rose, and walked to the other side of her, just barely able to squeeze his large body between her and the wall. Carefully he laid a foreleg upon her shoulder. In that moment he couldn’t help but think on their agreement to remain mates for the sake of their prides and still take other mates. He had known even then that such an idea could go wrong. It’s like having three creatures in a union… He shut his eyes and quietly groaned. No, not ‘like’. It is!

If Aricin was honest with himself, something that was truly rare, but for the sake of doing so in this moment and where he was, whom he was with, he would be. He’d always believed Princesses were spoiled, much like his own sisters, or at least Nuala. He wasn’t sure about Jyotika so he ruled her out as not. But Nuala… she was headstrong and stubborn. He believed that she was more arrogant than him. He smirked quietly. I wonder how the Pridelands will fair under her rule, he silently wondered. Jangwa, on the other paw, was doing well under him and Asya. With any luck they would keep it that way.

Aricin looked down at his mate with tenderness uncommon to him. The day he was named her King she included him in every decision, asking his opinion, but even doing that there was nothing more than friendship between them. Staring at her now, seeing her so vulnerable, so helpless, Aricin wondered if they had given up too easily. Both he and Asya had been born into unstable lives. She had an elderly father, two young sisters and a kingdom on her shoulders by the time she was fully old enough to inherit it, receive it and protect it with her life.

Aricin, however, had been the third born to his royal parents, the second son, and the only one of his siblings to lose his home because he allowed his hotheadedness get the better of him and attacked his equally hotheaded older sister for rights to the throne. His foolish actions had gotten him exiled and sent here because his father couldn’t deal with him and didn’t want anything or anyone stupid or dangerous to stand in the way of his chosen successor’s rise to the throne.

He suppressed the urge to growl, and now that he ran it over in his head for what seemed the umpteenth time, he realized he never told Asya the reason he was passed over the Pridelander kingship. Why talk about something that landed me here in the first place, he thought with a roll of his eyes.

He felt movement under his foreleg. He looked. Asya was moving a little, not enough to stir her from her fever imposed sleep but it was a start. At least he knew she was okay. He wanted to get up and let her mother handle this but the hunting party was her responsibility. They needed her. And she wouldn’t like it if I told her to take care of her daughter when I promised – under her orders – I would.

He could imagine the look in Tosca’s eyes if he did just that. It made him shake a little. For a near aging lioness Tosca did not look her age, but she was feisty. Aricin knew that. She reminded him of his mother.

But did Asya’s mother know that her daughter was not in love with her mate, the King? If she did Aricin was surprised she didn’t come to him or Asya separately or with the two of them together and ask what was wrong. If that ever happened, what could they say? They would be putting their respective prides at risk for war if they told the truth.

Aricin’s head darted all around. He shook it. He was tired. All of his thoughts were giving him a headache. He laid his head down on the ground close to Asya’s, his eyes blinking. They had been born into unstable lives and almost found stability ruling together. They were friends, always would be it seemed but he had learned from living in the Pridelands that mates, especially ones who led a kingdom, were more than just co-rulers. They were partners in each other’s lives. They took care of each other, which was what Aricin was doing now for Asya. Would she do the same for him if he was the one laying here sick? Neither of them had done nothing to earn the other’s mistrust. Neither had cause for concern not to count on the other to get things done for the sake of the kingdom. Everything was working together; everything had its balance, even they themselves as King and Queen.

But not as true mates, Aricin thought again, and he shut his eyes for a moment. Then he looked to Asya. Did we really give up too quickly? Could it be we were just scared, afraid of getting hurt that we’ve allowed ourselves the chance to not get close?

His emotions rose again and tenderly he stroked her shoulder with his paw. “Asya,” he said, speaking her name softly and gently, “it was so hard for me to rely on my family for anything, including the chance to prove myself to them that I could rule the Pridelands.” He shrugged. “Of course, I didn’t make it easy. But I feel like my father ruled me out to not be his successor the day I was born.”

He didn’t realize it at first but hot tears of anger started to leak from his eyes. “I find myself envious of the relationship you had with your siblings and parents.” He chuckled. “I know that must sound crazy coming from me.” He gritted his teeth. “And I feel like I’m wasting my words because you’re unable to reply.” He swallowed. “Oh Asya, I am so sorry you’re like this.”

He laid his head down on her side again. He felt his heart beat and heard hers. They were beating at the same pace, the same rhythm. He’d heard his late grandmother Kiara talk about being one with his grandfather Kovu, her mate. She said it was like being in tune with the one who was meant to be your other half long before you realized it. She said that she and Kovu were so connected to each other they didn’t even need to speak half the time.

Aricin, a cub at the time, had thought such a thing gross and disgusting, something only for adults. But now he was an adult and had a mate, though only in name. Hearing the beat of their hearts, so, as his late grandmother called, in tune with each other, made him feel one with Asya in that moment. But he still wasn’t sure if he was letting himself feel this way towards her because she was sick or if…

He put it out of his mind… for now.

“Asya,” he began again, “I promise I’m going to be here with you until you’re well. And the pride… everyone is fine. They’re worried about you, of course, but your mother is assuring them you’ll be okay. Your sister Themba is patrolling with the young lions. All is well with… with our kingdom.”

For the first time since he entered their chamber he wanted to hear her voice. But until the fever left her he wouldn’t. His heart beat hard in his chest. His stomach dropped and he closed his eyes. He was tired and didn’t want to eat anything from the kill when it was brought back by Lady Tosca and the hunting party. As long as Asya, his Queen, was unwell, he would be unable to consume any meat. He laid his head down on the ground and decided to sleep.

It was a long while later before he opened his eyes again. With such darkness there was no need for the dark red brown King to blink his dark red hazel eyes. Suddenly alarmed he turned to her and, like before, laid his head down on her side. She was still breathing and her heart was still beating. He sighed in relief. Asya was still alive… still with him.

Aricin felt his own heart rise in his throat. Anxiety accompanied it. He rose, walked around her and stood in the middle of the chamber, just near the entrance and stretched. How long he’d been lying down he wasn’t sure but his legs were numb. He stretched his forelegs out first, then the back. He shook his mane. He wanted to see if any of the pride had returned but he dared not. Asya still needed him. She was his top priority. Anything could happen. He turned his head back to her, sorrow filling him. He wished she would wake. He wanted and needed her to be all right.

“Aricin,” said a voice behind him at the chamber entrance.

The King turned his head and walked over. It was Tosca. “Hi Tosca,” he said with a tired voice.

The elder lioness noticed. “How is she?”

“Still with us, thankfully. I’ve been here the whole time, I promise you.” He paused. “I… I didn’t want to leave her, in case anything happened.”

She nodded. “Yes, I understand and I am glad you’ve…”

He allowed a smile to fall on his face. “Kept to my marriage vows?”

“I didn’t mean –”

“No, Tosca, it’s okay.” He shrugged a little. “Since I’ve been here I’ve done a great deal of thinking.” His ears flickered and he stared at his mother-in-law. “I know that my relationship with Asya has to change. It has to be what it should be. It’s not fair for either of us to live a lie, and…” Aricin turned back to Asya’s still unmoving body. “And life is so precarious… so short and fragile.”

“Aricin, you don’t have to tell me this.”

“No, I do. You need to hear this.” He stared at the former Queen once more. “I know that you were deeply hesitant to agree with your late mate, Asya’s father, with his and my father’s plans to betroth Asya and me. She and I weren’t too thrilled about it either.”

Tosca tried a smile and barely succeeded. “Yet here the two of you are ruling Jangwa together.”

“Yes, but not in the way we should be. This kingdom deserves a King and Queen who are