Life After The Fall

Mlinzi Valley

"How dare you seek out other lionesses when we're married?! How dare you allow other lionesses to touch you?! How dare you allow other lionesses to feed you?! How dare you allow other lionesses to flirt with you?! How dare you laugh with other lionesses when you have a wife who's been worried sick for you?!" Kiara shouted as she stood over Kovu, twisting his forelegs behind his back while his head was facedown in the grass.

"Babe they hunted the gazelle for me since it was too fast for me to chase, they kill it and I was about to take it back to you guys but they struck up conversation and I got caught up in the moment, I would never cheat on you baby," Kovu said as he desperately tried to make Kiara believe him.

"Why didn't you just wait for us to do it, we could've teamed up and taken it down together love," Kiara said in a softer tone as she released Kovu from her grasp.

"And you three, do you flirt with every male lion that passes through here?" Rani asked aiming an accusatory look at the three lionesses who were standing on the side, cowering in fear of Kiara.
"N..no we don't. Maybe we do occasionally, but we're not like that," a lioness with dirt brown fur and opal eyes said in a quaking voice.

"We didn't know he was married I swear!" the second lioness said. She had a rusty yellow fur colour and burgundy eyes. She hid partially behind her companions and was the one who was stroking Kovu's mane.
"If we had known your husband was married, we never would have flirted with him. We're not like that," the third lioness said a little braver than the others. She had golden fur and ocean blue eyes and a tuff of fur over her left eye.

"What are your names?" Kion asked in a voice that was kinder than the one Rani had used.
"I am Furaha," the lioness with the opal eyes said shyly.
"I'm Kidunia," the lioness with the burgundy eyes said as she scratched behind her ear.
"My name is Usiku. I'm the leader of our pride," the lioness with the ocean blue eyes said as she stood facing Kiara and Kovu.

"Nice to meet you all, my name is Kion, this is my mate Rani, and those two are my sister and her husband, Queen Kiara and King Kovu, they're from the Pride Lands," Kion said cordially.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances," Usiku said as she bowed respectfully to Kiara and Kovu. "What brings you to Mlinzi Valley may I ask?"

"Mlinzi Valley? This is your territory?" Kiara asked looking around where the zebra and gazelle herds grazed a short distance away.
"Yes it is, we live here with our pride of twenty," Furaha said a little braver as she stepped forward. "We like to stay hidden since predators see the zebra and gazelle herds and automatically think that it's free food. We confront them and see whether or not they're friend or foe."

"Smart tactic. Do you get visitors often?" Kovu asked Usiku.
"Not really, the last visitor was a lioness who came here searching for our Queen Mzazi, she wanted to join our pride, but we sent her away. Bad character. She looked like she was just hanging from a fraying vine," Usiku said as she turned to look behind her a brief moment.

"What do you mean by that?" Kiara asked confusedly.
"She was a little skinny and really malnourished, Queen Mzazi took one look at her and sent her away immediately," Kidunia replied with a shudder.
"You judged her by her physical attributes?" Rani asked raising her eyebrows. "That's not right. It's not what on the outside, but what's on the inside that matters. Not what's on the body, but what's in the heart."

"You misunderstand. It's not her physical attributes which made our queen send her away, but her eyes. They were so bleak, dreary, and lifeless. And deranged. She's killed before and looked like she wouldn't hesitate to kill again. There wasn't blood on her paws, but there was violence in her eyes. She reeked of evil," Usiku said ominously.
"What was her name?" Kovu wanted to know.

"Forgive me, but we're not at liberty to discuss that. We gave gave you too much information about the lioness as is. Queen Mzazi made it a rule that no-one is to mention anything regarding her," Usiku said apologetically.
"It's alright, we understand. We aren't pressuring you to say anything against your will," Kiara said nodding her head.

"So where are you all headed to?  Maybe you could use directions to get wherever you're going,"  Furaha said changing the subject.
"We're going to the Tree of Life. Rani's pregnant and her due date is any day now, we need to get home by the time that happens," Kion said placing a paw on Rani's back and smiling fondly at her.

"So this means that you are the King and Queen of the Tree of Life. Queen Rani and King Kion," Kidunia said delightedly.
"Well yes we are," Rani said proudly. "I'm carrying the future rulers of the Tree of Life."
"Congratulations to you both," Usiku said with a smile.

"Why don't you all come back with us? We'll introduce you to Queen Mzazi, you can stay for the night, eat, rest up and head on to the Tree of Life tomorrow," Furaha offered graciously.
"We don't want to impose-" Kiara started to say.

"Nonsense, you're not imposing, you are our guests, you're more than welcome to stay," Usiku said as she took the lead.
"What about the gazelle?" Kovu asked as he Kiara, Kion and Rani followed Usiku, Furaha and Kidunia.

"The vultures will have it, they're circling overhead anyway. The lionesses are  hunting hippo for dinner tonight," Kidunia replied.
So the seven lions walked across the grassland, past the herds and the stream and to the cave where the lions of Mlinzi Valley resided.
Once they reached the cave, Kion and Rani followed their hosts inside while Kiara pulled Kovu discreetly aside and pressed him up against the cave wall.

"Babe what's wrong?" Kovu asked confusedly as he stared at his wife, his emerald green eyes held wariness at his disposition. Him being pressed up against a wall with his unpredictable wife.
"Don't assume you're out of this trouble, I'm still mad at you for allowing those lionesses to flirt with and feed you. You laughed with them and amused them with your jokes. And you have a wife," Kiara said lowly.

"I thought we were past this," Kovu said with a groan.
"No baby. You thought we were past this. But we're not. You still owe me an  apology," Kiara said.
"But I already apologized to you baby," Kovu protested.
"No you didn't, you gave me an explanation as to why you did what you did. You didn't apologize," Kiara insisted.

"Okay sweetheart, when we get to the Tree of Life and we're alone, with no one around, in absolute seclusion and isolation, I'll apologize to you," Kovu said.
"Oh really? And how will you apologize?" Kiara asked, clearly intrigued by Kovu's words.
"Let's just say when I apologize, you'll need to clean up before we meet anyone else," Kovu said in a deep husky voice.

"Ooh I like it," Kiara murmured.
"I knew you would," Kovu whispered pressing a kiss to her lips and caressing her body with his paws. Kiara moaned softly and pulled on Kovu's mane while their tongues danced hotly in their mouths.
"Kiara! Kovu! come on you two, we're waiting for you!" Kion shouted from inside the cave.

"We're coming!" they shouted back as they detached lips and shook their fur out.
"Shall we go my love?"
"Ladies first,"
"Such a gentleman," Kiara giggled as she went in followed by Kovu, who took a minute to smack her rear end with his paw.

"Oh! Baby! You are such a bad boy," Kiara purred seductively.
"You like it when I'm bad. Don't act like you don't. You enjoy it," Kovu whispered as he gave her a wet lick on her cheek.
"Yes I do like it when you're bad, it makes our relationship so...out of this world," Kiara purred.

"Careful baby, you know what happens when you use that voice with me," Kovu warned.
"Yes I do know what it means," Kiara said nonchalantly.
"And you're prepared to face the consequences of your actions?"
"I'm always ready to face the consequences of my actions,"