color and she had white rimmed ears, her tail tuft also colored white. She was pretty in her own way.

            Adabu was always thrilled whenever she looked after him and the others. She always had a story to tell about her cubhood with Baraka and Arif, something the royal cubs found interesting. The prince lay down next to her, hoping to sleep for a few moments.

            Some minutes later, Saada opened her eyes, turning her head to the side. She smiled. “Tired as well, Prince Adabu?” she asked and the cub woke, lifted his head to see her staring down at him.

            Adabu smiled sheepishly. He hadn’t meant to wake her. His ears went back, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Saada. I grew tired of playing and since you were asleep…”

            “It’s okay. I don’t mind you being here or any of the other cubs. It’s always… soothing to have small bodies lying near me. Not many lionesses enjoy that but I do. You all know that.”

            “So, I didn’t disturb you?” Adabu questioned. Saada shook her head. “Okay, good.” He smiled.

            There was a pause and they looked at the group of friends. Saada lowered her head, beginning to remember the times she played with Hasira and Dailia. It was always so rough. Hasira always played hard. She thought of a day when her friends wrestled. Hasira had smacked her sister in the jaw and clawed her side. Saada had run in to help but Hasira pushed her down, almost making her fall onto a sharp rock. Hasira was punished for her actions, but she never let up. She’d still continued her cruel behavior. Saada shivered at the memory.

            As they all grew, Baraka being trained by Kiara and Kovu to be the next king, Hasira found herself supposedly falling in love with him. Saada knew it wasn’t love but lust, a lust for power. Saada sighed. Baraka had told Hasira repeatedly over the years that he was not in love with her and never would be. But Hasira was hardheaded, always saying that he would come to his senses, saying that they were meant to rule the Pridelands as King and Queen.

            “Hasira,” she thought. “Why can’t you just leave him alone?”

            “Saada…?” The lioness was drawn out of her thoughts. She looked down at Adabu. “I know you’re worried about Uncle Baraka, I am too… So are they, at least Adisa and Njozi are,” he said, glancing to his friends who were still playing in the water.

            Saada nodded. There was something amazing and slightly alarming about Arif’s eldest son but it didn’t bother her. Adabu was like his father. Smart, intelligent and handsome… She had a strange feeling that Adabu would be a great help to the Pridelands in the future that is unless the prince wanted to start a kingdom of his own.

            After a moment, Saada found her voice. “Am I really that predictable Adabu or can you read my thoughts,” she said chuckling.

            The prince laughed. “No, but I do know that you, my father and uncle have always had a close bond.” He paused. “And that you and Uncle Baraka love each other but as friends,” he continued. “He may not have a mate but he has so many animals, who, care about him.”

            She nodded slowly. “He’s like the brother I never had, your father too.”

            Adabu moved closer, placing a paw on hers. “I know. Dad’s told me a lot about your cubhood. You’re a good friend to everyone in the pride. And we enjoy having you for a cub sitter.” He nuzzled her.

            “Thank you, Adabu. You’re a good cub.”

            “Well, my name means ‘Good manners’. I try to live up to it.”

            “You do, Adabu, you do.”

            “Thank you, Saada.”

            She nuzzled him. “You’re welcome, my prince.”

            A few minutes later, Adabu kindly left Saada’s side going to rejoin his playmates.

            Saada put her head on her paws to nap.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Kadiri enjoyed his life. What more could he ask for? He had the life he always dreamed of. Sure, it didn’t involve him ruling a kingdom, it didn’t have him being king, and Dailia has his queen or his son as the future king. Not to mention his daughters growing into good huntresses and finding good lions to share their lives with. Secretly, he always hoped for that. He wanted to have such a life, but fate had other plans for him, plans he at first wasn’t sure were meant for him.

            After a while of thinking, Kadiri felt he was meant to be in the Pridelands, mainly to help Baraka, as his friend was king and in need of help. Even before Baraka took the throne, Kadiri had felt a new responsibility setting itself firmly on his shoulders. He remembered speaking to Dailia about his feelings and to his surprise she had agreed with him. To surprise him even more, Mabaki also agreed and wanted to stay in their homeland. Stay they did and to Kadiri it was the best decision he had ever made. He served proudly as a guardian of the Pridelands and one day, he would teach Sharif what Kovu had taught him. Kadiri’s father was a rogue lion, as was Mabaki’s, and the Prince Regent thought of the two males as sons.

            Even now, he wouldn’t change a thing in his life. He wouldn’t change watching his cubs grow up in the same place as he did nor would he change falling in love with Dailia. Dailia was always one of his closest friends. He couldn’t stand her sister, but then, no one could. And he was always surprised that Hasira never made any moves on him, Mabaki or Arif. For as long as he could remember, Hasira always had eyes for Baraka. He knew the reasons why, they all did. Six months ago Baraka was to be the next king and any lioness he would choose to marry would be his queen. Luckily for him, for everyone, Hasira was not their queen. But sadly for Baraka and all of them, he had no mate and without a queen, there would be no heir.

            Kadiri felt sorry for his friend. Baraka was such a good lion. Why couldn’t he find someone decent to spend his life with?

            These thoughts continued to plague the guardian’s mind that he narrowly missed a strange scent in the air. He stopped and looked around. He was on the west side of the Pridelands. He stood still and waited, hoping to catch a whiff of the strange scent again. There it was and he sniffed the air, his head lifted to the sky. He pulled back in surprise. It was a scent he had never before smelt. He pointed his head in the direction of where he believed to be the scent’s location, and began walking through the grasses.

            He walked near onto his belly for over ten minutes, trying his hardest to keep himself hidden, so as not to be detected. His black white streaked mane would surely give him away. He hoped it wouldn’t. After a few more minutes he paused and stared ahead, relaxing his eyes. Something was moving through the grass. He tensed, staying completely still. His vision wasn’t playing tricks on him. He was definitely seeing something. It was almost the same color as his mane, except it was a body, or at least, that’s what he mindfully declared it to be. As much as he wanted to move, he couldn’t. He had to wait and not speak, or breathe. He flexed his claws, allowing them to feel the earth. He looked up and carefully crept some few paces.

            Finally, he broke into a run and leapt into the air, but his eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly saw that what he had seen had also leapt into the air the same time he did. He spread himself out but it wasn’t enough. He fell on his back and raised a paw to claw at who he was fighting with. He slammed his raised paw into a face. The animal roared and Kadiri’s eyes widened in shock. It was a lioness and not anyone he knew from the pride.

            He saw the lioness step back, holding an angry glare. Kadiri rose to his feet and just stared at her. There was something wrong with her eyes but