His head sank, almost as if he was trying to shrink away from having to tell anything about himself, but his wounds, fatigue and the other house guards wouldn't let him leave even if he wanted to. A sigh escaped his mouth as Thrain nodded. "I was born in the Pridelands," He began, remembering the green grasslands fondly. "My mother gave me the name of Thrain. I was born between a Lady in the Pridelands and a rogue male who had managed to capture her heart."
Han's eyes lit up as the story began to unfurl. A Lady? The Pridelands had ladies? Riiight, theirs were a little different. They were the siblings of the king! So did that mean Thrain was related to Emperor Miàndùi Tiǎozhàn? He was the son the current king of the Pridelands so...Well, well, this would definitely be a story worth hearing. He hadn't heard anything about this lineage before or even that the emperor had any other relatives in the pride.
"I had three sisters and one brother. My brother was...small, frail and frequently ill. It often fell to me to watch him while my mother could not." Oh how he missed his family, especially his father and brother. He hadn't heard from them in so long, where they alright? Had something happened? Maybe he could send a falcon to the Pridelands and check up on them some time when he returned to the North. "I grew up normal enough though. I grew as tall and strong as my lineage would allow. My life was...uneventful for the most part. Nothing overly exciting happened until I grew into my full mane."
The guard from the North paused as his eyes looked towards the exit of the den and then back towards Han. "I volunteered to come here since word was a royal from this pride would come to the Pridelands and marry Taplo, a daughter of the head nanny of the Pridelands, Zimran. Our head nanny also happens to be the goddess of purity. A fact that likely would have caused a stir here but is quite normal in the Pridelands. We do not worship gods or revere any one more than the other. Instead we follow a way of life that everything is connected and we all help feed this connection." Thrain paused, smiling softly. "The Circle of Life, as our ancestors called it."
Volunteered to come here in exchange...oh gods, was he talking of his marriage to some Pridelands girl? Han's ears suddenly fell back against his skull as he stared at Thrain with a mixture of fear and regret. His marriage had taken this lion from his home? "I...I think you are referring to my leaving."
"What?"
"I am to leave the Tianxia once the preparations are made to travel to the Pridelands and marry into the pride through a god child." That was all he really knew. He had never met the girl before but perhaps it wouldn't be that bad of an idea to actually meet the lioness he was supposed to marry and hopefully grow to love over time.
"I...see." See, Thrain hadn't known that. All he knew is that someone important from the Tianxia was going to be moving to help strengthen their alliance to one another and that someone likely needed to move from the Pridelands to the Tianxia in a fair trade. He had volunteered, no selected, for this task. Who better to send then the nephew of the king? There were no princes and princesses to send instead, and no one else had stepped forward. It had gotten him out of such a boring life though and for that he was thankful. "There is no reason to regret your union. In some ways, you saved me from a repetitive life. Hunting, guarding and waiting for the right lioness to show up to settle down with...It didn't appeal to me. I wanted something..." He glanced towards the ceiling. "More. More than that. I wanted to be part of something larger."
"Something larger than the biggest pride in the lands?" Han replied jokingly.
"Haha, I suppose so. It does seem silly now."
"No, no. I completely understand that feeling." The steel blue lion's eyes fell, "I live in the shadow of my brother, the heir to the West. I am no beautiful lioness to attract men from faraway prides and no twin of his in which to cause mischief with. I am simply the brother of the heir and a Duke of the West. It is a pampered life and I want for nearly nothing. May the heavens smile on my parents, but I want something more than I was born into. My status in the pride is a privileged one and sometimes it feels selfish to ask for anything more." He hadn't told anyone this before, only bringing it up through hints to his mother and to his sister. "I know the feeling of wanting more, especially in a large family as I'm sure yours is just as large, larger even, than mine."
It was true. His aunt Mzuza had given birth to sixteen cubs. SIXTEEN. It was a truly large number. And then aunt Safuma had seven. Then it came down to his mother, Illuae who had five, and uncle Simi who had only sired three. It was a large family with dozens of cousins, but it still felt distant in most cases, especially since many could claim being related to one late king Mufasa and queen Sarabi's several children. Thrain nodded. His family was large, but spread apart. He had only interacted with...well, his siblings on a personal level. His uncle had spoken to him on occasion, but no one else during his youth. "Then we are both similar in several ways even though we are from two different prides."
"I will miss you when I leave for the Pridelands." Han confessed. He gave his guest a smile though it was pained. Despite having only known Thrain for less than a day, he felt as though he had known him before, perhaps in a past life. Hopefully if that was the case, it had been Han who had saved him instead of the same situation they were now in, with Han being indebted to Thrain.
"I..I will miss your company as well, your grace."
"Oh quit it! Just call me Jilie. You're too formal with me. Save the formalities for my parents or grandparents. They're the ones you need to keep appearances around." He reached out, poking the other lion in the shoulder. "When I get married, will you come and celebrate with me?"
The pridelander blinked. He hadn't been expecting that kind of request, but still, he nodded. "Of course I'll try. Just send a message before and I'll see if I can make it." He wasn't a captain, or anything higher. He didn't have the authority to make that kind of promise without talking to his superiors first. Maybe some day he would.
"Good." Han replied quietly, followed by a yawn. His head came to rest atop of his paws. Both eyes slid closed as a smile grew on his face. "Will you wake me when the apothecary gets here?"
"Of course, Jilie."
By the time he had replied, the Duke was already asleep.
[word count: 1230]