By Juuchan17

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The wide view of the sunrise has begun to paint the sky canvas red, orange and yellow, welcoming its shining rays onto the world of the African Pridelands. The sky slowly became filled with birds, both great and small, flying the winds towards the giant stone formation of Pride Rock. Other animals – ant, antelope, zebra, okapi, cheetah, rhino, and every other land-dweller in between the smallest insects and rodents all the way up to the monstrous elephant – gathered their herds and young together, pricking their ears up to hear the chantings of the wise shamanic mandrill from the gathering ground. 

“The sun is rising high, the lion calls,” From the edge of Pride Rock, Rafiki chanted in the native language of the Africans, but somehow all the animals could understand his words. “Come and witness good news, for a new circle is about to begin . . .”

Back within the walls of Pride Rock, lionesses formed a line across the main chamber of the royal family; however, the King and the dark-maned male stood outside, only to wait until the lionesses gave them permission to go inside once more. 

Kovu paced back and forth down the line of females, both the sleek ones of the Pridelands and the scruffy, thin ones of his mother’s former pride. He let out a sigh of worry as he stopped by his sister’s defensive form. “Oh, I’m so worried for her,” Kovu  murmured softly. “I wish I could be of some help for her right now.” A cry wailed out from the chamber-room, causing both males to prick their ears up. “Kiara . . .” the dark male whispered into the air.

Kovu’s sister answered him back with an encouraging grin. Vitani was a thin, light tan lioness with large blue eyes. The markings around her eyes, as well as the other former Outlanders, was darker than the lionesses from Pride Rock. Her paws were marked with golden-brown, making her easily stand out from the others of her birth pride. “Don’t worry, brother. If Kiara was brave enough to stand up to her own father, she can handle delivering a cub.” She placed a paw on his shoulder. “She’ll be fine. The queen herself is by her side if anything should happen.” 

“But . . . but . . .” Kovu stuttered out as another cry – this one was more like a painful roar – pierced through his ears. He gasped in fear. “Kiara!” he cried out into the chamber. “Kiara, I’m here!” When he received no reply, his head fell towards the ground in defeat

“Kovu,” the voice of the wise King Simba easily comforted the father-to-be with a nudge to the top of his mane. “I know exactly how you feel – being all useless and unable to help the one you truly love with all your heart.” A quick chuckle came from his lips. “You know, I was a little older than you when my daughter was born, and I was afraid for Nala’s life when she had our first cub.” 

“You were afraid?” Kovu’s eyes were wide open. “But you’re the King! Leaders shouldn’t be afraid of anything, right?”

Simba let another chuckle slip through. He sounds a lot like me when I was young,he thought. I guess Zira never told him about fear when he was a cub, but then again, she was ruthless and violent and probably saw fear as pure weakness within a lion’s heart; his life was always forced into following his position as Scar’s heir, unlike my relationship with my father being King and I was born to take his place one day. He had disobeyed his father’s rules like any other curious cub would, but luckily his father, the previous king Mufasa, saved him and his future mate’s lives and made him realize that anyone, even a ruler of a mighty kingdom, can be afraid in real life.  

“I know, I know, but we’re not perfect either. Look at what I did to you, to my daughter, to my life.” Simba told him. “Before I became King, I made many mistakes, and I was afraid to own up to the responsibility of what was rightfully mine. Once I became a father, I was too protective over my daughter, afraid of her getting into mischief like I had as a cub, but I did it because I love her so much and didn’t want to lose her. I misjudged you and sent you into exile without taking my own advice . . .”

“Sometimes what’s left behind can grow better than the generation before,” Kovu began to quote the golden-furred King with a smile. “Thank you. Thanks for giving me that chance.” 

“You’re very welcome,” the monarch nuzzled Kovu with his nose. “You’ve been doing so much for Kiara and making her so happy.”

Kovu sighed again as another groaning cry echoed from the room. “But she doesn’t sound so happy right now. My heart aches with every cry she makes . . . and there’s nothing I can do to help!” He stamped one of his paws on the ground in impatience. 

Simba could only reply with a reassuring comment. “Don’t worry so much. Soon, the pain you two feel will only turn to love – the love that both of you will have for your new cub.”

“I guess,” Kovu answered back uneasily, a complete opposite of the King’s inspiring tone. 

A small blue, black and white hornbill flew into the area with the morning light grazing against his widespread wings. He landed and gave a bow to the royal males. “Your majesties,” he spoke in a respectful tone. “the call has been made and the animals are on their way to greet the cub . . .”

“Zazu,” Simba told him, stopping his sentence. “The cub’s not born yet, so we have no idea when it’ll come.” 

Kovu’s head dropped again. “All we’ve heard is cries and roars of pain, but no whimpers of any cub.” He began to pace in front of the line of lionesses once more, letting out a small roar when he turned. “I can’t stand all of this waiting!”

“Patience, young one,” Zazu flew to Kovu’s side, his opinions of him were much different than months before when he was still a rogue from the Outland pride. “Things will be just fine.” 

“Oh, is Rafiki still at the point?” Simba asked his majordomo.

“Yes, he is, your majesty,” Zazu replied. “He has been talking to the wind and preparing for the blessing and presentation of the new cub ever since making the call.” 

Simba nodded, looking out at the baboon as he continued looking at the sky. Rafiki, being a shaman and always so close in touch with the spirits and great kings of the past, continuously found himself communicating with Simba’s father, Mufasa, almost weekly, but ever since hours before learning that Kiara was to bear a cub of her own, he had felt his presence grow stronger. He didn’t know why, but he sensed that Kiara’s cub was the cause of Mufasa’s signs to him.

“It seems that all we can do is just wait,” Simba laid out on the rocky ground of Pride Rock, placing his head on his front legs and watching Kovu’s continuous pacing. “Hopefully, Kiara’s doing all right in there.” Zazu heard the king’s comment as he hitched a ride on the reddish-brown lion’s back as they waited for any news from inside the chamber. 

The atmosphere within the royal chamber was quite different from the anticipation outside. Only three lionesses were nearby to comfort and assist the young princess as she panted and endured each and every contraction. Serafina, Kiara’s grandmother on her mother’s side, comforted her with soothing words, hushes and chants on her left side; to the princess’s right, Sarabi, the eldest of the Pride Rock Pride who also happened to be Simba’s mother, the former Queen, kept a close eye on Kiara’s condition as she struggled through each contraction; and Nala, Queen of the Pridelands, watched on the growing sac that was beginning to bud from her daughter’s body while also acting not only as midwife but also as the loyal Queen who considered taking the utmost safety of her pride’s future.

The light golden lioness was stretched on the slightly lifted surface of the center plateau on the royal chambers, lying on her swollen belly with her hind legs over the edge of the sleeping stone. She was panting, nearly wet with sweat and tears. Her red and gold eyes were opened widely then swiftly clenched tight as she gasped – another contraction surged through her young body. 

“Oh, ohh . . . OHH!” Kiara’s voice went from quiet to a roar of pain as she began to make her body push the cub from her.

“Keep her steady, Mom,” Nala told her assistants. “and Sarabi, make sure you and Mom keep her from struggling so much when she pushes. She may hurt the cub.” 

“It’s . . . it’s coming . . .” Kiara groaned through her teeth as she began to arch her back for support. “Ah, it hurts! . . . Oohh . . .”

“Easy, easy. Keep it steady, Kiara,” Serafina shushed her with a coo. She placed a paw on her back, gently lowering her body back onto the ground. “Shh . . . there now. You don’t want to injure yourself or your cub during your delivery. Just relax, and things will be over soon.” 

“She’s right – you must remain calm,” Sarabi added, licking the sweat and tears from her granddaughter’s face. She spoke with a warm, low voice, but her words were like pure wisdom for she was once queen and a mother herself. “Birth is such a difficult task, but it is one that makes a young cub fully blossom into a mature lioness. As a future queen, the new life you are about to bring into the world could make the biggest difference in our future.”

“I know . . . ah – I know . . .” Kiara panted between breaths during her calm period between contraction intervals. They were getting closer and closer together, meaning that the cub was to be born any time now. “I never thought it would be so – OOH!” Her eyes squeezed shut as her claws extended out from her paws, her hind legs stretched out around her mother’s watchful body. “Ah, I feel it . . . ooh, it’s coming!” 

“I can see your cub!” Nala told her daughter with a gasp; a tiny bubbling sac was now easily visible from Kiara’s hind-end. Ever since the first contractions had begun hours ago, the birthing sac has only been visible for only recently – for less than a half hour’s time. “Grab her now – this is the long push this time and she needs to be careful.” Nala’s orders to her mother-in-law and mother were understood; they grabbed Kiara’s neck with their teeth to hold her down as the princess began to give birth. “Kiara, I need you to push now and press down hard, okay? Come on – push!”

Not needing her mother’s instructions for that, Kiara felt the fluid motions of her child begin to slip through her as she cried out a long piercing roar. The pain was nearly too much for her to bear, but she knew that so many were counting on her to complete this task. 

Daddy, Mom . . . Oh, Kovu . . .

The names of those she loved the most surrounded her head as she painfully endured the feel of her cervix stretching wider and the pressure of the cub that was making its arrival into the world from within her young body. Tears began to swell up from her closed eyes as a final push caused a rush of blood and clear fluid to complete the delivery and follow the membrane-covered cub. Once she felt the sac drop from her, her body collapsed onto the ground – her long and difficult ordeal was over. 

Back outside, Kovu had stopped his constant pacing after many minutes of doing so; now he was sitting by Simba still with a look of nervousness and worry. “It’s taking too long,” he pointed out with a growl. “She’s been in there for hours . . . ever since the moon began to set!” He looked at Simba with an expression that only a father could love. “Do you think something’s wrong with the cub . . . or with Kiara?” He gasped in fear of his thoughts. “If anything happens to her, . . . oh, I would never forgive myself . . .” He began to shudder with anxiety, but thankfully the monarch calmed him.

“I don’t know what could be going on in there, but soon, we’ll all be welcoming a new cub into our pride . . . and to our kingdom,” Simba told him. “We just don’t know—” 

He was interrupted by the wails and mews of a tiny voice coming from the royal chambers.

“—when . . .” He completed his sentence as a peach-colored lioness emerged from the darkness and through the gate of lionesses. Nala approached the two males with a soft smile. “Is she . . . Did she . . .” Simba stammered incomplete statements to his mate, but Nala only chuckled. 

“She’s just fine, and so is the new cub.” She nuzzled her mate then Kovu’s, but afterwards she turned around and gestured the dark male to follow her. “Kiara is waiting for you to meet your little bundle of joy. Come on.”

Following carefully behind the Queen, Kovu passed through the line of smiling lionesses and entered into the cave where a small ray of light shone down on the center piece of raised ground. Kiara was now laying regally underneath the light, guarding her new cub with her front paws and looking down at the newborn with her lowered eyelids. While trying to give herself a moment to rest, she carefully groomed the head and body of the cub with a quick stroke of her tongue and nuzzled it. Kovu smelt the fresh scent of blood and new cub within the room, but there was only one scent that he wanted more than anything right now.  

“Kiara?” He called out in a slightly loud voice.

“Shh!” The older lionesses hushed him to a halt, making him lower his body close to the ground in embarrassment.  

“Sorry,” he whispered back to the lionesses as they began to give the new parents some time alone. Kovu looked back at his mate. “Kiara? Are you all right?”

“Oh, Kovu, I’m fine,” the beautifully soft voice of the new mother slipped out from her almost as if her labor and delivery of the cub had given her a more mature attitude as well. “Come closer and see our cub. It won’t hurt you yet – it’s only a couple of minutes old.” 

Letting out a nervous gulp, Kovu tiptoed closer to where his beloved lay. He could see a light gold-peach color in between Kiara’s legs as he approached the light of the morning sun, and the closer he got, the more of his child he saw. “This . . . this is ours?” Kovu gulped again once he saw the full shot of his cub.

“Yes, my love,” Kiara nuzzled Kovu’s lowered nose with her own. “It took a while, but this is the next-in-line to the throne after our reign. This is our child, and we made him together.” 

“Oh, Kiara,” Kovu returned the gesture with a smile. “I love you so much. I was so worried for you . . . but it was worth it. Our son looks so charming.”

“I believe you are mistaken.” 

The princess and her mate gasped and turned towards the voice from the cavern entrance. It was Rafiki, leaning against his wooden staff with a couple of rattling gourds tied onto the top of it. Simba and Nala followed close behind him as he drew closer to the future royals of the pride. The other lionesses also came behind their King and Queen, wishing to bear witness to the newborn royal.

“What?” Kiara gasped at Rafiki’s words. “What do you mean?” 

Kovu growled in defense for his mate. “What could be wrong with our son? He’s perfect!”

Rafiki only placed a slender, shaking finger at Kovu’s face, clicking his tongue and silencing the new father as the mandrill gazed at the babe with wise eyes and rattled his staff at the cub. It looked at the primate with wide, curious eyes of stunning greenish-blue and gold, trying to claw the much larger gourds with its newborn paws. 

“Hmm. This child is small but will grow to be strong,” Rafiki commented as he broke off a gourd from his staff. “Mufasa smiles down on your child, Princess Kiara, and he offers his most special blessing to all of you.” Cracking the gourd with his long fingers, he split it into two halves and used one half to dip his thumb into it. With the dipped thumb, Rafiki placed it onto the cub’s forehead and smeared it across the area underneath its small spot of black hair. “Bless you, little child . . .” He found a pile of light sand nearby, scooped up a small handful and shook a bit of it over the cub’s head and the ceremonial marking while singing in a soft chant. Instinctively, the cub let out a soft sneeze, much to the joy of the proud parents, who were now all into the ritual that all heirs to the throne of Pride Rock went through at birth . . . well, all except for Kovu, of course.

“What is that?” Kovu whispered into Kiara’s ear as Rafiki scooped up the now-purring cub with his hands. “What’s with the markings and chants and everything?” 

“Rafiki gives all heirs by blood to the throne that ceremonial marking at their birth,” Kiara explained as the mandrill walked out of the chamber, preparing to show the cub to the other animals of the Pridelands. She knew that Kovu was born outside of Pride Rock and still new to the traditions and regulations of being a royal by marriage; it was only natural for the future queen to make things easier for him to understand once he became King. “He chants to give the cub good luck for the rest of its life and to tell the great kings that watch over us that a new circle has begun. I myself don’t understand why it’s done, but I guess it’s just tradition, that’s all. Father told me that the presentation of newly-born kings and queens has been done for many generations of royals.”

“Come on, you two,” Simba murmured as he began to follow Rafiki out to the edge of Pride Rock. “The presentation is about to begin.” 

“Simba!” Nala scolded her mate with a stern look of concern for her daughter. “Our daughter’s just given birth! She’s still quite weak after delivering her cub, so don’t rush her!” Simba nuzzled his Queen and gave her a smile as an apology; Nala only offered a simple command to her daughter and her mate. “Just take your time, Kiara dear. The presentation won’t begin until all the animals are present, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself as you make your way out to see your subjects.”

“Okay, Mom,” Kiara began to lift herself from the ground, weakly groaning and nearly collapsing onto her belly. “I’ll be fine – whoa!” Her paws and legs, weakened by the strain of delivering her first cub, couldn’t hold her weight until she was able to fully recover. 

Nala gasped as Kiara struggled. “Oh, Kiara! Do you need any help?”

“I’ve got her, Nala,” Kovu told her. “You go ahead and catch up with the others.” Nala nodded slightly as she continued to make her way to her mate. “Kiara, lean on me. I’ll help you up.” 

“Thanks, Kovu. You’re such a gentle-lion,” Kiara placed her shoulder against his own and groaned as she lifted her up to her own four feet. “Come now, let’s see our cub presented to the kingdom . . .  together.”

“Yes. Let’s see our son,” Kovu smiled as slowly but surely, he walked close beside his mate, and the two of them made their way out into the open where a celebrating crowd awaited the royal lions of Pride Rock. 

The sky was blue and brighter than ever as the golden lioness and the reddish-brown lion made their way to the edge of the overhang where the current King and Queen awaited them. Kiara weakly nuzzled her parents while Kovu nodded gently to each of them. The four of them looked out upon those that had replied to the mandrill’s call and felt the warmth of the sun against their skin. The other lionesses made their way to the sides of Pride Rock, eagerly awaiting the ceremony to begin. Even Simba’s best friends and loyal companions, a thin meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumbaa, joined Zazu in the rear and stood in wait of the wonderful event; they couldn’t wait to have another cub to watch over and play with.

Being the King, Simba let out the first roar once Rafiki allowed him to begin the ceremony. The roar was followed by a cry from Nala, who signaled the other lionesses to roar with her. Both a recovering Kiara and a very proud Kovu joined the roaring chorus, creating a storm of yowls. This was to give the other animals, all herds that lived and strived amongst the safety of the Pridelands and its surrounding savanna, welcome to the base of Pride Rock. At last, the baboon, still cradling the lightly-colored cub in his arms, smiled and raised the child above the point’s edge for all to gaze upon with joyful eyes. 

The animals began to bleat and bray, crying out their songs and blessings onto the newborn lion that was shown to them. The sky even gave its blessing to the child, recognizing the babe as one of them – a newborn heir to the throne of Pride Rock – by showering the tip of the cliff with a light golden beam from the sun. If one looked hard enough, you could see the face of the great Mufasa smiling down upon the child with loving eyes, and his descendants and ancestors that were of his blood returned their gaze onto the lifting form of the cub. A slight breath of wind blew some seeds and leaves towards the majestic lions, sending Mufasa’s praises to his beloved son, granddaughter and newest child. With those signs from above, every animal below fell onto one knee, bowing before the future ruler of their kingdom. Rafiki smiled as the cub began to squirm slightly at the leaves surrounding it and try to grab some with its tiny paws.

Once the ray of light dispersed, Rafiki returned the cub to the safety of his arms, rocking it to sleep. “Sleep, future ruler,” the mandrill chanted, once more in the language of the native people. “The kingdom waits for your time of destiny . . .” With a nod, he gave a little chuckle and gazed back at the proud new parents. “Kovu, Kiara . . .” Rafiki handed the cub back to its parents, allowing Kiara to grab it by the scruff of its neck as it slept. 

Kovu still couldn’t believe that he had helped create this new life. “He’s a chip off the old block, huh, Kiara?”

Kiara looked down at the cub in her jaws and nodded with a happy smile. 

Timon, riding atop of his much larger warthog companion, added his own criticism of the new cub. “Of course he is, kid! He’s got your hairstyle and his mother’s sleek coat . . .” His next few words were a mutter. “ . . . and maybe he’ll be fun to play with unlike Miss Prissy-Pants there . . .” Kiara lowered her eyebrows slightly as she heard the sneaky comment, but she said nothing to throw back her fury. The meerkat’s next words were normal-voiced. “ . . . but I’m sure he’ll be raised with the best care.”

“Yeah, and he’ll have the best royal baby-sitters around!” Pumbaa added in with a belly laugh. 

“He’ll be a great king one day,” Simba peered at the cub himself, smiling at the sight of his first grandson. “A perfect mix of both of his families, a sign of the union of both of his father’s Outlander pride and the royal family of Pride Rock. So, have you thought of a name for him yet?”

“Not at the moment,” Kovu replied, but he was quickly interrupted by a laugh by Rafiki. 

“Again, you seem to be mistaken, yet no one seems to notice,” the baboon’s comment confused the lions as he laughed again.

“Huh?” Kovu and Kiara gasped, along with Simba and Nala.  

Rafiki began to once again take the cub from the princess’s mouth and back into his cradling arms. “Not a future king you see, but an elegant queen-to-be.”

“Huh?” The duo of meerkat and warthog repeated the gasp. 

“It is a girl,” Rafiki told them with a normal tone, clarifying his previous words.

The two looked at the mandrill, then the cub, then each other in shock. “A GIRL? AGAIN?” After Rafiki nodded, the two friends fainted in a dramatic matter, collapsing at the feet of the lions and the primate. 

“A . . . daughter?” Kovu heard Kiara’s soft voice from beside him. When Rafiki nodded once again, tears of joy were in her eyes. “Oh, a daughter . . . another princess to the throne . . .” She continued to sniffle and weep happily; her father and mother nuzzled her and licked away her tears.

“I guess that dark patch of hair confused me,” Kovu admitted, lowering his head in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry to mistaking my daughter for a son. I . . . I thought I would finally have 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.  

“Payena . . .” Kovu announced in a soothing voice to his daughter then he turned to the glowing grin of his mate. “We choose to name our daughter, the future princess . . . Payena.”

“Payena?” Simba turned to his daughter with shock. “Why . . . what was the inspiration for that name, Kiara?” 

“I’m not really sure, Daddy,” the red-eyed lioness replied. “I . . . I think I heard a voice telling it to me in my head, and . . .” She let out a light-hearted giggle. “I guess you could say that it just came to me.”

Simba gave Kiara a forced smile, but he 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. Once 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 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. “Sweet dreams, my princesses.” His grin widened as his eyelids closed.

“You too, Kovu,” she returned the smile to him and looked back at her daughter, not realizing that her mother and father were at the opening of the chamber, watching curiously at their new granddaughter. “Sleep well, Payena,” Kiara gently nuzzled her daughter in her arms. “We’ll take good care of you as you grow, I promise.” Yawning once more, Kiara’s head lowered to the side of her daughter as she entered a natural state of sleep. 

Simba and Nala gazed upon the faraway forms of their daughter and her mate as they slept. The golden-furred monarch felt the purr of his mate against his chin. 

“See, they’ll be okay,” the slim queen told him with a murmur. “You don’t have to be so worried about Payena’s care with them. They are her parents after all.”

Simba sighed with a forced smile. “I guess you’re right . . . but I can’t help but worry about how they’ll raise her. Kiara’s over a year old and so is Kovu; they have no experience in raising cubs and it may be difficult for them to handle.” 

“They have us, Simba,” Nala reminded him, calming him down. “and the other lionesses too. We’ve had experience with rearing cubs, so if they need any assistance, we’ll help each other out. That’s what a pride is for.”

Sometimes I wonder if my father really did influence her, Simba thought as he listened to his wife’s words of wisdom. He remembered at one time he had told Nala that she sounded like her father, Mufasa. She was indeed a great choice to become Queen, despite the fact that they were best friends long before knowing that they were betrothed to one another at a young age. “I know that, Nala, but I just can’t help but worry about them . . .” His expression began to grow more serious now. “ . . . especially since we have to start teaching them about the ways of being King and Queen. I can’t see how they can balance both taking care of Payena and learning to rule the Pridelands.” He stopped as Nala surprised him with a pounce. She threw him onto the rocky ground and cowered over him with a loving gaze. 

“They’ll handle it,” Nala reassured him with a nuzzle.

Simba looked back at the three lions that were fast asleep inside the royal chamber. A smile brightened up his face. “I’m sure they will now.” He rolled over to his belly and stood up. “Come on, let’s check on the other lionesses and organize the hunting party for tonight’s feast.” 

Nala nodded as she followed the slowly fleeing figure of her husband away from the chamber opening. Somehow, they all believed that everything would be all right.

That night within the baobab tree, Rafiki stood inside his tree-house hut, looking at the three paintings of years past. He gazed at Mufasa’s picture and the one of his son with a warm smile. 

“Oh Mufasa, it seems as if your wish came to pass,” the mandrill found a clear spot of tree underneath the golden lioness and the darker lion and began to paint a light gold image of a cub. “Kiara has given birth to her first cub – Payena.” Once he said the cub’s name, he had used his long fingers to paint her black tuft of hair and add the ceremonial marking to her forehead. He paused, looking at the picture with a chuckling laugh. “She’s small, but I’m sure you will watch over her as she grows into a proud ruler, eh?”

The wind blew gently against the monkey’s back. Rafiki only laughed back. “I wonder why this was necessary . . . Why did you want such a young lioness to have a cub?” He let out a sigh – “You know, sometimes I worry about your choices . . .” – but his face shifted to a smile again as he looked at the new painting. “ . . . but I’ll just keep watch over Payena as she turns into a young cub destined to follow her parents as Queen of the Pridelands.”  

He chuckled once more as he sat near the edge of his tree, munching on a gourd as a midnight snack. Without his knowledge, the seed and flax breeze entered into the area and again grazed upon the picture of Simba, damaging it a little bit more before disappearing through the leaves above.

(Part I – completed 1/7/08)

 to be continued in Part II - An Act of Kindness . . .