Chapter 7: The Royal Family
Note: This is not in the actual event. This is my attempt to bring more of the kingscholar family in the story
Meanwhile, at the royal Kingscholar Palace....
A little lion cub beastman with orange faded to yellow colored hair hid quietly behind a pillar, failing to hide the giggles that escaped his mouth.
"Cheka. Come out my mtoto."
He giggled even more when he heard a familiar voice. Taking a small peek, he spotted a pinkish brown colored tail with a warm caramal brown tuft of fur on it. It disappeared as Cheka watched eagerly.
"Haha!"
"Ahahaha!"
He screamed and burst into fits of laughter when he met the face of his mother. A lioness beastwoman with eyes golden as the sands of the desert, light brown wavy hair, and a warm smile written on her face.
"How did you find me, Mama?" The little cub asks curiously, coming out of his spot. Her hand gently brushed his furry ear, watching it flick against her fingers. "You should know better than to hide from me, mtoto." She explained, resting her forehead against her cub. Her circlet with a quartz gem that was sculpted to resemble a lion, shook from her movement as she nuzzled her son, both growling affectionately.
"Heh heh. Well, that's true."
The cub's ears shot up at a booming voice. "Baba!" He eagerly ran ahead to the source as his mother stood up, smiling fondly at the person approaching them.
A male lion beastman with the same hair color as his son, but much longer, down to his back. A firey red cloth was draped across his right shoulder while the left was exposed, bearing a golden armband and wearing a brown sleeveless shirt underneath with gold accents.
He wore a golden circlet, matching with his wife a little, and each step had some power yet grace as he entered into the open sunlight, giving his hair and brown eyes a glow.
"Ah, lights of my life!" He exclaimed fondly, smiling big as he happily let his son jump into his large arms. The cub nuzzled into his father's mane as his wife approached him.
"Welcome back, Falena." She greeted him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before they nuzzled affectionately. "Neliah, my fierce flame lily. It's good to see you both." He added, gently lowering the younger prince back to the floor.
"So, any word from our Leona?" She inquired, watching him ruffle his son's hair. The corners of her mouth perked up into an amused smile when he glanced up at her. "Well, that's why I'm here. I wanted to see if you got any word from him." He responded. Even though things between them weren't the best, he figured maybe his wife got word from Leona since she knew how to make him listen.
"Have you tried texting him?"
"I did. I've sent him many reminders, and I tried to call him, but he hasn't answered." He explained, a bit fustrated at his brother ignoring him as he got up. Cheka's ears shot up like a deer, and his eyes lit up. His parents saw his small white fangs pokimh out when he smiled.
"Uncle Leona's coming home?!" He asked excitedly, jumping up and down. Falena chuckled at his son, pulling him into a side hug. "Let's hope so." His father brought up. His wife, Neliah, knelt down, cupping her son's face. "Cheka, my love. Could you do us a favor and find Kifaji? Tell him to go to the city and find our Leona." She instructed, gently smoothing out the strand of orange hair.
"I can do that! I'll go get Kifaji!" The cub answered eagerly, nodding his head before running off. Neliah chuckled amusingly at her energetic cub.
However, that smile faded when she turned around and saw her husband staring out into the horizon with a look of worry. It was like he was trying to spot his brother from the mass of lush green trees and the golden grasslands along with Sunrise city.
A gentle hand rested on his massive shoulder, though he didn't need to turn around as he smiled fondly. He tilted his head to nuzzle his closest friend and lover fondly. Being king wasn't an easy job for him, so he was glad to have Neliah by his side.
"Falena, I know he's your brother. But Leona isn't a cub anymore. He can look out for himself." She calmly reminded him. But the king frowned, shaking his head. "I'm aware of that. Leona's a powerful mage. Yet he refuses to use his potential for something good. Just because he's not king, it doesn't mean he doesn't have a duty to serve our people." He explained to his wife, feeling fustration build up.
"And what's more is he chooses not to come to Tamashina-mina last year and doesn't say a word. I thought something had happened to him. If he thinks I'm gonna let him sleep his way out this year, then he better think twice." He added.
His wife could detect the slight anger in his tone. But she couldn't blame him. Leona caused his brother a lot of worry and stress when he didn't show up last year. When he claimed he forgot, she remembered hearing her husband growled in agitation during that phone call back then.
Smiling softly, she gently tilted his face to look at her. Her thumb brushed against his cheek, managing to soothe his fustration as his face softened at her. He leaned into her palm, growling softly. "I'm sorry, Neliah. " He apologized, feeling like he threw too much at his wife. He didn't wish for her to be disliked by Leona like he was.
She shook her head with an assuring smile. "Listen. You know how Leona is. And why he skipped those Guardian lessons last year." She reminded him calmly but firmly. Her mate sighed as his ears lowered. "I know." He reluctantly agreed.
Despite bringing brothers, the years of constant comparison caused the rift, and Falena struggled to get back what they once had. It bothered him every day to hear the servants speak ill of Leona. He knew there was still good in his brother. He just had to find it somehow.
"But Leona's not one to back out of his word. Something tells me you'll run into him. For now, though, let's just focus on preparations for the festival, alright?" Neliah reasoned, lifting up his ears to try and cheer him up. He considered her words for a moment and smiled fondly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "And that is why you are the queen." He said, feeling lucky to have her by his side and to vent out his troubles.
"Baba! Mama! I got Kifaji!"
The two turned to see their son approaching with an old blue hornbill beastman approaching them, dressed in blue and wearing an orange feathered necklace. "Well done, mtoto." Neliah told her son as he beamed at her.
"Your majesties." The old man bowed to them, his voice having a British accent to it. "Kifaji old friend. Could you head to Sunrise City and meet up with Leona? Make sure he's there." Falena ordered as Kifaji lifted his head up, offering a gentle smile.
"As you wish, Lord Falena." He assured him before taking his leave. Falena turned back once more to the view outside before he felt two hands loop around his arm. "Come on. Let's go see forward the preparations." Neliah reminded him as Falena smiled at her.
"I wanna help too!"
The two lion beastman got startled when their son peeked his head out beneath the bright orange cape his mother wore, attached to her quartz fang like necklace. His parents bursted into laughter as his father grabbed his cub and threw him up in the air. Cheka's laughter was music to the king's ears
"Come son!" Falena confirmed as his wife laughed amusingly at her husband and son, seeing Cheka had gotten his energy from his father. As the royals started leaving, Falena just hoped that he would at least run into his brother today.
Note: mtoto is swahilli for "child"
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