but a voice from behind stopped him.

            “Arif, we need to talk.”

            The prince flinched. He knew the voice. Sighing softly, he rose and turned to meet the irritated eyes of his mate. “What is it, Akase?” he asked with a low voice.

            “I want to know why you’ve been avoiding me for the past few weeks, and I want to know now.” She didn’t want to beat around the point with him any longer. She got straight to it.

            Arif sighed, clearly expecting this. “Akase, I love you, you know that…”

            “How do I know that, Arif? It’s not like you say it with meaning anymore. You’ve been avoiding me. You don’t want to spend any time with me. What did I do? Have I done something to offend you?”

            “No, you haven’t. It… it’s me, okay? I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

            “Well, what is it? You can tell me.” Arif turned away. This infuriated her. “Don’t turn your back on me, Arif. Look me, right now, in the eye, and tell me what’s wrong.”

            He refused to move. “I can’t. It’s a shaman thing.”

            She threw her head back and laughed but it wasn’t humorous. “‘A shaman thing’, is that all you care about? Is your work more important than me and the cubs?”

            Arif’s eyes widened and he spun around. “What? Of course you and the cubs are important. You’re everything to me.”

            She pawed the ground, wishing she could believe him. “You need to take some time off from your work, Arif. Is that possible?”

            Arif paused, hesitant. He wasn’t sure about that. He needed something to keep him busy, and healing, meditating, and helping Rafiki did that. “I… I don’t know, Akase…” he answered, slowly lowering his head.

            “I’ll talk to Rafiki then.”

            “No!” Arif said insistently, lifting his head up. “Don’t. Akase, he… he needs me. He can’t do it forever. He needs someone to succeed him.”

            Akase snarled. “I need you, Arif. Our cubs need you. They need their father.” In her snarl, her voice began to break. “I grew up without a father. I don’t want them to go through the same thing.”

            “They won’t, Akase. I love them and I love you.”

            “You hardly show it. You’re hardly home. We almost never see you. You’re not even sleeping in the den with us anymore. Why?”

            “It’s complicated,” he whispered.

            “What’s complicated about it? Tell me.”

            He lowered his head. “No. You… you wouldn’t understand…”

            “Oh, I wouldn’t? Try me. I’m not stupid.”

            “I never said you were. And, like I said, it’s a shaman thing. Respect that.”

            “No,” Akase said pointedly.

            He looked up at her, his eyes different, almost angry. “What?”

            “No, no, no, no, NO!” She repeated the word to make sure it registered in his head. “I won’t respect that. You’re making your work to be your whole life. Because of that, your cubs, our cubs, have been pushed to the side and so have I. If something is bothering you then you should tell me instead of hiding and avoiding.”

            “It’s not that easy. Please, respect me and respect the fact that my work as a shaman is important.” He tried not to show his anger but she wasn’t making it simple.

            “Who did you marry, Arif, me or your work as a shaman? What’s really more important to you?”

            “My family is important, Akase. Why are you asking me this? You think I love being a shaman more than you and the kids?” He shook his head. “Don’t make me choose.”

            “I am making you choose! Your work must have something to do with why you’ve not been talking to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if the kids are concerned.”

            “Akase…” He walked up and tried to nuzzle her. She stepped back. “Akase, I do love you, but there are some things I just can’t say. Yes, it has something to do with my work. I’m sorry that I’m being so secretive, but I have to be. Shamans… we have to be that way at times…”

            “Why?” she near yelled.

            “Akase…” he said in a near warning tone.

            She groaned in frustration and walked past him. She stopped. “I saw you with Saada,” she said after a tense silence.

            Arif became still. He knew what was coming.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The afternoon sun was almost gone and the skies colors started to change. The pride was still outside. No one entered the den. The king and his parents spoke softly as the night began to make its appearance, but Baraka had told the pride earlier to not enter the den for awhile. Aside from Hasira, who was angry at this, none of them minded. Baraka didn’t see his brother and sister-in-law go in, but he had a feeling, and since neither one was out there with them, Baraka assumed that the den was where they were.

            The cubs were talking in the grass. Njozi was feeling a little better now with the words her brothers and friends spoke, but she still felt cold. She knew where her parents were. She hoped nothing was wrong.

            “They’re probably talking nicely,” Sharif was saying.

            The princess was about to respond when they, even the adults, heard shouting from inside the den.

            “Akase, it wasn’t like that! She was trying to help me!” The voice was Arif’s.

            Akase was almost out of the den, and then she stopped, whirling around to face her mate with angry eyes. “I’ll bet she was!” the princess snarled with her tail lashed furiously behind her. “That’s what her name means, right? Arif… I don’t care anymore. It’s clear you can talk to her more than you can to me! I’m done trying to reason with you. You care more about shamanism than your own family.”

            Arif was about to speak but Akase was already out of the den.

            The lionesses outside lifted their heads to hear the last few words and to see Akase run past them down the ramp. Arif followed then stopped, hanging his head low in defeat. The lionesses exchanged mixed glances but none of them spoke. They merely returned to their now quiet reduced conversations. Baraka, Kovu and Kiara turned to see Arif with a distressed look on his face, watching his mate run through the grasses. The prince groaned and hit the ground with a paw.

            The cubs had their eyes glued to the retreating form of the adult princess. Sharif and his sisters bowed their heads. They knew what this meant.

            Adabu and Adisa were speechless. Slowly, they turned to their sister, who was standing, looking frozen. Adabu rose and approached.