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 Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:46 am
It ached that he had not chosen an apprentice, but no one stood out to him. He had no sons of his own to pick from, no mate with which to have cubs, and normally this didn't bother him. But as he began to realize that he was, in fact, getting older and not younger, it began to take a toll on the poor lion.
Returning from the edge of the outlands and the Kingdom, past the watering hole and towards the Castle, Maliki was distracted by his thoughts, as was typical. He gave a short bob of the head to a few groups as he passed, acknowledging their presence, and was grateful for their apparent disinterest in attaching themselves to him so they could 'gossip'. He was not a gossip-y lion, and while he listened to it for the sake of others and keeping the peace, he was too tired to deal with them.
He treaded ever closer to the Castle, and became aware of something. Someone was watching him from a distance. It only took a few more strides before he realized who it was, and immediately, Maliki's demeanor changed. He perked up, and quickened his place, closing the distance in strides between himself and the Ufalme Kibwana.
"Good evening, my King." He greeted once he was close enough, bowing his head down in a show of respect and keeping it there. He would rise only at the word of his King, a habit that was taught to him by his own Farasi mentor.
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:29 pm
The Ufalme's mind roamed easily now, careening off into the wide open spaces beyond the pridelands, or even the hunting grounds. Out and out to places he had never been and never before even dreamed of but he was lost. His mind was searching out and out for his queen. Had she returned to where she had came from? His father had plucked her from a pack of rogues, afterall. Or had some sinister evil befallen her? His heart ached that she might require him and he was unaware.
His grief, however, was private. None knew his mind and pride life continued, if a bit lopsided. He was not the only one who felt the loss of their queen. It was necessary that he find another soon, and well he knew, but he could grieve awhile yet. He might at least wait for his dearest friend, the Farasi Talamo, to return from his excursion into the wild. Perhaps, even, he had seen Haiba - but Kibwana did not focus on that hope. It was too slim a chance.
For now he could focus on securing mates for his first litter. At some point they had grown and never been betrothed. He supposed they were princesses and so would not be so terribly difficult to place, yet he spent much of his limited concentration on his present heir, Mwana. With any luck, he would find a new wife to provide him sons to replace his daughter as heir, but he had to prepare just in case. Marrying within the pride seemed beneficial. Any here had survived the plague or been born to those who had and strength should be passed down the line.
It required little for him to search the Mwinyi, but most were already married, so he turned to the rank of Farasi with little trepidation. He respected the knights greatly, and he was hardly blind to the romanticism in such a match. They were brave, courageous, typically level-headed and loyal. Besides - Mwana could rule so long as she had a valiant figurehead - if it came to that.
While he searched, he had stumbled upon Mtumile'maliki. He knew him, of course, the pride was not so large that many were stranger to the king, but Kibwana did not know the lion's heart. It was for that reason he sought to speak to the lion, though he hadn't expected the opportunity to come so soon. He had been watching, but quite suddenly he found himself being approached. Oh, well, no time like the present. He bowed his head, a little, and smiled, "Good day, Farasi Mtumile'maliki." He studied him, letting him remain bowed for a moment longer before nodding, "You may rise."
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:32 pm
Mtumile'maliki remained bowed even as his King greeted him, ever one for showing respect where it was due. He lifted his head when the Ufalme bid him do so, and stepped back so as to not crowd the leader, looking up at him with an even, if not entirely small, smile. "And how are you this fair day, Ufalme Kibwana?" He asked idly, sitting back as he awaited the King's answer. In his presence, Maliki was momentarily thrown. Should he stay standing? Respect would be shown regardless, he was certain of that. The Farasi was far too mindful of his place to ever take liberties with the Ufalme, especially given the grief he knew his King must suffer through with their Queen gone.
He couldn't imagine losing something so precious to him, but again, he couldn't possibly know the depth of such an ache. He himself had nothing that he cared for so deeply. He loved his job, and he took great care of his duties, but there was nothing in his life that could possibly mean so much to him. His thoughts strayed to the search for the Queen, and namely, the Farasi who had been sent into the wild. Farasi Talamo, Maliki knew of him only a little and yet, he waited with baited breath for the return of his comrade.
"The borders are quiet as ever," he added as an afterthought, thinking back to the time he'd taken to roam so he could think. "I am looking forward to a day where more greets me than a tumbleweed in passing or a lost bird." He said with a quiet chuckle. He'd met only a few rogues in his lifetime, and none did more than pass through. He longed to meet more rogues, to hear their tales. He'd even welcome them into their lands, if it came to it.
Unfortunately, all was, as usual, quiet on that front. He didn't mind the peace to a point, but something out of the ordinary would certain be a welcome kickstart to his routine.
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:13 pm
The Ufalme caught sight of that small smile, and returned it as he sat back on his own haunches. He was bemused by the show of respect, not because he did not expect it but because he was actually taking the time to notice. It wasn't often that he did, so used to such gestures as he was. Except with Thys, but then, she was the exception to nearly any rule, wasn't she? Kibwana did not for an instant believe that that lioness would have survived long under his father's rule, unless by some strange chance Konokubwa had taken a liking to her.
Thoughts of his father soured his mood slightly, so Kibwana glanced out over the pride lands for a moment before answering the Farasi's polite inquiry. He paused, letting an almost imperceptible, sad smile curl just the corners of his lips before answering, "I fair well." It was not altogether a lie, but it was a necessary one at that. He could not go about relieving his innermost thoughts to just anyone, after all. It didn't do, and what was done by royalty was so brutally ingrained in Kibwana that it took more than a slip of the tongue to cause him to transform his ways. "And yourself?" He turned the inquiry politely, moving his rose hued eyes to the other lion as he spoke in order to not only hear the response, but to see it.
He nodded, slowly. Border patrols had always seemed like a bore to him, but he knew those in the Farasi ranks who enjoyed them greatly. And Talamo had always made Kibwana's mandatory patrols under his father's tutelage great adventures. Smiling broadly as the knight chuckled, Kibwana rolled his massive shoulders in a shrug, "Soon enough more will know that our borders are open again. I have sent an emissary. Perhaps I will send more, soon."
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:37 pm
Maliki's ears perked at the return, and he lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug before dropping them. "Well enough." He smiled at Kibwana. "All things considered." He worried very rarely, but when he did, it plagued him. And he was worried, though he strived to keep his facade of a Strong Brave Farasi in face of the Tete'boma nobles. The others, he needn't worry about keeping appearances. Anyone would be worried in their predicament.
Maliki lifted his head to look at Kibwana full on when he mentioned sending more emissaries, nodding his head slowly. "I welcome the day my brothers leave. It brings them back all the sooner." He smiled lightly, but the idea of leaving the pridelands was daunting. He couldn't do it, not even if Kibwana asked. Too much of him would be left in the pride, worrying about Thys and the Kingdom itself, and his family. "It must be exciting." Or terrifying. Probably both. He shook his head, ears flattening into his mane momentarily as he thought of any of his family members being sent out to the rogues. While they were all brave, and they were all more than capable, he still worried. Rogues were unpredictable. Welcome in their lands, certainly, but unpredictable nonetheless. All it'd take is one swipe...
Blinking himself out of his reverie, he decided on a change of subject. "How are the princesses fairing?" He asked, smiling. Speaking of the Princesses always brought a smile to his face. He'd spent many days watching them from a distance, in case they got into trouble. He felt a bit like a stalker when they were younger, always following when his rounds were done, just in case. But it had meant they were safe, and that was all that mattered, really. Their safety.
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:18 am
"Yes. All things considered." The Ufalme repeated quietly under his breath, letting his rosy gaze slip from the dark lion and loose itself in looking out over the horizon as he seemed inclined to do of late. For a few moments his sad eyes watched that vast distance as if waiting for something that would never come, and then he dropped his gaze to look at his paws with a quiet sigh. His paws dug into the dirt like he could reground himself, or solidify the fact that his life was here and he could not go gallivanting into the unknown. He had no heir, besides his daughters.
Yes, his daughters. That was why he was here, after all. They had to be married. He raised his attention as Maliki spoke of the emissaries, then smiled and nodded gently, "I miss them too. Talamo is due to return any day now, he would be able to tell you better than I, but I'm sure that the time away is lonely." He paused, then shrugged, realizing he didn't care for the guilt that such a statement caused to bubble in his gut. Talamo had not wanted to leave. "But exciting. Some have never been beyond our border, you know, born during a tyrant's rule and held captive by the stones."
Mentioning the princesses made his brows raise, curious whether the Farasi was reading his mind. He smiled, anyway, because his daughters still brought joy enough to cause it. "As far as I know they fare well, but I am only their father. They do not tell me everything." He inclined his head, not removing his eyes from the other, "They are beyond marrying now. I don't know how I shall find husbands when they have aged from one glance to another." His tone was light, but the smile had faded slightly with the truth of the matter.
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:11 am
He nodded, smiling lightly. "I'm sure some of them were thrilled to go." He said, thinking quietly on the prospect of leaving. It just wasn't in him, he supposed, to take off. He would worry far too much. His claws dug into the dirt, though for an entirely different reason. The dirt, the ground, beneath his paws was home. He was born here, he would live and die here, and he would be quite content to live vicariously through those braver lions who could leave home and not worry every day that another sickness would spread through the pride like a disease.
"I look forward to their stories, but I must agree." He said, frowning. "I would grow tired of the lonely nights." As though his weren't lonely as it was. He slept alone, in his empty den, and some nights it was enough to drive him from the den and sleep out beneath the stars. He regretted little in his life, but the loneliness given to him as consequence to his decisions in life was, well, his own cross to bear as it were. His sole focus on his job had given him little time for wooing of ladies within the court.
Most of them, he had decided long ago, deserved better than a workaholic lion like himself, content to play along the borders most of the time.
His smile widened as he spoke, and Maliki nodded evenly. "They are grown ladies, now." He said gently. "I'm sure having their father sticking his nose into things doesn't feel as protective as it should." His tone was light and teasing, but he knew it must worry Kibwana that his daughters kept their affairs so close to their hearts. As he spoke of their age, and their unlikelihood to marry, Maliki shook his head. "Any lion should be proud to even be asked, Ufalme." He said. "Regardless of their age, the Princesses are prizes, all of them. Any lion would be lucky to have one as his wife." He thought to himself that their age alone was a gift; they were not naive children, now. They knew the way of the world, at least more than they had, and would not have to rely on their husbands to learn what they hadn't from their father. "I'm sure you will find lions whom they will marry." He smiled.
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