Lion King - Lost Heir

Discoveries

Haraka

The journey to Pride Rock was slow and tiring, and it took me three weeks to get within striking distance of the pride. The waterhole was almost always filled with all kinds of animals, including various pridelanders, some born and bred, some converted outlanders. I'd been circling the rock and exploring the surrounding territory for a few hours when I saw him. My son was sat with two other males, talking about something sat on a small outcropping of rock a few meters from Pride Rock. A female emerges from inside the rock, and saunters up to him, lying down beside him and burying her head in his mane. He responds by licking her muzzle, and I can't help but gasp. Askari has a lioness? 

Swala

Aina, Nyuki and I are strolling through the bushes when we see her. An old, battle-scarred female crouched low in the sparse grass. 

"Hey!"

She looks up, and her eyes widen immediately at Aina's voice.

"Who are you?"

She takes a step back, as if she's about to turn tail and run at any given moment, but she decides not to, opening her mouth to speak.

"I am Haraka, a jungle lion."

I nod, and she gulps visibly as she looks me up and down.

"Why are you here?"

"For my son... Askari."

"Then you will speak to the queen, Kiara, first."

She follows us as we walk towards Pride Rock, and Kovu frowns as she introduces herself.

"Go Swala, and take your friends with you."

I open my mouth to speak, but mother stops me with a flick of her tail.

"Go."

Haraka

I look between the two leaders of the pridelanders, Kovu, clearly born an outlander, and Kiara, the spitting image of Simba and likely Mufasa before him. 

"What brings you here?"

"I come to speak of my son, Askari, I doubt you know of his heritage?"

Kiara speaks, "We know he is in some way in line for the throne, but we do not know how."

"He is the rightful heir."

Kovu laughs. In a time like this, what sort of idiot would laugh?

"And what proof do you have?"

"Before the birth of Simba, Mufasa and Sarabi had a daughter, called Ini, who went missing at a young age and was never seen again. She was in the jungle, and grew up with jungle lions. She had a cub, whos father is not known."

"And what proof do you have?" repeats Kovu, grimacing.

"Who needs proof when you have an army of hyenas?"

Kiara's jaw hits the floor, as she runs past me to stand looking out over the pridelands. Hyenas circle the rock, and a group of them circle that pampered daughter of hers, the jet black one. 

"How could you..." 

"I did, and this is for my son, even though he doesn't know he deserves your position, he will gratefully receive it."

"Askari did not know?"

"Of course not."

Kovu lets out a slow growl behind me, claws digging into the dusty ground.