The Rule of Aru

Chapter One

Aru paced back and forth, wondering how Jinka was doing. It had been two hours since sundown, approximately when her contractions started. Of course it was a tradition for the male lion to be absent during the birth. And frankly Aru wasn't one to break tradition. His father had been a strict king, and even though that had its drawbacks, Aru was thankful for his upbringing. He had gained more knowledge, and he learned to be respectful in regards to the elders. He sighed and sat down on his haunches. The smell of rain was in the air. He smiled, rain was supposed to be a good omen. Finally, he heard a loud roar coming from within Pride Rock. He jumped up quickly and ran to the entrance.

“What is it? Are you alright Jinka?” he asked, his pitch raised in alertness. His tail hung between his back legs, showing his obvious nervousness. Pir came up to him, the middle aged baboon wrapped his arms around Aru.

“Aru, no need to worry. It is twins.” Aru's eyes lit up with thankfulness. He quietly said a prayer to the great kings. Then his brow furrowed up with worry again.

“What about Jinka? Is she okay?” Aru tried to look over to see her, but she was laying in a shadow at the back of the rock. Pir smiled softly and nodded his head.

“There was a lot of blood, so she shall need plenty of rest. Do not have her hunt for a week or so.” With that, Pir got out of the way and let Aru go see his new cubs. Cubs, wow, he still couldn't believe that it was a twin birth. That had been rare lately in the pride. He walked over to Jinka, and she opened her eyes and grinned when she saw Aru's loving face. He nuzzled her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“Where are they?” he asked. She looked down at her stomach, and Aru followed her gaze. They were already latching on, climbing over each other to get a good nipple. Aru examined them. He couldn't tell them apart right now. He called Pir over to him.

“What are the genders?” he asked. He didn't know if he could bear the thought of two males. He had heard the story from his grandfather about his father-in-law’s father. Apparently there were two males, and one of them had to be chosen to be king. Of course the other flew into a complete jealous rage, and ended up killing the other in cold blood. Thankfully there had been peace since his grandfather took the throne, but Aru had an odd feeling as though something might happen, whether it be sooner or later. Pir patted Aru on the back.

“No fretting Aru, it is a girl and a boy.” Pir pointed at the girl, who had the right teat, and the boy, who had the left. Aru felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. This was going almost swimmingly. Twins, a girl and a boy, and Jinka was alright. He laid down beside her and started to purr.

“Aru, we're going to have to name them.” she said, her voice soft. He opened one eye and looked at her. Her face was peaceful, and at that moment he knew she was going to be the best mother.

“Ysa. The girl shall be Ysa.” he said, a yawn escaping from his mouth.

“And the boy shall be Taj.” Jinka replied, smiling down at her cubs.

“Taj and Ysa. My cubs.” Aru said, laying his head down upon his paws, and falling into a deep, deep sleep.

Chapter Two

The next morning, the pride had brought the king and queen one antelope to share with each other, as was the custom whenever a healthy cub was born. Ysa and Taj's eyes were still tightly closed, but they were aware of each member as they came to say hello. Pir came to Aru and sat beside him.

“Are you ready for the presentation ceremony sire?” he asked. It was still dark out, and as the sun rose, the whole of Pride Lands will gather at Pride Rock to welcome the new prince and princess. Aru nodded in response.

“I trust that Zuka has gone to tell the kingdom?” Aru asked, although it wasn't a question. Zuka was Aru's majordomo, and he was always on top of things. Sometimes he was a few steps ahead of Aru, thinking of advice to give or an action plan. Aru was thankful to have both Pir and Zuka by his side, along with his mate. Without them, he would not be where he is today.

“Yes sire, in fact the first herd of elephants are on their way as we speak.” Aru nodded again and dismissed Pir. He went to Jinka and they relaxed, enjoying their new family.

The ceremony went as planned. A few lionesses were strategically scattered around, in case anyone tried to ambush Pride Rock. Each cub got their turn in the spotlight. Ysa went first as she was the oldest, and then Taj. Finally, after an hour, the animals left and everything came to a nice peaceful calm. Jinka nursed Ysa and Taj, and Aru went about his royal duties.

He came back early, and snuggled up to Jinka. The cubs were fast asleep, as usual.

“How are they doing?” he enquired, giving Jinka a lick behind the ear. She sighed with content and closed her eyes.

“They are just fine Aru.” Aru sensed something was wrong, he looked at her with worry.

“What is it Jinka?” he asked softly, not wanting to disturb Ysa and Taj. Jinka shook her head, but Aru was persistent to get the answer. “Jinka, tell me. What's bugging you?” he asked again, resting his paw on top of hers.

“Oh Aru, I'm just worried. Who shall we pick to be the ruler?” Jinka looked down at the cubs, and gave a small smile.

Aru was confused. Why did she need to worry? The answer was obvious, they would pick Taj. He was a male, and although they had female rulers in the past, tradition clearly dictates that first born males were to be chosen.

“Jinka, we're picking Taj. He's a male.” Aru said. Jinka pursed her lips as she did whenever she was upset about something.

“But why Taj? Isn't Ysa the first born?” she replied, her voice tense. Aru sat up and ran a paw through his mane.

“Yes, but she...she...” he shook his head and gave a long breath.

“She is not a he...” Jinka finished for him. She looked down, disappointed in Aru's decision. Aru got in front of Jinka and laid back down, gazing into her bright green eyes.

“Exactly. I'm sorry, but that is tradition.” Aru told her, his voice soft and low. Jinka did not speak, but just nodded. Aru smiled and playfully tugged at her ear with his teeth.

“That's my girl. Now, I'm just going to the water hole and get a drink before bed. You catch up on sleep.” he stretched his body out and yawned, then turned to head out of the rock. Jinka sighed, this time however, she was unimpressed.

“Tradition. I wish he would think about me for once.” she mumbled to herself. She laid her head down, and felt her nipples tug as the twins contently fed.

Chapter Three

As the rainy season came to an end, the twins grew exceptionally in size. Aru tried his hardest not to pick favourites, but when it came to feeding time, he made sure that Taj got extra portions. He did not want the future king to be weak and tiny, how could they possibly defend the land if an attack should occur? Taj and Ysa would follow him everywhere he went, although instead of listening intently, they would often ignore him and play fight among themselves.

One morning as the lionesses were out hunting, Taj and Ysa had decided to play around the water hole. Two other cubs were there, but they were a bit older than the twins, and often didn't have patience to be around them. Their names were Vidhi and Zak, Vidhi was a very strong lioness, and Zak was a lion, very plain and boring. They were cousins, with their mothers being sisters.

“Taj!” Ysa exclaimed, looking behind to see her brother running up behind her. “Look! Vidhi and Zak are at the water hole. Let's go see what they're doing.” Taj caught up to his sister. For what she lacked in strength, she made up for in speed.

“Ysa, I thought you said we were going to the gorge. We were going to play Mufasa and Scar, remember?” Taj said, catching his breath.

“Oh Taj, we can do that anytime! Come on, let's go say hello.” Taj rolled his eyes. Ysa could be so bossy sometimes. Reluctantly, he followed his sister, and they found Vidhi and Zak sunbathing along the side of the water hole. A few antelopes and giraffes were about, but Taj didn't feel hungry at the moment. Lucky for them, because his dad said that soon he'll be able to hunt for himself. Ysa happily pranced up to them, grinning. She had been obsessed with being older now, she always tried to fit in with the adults.

“Hey Vidhi! Hey Zak!” Ysa said to them. She had a huge grin on her face. Being young and naive, she didn't even notice them rolling their eyes at her. Taj stayed behind a little, trying to find something to distract himself with.

“Oh, hello your Highness.” Zak said unenthusiastically. Vidhi muffled a laugh. Zak always tried to be nice to the cubs since they were the future heirs to the throne, but he still couldn't help being sarcastic. Vidhi nudged him, signalling that they should find a way to ditch them.

“Uh, hey you two...you know, I heard that there is a rogue lion wandering around the Pridelands.” Zak said, kneeling down to Ysa's height. Taj perked up his ears at this, and came closer.

“Really?” Taj whispered, looking around to see if anyone else was listening in. Zak nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I think you two should try and find him. Then you can tell Aru about it. Imagine how proud he would be!” Taj and Ysa looked at each other excitedly. Quickly, they started to run off.

“I heard that he hangs around the Outlands!” Zak called after them. Satisfied, he laid back down and closed his eyes. Vidhi sat down beside him and looked at Zak.

“A rogue? Is it true?” she asked. Zak was known for joking, but somehow she thought that this time he was being serious. Zak looked up at Vidhi.

“Actually, yes. I heard it from Sera. But I doubt those two will actually run into them.” he said, closing his eyes once more. Vidhi laughed.

“For your sake, I would hope so.”

Chapter Four

Ysa and Taj spent days playing in the Outlands before. Since their great-grandfather came to be king, the Outlands had been deserted. The only wildlife that lived there now were families of meerkats and warthogs. Taj found them very interesting, they always had stories to tell. Whereas Ysa preferred to stay in the comforts of the Pridelands, pretending to already be queen.

“Now Taj, remember, this is not a social trip we're making. We have to see where the rogue is.” Taj nodded his head, not wanting to protest against his older sister. They crossed the boundary of the Pridelands and the Outlands, making their way into the dusty setting. Sure enough, as soon as they were noticed, they were greeted warmly by Fritz the meerkat and Tunk the warthog.

“Why! If it isn't Ysa and Taj, how are you two doing?” Fritz asked, waving his small paw at them. Ysa smiled , but continued to be on the search for the rogue lion.

“Oh we are doing just fine. How is your family Fritz?” she asked.

“The kits are finally able to open their eyes.” Fritz said, his tone soft and father-like.

“They are very cute. Do you want to see them?” Tunk asked. He was very quiet and timid, unlike his counterpart. Ysa shook her head, stopping to explain.

“We're trying to look for that rogue.” she said quietly. Then, an idea came to her, her eyes glistened and her ears perked up with excitement. “Say. You two wouldn't have seen him, would you?”

Tunk shook his head, but Fritz scurried up to her and nodded.

“Actually, you know what, I did see a rogue around. He was a scrawny thing, and couldn't be much older than Zak. You know that dead tree by the south end of the river? I think he hangs around there a lot.” Ysa bounced off, Taj slowly keeping up to her. She turned her head around, quickly offering her thanks to Fritz. Tunk looked sideways at Fritz, a worried expression coming on his face.

“Are you sure that was a good idea Fritz? What if the rogue is vicious?” Fritz dismissed the thought with a wave of his paw.

“I don't think so, if he was he would have eaten you by now. Come on, let's get back, I'm starved.”

Ysa and Taj quietly inspected the area of where Fritz said to go. Taj was slightly interested now that there was sense of danger. Ysa strained her eyes, but all she could see was mounds of termite hills. She sat down beneath the dead tree, and had a few laps of water. Taj sat down beside her.

“Ysa, what if the rogue went somewhere else? Maybe we should just go back.” Ysa shook her head, her eyes tightly closed.

“No Taj, if we want to see him, we should wait. We can ask him a few questions, then tell him to stay put while we get dad.” Taj shrugged his shoulders, laying down on his belly, feeling the cool dirt underneath him.

They waited for ten minutes, and as Ysa was getting up to leave, the rogue appeared in the distance. She grinned happily. This would prove to her and to everyone else that she was fit to be queen! Taj looked up, relieved that they finally found him.

“Okay, can we go home now?” he asked, but Ysa shook her head no.

“Taj, I told you, we need to ask him some questions, now come on.” She got up, and walked over to him.

He was very scrawny, and he didn't look too threatening. His fur was matted with some dirt, and his one eye seemed to be blind, but other than that, he looked nice. As the twins got up to him, he stopped apprehensively.

“Where did you come from?” he asked, astonished. Ysa blinked, then pointed a paw back to the Pridelands.

“We live over there.” she explained. “I'm Ysa, and this is Taj.” The rogue squinted his eyes down at her, still in disbelief.

“Are you two rogues as well?” he asked, curiously. Ysa was astonished that he would think of such a thing.

“Are you kidding? We're future king and queen!” she exclaimed. Taj started to draw squiggly lines in the dirt, not wanting to interfere too much. The rogue sat down, his expression becoming more and more astonished by the minute.

“Future king and queen? Of the Pridelands?” he shook his head woefully. “This is bad, this is really bad.” he said quietly. Ysa cocked her head to one side, confused.

“Bad? How can it be bad?” she wondered. He looked down at her, frowning.

“Because, we were told all our lives that the Pridelands were clear of other prides.” he continued to explain further. “I'm Ruttu, I came from the Maja District. It's going through a famine right now, and other lions are on their way.”

Taj walked up to Ruttu then, and looked up at him.

“When are they going to get here?” he enquired.

“Four more days, five at the most.” Ruttu explained. Ysa and Taj looked at each other, they knew this would be bad, just as Ruttu had said.

Chapter Five

Immediately, Ruttu had decided to go with the twins back to Pride Rock. He would meet with Aru, and tell him about the impending threat of the other pride.

Ruttu's pride consisted mainly of strong warriors, and the only reason why he was so scrawny was because of his scouting duties within the pride. For weeks at a time he would be out, trying to find more suitable land for the pride to take over. They had grown considerably in size, but now their main land, the Maja District, had been suffering from drought for months. Nobody really wanted to move, but they knew that they had to, and the only other area that was big and plentiful were the Pridelands.

Because of the fact that they were constantly on the move and that they were warriors, many lions and lionesses had chosen to move away from the Maja pride. Including his older sister, who moved away just before he was born. His parents never talked about her much though, they were heartbroken. He followed Ysa and Taj, and they finally approached the huge, or massive, rock. He looked up at it, completely awestruck by its majestic hold on the landscape. Ysa quickly clambered up the rock.

“I'll go get dad. Taj, wait here with Ruttu okay?” she ordered. Taj sat down on his haunches, and sighed. Ruttu looked down at him and smiled.

“Sisters, huh?” Ruttu said jokingly. Taj looked up in surprise, but quickly gave a smile in return.

“Do you have any sisters?” he asked curiously.

Ruttu nodded, then shook his head, then nodded again.

“Sort of, she moved away before I was born though.” he looked back up, seeing a dark, huge lion appear from the rock. In an instant Ruttu bowed, showing the universal sign of submission. He was in another king's territory, he must be respectful.

“My daughter tells me you have news. Speak it now.” Aru's voice boomed out. He wasn't patient with outsiders, which was understandable. He never actually had to deal with one before, so he was nervous about what this one will bring with him.
“My apologies your highness, but it seems as though the outside world is unaware of your pride's existence. The pride that I come from is going to be coming in four days, and they are expecting no pride, they are expecting an easy take over.” Aru interrupted Ruttu, leaning closer over the edge of the rock.

“What are you trying to say?” he asked, trying to make Ruttu get to the point of the matter.

“Well, my pride are strong, intelligent warriors, and if there is someone in the way, like a king or a pride, they will have no trouble taking them down.”

Aru gave out a loud, ferocious roar, other animals and lions looked over, both worried and fascinated about what was happening. Aru started to pace back and forth, trying to think about what he should do. The rogue didn't seem to be a threat to him. What if he was lying however? But then again, why on earth would a rogue lie about something like this? The Pridelands had seen many liars in the past however, so whatever Aru decided upon, he knew he must be very cautious. He looked down at Ysa.

“Ysa dear, I want you to get three lionesses from inside, the rogue shall be detained and kept a close eye on until further notice.” Ysa nodded, excited about having something to do. Aru shifted his attention to Taj.

“And Taj, get away from him. You and your sister are not permitted to talk to him. Frankly, I am disappointed that you two went in search for him in the first place. There will be consequences, but I'll talk to you about them later on.” Taj ran up to his dad, his expression confused and disappointed, he liked Ruttu, and he didn't know why his dad forbade them to talk to him. Aru glared down at Ruttu, and only left as soon as the lionesses came out and escorted Ruttu to the side of Pride Rock, the place where many years earlier, the infamous Scar once lived. Aru had ordered Zuka to watch over Ruttu, and if Ruttu tried to leave, to inform him right away. Finally, Aru and Jinka both sat down with the twins, with Aru speaking first.

“What were you two thinking? Going off on your own like that? You are lucky that this rogue seems to be kind. Imagine if he was a brute! You two could have easily been killed!” Taj looked down at his paws, and Ysa stood up, defending herself.

“But dad! We wanted to help you! We wanted to show that we could do it ourselves!” Jinka shook her head and brought Ysa close to her.

“Ysa, if you suspected anything, you should have informed your father. He would have been able to do it.” Ysa looked away, her head starting to droop low.

“Well, yeah, I guess.” Jinka licked her softly behind the ear.

“Alright you two, it's time for bed.” Jinka told both of them calmly. Ysa and Taj slowly made their way over to their spot in the rock. Jinka sighed and snuggled against the warmth of Aru.

“I never expected this to happen.” Aru said quietly. Jinka put her paw on top of his.

“Neither did I, but now we have trouble upon us. We need to make sure our pride is ready and willing to defend.” Aru nodded, but he still felt as though something bad will happen to them. A conflict was so out of the ordinary, he didn't know if the pride could handle an attack. He got up, and stretched his hind legs, then his front legs. He looked back at Jinka, and gave her a hopeful smile. She went up to his side, and nuzzled Aru, giving a soft purr. They went to their spot, and as Aru dreamed, he knew that every minute meant that the other pride was descending upon them.

Chapter Six

For the next few days, the whole pride was on constant alert, even some animals in the Pridelands were offering their services. The three lionesses in charge of Ruttu reported no sign of violence in him, he was very patient and understanding of the current situation. One afternoon, Aru had decided to pay the other lion a visit. He was laying down in the shaded part, and looked up as Aru drew closer.

“Good afternoon Ruttu.” Aru said, sitting down beside him. Ruttu sat up and gave a quick bow.

“Hello your majesty. Any words about the other pride?” Ruttu asked. Aru shook his head, nobody had seen them, yet. For all Aru knew, they could be sneaking up in any direction. Ruttu hung his head low, his ears bent back. Aru breathed in, closing his eyes.

“Ruttu, listen, from what the lionesses have told me, they do not think you are any threat.” Aru opened his eyes, looking at Ruttu, who was now intrigued by what Aru had to say. “From now on, you are no longer to be kept as a prisoner. You can wander as you please, but do not leave the Pridelands.” Ruttu nodded, and this time, gave the king a long and gracious bow.

“Thank you your majesty.” Ruttu climbed down from the rock, happy to be able to roam freely once more. Aru sighed; in a way, he wondered if he did the right thing by letting Ruttu free, but he felt as though Ruttu was trustworthy. He went back to the main part of the rock, and sat down, looking over at his kingdom. He noticed that Zuka was flying towards him, at a rather alarming rate. He stood up, and called out to him.

“Oh sire! Thank goodness! I just spotted a few lionesses on the outskirts of the Outlands, they seem to be camped there for now, but I'm sure they will move in quickly!” Aru nodded at this piece of information. He tried to remain calm and collected, but inside he was panicking, the thought of an attack shook him up, and they had no idea when they will attack.

“Did you see a king with them?” he asked Zuka, who shook his head no in a quick reply.

“No your majesty, but I would assume he will follow, and there might also be some more lionesses as well.” Aru stood up, going over to the edge of the rock, staring out into the distance. He was frightened that the opposing pride might try to do a sneak attack on them, and that was when he thought of his cubs – and the fact that he just let Ruttu free. All at once, his calmness escaped, and had gotten replaced with immense fear.

“Zuka, where are my cubs?” he asked, almost shouting. Zuka was taken aback by the king's sudden outburst, and naturally he became a bit flustered.

“Um, I do not...I don't exactly know. I believe I saw them earlier...why do you ask?” Aru sped down the rock, while still shouting orders at Zuka.

“Go find them! And be on the look out for Ruttu! Gather the lionesses, now!” Zuka sped off right away, not even giving the king a reply.

Taj and Ysa were playing in the lush greenery that composed the top portion of the gorge. A few antelope and buffalo were grazing here and there, but nothing was out of the ordinary. Ysa laid down in the shade of the tree, with Taj bouncing around.

“Oh come on Ysa! Let's wrestle some more. If I'm going to be king I need to be strong!” Ysa laughed and shook her head at her naive twin.

“Strong? You can barely even roar!” Taj pursed his lips, a trait he had gained from his mother.

“I can so!” he shouted out with pride, he huffed up his chest in the air, giving the appearance that he was mighty. Ysa rolled her eyes.

“Okay then, prove it. If you can cause the antelope to scatter, you win.” Taj squinted his eyes, and nodded, accepting the challenge. He turned around, taking in the amount of antelope. Slowly, he took in a huge breath, preparing himself to roar out. Then, he gave out his loudest, and best roar he could muster, while closing his eyes simultaneously. In the distance, he heard rustling, and he opened his eyes, wearing a proud smile on his face, but when he looked around, the antelope didn't move. Ysa rolled on her back and laughed.

“See! I told you!” Taj frowned, and turned back towards his sister, then, he heard the rustling again, however instead of an antelope scattering, a tiny mouse darted out of the grass, obviously panicked by Taj's little roar. This ensued more laughter from Ysa.

“Ha! You just scared a mouse! Knew you couldn't do it!” Taj started to walk away from her, but then, just to prove to Ysa that he could roar loudly, he turned around for one last try. Once again, he concentrated very hard, closed his eyes, drew in a breath, and let it out in one go. And, instead of a tiny roar coming out, he heard a loud, ear piercing roar. He quickly opened his eyes, startled, Ysa herself was shocked, and she stopped laughing and turned to face Taj.

“Taj?” she pondered, but Taj looked over his shoulder and shrugged.

That was when Ruttu appeared from the distance, with the herd of antelope rushing past him, scared out of their lunch. Taj smiled, and pranced up to him, while Ysa slowly trotted behind, keeping herself poised.

“Hey you two, hope I didn't disturb you.” Taj shook his head, and smiled up at Ruttu. Ysa gave a small curtsey, and Ruttu bowed slightly at her. “Good day princess.” Graciously, she grinned at him, but sat down quietly without saying a word.

“Hope you don't mind me asking, but is there any fish around here?” Ruttu wondered. Ysa wrinkled her nose at this, eating fish was not something her pride did.

“Fish?! Why would you want to eat that horrible stuff?” she asked, turning her nose up in the air. Taj looked back at her and huffed his disapproval. Ruttu just shrugged.

“I'm not sure, we live by the sea, and I've grown very partial to fish over the past few days.” he looked down at Taj and winked. “So, any ideas?” Taj thought about it for the moment, then his eyes brightened up.

“Yeah! The watering hole has some fish, but they're a bit small, I hope you don't mind Ruttu.” Ruttu shook his head.

“Not at all, fish are fish.” he and Taj started to walk along, when Ruttu stopped to turn back to Ysa. “Coming along girlie?” he asked, and gave a playful wink. Grudgingly, Ysa followed the two, a bit disappointed that her peace was interrupted.

Chapter Seven

Taj and Ruttu chatted during the whole walk to the watering hole. Taj kept on asking about where Ruttu came from, what did the sea look like? Were there lots of animals? What was their king like? Ysa was surprised that Ruttu patiently answered each question. If Taj was to ask half of this to Zak or Vidhi, they would probably find an excuse to leave. At last, they arrived at their destination, and Ruttu grinned, dunking his whole head into the water, and pulling out a very plump fish.

“Yum, that was good.” Ruttu said, closing his eyes with satisfaction. Ysa made a disgusted face, while Taj looked at Ruttu in wonder. Ruttu looked at Taj and gave him a friendly smile.

“Hey, would you like to learn ho to catch fish?” he asked Taj. Taj's eyes glistened over, and he nodded uncontrollably. Ruttu laughed and motioned for him to come over. “Alright, first, you need to find a target, just as though you are hunting. Find one?” Taj nodded, his eyes fixated on a tiny, fast paced fish. “Good, now, when you go to put your head in the water, hold your breath, but keep your eyes open. Remember to do it very quickly, you want to take him by surprise.” Ysa sighed and laid on the ground, finding the process to be quite tedious.

“Okay. Are you ready?” Ruttu asked.

“Yup.” Taj simply replied.

“Okay...now!” With that, Taj immediately dipped his head in, and a few seconds later, came up with the fish in between his jaws. Ruttu gave an approving laugh and patted Taj on the back.

“Well done Taj! Well done! You're a fast learner!” Taj looked up at Ruttu, putting the fish on the ground.

“Really?” Taj wondered aloud. Ruttu nodded, scuffing up Taj's fur.

“Oh yes, in fact, you would be fit for the Maja District pride!” Taj opened his eyes wide at the thought. But that was when Zuka came swooping in, interrupting the precious moment. Ysa perked up, wondering why Zuka was approaching them.

“I think not!” Zuka announced to Ruttu. Ruttu gave a puzzled look to Taj, but all Taj could do was shrug. “Need I remind you that you are speaking to future Prideland royalty! He is not associated with you or your kind, and the king wants to make that clear.” Just as Ruttu was about to interject with his thoughts, Aru came hurdling in, giving a snarl.
“Cubs, behind me.” he ordered. They quickly huddled behind Aru, without a single protest. Ruttu gently bowed his respects, but Aru gave an angry roar. Ruttu looked up, afraid.

“I should never have let you free! But I did, and now look, you're even trying to convert my cubs to your barbaric way of life!” Aru growled out. Ruttu shook his head.

“Aru, that's not-”

“To you, I am king! King of the Pridelands! I have just received word that your pride is awaiting you outside of the Outlands, so I suggest you go there, or suffer the consequences.” Ruttu looked over at Taj, whose expression showed both panic and sympathy for him. Ruttu gave a little wink, which made Taj grin a bit. Ruttu bowed once more, turning around to head to the Outlands. Aru spoke to Taj.

“Taj, get two lionesses so that they can escort Ruttu out.”

“But dad...” Taj protested.

“Taj, now.” Aru demanded once more. Instead of arguing, Taj walked to Pride Rock in dejected silence. Ysa followed him as well. Zuka looked up at Aru and nodded his approval, but all Aru could do was sigh.

“Do you think I did the right thing, Zuka?” he asked, his tone quiet.

“Of course your majesty. Come now, we must be ready for the worst.” Aru nodded sheepishly, and he and Zuka made their way back to Pride Rock.

The two lionesses dropped Ruttu off at the border at the other side of the Outlands, they refused to go any further and immediately turned to go back to Pride Rock. Ruttu did feel bad about all of this trouble that has been caused, but at the same time, he was relieved to be away from the Pridelands. He walked a short distance, and found his mother and two other lionesses laying in the shade of a tree. He went up and greeted his mother, nuzzling her affectionately.

“Ruttu, we were worried as soon as we heard that you had been taken prisoner. Who knew that there would still be a pride?” she said, putting a paw over her son, bringing him in close. He patted her back, reassuring her.

“It's okay mother. Where's King Sitai? Did he not come with you?” Ruttu asked, but he didn't have to wait for an answer, as Sitai was coming up right behind Ruttu that instant.

“Ah Ruttu, how nice to see you.” Sitai said, his voice low and his eyes glistening with a plan. Sitai was always a quick and devious thinker, which wasn't so bad, it had gotten the pride this far. Ruttu gave a small bow of respect.

“If I may ask, where is the rest of the pride?” Ruttu wondered.

“They are a few miles back, I didn't want to advance the pride all at once, for fear of an attack.” Sitai explained. Ruttu nodded, agreeing with the method Sitai had chosen. “So tell me, what did you find during your stay?”
“Well, there is a very well developed pride in the Pridelands. There is a very strong yet naive king, named Aru. He also has two small cubs, Taj and Ysa.” Sitai grinned at this information, but Ruttu was quick to catch what he might have been thinking. “Sitai, don't do anything to those cubs, they're quite innocent. In fact, all the members of that pride are.” Sitai waved Ruttu off with a paw.

“Now now Ruttu, don't be so quick to judge me. Who is their queen? Do you know?” Ruttu furrowed his brow. What would Sitai want with her? Ruttu shook his head.

“No, I didn't get a chance to meet with her.”

Sitai nodded, and paced back and forth, thinking. Ruttu's mother, Freah, chimed in.

“Sire, what are you thinking?” she asked.

“The way through every pride is through their queen. While the king may call the shots, it is truly the queen who is the rock. Which is why I do not, and will not, ever have a queen. Ruttu, tomorrow morning, before dawn, we will all go to the Pridelands and pay this queen a visit.” Ruttu went up to Sitai, confused.

“But, Sitai, what about having some of the pride stay behind?”

“Oh young Ruttu, that is in the past. We are talking about something else, something even more delicate and more beautiful.” Sitai started to walk off. “I will go and fetch the others. I suggest you four rest.”

As Sitai was collecting all of the other lionesses – including Ruttu's father Birah, he had the most devilish grin on his face than he ever had before. If this queen was who he thought she was, then they wouldn't even have to take the Pridelands by force.

Chapter Eight

Meanwhile in Priderock, Ysa was happily chatting away with Vidhi, although Vidhi didn't seem too enthralled by having to babysit the young cubs. The other lionesses were out hunting, and Aru was doing his afternoon duties with Zutu. When he came back from seeing that Ruttu was escorted out, he newly appointed Zak to be his royal protector, at least until the rival pride was no longer in the vicinity.

Taj laid down alone in the corner of the rock, giving a few solemn sighs here and there. He hated how Ruttu had to be kicked out from the Pridelands. He did nothing wrong. Ysa didn't even try to stand up for Ruttu either. Taj was furious with her, he had always wanted an older brother, or even an uncle. Just another male besides his dad which he could talk to. There was Zak, but he was always too busy for Taj, or he was hanging out with Vidhi. In a way, Taj was jealous of Zak, he always had someone to talk to. Zak was one of the lionesses' son, who had joined the pride after hers was wiped out by another rival pride. Taj wasn't too sure where Vidhi came from, apparently one night his mom had found her in the Outlands, it was pouring rain out and she took pity on the newborn cub. So they brought her in, and since a lioness had just recently lost a cub of her own, she decided to raise Vidhi herself. It was a perfect situation. Taj was just about to give another sigh when Aru stormed in, with a frantic Zutu flying overhead.

Ysa ran over, surprised at the sudden and unexpected intrusion. Even Vidhi and Taj walked over, interested in why Aru was here.

“No!! This cannot be happening!” Aru roared out, pacing due to his stress.

“Sire, it is alright. Everything will be sorted out.” Zutu tried encouraging Aru, but Aru was so upset he couldn't even focus on what Zutu was saying.

“Daddy, what's the matter? Zutu, what is it?” Ysa said, her head moving back and forth with each turn of Aru. Zutu sighed, hopping towards Ysa.

“Oh princess it's terrible, terrible! Your father was out for his daily duties, when out of nowhere, this lion came! His pride was a few miles behind him, and Ruttu was there! Well, thank goodness we had Zak there, he's currently interrogating the lion, who we assume to be the king of the Maja District pride.” Suddenly, for very different reasons, all three, Taj, Vidhi, and Ysa's eyes widened, and they ran out of Priderock. Zutu cried out, shouting for them to come back, and Aru gave a loud groan, running after them.

Finally, all five arrived at the newly developed scene. Sure enough, just as Zutu had said, Zak was facing off with Sitai. They weren't physically fighting, but they seemed close to doing so. And all members of each pride surrounded the two, the Maja District pride behind Sitai, and the Pridelands pride behind Zak. Aru looked down at Taj and Ysa, giving them a stern glare.

“You should have stayed behind.” he said quietly to them. But they were too enthralled with what was happening before their own eyes.

“I will ask you once more,” Zak snarled out. “Why have you come here?” Sitai laughed, shaking his head.

“And I will ask you once more you piece of shit, where is your queen?” Aru and the cubs looked at Jinka, who was in between other lionesses. Good, Aru thought, she isn't disclosing herself. Right then however, Zak's anger poured out of him, and he began swiping at Sitai. Sitai being much older and stronger, swiped back, which pummelled Zak to the ground. Zak's mother cried out, and ran for him. Jinka shook her head, and gave a mournful look to Aru. Just then, Aru knew what she was going to do, he lunged forward, trying to stop her, but it was too late, she already stepped in front of Sitai.

“I am the queen. Now what is it that you want?” she said, keeping her head high. Aru sat down, hanging his head low. Why on earth would she do this foolish thing? He sighed, but at the same time, he knew that Jinka was clever, and that she could defend her own.

“Ah, good. Now my queen, tell me, what is your name?” Sitai asked, a permanent grin on his face.

“Why would you want to know that?” Jinka asked, her brow furrowing into a confused look.

“Why can you not tell me such a simple answer? Now, I will ask you once more, what is your name?” Jinka snarled at Sitai, spitting in his face. Sitai sat down, laughing while wiping the spit away. He glanced over, and somehow, Ysa was sitting close to him. She must have come closer to take a better look at what was going on. Jinka's eyes widened, screaming at Sitai. However, Sitai was too quick, and snatched up Ysa with his claw.

“Now, tell me your name, or so help me I will slash this pretty cub until you cannot recognize her.” Ysa trembled in Sitai's claws, so scared that she could barely even breathe. Jinka lowered her eyes, sighing.

“Fine, you win. My name is Jinka.” she said softly, her gaze still firmly planted to the ground beneath her.

“Louder!” Sitai ordered.

“Jinka!” she said, looking up at him. “My name is Jinka!” Right at that moment, a gasp from the Maja District pride arose. It was so loud that it pierced through every animals ears. Sitai laughed devilishly, and dropped Ysa on the ground. Ysa landed with a hard thud, and ran back into her pride, where she was greeted by her father, who hugged her close.

“Good.” Sitai said, just as Freah, Ruttu's mother, stepped out. She looked Jinka deep in the eyes, with a worried look on her face.

“Jinka? Is that you?” Freah enquired, going up ever so slowly towards Jinka. Jinka knew perfectly well who Freah was, but she did not want to let the pride know, or Aru. All Jinka could do, was nod. Freah nuzzled Jinka close.

“Daughter.” she said softly.

“Mother.” Jinka replied. Aru stepped forward, leaving Ysa behind with Vidhi.

“Jinka, who is this lioness? How do you know her?” he said, prying close to Jinka. Sitai laughed again, pacing back and forth.

“Oh, it seems as though your precious queen hasn't told her loyal subjects everything. Well, now is a perfectly excellent time to do so! Jinka, tell them! Tell them where you originally came from!” All at once, both prides locked there eyes on Jinka, waiting to hear her speak. She broke free from her mother, and looked at Aru, and the rest of her pride, with a solemn gaze.

“Yes. It is true. I came from the Maja District.”

Chapter Nine

Aru shook his head, pacing back and forth. He felt faint, he felt as though he was going to throw up. He looked over at Jinka and went up to her, sighing as he sat down.

“Jinka, I don't know what to say.” he said. He knew that she came from a different pride, and he never found it suspicious as to why she didn't talk about them, not until now. All she ever told him was that it was in the past, and that she wanted to get over it. He assumed that something terrible had happened to her, but now he realized that nothing did. Jinka's mother still loved her, and the pride was well established. For all he knew, Jinka was a traitor of her old pride. Sitai was sitting behind Aru, grinning menacingly at Jinka. Jinka felt insecure, all she wanted to do was to go back to Priderock, and never to talk about this again. Aru gave another sigh. Zuka flew over beside Aru, and looked up at the king. He didn't want to cloud his judgement, so he kept quiet.
“Jinka,” Aru started slowly, feeling a lump form in his throat. “What you have done is unimaginable. You betrayed your old pride, you fooled your subjects; all of the Pridelands!” Aru said, becoming louder and louder. Jinka kept her gaze down, not wanting to argue with Aru.

“From this moment onwards, you are banished from the Pridelands! I sentence you to exile!” Aru shouted at Jinka. Both prides gasped, and Taj cried out, trying to get close to his mother. However Ysa held him back, she knew that her father had made his final decision.

Jinka let a tear go down, and her eyes looked deep into Aru's. He looked back at her for a moment, then turned away, grimacing, as he walked back towards his pride. Sitai shook his head solemnly, and went up to Jinka.

“Oh my poor child, come now. Come back with us, with your true pride. We shall look after you.” Jinka gazed back at Aru, and her cubs. Could she really leave them? She gave so much to this pride, she wanted the absolute best for them. And right then, she knew that she had to leave, there was nothing else to do. She trusted Aru, even after what he had just done. He was a good king, and a good father. But, Jinka still made a promise to herself. She would come back once more, when both of her cubs were grown up. She needed to make sure they would be okay. She walked with Sitai back to her old, and now new again, pride. Her mother came up to her and pressed her warm body against her. Ruttu, her brother, kept his distance for now. And finally, Birah, her father, looked onwards at Jinka, and gave her a sad, knowing look. As the pride was walking away from the Pridelands, Jinka looked back again, saying a goodbye under her breath.

Sitai let his pride rest just at the far boundary of the Outlands. He and Birah were talking together, and Sitai let out a laugh.

“This is perfect!” he cried out, looking over at Jinka sleeping. “The run away daughter is back! And what's more, she's a queen! Oh Birah, we are going to have fun with this one.” Birah furrowed his eyebrows at Sitai, a non-amused look over his face.

“Sitai, you are forgetting that this is my daughter.” Birah said, his voice low and serious. Sitai went over to Birah and put a paw around his back.

“Birah, you are forgetting that I am your brother. You can trust me!” Sitai whispered into Birah's ear. Birah sighed and nodded. Sitai smiled and walked away, sleeping a few meters away from the rest of the pride. Birah stayed where he was and looked up at the stars, praying for some guidance.

Time passed and the seasons came and went. The twins also grew with the seasons. Taj and his father went out constantly, Aru teaching his son the ways of ruling a kingdom. Ysa stayed behind with the other lionesses, talking and hunting. She and Vidhi had grown closer surprisingly, and Vidhi would confide in Ysa things she wouldn't even talk to Zak about.

“You like him, don't you?” Ysa asked one hot afternoon, while she and the other lionesses were sprawled out in the grassy savannah. At first Vidhi looked startled, but soon enough a wide grin spread across her face.

“He is really sweet.” she admitted, her voice low just in case any other lionesses were in ear shot. “I think I do like him.” Ysa smiled, bolting up. She could hardly contain her excitement. Since her mother had been banished, things had been relatively quiet and normal in the Pridelands. Something like this was just what she needed to keep her imagination fresh.

“You should tell him!” Ysa said, trying her hardest to keep her voice down. Vidhi shook her head, her eyes closed tightly.

“I can't do that! He only thinks of me as a friend.” Vidhi frowned slightly, thinking back to the days where she and Zak would spend hours talking, laughing, and just enjoying each others company. Ysa pouted at Vidhi, which made her laugh.

“Oh come on! What if he feels the same for you? How will you ever know until you go up to him and tell him?” Vidhi put her head down on her paws. She hated to admit it, but Ysa was right. Vidhi got up, and nuzzled Ysa. Ysa was confused, then she realized why Vidhi was nuzzling her. Her eyes grew wide with excitement and she gave Vidhi a small kiss on the cheek. “You can do it.” she reassured Vidhi softly. Vidhi nodded, and went off to find Zak. She turned back and looked at Ysa, who was smiling at her. Vidhi smiled back, and started her search.

Zak was resting at the side of Priderock. Since Taj had grown up and had begun his royal training, Zak wasn't needed as much for being Aru's personal guardian. In a way Zak felt cheated, he had finally found a way to bring something to this pride, and now in a flash that was taken from him. But he couldn't be too upset, Taj was the future king and he really was a good lion. Zak stretched out, when he his ears perked up, the sounds of pawsteps were coming near him. He got up and sat straight, believing that it was Aru. But when he saw Vidhi's head pop around the corner, he breathed out and relaxed his shoulders.

“Hi Zak.” Vidhi said, her voice shaky. Zak smiled and said hello to her, wondering why she was visiting him. She rarely came up here unless it was because of something major, like a suspicious lion or if Aru wanted to see him. But there hadn't been much of that lately at all.

“So, what are you doing up here?” Vidhi wondered, coming over to sit beside Zak. Zak looked out over the Pridelands and shrugged.

“Best seat in the house.” he said, moving his paw, indicating the running antelopes over in the east, and then the lionesses resting over in the west. Vidhi nodded as she was looking.

“Anything interesting?” Vidhi asked. She didn't want to jump right to it, instead she just wanted to slowly build up to telling him. Zak shook his head, and gave a long sigh. Vidhi looked at him, concerned for her best friend.

“Hey, what is it?” she asked, looking at him. Zak shrugged, then looked down at Vidhi.

“I don't know, it's just...I guess I've been feeling a bit worthless lately.” Vidhi bolted up at this, standing right up. She went over to Zak's left side and looked at him again, he had his head low.

“You're not worthless, Zak! We care about you!” Zak gave a short laugh at this and shook his head.

“Yeah. Who specifically?” he asked, laughing again. Vidhi put her head down.
“Well...your mother.” she started, but Zak cut her off.

“That doesn't count.” he said, and walked over to the other side of the rock. Vidhi followed him, and sat beside him once again.

“And...so do I.” she said, her voice soft. Zak looked at her, his eyes tired and stressed.

“Well, you're my friend. Of course you do.” Zak was saying, but Vidhi shook her head. Zak got confused. What was Vidhi going on about?

“Zak...I mean...more than a friend.” she said quietly, but Zak heard every word. His tail flicked, signalling his excitement. He moved in front of her and smiled.

“R-really?” Zak stammered, getting a bit flustered. Vidhi nodded, smiling up at him. Zak nuzzled her closely. “I've felt the same too, Vidhi. For a long time now.” For a few moments they stayed like this, silently enjoying the presence of the other. Then Zak got up, and playfully pounced on Vidhi, making her fall back.

“Hey, come on! Let's go away for the day...I think we both need it.” he said, giving Vidhi a kiss on the cheek. Vidhi smiled, and pushed Zak off.

“Alright, let's go. But we should come back tomorrow at least!” she said, following Zak down from the rock. Zak looked back at her, and gave a wink.

Chapter Ten

It wasn't too long after that night that Vidhi announced to the pride that she was pregnant. Everyone was happy for her, especially Ysa. She made sure that Vidhi was fed extra portions and that she rested during certain times. Vidhi made fun of Ysa, reminding her that she was the one who was pregnant.

Aru and Taj couldn't join in on the festivities for too long, they still had royal excursions to do and Taj still had a long way to go before he could become king. Aru was getting worried, he knew that Taj was smart and he would make a great king, but he didn't really want to give up the throne just yet. He still felt as though there was unfinished business he had to do, and without Jinka there beside him, everything was twice as difficult as before. Aru almost wished that Taj would find a mate in one of the lionesses, that way giving up the throne could be a bit easier for him. And as luck would have it, there came a day when that prospect didn't seem too far off after all.

Taj was patrolling the outskirts of the Pridelands with his father. The sun was really horrendous that day, and even though they had a drink at the water hole a few miles back, Taj's mouth was still extremely parched. Aru's ears perked up, and he sniffed the air. Taj looked up at him, trying to sniff the air as well, but he didn't notice anything.

“What is it dad?” he asked. Aru shushed him.

“A lion. Two of them. One might be a female.” Taj looked in the direction of Aru's gaze.

“What? Are you absolutely sure?” Taj said, keeping his voice low now. Aru nodded. They waited for a moment, and then one lioness and lion came out of the long savannah grass. They were skin and bones, and the male's mane wasn't full at all. Aru walked up to them, and instead of treating them as hostiles, he helped the male by letting him use his back as support.

“Taj, carry the girl. Come you two, we'll go back to Pride Rock.”

Taj and Aru took the two into Pride Rock, Aru ordered some lionesses to get them some food, and he had Pir come and inspect them. They were so weak, they could barely talk, and all they really got from them was their names. The female was Maji and the male was Moto, they were brother and sister; twins.

As soon as they ate, Aru had them talk about where they came from. Maji did most of the talking.

“We came from a pride that is a four day's walk away in the north. We lived in the Runei Lands. A rival pride of ours came and destroyed everything, killing all of our pride members, except Moto and I of course, we escaped with our mother...but she died two nights ago.” Maji said, laying her head down and closing her eyes.

“Why would a pride do that?” Taj asked, his eyes wide. Ysa looked at him with a saddened expression over her.

“Greed. Evil. Power...who knows.” Maji shook her head at this.

“No. Our prides have been in a long time feud. My father was the king and ruler of our pride and of the Runei Lands, and his brother, my uncle, was his younger brother. From what Moto and I have been told, he also wanted to be king, so he rounded up a few lionesses and they started their own pride a few miles away from us. They were always the underdog though...and I guess they finally had enough.” Aru nodded, coming over to sit by them.

“Yes, we have a similar story in our past as well. The rage was so intense that eventually, it killed both of the brothers.” Moto piped up at this.

“Why does this happen?” he asked furiously. Aru shrugged.

“Tradition. It differs from pride to pride, but usually it's the oldest male that gets the throne. That's why Taj is going to be king when I step down.” Aru smiled at Ysa then, the first time he did so in days. “But my daughter is very humble, and she doesn't have a jealous bone in her body. I think that's what is most important in siblings, if one is jealous, then it will tear everything apart.”

Ysa gave a side glance at her father, and awkwardly, she slipped out of Pride Rock as everyone's attention was drawn back to Maji and Moto. Moto however noticed Ysa's odd exit, and excused himself, saying he was going to catch the last bit of sun before it finally set. He walked out of Pride Rock, and noticed Ysa laying under a tree, just by the rock. He went over to her and sat down, looking up at the sunset.

“It was very kind of your father to take my sister and I in.” he said, smiling. All Ysa could do was sigh and turn over, her back facing Moto.

“Hey, what's up? What's upsetting you?” he asked.

“I don't want to get you involved. You already have too much to worry about.” Ysa said, her voice telling him plainly to go away. Instead, Moto laid down beside her.

“Nah, it's okay. All I need is to fatten up, and knowing me that won't take long at all.” he said jokingly. Ysa had to laugh at this, and she made an effort to shift again, looking at Moto.

“Well, since you put it that way...” she started, smiling back at Moto. “Okay, well...you know how my father said I was humble?” Moto nodded. “Well, truth is, sometimes I wish that I was going to be queen. I mean, I'm the oldest. And I feel as though I'm smart and responsible just as much as Taj is. But just because I'm a girl, just because I don't have a mane, I can't be the ruler.” Moto nudged her with his muzzle, and looked back up at the sky, which was now dark black.

“Yeah, my sister felt the same way. She's older than I am, and she was always jealous whenever I went out with dad on our royal duties. But you know what? Just because you can't be the king doesn't mean that you can't be the ruler.” he said. Ysa looked at him, bewildered, trying to piece together what he just said.

“What do you mean?” she asked after a moment of trying to figure it out.

“What I mean is, you're very intelligent and you're a good lioness. Even though your brother might be king doesn't mean that the animals will look to him for guidance.” Moto got up at that point and stretched, heading back to Pride Rock. “Anyways, I'm beat. You wanna escort me back, my queen?” Ysa blushed and nodded, and walked back with Moto, feeling happier now than she did before.

Chapter Eleven

A few weeks had passed since Moto and Maji had come to the Pridelands. Ysa and Moto had spent almost every day together, they would walk around the Pridelands and even to the Outlands, laughing and chatting all the way. Taj was a bit jealous of course, he remembered when he and Ysa used to be like that. Every day they would play and goof off, but now they barely even get a chance to sit and have a good talk. One evening, when his father had permitted Taj to have a break, he was laying alone in Pride Rock, watching a small mouse scurry about, sniffing the air and grooming it's paws. Maji came wandering in the rock, and trotted over to Taj, sitting beside him.

“Hello Taj.” she greeted happily. Taj looked up at her, and gave a small hello back. “So, what have you been up to?” she asked, stretching her front paws in front of her, then laid down.

“Same as always.” Taj replied, moving his head away grudgingly. Maji frowned, sensing that something was wrong.

“Are you okay? You seem...blue.” Taj shrugged, keeping quiet at first, but then he piped up, his long time frustration letting out.

“How can you keep so calm and happy?! Moto hasn't been around you since he came here! All he does is hang around Ysa, every single day. So how come you're still happy? After all you two had been through...after being inseparable for so long...” his voice trailed off, and he put his head back down on his paws, a single tear coming from his eye. Maji pursed her lips as she thought about how to answer him, but it didn't take too long before she thought of the perfect thing to say.

“Well, Moto and I have been twins for a long time, Taj. We will always love each other, no matter what, and I know that, and he knows it too. And I know that whatever happens, he will always be there for me whenever I need him.” she said, giving Taj a nuzzle. Taj smiled, nuzzling Maji back.

“Thanks Maji.” Taj said, getting up. Maji looked up at him, cocking her head to one side.

“Where are you going?” she asked. Taj turned around and gave a little wink.

“I'm going to find Ysa.” he said, pouncing off. Maji laid down, smiling as Taj dashed off.

Ysa was laying down in the grass, looking up at all the bright stars. Her ears perked up as she heard someone coming from the distance. She got up, looking to see who it was. At first she thought it would be Moto, but when Taj came into sight, Ysa was pleasantly surprised.

“Hey Taj!” she greeted, running up to her brother. Taj hugged his sister tightly, and laughed as he saw her startled reaction.

“What? Were you expecting someone else?” he teased. Ysa laughed, giving him a small punch on the shoulder.

“So...what have you been up to?” Ysa asked, staring up at Pride Rock. Taj shrugged, sitting beside her.

“Nothing too interesting to tell the truth.” he replied, resting his head on her shoulder. “What about you?”

Ysa gave a long sigh, a wide grin spreading across her face. She looked down at Taj, and smiled.

“If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?” she said. Taj got a puzzled look then, and gave a nod. Ysa breathed in as she told him. “Moto wants me to be his mate.” she said quietly. Taj jumped back, smiling.

“Wow! That's great! What did you say?” he asked excitedly. Ysa shrugged.

“I don't know, I haven't given him an answer yet.” she said. Taj hopped in front of her, barely containing himself.

“Say yes! Say yes!” he practically shouted. Ysa hushed him, laughing.

“But Taj, if I say yes, you know what it means, right?” she said, completely serious. Taj looked confused for a second, but then he realized what she was saying.

“Oh...you mean...” he started. Ysa nodded slowly, looking sad.

“If I say yes, that means I can take the throne.” she explained. Taj knew this, and hey both sat there in silence. Taj sighed deeply, and looked his sister in the eyes.

“Hey sis...” he said, “Say yes.” Taj gave her a knowing smile. Ysa grinned, jumping and hugging Taj.
“Are you sure?” she asked him. Taj nodded, giving her a nuzzle.

“I see how happy he makes you, and I know that you'll make a great queen.” he said. Ysa ran off towards Pride Rock. Taj yelled after her.

“Where are you going?” he asked. She turned around.

“Going to tell everyone of course! C'mon!!” she yelled back. Taj laughed, running after his sister.

Chapter Twelve

First, Ysa found Moto and told him that she would be delighted to be his mate. Then she got him and Taj to round everyone up, including Zak and Vidhi and their little daughter Nyota. Even Aru was there, looking on at them from the background. Ysa looked up at Moto, and looked over at Taj who gave her a wink.

“Everyone, I'd like to make an announcement.” she started, looking at each individual. “Moto has asked me to be his mate...and I said yes.” Maji smiled, running up to the both of them and giving them each a hug. Even all the other lionesses crowded around them, congratulating them. Aru slowly walked over. Ysa was nervous, she thought he would be upset, but instead, he nuzzled her, and gave a nod towards Moto, who bowed graciously at him.

“Congratulations to the both of you.” he said proudly. “Ysa, you do know what this means, right?” he said. Ysa nodded, giving him a tender hug.

“Yes daddy, I do.” she looked over at Taj. “Taj and I even talked it over and he said he was fine with it.” Aru looked at Taj, searching his eyes.

“Are you sure Taj? After all of your hard training...” Taj nodded, placing his paw on top of his father's.

“Dad, I'm sure. Ysa is smart and kind, she doesn't even need any training. And with me right there beside her, and with Moto as well, she has a lot of back up as well.” Aru nodded, stepping up on a rock, overlooking all of the pride members.

“Very well.” he said quietly, clearing his throat. “Everyone, on behalf of Ysa and Moto's engagement, I would like to announce that as of tonight, I am resigning as king.” Everyone looked up at him, their eyes wide. Ysa stepped up by the rock, smiling and her eyes glistening.

“Tomorrow morning, I would like to hold Ysa's coronation as your queen. If she accepts, that is.” he said looking down at his daughter. Ysa smiled, nodding, she was too excited to form any words. “In that case, congratulations to you both. You'll make fine rulers.” and with that, Aru bowed to them, and in an instant, everyone else bowed back, including Ysa, Moto, Maji and Taj.

The next morning, as the birds of the savannah flocked around, and as every animal in the kingdom came together, Ysa walked across Pride Rock, and gave a roar to the crowd. The animals called back, accepting Ysa as their queen. Moto walked beside Ysa, and looked at her, he was nervous of course, but Ysa gave him a reassuring nuzzle. He looked down at all of the animals, and roared, and once more, they called back. Aru looked up at them from the ground, and in that moment, he felt pride as he had never felt before. He felt guilt too, remembering Jinka and how he picked Taj just because he was the male and the first born. But with tears in his eyes, Aru was still happy, and couldn't ask for anything more. That is, until he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Look at her, look at our baby.”

Aru looked back with shock, because who was standing there but Jinka. He started to say something, but Jinka shushed him.

“It's okay Aru, I forgive you. I just hope they forgive me.” she sat beside Aru, and looked up at her daughter, as her eyes filled with tears of joy as well.

THE END