A Heart's Desire

Chapter 15: A Second Chance of Love

Shout to @habbosweetabbymycah for suggesting this beautiful song.

Btw, doing something kinda confusing for this chapter. I wrote it, didn't like it so I rewrote it then I went back to the original and made it better. I honestly can't decide which is the better one now so I'm uploading both. I'll let you guys be the judge.

Btw, we finally hit the Kiuli part of the book....about time 😅

Option 1
Whenever Fuli closed her eyes, her mind would teleport her back to that night Rani died. The horrific possibilities of what exactly happened and what exactly was said, played over and over. What terrified her the most was the fact he had been waiting. Waiting for a moment alone. A moment of weakness. A time to leave a permanent strike. Green eyes glowing in the shadows of the night, sneaking up on an unsuspecting lioness. The image of him hovering above Rani as she clung to the edge, made Fuli's blood run cold. Did he hesitate? Was he scared? No. No he didn't. Fuli knew that. He was ready to end Rani's life the moment opportunity struck him...that monster. His claws digging deep into her paws as he grinned, staring into Rani's shocked, horrified eyes. Did he end her quickly? Swiftly? Did he savour the moment? Enjoy the taste of death in the air? Did she see the eyes of her killer, her friend that she trusted only to be betrayed in the end?

So many questions and possibilities that will never be answered or put into place no matter how hard Fuli tried to piece it together. She was even unsure about her own feelings. When she came back to the Tree of Life with Kion and the others to defend this place, she thought Azaad was a nice guy. A cheetah just like her with a love for running. He said she had the fire in her heart when it came to speed. Deep down she hoped she could be the fire in his heart only for any feelings of love or affection to be faded away when Rani asked her to be Queen. Fuli brushed away her feeling as merely a crush and wanted to move on. Her heart no longer fluttered for him. However, Kion has been determined to protect her and make sure she was alright. He rarely left her side, but he was still conscious of her wanting space if and when she needed it. It was the night of the fire when she realised the tiny chance of Kion having affection for her. Fuli tried to shake the possibility away and that she was being foolish, but something kept nagging her about it. It was bad enough she couldn't stop thinking of him in a more...strange way other than being friends or partners. Besides, Fuli wasn't the biggest fan when it came to romance. She'd rather fly solo. Also, cheetahs and lions are far too different. They could never be together. Nature did not allow it. Though Kion and Fuli share the land, they would never be more than simply partners.

She yawns and any thoughts of Kion fade away as she remembers how tired she is. Sleep had not been easy lately. Too many nightmares. To help her wake up a little, she goes for a walk. The late afternoon sun hitting Fuli's face just right makes her smile as she feels the heat radiating onto her body. It was almost sunset. Almost time for another restless night of terrors. Fuli takes a deep breath and decides to savour the rest of her day. A tall figure with golden fur walks towards her. She smiles when she sees his face.

"Hey Kion," Fuli says when he's close enough.

He gives her a gentle smile, "Hey Fuli. Out for a walk?"

"Yeah, just clearing my head after everything that's happened".

"I understand. Mind if I join you?" Kion asks.

Fuli was about to comment on the fact that he was just on one, but she swallows, not allowing the words out of her mouth.

"I don't mind," She says instead.

They walk for a while, talking about any royal duties and tasks they had to handle when they weren't by each other's sides. They didn't know where they were heading, but they didn't care. They just let their paws lead the way. The sun lowers in the sky, casting the land in a yellow and orange glow. It was beautiful. Fuli and Kion were both glad they could enjoy their moment in peace. Kion stops when he sees the Lake of Reflection. He and Nirmala came here so he could learn patience during his recovery of the snake venom. He learned a lot here.