accept your punishment. Good. Now, is there anything you still want to say? If so, now is the time...”

Umeme now stared up again, disillusioned, disappointed, empty. Yet there was still some core of wamth in her, as she did indeed speak out.

“Sire... Tanabi, I...” she began stuttering, “I just – I just wanted to help. I wanted to help Nala, and Vitani. I didn't want any of this... I just wanted to... to stop them from getting hurt, but... I... I...”

The young lioness paused, giving way to an uncomfortable silence. Tanabi remained stoic.

“I loved Vitani, Tanabi! I really, really did. But... but...” Now becoming desperate, Umeme crawled closer to Tanabi, until she eventually came to a point where she was holding Tanabi's forepaws, spilling tears and saliva all over them. “Tanabi, I did it... I in than she was already, “You have no right to speak. You, the one who has shifted course more often than the wind. First opposing the traitor Nala, then turning over to your righteous Queen to eventually end up being complicit to her death? You are indeed the lowest...”

“But all I wanted to do was...”

This time, Tanabi didn't even bother to tell her to shut up, he just struck out at her, claws bared. As Umeme tried crawling back up again after having been floored by the impact, she stared at him with eyes filled with utter disillusionment. This was not the Tanabi she remembered. This was not the Tanabi she loved. The King himself held those very same thoughts: he couldn't recognize himself in anything he did anymore. Then again, the Tanabi they had both known before had been at Vitani's side. She was gone now, Tanabi saw no necessity anymore to hold back everything he feared about himself. To the contrary: it was his destiny to become that which he had always feared, he was convinced of that. It was the only thing which could help restore that which had been broken in the Kingdom.

“If anyone ever deserved death, it is you, Umeme. However, I shall spare you such fate. In stead, you shall continue to do what you so love to do: stand by Queen Nala. You will follow her into exile and become an outlaw beside her...” Tanabi gave her one last disdainful stare. “Am I not merciful?”

This time around, Umeme stayed silent.

“By that I take it you accept your punishment. Good. Now, is there anything you still want to say? If so, now is the time...”

Umeme now stared up again, disillusioned, disappointed, empty. Yet there was still some core of wamth in her, as she did indeed speak out.

“Sire... Tanabi, I...” she began stuttering, “I just – I just wanted to help. I wanted to help Nala, and Vitani. I didn't want any of this... I just wanted to... to stop them from getting hurt, but... I... I...”

The young lioness paused, giving way to an uncomfortable silence. Tanabi remained stoic.

“I loved Vitani, Tanabi! I really, did it for you, Tanabi! I love you... I...”

She burst out in tears again, still cleansed to Tanabi's forepaws. The King however, just nonchalantly shook her off, adding to the lioness' misery, leaving her as she numbly mumbled incoherent gibberish. But Tanabi just moved on, walking towards the corner where the hyenas still sat – feeling awfully uncomfortable.

“Umeme, if there is one thing you should have learned by now, it's that you can be friends with everyone. At one point, you will have to pick sides. And standing by idly while atrocities are being committed onto your Monarch is just as bad as fighting against her yourself. And don't tell me it cannot be done! Three words: Yes, it can. And some of us have proven it can.”

The King now sat in front of the hyena delegation, Dakly up front.

“Dakly, your clan had the courage to pick sides, and pick the right side at it. Your clan, and your late Matriarch most of all, stood by Queen Vitani as even her own pride had turned against her.
In the past, mistakes were made. The Graveyard Clan has committed the most heinous of crimes in the past. However, the debt suffered then has wholly been repayed the moment your Matriarch laid down her life in defense of these lands' righteous Queen. You have shown that there was a different path available.
And for that, a reward is only fitting. Any agreements that existed between Queen Vitani and Matriarch Shenzi, I will honor to the fullest. It is only just that loyalty is aptly rewarded.”

“I am honored, my lord,” bowed Dakly, just as he was instructed to do earlier, “Although it has come at a terrible price for both of us, you can rest assured that you will always have the Graveyard Clan's loyalty...” That a lot of that loyalty had come in exchange for the Oulands, was conveniently omitted.
Tanabi now moved back to the promontory, where Kucha and Maitha still sat. To the entire pride's shock, Tanabi suddenly and gently slid one paw down Kucha's back, after which he added silently: “Yes, loyalty will be... rewarded.”
After that, he moved over to Maitha, and stroked her flank ostentatiously. The pride was dismayed, and confused. What they didn't understand, though, was that those gestures had nothing to do with love, but everything with the pride itself. It was just another punishment bestowed upon all those who had stood against Vitani: they were now degraded to second-rate members of the pride, lionesses whose bloodlines that had lasted generations now stood to end. It was a more terrible sentence than they could have imagined. But that wasn't the end of it, no...
Tanabi addressed the entire pride one last time.

“As for the rest of you... You have proven time and time again that you do indeed wish no Monarch. You have even gone as far as to kill her. So be it. You have rejected your Monarch.

You shall have a tyrant instead.”

The sun set on the Pridelands.

ing her as she numbly mumbled incoherent gibberish. But Tanabi just moved on, walking towards the corner where the hyenas still sat – feeling awfully uncomfortable.

“Umeme, if there is one thing you should have learned by now, it's that you can be friends with everyone. At one point, you will have to pick sides. And standing by idly while atrocities are being committed onto your Monarch is just as bad as fighting against her yourself. And don't tell me it cannot be done! Three words: Yes, it can. And some of us have proven it can.”

The King now sat in front of the hyena delegation, Dakly up front.

“Dakly, your clan had the courage to pick sides, and pick the right side at it. Your clan, and your late Matriarch most of all, stood by Queen Vitani as even her own pride had turned against her.
In the past, mistakes were made. The Graveyard Clan has committed the most heinous of crimes in the past. However, the debt suffered then has wholly been repayed the moment your Matriarch laid down her life in defense of these lands' righteous Queen. You have shown that there was a different path available.
And for that, a reward is only fitting. Any agreements that existed between Queen Vitani and Matriarch Shenzi, I will honor to the fullest. It is only just that loyalty is aptly rewarded.”

“I am honored, my lord,” bowed Dakly, just as he was instructed to do earlier, “Although it has come at a terrible price for both of us, you can rest assured that you will always have the Graveyard Clan's loyalty...” That a lot of that loyalty had come in exchange for the Oulands, was conveniently omitted.
Tanabi now moved back to the promontory, where Kucha and Maitha still sat. To the entire pride's shock, Tanabi suddenly and gently slid one paw down Kucha's back, after which he added silently: “Yes, loyalty will be... rewarded.”
After that, he moved over to Maitha, and stroked her flank ostentatiously. The pride was dismayed, and confused. What they didn't understand, though, was that those gestures had nothing to do with love, but everything with the pride itself. It was just another punishment bestowed upon all those who had stood against Vitani: they were now degraded to second-rate members of the pride, lionesses whose bloodlines that had lasted generations now stood to end. It was a more terrible sentence than they could have imagined. But that wasn't the end of it, no...
Tanabi addressed the entire pride one last time.

“As for the rest of you... You have proven time and time again that you do indeed wish no Monarch. You have even gone as far as to kill her. So be it. You have

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