Tough Love [Private]

[KiarasMate]

Almost choking on his mouth full of meat, Kovu had to all but suppress his embarrassment from his mate’s words. Quickly swallowing his food, the blushing prince turned to his mate as he addressed her in a puzzled tone.

”Sweetheart, can I speak with you in private please.”

Looking over at the new faces around the meal, Kovu quickly stated in an apologetic voice.

”Please excuse me and my mate for a moment.”

Wasting no time, Kovu made his way back out of the main area of pride Rock, towards his and Kiara’s den. Upon arriving there, Kovu turned and waited for the golden furred lioness to arrive before he spoke to her in a bewildered tone.

”What’s gotten into you Love? You’re really affectionate tonight, which believe me, isn’t a bad thing, but we do have guests and we need to act accordingly in front of them.”

Unable to resist a smile though from his mate’s previous words, Kovu moved in close to her, pressing his large body against hers as his lips lightly connected with his lover’s, sending the pair into a heated kiss before the sly prince pulled back and spoke once more in a gentle voice.

”Just try and keep it together for now Kiara. I promise you, come tonight, you’ll get everything you want Love.”

Staying close to his mate for a moment, Kovu purred happily as he lightly licked over one of Kiara’s golden cheeks before he inquired in a thoughtful manner.

”Do you really think what Simba stated about Kondo is true? I seriously don’t trust him Love. I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think you could avoid being alone with him if you can help it Sweetheart. There’s just something about him that rubs me the wrong way.”

==========

Watching as Kovu and Kiara took their leave, Zina melded over what Simba had just asked of her before she replied in a carefree voice.

”That’s easy King Simba. I plan on becoming the best Traveling Shaman. My goal is to learn all there is to know about the art of Shamanism and one day, I hope to find the various legendary herbs that all Shamans dream about, that is, if they even exist. I know, it might sound like a stupid idea, but it’s all I have to live for.”

Listening intently to Kondo’s response to Simba’s question, Zina couldn’t help but to roll her eyes as she thought to herself.

You don’t fool me you lying bastard!

Staying quiet for the time being now, Zina kept a watchful eye upon Kondo, occasionally breaking her stare as not to look overly suspicious as the white furred lioness casually laid herself down upon the warm rock surface of the main den, continuing to observe her company with an attentive gaze.

Once Kondo was finished speaking, Nala was the first to reply to his story. Being the caring type that she was, the cream colored queen felt pity towards the large male, gently reaching out a fore paw as she lightly placed it atop Kondo’s back before speaking to him in a sympathetic voice.

”I’m sorry to hear that Kondo. It must be hard to talk about such things with relative strangers but we assure you that your past will not affect our judgment towards you, so please don’t feel as though you need to hide anything from us. We’re a very open pride here and we accept everyone for who they are and not from what they have gone through.”

[CheetahCat]

Observing her mate's countenance, Kiara knew her choice of words were inconsiderably too much for her lovely mate as she ascended up on all fours to watch Kovu pad off in the direction where their den was established. Wondering what her mate wanted to talk about, Kiara glanced over to her starving pride and guests, giving them a respectful bow before bounding over to where her beloved prince settled himself inside of their cozy den. Once entering inside, the golden furred lioness eyed her mate in a state of anxiety, desiring knowledge on what was on his mind as she seated herself right beside her mate's moderately hot pelt. To Kiara, she felt she hasn't done anything wrong and braced herself for what's to come as her mate's bewildered voice traveled within her enthusiastic ears.

Presenting an sadden countenance when her mate concluded his thoughts, Kiara sighed softly and eyed the undistinctive ground of their den, speaking in dampen spirits in hopes her mate will understand where she's coming from.

"I know I've been acting too affectionate towards you sweetie, but I really do miss you so much. The only time you and I get to see each other is at night time and by then, you're too exhausted to spend time with me. I understand you're much busier in life honey, it's just difficult to go each day without seeing you. My heart aches when you're not around sweetie and I can't help about thinking about you constantly each and every day when you're away."

Directly after her apologetic statement, the golden furred lioness felt her mate's irresistible furry body press up against her slender frame as their scorching hot muzzle lips locked up for a much needed lion kiss. Purring wildly and uncontrollably during their passionate lion kiss, Kiara elevated both of her amber fore paws to place them against Kovu's soft furry cheeks to lovingly rub them in circular patterns to enhance their pleasurable kiss.

Feeling her mate pulling back to break their amorous kiss with a loud satisfying popping sound, Kiara licked over her saliva coated muzzle lips to guzzle down her mate's luscious saliva as she pressed herself into her mate's furry strong frame. Licking up the last remaining saliva that stained her ebony muzzle lips, the golden furred lioness snuggled into her prince much closer as her swivel ears caught a inquiry from her mate regarding, Kondo. Like her mother, Kiara had mixed feelings for this abstruse lion and had a thought that he may indeed have some generosity lingering around inside of him, but was too shy to open up in front of everyone. With this in mind, Kiara glanced up to her mate and replied compassionately.

"Hmm... To be honest honey, I think Kondo may have a generous side of him. He does seem so angry all the time, but there might be a nice side of him. My dad believes every lion should get at least one chance to show their true colors and I'm sticking to that as well. Remember when you first came into our homelands, you weren't the affectionate prince I know? And in the end, you changed into something much better? Maybe this Kondo will do the same. As of now though, I'm going to stay away from him sweetie, you have my word. I kinda don't trust him right now, we'll see how he acts tomorrow. Maybe he'll be more friendly by then."

Affectionately rubbing her golden furred cheeks against her mate's strong furry chest, Kiara inquired her own thoughts as she spoke curiously.

"What do you suppose Zina and Kondo are after? Don't you think it's funny that both of them showed up at our home around the same time?"

---

Showing some interest in Zina's response, Simba smiled warmly and rose up on all fours before replying lightheartedly.

"That's really a good future to look forward to, Zina. I hope one day you will find those legendary herbs and I'm looking forward of hearing more about you tomorrow morning when you and I take a stroll together."

Averting his concentration over to the enigmatic Kondo, Simba attentively listened to every bit of information that was generously bestowed to him, cogitating about what sort of item the opposing pride wanted from Kondo's pride. Thinking deeply of this, Simba patiently waited for Kondo to finish speaking before replying in a content sounding tone.

"I'm very sorry to hear about your past, Kondo. It's a shame something like that had to happen to you. We don't judge others by their past. More so, their disposition. At the moment, your attitude is too impolite and uncalled for. If it isn't to much to ask, could you please adapt a more reasonable attitude? If you keep your misbehaved attitude up, I won't have a choice but to dismiss you outside of Pride Rock where you'll be spending your nights. Do you understand?"

The glorious king glanced over to his mate and leaned down to give her an affectionate nuzzle, whispering silently into her ear tenderly.

"Come now my queen, it's getting late. We should head out to bed and let Zina and Kondo eat quietly, I think I've gathered something tonight from one of them. When morning arises, I will try and endeavor information out of Zina when I talk to her more personally when we're on our morning stroll. I have a hunch something isn't right here and I'm going to find out what it is. For now though, let's go to bed."

Giving his mate a playful nudge to initiate their departure for their affluent den, Simba glanced over to Zina and Kondo tentatively, examining their discrete postures as he announced audibly.

"Zina and Kondo. Both Nala and I are going to bed so things will have to be quieter around here. You two are free to eat what's left of the antelope. I'll be seeing you two tomorrow morning, more specifically, you Zina. So make sure you two get to bed early and don't stay up too late, okay?"

Looking back over to his lovely mate to assure she was ready, Simba smiled fondly and took lead towards their opulent den in silence, only having thoughts about what Zina's true antecedent is like and what both felines' aspirations were.

---

Acknowledging Nala's sympathetic discussion in combination of her creamy fore paw making contact onto his brawny back, Kondo merely nodded his head and perpetuated his artificial demeanor. Much to his surprise, the acclaimed felines were falling for his contrivance and decided to leave him and Zina alone to do as they please, distributing their trust within them. When both the king and queen were out of prying eyes, Kondo converted his gaze over to Zina, displaying an emotionless countenance as he ascended up on all fours to pad over nonchalantly in her direction.

Coming to a abrupt stop in front of the shaman's prone posture, the detached male gazed into the lioness' yellowish eyes and spoke in an unemotional manner.

"I need to talk to you about something important Zina so I want you to listen. I know you do not like me and we're like water and oil. However, what made you lie in front of the royal felines? You could've gotten me in deep trouble and I would've been out of your fur. Is there any reason to your activity?" Kondo hesitated briefly to take a step forward, closing the distance between him and the anomalous lioness as he persisted on. "The main reason I came over to you is that I need your help to abduct these lands. I can't take this pride on by myself and I really do need your assistance. Just think about how much we can achieve together if we unite, we'll be an unstoppable force with our combined efforts. If you accept my generous offer and we form an accord, I promise you I'll help you find those legendary herbs you speak of. What do you say? Without these pushover felines, you will obtain every existing vegetation you can ever imagine. Especially in these lands."

Kondo fixedly kept his orange eyes centered on Zina's furry face, anticipating the outcome of her decision anxiously.

[KiarasMate]

Enjoying his mate’s company and listening intently to her response to what he had asked of her, Kovu sighed dejectedly as he nodded and replied in an uncertain voice to his beloved lioness.

”I suppose you’re right Love. Maybe I was too hard on him today. It’s just, there’s something odd about him and I honestly don’t know if he and that white furred lioness are plotting something. They look as though they don’t really get along with one another from what I’ve observed but maybe it’s just a trick.”

Taking a quick glance outside their den, Kovu thought for a moment before he asked in a curious tone.

”Aren’t you hungry Sweetheart? That antelope was quite tasty if you ask me. It is kind of late though and it looks as though Simba and Nala have turned in for the night already. If you want, we can go back out together, or we could just stay here and call it a night as well.”

Smiling warmly at his mate, Kovu continued to purr softly as his large fore paw gently caressed down Kiara’s slender side, his paw toes leaving light furrows in her fur as they trailed along every little curve of her attractive frame while he waited for a reply.

==========

Having had her fill of the antelope and already beginning to clean herself from her meal, Nala’s ears perked as she heard her mate’s statement. Understanding where he was going with this, the cream colored queen quickly nodded and confirmed Simba’s comment as she herself spoke to the two new felines.

”Yes, I think it’s time to hit the hay. Nothing like a good meal to put you to sleep. I hope you two have a nice night and perhaps we’ll get to know each other a bit more come first light.”

Giving a quick nod to both Zina and Kondo, Nala followed Simba off to their private quarters, leaving the two strangers to their own device. Upon arriving in their den, Nala’s voice lowered to a hushed whisper as she addressed her mate in a serious tone.

”So, what do you make of it all Honey? Do you think they are working together? It’s sort of hard to tell but there’s obviously some unspoken tension between the two of them. That much is obvious.”

=========

Watching the royal couple departing, leaving herself alone with Kondo now, Zina’s eyes narrowed as Kondo approached her, causing the fur on the Shaman’s neck to stand on end as she listened to what he was saying, a crude sneer working its way upon her muzzle as she waited for him to finish speaking before she hissed back to him in a low voice.

”First off Kondo, back your ass up! I don’t like you being so damn close to me! Second of all, what makes you think I’d EVER help you, hmm? Are you really THAT self-centered that you think I would have any interest in becoming associated with the likes of you? Give me a break!”

Backing up now so that her hind quarters were firmly pressed against the back wall of Pride Rock, just to have as much distance between Kondo and herself, Zina continued to torment Kondo verbally as she ejected her claws to warn the large male to stay away.

”You’d be no use to me in finding the legendary herbs anyways Kondo. You’re no Shaman and what use would I have even having you around anyways? Seems like the only thing you’re good for is getting me in trouble. If you’re wondering why I didn’t just tell that pushover king of theirs, the truth about you and myself, it’s because we’d both be in serious trouble. You think that we’d be welcome in these lands if they knew the truth? The answer to that is NO! That’s why I lied. Not for your sake, so don’t get the wrong idea. If I could have told them the truth without risking my own hide, I most certainly would have, since I don’t give a damn about what happens to you.”

[CheetahCat]

Keeping an eagle eye on her lovable mate, Kiara pressed her credulous, soft, furry body against the only lion she loved so much, absorbing every word that was coming out of his ebony muzzle regarding Kondo and Zina's alleged alliance conjointly with her mate's inquiry. Shifting herself to get more comfortable, Kiara giggled quietly and gave her mate a loving lick across his adorable nose and fuzzy brown cheeks before replying considerately.

"To be honest sweetie, I'm not really that hungry right now. When you and I got together tonight, my appetite for food went away. I'll eat something tomorrow morning, okay honey? I just wanna snuggle up with you for the night and listen to your heartbeat as you sleep."

Feeling her mate's delicate, massive fore paw running along her golden, slender, furry side, Kiara purred quietly and curled up against her appealing prince, adding in her thoughts about Kovu's inquisition in relation to Kondo and Zina in a troubled voice.

"I don't blame you for feeling odd about him Kovu, I'm not too fond of Kondo either and from the looks of it, I have the same impression like you. Kondo appears to be bitter most of the time and I don't think he'll accompany Zina either. When I was spending time with Zina, she didn't speak of him and she seems to be shy around other males. Or so, that's what I believe."

The golden furred lioness giggled cutely once more, enclosing her flimsy, flaxen forearms around her mate's broad neck, pulling him much closer against her flocculent body to make herself more secured. With her mate cuddled up adjacent against her moderately hot furry body, the young princess leaned up to playfully nibble one of her mate's flossy ears as she spoke cordially.

"Are you ready for sleep, sweetie? I'm feeling a little tired and I feel like resting my head on your furry chest, it's my favorite spot to lay my head upon. Are you okay with that honey?"

---

Upon arriving inside their luxury den, Simba glanced over to his mate and listened attentively to what she was asking about Kondo and Zina's collaborative nature. Coming to a dull stop beside their sleeping quarters, the regal king sighed laboriously and lowered his furry orange haunches onto the nippy cave ground as he took another gander over to his amorous mate to reply in an doubtful fashion.

"At this point love, I'm not too sure if they are working together or not. Their abstruse backstory makes it difficult for me to comprehend their motives. What I gathered tonight, it appears they don't know too much about each other and Zina was opposite of Kondo as well. If they were planning something, I think they would've seated themselves closer next to one another. Kondo seems more of the distrustful type out of the two, I don't see anything bad with Zina right now. That may change after our little stroll when morning arises. If they are planning a cooperative scheme, one of us will spot them in the act eventually. It's going to take a few days for us to realize if they are working together. For now, we should keep a close eye on them love. Who knows what these two felines might do. We gotta remain unnoticed until we know the truth."

Simba vigorously repositioned himself so that he was laying comfortably on his left side, leaving enough room for his attractive queen to snuggle up beside him. Carefully keeping a close eye on the lioness he desire intensely, the glorious king lightly tapped the arctic ground a few times as a gesture for his divine queen to situate herself beside him. Although there wasn't enough information about Kondo and Zina right now, Simba wasn't going to allow these two mysterious felines to inflict any damage upon his Pride, no matter what devious acts they were brainstorming.

Visually watching his mate with anxious eyes, Simba smiled much bigger as Nala made her way over to where he was laying. Advertising a bigger smile, the royal king purred calmly and spoke coherently in an delighted tone.

"Ready for bed sweetie? I made a lot of room for you tonight and I'm going to keep you toasty warm when we snuggle up."

---

Assimilating every verbal assault that was deliberately thrown at him, Kondo maintained an unemotional countenance, anticipating Zina's verbal aggression as she came to a ferocious impediment. Without wasting time, the large male took a step forward, once again, closing the distance between both felines as he narrowed his tangerine eyes in exasperation. Despite disobeying Zina's wishes, Kondo wasn't going to give up anytime soon as he hissed back lowly.

"Still trying to act all tough, aren't you, Zina? You're lucky I'm a patient lion. Otherwise, you would've been mauled to the ground by now! Do you honestly think these royal felines are going to let us go free anytime soon? Huh?! If you so desire to be a loner, that's your choice, but I don't want to end up getting thrown away by this pride! Can you imagine what they will do to us? Think about it, we would be in worse shape if they had any knowledge about our fight!"

Trying to calm himself down, Kondo took a moment to back off slowly, still keeping a close distance between the enraged lioness as he resumed quietly in a more courteous voice.

"You're right about one thing, I'm no Shaman and I can't pin-point specific herbs. However, I do have the ability to defend you against much larger predators that lurk around these areas. What if you're cornered by two large lions by yourself? How are you suppose to get out of that situation? It's impossible, even for a rare lioness such as yourself. It appears you've never given any male a chance to partake your travels, how about you give it a try for once, huh? If we manage to overthrow their king, I promise to stay away from you as far as possible. How does that sound? I won't get you in anymore trouble and I promise to keep you safe from these appalling felines."

The regal male concluded his articulation, lowering his dark, burnished color haunches onto the frigid cave floor, persisting his gaze onto the white Shaman as he tried to make himself look less menacing.

[KiarasMate]

Smiling warmly at his beloved mate, Kovu happily obliged and positioned himself next to Kiara, wrapping all four of his legs around her slender frame as he drew her in close, spooning her softly and resting his head and back against the ground of their comfy den. Gazing up at his mate with a loving stare, Kovu spoke quietly to her as his fore paws lightly caressed over the top of her head in a loving manner.

”Of course Love. Being next to you after a rough day is all I ever want. Perhaps tomorrow I can try to get a fresh start with Kondo. Your father asked me to keep an eye on him anyways, so I might as well not make it harder upon myself and just try and get along with him.”

Purring contently from feeling his ears being nipped at, Kovu returned his mate’s loving gesture with one of his own as he ejected his claws and lightly scratched Kiara in her favorite spot, just above her tail base upon her hind quarters before he closed his emerald eyes and murmured softly to her.

”Good night my beloved Kiara. Sleep well and sweet dreams Love. I’m sure we’re both going to have busy days ahead of us.”

==========

Taking up a comfortable spot next to her mate, Nala prepared herself for a good nights rest as she listened closely to what her mate was saying, giving an understanding nod after he was finished speaking before she responded in a calm voice.

”Well, I hope everything goes fine with you and Zina tomorrow Honey. She does seem like a nice lioness but don’t let her fool you. If she is working with Kondo, we both need to be very cautious. I trust you though Honey and I know you’re better judgment will shine through.”

Letting out a tired yawn, Nala snuggled up closer to Simba’s warm body, a low purr emanating from her throat as she closed her eyes and sighed happily before stating in a hushed tone.

”Looks like I’ll have to increase the hunts just to keep everyone fed now Honey, so I’ll probably head out early tomorrow, just to get a head start on things. Can’t have my king going hungry now, can I?”

Smiling fondly towards her mate, Nala leaned in to lightly lick over Simba’s cheek before she rested her head next to his and gradually drifted off to sleep.

==========

Narrowing her eyes as Kondo insisted on advancing towards her, Zina’s body tensed up as she prepared herself to strike him if he should come any closer. She didn’t care if her actions would result in the both of them getting into trouble. There was just no way she was going to have this dim witted male trying to be so close to her. Fortunately for the white furred Shaman, Kondo halted his advance and took a seat. Relaxing a tiny bit, yet still showing signs of agitation, Zina’s ears swiveled to catch what Kondo was telling her, causing another sarcastic smirk to make its way upon her muzzle as she replied in a crude voice.

”You really can’t take a hint, can you Kondo? I don’t want to have anything to do with you. If you want to take over these lands, do it yourself. I don’t plan on staying here for the rest of my life. There’s nothing here for me anyways, and even if I did want to stay, what gives you the idea that I’d even trust you in the first place, hmm? You didn’t exactly make the best first impression upon me and you’re sure as hell not making a better one right now, so pardon me for saying so, but you can burn in hell for all I care.”

Flashing Kondo one last cold stare, Zina side stepped her way past Kondo towards the direction of her assigned cave, keeping a weary eye on the large male as she inched her way towards safety. Once she was at a safe distance from where Kondo was seated, Zina called over to him before she took her leave.

”I’m not as easily fooled as these soft hearted pushovers are Kondo, so if you’re going to win my trust, you better try harder.”

With that said, the white furred lioness vanished into the passage that lead to her sleeping quarters, quickly making her way into the relative security of her den before she took a deep breath, trying to ease her tensions before she laid herself atop the soft sleeping pelt in the middle of the cave. Not being the type to fall asleep until she knew things were absolutely safe and never being the type to sleep very heavily, Zina closed one of her eyes, keeping one partially open just to make sure that Kondo wouldn’t try any funny business while she rested.

[CheetahCat]

Staring dispassionately in Zina's yellowish eyes, Kondo intently listened to every word the white furred Shaman was verbally explaining, giving him an indication that she didn't want to form any sort of alliance. Upon hearing this devastating news, the dark furred male hissed lowly in disappointment and remained perfectly still in place, not taking any risk to advance forward seeing how it'll only cause more commotion. Instead, the formidable large male kept an eagles eye on the white furred lioness, watching her carefully as she sidestep cautiously towards the safety of her temporary sleeping quarters to escape further confrontations for the night.

When her fascinating figure disappeared into the darkness entirely and noiselessly, Kondo snickered silently to himself and rose up on all fours with a long stretch. He half expected the self-centered lioness to refuse his offer but in the long run, he was determine to gain her trust and confidence by any means possible. Giving one last exhaustive examination over her sleeping quarters to see if he can spot the abnormal lioness inside, Kondo grinned deviously and padded off towards where his dreadful den awaited him, contemplating about what deceitful plans to execute bright early morning in addition to gaining Zina's confidence. Coming to a dull stop by his confined sleeping quarters, Kondo pushed his concerned thoughts aside for now and slipped inside of his cramped den to try and get comfortable. After struggling what seemed to be an eternity, the large male finally felt contented and curled up into a miniature sized furry ball before closing his weary eyes to fall asleep instantly for the remainder of the night.

---

Dawning on a brand new day, the blazing hot sun made its presence known as it moderately ascended high into the skies, providing its generous warmth for all of the creatures that inhabited around the vicinity of Pride Rock. With the soft sounds of chirping birds echoing throughout the interior of Pride Rock, Simba stirred imperceptibly in his sleep and opened up his weary eyes to fixate them on his lovely mate. Presenting a warm smile, the glorious king leaned down to lovingly run his raspy, pink, feline tongue across his mate's furry cheek to divulge his undying love for his queen as he escalated up on all fours. Giving one last glance at his precious lioness to admire her angelic posture, Simba smiled intensely and padded off away from his queen so he wouldn't disturb her further.

Coming out from his luxury den, the regal king progressed onward until he was approximately in front of Zina's sleeping quarters, giving a peek inside to see if the extraordinary lioness was awake or not. Giving a thorough scan of Zina's barley lit room, Simba had difficulty of spotting the exceptional lioness as his eyes fixated on the undisturbed, sleeping Shaman. Observing her curled up posture, the orange male advanced forward until he was in paws length of Zina's furry body. Coming to abrupt stop in front of her upper torso, Simba took a deep breath and lightly tapped the sleeping Shaman on her furry back, speaking in a fond whisper. Although he felt bad for disturbing Zina's personal privacy, the regal king knew this was the only time he will be able to hear a thorough explanation about her background and for him to have a final verdict of her true demeanor.

"Psst... Zina. Wake up my lioness friend, it's time for us to head out on our morning stroll. I'm sorry for waking you up so early, but my schedule is very limited. Everyone else is still sleeping so we have to be quiet when we depart."

[KiarasMate]

Zina had an exceptionally rough nights sleep and it had taken her quite a while to doze off. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed before she was suddenly roused out of sleep by Simba. A bit unused to being awakened in this style of manner, the white furred Shaman was a bit caught off guard as she hurriedly rose to her paws, her eyes wide with fright as she backed into the far corner of the den, a dazed look upon her face as she did so.

It took a few minutes until she realized where she was and what had happened. Taking a deep breath to try and gather her wits, Zina spoke in an apologetic voice towards Simba as she timidly approached the king.

”I’m sorry about that King Simba. I’m not used to being woken up like that. You’ll have to excuse my odd behavior.”

Sporting a friendly smile in the hopes of mending her previous actions, Zina gave her slender frame a much needed stretch to shake off the last bits of sleeps grip that still clung to her, before she casually began to groom herself in front of the king, speaking in between licks as her slick tongue worked elegantly to straighten her gorgeous looking snow white pelt.

”Let me just tidy myself up a bit and then we can be on our way King Simba. Just give me a minute please.”

Smiling deviously to herself as she recalled Simba making mention that they were the only ones awake, Zina made an extra effort to look her best as she curled her body into a more sensual stance as her moist tongue worked its magic upon the soft looking fur that lined the underside of her belly. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, the white furred lioness rose to all fours once more, addressing her company in a sweet tone as she stated.

”Okay, how do I look? Presentable enough for a King?” Flashing Simba a warm smile, Zina continued. ”I’m ready when you are King Simba. Please, lead the way and ask me whatever it is you’d like to know. I hope that our conversation will stay confidential however, as I don’t really tell every single creature I meet about my past and for good reasons too, as you will soon find out.”

Knowing her way at least out of the catacombs of dens that were Pride Rock, Zina made her way past Simba, her tail lightly caressing under his chin as she made her way out of the den to which the two of them were standing in, giving her tail a quick flag before the crafty lioness disappeared, already making her way outside into the cool morning air.

[gonna wait till Simba and Zina travel a bit away from pride Rock before bringing Nala and Kovu into the mix again TS. ^^]

[CheetahCat]

Taken aback by Zina's abrupt, yet expeditious speed, Simba took a step back to comprehend on what just happened. For a second, he thought Zina was having a horrifying nightmare, but when he got a closer look of her frighten countenance, the regal king realized this wasn't the case. Standing more rigid by the entrance way, Simba maintained a fixate gaze on the white furred Shaman, watching her hastily back up against a nearby corner to create a suitable distance between both felines. Not sure whether he should take a step forward or not, Simba felt remorseful inside, knowing he was the cause for her appalled awakening as his swivel, orange ears caught wind of Zina's apologetic voice. Although the white furred lioness didn't have to apologize for her inevitable actions, the large, regal king persist to listen until the proficient Shaman's voice came to a quivering end.

Gathering enough courage to take a few steps forward, Simba exhibited a amiable smile, making sure not to come close towards the young lioness as he came to a slow stop a few paws length from where Zina arranged herself by a deteriorating wall. Displaying a more friendly smile to try and ease Zina's petrifying nature, the large male cleared his throat and replied in a guilty tone.

"Oh no, you don't have to apologize at all, Zina. I should be the one apologizing, seeing how I startled you so abruptly... It wasn't my intention at all so you'll have to forgive my irrational actions."

Assuring to stay back, Simba eyed the Shaman intently, wondering what she was up to by this point as he noticed her raspy, feline tongue course its way along her exquisitely, curved anatomy. Persisting on to eye that suggestive tongue with a lot of interest, the curious king wasn't paying any attention to anything else other than Zina's tempting tongue as he heard the lioness' generous voice. Falling back into realty and becoming aware on his current activity, Simba averted his attention away from the exceptional lioness, allowing her to do her grooming in privacy as he eyed one of the dark cave rooms that housed some of the sleeping lionesses.

It didn't take long for Zina to orally cleanse her fur to her liking as the beneficent tone of her voice caught the royal male's attention. Before he can address to her inquiry, Simba gasped wordlessly to feel the lioness' thin tail caress under his chin. Surprised by this sudden shift of attitude, Simba dismissed her bizarre demeanor for now and followed closely behind of Zina, eying her backside as her suggestive swaying hips teased him along the way until both felines made their way past the catacombs of dens and out into the fresh morning air.

Sluggishly pacing himself in front of Zina by this point to take lead, Simba descended off the promontory of Pride Rock until all four of his considerably large paws came in contact with the soft grass. Insuring not to pad off too speedily, the royal king maintained a reasonable pace as he felt cool refreshing air tamper with his fully grown mane. Now that he had Zina all alone and away from prying eyes, acquiring knowledge of her secluded past was all that's on the king's mind. Feeling they were a good distance away from Pride Rock, Simba altered his attention over to Zina, sporting a friendly smile as he brought up the subject of her mysterious past in addition to her inquiry regarding her stylish appearance from earlier.

"I must thank you for taking the time to come out on a morning stroll with me, Zina. I know it must not be easy for you to talk about this particular subject we're about to get into, but your story will most definitely be confidential I ensure you. In regards to your appearance, you look fine. Your pelt is very smooth looking and you do look gorgeous. As of now, we are relatively far from Pride Rock, so you're free to enlighten me about your private past whenever you're ready."

With that said, Simba's compassionate voice died down. He knew this is the perfect opportunity for him to thoroughly conceive about Zina's history which may change his outlook of her already trustworthy presence.

[KiarasMate]

Following Simba down into The Grasslands, Zina kept her strides timed with the graceful looking king’s as she heard his statement. Taking a moment to try and compose herself before she would reveal her past to him, as the white furred Shaman was never very comfortable when it came to talking of such matters but knowing that being truthful towards Simba would be the first step to winning favor with him, zina swallowed hard before she spoke up in a quiet voice.

”Okay, well, prepare yourself for a sob story if you’ve ever heard one King Simba. I’m not telling you this to gain your sympathy though, so please don’t take it that way. I’m merely telling you this because I want to show you that I have nothing to hide from you or your pride.”

Taking another minute or so to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to say, Zina slowed her pace slightly, now that they had traveled far enough away from Pride Rock so that she knew her words would only be heard by the king. Taking a deep breath, Zina started.

”Well, I was born into a pride that resides far from your lands King Simba. My mother and father were the rulers of the lands and were very well respected by each and every pride member. My mother was the head Shaman within our pride and my father, well, he was mainly the brute force to protect our lands. Being born with such a peculiar fur color, the odds weren’t in my favor from the start. My mother despised me because there was no way I would have been able to be a productive member of the hunting party and that meant that the only good thing I could do for the pride, was to take up being a Shaman. She didn’t like this fact either, as her self-centered ways tended to get in the way of her actually loving me as a daughter. She mostly saw me as competition, and this fact grew more and more apparent as time went on. My fur color wasn’t seen as a bad thing by the local pride males and this fact just ticked my mother off to no end. The fact that her own daughter got more stares then she did, it drove her to bitter jealousy. On top of that, it seems like I was a natural Shaman from the start as my skills quickly surpassed those of my mother’s, only adding fuel to the proverbial fire that was already burning. By the time I was about four seasons old, she had had enough of me and was determined to get rid of me in any way she could. This culminated with her taking me out on what would seem like a typical herb hunt, but would end with her trying to kill me. That’s where I got my scar along my neck from. I’m sure you saw it yesterday, as it’s rather hard to miss when I’m not wearing my herb pouch at least. Fortunately enough for me, my mother failed to check if I was completely dead or not, instead, she merely left me there, assuming I’d just bleed to death or something. My will to live was too strong by that point and with a bit of luck and a hell of a lot of determination, I managed to pull through. I obviously couldn’t go back to my pride though, as it was clear I wasn’t wanted there. Thus, I became a Traveling Shaman and was on my own from then on. For the next eight seasons or so, I traveled from land to land, learning anything and everything I could about Shamanism from the local prides and believe me, being a lioness on your own, it’s rough.”

Taking a quick break from her story, to allow Simba to absorb everything she had told him, Zina paused where they were, which happened to be a nice secluded patch of grass. Taking a seat as her voice shifted to a slightly less comfortable tone, the white furred lioness continued her story as her eyes averted from Simba’s gaze momentarily.

”You might have noticed that I left my father out of the picture thus far. Well, if you really must know more about him, I warn you that it’s not pretty. Unlike my mother, My father actually cared about me, but not for the right reasons one would care about their own flesh and blood. To him, I was nothing more than just another one of his lionesses, expected to do what was bid of them without question or resistance. At first, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary. I had seen other cubs being nuzzled and licked by their father’s and they seemed happy enough, so I never protested when my father did those sort of things to me. It wasn’t until I was about three seasons old, did things take a dramatic turn.”

Faltering slightly in her words at this point, Zina had to take a minute to reestablish herself before she was able to resume speaking, her body clearly showing just how unsettled she was by what she stated next.

”I woke up one night and found my father laying next to me. The minute I opened my eyes, I could tell there was something different about him. The look in his eyes and the scent that filled the air of the den we slept in, it all brought a cold shiver to my spine. I was about to speak, when he covered my mouth with his paw and told me not to make a sound. Utterly confused and a bit scared at this point, I simply nodded and watched on in disbelief as he pushed me onto my back. Everything seemed to happen in a blur after that point. I felt his large body on top of me, blocking out my vision. All I could see was the underside of his chest and stomach. In an instant, my life changed as I felt the sharp pain of him stealing my innocence. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced and all I could do was scream and cry into the large paw that held my mouth closed. It probably only lasted a few minutes but for me, it felt like an eternity had passed before he finally moved off of me and let my muzzle go, quickly telling me that if I so much as screamed, that he’d kill me right then and there. Panic stricken and terrified, all I could do was watch as he left me alone, broken and sobbing on the den floor. This event would become a nightly ritual from then on.”

Try as she might, Zina found herself slowly breaking down as she sniffled and turned her head away from Simba as a single tear streaked down her white cheek, her voice trembling uncontrollably as she tried to finish her story.

”I hated him from then on. What he did to me was unforgivable and the worst part of it all was that my mother refused to listen to me, even when I came to her and told her about what he was doing to me, his own daughter! She told me that I was a lying b*tch and I had no right to say such things about her mate. I knew she knew about it though. One night she even walked in on him as he was mating me and she didn’t even seem to care. It was as if the two had planned it or something.”

Unable to control herself by this point, Zina’s voice faded away as her claws suddenly ejected and tore through the grass below her in a fit of rage, sending large clumps of earth and debris flying every which way as she let out a defiant roar before collapsing upon the ground below, her fore paws quickly covering her eyes as she whimpered pathetically, the sounds of her breath and the muffled profanities that left her muzzle, being the only thing that were audible from her by this point.