Indeed, the whole time Aslan and Mindra were eating, the other lions paid them no notice. Aslan was glad for that, because it allowed him to stay close to the young lioness, their shoulders brushing as they ate, tails flicking against one another. He was doing most of the instigating, but slowly the grey female was starting reciprocate. It made him grin between bites of zebra, knowing that he had her in his paw. He knew she was going to grow into a stunning adult, and he was glad no other lion had expressed interest in her yet. He'd certainly win her over today and take her as a mate, and eventually he could propose the idea of taking another female for himself as well. He wouldn't be too greedy - just one more at the most! He promised! - but it was hard to break the old habits his pride had instilled in him.

They finished eating around the same time, so they moved up from the area where the kills were to find a place to relax. Mindra led the way to some trees that were out of the way that she knew of and plopped down in the shade, stretching out and groaning. "Oh man...I usually don't eat that much," she said, flopping on to her side. She hoped spreading out would give her a chance to calm down from being so embarrassed. Aslan was very good at talking and making her feel special, and it was a bit overwhelming if she had to admit it. Still...he was very charming and kind, so she wouldn't mind if she was asked to be his mate.

Sure enough, Aslan had that exact thought in mind. He settled down beside her, giving her a bit of room, but not too much just to keep his presence known. "Oh please, you picked like a bird," he teased, reaching out to push her paw gently with his own. "You'll sneak down there for seconds once I leave you alone, I'm sure."

"No I won't! I'm really full!" she insisted, sitting up a bit to smile at the male. "I like to eat until I'm not hungry, not until I'm full. That way I can still run really fast. I love to run," she added, flopping down again with a grin. That made Aslan chuckle and he lowered his head as well, resting it on his paws. "Is that so? Are you sure you're not part cheetah?"

Mindra shook her head. "Positive! I...I think," she added, wrinkling up her nose. She knew her mother lived here in the pridelands, but she had joined. Her father...well. She had no idea who he was, but she could only assume he had been a lion. None of her siblings looked like a cheetah and she was much to big to be a hybrid. "I'm not as fast as one, either. I just like to run," she said with a little nod of her head.

"Ah, I see," Aslan said with a nod, an approving gaze on his face. Strong females were incredibly desirable to him, because it meant he wouldn't have to worry about them constantly when he wasn't around. Having meek, weak females was awful, although there were those males who enjoyed having a submissive female under them. He liked having an equal, someone that was smart and strong. There were those females that looked for a strong male, of course, and he wouldn't mind if a second potential mate moved forward to shelter beside him. If he had a strong female and a meek one he'd be all right. Mostly.

"I like an energetic female," he purred, leaning in to rest his head against her paw, nuzzling gently. "That promises strong cubs, you know." His words made Mindra flush again and she smiled weakly at him.

"Ah...does it?" she said, her tail lashing back and forth. Aslan gave a soft 'mhm' as he moved in a bit more to nuzzle her cheek, eyes closed as he purred heavily. Mindra hesitated before leaning in to return the nuzzle, her heart pounding with excitement. It wasn't often a male showed interest in her, let alone wanted to be her mate. She was sure the question was coming. Sure enough...

"It does," Aslan murmured. "I would be honored to have a mate as energetic and fun as you. That is, if you'll have this would-be Pridelander," he said, pulling back to smile charmingly at her. He had to laugh at how quickly MIndra nodded her head, a winning grin on his face after. "Ah...wonderful," he murmured, leaning in to nuzzle her again.

Well...that was that, Mindra thought to herself as she nuzzled her new mate back. She had a male. Her mother would be happy, she hoped. Her pride would look at her as an adult, even if she still acted a bit like a cub. Maybe she'd even end up with cubs herself! Oh...that would be wonderful. She loved cubs, and she was sure that having her own would be the best thing in the whole world. Teaching them how to hunt and play and watching them grow...ah. It would be an adventure, that was for sure!

Aslan had similar feelings. He wanted cubs, he wanted to extent his family line. He was glad he'd found someone so willing right off the bat. She was young, he was young, they had lots of time to have many, many cubs. That alone made him grin. Good...he'd make the Pridelands his new home by filling it with his offspring. Not a bad plan, not at all.

The two lions spoke quietly with one another for quite some time, until the sun was directly over head. Instead of going to get more food, when they did rise, they headed off to return to Aslan's den. He led the way although she stayed close by, the two keeping their voices low and smiling at one another before disappearing into the den.

FIN
WC: 1009