and spoke with a clear voice. “I do.” He smiled, a tear falling out of his eye.

            Rafiki’s heart swelled, then he turned to Saada and repeated the vows.

            The lioness choked back a joyful cry, and stared into the eyes of the lion she loved since they were young adults. Her blue eyes met his red. The vows were over and it was time to answer.

            “I do,” she said, smiling. Arif smiled back and out of the corner of his eye saw his cubs, each of them also smiling and resting their heads on the head and shoulder of Kadiri and Dailia’s children. Saada noticed too and on the other side saw her brother softly crying. Mabaki always was a softy and now he had good reason to be. The white lion was not only brother-in-law to the shaman of the Pridelands, but also to the king! And he was an uncle. Yes, Mabaki had a good reason to cry.

            The prince and new princess turned to Baraka and Etana. Rafiki came to them.

            One couple down, one to go…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Baraka couldn’t recall the last time he felt joy. The day of his coronation he was proud to accept leadership and the responsibilities. When Arif’s cubs were born, he was pleased. Today, however, joy spread throughout his body, and keeping his emotions low prevented nervousness. Sure, this was his wedding day, but he wasn’t going to overdo it. And he wasn’t like most animals that imagined their wedding days, but now...

            He knew God worked in mysterious ways, but like this? To bless him with a lioness who understood his trials, his fears, and could heal was too good to be true. But it wasn’t a dream. It was real. Everything that happened in the last few months was real. This wasn’t a nightmare he couldn’t escape or a dream that would end abruptly. This was here, now, and it was for him and him alone.

            He watched as Takata led his daughter to him. The black lion’s red eyes were filled with love, and she… Only his mind spoke the words his mouth couldn’t. Now she was facing him, her blind eyes staring into his. He still wondered what her eyes could have looked like, but as often as he wondered, he never wished it. She didn’t need to see him. She saw plenty. He was grateful for the rain season. It’d given him time to spend with his parents, his brother, his brother’s cubs, and most of all, her. It seemed strange that he’d known Etana a few months, yet it felt like his whole life. The way she identified with him on every level, both personal and royal. She was no stranger.

            He glanced at Rafiki and gave a small nod. The mandrill used the same wording. Baraka listened hard, making mental notes and putting them on his heart. He silently thanked God for this. When Rafiki no longer spoke, he answered the question.

            “I do.” A tear fell from each eye. He saw Etana smile and the shaman moved on to her. Her ears flickered after each sentence.

            “… To keep yourself only for him for the rest of your life…?”

            The king held his breath, but Etana’s eyes were still on his, never leaving.

            “I do,” she said with a smile.

            Warmth fell over him and he waited for Rafiki to make it official.

            The mandrill plucked a fruit from his staff, tore it in half and dipped a forefinger into the juice. The lions and lionesses bowed their heads, and Rafiki smeared some of the juice on their foreheads. He took his staff in both hands and waved it over each couples’ heads. He stepped back and lifted his hands to heaven.

            “By de power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife.” He smiled. “You may kiss your brides.”

            Arif and Saada nuzzled each other fiercely. He kissed her cheek and they looked on his children. The growing cubs cheered like everyone else, but the ceremony wasn’t over.

            Baraka and Etana nuzzled one another gently and she held out a forepaw. He put his on top of hers.

            Rafiki faced them. “Etana, daughter of Takata, wife of King Baraka, do you promise to uphold all laws and traditions of de Pridelands, care for your pride, de inhabitants of dis realm, put deir needs before your own, and support our king through good times and bad?”

            She felt Baraka’s strength. His saying that marrying him would give her the position that was hers from birth would be made true, not that she didn’t believe him at the time. He always meant the things he said.

            From what Baraka could see, her non-seeing eyes held the determination and strength he admired and loved.

            Her voice was firm and strong. “I promise.”

            The mandrill put a hand on her shoulder. At first, he’d been partly mistrusting, not believing that she had the power to heal, but that power came from the One who’d given him and Arif their callings as shamans. He smiled. “With de blessings of de Lord, I hereby name you, Etana, Queen of the Pridelands.” He took a step back and bowed.

            Baraka gave her a smile, nuzzled her lovingly, and they turned to the pride. Roars sounded from all over. Baraka looked at Arif, gave him a wink and with Etana at his side, as she would be for the rest of his life, he walked up the promontory. All heads bowed as they passed.

            When they got to the tip, after sharing another but brief nuzzle, Baraka let out a powerful roar. Etana also roared, her tone matching Baraka’s, then they roared together. Behind them the pride’s roars followed theirs, giving their acceptance of a full leadership.

            The sounds died down, but the animals expressed their happiness with cheers and pounding hooves.

            A wind blew around them. Baraka saw the leaves; Etana just felt its embrace. They nuzzled each other again.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Though banished by royal decree, the gray brown lioness managed to sneak across the borders and mix herself in with the large assembly of animals to witness this special event. They wouldn’t see her; there were too many large animals and felines her size. She looked up at the promontory. There weren’t tears in her eyes, but her heart surged with pain, rage and a small beat of surrender. He made his choice. There was nothing she could do. To go up there and show her face was suicide. Baraka would probably kill her for what she had done to Etana when the rain season started.

            Her ears fell. Hasira had to accept what was and is.

            What was: Baraka was married. What is: It wasn’t to her.

            Their roars echoed in her ears. With a hung head she turned, making her way through the throng of animals. She had to wonder if the leaders up on that sacred stone even noticed her. She doubted it. The whole of the Pridelands had traveled from their respected places to be here. They wouldn’t notice one animal leave.

            When she managed to walk between a zebra and a giraffe, she ran for the borders of the Pridelands. Which border? It didn’t matter, and Baraka didn’t banish her to any specific place. No matter where she went, she would do something. A part of her hoped to find a new pride, another part for her to become a rogue. Which was better, or worse? She shrugged. Whatever the option, she would know when it happened. Baraka was no longer hers; he never was. Now he was…

            She growled and ran harder.

            When she got passed a border, she could have sworn she saw and felt a mist surround her as she walked into an unknown destination, to some new part or place in her life.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The day passed quickly. By mid afternoon the lions and lionesses ate from the carcasses caught the day before. Hunting on the day of any special event was