[META] Ballad of the Mad King

[Baharimtoto Pride]

The King was dead, it would have come as old news to anyone who heard such a declaration, but his passing had left many with questions. Who would take the reins, who would be declared the ruler of the pride, what would they do differently...if anything? For the most part the Bahari'mtoto's denizens had been confident that whichever of the offspring took this position would carry on much as their father had, but it seemed that on this occasion, this was not the case.

While the ocean had embraced Shui as he had thrown himself in to it, had accepted that he was the legitimate heir on this occasion, few could have anticipated what would happen after.

With the new King confirmed, they had moved in swiftly and without shame. They had offered their kind words and their condolences, and then they simply hadn't left. They had managed to gain his ear in his time of need, their sympathies something that he had grasped on to in desperation. With the ground so unsteady and the future so uncertain, the young King had sought to blame something...anything... for what had transpired.

Conveniently, they had found the 'source'.

It hadn't taken long for the initial parts of their plan to come in to fruition, and no sooner had he been crowned, than the young lion had made his decision. With these whispers in his ear he had summoned the pride - it was lauded as an open forum and it was supposed to be an opportunity for the pride to express their views in whatever fashion they saw fit.

It was their chance to vent.

A chance to point paws.

It was supposed to be a chance for the pride as a whole, to find common ground and move passed what had happened.

Had it not been for the unusually grave expression on the young King's features then many might have accepted this at face value, but something didn't sit right and there were some who weren't so sure this was as open as they were led to believe...  

[Epine de Rose]

It wasn't often that the pride was summoned, in fact Purah couldn't remember single time that they had ever been summoned. He'd even asked some of the older lions within the pride how common it was and the vast majority had simply shook their heads. It was safe to assume that the leadership of this particular pride rarely inconvenienced and disturbed a day-to-day life in order to have some sort of forum.

However, even Purah could see that something needed to be done...

He had kept his opinions to himself, but it was obvious that certain individuals had gotten more vocal with Ram's passing. Individuals had gotten braver, they had raised their voices and on some occasions they had gone a little bit too far for him to be entirely comfortable with the message they had chosen to communicate. Others had been more moderate, some had even called the more vocal foolish... but what had become clear was that a divide had appeared and something needed to be done about it.

Thus, the blue lion had come in to this with an open mind even though he wasn't really sure what to expect. He didn't appear to be the first here though, there were recognisable faces near by, prominent figures on both sides of the 'fence', and each seemed fairly determined to have their say. He hadn't been as invested as he probably should have been, but based on the fact that everyone had been expected to attend, it was clear that he either had to speak or he would forever have to hold his piece.

...So where did he stand?

Well, for now he wasn't entirely sure how strongly he felt about one view or another, but he'd have to figure that out. Soon...by the sounds of it.

For the time being though he looked about for some sort of friendly face, preferably one that wasn't feeling too political that he might be able to sit beside. He didn't want a debate, not yet anyway, if he figured out where he stood then he might speak...but now wasn't his time in the spotlight.  

[Syrius Lionwing]

While she had been born and raised in the pride she knew that she had been born out of wedlock. Though she and her siblings had never been blamed for this, their mother certainly had. The recent uproar at the rites had made her angry and sad. Her mother had been nothing but caring, she had raised them right and they would not repeat her mistakes. She, herself was in love with one of the princes of the pride. The new lords brother. She was young enough to never have been summoned like this before and having spoken to her step father she knew her mother would not be attending.

This made her even more angry. Her mother was such a sweet and caring lioness yet she was too afraid to attend the gathering. She slipped past her male sibling and silver father as well as her younger sister. Smiling at all three as she trotted down the beach to search for Shio.

—-


Coburnycus had heard so little about the muttering in the pride. He had actually come to the beach because he knew that Anya was coming and he didn’t want her to come alone. The older members of the pride, here long before he was, had informed him there had been very few mass gatherings. He was here to support his lady. He really had very little idea about what the gathering would be about though there seemed to be a lot of lions gathering already and there seemed to be a lot of muttering.

He mostly ignored the whispering around him, he wasn’t here for them he was here for his Anya.

—-


Afina moved confidently to the meeting place. She was here representing her family. She was of course from a family of traditionalists but they had always been moderates, her whole family was, they had always lived with a live and let live attitude and the anger that arose in the pride of late, felt so unlike the pride she had grown up in, the pride she loved.

She had come alone, though she fully expected Xenon to show up at some point. She had told Tarni to stay home. Stay home. It felt terrible to tell her little sister to stay home but her now very obvious pregnancy and lack of a present father or any sort of marriage proposal, with the prides current climate, she feared for the safety of her sister and her cubs. It was safer at home. She had firmly left several of her own children to watch over Tarni and their father had also very sternly told them to not let anyone in unless they were accompanies by herself or Xenon. She had to protect her sister and the babies that she was carrying. It was of utmost importance to her. What she didn’t expect when’s he got to the meeting place was two massive creatures, one blood red, the other black on the sand waiting for th meeting to commence “Grandfather, grandmother.” She smiled, the blue lioness trotted over to her elders. Her grandmother had returned recently but her grandfather had always been a part of her life. She was glad he was here. He was always a voice of reason.

—-


Nahodha’kota lay in the sand pressed tightly against his mate. Khepri had only just returned, she had been gone for such a long time he thought he would never see her again, but here she was, her red fur melded perfectly with his own. Her return though seemed to have happened in a time of great turmoil. The pride they loved was under a lot of stress and the young king had called for a great meeting. He could only remember a few of these meetings and none felt quite so somber as this.

His blue granddaughter approached them and he gave her a smile, she was an active member of the pride, a great caretaker of the cubs of this pride and she had undoubtedly heard about the prides grumblings. He also knew about his other grand daughter. She had broken a pride tradition, one he didn’t think any of his children would break. He was a traditionalist, however he was the paternal male of his family and thus he took responsibility for their mistakes. He would not care any less for this great grand children that were born to mated than he did of those born to indiscretions. “Afina, lass.” He smiles a straight smile. He had fears about the outcome of this meeting.


Khepri smiled at Afina. She had met many of her grandchildren since returning to th pride. Afina was one of them. It made her laugh a little at how blue the lioness was. Her children had mostly all come in the colours of she and her black and white mate but their children had come in a rainbow of colours. All of their dependents came with that stocky, sturdy look that was born of deep blood lines from the firekin but their colour pallet was so diverse it made her smile.

“Tis a bit o an uproar down here lassy.” She commented greeting the younger lioness with a headbutt. She knew so little about her grand children, most of them had been born after she had been washed away by the tsunami but she was glad to be home and glad to see her family had expanded.

Epine de Rose

For Xenon if he is coming

SilverLutz

For Shio <3

MangoMeow

For Anya

((If anyone wants to converse with my old couple feel free to say hi))  

[SilverLutz]

Blame. Hima was usually pretty darn good at putting blame on others without a second thought. It helped her forget about problems and move on in her life and not feel as if she had any baggage weighing her down. At this point in time there was so much pressure on her soul that the gathering called by Shui couldn't ease her mind. She had never any interest in ruling a pride on her own, being Ram's mate had been good enough for her: all the attention without any of the responsibility. The title had fallen to one of her sons, of course, but she hadn't stepped in to help him in any way, shape, or form. Any time any of her children, biological or adopted, had approached her she had beaten them back verbally and physically if they had tried to ignore her words. A few of them still bore marks from her claws and they had collectively agreed to let her ride out her anguish on her own, as she wished to.

Anger and sadness still burning in her chest, Hima kept to the edge of the gathering as she had last time. She wasn't hiding in the foliage this time, but she definitely wasn't a lioness any smart Bahari lion would approach. She was here because everyone was supposed to be and that was all.

---

Kawai's heart was heavy as she made her way to the clearing, her head low and tail drooping. This wasn't a conversation she wished to have, her mind conflicted by what she knew was going to be proposed. Although she had been born and raised here - gifted by the sea itself to the pride - and raised to know the beliefs of those who lived here, she just couldn't see why anyone would punish someone for having cubs. Yes, marriage was important here and yes, she believed it was the right thing to do, but was it really something someone should have to be killed for to punish the pride as a whole?

She spotted Litanu among the crowd but was hesitant to approach him. Her brother was the king now and he was the one about to pass judgement on Lit's mother and any other female to have given birth here without a father in the pride. Would he even want to be next to her as the meeting commenced?

AstoriaFallen

---

Shio, like his mother, sat at the edge of the gathering, his eyes scanning the crowd for disturbances. This was supposed to be a sort of mental cleansing for the pride and he didn't want to see any fights breaking out, nor did he want anyone that might be the one playing scapegoat to feel alone and attacked. He knew of one lioness who would surely face the brunt of the pride's emotions and as himself and her daughter had recently confessed to one another, he felt like it was his duty to ensure her safety. She had a capable mate, of course, but he didn't want to leave her to the wolves.

Raised as any cub here would be, Shio was a firm believer of marriage before cubs. Joining rogues were a bit of a different animal as they had very different beliefs in the rogue lands, but by joining this pride any who chose to live here also had to live by the rules of the land. Something like having cubs with a passing rogue didn't warrant punishment of the nature Shui was claiming took place, though. The death of the king was inevitable and he had died protecting the pride. It wasn't as if he had been struck by lightening or washed away in a flood. He had jumped willingly from the cliffs with an enemy. It all didn't sit right with Shio and he glanced at his brother once more, trying to piece together what was happening in his mind. It was so strange for him to make a decision like this after being crowned king...his first action as the ruler of the pride was to blame others for actions that transpired months ago.

No, he didn't like it one bit.

It didn't take too long for Kelpie to move into view and he gave her a small nod as she approached him. He didn't speak until she was close enough, though, not wanting to shout and draw attention.

"Is your mother coming?" he asked quietly, concern written on his face.

Syrius Lionwing

(OOC: please excuse me from this raffle as well~)  

[KasaiLoki]

AstoriaFallen

Ryujin glanced around at the others in the pride. His ears perked, curious as to why everyone had gathered. Perhaps it was due to his age, or maybe just due to the lack of him wanting to grow up, but dark lion never really inquired about anything. It was the type to just let things happen.

His belly rest on the ground, just near his father and siblings. He turned his head towards his sister, frowning. "Do you get what's going on?" Ryu asked, a back paw rushing up to scratch his ear. He had recently gone for a dip in the water, and felt as there may have been remnants of water left in it.

When the itching stopped, the bright paw fell back to the ground, pink eyes peering curiously around. So many faces he hadn't really met before.  

[Syrius Lionwing]

SilverLutz

Kelpie picked up speed as she made a beeline for Shio. He looked frightened almost. It made her heart race. She had no idea what was going to happen here. Did Shio know?

The dark lioness greeted the pale male the way she always did with a headbutt and a smile. Nothing could take away from the fact that she loved Shio. The turmoil in the pride was just frightening, she had never known the pride to be so up in arms, young as she wa she had always thought of her home as a safe, peaceful place . It really didn’t seem like it today. There were lions here that didn’t seem to be at all peaceful.

“No, she.. She’s still pretty, upset, about the rites..” She trailed off a frown creasing her brow “I don’t know what is going to happen Shio.. My mother... She’s frightened.” She flattened her ears against her head and pressed in to Shio’s mane, his scent had always calmed her down. “What’s going to happen Shio?” She whispered a lump forming in her throat.  

[Midnightglow18]

Tapiwa was about as neutral to this as was possible, he was new to the pride and he was a guard, he accepted the sea and the sea had accepted him. He watched the waves and protected the members of his new home. He figured he'd sit and watch and see if this matter wiped anyone out or if the waves would calm down soon. He really hoped things wouldn't get too heated and crazy since he was a member of the guard it was his responsibility to make sure the pride was safe if they all started fighting he wasn't really sure what he was going to do. He smiled and waved at the kind little rainbow cub he had met on the beach the other day. That cub was so unselfish. He could only hope that someday he would have a cub half as kind as she was.

(Open for interaction)  

[Epine de Rose]

Solomon had been absolutely silent in regards to the meeting, though he'd been asked several times and prodded more than he could count by his curious offspring, he had refrained from providing them with any guidance. Instead he had chosen to watch as resentment had bubbled up and fault lines had appeared. In the grand scheme of things Ram had done well to keep them silence, to keep his paw calmly over the crack so that it wouldn't splinter further... And yet Solomon had never really given him credit for it.

Until now, it had never really been a problem, at least not one that was abundantly clear. Whatever Ram had done to preserve the peace and keep those who dissented at bay remained a mystery, but it seemed that now an opportunity presented itself, they had deemed to take it. Shui had been vulnerable and he would only listen to those who told him what he wanted to hear, they'd given him something to hold on to.

...A reason for the injustices he felt.

"Well, this can only go well," The pink lioness soon joined him. As one of the maji of the pride it was her duty to show her face. She was also one of the b*****d children that had come during the tsunami. She was yet another example of a frivolous female provoking the wrath of the sea. While she had gone on to be an upstanding member of the pride her mother had been largely unapologetic, she'd wanted children and she had acquired them...Even if the timing had coincidentally resulted in the destruction of the pride.

"Zephyr," he lifted a brow. "How's your son?"

"Unapologetic," Zephyr pulled a face.

"So firmly in one particular camp then," Solomon shook his head, evidently they had managed to grab the ears of some of the young. While culture and tradition weren't a bad thing, Kvasi's behaviour had been unacceptable. Well, it had been unacceptable to Solomon and it had become quickly apparent that it had been out of line when his mother was presented with the news as well. That being said, Zephyranthes hadn't been entirely pleased by the lioness's remarks either so it was safe to assume that the individual in question had gone down severely in her estimations as well. Regardless... That still didn't excuse what Zephyranthe's son had said.

"Only until his father gets here," Zephyranthes shook her head. "I've asked for him to find a way to come back as quickly as he can," she explained softly. "I may not be able to get through to him, but his father lives in a place where omens dictate everything," she shrugged. "If anyone can put things in to perspective for him, it'll be Gus."

"Are you sure that won't reinforce them?" Solomon seemed concerned, and Zephyr conceded he had every right to be.

"I'm not sure, but at the very least, I have confidence Gus will make sure Kvasi knows that you do not speak that way to anyone, regardless of what your views may be," she murmured.

"Fair enough," the white lion mused as he lapsed in to silence.

"Famous last words though," she raised both brows momentarily and then released a sigh, peering down towards Purah who had joined the pride as a teenager. This was a bit of a culture shock to him, and she could sympathise. Unsurprisingly he was still keeping to himself and looked a little out of his depth; then again, everyone did.

"So where is our fabled leader anyway?" Xenon had finally made his appearance, though he had chosen to keep away from his family for the time being. They were already a source of controversy, though he couldn't blame Tarni for all that had happened, and his own daughter wasn't helping matters with her own reckless behaviour. If he were one for gambling, he'd say his own child was next in line to act in a catastrophically disrespectful way.

"Over there," Solomon nodded to the grim lion who was surrounded by his new allies, though he was still open to the views and council of the maji... He was only willing to listen to them when it came to their impact on their professions. When it came to cultural issues, none of them were qualified to provide the appropriate feedback; particularly when several (if not all) could be accused of some bias through family connections.

"A veritable ray of sunshine," Xenon observed and pursed his lips. "This should be interesting."

"That's one way of putting it..."

"Mmm, I wonder if he's about to follow the path of his own half-sister during her short reign."

"I can't say I remember her," Solomon admitted.

"That would be because you weren't born yet," Xenon murmured softly and clucked his tongue. "But it was certainly an interesting period in our lives, perhaps you should ask Euphyrates what it was like," he advised. After all, Xenon and Afina had had their first set of cubs during the lioness's reign and they had experienced first hand what it was like to be informed that you could not allow your cubs out in your own company. What had the rule been? Ah yes, one cub at a time...

And as for the rogue cubs?

Just like their mothers, they were fair game.  

[MangoMeow]

Anya frowned as she walked closer to where everyone was gathered. Though no one was actually talking about the matter at hand (yet), the tension was thick in the air and it left the fur on her neck standing on end. She sighed, slightly heartbroken over it. This was such a carefree place, before everything had collapsed in on itself.

She doubted that her word, no matter her stance, would really change anyone's opinions, but she was a maji, and she needed to be here for her pride.

On the topic of her stance on things, she was... torn. On the one paw, she did agree that a pride's way of life was important and their traditions should be respected. Family life, especially, had always been important to her. It was largely what drew her to finding a mate rather than experimenting while she was a rogue.

That said, these were still good people, and to have cubs, no matter how, was a blessing.

With a shake of her head, Anya padded her way over to the familiar gray and peach form she'd spotted the second she had entered the area, her heart skipping a beat and putting a skip to her step. She would always get excited at seeing Burny. That would never change.

His back was to her at the moment, but she didn't keep her position a secret for long. She hummed as she nuzzled into the back of his neck, before sitting close to him and whispering, "Hi."

Syrius Lionwing

 

[Das Tor]

Imani did not like the look on the King's face. And if the noise her mate made beside her was any indication, neither did Seascann. The pair found themselves a place to sit, uncertain what was going on. After everything, after the death of the former King, what had prompted a call for the entire pride that had such an expression on the new King's face? Seascann nudged her smaller form and nodded. Whatever happened, whatever was brought up, they were facing it together.


Ekundayo carefully made her way through the gathering crowd, tired and uncertain. Her dreams had been plagued by still-fractured memories of the past, the fall of her own pride so long ago. And the unrest in the pride hadn't been helping any. What was the reason for the gathering? She honestly couldn't think of anything. It had been a long while since the previous King had passed. And there didn't seem to be anything pressing so far as she could tell. The sea had been kind to the pride with the last Ba'Ushufo and welcomed so many new faces and young faces.

[[If anyone wants to interact with Ekundayo, or Seascann and Imani, feel free!]]

Kivumbi was more than a little exasperated with her son as she herded him along to the gathering, frown on her normally cheerful face. "Come on. The entire pride has been called, so it has to be important. Your project can wait." Kizingo'uso huffed, ears back as he sulked along.

"I was almos' done, Mother!" He perked right up when he saw his grandparents, however. "Grandmother! Grandfather!" He left his mother's 'herding' to bound through the crowd to Nahodha and Khepri. When he reached them, he spotted the blue form of one of his cousins. " 'lo Afina!" Oh how quickly seeing more family turned his attitude around. Kivumbi couldn't help but chuckle as she approached as well, looking about for Vuai.

Syrius Lionwing

o uo Beep

Though Hillaire hadn't showed up to the gathering with Ekundayo, staying by his mate's side instead, he found himself and Ilayda a place near enough to his friend that he could keep an eye on her. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well of late, and he hoped one of the others would be along sooner rather than later to keep an eye on her. Sweet, his friend was, but she was especially fragile after the recent turmoil the pride had been through. He nudged his mate giving her a soft smile. "Hopefully this is something good. I can't think of anything else that might warrant such a gathering."

Redbud-Tree

[[I would like to be excluded from the raffle.]]  

[Wylde Roses]

Ilayda had a bad feeling about this meeting. Actually, if she were to be specific, she had been haunted by a bad feeling for quite some time now. The Bahari had seemed like the perfect home when their little group had arrived and decided to settle there, and she hoped it would stay that way. But she was... on edge, today. She was not, as things went, a particularly strong Seer, and hadn't yet noticed anything amiss, but... Well, bad feelings were bad feelings, and sometimes they meant something, but most of the time they meant nothing.

Perhaps she was just worrying too much. After her own pride had fallen, it was understandable that she would be a little tense about anything that had the potential to be big - and a gathering like this certainly had that sort of potential, no matter how benign it likely was. No need to worry so much, when it was probably just her own anxiety. It would pass soon enough, more than likely. Besides, it wasn't herself she was most concerned for, anyway.

She hummed a little under her breath and nuzzled her mate with a nod. "I hope so," she agreed with Hillaire, and glanced in Ekundayo's direction. "For some of us more than others."

Das Tor

[[I would like to be excluded from the raffle, please.]]  

[Baharimtoto Pride]

It was better not to let them dwell for too long... While the new and very young King had determined that he had things to say and certain issues to address, he had still been raised better. His mother might have been grieving, but she had never been cruel (just blunt) and his father would never have stood for a long, drawn out and unnecessarily tense gathering for the sake of it. While he might have given his ear to the traditionalists, he was not yet ready to gain enjoyment out of the squirming of those who knew they had done the pride a disservice.

...Suffice to say that he wasn't lost just yet.

Thus, as the majority of the pride settled, the young male cast his gaze out towards them with much the same pensive expression as before and released a sigh. He'd never been one for public speaking, he'd be a hellion growing up but his behaviour had always been on the back of his brother. Huo had always exuded confidence and Shui had simply fed off it, now that he was on his own it was a touch more daunting.

It left him exposed.

Nevertheless with a small internal pep talk the lion had finally gotten to his paws and took to addressing the crowd. He would be measured in his approach, take the necessary pauses to allow certain individuals to express themselves, but in the end the unfortunate truth was that he had already made his decision on several of the matters at hand. They would find this out in time, but for now it was their right to express themselves and if there was one thing they needed it was to clear the air... even if it meant some of them pointed the paw at his own father.

"I appreciate that all of you, for the most part, have taken the time to attend," he said at last, taking note that certain individuals had chosen not to attend. Unsurprisingly it was those that had caused the problem in the first place, and those who now hid for fear that they would have to hear the truth. "It has been a rather rough several months, if not a couple of years," he admitted, making reference to the entirety of the events that had occurred. Had it really been that long?

"Nevertheless these events have now come to a close in the most abrupt way possible, leaving little doubt that a message has been sent and it is time that it was acknowledged," he pursed his lips. "I speak of course of the several misfortunes and tragedies that have followed us over the course of the last few years, often joined by the rather unpleasant arrivals that occur as a result of lax morals," he cleared his throat.

He was of course referring to the cubs, including his own mate. Each one of them had been born around a period of misfortune, and Ram had chosen to ignore those signs. As the traditionalists had pointed out, this had simply compounded on itself until Ram had not been given a choice, he had to take his own life to correct it... Otherwise those fiends would have wiped them out.

"While I cannot turn back the hands of time, I can take measures to prevent it from happening again," he raised a brow. "And that will start with reverting back to the very beginning, the period in which my father made a series of agreements with our neighbours to address these very individuals who do lack the capacity to respect their own homeland," he paused, albeit briefly.

"This should come as a surprise to no one who has been here for a number of years, or perhaps it was something that has been conveniently forgotten because it was an inconvenience... "

Another pause.

"Henceforth in honour of my father, who sacrificed his life for those who disrespected this land time and time again, I will ensure that the agreements put in place at the birth of our alliance with the Kizingo'zaa are upheld..." he glanced briefly at several of the older pride members. They would remember the period of conflict between the Kizingo'zaa and why it had even occurred in the first place...

"Those with lax morals and the consequences of that complete disregard for what we stand for, are no longer welcome here," he raised a paw as several members stepped forward. He wasn't done, and he would clarify himself before he allowed them to have their say. "Any individual who has decided that the drive for pleasure is more important than the traditions we uphold, will be required to leave these lands immediately in the event that the find they are expecting uninvited guests," he grimaced.

"They will go to the Kizingo'zaa as has always been expected, and they will remain there until such time as their cubs are old enough to take their rites," he was simply echoing the agreement set out by the former king of the Kizingo'zaa and Ram at this point. The Kizingo'zaa had needed new blood and this had been part of the solution, not every cub would be accepted by the ocean...and not every cub would even want to come home to the Bahari'mtoto when they came of age.

...The Kizi provided safety and security, it provided a home and in some cases, a much more liberal view point for mothers who had succumbed to temptation.

"If the cubs perform their rites and they are accepted, then they will be welcome with open arms. After all, it is not for me to dispute the will of the sea," he pointed out. "But until such times as these rites are taken, these risks are unacceptable, and I will not invite the wrath of the gods on our home again."

"I appreciate that some of you may not appreciate this, it may come as news to you, but this is how it should have been from the beginning. My father in his benevolence failed to see how frequently these misfortunes aligned to our new members," he shook his head. "These misfortunes will no longer be ignored, I will take these lessons, and I will learn from them..."  

[Midnightglow18]

Tapiwa listened to the young king speech and he frowned it was harsh but certainly wouldn't be the only pride that didn't approve of flings. Tapiwa felt a connection with the sea and wanted to settle down and start a family. He was, however, wondering if he would have a chance to do that if the king believed that new members who had once been rouges were the cause of all the misfortune in the pride. That superstition could destroy his hope for a life and family here very quickly if the king so chose. Tapiwa was a guard he served the pride and he was new so yelling at the king or even disagreeing wasn't in his playbook. He looked around at the other pride members wondering if anyone would speak out against the king or leaving to join the other pride mentioned.  

[Syrius Lionwing]

Banished... Was the only thought that rolled through Afina mind. Her younger sister, told to stay home would be sent away? Her mind rebelled and she looked around at her other family members, the matriarch and patriarch of their family tree, her aunt and cousin. This was all too much to take in. She had of course known about the alliance with the Kizingo’zaa, she had lived through the troubles and while she had agreed with the solution she had never thought they would be sending one of their own away to a place that, though not completely unknown, was a place that did not have any of their family within it.

What was she going to do? Should she object? She wanted to but she found herself tongue tied.

She looked around for Xenon, she didn’t usually run to him for support, though she loved the big oaf she had always been, mostly independent of him, still, she wished he would join her. She didn’t know what to do, what to say.

Nahodha’kota smiled at his grandson happily. “Good ta see ya lad. Hope ye behaving ya sel for ya ma there young fellah. No disrespectin’ ya ma now ya hear?” He chuckled and raised a massive black paw ruffling the younger males mane. He was far from a cub but for the elderly black lion he was still a baby.

Khepri chuckled and nudged her mate “Don’t taunt tha lad ‘Kota.” She smiles at the young male, she had been gone before most of her grand children had been born and to see them made her smile. She was glad to be home, though it seemed she had arrived during a difficult time.

As the young king finished his speech she frowned deeply. The Bahari was about to do something she didn’t entirely agree with. Breaking up a family, forcibly. he knew one of her grand children was pregnant with cubs not from a mate. She would be cast away? She did not like this thought one bit.

Vuai plodded up behind his mate, quiet as always. He managed a half smile at Kivumbi and nuzzled her cheek. “I can’t see Poisidon taking this well.” He grumbled. Tarni was his niece and he knew exactly where his younger brother was. He frowned deeply and looked to his father, dark eyes connecting.

The old male rose to his paws, despite his age he still retained his size and though his muscles certainly were not as defined as they used to be he could still be classed as a giant. He had lived here for pretty much his whole adult life. He’d raised many cubs here, lost and re-found his mate, seen conflicts and battles and rules come and go. He knew the one permanent had always been the marriage rule and he agreed with it. He even agreed in a sense that the Kizin’gozaa was a good place to send lionesses who flouted the rules. Yet he was in a situation that saw him conflicted. He would never hurt harm or cast out a lioness who was pregnant, he would never yell at them or treat them differently. Mistakes happened and while he truly believed, and always had, that having a mate was the best way, he didn’t feel disappointed in his grand daughter. She had made a decision, a silly one, but not one that he felt deserved her banishment.

He cleared his throat. He would be heard, he was probably the oldest lion here, he had always followed the rules, always, he had always allowed the king, or queen to rule, that was what they were there for but here, in this moment, he had to object.

“Ain’t no child ‘o mine gun be cast out when ‘er family is ‘ere to ‘elp ‘er. Can’t spect a firs’ time ma who ain’t never known no place but ‘ere to up sticks, even if it is to tha ‘zaa. I think ya need to be considerin’ a family circumstance afore ya banish a babe away fae her family’s arms.”

Afina looked at her grandfather. She had never heard him object to anything a ruler of the Bahari had said before. She was surprised. She smiled sadly at her grandmother. If this exile was forced she would not see her neices and nephews until they were adolescents, she had a young litter of her own to care for, she had responsibilities. The crèche was always getting bigger, and she was a head nanny, she had to take responsibility. Would she ever see her younger sister again?

—-

Coburnycus smiled at Anya as she joined him. He greeted her with his usual cheery grin and a nuzzle to the cheek. “Morning beautiful.” He rumbled, she really was his world, his life, he had not expected to find someone like Anya who didn’t mind that he wasn’t a great big manly lion, who was a bit, well a little more than a bit on the rolly side of life. Anya was so beautiful, he often pondered how he had managed to get such a beautiful girl to fall for him.

He’d just about finished admiring her as he always did, and was about to ask what this was all about when the king spoke. They would do that? They’d send mothers out of the pride because they had rogue cubs? That was certainly a surprise to the silver male. He had heard of the Kizingo’zaa of course, he had even passed through the lands on his way to the Bahari, he’d spent enough time as a rogue to have seen a few different lands. This was home though. He had of course been born in the swamps and he had heard of lionesses being banished for breaking taboos, he supposed this was like that. He was just, surprised, that the peace loving pride would send lionesses away, even if the Kizingo’zaa was a safe place. This was home. He looked at Anya and pressed himself against her, he was glad she was his mate. Though he knew of course that Anya was a one lion girl, if she had been cast out for something like this he would not have been happy. He would have left with her. “I guess I’v not been here long enough to hear this rule.” He whispered to the dark brown lioness.

MangoMeow

Dad tor

Epine de rose