Chapter Ten: Mohatu's Mate
"Can you tell me how many lionesses will come to help us?" Zahara asked her mother. The situation at Pride Rock was tense. Gaea watched as her daughter paced around, planning their next move.
"Zahara, calm down! We'll do something about it. I can get a few lionesses from the hunting party to join us. They'll help us take Mohatu down," Gaea said.
"Don't you get it, mother? He's the Crown Prince! They'll defend him! Why would they fight for us?" Zahara asked her mother impatiently.
"Then why did you challenge him?" she heard someone say. It was Makani. Zahara didn't want to talk to him at the moment.
"He's hurt me terribly, Makani. I will never be able to forgive him for it," she told him.
"Zahara, please... let go of your anger! You're not yourself right now! You're acting out in anger. Think clearly for a minute... Please... The lionesses of Pride Rock will defend their Crown Prince unless they're ordered otherwise," Makani said.
"Then you can order them to attack Mohatu! You're a Prince! They'll listen to you!" Zahara said.
"Listen to yourself!" Makani said angrily. "You're asking me to turn against my brother!"
Zahara looked at him angrily and said, "That brother of yours betrayed me! He could've told me at some point that he didn't want this to happen!"
"Who's really at loss, now, Zahara? You don't have anyone to support you! What're you going to do when you don't have any leverage against my brother? You haven't thought this through. And this will only end badly! But it doesn't have to! You can end this now! Forgive Mohatu, Zahara... Please... He knows he's hurt you badly... and he wants you to be happy! But if you do this, none of us will be happy! Please! Let this go and start afresh!" Makani pleaded.
Zahara looked at Makani for a minute and said, "No, Makani... He's hurt me too much. I can't let him do this to me. As for getting a few lionesses to help me, I can amass some from my mother's hunting party. I know they'll fight for me. If you won't help me, then please get out of my way. I can't have you breathing down my neck and stopping my every move!" Makani looked distraught at this, but he sighed and walked away, hoping to the Great Kings that she would come to her senses and abandon this takeover bid.
Dhahabu and Mahiri were taking a stroll by the meadow when they saw Mohatu staring mindlessly at the stars in the sky. They went up to him and sat down beside him. Mahiri gently nuzzled Mohatu as she sat down. He smiled at her, but then he looked sadly at the stars again.
Dhahabu smiled and said, "The Great Kings of the Past look down on us from those stars."
"So you've told us ever since we were cubs," Mohatu said. "And right now, I desperately need their advice," Mohatu said.
"What's going on, Mo?" Mahiri asked him.
"I told Zahara that I couldn't marry her," Mohatu began. "That's how it started... Then she got really angry and told me that if I don't marry her, she'll rally the lionesses against me."
"We'll see how she does that," Mahiri said angrily. "I'm the head huntress, and I alone can decide who to rally the lionesses of our pride against! Not her!"
"She's getting help from her mother, too," Mohatu said. "Gaea's hunting party may turn against us."
"If they do, they'll be exiled. I'm still the King. Gaea can't overrule my orders," Dhahabu said angrily. "And I'll make it clear to them that I don't encourage such animosity in my pride. I can't believe Zahara went this far! I'll have to deal with her immediately."
"It's my fault, dad! If I had made it clear to her earlier, none of this would've happened! She's so hurt and angry right now that it scares me! She’s not herself! And I did that to her!" Mohatu said sadly. "I fully deserve whatever punishment she has in store for me."
Dhahabu sighed and asked, "Have you talked to Tahiti?" Mohatu nodded slightly. "Good, Dhahabu continued as he stood up. "I'm going to Pride Rock. I'm going to put a stop to what Zahara is doing if I can. Don't do anything rash, Mo. I don't want you to make the wrong choice. Remember this, Mo... Your mother and I will fully support your decision. Isn't that right, Mahiri?" Dhahabu asked his mate, who nodded in agreement and nuzzled her son before she left with Dhahabu. Mohatu then thought of what Makani had said. It made him realize how much he cared for Zahara. He would be hurting him, too if he made the wrong choice. Why had the Great Kings burdened him with such an important decision? He pleaded for a sign from the stars to let him know what he should do, but the Great Kings didn't bestow one upon him. So he got up and walked away.
As he walked back, he thought about the situation carefully. If he chose Zahara, he would be unhappy for the rest of his life. If he chose Tahiti, he'd be happy with her, but Zahara would surely have her revenge. Stuck in the middle of all this was his brother, who had tried so hard to conceal his feelings so that he could marry Zahara. What kind of brother would he be if he let Makani make that kind of sacrifice? Even if Makani did marry Zahara, how would that guarantee the fact that Zahara wouldn't rally the lionesses to defeat him? He didn't know the answer to that... He had no idea how he could ensure Zahara's happiness as well as his own. For as much as he wanted to do the right thing, he didn't have the heart to betray what he felt for Tahiti. He cursed himself and the situation that he'd brought upon all of them as he walked back home. That's when he saw Zahara. He had to talk to her. But she walked away as soon as she saw him walk towards her. So he just walked in and slept.
Morning came with indecent haste for Mohatu. Today was the day he was supposed to decide the course his future would take. Not only would it affect him, but also his entire family. Dhahabu and Mahiri were very worried about him, but didn't say anything because it would only upset him more. Makani and Busara also hoped that their brother would do what was best for everyone. It was Tahiti who went to talk to him. All he could manage was a smile.
"Wait for me by the river at sunset. Zahara will be there, too. I will let you know what I have decided at that time. All I can hope for now is that none of you will hate me after this," Mohatu said. Tahiti nodded and watched as he left. Just as he reached the foot of the cave, he saw Zahara.
She looked at him for a minute and said, "I hope you're close to making a decision, Mohatu."
"Meet me by the river at sunset. That's where I'll reveal my decision," Mohatu said curtly. Zahara nodded and walked inside Pride Rock. The King and Queen were no longer smiling at her the way they used to earlier. She ignored this completely as she went to get some rest. She didn't want to admit it, but she was in turmoil, too. She had no idea why she was this confused, but she didn’t want to completely ignore what she felt for Makani. He truly cared for her in a way Mohatu never would. But she was promised the position of Queen! How could she ever forget that? How could she forget the fact that Mohatu had let her believe he liked her when the truth was he was too scared to tell her the truth? It was with these thoughts that she finally drifted off to sleep.
Mohatu was smiling. He’d come up with the perfect plan in which everyone would be happy. He’d carefully considered the whole situation and had come up with a decent plan to placate Zahara. It was midday and the sun shone upon him brightly. Delighted at having found the solution to this monumental problem, Mohatu decided to go for a swim. Everything seemed so much simpler now… He sighed as he walked into the river and began swimming with the current. For the first time in moons, he felt relaxed. He thought of all the good times he and Tahiti would have once this was all over… and his mood lifted. Everything was fine until he heard the slight flapping of wings. He turned around to find Nyuni.
“Hello, Nyuni! How’re you doing on this fine day?” Mohatu asked her.
“I would hardly call this a fine day, my Prince! Your father just told me everything about the situation… How did this happen?” Nyuni asked in a worried tone.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Nyuni… I’ve found the perfect solution, and I won’t tell you until tomorrow. As a matter of fact, I think I’d better tell my father that there isn’t going to be a fight,” Mohatu said happily. With that he got up and dried himself in a minute.
“If it includes banishing Zahara, then I doubt very much that it’ll work. You see, young Prince, she has vowed to have you or deprive you of this Kingdom,” Nyuni said.
“I won’t banish her, Nyuni,” Mohatu said, but he lacked the conviction he had had until now. “Zahara will remain with the pride, if she wishes… But thank you for warning me.” Doubt engulfed him again. What if, like Nyuni said, Zahara didn’t like the solution he offered? What if she attacked him and all the lionesses standing by him? What if she hurt his whole family? Once again, he found himself in a very difficult position. He didn’t go back to Pride Rock to see his father, but wandered around instead. He was still thinking about the solution he’d had in mind. It had seemed so simple and right at first, but now that he thought about it, the more stupid it seemed to him. How could he have thought that Zahara would let this go so easily? He roared to vent his frustration. Then he looked at the setting sun… He had to get to the river and fast! But on his way, he found his mother looking for him.
"Mohatu, what's wrong?" she asked him.
"I can't believe what I've started, mother... Father will never forgive me!" Mohatu said in his deep voice.
Nothing his mother had to say could console him. She gently licked his forehead and left. Mohatu decided it was time. Why was this so hard? He knew who he was going to choose... Then why was he hesitating? The three of them had been the best of friends for so long... Why had they all lost sight of that? How would he face them once he'd made his decision? He could never deliberately hurt them... Everything seemed so much more complicated than it was... So much depended on his decision... His Kingdom's fate was at stake here... How could he erase all his father's hard work just for his happiness? Then he saw two silhouettes drinking by the river. As he approached them, he was greeted by warm smiles.
"So, Mohatu... Have you made your decision yet?" Zahara asked him.
Mohatu sighed and said, "Yes, I have..." Both Tahiti and Zahara looked at him in anticipation. He didn’t know how to begin... But he knew he had to do it. So he looked at them and stepped forward. Then he exhaled and said, “This wasn’t easy for me to do, but I have reached my decision. But I ask this of both of you. Promise me that you’ll hear me out completely, and then judge me! I don’t want to hurt any of you, but it seems to me that whoever I choose will mean pain for the other. This wasn’t the kind of situation I wanted to put you in. So I ask you again, will you promise to listen fully and then decide what you have to do?” Both lionesses nodded. Mohatu was relieved, even though a little.
“Alright, then... I just found out a few things yesterday that have played a considerable part in what I’ve decided to do. I found out that Makani cares for you much more than I ever will, Zahara, and if it were up to him, he would have asked you to be his mate a long time ago. But since my parents had already betrothed you to me, he couldn’t do it. If I choose you now, he will be hurt more than anyone,” Mohatu said as he looked at Zahara, whose temper was rising, but she kept quiet remembering the promise Mohatu had forced her to make.
Then Mohatu looked at Tahiti and said, “What can I say, Tahiti? I care for you deeply, and I do wish to marry you. But in doing so, I will knowingly be leading my Kingdom to war, which is something I don’t want.” Tahiti nodded sadly, indicating that she had understood the reason behind this decision. “But if I don’t marry you, I will be betraying what I feel for you... I would be hurting Zahara by staying with her half heartedly. The only problem is the threat to the Kingdom. And I have devised a solution to that, too,” Mohatu said. Both lionesses looked at each other in astonishment. What was Mohatu going to say?
“So I’ve decided to step down from the position of Crown Prince! I will not be King after my father. Makani will be Crown Prince, and you can marry him, Zahara... for he loves you dearly. I cannot marry you knowing how much I love Tahiti. I’m sorry. But I’m ready to give up the one thing I held most precious. I’m ready to give up my right to rule over this Kingdom as punishment for hurting you this way. Forgive me, Zahara, but I choose Tahiti. I love her and it would be completely unfair to you if I marry you when I know clearly that I wouldn’t be able to care for you the way I do for Tahiti. But Makani does care for you that way! Marry him! Become his Queen. I’m sure Tahiti and I will be fine as long as we’re together,” Mohatu said as he smiled at Tahiti. Then there was complete silence.
“Come with me,” Zahara said finally. Mohatu followed her, as did Tahiti. They were walking towards Pride Rock. They didn’t know what she was going to say. It was a cold, chilly night, as if reflecting Mohatu’s bleak thoughts. After what seemed like many, many moons, they reached Pride Rock, where the entire pride was waiting for them. Mohatu gulped as he thought of this. Zahara stepped forward as everyone looked on.
“Mohatu has reached his decision. And I have reached mine,” Zahara said slowly. “Mohatu has chosen Tahiti as his mate, and I commend him for his honesty. But he has hurt me terribly, and this I cannot forgive! Not just yet, at least. But you tried to make amends, Mohatu... You were ready to give up your birthright, and that made it very clear to me. You love Tahiti very much, and I don’t want you to suffer any more pain because of it. There will be no war. I have decided to choose someone who has always cared for me as my mate... someone I’d ignored completely until now, but only if he’ll have me,” she finished. Makani went up to her and nuzzled her to everyone’s surprise. But roars of approval were heard soon. The crisis had effectively been averted. And there were going to be two ceremonies on Pride Rock the next morning.
