Ashki paced back and forth, wondering how it could have come down to this. All of his hard work, all that effort put into protecting and keeping his little one safe; it had all been in vain. He wasn't the fastest antelope in the herd, but he could certainly spot a growing belly when he saw one. And Amesi was most definitely sporting one. He knew she was pregnant, but wasn't quite sure how to confront her about it. He had hoped that, as her father, she would have trusted him enough to come to him about it first. But as the days dragged on and she grew ever larger, the purple male knew that he would have to make the first move.
And that absolutely terrified him. He could feel the tendrils of fear slither down his spine and reach out to the very extremities of his body. Ash had never been able to stomach confrontations, even though this one was merely with his little girl. But she wasn't a little girl anymore, he had to keep telling himself. She was an adult, and about to be a mother!
Oh how he wished Kit was there. She would know what to do and how to calm the large male's nerves. But she was gone, and he had to face this one his own.
"Dad," a feminine voice called, and the male's blue eyes shifted nervously towards the sound. Sitting just a few feet away was the very lioness that had been causing him to lose so much sleep as of late. He had still been harboring the hopes that she would bring it up, but so far he was having no luck. His daughter sat there expectantly, worry shining in eyes that were twin to his. He could tell that his pacing and mumbling had troubled her, and instantly blamed himself for causing her stress. That was probably the last thing she needed, in her condition.
"Oh, Amesi," he spoke on a breath, blowing it out somewhat raggedly. He smiled weakly but averted his gaze, perhaps a little too quickly. The white lioness frowned and rose up halfway, as if moving to comfort him. But he shook his great mane, almost afraid to have her near him. She could sense this, and became immediately troubled. She hated seeing others so distraught, especially if she had been the cause of all the stress. She felt her belly move as the cubs inside shifted restlessly in response to her own distress, and instantly knew what was troubling her father. She had attempted to hide the fact that she was carrying cubs at first, but as her belly grew larger she knew that it was only a matter of time before someone noticed. And it seemed that Ashki finally had.
"What's wrong, daddy?" she questioned quietly, although in her mind she already knew the answer. She watched her father as he took in a deep breath and finally turned to face her once more. His gaze lingered on her face, then momentarily fell to her bulging belly. The female flinched visibly and pulled her paws closer towards herself, attempting to hide the very thing that was bugging him.
"You're..." he began, but his voice trembled and trailed off helplessly. He frowned, then paced once more. Amesi glanced down at her paws shamefully, knowing that she had done a terrible deed.
"Koya's going to kill me," he breathed, stopping suddenly and lifing his giant cranium with a start. Koya! Up until now, he had forgotten about the goddess and how she had entrusted him with his daughter's safety. And he was her father, so he should have been looking out for her well being in the first place. But he had failed both females and all guilt rested on him. His shoulders sagged and his tail curled about him hopelessly. How could he have let this happen?
Amesi cleared her throat and instantly cut through his thoughts. He looked sharply at her, wondering who the male was and how he could get revenge on the brute. He wasn't usually a violent lion, and never had a single violent thought run through his mind. But this was his baby girl, and someone had gotten her pregnant! He was going to be a grandfather, and he didn't even know who the father was. It was all blasphemy.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he squeaked, his eyes pleading for mercy. He wondered what he had done wrong as a father, that had caused her to think that he couldn't be trusted with such an important notice. And he wondered if she truly thought him stupid, thought that she could have hidden it from him until the very end. Did he really appear that dim-witted? He grumbled to himself and shook his mane, telling himself that this was about Amesi and not about him. He could get over being hurt by all of this, but she wouldn't quickly recover from pregnancy and birth. Not in her physical condition, anyways.
Amesi looked at him guiltily, knowing that she had gone too far with this one. She could spot the hurt, and she could almost feel his pain of betrayal. These were his grancubs, and she didn't have the courage to tell him.
"I was afraid, daddy," she whispered, folding her ears back against her skull. But he misinterpreted her fear, and he moved closer to her, cooing and whispering comforts to her.
"You know Koya and I would help you take care of them," he spoke, somewhat confused. She should have known that she wouldn't be alone in this, even though the male had ditched her. But the white lioness shook her head, as if telling him he was wrong, and a puzzled look overcame his features.
"Not of that, daddy," she sobbed, cradling her pregnant belly. Ashki looked baffled, and simply remained quiet, waiting for her to explain. "I was afraid that you... that you and Gran wouldn't like me anymore." It was childish, but it was truly the way she felt. "I was afraid that you would be ashamed of me for having gotten pregnant by a stranger." Not exactly a stranger, but she wasn't about to go into specifics with her father. She was far too emotional and her head remained clouded with doubt. Doubts that she would make a horrible mother, or that the cubs would hate her. Silly things. Ashki instantly frowned and moved in closer to nuzzled and lick at the top of her head.
"We'd never be ashamed of you," he reassured her, pulling her closer with a giant sweep of his paw. "We only want what's best for you, and ousting you would never lead to your wellbeing. You should know that we love you more than anything and we're here to help you through everything. Anything you need, we'll be happy to oblige." Ash wasn't really a lion of words, but when he spoke he generally tried to make the words worthwhile. And, he hoped, these ones would help to comfort her and set her at ease. Stress was the last thing her and the cubs needed.
Amesi blinked several times, before lifting her head to gaze into her father's eyes. She realized once again how much she loved being so close to him, and having been her favorite. She also tried to calm herself by thinking that her siblings must have had cubs already, so it wasn't like she was forcing her father to realize his own age. She began to smile weakly, and her ears perked forward with faint signs of life and energy. The cubs in her belly stirred, and her smile broadened. Even though it often hurt her when they shifted positions, she had to admit that it was also heartwarming and made her feel slightly proud that she was producing new and youthful life. Yet the purple male noticed her wince, and his face instantly reflected worry for her. The smile threw him off, but he knew better than to think that she was out of danger.
"We better get you some rest, and some food," he spoke quickly, nodding his head to himself as he rose to his paws and flittered this way and that. Amesi watched him, a warm smile occupying her soon-to-be motherly features.
"Father," she called, shaking her head. When he failed to respond the first time, she rose to her paws slowly and called out louder: "Father!" That brought him around and he blinked at her. Once, twice. "Oh, of course!" he chuckled, looking slightly abashed. "Enough fretting. Let's just get you settled and comfortable."
As the two shifted about and headed back to their normal sleeping quarters, Amesi paused to glance at her father, and at her surroundings. The Pridelands were such peaceful lands, and there was always someone nearby to help or to simply give company. She couldn't think of a better place to have her first litter. It was true, she remained fearful of the consequences, and what birthing would do to her health, but if she was anything she was an optimist, and she remained hopeful for the future.
"Dad," she called, removing herself from her thoughts. He stopped and glanced back at her, seemingly worried that something was wrong. But her soft smile reassured him and he smiled back at her.
"Yes, Amesi?"
"I love you, daddy."
