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 Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:05 am
 Every day had been like a dream come true since Dada and the others had moved in with Sahen. Plenty of food, a comfortable home...the only thing keeping it from being perfect was the Ligi. Constantly on paw and watching everything all the time, they made her very uncomfortable. If they'd managed to subdue Sahen, and knew she and the others were related to him...she shuddered to think what would happen if they all ganged up on her family. Poor Sahen...he'd lost so much already. And that was why Dada'd decided to become strong. So she at least would be able to stay by his side. No more being alone.
She poked her nose around the corner of the cave to a part where Sahen often chose to rest. "Shatkona?" She called out, unable to keep the joy from her voice. She dearly loved the red lion. "Grandfather? Are you there? May I join you?" Of course she could. She was a princess, his special princess, and she had the right to go on in if she liked. He could never be angry with her, right?
"I thought maybe you would like some company?" He likely was still getting used to having others around, and now that they'd all grown her brothers were off doing who knew what. She'd even seen one of them with one of the Ligi! He'd said the Ligi'd been assigned to protect him but...she couldn't believe that. They must be trying to intimidate her siblings as they had her sweet Sahen. Lately she'd been the only one to stay very close to home.
"Grandfather, are you here?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:40 pm
There were few things in the world that Sahen enjoyed more than spending time with his Granddaughter, Ashnai'le's only Princess. She was a special girl-- his precious girl. He had plucked her, along with her brothers, out of the revolting slums of the Hunter's lands, and welcomed her into all of the wealth and splendour the Weeping Lion had to offer.
It was no secret that she was his favourite. He cared for her brothers too, and more so than he'd ever cared for his own children. But that was not his fault. He had not truly known, until spotting Kafele's positively royal coat amongst all of the drab of the common people, that his own progeny still lived.
But it had been too late for them-- for Fila, at least. She'd made her disdain for him very clear. And so he, as a lion who refused to tolerate such blatant disrespect, had had her taken care of.
"Of course, Princess," the King crooned at Dada when she poked her head inside the Jaw. A smile lit up his face. It was as genuine an expression as he ever wore, "Of course you may join me."
"You know I always enjoy your company."
Sahen relied on Dada's sweet, grinning face to brighten his day. Her love for him was true, he knew. It felt good.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:07 pm
Dada's own face lit up with simple delight at the sound of Sahen's voice. The older lion was her best friend in the pride. Only friend, really. She'd never met many other cubs in her youth, and her brothers were vastly different from her--they didn't even appreciate where they'd been brought to live, who they really were! She could claim a few acquaintances among the other lords and ladies, but that was all they were. Sahen had been her idol, and later, her friend, and then her family. He was her everything.
"Are you busy? I could help, if you were." The thought of leaving to let him try to work didn't dawn on her. Why would it? He said himself that he enjoyed her being there. She half-jogged to him, showing a bit of her that was still cub-like as she did so, and bumped her head gently against his cheek. "Grandfather..." There was clear fondness in her voice.
"Would you like to take a walk in the gardens?" Often since she'd become a princess she'd returned to the special place he'd taken her as a tiny cub. His mother's gardens, she'd thought, and one of the few things he shared with her. They were her property now too, in a way, and she was very fond of them. "Or perhaps we could just sit a while?" She did like leaning against him too. Not like one would with a mate, but with family. He was her family. Her only real family, it seemed sometimes.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:47 am
"I am never too busy for you, Princess," Sahen said. This was not exactly true. The Shatkona always took time out of his day to spend time with his beloved granddaughter, but there were things about his life that he did not wish her to see. Things that she needed to be sheltered from. If not for her own safety, for his selfish peace of mind. Sahen didn't want to give Dada any reason to dislike him.
His eyes crinkled delightedly at the corners when she came nearer, and chuckled at the playful way she bumped her head against his cheek. This, he suspected, was what it felt like to have a daughter. A daughter who loved him. That was what counted.
"A walk sounds nice," said the King, and he turned toward the gardens. "You know they are one of my favourite places to be. Especially when I have such lovely company."
He looked sideways at Dada, bowed, and waved her forwards with a grand flourish of one of his front legs. "Ladies first."
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:59 am
Oh yay! They'd go to the garden and just relax. She giggled girlishly at his (legitimate, she thought) compliment. "Oh psh. I have you to thank for...well everything. It's true." She tossed her hair over her ear and smiled at him. Misplaced as it was, he'd been given all her gratitude, for both her existing at all and the wonderful life she'd been given.
She giggled again and licked his cheek as she stepped around him. "Why thank you, my good shatkona! You know how to make a lady feel pampered alright!" Distantly she wondered why he'd never taken a mate after her grandmother. Maybe he'd just loved her too much to get a new one. That was sad, but he had her now. And she realized that she'd probably be jealous if he started doting on another female. She fought to not let the feeling show--it wasn't a very ladylike expression at all.
She walked quickly ahead and plucked a flower from one of the branches. There weren't many flowers in the Ashnai'le any more. She returned with it to Sahen and offered it up "Tuck it in my hair, grandfather?"
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