The Meeting from Hell
A week had passed since the king's coronation. Sunlight was streaming in through a small window in Zarda's hut, waking him up to find his blanket hanging off his body, barely covering his groin and left leg. His abs were tight and exposed as he pushed himself up on his elbows, rubbing his face to wake up for the morning. The blanket barely clung to him, held in place by the bulge of his manhood, which stood at attention as it had every morning since his transformation into his new body. It was his signal to go to the bathroom. He was discovering many new things about his body, such as frequent flatulence, itchy hairs on his legs, and a strong musky odor emanating from his armpits. Each morning brought new revelations, and he learned to adjust and cope like everyone else.
Zarda rose from his cozy bed and stretched his arms outward before making his way to a large basin to relieve himself. The soft morning sunlight cast a gentle glow on his silhouette as he finished his business. Once done, his magic bulge shrunk back to normal size and he hastily put on his leather pants, feeling a bit self-conscious about his appearance. Zarda had grown used to concealing his body with clothes, finding comfort in the protection they provided. He opted for his thinnest and most lightweight shirt, a white long sleeve that lay on the nearby table. This shirt was his favorite, offering a light and comfortable barrier against the sun's harsh rays that might otherwise harm his sensitive skin.
He was dressed and prepared to leave when he joined his mother and the other warriors for a brief meeting. Zarda noticed his mother walking arm in arm with Princess Natia, a sight he was not accustomed to seeing. After his mother found out about Jarvius' healing and initially disapproved of her son's involvement, she eventually came around and grew fond of Natia. Saharrah thought that Natia was different from her parents. However, now that Saharrah's past love affair with King Jarvius was revealed, the Queen smiled awkwardly at her son and whispered something private to Natia. Natia immediately looked over at Zarda and laughed.
Zarda felt awkwardly excluded as he smirked at them and said, "Hey, did no one ever tell you that secrets don't make friends?"
"It does for us," she replied, smiling at Natia.
Natia approached Zarda, causing him to feel nervous. She scowled at him, still uncomfortable with the new arrangements made by Zarda and her father.
Natia looked him up and down, saying, "It's fortunate that we're not friends, Mr. Easy-breezy."
Her intense gaze was meant to unsettle Zarda. Confused, he couldn't understand why she was still being so unkind to him after all this time. What had he done to make her so angry? Did he not treat her well and provide for her every need? He even gave her a comfortable home among his pride. Meeku, standing behind them, overheard their private joke. Observing closely, he noticed that his brother's front pants were untied. He quietly made his way over to his brother.
"Hey brother, your fly." Meeku said.
Zarda turned to his brother, unsure. "What?" He asked.
"Your pants are wide open in the front," Meeku clarified.
Zarda looked down and realized his pants were indeed untied. He quickly fixed it and spun around in embarrassment. Queen Saharrah and Natia couldn't contain their laughter at Zarda's awkward moment. Now he understood the concept of being "easy-breezy."
"Did she catch a glimpse of it...? No, that can't be. Please let that not be the case. Or, maybe, she did want to see it. I mean, she obviously looked." He pondered, with a sly grin on his face.
He stopped as an awkward sensation suddenly came over him. He dismissed the thoughts from his mind and proceeded to sit down.
Zarda hurriedly sat down at the meeting table, purposely keeping his gaze averted to avoid eye contact with anyone who might have noticed his flushed and embarrassed appearance. Zarda reflected on the immense progress the White mane pride had made since the king's assembly, from the slow initial months to the present. Examining his previous records on the recent advancements, he noted the rapid construction, particularly of the meeting hut they were currently in. His kingdom was becoming a more efficient community of species. With that, it was time to initiate the meeting. King Zarda grabbed the small gavel and tapped the sound block on the table to commence.
"Let's start. Does anyone have any unresolved old business from our previous meeting?" Inquired King Zarda.
The previous gathering had ended without any lingering topics for discussion. As everyone glanced at each other, they shook their heads in agreement.
"Alright, let's move forward. Does anyone have any new updates to share?" He inquired.
Zarda glanced at the lions and the new member seated beside him. As they shook their heads no, he shifted his attention to his mother, who was seated at the end of the table to his left side. Next to her was Natia, followed by Slash. Razor sat to Slash's left, directly across from Zarda. Meeku was on Zarda's right, followed by Mazunga, with Matiti between Razor and Mazunga. The newest member, Wazingu, sat to Zarda's immediate left, between him and his mother. Weeks ago, the cheetah had made the decision to depart from his father's coalition. Knowing that his brother, Dimitar, was next in line for the throne, he felt it was fruitless to stay and contend for it. Additionally, he longed for freedom - the freedom to explore and visit other kingdoms at his own discretion. Consequently, Wazingu left his home to join the lion's pride under Zarda's guidance for a temporary period.
After a brief pause, Zarda finally broke the silence, saying, "Since no one else is speaking up, I'll go first. We have some exciting news - we've welcomed a new member to our lion's pride. Please join me in welcoming our friend, Wazingu."
The table erupted in applause as everyone clapped and congratulated him for joining. However, his fifteen minutes of fame quickly passed as Zarda continued with more important news.
"Now, let's move on. Has anyone been to the neighboring kingdoms for updates? Or heard anything about the disappearance of the hyenas and African wild dogs?" Zarda inquired, shuffling through the papers on the table.
Warrior Razor raised his hand to speak. "Please, go ahead and share your thoughts," the king said.
Razor cleared his throat before beginning. "Recently, King Mosiya informed me that the pale people have learned about our strengths. He advised that all kingdoms should start producing metal weapons to prepare for potential threats. I suspect that the pale people may be connected to the recent disappearance of animals." Razor reported.
Zarda was baffled by how the pale people had found out. His kingdom resided in secluded regions that were seldom visited, with the exception of the old area near pride rock. The only mention Zarda recalled was during a king's coronation dinner, where one of the rulers mentioned that their kingdom had to relocate because of the pale people, yet he was completely confident that they had never been discovered.
"The only remaining explanation for how they found the animals' whereabouts would be that there is a traitor among the tribes! We must hunt them down immediately," growled Slash.
Zarda let out a sigh and glanced at the elderly warrior. "Calm down Slash. We can't just go chasing after a potential false lead on a supposed nark in the tribes. I think our best bet right now is to stay vigilant for any suspicious activity. Razor, do you have any more information about the pale people?" Inquired the king.
"Not to my recollection, my Lord." He replied.
"Okay, then let's...," Zarda was interrupted abruptly by Natia before he could complete his sentence.
"Personally, I believe it's important to be vigilant about the mysterious traveling trader. Has anyone actually seen its face or body? I know I haven't. We've always just assumed it was a creature like us," she declared.
Zarda noted, "It's clear that the trader is an animal. There's nothing suspicious about that."
Natia interjected, "I'm not questioning whether it's an animal or not, to clarify. I'm specifically asking if it's an animal native to our region. What if it's a spy animal from a distant land, sent to destroy the Savannah?"
Zarda was taken aback by her swift interruption, but he acknowledged the valid point she raised. He couldn't help but be enchanted by Natia, even though she had a way of manipulating him. As he gazed at her, he admired her beauty and the way she spoke. When she noticed Zarda being distracted, she abruptly ended the conversation by slamming her fist on the table.
Zarda was startled by the loud noise and jumped slightly in his chair. He looked over at his mother, feeling embarrassed that she had witnessed his distraction while Natia was going on about her suspicions.
Saharrah stated, "I believe it's necessary to establish a scouting team to monitor this suspicious individual. Natia made a valid point - none of us have ever come face to face with them. It's suspicious that they suddenly appeared after all our efforts to remain incognito. Perhaps we are mistaken, but how else could the pale people have discovered our secrets? We've been cautious for so long."
Zarda furrowed his brow in response to her final remark. Hearing the ideas of the table, Zarda was certain there was no need for a scouting team to be established.
King Zarda responded by saying, "Five months really isn't that long ago, is it? It feels like just yesterday we underwent our transformation. Let's give it a year, and then I'll agree."
Natia was frustrated with Zarda's response. She found it to be incredibly disrespectful and insensitive towards his mother. "What an Ass!" Natia retorted.
Zarda glanced at her, raising his eyebrow as if she had insulted him personally. He couldn't understand why she reacted so harshly to his words. Did what he said truly warrant such disrespect?
"Whatever Natia! what the hell does it even matter to you anyways? Are you saying I can't have a different opinion from my mother or the other people at the table? Sure, she may have some valid points, but I just don't think it's time yet to take drastic actions like forming a scouting team for a potential nark," he responded.
She scrunched up her face in irritation. "Plenty can change in under five months, just so you know. And by the way, you're still acting like an Ass. This is your mother; show her some respect." She retorted.
Zarda replied, "Oh, is that so? Just like the way you always do, constantly kissing her ass."
The queen abruptly stood from her chair and silenced the two as they were still engaged in their roasting competition. Saharrah slapped both of her hands over their mouths to shut them up.
"Enough! Both of you, it's like you're engaged or something. I can't stand this constant arguing. It's like you're secretly in love but covering it up with fights and harsh words. This has to stop. Why don't you just go to your hut and figure it out there? The tension between you is unbearable. I could cut the tension with a knife, The way you fight. It's even more intense than any lions I've ever seen," Saharrah shouted in annoyance.
The room erupted in laughter as the otherwise quiet observers couldn't contain themselves. While everyone was thinking it, only the mother of the king dared to speak up. She had a fondness for Natia and cared deeply for her son. It was obvious they both had an attraction towards eachother. Knowing this, saharrah knew he would eventually need a bride, she hoped it would happen sooner rather than later. With Saharrah no longer ruling a kingdom, she was looking for something to fill her time, and possibly grand cubs to spoil. Meanwhile, her son was furious and ashamed, reacting impulsively in the midst of his emotional turmoil.
Zarda, filled with frustration and anger, grabbed the small gavel and slammed it against the sound block on the table, signaling the end of their meeting.
"Meeting over," he grumbled angrily, glaring at Natia.
She remained stooped over the table, hands flat on the surface, shooting daggers at him. The room quickly cleared out leaving the two alone.