Daughter

A couple of years ago, Empusa gave birth two two cubs; a daughter, and a son.

And yes---she is that daughter---and she is unfortunate to have the name 'daughter', even as a grown lioness.'


It wasn't planned that way. When they were young cubs, Empusa enthusiastically talked up their father to them---made them excited to meet them---and she'd told them that she'd saved the decision of what their names would be for their father, so that when they met him at last, they would leave with the special gifts of names, from the father who would surely be proud of the cubs he'd sired. And oh, how they had waited eagerly for the day she'd take them to meet him.

Who could have forseen the crushing disappointment that would come, when their father had simply...passed them by?

Empusa took them there, but he hardly spared them a glance, even as Empusa stated that she'd hoped he'd give them names. Instead, he'd moved on without so much as acknowledgement, leaving all three lions with stung feelings.


She'd brought them home, and had apologized for the hurt, and promised to come up with names for them, as she should have done long ago, rather than leaving it to their sire, whom she'd hoped would bond with them.

But she chose to keep the name 'daughter'. It wasn't the strangest thing a cub could be named.

And it wasn't unusual for kings and queens to call their daughters such---her name was just making it a literal next step. She agrees with her brothers train of thought, though; should she ever have a litter of cubs, she'll name them out the gate, with or without the father, to ensure they never experience the same awkward upbringing she and son did.