The Lion King - The Wisest Princess

Chapter 9 - Fighting Back

I don't usually do these, but I wanted to leave a warning since this chapter involves Kia talking about not feeling good enough and/or worthless. I know this can be a triggering subject, so I wanted to leave this as a warning.

Sitting in the back of Pride Rock, Kia silently cried as she bitterly thought about the events that forced her to sit lonely in the cave. She wanted to blame this on Uzipho. She wanted to say that this was the wild dogs' fault, but she couldn't. Because she knew who's fault it was. It was hers. If she wasn't so weak, she wouldn't be forced to give up her role as a leader. But of course, she messed that up. Just like she messed up everything else. Everyone in the pride had to take care of her, and the feeling of being a burden for the pride became stronger with each passing day. Interrupting her belittling thoughts, her cousin Erevu and brother Kopa walked towards her, holding flowers in their jaws as a gift of sympathy. Kia appreciated the thought, but as of right now, she didn't want someone to look after her. She just wanted to be alone.

Kamaria - "Come on, guys. You didn't have to do that for me."

Erevu - "But we wanted to. We know you like flowers."

Kopa - "Besides, you and I both know you can get stuck in your head when you're feeling down about yourself."

Kamaria - "I wasn't feeling—"

Kopa - "Kia, we're your family and possibly the only ones who can tell when you're lying. You can fool the Pride Lands, but you can't fool us."

Letting her walls down, Kia felt the tears fall from her eyes in a steady pace, and she looked away to avoid the looks of pity from her family. Couldn't they at least pretend to think that she was alright? Or at least let her cry without them looking at her? Once again, Kamaria felt like nothing but a chore for the lions in the pride. Apparently, the rest of the animals also took her well-being as a responsibility, only furthering her insecurities.

Kamaria - "So what if I'm feeling down? It's not like the things they say are wrong. I'm small. I'm weak. I'm useless to everyone. I can't stand with the Guard and defend other animals, and I certainly can't do anything that requires actually moving around. Face it, I'm worthless to everyone in the kingdom."

Kopa - "That's not true, and you know it."

Kamaria - "Really, Kopa?! Everywhere I go, our parents dote on me constantly, and nobody lets me do anything that involves physical activity because they know that I'll collapse. You and I both know the truth, Kopa."

Kopa - "Kia—"

Kamaria - "I! AM! NOTHING!"

Silence fills the cave as Kopa and Erevu stared at Kia in shock. Kia almost never raises her voice, being known as the calmest in the royal family since she was born. But the tears falling from her eyes, the way she breathed uneven because of tears and her blood pressure rising, Kopa wasn't sure what he was supposed to say.

Kopa - "You know what, Kia? Dad gave you the position as the Wisest in the Guard, but right now, I don't understand how Dad thought you would be ready for this. He's not scared for you to do this because of your strength, he's scared because he knows you feel this way about yourself. He didn't want you on the Guard because he knew, he knew, that too many mess ups would cause you to think lowly about yourself. You wanna sit in your pity? Fine! Come on, Erevu!"

Erevu looked between his two cousins, but turned to follow Kopa once he realized Kia was making no effort to ask for his presence. Left once again to her sorrows, Kia finally let out the sobs that she had been holding in, and the turquoise flower that she had behind her ear fell to the ground. All Kia wanted to do was prove her worth to the Guard, to the Pride Lands. But what happened? She proved that she is about as useful as a rainstorm in a flood. It didn't matter if she got stronger. Nothing would stop everyone from worrying about her.