New Beginnings

Chapter ten

Kovu and Kiara walked off of the platform, Kovu angry and Kiara silent. Where had this new side of Kovu come from? Did he change in the three years they were apart or did he just get more mature with time.

Regardless of whatever explanations Kiara tried to come up with, they all led to the exact same conclusion; Kovu had changed. Glancing up at him, Kiara saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before. It was a vague faraway look that screamed anger and malice, mixed with resentment. It scared her a little.

Kovu seemed to sense what Kiara was thinking because he chuckled and pulled her closer to him as they walked.
"I'm sure you're wondering what's happened to me, right?" he asked looking down at her. Kiara smiled nervously and leaned against his side.
"I'm just a little surprised," she confessed. "I've never heard you speak to anyone that way before, especially not my father."

"Yeah well, Simba needs to be reminded that he can't boss you around and treat you the way he does. It took all my self-control not to lunge at him and gouge his eyes out. I still can't believe he's forcing you to marry Khan," he said this with a little bitterness in his voice. Kiara sighed sadly and they stopped walking for a while. They sat down in the grass and nuzzled the other for a bit, their bodies pressed up and their breathing in tandem.

Kiara gasped as she felt Kovu's paw on her stomach, rubbing her in slow, teasing strokes. 
"So where's Kion?" Kovu asked after a moment of peaceful silence. "I haven't seen him since I came, is he on guard duty with the Lion Guard?" Kiara sighed and turned to face him, her eyes showed regret with a hint of sadness.

"The Lion Guard isn't considered the Lion Guard anymore. Fuli, Bhesti, Bunga and Ono left to go their separate ways and Kion is the only one left. He patrols the border with Vitani and sometimes, the lionesses help."
Kovu didn't respond, he merely sighed and laid himself on the grass, his expression neutral.
Kiara laid down beside him and for several minutes they didn't move.

Then after a while Kiara began to cry. Kovu turned to look at her, alarm written on his face.
"Baby what's wrong? Is everything okay?" he asked putting a paw on her shoulder. Kiara threw herself on Kovu and cried harder, her tears falling on his mane.
"Kovu, it's Grandma Sarabi. She died a while back and something just triggered a memory and it made me remember her."

Kovu inhaled sharply and patted Kiara on her shoulder in an attempt to provide some comfort. "It's okay everything's gonna be alright. Don't cry baby, I'm here don't cry."
Kiara sniffed and rested her head on Kovu's shoulder and closed her eyes, relieved that he was there to comfort her when she needed him.

When the tears were finally gone, Kovu led Kiara to a stream where she drank some water and refreshed herself. Taking several deep breaths and clearing her throat, she looked at Kovu and smiled. Declaring she felt much better, Kiara turned and she and Kovu walked back to Pride Rock. 
Kion was back at Pride Rock with everyone else.

The lionesses were back and the entire pride was there on the platform, observing the scene before them, as insane and unbelievable as it was.
"You're leaving?" Simba asked Khan and Neema, who were facing Simba and Nala, anger on their faces.
"But you just arrived recently, how can you leave so soon?"

Neema looked at her son and waited to hear his decision. Apparently already having made up his mind, Khan stepped up to Simba and Nala.
"Your daughter obviously does not want to agree to this marriage as bizarre as it is. She is constantly disregarding your words and to top it off, her former love interest is back and filling her head with reasons NOT to agree to this marriage. So what's the point of trying?" 

"Simba, Nala, I am truly sorry it had to come down to this, I did not want any of it to happen. But Khan has made up his mind and as his mother, I must agree with him. I'm sorry," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. Simba nodded and after bidding goodbye to them, they walked off the platform. No one spoke for several minutes. The platform was silent and the only sound heard were their breathing.