Read Fanfic : The Golden Queen 3/3 (Page 12)

in his appearance was short but sandy-red beard, making him unlike to any other Pridelander or even Golden One. Probably this beard made him look seriously on his young age, what made him perfect bard and arbiter of prides. Since he had started his duty of communicating and building cooperation between prides, he was also a storyteller and some kind of historian of both Pridelanders and Golden Ones. In hard times of Second Drought, aside diplomatic role he played, a tales he was telling to lions were sustaining their spirits. Even Dhalimu understood this, that why he had allowed him to speak with Golden Pride.

“Ow...” whispered Kota, beautiful lioness with shining gold fur and green eyes. “I’ve never seen queen Zira in that perspective...”

“Stop that!” interrupted king Dhalimu. Giant, brownmaned lion stood and entered circle of lionesses. “These are just fancy stories... a fairytales...”

“This is history about your grandmother.” Said Taka with firm voice. “And my grandmother, queen Zira. Remember it, sir.”

King looked like was about to hit younger and weaker male but after a while he just burst in laughter.

“Ha! My cousin spoke well!” he called. “Praise Zira, my grandmother and mother of my father, Kovu! Long live the glory of our family line...” he came closer to prince of Prideland and whispered him to ear. “But don’t you dare tell again about regicide, Scar, Zira and such a stuff... because I don’t want to kill you.”

“I’m not the only one, who knows this tale. You will hear it anyway... cousin!” finished with cold whisper. Monarch laughed.

“Good... I like you, Taka. What a shame that you are just second in line... What a shame that Dhahabu kicked you out from the pride... But, we can’t help it... regicide is terribly crime, don’t you think?”

“My brother hasn’t banished me!” replied Taka. “I took this service according to my will.”

“Service of royal messenger?” asked Dhalimu with irony. “And teller of fairytales? Well, it’s good to have an aim in life.”

“I must go, cousin.” Gasped Taka and bowed before king, but without any respect. He added louder. “My brother is waiting for news from Golden Sands.”

“Tell him, we are fine.” Ordered king.

“I’ll tell him, what I saw.” Replied Taka. King smiled, covering anger inside.

“All right, you deserved for meal you have eaten and water you have drunk. I like fairy tales. Now, go on your <mission>.”

“Right, sir.” Gasped wandered, went out from royal and turned into desert. He started to march with slow steps, saving energy for desert crossing.

“We will go on hunting in hour.” Ordered Dhalimu to lionesses. “You can rest until that.”

In times of drought, only night were allowing on hunts. Life was hard, both on Prideland, Golden Sands and others kingdoms, that were in alliance with them, thanks to journeys of Taka. But on land of Golden Family, life was hard especially. Reign of king Dhalimu was difficult for all subject and guests of pride as well.

Kota overtook him right behind border of Keep’s Grass. He heard her running, stopped and waited until lioness came there. Before she touched him, he said with uncertain voice.

“He can be observing us...”

“He can.” Replied lioness and hugged Taka tight. “But I don’t care about it. I’m sick of this fear.” She licked him in cheek and added. “And I hoped, that someday, you will feel it too...”

Taka sighed and turned to beloved. He looked in her green eyes and said with weary and painful voice.

“We were talking about that hundreds of times. I can do nothing!” she turn her stare into the ground and replied with sad voice.

“He want me to be his mate. Bereavement after Niva will end in week.”

“So, you will become queen...” said Taka, faking admire. In fact, he was burning inside from despair.

“I will be tyrant’s toy!” sobbed Kota. “Don’t you see?! We even don’t know, what happened to Niva, but I’m sure, that brute had been beating her from start. And if you...”

Taka sighed again and interrupted lioness.

“I can assure you asylum on Priderock. I’m not well with my brother, but he will accept you, if I ask him...”

“No!” exclaimed Kota. “Whole pride is suffering! We are suffering from drought, but this isn’t even half the pain, we are suffering from that tyrant...”

“He is rightful king!” called lion, but without any conviction. “He is son of my uncle Kovu and aunt Kiara. What should I do? Depose him?!” he was looking in beautiful eyes of lioness, that moment filled with tears. “He is my cousin! I can’t turn against my family! I can only tell it to my brother...”

“...who thinks exactly like you.” Finished Kota. “And nothing will change.

“Kota...” whispered Taka and hugged lioness. “I love you and would do anything, I can, to be with you and see you safe... But only what I can do. Don’t require from me breaking the laws. This is not about us... this is more important than any single lion’s fate. This is the Circle of Life! We can’t fight it...”

“You grandfather could.” Replied Kota. “And grandmother... You are telling me those beautiful stories about them, but I feel that they aren’t real.”

“They are real...” disagreed Taka, but Kota was talking still.

“And if... so what? So what, if we haven’t today anyone like Zira, Scar, Hawaa, Tanabi or Amini? So those are just legends about something, that once was, but will never return...”

“You want me to kill him?” asked Taka. “I’m weaker, I have minimal chances to win, but I can try. I don’t fear of death, you know. I can challenge Dhalimu, but even if I win, I couldn’t take his place. I can’t...”

Kota interrupted his speech with kiss, then she answered with breaking voice.

“I know and I love you because of that too. You are so honourable and obedient to law. I love we because of thing... that will never allow us to be together.” She looked on the ground. “You have right... Go now, before Dhalimu sees you. When you will back?”

“I try be in next month. If I have no reason, I’ll sure find some pretext.”

“I’ll try to find some too. Give some sign to Akra or Simmi and I’ll find you in Dried Oasis. But I can’t guaranty it... Then I will be already...”

“Goodbye, Kota.” Interrupted Taka. He wasn’t able to hear it anymore. He licked his beloved and turned on south-east. He started to run as fast as he could, doesn’t matter to save any strength. In fact, he wouldn’t be upset, if he would died on desert. Finally.

And the end seemed to be near. After less than hour, just before sunset, first sings of sandstorm showed. Taka knew that he was too far from Golden Sands to get back and there was no other shelter in sight. So he just laid down on hot sand and waited.

“Strange wind.” He thought. “It’s coming really fast... I have never seen such sudden sandstorm. I saw no signs today... well, I failed that. I just wonder, if it just wound me, or rip my flesh apart from bones. I guess, my carrier as prides arbiter soon will be over... O, Kota... It’s good you will have nothing ering from that tyrant...”

to do with such loser like me.” And he understood that all his life was just a escape from life itself. He was younger brother of king and he allowed to be exile, or even he exiled himself. He was doing job necessary for prides, but not because he wanted to, but because... he had nothing better to do. “Arbiter!” thought. “Who will be remember me, after I will be squashed by the sandstorm? They will find another arbiter and another historian. I won’t be remembered even as secondary character in this tale. Kota have right...”

And first blow of wind hit laying lion. He whispered in mind call for Vitani and Tanabi, his parents, to greet him in skyword, but for sure, he also called to Sparthi, patron of desert wanderers. There was small chance he would survive. Very small, but lion wasn’t killed with first blow, so maybe...

“Ha? What?” whispered, still cuddling face in sand. Wind stopped.

Taka carefully raised his face and opened his eyes. When he noticed cloud of sand before him, he knew that his eyes would be painfully rip out by charge of dirt and soon or later whole his body would be crushed by power of element. But it didn’t happened.

“What, on Stars!?” muttered lion, seeing, that golden cloud in front of him was floating in the air... in place, just mixing inside. Suddenly, he saw some silhouette in centre of sandy cumulus, lioness’s silhouette. It said with little ironical, but still friendly voice.

“Well, well, well... you are Taka, son of Vitani and Tanabi!” shade came closer to him, and all cloud moved too, that lion found himself in. Sand was hitting his fur, but in strange, gentle way, doing no harm. He even opened eyes, that he closed earlier. Nothing happened. “You have always been my favourite... mostly because of name!”

“Zira...” whispered Taka with amaze. “Grandmother Zira!” he bowed with respect. “Welcome here, ma’am. Am I dead?” asked with doubt. But he felt alive as never. Not, that was not this. “What brought you he, so low under the sky?”

“Your stupidity.” Replied queen and came closer to grandson. Her body turned from sandy shadow to almost material body. “Look at yourself! You would be fine lion... if you wanted to!” she touched his shoulder. “Why have you refused Kotalace. I can’t...”

Kota interrupted his speech with kiss, then she answered with breaking voice.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Comments

Report a problem

Last comments