“Saada… I’ve known you since we were cubs. You’ve helped me through many rough times. We have a bond that is unbreakable…” The emotion snaked its way through his body and he trembled. “I never realized how special and important you are to me. I never admitted the idea of having feelings for you.” He wanted to move closer.

            She choked back a cry. His words filled her ears, echoed in her heart, but she couldn’t speak.

            He continued. “I hadn’t even thought about it until you helped me try and reason with Akase. I never saw you act like that. I was afraid I had done something wrong.”

            Tears rolled down her face. Please, stop! “It wasn’t you, it was me. I was jealous of your relationship and marriage to Akase.” There she said it.

            So that’s why she’d acted angry that day! “While I felt my relationship with Akase slip after the fight, Baraka took me to the waterhole where I… I said I was your mate.” He flinched, his heart in his throat, his chest squeezing him.

            She gasped quietly. He couldn’t have said that!

            His breathing grew heavy. “I’ve thought about you for a long time,” he said softly. “I thought of what it would be like if we had married…”

            A part of her was shocked that he was saying these things, yet for so many years she wanted to hear it. She wanted to hear this confession of any feelings, but he was beating around it. She wouldn’t pressure him. If he had to get it out using the long way, she’d let him. He waited long enough, just as she did.

            “Then Njozi is able to talk to you without being hurt verbally. She thinks highly of you, so do my sons. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. You’ve been their cub sitter from the time they were able to go out of the den. They think of you as a second mother.”

            In her emotions, she clawed the ground. Now his cubs had feelings toward her too? Other than helping Njozi she hadn’t meant to make such an impact on their lives. Tears streamed and small quiet sobs racked her body. She couldn’t take it anymore.

            “Arif, what are you saying?”

            He took a deep breath, his emotions overwhelming him as he’d say the words that would change his life and the lives of his children forever. Slightly hesitating, he moved closer, watching her shake and tremble.

            “I love you. You were really my first love even when I was with Akase.” He shuddered. “A small part of me will always love her, but the feelings I have for you are stronger. You’ve been there for me, supported me when she didn’t. You were there for my cubs, Njozi especially. We hung out as cubs all the time. We were always together. You supported me in my decision to become a shaman. Remember that sunset?” He smiled.

            Her heart thrummed. He said the words. And she remembered the sunset they shared when they were younger. She thought that moment would change them. It had but not in the way they expected, but maybe it led them to this point. That sunset when their heads rested against one another… She looked up at him, his face inches from hers. More tears fell from her eyes and she nuzzled him, wrapping her head around his mane covered neck.

            “I love you, Arif,” she said, tears freely streaming.

            As his own tears fell, he wrapped a paw around her back and felt her do the same. They held each other, not wanting to let go.

            Unseen at the entrance, the young princes and princess looked at each other smiling.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Baraka led her to the same waterhole that had been their meeting place for almost two months. When they arrived, they lay down in the grass and didn’t speak. Baraka’s mind was filled with so many things he wanted to say, but he wanted to time it properly. He shivered. The last time they were here, she told him of her past, and hearing that made him realize just how connected they were. He was firstborn and heir to the throne, as was she of her old pride. He had a twin brother, as did she. Who knew that the lioness he formed a special and unexplainable bond with was royalty?

            Her tail twitched and she set her sightless eyes on him. “What brings us here, Baraka?” she finally asked.

            He looked at her, his heart hammering. He swallowed. This was the first night they’d been able to talk away from the pride. After she’d healed herself, the pride wanted to see if she was alright. The cubs had been relieved. Njozi had run up and nuzzled her foreleg fiercely and crying. Etana purred to calm the young princess, telling her she was well. Baraka had given her time to herself. He didn’t want to burden her with his worries, many of which she felt and addressed to him.

            “Well, we haven’t had a chance to talk and…” The words filled his throat but he forced them down. “I’m sure you’ve been told about Hasira?” A shadow of pain covered his face.

            She nodded. “Dailia told me. I don’t blame you, Baraka. You did the right thing. She couldn’t stay here; we all know she’d have tried again. Maybe she’ll be happier somewhere else.”

            He expected to hear something more in anger, not compassion. But then, she was slow to anger. He rarely saw that side of her and wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to. After everything she went through how could she be so calm? “Hasira nearly killed you,” he wanted to say but instead he shrugged. “I hope so.” And I hope she never returns…

            Etana reached out and touched his paw with hers. The warmth spread from her to him, warming his soul. Did she know what he thought? If she did could he keep his true thoughts hidden?

            She pulled her paw away, but the warmth remained. What a feeling! Now, with that, how could he say why he brought her out here? How could he say the words he said four nights ago? He bit his lip and rose, turning from her. He gritted his teeth. If he didn’t tell her tonight, there would be other chances, but this was really it. He’d come so close to losing her to Hasira’s brutal attacks that he believed that that stormy night was it, that it was really over. That he’d lost his one chance at true happiness.

            He turned only to see her standing and facing him. The warmth filled his body. He pawed the grass shyly and spoke. “Etana, I’ve never known a lioness like you. You’re different than those I grew up with. My whole life I never saw myself with anyone, at least not anyone I could love or share my life with. I was always afraid I’d be remembered as the king with no line to follow him. That I’d be the king who would give his throne to a nephew because I never married or had cubs of my own.” He shrugged. “For the first six months of my reign I heard talk, gossip… the bad kind. Then I started having nightmares about what this kingdom would be like if I never married or married the wrong lioness.”

            She felt his breathing and heart rate increase and decrease as the words left and sank in. She felt the pain and worry with each word spoken. Like her, he’d been through a lot in life. He suffered gossip. She did too. For months her blood father raged about how she could never take his place as no lion would want a cub with a blind lioness, even if she was queen. She knew how Baraka was feeling and shared his pain. Her heart rate rose.

            He continued. “I dealt with the nightmares and the gossip, and then Arif started having problems with Akase.” He looked up at her. “Then you and Takata came. I didn’t know what to expect from that. I never imagined I would be able to talk with a lioness I’d only known a few hours, then a few days, and find myself able to trust her in the healing of a friend.”

            “Baraka, I only healed Dailia, Njozi, and Saada because it was the right