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Name meaning:leader
Name Origins: Unknown
Rank: Elder
Mate: Zimwe (Deceased)
Lineage: Cub of the royal couple (King Antaka and Queen Kamaria)
Litters mothered:3
Litter 1: Halima (F) and Thekeng (M)
Litter 2: Nusu (f) and Radhi (m)
Litter 3: Utamu (f) and Izvara (f)
"My queen?"
Sheikh raised her head from her paws to greet the fiery young lioness, the middle daughter of her father's closest friend-- Kali.
"My lady, My mother is asking for you, she says it's urgent, she has a message for you, Queen Ona and my sisters as well, that she would like you to pass on."
Sheikh had been afraid of this, the lioness who had taught her how to hunt, and held strong through her tandrums as a child was getting on in years. her death would be any day now. "I will see her-- no don't get her, I'll go to her."
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Sheikh entered the elders den with care, Raziya and even her good friend Ona's mother, Uru, were snoozing gently in their grass beds, and she would really rather not wake them (they had a tendency to ramble). Asali raised her head from her paws and fixed Sheikh with a warm smile that made her white eyes shine like the smooth pebbles by the river bed.
"My queen, I could have come to you, my old bones are not yet that brittle" Asali scolded- but despite her words, she did not rise, only shifted a little to favor her lame leg (thanks to a brute who had broken through the borders while everyone mourned their late king).
"Elder Asali, why have you summoned me, your daughter said you had a message for me?" the young queen inquired gently.
"Very simple my little queen cub, I want to be sure you and Uru's cub, are happy with the Orphaned kings? They treat you well? they bend to your will as a good consort should?" Asali drilled.
Sheikh was startled, she had hardly known that Asali remembered Ona, or that she had been keeping an eye on her lord husband, Zimwe. "We are very happy elder, our cubs are growing strong and will be leaving the pride soon, I'm sure, and, yes, he does yield."
"Does this, the soft one with the big fluffy mane-- he yields as well?" Asali took a glance at Elder Uru, who had flicked an ear in their direction.
"He treats her like the Queen she is 'sali" the white lioness let slip her childhood name for the elder lioness, and felt her skin grown hot under her pelt.
The lioness smiled "good, good, and you'll let my daughters, Safi and Enza, you'll let them know I'm watching over them too won't you?" Her tone turned earnest.
"Of course, would you like me to bring the cubs by to see you?" Sheikh could see the lights leaving those pure snowy eyes, and she felt her heart clench, first her mother, then her father and now the lioness who had basically raised her? why was the world so cruel?
"No, no, my little snow drop, you just sit down here and tell me those old fairy tales wont you?"
And so The Queen did, fulfilling the last wish of her father's best friend. and faintly, she could hear he fathers voice-- "Hey Asali-- do you want to chase butterflies with me?"
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