sometime,” Rafiki patted the future king’s back in forgiveness. “but this is your daughter. She can still learn so much from the both of you and your predecessors, but before that, she must be named.”

“But what do we name such a child?” Kovu muttered with a slight tinge of worry. “I’ve never had such a responsibility before.” 

Simba approached him. “Don’t worry so much about it, Kovu. I’m sure a name will come to you.”

Suddenly, Kiara’s face brightened with a newfound joy as she let out a gasp. She pranced carefully towards Kovu and whispered something in his ear. He smiled and approached Rafiki and the sleeping child in his arms.  

knew that he couldn’t change his daughter’s mind. Nala nuzzled her daughter with a smile. “I think Payena’s a lovely name.” She gazed at the newborn in Rafiki’s arms. “She’s absolutely darling, Kiara.” 

“Come on, Nala,” Simba called to his queen. “Let’s leave the new parents alone for a while, huh? I’m sure this will give them some time to get acquainted with our new little princess . . . and I’m sure Kiara could use the time to rest.”

“All right then,” Nala nodded and went to Simba. She stopped and turned to the new parents before they left. “Kiara, Kovu . . . enjoy yourself now. Things from now on will never be the same as they once were.” 

“Thanks, Mom, Daddy,” Kiara gave a slight nod before retrieving her daughter from the shamanic mandrill’s hands.

“I’ll make sure that she rests,” Kovu reassured the monarchs as he bowed regally. “We can take care of things.” 

“I’m sure you will, Son,” Simba smiled at the young male. After getting to know and understand the once chosen one to follow his own uncle’s paw-prints, the King had grown to enjoy teaching Kovu about the duties of a ruler and the more important things about being a King. From the hopeful gaze that Simba gave Kovu, it was almost as if the young monarch had considered the rogue male as his own son – a major part of his now-growing family. Kovu was to become King since he became mates with the King’s daughter, so it was necessary for him, as well as Kiara, to be fully educated in the traditions and customs of the Pridelands. “Take care now.”

“Oh, we will,” Kovu smiled as the two of them watched the King and Queen make their way to the other lionesses and down the base of Pride Rock. 

The new parents returned back into the royal chambers where they could lay down and enjoy the quiet morning air that slightly rustled through the entrance. Kiara was still leaned up against her protective mate just as a precautionary gesture, but she was able to move a little bit better than minutes after their child was born. Kovu didn’t mind the slow movement of his beloved, since he heard the difficult roars of pain that Kiara yowled while she gave life to their first cub. O a son to teach things to . . . and pass on my strength and wisdom . . .” 

“Oh, everyone makes mistakes sometime,” Rafiki patted the future king’s back in forgiveness. “but this is your daughter. She can still learn so much from the both of you and your predecessors, but before that, she must be named.”

“But what do we name such a child?” Kovu muttered with a slight tinge of worry. “I’ve never had such a responsibility before.” 

Simba approached him. “Don’t worry so much about it, Kovu. I’m sure a name will come to you.”

Suddenly, Kiara’s face brightened with a newfound joy as she let out a gasp. She pranced carefully towards Kovu and whispered something in his ear. He smiled and approached Rafiki and the sleeping child in his arms.  

nce they reached the sleeping plateau, Kiara, with the help of Kovu, carefully made her way to the ground and placed her bundle of joy between her forelegs. She gave Payena a little lick as she heard her sleeping daughter purring in her arms.

“Kovu, isn’t she beautiful?” Kiara lovingly asked her mate, looking up at him as he sat beside her.  

He began to lie beside her, nudging Kiara with his large shoulder. “She’s perfect,” Kovu murmured to her. “I thought that dark hair of hers would grow into a mane someday.” He let out a sigh.

Kiara noticed the look on her mate’s face. “Oh, Kovu,” she nuzzled him with her nose. “I didn’t know . . .” 

“It’s okay,” Kovu tried to smile despite his slight disappointment. “I just thought that . . . it would be great for a son to follow us on the throne . . .”

“But we have a daughter now,” Kiara responded. “Now we’re responsible to teach her, guide her, . . . and love her as parents do.” 

“But Kiara,” Kovu tried to explain himself with a hint of worry in his voice. “I don’t know how to handle a child! What if I mess up? What if I act too harsh on her on accident? You know how cruel Zira was to me and how overprotective your father was on you while growing up . . . . I don’t want that for Payena – I don’t want her to hate her own father!” His breathing sped up as his inner fury caused him to nearly go frantic.

“Calm down, Kovu! Calm down!” Kiara told him. Once he had loosened up, he let out a deep breath. “Listen, I know you’re worried about how you might treat our daughter, but Payena’s our child. Don’t you think I may be a little worried about how to take care of her too?” 

“I . . . I . . .” Kovu couldn’t complete his thought as Kiara continued to explain.

“I know you may think that I’m ready for this new responsibility, but I’m not either. My mother was a couple of years old when I was born . . . I’m so young, . . . but I thought this was the right thing to do for the pride . . . and for us.” Tears of confusion began to drip from her eyes. “I thought we were ready for this too, Kovu.” 

“Maybe,” Kovu began to slowly speak his mind, almost as if some new wisdom was flowing through his lips. “maybe we should just learn as we go along.” Kiara sniffled once, dried her eyes and looked up at him with a look of longing. “I mean, we’re not perfect, and neither are our parents. We’re just the next generation, and it’s up to us to make things better for all of us.” His eyelids lowered halfway over his green eyes. “A wise father . . . who happens to be a king once told me that sometimes what’s left behind can turn out better than the generation before if only they’re given the chance.”

“Kovu . . .” Kiara’s eyelids began to lower as well. 

“I . . . I think that we can take this chance, Kiara. We can’t change the past now that we’ve made a cub of our own. I have to try our best . . . for Payena’s sake.”

After a few moments of silence, Kiara let out a sigh. “You’re right. I’m sure we’ll be good parents to her and purring in her arms.

“Kovu, isn’t she beautiful?” Kiara lovingly asked her mate, looking up at him as he sat beside her.  

He began to lie beside her, nudging Kiara with his large shoulder. “She’s perfect,” Kovu murmured to her. “I thought that dark hair of hers would grow into a mane someday.” He let out a sigh.

Kiara noticed the look on her mate’s face. “Oh, Kovu,” she nuzzled him with her nose. “I didn’t know . . .” 

“It’s okay,” Kovu tried to smile despite his slight disappointment. “I just thought that . . . it would be great for a son to follow us on the throne . . .”

“But we have a daughter now,” Kiara responded. “Now we’re responsible to teach her, guide her, . . . and love her as parents do.” 

“But Kiara,” Kovu tried to explain himself with a hint of worry in his voice. “I don’t know how to handle a child! What if I mess up? What if I act too harsh on her on accident? You know how cruel Zira was to me and how overprotective your father was on you while growing up . . . . I don’t want that for Payena – I don’t want her to hate her own father!” His breathing sped up as his inner fury caused him to nearly go frantic.

“Calm down, Kovu! Calm down!” Kiara told him. Once he had loosened up, he let out a deep breath. “Listen, I know you’re worried about how you might treat our daughter, but Payena’s our child. Don’t you think I may be a little worried about how to take care of her too?” 

“I . . . I . . .” Kovu couldn’t complete his thought as Kiara continued to explain.

“I know you may think that I’m ready for this new responsibility, but I’m not either. My mother was a couple of years old when I was born . . . I’m so young, . . . but I thought this was the right thing to do for the pride . . . and for us.” Tears of confusion began to drip from her eyes. “I thought we were ready for this too, Kovu.” 

“Maybe,” Kovu began to slowly speak his mind, almost as if some new wisdom was flowing through his lips. “maybe we should just learn as we go along.” Kiara sniffled once, dried her eyes and looked up at him with a look of longing. “I mean, we’re not perfect, and neither are our parents. We’re just the next generation, and it’s up to us to make things better for all of us.” His eyelids lowered halfway over his green eyes. “A wise father . . . who happens to be a king once told me that sometimes what’s left behind can turn out better than the generation before if only they’re given the chance.”

“Kovu . . .” Kiara’s eyelids began to lower as well. 

“I . . . I think that we can take this chance, Kiara. We can’t change the past now that teach her to be the best lioness and future queen that she can be.” 

“Yeah,” Kovu nuzzled her with a smile. “As long as we don’t protect her too much, of course.”

The light-gold lioness lightly chuckled. “Right.” She licked him on the cheek before licking her purring cub. It wasn’t a surprise that Kiara yawned right afterwards. “Maybe . . . maybe I should get some rest now. We’ll deal with Payena once she wakes.” 

“Maybe we both should sleep,” Kovu altered one word as he lowered his head to his front legs and yawned as well.

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