- "The Slandered One" by Rina Bly Pauwau Malenga
Name: Cetshwayo
Meaning: "Slandered one"
Age: 2 years old (cat years)/19 years old (human years)
Mother: Unknown
Father: Unknown
Siblings: None
Mate: Malenga ("She sings well")
Pride: The Kioi Pride ("Bears heavy burdens")
Personality: Cetshwayo, often referred to as 'Wayo' by Malenga, is a very dedicated male. To his mate, he stands by her no matter what she may be going through without any hesitation to help her and make her feel good. He loves to let her know he adores her, and always likes making her smile. Though it doesn't sound like much, the depth of his loyalty to her is overwhelmingly beautiful and, though he had been slandered before, he continues to be who he is. With his family and friends, he is very happy to spend time with them even though they are on the other side of the Pridelands (except for his father). Every so often Cetshwayo will leave the pride to venture to the other side to visit his mother, who he has a very strong bond with. While he is back at home with his pride, he will take time away from them to see his father and spend time.
Though others find it hard to believe, Wayo is very insecure about himself, but that doesn't mean he's upfront about it to anyone-- only Malenga knows about his insecurity towards himself.
History: Cetshwayo grew up in a small area bordering the Pridelands-- almost like the Outlands but still with the food and water of the Pridelands. When he was very young, his mother and father ended their mateship, whilst his mother stayed in their semi-Outlands, and his father journeyed to the central Pridelands. It grew difficult for Wayo to visit them with the other accompanying him, so he requested that he live in the Pridelands with his father and grand mother and would come to visit his mother a few times every month.
Whilst Wayo was growing up, he was often rejected by others since he was larger and 'weird' to some of them. That's when he met his best friends-- a group of four male lions who were the outcasts like him as well, and thus they grew up together and were very close friends. Wayo started to become noticed by other lionesses, such as his first mate Kinah (who cheated on him with another male outside of the Pridelands), and his second mate Mapenzi (who broke it off with him so she could be with her first mate again), but eventually his pride was too hurt and he stopped trying to find a mate. He stuck with his friends and didn't express his want for a mate but secretly wished he could finally have it.
When he grew up into his early adulthood, he met Malenga while she was hunting with her pride females. Cetshwayo was instantly attracted to her and she was to him, despite his awkwardness and phobia of touching her. When she outwardly asked him why, he said because he was afraid she didn't want him near her. Malenga put an end to that thought very quickly and soon enough, they were bonding over time until Cetshwayo asked her to be his mate and Malenga accepted. Wayo become a part of the Kioi pride shortly after Malenga did.
Favorite quote: Unknown.
