Ch.3
As soon as Baba Mtumbi was within sight of King Ahadi he bowed and instructed the two cubs to do the same.
"You all may rise," King Ahadi said with an air of regality. He was every inch a king just as Baba Mtumbi was the leader of their pride back at home.
"Mtumbi it's been some time."
"That it has. This is my daughter Sarabi and her friend Sarafina."
Sarafina bowed her head when referenced while Sarabi looked him straight in the eye. She only bowed her head after Baba Mtumbi cleared his throat signaling for her to do so.
Ahadi looked the two cubs up and down as though he was selecting a piece of prime meat for his sons. At least, that is how Sarabi felt
She wondered if next he would have them bare their teeth and claws for inspection.
Sarafina looked away feeling awkward.
Finally, King Ahadi said with a pleased look," They are both beautiful. They will do well for my sons."
That was it. Their fate was sealed or so it appeared.
Sarabi thought to herself, "These princes better not have the nerve to be ugly."
Just then Ahadi called to his two sons," Mufasa and Taka come here."
The two princes came bounding to their father. One son had a sunburned red mane while the other son was growing into a black mane.
In Sarabi's mind they weren't fall over yourself handsome, but they were on their way to handsome.
Sarafina looked at the two princes shyly.
King Ahadi broke the silence between the four cubs.
"Mufasa meet your betrothed, Sarabi. Taka meet you betrothed Sarafina."
Mufasa looked at Sarabi carefully as though he was expecting her to have a third eye or an extra ear.
"You gotta problem?" Sarabi asked sharply.
"Sarabi!" her father admonished.
Mufasa stood his ground. "There's no problem here unless you want there to be a problem," he answered.
Taka's lips curled in a smile, " She's a feisty one," he said amused.
"At least yours is respectful," Mufasa answered back.
"Yours? We are not baobab fruit that you pick off a tree and inspect! We're lionesses from a noble pride," Sarabi fired/
"That's right, feisty," Taka said.
Baba Mtumbi had an embarrassed look on his face. He was at a loss for words.
King Ahadi cleared his throat then called, "Naja and Imani prepare Sarabi and Sarafina for the betrothal ceremony."
Two lionesses who were lounging about in a low tree descended then bowed before King Ahadi.
Naja the grown lioness with green eyes looked at the two lioness cubs and said, "They're too skinny. They need fattening up if they're going to bare cubs."
Imani added "We should catch some wildebeest tonight so they can start fattening up for the wedding."
Sarabi scoffed, astounded by the rudeness of the two lionesses.
"Come with us and we will get you both ready." Naja said before leading them away to the den.
Sarafina looked back at Baba Mtumbi as if to say, "Please get me out of this." Her silent pleas were in vain, for their marriage was to bring an alliance between the two prides.
Sarabi and Sarafina were dressed in woven grass overlays that had pink wildflowers in them. Their fur had been freshly washed by Naja and Imani both who showed them their reflections in the nearby falls.
"I look ridiculous!" Sarabi said, as her means of showing her displeasure.
"I think you look pretty," Sarafina said sweetly.
Sarabi smiled at her friend. In truth she didn't dislike being dressed up, she just resented being made pretty so she could be sold off to some prince.
She thought back to the lioness vanguard and how they were fierce. No doubt a member of lioness guard never had to worry about being married off. Then she had an epiphany; she would join the lioness vanguard somehow. But first she had to find where they hung out.
Just then as though an answer to prayer the lioness vanguard came with the carcass of a wildebeest and singing a hunting song.
"Just what you need to put some meat on your bones," Imani said.
"I could go for some wildebeest myself," Naja said
"Is the lioness vanguard going to be at the ceremony?" Sarabi asked.
"Why of course! They're part of the ceremony" Naja said before giving both Sarabi and Sarafina a final smooth down of the fur atop their heads.
The betrothal ceremony was led by an aged baboon who walked with a staff. He chanted " Ababili baba munye. Iona akasoze ahulukaniswa." "This two becomes one. This one shall never be divided."
The aged baboon, Rafiki, placed floral wreaths on the heads of the four young cubs then anointed their foreheads.
Sarabi watched the lioness vanguard the entire time as if she was watching a future she could have.
Rafiki announced, "With the placement of these necklaces the bond of betrothal is set. May it be eternal as the circle of life."
Sarabi wanted so badly to duck the rock necklace that Rafiki put on her, but she accepted the necklace. It was just the betrothal not the wedding.
Mufasa received his necklace with a smirk on his face. Sarabi couldn't be mistaken that the smirk was one of satisfaction.
Sarafina docilely offered her neck to be draped with the betrothal necklace.
Taka accepted his necklace with a playful wink in Sarafina's direction.
And just like that the two pairs of lions were engaged.
2
1
Ch.3
As soon as Baba Mtumbi was
within sight of K
i
ng
Ahadi he bowed and
instructed the two cubs to do the same.
"
Y
ou all
may rise
,
"
King Ahadi said with
a
n
air of regality
. He was every
inch a king just a
s Baba Mtumbi was the
leader of
their pride back at home
.
"
Mtumbi it
'
s been
some time
.
"
"
That it has
.
This is my daughter Sarabi
and her friend Sarafina
.
"
Sarafina
bowed her head when referenced
while Sarabi looked him straight
in the eye.
She only bowed her head after Baba Mtu
m
bi cleared his thro
at
signaling
for her to do so.
Aha
di looked the t
wo cubs up
and down as thou
gh he was selecting a piece of
prime mea
t for his sons. At
least
, that is how Sarabi felt
She wondered if next he would have them bare their teeth and claws for
inspection.
Sarafina looked awa
y
feeling awkward
.
Finally, King Ahadi said
with a pleased look,
"
They are both beautiful
. They
will do well for my
sons.
"
That was it. Their fate was sealed o
r so it appeared.
1
Ch.3
As soon as Baba Mtumbi was within sight of King Ahadi he bowed and
instructed the two cubs to do the same.
"You all may rise," King Ahadi said with an air of regality. He was every
inch a king just as Baba Mtumbi was the leader of their pride back at home.
"Mtumbi it's been some time."
"That it has. This is my daughter Sarabi and her friend Sarafina."
Sarafina bowed her head when referenced while Sarabi looked him straight
in the eye. She only bowed her head after Baba Mtumbi cleared his throat signaling
for her to do so.
Ahadi looked the two cubs up and down as though he was selecting a piece of
prime meat for his sons. At least, that is how Sarabi felt
She wondered if next he would have them bare their teeth and claws for
inspection.
Sarafina looked away feeling awkward.
Finally, King Ahadi said with a pleased look," They are both beautiful. They
will do well for my sons."
That was it. Their fate was sealed or so it appeared.