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It was hot when I met him, the lion that claimed he would be king one day. I was new to this pride, under a king named Etzel. But from that day, things happened, things that the others seemed to miss. Zelgius was a great hunter, bringing home food during his patrols, fighting off other lions who dare come into our pride, and even bringing me little gifts when the others were not looking. It was sweet for a time. And then I saw it.
A stray cub, little more then my age wandered into our territory. He greeted it the way he greeted all intruders, with force. With little chance for the cub to fight back, he ended it, pressing his paw into the small creatures neck, it struggled, legs kicking wildly as it gasped for breaths that never came, yet Zelgius just pressed harder until the light left its eyes.
I hid in the bushes, but, he saw me. He saw me before i could hide in the darkness like my dark fur would allow. As i wedged myself deeper into the bushes, the brambles digging into my fur, he came closer. " I am going to kill them, you know. Uriel is dying, King Eztel is getting old and Alabaster is a weakling. He doesn't have the strength to rule this pride like Etzel and Uriel did. Alabaster is to lax, letting in these mongrels just because they are cubs. It's their mother's fault for not watching them. " His head lowered and i could see the bright red fur of his skin and growing mane. " And if you tell them, i will kill you too. I refuse to just be some submale in this pride. "
Those words chilled me to the bone as i watched him walk away. Should i tell them? Could I? Zelgus was kind enough to me, but the others... They all chuckled and laughed at how he was little more then a moody adolescent. He snarled and growled at them all. All of them except her. He idolized her. The queen, with her pelt as black as night and her eyes as green as the grass during the wet seasons. He did anything for her. From fetching toys for the cubs, to bringing her special treats, but his favorite task, was helping to keep the cubs warm at night, though, he never did touch the cubs. By morning, he was always laying against her. Laying his head on her. Rubbing his cheeks on her. Etzel just smiled at the sight come morning. After all, everyone loved queen Nasulia. She was kind and warm, loving and altruistic, even the adolescents seemed to listen to her when she spoke.
As he grew, so did his strength, Zelgius was sent off to train with another male, to learn another prides ways and when he returned.... that was the day i died. Nasulia had aged in his time away, she had fallen ill and passed in the morning of one night. Her body had not even started to cool when i felt his paws on my throat, tightening. I remember that last breath, i remember Apedemak muttering something... i remember Menhit.... I remember....
When i woke... I was not me, her soul had become mine. The clan crowded around me as the older lionesses spoke about how Etzel had died of grief mere minutes after leaving the queens body, and alabaster was no where to be found. He took over, Zelgius, but he was not the same. His skin had changed, painted to that of our future king and the form of our former king. He was not Zelgius anymore. For helping Apedemak, the celestial lion granted him this form. But Apedemak did not leave with his daughter, he was trapped here too... as were we all. And now, they called me queen, they called me Nasulia, and even with blood filling the fields, i was reborn.
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