Midas

Midas was born alongside his brother Val'hori, to a beautiful lioness named Celaena--- years before the current pride came into existence. He was a stark contrast to his younger brother, with fur as white as the clouds that kissed the mountain peaks, and eyes that were pink like the sky on the verge of breaking dawn. It was clear that between the two male cubs that Midas would be the strongest; broad shoulders and paws big even for a cub.
"He'll make a strong king one day." The lionesses would coo, while he bounded through the camp.
Celaena had a rough birth the night they were born. It was hours full of worried glances, and anxious pacing. When they came into the world, Celaena's wise and loving sister, Vienna, spent the following day by her side. However, something strange happened. When Vienna looked at the two small cubs, no bigger than her own paw, she witnessed something horrifying. The sky was red, and smoke billowed into the sky in great black clouds. Eyes wide with horror, Vienna was witnessing the end of the world. Balls of fire, hundreds of them, ascending to the earth at once. To destroy everything. She blinked, and then suddenly she was home again. Midas and Val'hori still curled against her sister.
Vienna kept what she had seen to herself, and never spoke of the vision until much later. In the meantime, Midas and Val'hori were growing quickly. Being the mischievous boys that they were, they got into loads of trouble together. Planting stink bugs in their fathers prey before he sat down to eat, and leaping out from hiding to bat at passing tails were a favorite sport. Midas was particularly adventurous, and he got a grand idea one day when Aunt Vienna took them outside their clearing to play. He and Val'hori would cross the river, and they would use the fallen tree as a bridge. He could see it vividly in his head, bounding up and down the other side while Vienna glowed with impress at what they managed to do. This would not be what would happen.
Midas was able to cross the tree bridge with ease, but his much weaker brother couldn't stop shaking and could not go further than half way. Stuck in the middle and frozen with fear, Midas began to realize the dangerous situation that Val was in. He cried across the river for Vienna to come help, and though she raced at record speed, the little black cub had lost his footing, and plunged into the roaring river. Midas watched in horror as he disappeared near instantly under the current, and Vienna did too as she quickly followed in pursuit of him. It was the first time that he had ever felt true terror, and regret at what his decision had led to. This would be made worse when Val was eventually pulled from the water, and he saw the real damage. Val'hori's shoulder was dislocated, and this could be fixed, but his face would not be able to be. Bones in his nose had been shattered, and his jaw would be permanently displaced. As an adult, Midas can still recall vividly when he first looked at his brother, and all he could see was blood.

After this accident, his mother fell into overly worrying over Val'hori and his new disabilities; completely neglecting Midas while doing so. She forbade the two from playing with each other again. In attempts to gain attention from his mother, and impress her, Midas began to do more and more outlandish things, often dangerous. These attempts would go ignored, or even often chastised. Midas was growing emotionally exhausted. Later on as adolescents Celaena allowed the two to take walks together, but he always had to slow down for Val'hori. Deep in his chest, though he knew that it had been his fault the accident occurred, resentment began to take root. This feeling began to grow as months went on like this, and he seemed drowned out by his brother. It didn't make sense. He was bigger-- stronger even. When his dad was gone patrolling, he protected the pride in his absence. Why was it that this went un-noticed? Why had he never gotten a thank you for it? Why was he not considered important anymore? Meanwhile when Val'hori did something as simple as manage to chew his own food he got celebrated for it.
His breaking point would be the death of his mother, Celaena, the beautiful lioness who chewed her son's food for him till he could on his own. She was hunting when she was struck with a poacher's bullet, and everyone cried for Val'hori. "What will he do without her?" The lionesses said. "He still needs her."
Nobody, save for Vienna, offered condolences to Midas upon his mother's passing. Nobody seemed to notice that it was not just his brother who still needed his mom's love. He had held on to the hope that one day when she need not worry over her one son, she would then have the time to fill in the emptiness she left in the other. That day would not come for him, and he swallowed his pain the best that he could. The resentment towards Val'hori for robbing him of the attention he believed he deserved, was only amplified in the grief over his mother.

The day eventually came when Midas and Val'hori could no longer remain in their birth pride. It was time for them to find territory of their own, or at least a bachelor group. Midas' heart pounded as he bowed his head to his father, who's broad shoulders and big paws were very similar to his own. "One day, I hope to hear word through the vine that there's a new great king out there with fur as white as snow," his father leaned in and touched his muzzle to his forehead. "I'll know it's you. I'm rooting for you." For the first time in moons, his heart glowed in happiness.
They said their goodbyes to their pride mates, each of them touching their forehead with their nose as a sign of good luck. Midas thought sadly that this was the only time he felt that he was cared about. The moments before he would leave, and not come back.
Val'hori and him walked side-by-side out into the savannah, and it would only take two days before he left his brother behind. Fed up with him, the months of neglect, and the lack of help with hunting-- Midas felt that his brother would hold him back. So he left him, knowing he would likely die.