Hearing her mate’s suggestion, Nala nodded in agreement as she smiled at her king and nuzzled him softly before replying in a casual voice.
”That sounds perfect Honey. We can talk along the way.”
Taking lead yet still keeping a leisurely pace so that she and her mate could walk side by side while they conversed, the cream colored queen waited till the two of them were well out of earshot from anyone else before she spoke up once more in a concerned tone.
”You know, maybe I spoke too soon this morning Honey. I probably ended up Jinxing our luck, as it seems as though things might get a bit more difficult for us around here with having both those questionable felines in our midst. I was thinking though. What if they both are lying and somehow are working together for some underlying purpose? We shouldn’t rule out that possibility either.”
Shaking her head in dismay, Nala thought for a moment before an idea struck her. Looking back over at her mate, the cream colored queen chimed in once more.
”Say, why don’t we have a pride gathering tonight. We can have Kovu and Kiara and both Zina and Kondo all in the same place. Maybe The Hunting Party and myself can catch us something nice to eat and that way, it will just look like a friendly affair. You know, welcoming our new guests over a nice meal. Why I suggest this Honey is, if in fact, one of the two are lying, we can get this little ordeal said and done with quickly, and in the off chance that both of them are working in unison with one another, perhaps there will be strength in numbers and the two of them will drop their guard and slip up some how, just to give us a clue upon what their true intentions are. What do you think about this idea?”
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Kovu was a bit mortified and irritated that Simba had even allowed Kondo to stay, let alone leave himself in charge of keeping tabs over this unruly male. Still, knowing where his loyalty lay and realizing that this would be a good chance to show his father-in-law that he was capable of taking on such responsibility, Kovu gritted his teeth as he acknowledged his king’s orders and waited for the royal pair to depart before he turned his full focus back upon Kondo. Hearing the brash male’s attempt at an apology, Kovu couldn’t help but to scowl as he responded in an indignant fashion.
”Look, I know you’ve been given a chance to prove yourself in the eyes of my king and queen but me personally, I still don’t trust you and if you think a simple apology is going to wipe the slate clean, you’re sorely mistaken Kondo.”
Beginning to make his way towards the opposite direction to which Zina and Kiara had traveled not too long ago, the prince of the lands turned about face as he addressed the larger male once more, trying to adopt as civil of a tone as he could manage as he stated.
”Well, are you coming or not? I’ll show you around, but just because it’s my job Kondo. Maybe, just maybe if you act like you’re a guest in these lands and not the ruler of all you survey, maybe then I’ll show an ounce of respect towards you, but until that time comes, we’re nothing more then acquaintances, got it?”
Mumbling under his breath as he started off in the direction of Pride Rock, Kovu kept a watchful eye on Kondo’s every movement, still not trusting him in the least bit as his body language clearly displayed.
==========
Upon hearing Kiara’s inquisitive nature towards her chosen profession, Zina didn’t pass up the opportunity to demonstrate her skills, although keeping her false demeanor up for the time being, as she refused to actually let herself feel any sort of compassion or caring towards these simple minded Pridelanders, the white furred Shaman replied in an intrigued voice.
”Oh, so you’re curious about the art of Shamanism, hmm Princess Kiara? Well, it’s not exactly something you can just pick up right away, not saying that you’re not smart enough to though, as I’m sure you’re just as bright as the sun that shines above us now, but to be a great Shaman takes many seasons of dedication and devotion and you need to gain a vast knowledge of what every single plant, herb and flora does. I could ramble on for hours about that sort of thing, but I wouldn’t want to put you to sleep with my boring speech.”
Smiling innocently at the golden furred lioness next to her, Zina carefully treaded around the topic of her own expertise and subtly turned the tables upon the unsuspecting princess as the crafty Shaman asked in a sincere voice.
”So tell me a bit more about yourself and that mate of yours Kiara. He really does seem like quite the catch. Were your parents always this laid back and your father, he seems like a very trusting king. It must be nice to have such loving and admirable parents.”
Determined to learn anything and everything that she could about her current company and pride, as every single detail could prove to be crucial for her bigger plan, Zina played it cool as she waited for a response from Kiara, a genuinely fascinated expression apparent upon her face to show just how willing she was to hear more about this seemingly interesting pride’s history.