A pair of brown eyes stared from behind some bushes. She was waiting for the right moment to pounce. Her target was a orange brown lioness. The light cream pelted lioness smiled wickedly before leaping from her hiding place.
The orange brown lioness ducked, therefore sending the light cream lioness head first into the cold water.
"Nice try, Maisie!" the orange brown lioness laughed, tears at the brim of her bluish eyes.
Maisie huffed before walking out of the water hole and shook her fur dry. Making sure to wet the older lioness.
"Hey!" the orange brown pelted lioness glared. "Very mature, Maisie! I don't know why you, Marisol and Ramona still act like cubs!"
Maisie rolled her eyes. "Whatever Zuri." after she made sure she was dry she took a deep breath. "Zuri, we need to talk."
Zuri groaned before getting up from her sitting postion. "I know what you are going to say and I don't have to listen to it."
Maisie narrowed her eyes. "I shouldn't have to have to say anything but you shouldn't be flaunting after a taken male. One that belongs to our best friend no less."
Zuri lowered her head. It sounded very bad the way her friend put it but she couldn't deny the feelings she feels for the future king consort.
Maisie softened her gaze and sighed. She was about to say something when something caused her ears to perk. The two Pridelanders turned and saw two unfamiliar lionesses.
"Help!" a dark tan pelted lioness roared.
Maisie pinned her ears. "They look like they need some help."
Zuri growled before turning to walk away from the pair of rogues. Maisie rolled her eyes before walking over to the lionesses.
"Hello. You need help?"
The dark tan lioness gasped before nodding. "My best friend fell in a river nearby. Please, I have to find her."
Maisie instantly felt bad for the lioness. But she still has to follow the rules. "I'm sure that King Simba can help you. Why don't you follow me?"
The dark tan lioness looked a little hesitate before nodding and followed the light cream pelted lioness.
-TLKTLKTLKTLK-
Delina followed the two lionesses, Maisie and Zuri who she and Liza were introduced by the light cream pelted lioness. Maisie was very welcoming as Zuri came off as rude and hostile. Which immediately made Delina and Liza instantly...distaste her, for a lack of better words.
As they followed the lionesses, Delina took in the sights and quickly fell in love with the kingdom. She started to think, about life here, the paradise Pridelands. This kingdom is the perfect place to raise her unborn cubs and keep Sherise safe from Nakul and her father, if she ever find her best friend.
"'Lina...psst." Delina turned her greyish eyes towards the creamy grey pelted lioness she was with. Liza's hazel eyes looked up ahead before looking back at Delina. "Look ahead."
Delina followed Liza's instruction and looked ahead to gasped at what she saw. Not far ahead sat a majestic mountain structure. It was tall and was bathed in the golden sunlight.
Maisie laughed lightly at the expressions before smiling warmly. "That's priderock. Home, throne to the king and his family as well as home to the pride."
As they got closer the air seem to get hot when they seen a regal looking gold pelted, red mane lion. Standing around the gold male was six lions, as a tawny pelted lioness and a gold pelted lioness stood at his sides.
The four lionesses continued on before stopping a few feet away the lionesses and lions.
The gold pelted male stepped up, his orange eyes locked on his two pride members. "Maisie? Zuri? What's going on, who are these lionesses?"
Maisie bowed her head as her brown eyes stayed locked on the male. "I apologise your majesty for the inconvenient circumstances. These lionesses are looking for their lost friend that fell in a river."
Delina gave a sigh of relief when the king relaxed. She was incredibly glad that she remembered to explain to at least Maisie why she and Liza were trespassing. Delina shook her head and focused on the present after seeing a pale cream pelted, black mane lion dismiss four of the lions that she realised was standing behind him.
"It's fortunate that my guard's leader found a lioness." the lion king said with a smile. "Now that I know what you are doing in my land. I would like to know who you are."
Delina frowned as her ears pinned against her head. "Of course your highness. But I'm afraid that is only half of why we are here."
The tawny lioness raised an eyebrow as she looked at the younger lioness. "Oh. What else brings you to the Pridelands?"
Delina glanced at Liza before looking at her guess the queen of the Pridelands. "We're seeking safety from our king, King Nakul of Northwind. I'm Delina, this is Liza and our- my friend is the royal blood queen of Northwind, Queen Sherise."
A gathering began to appear and hush whispers echoed throughout the pride that's gathered.
"I am King Simba. Obviously this is a very serious matter but we'll talk more when your queen recovers. In the meantime, you all have my kingdom's protection." then the gold lion turned to the pale cream lion. "Jashua, show Delina and Liza where our guest is at."
The male that was Jashua said nothing before heading up the rocky slope. Delina wasn't too far behind, quickly climbing the stone ramp but being careful to not lose her footing. Once she reached the top, Jashua was standing at the entrance of a small den that was right on the right after climbing the slope.
"Thank you," Delina smiled gratefully.
Jashua bowed his head before decending down the slope. Delina watched him go in confusion before turning to head in the den.
...
While King Simba and Queen Nala discussed the dire situation with Princess Kiara and Prince-Consort Kovu, Maisie left in search of her friend.
The search didn't take long enough because Maisie found the orange brown lioness at Hakuna Matata Falls.
"Zuri, what in the Great Kings and Queens of the past is your problem!?"
Zuri sat sulking near the river that runs into a waterfall while the light cream lioness paced in front of her. Trying to find out why she was acting harshly to their guests.
Maisie groaned before stalking off after realising that she wasn't going to get anything from her friend. After Maisie left Zuri let her mind wonder why she was acting harshly. The truth was that she couldn't take if they fell for the future king-consort. Bad enough she has to deal with Kiara, her best friend since cubhood being his fiancée.
It's miserable to be all rainbows and sunshine with the lioness that took what she wanted away. A clearing of a throat caused the orange brown lioness to jump.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
Zuri managed to quickly calmed her heart down before moving her bluish eyes up to stare into the light purple eyes of Kovu's sister. She tilted her head unsure why the tan pelted lioness was there. "Are you looking for Kovu, Vitani?"
Vitani cleared her throat again before focusing on the orange brown lioness in front of her. "No. I actually came here to see you."
Zuri's eyes widen in confusion. "Me? But why?"
Vitani looked around before turning her gaze back on Zuri. "I know that you're the daughter of Ishita and Scar. And I know about your desire is for your nephew."
Zuri nearly choked on the air that went in her lungs as her eyes became wide as a full moon. "What!? Nephew!?"
Vitani watched her aunt pace before continuing. "Zira, my mother is Scar's daughter. She mated with the former king of Northwind and that's how I and Kovu came to be."
Zuri couldn't believe what she just heard but it didn't matter. She wanted Kovu to be her's and she'll do anything to get him even step into her birth father's paw prints.
Vitani grinned, knowing that she as gained another ally in her plot to gain control of the Pridelands. "Meet tomorrow at the Outlands border around...sunset?"
Zuri looked at her niece and smiled. "Sunset is perfect."
Zuri waited until Vitani was gone before heading back to priderock.