, the Harbinger

Not all lions have a fantastical backstory full of whimsy and adventure, some start at humble beginnings like the one Goue-ndo was born into. His mother was kind enough and his father the king was a good ruler, wise and just, but he was an unremarkable son among many and there is only so much room in a pride for a full grown male, room that went more to the heirs to be and the sub males.

So Goue-ndo happily went wandering to find his own home, no malice in his heart about the turn of fate. After all life seemed to be in his favor in this move as he met Hasira-Giza a lady with a tongue of jade and the continence of a queen (at least that's what Goue-ndo thought). Sure she had a cub who seemed to flinch at oddest of times and she leveraged her age, older then him by far as she was, to show she knew best but it was love. Love made sweeter by the river pride lands Goue-ndo has found and claimed and the promise of their cubs on the way.

That soured quickly. Two of the cubs were born dead and the one little girl that was left, a spitting image of Goue-ndo, her back legs were fused crippling her for life. Father and mother hovered and doted doing all they could for little Zawadi but it was for naught as one quiet night the little princess passed painfully tucked between her parents.
Hasira-Giza placed all the blame at the paws of Goue-ndo the entire time, breaking down his mind and heart placing the quickly growing pride in her control as depression took hold. It was his fault the cubs died, he was sick in the blood, it was his fault Zawadi was sick, and all cubs he had and the pride would go the same way in time. So it was best if he was a figurehead of a king and all cubs were fathered by allied kings hand picked by Hasira-Giza and not him. Best for everyone.

The secret? Both are lies. The pride is quietly suffering under Hasira-Giza and she is the one who is sick, Goue-ndo can father perfectly healthy cubs. Who knows? There might just be those very cubs in the pride already, desperately hidden from Hasira-Giza's gaze.