To those who are reading the story, welcome back! The song used in this chapter is Innocence by Avril Lavigne.

The sky was dark and the moon was giving a pale glow against the night sky surrounded by twinkling stars. While everyone were sound asleep, Prince Jashua tossed and turned in his spot by his mother's side.

But instead of peaceful dreams, his dreams were filled with the snarling face and orange eyes that were full of hate of Chumvi. The pale cream cub awoken from his sleep with a start. He looked around and noticed that everyone else were still sound asleep.

He knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anytime soon. So he got up and quietly walked out of the cave and towards the peak where he sat and looked out towards the dark savannah that was lit by the dozens of stars.

"Jashua? What are you doing out here?"

Jashua sighed before looking at his mother who had sat besides him with his black rimmed ears against his head. "I...kinda had a bad dream."

Eshe nodded before lowering her head. "When I was a cub... and lived with Auri, Tojo, Timon and Pumbaa in the oasis. I had a lot of bad dreams. A few times Tojo sung to me." she sighed heavily before smiling at her son. "Would you like to hear the song?"

Jashua nodded before lying on his stomach and looked up with intrest in his orange eyes.

'Waking up I see that everything is OK

The first time in my life and now it's so great

Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed

I think about the little things that make life great'

Jashua smiled before following his mother's gaze as she looked out towards the stars.

'I wouldn't change a thing about it

This is the best feeling

This innocence is brilliant

I hope that it will stay

This moment is perfect

Please don't go away

I need you now

And I'll hold on to it

Don't you let it pass you by'

Eshe smiled when she saw Jashua yawned and rapidly blinking his eyes, trying desperately to stay awake.

'I found a place so safe, not a single tear

The first time in my life and now it's so clear

Feel calm, I belong, I'm so happy here

It's so strong and now I let myself be sincere'

Eshe stopped singing and smiled lovingly at her now sleeping son before looking back at the stars and continued singing.

'I wouldn't change a thing about it

This is the best feeling'

With a heavy sigh, Eshe gently picked up Jashua and headed back into the cave. She placed him down by his sleeping light beige sister. Looking at her cubs, a stampede of thoughts stormed through her head.

The light brown lioness remember having a talk with her mother after returning from her diplomatic visit. Jashua memory loss is tricky, he remembers distantly being attacked but doesn't remember who attacked him. But he was afraid and her mother sung to him.

On the other side, she has a new issue that she's not sure how to feel about.

"Eshe? My love, why are you up?"

Eshe moved her green eyes to her awoken mate. She pinned her ears against her head before turning to exit the cave and return to sitting at the peak.

It wasn't long before Mheetu joined her. The royal couple sat in silence looking up at the sparkling stars above. After a moment the tawny lion looked at his mate with concerned filled teal eyes.

"What's wrong, my love?"

Eshe stayed silent for a while longer before she lowered her head and began to sob.

"Eshe!" Mheetu pulled his mate into a embrace as he nuzzled and licked her. "Please tell me what's wrong?"

Eshe continued to cry as she buried her head in her mate's dark brown mane. "Mheetu, I'm expecting!"

Mheetu pulled back with a excited gleam in his eyes. "That's wonderful news, my love!" the tawny lion frowned when he saw his mate was still crying, and pulled her close to him. "Hey it's going to be okay," he gently soothed.

"How can you say that?" Eshe sobbed burying her face in Mheetu's mane. "What if it's a repeat of what happened and this time could be worst! It's never going to be okay!"

"Eshe, this is a blessing, we're making greater the circle of life," Mheetu purred as he nuzzled the side of Eshe's neck.

Eshe pulled away, shaking her head. "Having more than one cub in line for the throne, let alone three hasn't exactly worked out the best in my family's history..."

Mheetu smiled lightly before affectionately bumping his head against Eshe's. "No matter what. We'll get through this together. We'll raise the new cub along side Jashua and Nala, and we'll love them all equally so, we won't have a repeat of history with your mother and uncle or your great-grandfather and your great-great aunt."

Eshe smiled lightly, lying her head on her mate's dark brown mane. With a content sigh, the couple continued looking at the stars before returning to the cave.

~TLK~

The Next Morning

Inside Kiros and Tala's private cave, Tala awoke to see that she was the last one up. She stood with a yawn before exiting the cave. She headed for priderock and looked into the pride's cave. No one was in there either, she was about to wonder where everyone was when her ears perked at the familiar voice of the royal mjuzi.

Tala looked towards the slope to see Rafiki. "Morning, Rafiki. Is there something you need?"

"Good morning, Lady Tala. Lord Kiros said that you hasn't been feeling well lately."

Now that the pale yellow lioness thought about it, she has been feeling quite tired lately. And moody, she looked at the mandrill and shook her head. "I'm not sure. Can you give me a check up while you are here?"

Rafiki smiled before mentioning for the young lioness to lie down. Tala complied and laid on her side as Rafiki moved his hands over the lioness' body. Once he came to the lower stomach a huge smile formed.

"Ah. Congratulations my dear!"

Tala looked up and smiled. She knew that with those words she was bringing a new addition to the family. She gave the mjuzi into a hug before running off. She had to tell Kiros the wonderful news.

...

As a new day has started, Prince Jashua was awoken early to start his first lesson. It was just a little before noon when Eshe and Jashua were walking in the savannah.

"As prince you have important duties to the kingdom. You will patrol the borders and vist neighborhood prides as well as much more."

"Wow! Being a prince sure is a lot of work..." Jashua looked up at his mother.

Eshe chuckled with a smile. "Thats the half of it, my son. But I'm sure you will make a fine king one day."

Jashua smiled up at his mother, but turned his head when he heard his uncle and grandmother's voices. Not far away the prince saw his Uncle Sãhasí with his grandmother. But what surprised him was the pale beige cub that followed behind the dark beige lioness.

Eshe followed her son's sight to frown. "What's going on? Who's that cub?"

Sãhasí looked at his sister with his ears back. "He's a orphan. His own father is out to kill him. Surely we can't turn him away."

Sarabi looked at her daughter. "I will take responsibility for him. Just please-"

"It's okay." Eshe smiled softly. "He can stay. Now I need you all at priderock. There's a announcement I have to make as well as introduce the newest member to the family."

Jashua watched his mother leave before turning to the bit older cub. "I remember you. You're the cub from yesterday. What's your name?"

"Alistair."

Jashua nodded before heading after his mother as Sarabi nudged Alistair forward before heading after her children and grandson who started ahead of them.