Welcome back to the third book of The Lioness Queen. I would really appreciate seeing your reviews, thank you! Here's the first chapter, enjoy!
The air was cool, morning dew still lingering as a nearby herd of antelope lifted their before gracefully prancing away. Walking through the quiet savannah was a light tan lion with a light brown mane. Walking beside him was a light cream cub, his orange eyes full of tears.
King Wituri sighed before moving his hazel eyes down to his great-nephew. "Chin up, Alejandro. You still have your father and his family."
Alejandro didn't understand why his mother abandoned him. While visiting his mother and grandmother's home kingdom, a king from another kingdom came and offered a deal to his grandfather, who was the current king of Avaloria at the time.
In exchange for the deal, the king wanted his mother to be his queen. The problem was, that Olisa had to disown her son she had with the Pridelands prince.
Even now, walking back to the Pridelands. He couldn't believe his mother just... left him for a chance to be real royalty.
Before the light cream cub knew it, he and his uncle had reached the Pridelands border.
~TLK~
Several days after the Union of the Prides, early one morning, Eshe and Mheetu invited Jashua, Nala, Askari and Sherise to accompany them on a walk away from the pride. Despite their confusion, the four younger lions had followed the queen and Prince-Consort.
The six lions strolled through the kingdom, savoring the peace as the sun rose, painting the sky in oranges, yellows, and pinks. Still, there were a few lingering clouds.
As the herds began to stir and go about their day, more than a few animals shot a glare toward the former Outsider lioness. Sherise didn't openly show it, but she still felt a little uneasy being out in the open like this. Yes, the queen had admitted that her exile had been unjustified, but she was well aware that some of the more prejudiced animals would never believe it.
Prince Jashua noticed the glares and frowned slightly before turning to her and gently nuzzling her cheek, hoping to soothe her. She gave a small smile as the group approached a small clearing.
The six of them settled down before Jashua spoke up, with Sherise pressing against him. "Mom, Dad… why did you bring the four of us out here? Is something wrong?"
"No, son. Nothing is wrong," Mheetu reassured the pale cream lion. He glanced at his mate, nodding.
Eshe cleared her throat. "As your father said, there's nothing wrong. But...we do need to talk to you four." the light brown lioness looked at Jashua. "Am I correct in assuming Sherise will be your future mate?"
Jashua met his mother's eyes. "It's either her or no one."
Eshe simply nodded. "I thought so. And have you two considered when you'll make it official?"
Jashua and Sherise exchanged looks. "No…not really. We did want it to be as soon as possible," Jashua said.
Eshe and Mheetu both shook their heads. "We were afraid of that," the light brown lioness muttered. She met her eldest son's eyes. "Jashua, Sherise …we would like you to wait at least a year before taking that step."
Sherise growled unhappily, and Jashua looked as if he wanted to protest, but Eshe continued.
"If you're willing to listen, there is a reason why we want you two to wait." At Jashua and Sherise's reluctant nods, the queen went on. "Sherise, Simba and the other former Outsiders need time to adjust and settle into the pride. That includes learning our laws, deciding on their roles within the pride, and learning to get along with their new pridemates."
"That does make sense," Sherise admitted with a small sigh.
Eshe sighed. "We have no intention of making you two wait any longer than that, but...there have been a lot of changes in the last few days. I believe the pride needs time to adjust." She glanced to the side for a moment. "And, well, there are still more changes to come."
Jashua, Sherise, Nala and Askari all exchanged confused glances. More changes? What else could be changing?
Instead of answering the unspoken question, Mheetu looked at Sherise. "Sherise, could you please give us a moment alone with Jashua, Nala and Askari? The other reason we needed to talk is something they should hear first. Jashua is welcome to tell you later."
Sherise looked puzzled but nodded before she gave Jashua an affectionate nuzzle. "I'll see you later," she said before turning and walking away.
As he watched her walk away, Jashua smiled. He was disappointed they would have to wait, but he knew his parents were right.
The pale cream lion sighed and returned his attention to his parents. "So... what else did you want to tell us?"
Mheetu and Eshe exchanged a glance before turning to face Jashua, Nala and Askari with soft, tender expressions. "Well, we have some very unexpected news to share with you three. What are your thoughts on being a big brother and sister?" the tawny lion asked.
Jashua looked puzzled before turning to face Nala and Askari. "But... I'm already a big brother." He smirked at his brother and sister, teasing them.
Nala and Askari stuck their tongues out at him.
Their parents laughed at their antics before Mheetu spoke again. "What your mother and I are trying to say is that you three are going to be an older brother and sister within the next few months. Your mother is expecting a cub."
With wide, shocked eyes, Jashua, Nala and Askari stared at their mother in stunned silence.
Eshe laughed softly before beginning to explain. "Rafiki examined me after the battle, of course and noticed something was wrong with my stomach. When he questioned me, I realized I hadn't been feeling well for quite some time. I assumed it was due to the stress of everything. But it appears that the Great Kings have decided to bless our family with a new little one."
"So... we're going to have a new brother or sister?" Askari finally spoke.
Eshe nodded as Mheetu said, "We never expected to have any more cubs after the three of you, but..." His voice trailed off as he looked at Eshe, smiling as he nuzzled her.
Jashua, Nala and Askari were stunned, trying to process the news.
"We know this is a shock to you three. That's why we wanted to tell you before we announce it to the pride later today," Eshe explained gently. "Rafiki's a bit concerned, given how much time has passed since I was expecting you three." Her family noticed her slightly offended expression, though none of them mentioned it. "And... well, the fact that I fought in the battle," she added, biting her lip.
A somber silence fell over them, though Nala and Askari couldn't stop thinking of Simba attacking their mother.
Eshe sighed as she continued. "What's done is done," the light brown lioness said, breaking the silence. He looked at her cubs. "Why don't the three of you take a break? You've been busy ever since the war. And now with this..."
Jashua, Nala and Askari exchanged glances and decided to accept their mother's offer for what it was. They nuzzled their parents before they turned and headed toward the waterhole.
"Just be back by sundown," Mheetu called after them.
"We will!" Jashua called back as the three of them vanished from sight.
Mheetu and Eshe sat in silence for a while. They never saw themselves becoming parents again, but something about raising a cub in a time of peace appealed to them.
Eshe sighed and rested her head under Mheetu's chin. "Think we'll be able to handle another one?"
"They can't be more troublesome than Jashua and Nala were as cubs, can they? We got extremely lucky with Askari. But I'm sure we'll be able to handle them. And we'll have our older cubs to help," Mheetu said.
Eshe smiled. "That's true." She nestled closer to her mate. Moments like these, when she and Mheetu could slip away from their duties, were few and far between. She treasured them even more after nearly losing her life to Chumvi's plot.
Mheetu chuckled softly. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I think your brother would like a break as well."
Eshe sighed but nodded with a small smile."You're right," she murmured.
Reluctantly, the two of them began to head back to Pride Rock and the duties that awaited them.