New Beginnings

Chapter eight

"Kiara you can't leave," Diana cried out as she  tried to prevent Kiara from leaving the Pride Lands as she said she would. Stepping in front of her seething form, Diana placed a paw on Kiara's face.
"Sweetheart I know you're angry with your parents for what they're doing to you, and I know you're hurt and confused. But leaving your home? You know what will happen if you do that Kiara. Your parents would be devastated."

Kiara looked at Diana, intense fury glinting in her amber eyes.
"They should have thought of that before they tried to force me to marry someone else," Kiara snapped moving away. Diana followed her and tried once more to coax her out of her bad mood.
"Please reconsider Kiara. If you leave how do you think everyone will get along without you? The pride would never be the same and we'll all miss you terribly. Especially me," the older lioness said in a broken voice.

Kiara turned and gazed into her eyes which were bleak and misty and choked back a sob. Throwing herself onto Diana, Kiara hugged her and cried silently; her tears falling in cold droplets on Diana's shoulder. Hugging her tightly Diana made little shushing sounds and Kiara slowly began to calm down and relax. Diana had spied Simba and Nala coming towards them and her eyes narrowed. This was all their fault!

Stepping back from the embrace, Diana smiled at Kiara and suggested she go into the den and get some rest before she attained a headache from lack of sleep. When the young lioness was gone, Diana slunk away and hurried down to where Simba and Nala were and intercepted them before they could thread up the steps.

"She is in a fragile state right now, so anything you have to say to her can wait until morning, I'm sure," Diana said looking directly at Simba. "I persuaded her to stay until morning when she's rested and her emotions are under control so that she can make her decision." 
Simba frowned and tried to walk past Diana but was stopped by his wife.

"Simba Diana is right. Whatever we have to say to Kiara can wait until she is in a better condition. If we say anything to her now, she'll be upset all over again," Nala reasoned. Sighing impatiently, Simba agreed with his wife and the three lions went up the steps and into the den to get some rest.

Kiara was already fast asleep and they had to thread with extra care not to wake her when they settled in for the night. Nala and Simba curled up in their corner and Diana went to lie down next to her husband who like everyone else, was already in a deep slumber. Neema and Khan had their own corner and were sleeping comfortably, away from everyone else. Yawning widely, Diana closed her eyes and before long fell asleep.

The next morning the sun rose and brought with it unease and apprehension. Morning assembly started as usual and the pride gathered around Simba, who sat solemnly at the tip of Pride Rock and waited until everyone was settled in before he began. When everyone was seated, Simba started.

"Good morning everyone, I see you all are well rested this early morning. Hasari how's your cold? Has it cleared up yet?" Hasari, who sat next to her mate smiled and nodded to Simba. "Yes your majesty, Rafiki gave me some medicine and I feel much better," she said cheerfully. 

"That's good to hear. Now to start with, yesterday my friend Neema came to visit us with her only son, Khan," Simba said addressing the pride in general. "Neema has just lost her mate some days before and she wants Khan to get married before she dies."

Simba waited for the murmurs and whispers to die down before he continued.
"Nala and I have decided that the best thing to do would be to let Kiara and Khan marry each other and become official mates. That way when Kiara is Queen, the Pride Lands can have  a new ruler and-"
"Your majesty you can't do that to the princess! That's so unfair," someone said from the back of the pride.

Before Simba could identify who had spoken, someone else had risen to have their say in the matter. "Your majesty the princess is not ready to get married. And even if she is, why him? He's all wrong for her." Looking amongst the faces of his subjects, Simba again tried to find whoever spoke.

"Your majesty don't you think the princess should wait before she settles down? I mean She's young and immature in some ways," 
Before Simba could call for silence, Kion came running out of the den, his expression urgent as he stopped in front of his parents. "She's gone Dad. Kiara is gone," he announced.

Simba's eyes narrowed as he heard the news of his daughter's disappearance. "Are you sure?" he asked his son. "She was there last night, have you checked the spot where she sleeps?"
Kion nodded and Simba ordered several lionesses to go out and search for Kiara. "Search everywhere including the waterholes, Kilio Valley, Chakoola Plains and everywhere in between. We have to find her, no matter what," 

Kiara sat the Northern border, gazing at Pride Rock. Her home, the place in which she was born and raised. The one place she's ever felt comfortable in. She'd miss her family, but her love for Kovu was stronger than that.  Inhaling deeply she rose and started to take a step but something made her stop.

It felt like an invisible force that was pulling, stopping her from leaving, compelling her to stay.
Wondering why she'd stop, Kiara turned around to gaze back at Pride Rock. "Why do I feel like something is about to happen?" she asked no one in particular. 
She didn't want to do it, but maybe there was something she needed to see. Someone who wanted to tell her something.

She didn't know what awaited her there, but Kiara was determined to find out. Taking a deep breath, she bounded in the direction of Pride Rock. When she was near the rock foundation, she felt a quiver down below. She stopped and clutched her stomach nervously.
"It's probably indigestion or something," she said to herself.

Dismissing the thought, Kiara continued to run. Soon she was at the foot of Pride Rock and the quivering came back, this time it was harder and more consistent. "What is wrong with me this morning?" she asked in irritation. Growling softly, she walked up the steps and onto the empty platform. At least she thought it was empty.

Kiara stopped and froze. The world stopped spinning for a split second and her breathing intensified. The platform wasn't empty, there was someone there, standing at the peak of Pride Rock and gazing into the horizon. Her heartbeat raced. She recognized that black mane, she recognized that dark fur and when the individual turned, she recognized those emerald green eyes.

After three long, depressing, anguished filled years, the love of her life had returned. He was here standing in front of her after so long. She felt tears sting her eyes as she faced him. The one lion she'd ever loved was back in her life. She felt like her soul had been resurrected and she had just woken up from a living nightmare. At long last he was here, Kovu was back!