Princess Elara

It was a few months after Libidine and Iah became mates that the queen fell pregnant. The news spread out and brought excitement and joy into the pride. Iah, as a leading male, had many children with other lionesses from the pride. They were called the 'Moon children' and were very dear to his heart. However they were bred from common lionesses. They were his children, they've always had a place within the pride and some were even high priestesses, healers and leading females of districts, but they would not inherit the pride or bear a heir to him.

Upon learning of his mate's pregnancy Iah rushed to his mate who was being checked by healers. She was uneasy, growling softly when the healers got to close to her, her tail flicking back and forth irritably. The healers did their job and left the expectant parents alone. "This is truly wonderful. Me and Astraea never got the chance to have cubs," he whispered in her ear as he continued to wash her face with his warm tongue. Libidine growled a bit. It wasn't as if she disliked the previous queen. She was like a mother to her (more than her birth mother Inanis), but she couldn't help being jealous of her. "Yes. A little prince or princess. The healers said that it is only one cub," she said with a note of saddness. She wanted to bear him more cubs. Iah stopped washing her glossy dark fur and looked at her bright yellow eyes "It doesn't matter. I'm just happy."

Iah paced outside the small rock formation where his mate was giving birth to their cub. He was nervous and fearful for both his cub and his mate's wellbeing. At last a broodmother emerged from the rock formation and approached the king. "Congratulations! You have a healthy girl," she said with a small smile. Iah nodded and dismissed the broodmother. The king rushed inside to see his mate and his daughter. Libidine was laying in a nest of dry grass and feathers, her paws curled around a tiny body as she licked the blood from it. Iah appoached carefully hearing tiny mews and rustling from in between his mate's paws. He stopped and waited for his mate to approve his presence. Libidine licked the excess blood from the cub and turned her gaze towards her king. She nodded slowly and widened her paws allowing him to see. The cub had inherited most of his markings and her coat was pretty gray colour - a perfect mix of her parent's coats. She had also inherited her mother's unique black rosette marking. Iah stared at his cub feeling happy and calm. He laid next to his mate and started washing her affectionately. "She is beautiful. Have you thought of a name, love?" he asked washing behind her ears. Libidine beamed at him. She had made him happy. During the pregnancy she was worried he wouldn't like the cub or decide to not accept it. At that moment all her worries disappeared and she purred in affection at him. "Hmmm, I was thinking of the name Elara. Princess Elara," she said and moved the cub to feed it. The small cub began sucking milk from her mother blissfully unaware of all the attention surrounding her birth. Iah watched his daughter feed and smiled "It's a perfect name for a perfect little princess."

Elara grew very loved and spoiled by all the pride. She was the first princess since many years and thus very special. The cub herself was very much like her mother - fierce, independent, snarky and stubborn. She was also charming and very manipulative when she wanted to, winning the hearts of her pridemates. She inherited the magic from his father and sometimes used it to play tricks on some poor pridemate - conjuring a bee nest over their heads, controlling a warthog to chase after them or putting a snake inside the nesting den. When she wasn't being a pest she trained with her parents and the priestess (most of which were Iah's children). Her older half-sisters loved her and she loved them. From her sisters she learned to control her magic and the ways of priesthood. From her parents she learned how to be a royalty and her duties as a princess. Once an adolescent she started training with the sub-male and the hunters.

Elara and The White Raven

Elara sat in the shade looking extremely bored. She had just finished her lessons with the hunters and was free for the rest of the day. She idly played with a meerkat skulls contemplating playing a trick or two on some poor innocent pridemate. 'Nah' she thought. She had enough lectures from her parents to last her a lifetime on that topic. The adolescent huffed and hopped to her feet. She turned towards the lionesses that laid nearby "I'm going for a walk". An elderly lioness frowned at her "Princess you know you can't leave without escort...princess, wait!" Elara sprinted away, her small lite body carrying her away from the pride. 'They can never catch me. Even if they did I can cloak myself' she thought slyly and slowed down once she was far enough.

The Regium district stretched for miles and it covered several migration routes for big herds. She knew better than to hunt alone though, after all she was still an adolescent and alone she was no match for a grown zebra or wildebeest. The runaway princess decided to just explore. She trotted through the grass looking for something, anything to occupy herself with. Seek and you shall find. Her sharp gaze landed on a black ball of feathers not to far. Ravens. They were probably scavenging whatever was left of someone's meal. She loved chasing he feathered creatures. They were yummy too. Her body dropped to a crouch as she stalked closer to them. Feathers flew around and horrible screeching sounds could be heard as they battled for every piece of rotting flesh. Elara stilled, ears flat to her head, shoulders coiled, gaze determined. Fast as lightning she sprung and ran towards the flock. She released her claws hoping to catch one. In the last moment she jumped, claws exposed trying to catch a raven. There was a rain of black feathers, she couldn't see anything. The next moment the rain stopped and her paws were empty. 'Damn' she said and shook of the black feathers. She sat up pouting like the teenager she was.

With her peripheral vision she saw something white...pure white. Curious she turned her head and gasped. It was a pure white raven with blood red eyes. Elara stared at it. It didn't seem to be afraid of her. Slowly she approached the raven. There was something strange about it. She could sense a faint scent of magic surrounding it. She has heard stories of shaman lions who after their death their spirits transferred into other animals. Those animals were different than the normal ones, usually having strange attributes like unnatural fur color, horns, wings or abnormal sizes. The young princess felt a tugging at her mind and then a voice spoke to her in her head. "Young Elara, daughter of the God of the Moon Iah and his true mate Libidine. My name is Lærer and I'm am your familiar. You suspesct correct. I was once a lion shaman and I've taken this form to guide young mages like you" it spoke and with a flap of his pure white wings it sat on her shoulders. Elara looked back at her shoulder watching the bird clean it's wings. "I don't need a familiar and I already have teachers. What can you possibly offer me?" she snarked, her voice full of arrogance. The raven just stared at her and spoke again "You have much to learn." Images flashed in her head. It was her! But grown up. She watched as her older self changed shape, controlled the elements and travelled long distances in a blink of an eyes. The young princess gaped at the mental images. "You can teach me all that?" she asked, her voice quivering with excitement. The raven nodded "I can. There is a great potential in you, Elara."