a treatment it just can’t.” I replied with smile. Then I felt genuine regret for all that mess. “Sir, I’m so sorry for that. We lost so much time… I promise it won’t happen aga…”

“Hush.” He interrupted me. “It definitely isn’t your fault.” Then he lowered his muzzle to my ear and whispered. “You are doing great, Tetesi. Keep it going. With you help we’ll do it!”

Pain in my paw in one second turned to be delighting caress. Even when he stood up and went aside to sleep by Kiara, I was holding my paw as a stigma of hope of glorious future. I dreamed a great dreams that night. Some of them came true today, however definitely not in the way I planned.

But it doesn’t matter. Let me say few more words about way to the Golden Sands. It took us nine more days. We got lost two times and I must boast of simple fact that one time it was me who corrected the navigation error. My nursing over Kiara grew even more irritating. I discovered that she was eating also Kovu’s meat and fruits and apart of my asks for stopovers, she asked king many time on her behalf. But what was most intriguing – maybe because of that, I – yea over her? Get close, observe and look for opportunity to act in my quest. But I doubt – even if I did it completely subconsciously. It might sounds funny, but I rather think I did it because of duty. After all Kiara was my queen. I am just a subject, I have no right to judge on my rulers. That is my part to serve them and their to guide me. Whatever Kiara was doing her queen’s duties I wanted to do my job well.

But maybe it was the third reason. I love now and I loved Kovu then with so firm and fierce love that any way to support him, serve and protect I took as my sacred duty. And if Kovu’s shine was reflecting in his mate, I was bound to r younger – felt myself as someone like older queen’s sister. Those ten days on desert forced me to treat helping her as my duty. It was always my duty, but became even more serious after that. And when we got to the Golden Sands… oh, how odd it looks from perspective of those few months!

II. Where We Belong

Kovu knew that it was miracle. No one died during desert trek, however pride was not too far from doom. They sidetracked, hardly found any oasis, and drinking almost solely cactus juice. What king remembered from mother’s lessons, those plans were highly toxic and drinking their water should had been the last resort. They were living on that for ten days.

Kovu discovered also that he still couldn’t think as a desert journeyman. His lionesses, not him, were forcing him to commend huntings and eating in spite of rebelling stomachs. He knew the theory, but he couldn’t apply it. Only thing he had done properly was marching itself. As a child of Outlands he had endurance required in such a efforts, walking for hours without drinking and sleeping on sunrays. But anyway he was looking with admire on his lionesses – weaker and lighter-built females managed to keep his tempo and almost didn’t complain. Of course that was not about Kiara.

Daughter of mild Prideland had enough after few hours. Kovu quickly learned that she was going only thanks to constant help of Tetesi. When brownfurred was asking for a stop, king knew that Kiara was tired. When Kiara was not asking him for additional portion of cactus pulp, he knew she fixed some from Tetesi. King was extremely grateful to his young subject, however felt that it shouldn’t had been like that.

On the last stop before Golden Sands (Zira’s lessons about keep’s location they all – except of Kiara – knew perfectly) pride was resting in shade of acacias cluster. To their surprise they found even small source there (it was called “Dry Oasis” by Golden custom). So lions had a real water-feast (Kovu allowed to drink at will, what caused several heavy colic almost instantly) and then they laid to rest, at least in safe place.

“Sir?” said Dotty, coming to king. Elder lioness was the one of oldest in pride, one who remembered Zira well. She was born already on Prideland after leaving Golden Sands, however her wisdom about traditional desert lore was unquestioned. “Should we scout the kingdom before we enter it?”

Kovu raised his head with a bit surprised stare. Whole pride was lying in small pan, covered with several acacias. Lionesses laid at random, happy to have any resting place shielded from both sun and wind. King and queen took a place in centre, just next to water eye. There was impossible to give royal couple any privacy on area of thirty square-metres, however pride instinctively left rulers much more space than they needed. If Dotty came to king, leaving her place it meant she wanted to say something important.

“Are you sure it’s necessary?” asked Kovu.

“I hope not, but I don’t want to risk.” Dotty was speaking quietly, clearly intending not be heard by others. She thought that ruler was making mistake, however she didn’t want pride to notice this. “There is some possibility that our keep… isn’t unoccupied.”

“Damn! I’m tired as hell.” Confessed Kovu. “I would…”

“Sir, I meant, we would go.” Interrupted him Dotty. King looked on pride with doubtful stare. Kiara was sleeping, in the same time quietly sighing from pain through her slumber. Most of lionesses were still awake, but exhausted as ruler himself, or worse. Blackmaned had no idea if anyone from his group could make another few kilometres to scout the Golden Massif.

“You don’t look you are in condition for night games.” Noticed, looking on sleepy muzzle of lioness.

“Tetesi will go…” Hearing that, brownfurred instantly stood up and came to mother. “And…” Dotty tried to pick some quite fresh pridesister, but failed. They all were heavily weary.

“Right, I will go.” Decided king. “Tetesi, are you for a little walk?” asked, trying to sound tough and airily.

“With pleasure, sir.” Replied lioness. What seemed really strange, Tetesi actually looked as tough and ready to any quest.

“Right, we will manage to do it.” Said king. “Dotty, if I may ask you, take a command and just in case keep guards until we are back.” Old lioness nodded. “So we will be soon.” Added king and turned to Tetesi.”

“Ready?”

“Let’s go, sir!”

Love is rarely rational and mine wasn’t too logic too. When I heard that I could help my ruler, all pains in paws disappeared, stretched muscles appeased and sunstroke dizziness ceased. I felt like a tiny cub, happy and ready to conquer the world. When we were setting off on that reconnaissance I was the most happy lioness in the world. But then came fear. What then? What to say, how act? How to scout not the area but Kovu’s emotions? I knew I was stepping on quicksand. Fortunately he started the chat first.

“Thank you.” He said, when we exited pan and entered desert. We were going straight due north, rather not caring about being sheath. To Golden Massif there was few kilometres. In rays of full moon we saw it clearly.

“It’s nothing sir.” I replied. “I’m really ok, comparing to girls.”

“No, I mean all that stuff. You care over Kiara.” He said with serious voice.

“That is natural, sir.” I murmured, a bit disappointed that we were talking about queen. At last I had him just for me and he started to speak about his mate.

“Anyway, I’m really grateful for your assistance, Tetesi. We really need a lessons now, Kiara and I.”

“We’re all doing our best, sir, and…”

“Sir?” smiled Kovu. We didn’t stopped, just marching in moonlit-enlightened sand to distant shape of rock. Night was calm and silent, so I heard every his word clearly. “I think you could still call me <Kovu>, when we aren’t in pride. You know, all good times.” He sighed and smiled into night. “I miss those days. Do you remember? <Kovu, this is my mouse!>”

Well, when we were living on Outlands, relations between pride were far from kingdom standards. Of course I was calling with name Kovu, Nuka and of course Vitani. Sometimes even I addressed queen just <Zira>. As one of younger cubs – I was born year after exile – I spent most of time with royal siblings. I joined to pride duties just few months before Battle of Reunion. Just few weeks before Hawaa’s death. I was the youngest fighter in your war with Pridelanders. Before it I was a cub, than I had just half a year to grow up.

“But then you wasn’t king.” I noticed. “Now you are.”

“Unfortunately.” Whispered Kovu. Then he stopped and turned to me. “Tetesi… sometimes I wish that all never happened. That we are still on Outlands. Hungry, thirsty and tired with fighting… But on our own in perfectly sure and clear world. I guess, I miss my cubhood.” He paused for few seconds and said with a bit tensed voice. “Help me.”

“Help?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “I need… at least sometimes… to feel like in old times. Not a  king, but as just Kovu. You know… from those times only you have left me… Vitani is not here, Nuka and Hawaa are dead. Only you remain… Prideland Queen.” He finished and felt something like a kick in my belly. I mean, something very sudden, but it had nothing to do with pain.

Few words of explanation. As I said: most of my cubhood I spent with royal siblings. I was too young to participate in trainings, so I was just sparring with Hawaa and Spotty, but when they went to pride duties I had no actual things to do. So I was hanging with Nuka, Vitani and Kovu, hunting and searching for waterholes (believe me – on Outlands there is no time for idling, don’t matter what!). In time – what wasn’t exactly surprise for us – Nuka and Hawaa became a pair, Kovu, driven by some kind of cubbyish envy started to pretend that I was his girlfriend. Of course we were both much too young for that, but he kept me promising that I when he became a king, not Hawaa, became a queen. Just childish plays, because even rather nervous and very touchy Nuka didn’t take it seriously and liked me all the