Beauty

Beauty is a lioness whose name and nature match, though time has painted her once-vibrant coat, a rusty red with the soft haze of age. She struts through the pride with a confidence that is almost theatrical, her sharp tongue quick to quip about her unmatched elegance and independence. But those who know her well—like the king, her oldest and closest companion—see through the act to the lioness who once wandered the savannah alone, trailing his pride for days until he finally invited her in. Beauty accepted with her signature snark, yet deep down, she had desperately needed the stability he offered. Now a fixture among the pride’s elders, she returns the kindness that saved her by collecting cubs who’ve been left behind by the world. Slipping through the savannah’s shadows, she tests these strays with sharp, practical lessons in survival, watching for those who possess the grit to endure. Only the clever and resourceful earn her approval and a place in her pride. The older lions stand by her, often amused by her no-nonsense approach and the faint maternal softness she tries to hide beneath her vanity. In truth, Beauty’s heart is as strong as her words, and though she claims to owe no one, it’s clear she repays the king’s kindness tenfold—one rescued cub at a time.