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 Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 6:51 am
Bardhyl had finally taken up pacing along the borders of the Rose Petal Pride, it was the only thing he could do to get rid of the pent up energy that had been building since he'd first found out that Zoe was pregnant. With every passing day, the longing and need to be near her grew till it was at an unbearable level, yet he still respected her brother's pride rules and did not set one paw in his territory. Oh he knew if he wanted to he could sneak in, but it would ruin all chance him ever earing Santos's trust. He actually harbored no malice towards the pride's King whatsoever, understanding fully that he was trying to protect his sister from what could possibly be a bad situation...not to mention Bardhyl suspected the news had undoubtedly caught him off-guard (as much as it had himself), and that also added to his reaction.
Bard paused in his pacing and faced inwards towards the pride, to where his family was, and sighed. He tried again to figure out a way to tell Santos that he had nothing to fear, that he would never break Zoe's heart, and that he loved her with all his being. He hoped that his remaining near the borders all the time would show Santos that he truly had no ill-intentions, that he would not laugh off the whole idea and walk away, after all what lion would do such a horrible thing after waiting patiently for so long? What would be the point? If he didn't love Zoe, he could of left a long time ago and would have certainly found another target by now...but she was his best friend....his only friend....and he would never leave her. So, he waited and hoped for the day to come when he would finally be allowed inside.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:27 am
For days he'd seen this; every day, every hour, every minute, every second. That male would just not give up.
From the start Santos had felt sorry. He was just trying to protect his baby sister, but what would have happened if Adia had not been permitted to be with him? He'd be this lion he saw now, pacing the boarders until trust was gained. He had to admit that he respected Bardhyl. He obeyed the rules, never once crossing into the territory, but he waited until he was completely acknowledged.
That moment would come now as Santos's large white frame moved powerfully towards the boarders. Age had not quite taken it's toll on him yet, and he still looked much like the young king that had begun Rose Petal long, long ago; just wiser and stronger. This was how he hoped to be remembered in the far future when he joined with the earth and the circle of life continued.
He could see Bardhyl clearly now. He had to say he was impressed by the male's appearance. He would definitely be capable of keeping his sister feeling protected.
As he continued to near he opened his jaws slightly and let a roar rumble from deep in his chest.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:49 am
Bardhyl tore his gaze away from the den where he was in thought and heart with his love, distracted by a flash of white in the sunlight as Santos approached toward where he sat. Overall, he had to admire Santos, he not only commanded great respect in how he moved, but how he ran his pride. Rose Petal was huge, and yet they were family and very close knit. Sure, every lion had their weak points and made bad choices, but overall this pride was run with great love and care for each of it's members, everyone looking out for the others....most lions would of buckled under the stress that he knew Santos dealt with keeping things together, yet he succeeded beautifully. Bardhyl wondered if he'd of been able to do half the things Zoe had told him, and still keep his sanity intact along with the family.
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he slowly stood up, then bowed his head to the King, fully expecting him to be ignored as he had been previously, but Santos's roar had him looking up quickly again, and then around to see if anyone else had approached while he was lost in thought. Seeing no one else, he turned his gaze back to his (hopefully) soon to be brother-in-law but said nothing, waiting respectfully. His heart soared with hope, but he was still very unwary of what might happen next, and prayed he'd not do something stupid to ruin it all again. Bowing his head once more, he waited until he could see the older lion's shadow upon the ground before uttering the words, "My king," wondering what Santos could be thinking and realizing this was the first time they'd spoken to each other, really, since the whole incident that started it all.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:13 am
Santos was slightly amused by the other male's shock, but tried not to show it as he sat before him, head raised high for a moment before he dipped it in return to the bow. It took him a moment to think of how to respond to the first words he'd heard from Bardhyl in a long time, but he decided on a simple, "Yes, well lets hope that's how this turns out."
His voice was quiet when he spoke, the way it usually was when he was thinking at a faster rate than he was reacting. "Bardhyl..." He chuckled then, a thought dawning on him. "You are one determined male. Please rise and face me, as I owe you just as much respect as you are showing me." This kindness was coming naturally. He was beginning to understand everything that was happening, and knew what he had to do to fix it.
"How you can sit here and not look as to hate me one bit is beyond me. You have proven yourself to be a great lion." He dipped his head once more, so deeply that his mane almost touched the ground. "I understand that you love my sister, and have seen firsthand that she loves you with all her heart. She carries your cubs, and they are due any time now. It would be cruel of me to keep you away from them.
"But I do not want you to believe that this is the only reason I am allowing you to cross these boarders. I have seen your devotion to my sister, I've watched you every day from the beginning. I honor what you've endured here with my selfish acts. I love my mate with every thread of my soul and in your position would probably go insane. You have proven yourself worthy of a position in Rose Petal Pride, and I would like you to join, not just as another member, but by my side as my brother."
Santos has been mauling this words over in his mind for days now, and though he choked on some parts, strangled by the emotional wreck he was becoming, he spoke them clearly. Hopefully Bardhyl wasn't angrier than he appeared and things would go seamlessly. This was not the last he had to tell him, but it was a good start to a healthy understanding.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:55 pm
Bardhyl, to say the least, was completely speechless for a moment, and just stared at Santos with what was probably a very stupid expression before he broke into a grin and bowed his head in even deeper love and respect for the lion before him. "I....I came to respect you when I was a cub, long before you ever knew of my existance, but after I'd become friends with Zoe. We were inseperable at first, but when I began to grow and she did not, she disappeared and so...please don't think I meant any disrespect to you as King back then, but I spent alot of time watching you and your family, waiting for Zoe to return, for I missed her immensly..."
"See...my story is a long one, but to shorten it, I was born in a labratory. My siblings and I did not have the rules that you do, obviously, and I did not understand at first that what I was doing was wrong. As I grew older, though, I realized two things: One, that I loved Zoe more than just as a friend and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her even if she never got older or bigger...and two, that I would never gain yours or anyone else's trust if I did not observe the rules that you have set down for your family and the others that reside here. So what if I was...different?...than the others that lived here, I would never be accepted until I learned how to be a true pride member and think not just of myself but those around me."
He was rambling a bit by now, but he truly hoped Santos would understand his meaning, that he did this because of his respect, and of his love for this particular pride. Without them knowing it, he already thought of them as his family, and could think of no other place that he could ever belong but here. It wasn't just because of Zoe, though she was a huge part of it, obviously.
Looking the older lion in the eye, he added, "I don't hate you for we each have our faults and weaknesses, every member of every species has them, and lions are no exceptions. My thoughts were that you reacted initially out of shock, for it would be hard to accept first of all that your little sister has just grown up, and then next thing you know she's pregnant by some strange male that no one in the family knows. The pregnancy was a shock to me as well, since you were the first to tell me of it, but I could only imagine how you felt. You did not know my intentions, nor anything else about me, how could you know truly that your sister means the world to me? Perhaps this was the only way to prove to you that I loved her, after all what male would wait this long if they did not? It's hard to admit when we're wrong, and it takes a strong lion to fully admit it, and for that my respect grows."
Finally, though, the news that Santos wanted to accept him not only as a member but as his brother sunk in, and touched his heart. Lowering his head he could feel the tears flow, and his voice cracked. "This is an honor that I never dreamt of in my wildest dreams..." If he had been speechless before he was even moreso now. Nothing he could say that could truly voice what he felt in his heart at this moment.
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 2:25 pm
Santos pressed his nose to Bardhyl's forehead and let a few tears of his own flow. "It is no shock to me that you have a horrible history, and I assume you are well accustomed to my own. One thing that you do not do, nor does most of my family, is what it was like for me as a teenager."
A deep sigh rushed from his lungs and he turned his head to the horizon, watching the clouds roll. "I was not a beast like most rogues you see. I was malnourished and weak. I avoided all territories for I could not have taken on any king. My mane, though not fully grown, was matted and disgusting and I stumbled when I walked. I had no pride, no shame, and a lot of anger towards that evil king." Santos would never call him father; never would he give that honor to such a tyrant.
"I did not take my anger out on others though, for occasionally I would meet a lion who was prepared to give me food, shelter, and protection. I instead took my anger out on myself. I would tear my own fur and mane out. Needless to say I was a wreck."
"I don't remember when it happened, but one day I just woke up from my daze and realized I was never going to get anywhere in the direction I was headed. My anger subsided and I was able to grow into my adulthood with a clean coat, full stomach, and a bit of wisdom to share. I did not look back upon this wisdom when I was angry with you, instead I looked back and saw the anger I had for that tyrant king, the one who took the life of my sister and my mother. I was a fool for doing so."
Santos shook his head and then looked directly into Bard's eyes with nothing more than respect and understanding. "I thank you for respecting my rules and my family. I'm ashamed for not getting to know you sooner, and wish dearly I had known you before all of this happened; you are truly wise and understanding."
Things went silent for a moment as Santos stared at the ground, trying to think of how to word his next question. "Rose Petal is growing quite large, and a single adviser is not enough to get a decent feel for the pride's wants and needs. Your wisdom and ability to adapt to a situation has led me to another decision. Bardhyl, would you be my adviser?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:00 am
Bardhyl had to audibly swallow, he had thought he couldn't be more flabbergasted but he'd just been proven wrong. Not only did Santos want him as his adopted brother, but advisor now as well? Could he actually do such a big job? Not to mention, he reall didn't know the other members of the pride, much less they know him, so would they trust him? So many questions went through his head that he dropped his head. "I...I'm not sure I'm worthy of such a post," he finally managed to say, then raised his head to look Santos once more in the eyes, "but, I'll do my best to make you proud." And Zoe, too, he didn't add, but was sure Santos understood.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:14 am
Santos smiled kindly at the male and nodded. "You'll do wonderfully. My members are kind, trusting lions. We'll make the announcement tonight, when all members have returned to the den for food and rest." He gave another sagely nod and turned to look towards the den. Things seemed to be quite normal; active and roaring with life. Today would be a good day, a new start.
He knew that many members of the pride would be happy with this decision. Most of them had worried over the health of both Santos and Bardhyl as they were over anxious and Santos himself hardly slept. His sons were the most worried, they knew how their father got, plus they didn't want Bardhyl to get harmed. Each of them knew love and did not approve of the heartbreak he was experiencing.
This was a good move no matter what way you looked at it, certainly.
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