Trembling, he reached with a paw to touch her then set it down in the grass. He shut his eyes and opened them again just as quickly. There were no tears, but a deep emotion that not even Baraka could see. The king took a step back, but Arif didn’t notice. He was too focused on the sight he knew would not leave his mind anytime soon, if ever.

            Here was his wife, his partner, and mother of his children lying in the grass asleep, but Arif knew this wasn’t true. Something inside told him that something was wrong, as he, Kadiri, Baraka, and Kahuni made their way here. Somehow he knew in the depths of his heart that Akase had passed on. During the walk he felt sick. Surely she didn’t have any illnesses. She’d always been in good health. How did this happen?

            “Kadiri,” the shaman asked with a toneless voice. The guardian came up beside him. “How did she die?”

            The gray lion flinched, but duty came first. Emotion could wait. He’d have to tell Dailia. He cleared his throat, getting into guard character. “From what I examined, the bite was from a snake. The poisonous type, I’m guessing.”

            “Did she suffer?”

            “From her position, I’d say no. And, I don’t think a snake could’ve bitten her without her feeling it. I’m also thinking that she must have been walking and brushed against something, a small tree branch and…” He paused, knowing Arif would figure it out.

            “All right, thank you.” Arif swallowed a growing lump in his throat, one he knew that if let out, he would show emotion. He didn’t want to, not yet. His entire body felt hot inside and out. He was feeling… what? No time to wonder about that. “Baraka,” he asked, after a silent moment.

            “What is it, Arif,” the king asked with respect. He was stunned but relieved and worried for his brother. Arif would need him now more than ever as would the cubs.

            “Will there be a memorial?”

            Baraka thought long and hard. Arif wanted a memorial? Would anyone attend? Akase didn’t find that much favor with the pride, and splitting up from her family made everyone believe she’d been not the right mate for the prince/shaman after all. And the fact that one of their own lionesses, one of the prince’s best friends, comes home on the back of her brother unconscious with deep claw wounds puzzled them. They’d all wondered.

            “Will there be a memorial?” Arif asked again.

            “You want one?” Baraka wondered.

            Arif was silent. Akase was a princess, his mate, and a mother. She was a member of the Pridelands. And all the dead deserve to be remembered… even if they weren’t liked or loved by the pride or animals. At last, he spoke, his voice soft, but firm. “Yes. She should have one. She was my wife, and a princess of this kingdom.”

            That was all Baraka needed to hear. He nodded. “Then she shall have one. Would you like to have it tonight, in the early evening?”

            Arif gave a thick nod as a response. An early evening memorial would be fine. “Brother,” he then said. “Please, leave me? I need to be alone right now.”

            “Okay,” Baraka replied and he left with Kahuni and Kadiri. The king whispered to his majordomo to tell all animal leaders of a death in the royal family. “Can you go alone?” he asked. “I’m not feeling well, and my father is home. I need to tell him and summon the pride.”

            “Not a problem, sire,” said the cheetah with a gentle smile. With a swift bow, he took off.

            “Kadiri,” Baraka said after the cheetah left, “if you can’t work –”

            “I’m alright, sire, really,” the guardian answered quickly. “I’ll be okay, and if you’re not feeling well I’ll take care of things and inform the other guards. You go home and rest.”

            The king smiled, head bumped his friend and then walked in the direction to Pride Rock.

            Kadiri watched him go. True, he himself was not feeling well, but he put Baraka’s needs before his own. He would be alright when he found Dailia.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Arif continued to stare at the body of his mate. Could he give in to emotion now that the others were gone? Slowly, he lay down in the grass. “Akase,” he whispered in the still air. “I… I’m so sorry. If only I had… If only I had explained a bit to you –”

            But he knew even a bit of the message was impossible to share. What he did, he did rightly. It was she who couldn’t accept. Was this really his fault? Was this some kind of punishment, given by God because he failed to be a good husband? Was Saada, lying in Baraka’s chambers, in the care of Etana’s power and fighting for her life, another punishment because of the temptation of his feelings for her? Feelings he should’ve expressed years ago?

            He loved Akase at one time, of that he had no doubt, but with recent events, and seeing her like this… He now realized his guilt and regret. Was him being a shaman the cause of this? Why did he want it and take it if it would cost him a loved one? Could he have known this was going to happen? He wasn’t a predictor of the future, his daughter was. But this wasn’t her fault, either. She had had no visions of this. She couldn’t have known.

            Arif was beginning to understand that no one in heaven or on the earth could have known this was going to happen.

            Things happen for a reason… How true that statement was starting to be. But this… what, if anything, good or bad, could come of it? He lost his wife and his children… Arif sighed painfully. The cubs… How was he going to tell them? How do you tell your kids that their mother is dead? I have to tell them. God… please, give me the right words and the strength to help them through this. Above all else, give me the strength to get through this.

            He tenderly licked Akase’s cheek and shivered. Her cheek, as well as the rest of her body he presumed, was cold. “I love you,” he said softly, but whether he meant has mate or friend, the latter being true, he wasn’t sure, but the words were, no matter their meaning. He did love her.

            He rose with a heavy sigh, and left. No one would come near the body. He knew Baraka gave orders to the advisor, who would carry them out and the animals would listen, obey and respect them. They always did; to not would be disrespectful.

            He walked in the direction his cubs resided. This would not be easy, but he had to do it. He was their father, the only parent they had left.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Baraka walked up the stairs of Pride Rock slowly. His mind felt like it would explode at any minute, but he had so much on it he wouldn’t be surprised if it did. His brother’s mate was dead, and his nephews and niece no longer had a mother. He didn’t like Akase, no one did really, but why did this have to happen? What did Arif do wrong? All he did was his job, and in Baraka’s eyes Arif did it well. He never faltered, never failed to do what was right for the animals or the lions of the kingdom. He was a good father and husband. So why was he suffering a loss like this?

            Baraka wished he could put himself in Arif’s place, but that was impossible. He had no idea what Arif was going through. He didn’t want to. Seeing Akase laying there was an image he wouldn’t get out of his head for weeks, maybe longer. And this had given the king another reason to not marry. He would never want to lose someone so close to him, but Akase and Arif were not that close. They never shared the same values.

            Now that Baraka thought about it, Arif and