Ever couple have their ups and downs. Bedeinka told herself this. Her and her new found prince were no exception to this. Warray seemed tired of telling his stories. He wanted to know more about her. That was something she didn't want to share. Her real life wasn't perfect. Since she met Warray she pretended it was wonderful. The truth was it was far from it.
Bedeinka lived in a pride that had once been respected. Males dominated the pride. Females were not aloud in the pride, unless used to breed cubs for the males. Species beside lions were looked down apon and even used as servants. More than anything Bedeinka wished her pride would be more like it once had when her father ruled. That was when the pride was feared by all. Everyone respected the pride. Since her brother took over the pride fell to pieces. It was all about love. Such a weak word. She had hoped that when her nephew took over he would restore the pride back to its old ways. However it seems he was just as bad as his father. The only real hope in the pride was for her cubs to become heir. If that meant driving Nahasi out than that was what she would do.
She hoped though that with some of her interfering that she could manipulate Nahasi to do what she wanted. It would be much easier that way. He was still young and so moldable. She smiled and looked at Warray. Soon he would join her at the pride. Everything would be perfect than. She purred at the thought.
Warray watched Bedeinka. She was thinking about something as she stared at him. He could tell. It began to worry him how much to thought and didn't speak. He wanted to know what was on her mind and he wanted to comfort her. He couldn't do that if she didn't share her thought. Worse he hardly knew anything about her. He wanted to know everything he could about her. He had shared his fake past with her. Even if it was a lie he wanted to know about her.
“In your pride what do you do?” he asked curiously. He would keep pounding her with questions until she was finally willing to share with him. “Do you normally travel around the rogue lands?”
She hesitated to answer his questions. They were so personal. She wasn't sure if she was ready to share about her life. Than again he had opened up so much to her. It would only be fair if she did the same with him. “I am a brotherhood mother. My duty to the pride is to provide cubs for the brothers in the pride.” She said a little embarrassed. It wasn't anything like his rank, being prince. “It is an honor for me to bare cubs for my pride.”
“Most brotherhood mothers never come out of the caves, but I am the exception. I am the current kings aunt and I have some leeway. I am basically aloud to do what I want when I want to do it. It's very nice. If I bring a mate with me he would also be aloud to do what he wants as well. He would have a noble rank and probably be aloud on the council. Wouldn't that be something. My cubs will also have high ranking positions in the pride.”
Warray stared at her with disbelief. He wasn't sure where to start. Being a brotherhood mother didn't seem to be the greatest rank in the pride. In fact it seemed like females probably didn't have the greatest lives in the pride. He wondered why any female would want to stay there when they could have freedom.
Than he thought about Bedeinka. She was proud of the rank. Not only that but she was royalty in the pride. He hoped she was lying than the whole thing between them could be a joke. He never imaged he would be with someone who was born of nobility. There was a part of him that felt like he wasn't worthy of being with her.
“Why do you stay there?” he decided to ask first. “I mean you could leave anytime, but you decide to stay. Wouldn't you prefer the wonderful rogue lands to being a brotherhood mother? It seems to be a degrading rank.” He looked at her worriedly. Maybe she knew nothing more than that rank. He would have to show her that there was more to life than her pride. She could live with him in the rogue lands. They would both be much happier.
She stared at him and blinked. Never before had she been asked that question. She thought Mazu as a sanctuary. It was the greatest pride in around. Did Warray not understand that? It was a honor to be part of the pride. Being a female limited her rank, but that didn't matter. She felt a connection to all the brothers in the pride at least the lions. “It's my home and it is wonderful.” She said this as if she was stating the obvious.
“You'll understand once we get there. You will love it too. I know you will. When we get there I am going to introduce you to my nephew King Nahasi. I am sure you two will get a long. He's a young king, but I have faith in him. He just needs to listen to his poor old aunt some more. Perhaps you will be able to get through to him.
“I'm not sure if I could ever like a king who uses females to stock cubs for the pride.” He said, his temper rising. The more he heard about the pride the more he disliked it. He did not want to raise his family there. “And I could definitely never live in a pride like that. I will not have my cubs living a life like yours was. I am sorry Bedeinka.”
Bedeinka stared at him. Than she did the last thing she wanted to do. She slapped him across the face. “That is my home you are talking about. You do not know what you are saying. Before you insult it again I suggest you visit it. Maybe than I will listen to you. If you don't want to come and see it for yourself than I guess we are through.”
Warray stared at her. He didn't expect to get slapped. It didn't hurt him physically, but it made him feel unwanted. He didn't understand her at all. All he wanted was her happiness. Couldn't she see that? He had a choice to make. He was positive she was the one, but he wouldn't be able to stand the pride. All he could do was stare at her with confusion.
“Fine. I will go with you.” He finally decided. “But make me this deal. If I don't like it at all I want to take you away from the pride and live with you in the rogue lands.”
She was confident Warray would fall in love with the pride. “Alright. It's a deal.”
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