Sherise awoke early the next morning. She forgot where she was for a moment when she saw unfamiliar stone walls. Then she remembered what had happened the night before. Eshe had invited her to join the pride in the den. She'd accepted, but she still slept away from them.

The brownish lioness could see the pride gathered around her, with the royal family in the center. When she saw Jashua, who was still sleeping, she smiled. It faded into a frown when she realized she couldn't see the Prince-Consort anywhere.

The sound of soft pawsteps caused her to turn to see the Prince-Consort walk into the den, his chin fur damp. Evidently, he had gone to get a drink. When he realized Sherise was awake, he paused for a moment before walking towards her, much to Sherise's surprise.

With a gentle smile, Mheetu dipped his head toward her. "Good morning, Sherise. I hope you slept well."

Sherise pressed her ears flat, surprised to be approached by Jashua's father. "Yes, Prince-Consort Mheetu," she replied hesitantly.

The tawny lion shook his dark brown mane covered head as he gently corrected her. "Please, call me Mheetu."

"Alright…Mheetu…"

"So, Sherise, how are you finding the Pride Lands so far?" Mheetu asked softly.

"Oh…well…your kingdom is very different from where I grew up. It's...a little shocking." Sherise replied truthfully.

Here, there was encouragement rather than scoldings, light touches rather than beatings or clawings, tenderness rather than cruelty… It was a painful reminder of how different her upbringing was from Jashua and his siblings.

"I enjoyed the tour your son gave me yesterday," Sherise added, shaking herself free of her thoughts. She noticed a striking resemblance between Mheetu and his son when the Prince-Consort smiled gently.

"I'm glad to hear that." The pride in Mheetu's voice was foreign to her. Was this how parents were supposed to be? It was a stark contrast to Avana and her grandmother, Jurni.

With her mother and especially her brother, Chumvi things were never good enough. It was always training to get better, stronger, faster…

Sherise was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "May I ask something?"

"Of course." Mheetu dipped his head.

"Why does Queen Eshe despise me so much?"

Mheetu frowned. "My mate's story is not mine to share. All I can say is that she had a tragic life and finds it difficult to trust others. But as long as you don't harbor any ill will toward our pride, and especially toward our son, she'll warm up to you in her own time."

Sherise's expression remained skeptical. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had gripped her, especially as she remembered Simba watching her and Jashua last night. "I think I'm going to get some fresh air."

Mheetu simply nodded. "Alright. I'm sure Jashua will join you as soon as he gets up." The tawny lion dipped his head once more toward her before leaving her alone.

Sherise stood up and stretched before walking out of the den. The sun had just started to rise, its glare making her blink. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she walked to the promontory and stood there, silently looking out over the Pride Lands.

The brownish lioness cast a sidelong glance to where Simba had been the night before, but there was no sign of him. Either he wasn't watching her right now or he was hidden elsewhere.

She sighed as she turned forward once more. She was gaining Eshe's trust. Her invitation to join her pride in the den was proof of that. However, as Sherise had noted the night before, it was now causing her to walk a fine line. Only a few days ago, she would have been happy that her family's plan was working. But now...how did things become so complicated?

Jashua. The name came to her unexpectedly. The previous day had been full of unexpected events that had triggered emotions she wasn't aware she could feel. At least…that's what she'd thought. And the majority of them revolved around the Prince of the Pride Lands.

Sherise closed her eyes and reflected on the previous day. It was hard to believe it had started with her attempting to stalk the queen and learn her movements. But then there was the tour Jashua had surprised her with. Of course, she'd accepted. No need to make him suspicious.

But, as the day progressed, she'd had experiences that were different, new, and exciting, if a bit strange. Having 'fun' with the birds and being chased by rhinos with that strange meerkat and warthog had been exhilarating, if a little frightening. She struggled not to blush as she remembered the kiss Jashua had given her while they were hiding.

Then, while stargazing that night, Jashua had shown her that he saw beyond her walls, to who she truly was. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. And she still wasn't sure if the journey to 'Upendi' had been real or not, but something in her had changed. And then the walk back to Pride Rock…

Sherise's ear twitched as she heard pawsteps. Without looking, she knew it was Jashua.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Jashua asked, smiling at her and joining her by her side, his gaze shifting to the lands below.

By this time, the sun had fully risen, and signs of life were filling the savanna below as the herds began their day.

Sherise didn't respond. They were silent for a few moments as she continued to stare into the distance, not making eye contact with Jashua.

Noticing something was troubling her, he asked, "Are you alright?"

Sherise bit her lower lip. She wasn't sure what she was feeling right now...except that she liked Jashua. She wanted to see him happy, to see him smile, and to comfort and protect him. Sherise couldn't deny that she felt different when he was around. She was gradually realizing that she couldn't imagine her life without him.

That scared her, but in a good way.

Is this love? She'd never felt anything like this before. She began to shift her position before pausing for a moment. Maybe she was making a mistake. But if there was even a chance...

The brownish lioness took a deep breath and adjusted her position, placing her head beneath Jashua's chin. "Princey, I...I love you."

For a few moments, Jashua was startled, his eyes wide and his cheeks flushed, before a smile spread across his face. Warmth filled his chest as he nuzzled Sherise. "I love you too…Amor ," he murmured.

Sherise's breath caught in her throat as she leaned her head against Jashua's shoulder, hesitantly. She snuggled into his black mane, content, when he didn't react negatively.

Jashua gave her a tender smile, delighted that she felt the same way he did. He closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against her neck, sensing a slight shift in her posture.

Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that. For them, time seemed to stop... until they were startled by the sound of a throat clearing.

"Good morning, son…Sherise."

Jashua's eyes widened as he realized his mother was standing behind them. A soft growl from the lioness on his shoulder indicated her displeasure at their time being cut short. They drew apart reluctantly, Sherise glaring into the distance.

"Oh, uh, good morning, mom," Jashua said sheepishly as he turned to face his mother.

The queen was silent for a moment before speaking, his gaze fixed on the couple in front of him. "I just spoke with your father, Jashua. He appears to share your sentiments about our guest." Eshe's gaze shifted to Sherise. "In light of that, I was thinking Sherise could accompany me on my patrol today. You can stay here at Pride Rock, I'm sure there's a lot for you to think about."

Jashua smiled as he realized his father was gradually warming up to Sherise before frowning at the last of his mother's words. "O-Okay, mom."

Eshe finally smiled, slightly dipping her head.

Sherise frowned, flattening her ears. Her unease returned, and she had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't going to end well. Unfortunately, she couldn't do or say anything without raising suspicions. That was the last thing she wanted, especially since the queen seemed willing to give her a chance.

All she could do was hope she was wrong…

Jashua noticed her uneasiness and gently touched his muzzle to her cheek. "Don't worry; everything will be fine. I'll be waiting for you when you get back," he said quietly.

Sherise bit her lower lip once more before nodding and following the queen.

As he watched his mother and the lioness he loved walk away, Jashua smiled. And for a brief moment, he was hopeful about the future...