose to take her place at Jay's side. Nala had never thought that it would be her that would be queen. But if it was to be her, then she would accept the responsibility and would rule along side Jay. Having to grown up with Jay, she did come to care for him like she did Kovu. They may not be able to Mate, but she could defiantly rule as his queen.

Nala looked up at Sarabi.

"I will, Sarabi." she insisted to her.

Sarabi smiled and nodded her head to her.

"Thank you, Nala." she said.