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Vera is a beautiful white lioness who was traded for by Nafasi. She hails from a distant land where the world around her is ever-white with snow. Emperor Nafasi bought her so that she would be the bride to his son, Nderemo. While being meant for the future Emperor flatters her greatly, she finds the prince himself to be nothing short of a royal pain. He is haughty, spoiled, arrogant, and uncompassionate about anything except himself. True, he does make a strong ruler, but that is his only good quality. Vera cannot bring herself to love him in the slightest! So, instead of spending time putting up with her husband, she spends time with other males.
Unfortunately for her, Vera's luck in keeping her affairs a secret from Nderemo runs dry. One season she finds herself pregnant with the cub of rival male! She tries to keep it a secret by hiding herself from him... But obviously that doesn't last for long. She couldn't hide it when the cub was born, and born a fatal gender: Male. Nderemo finds her after her whelping and his horrified to see the unholy tawny cub from an unlawful trist. He was smitten with her from the start so this betrayal is absolutely heart-shattering to him. With a roar of fury he raises a paw to kill the newborn - as is his right by leadership.
But Vera is there to match him swipe for swipe. She moves her son out of the way and gives her husband a good slash across the nose. She understands her husband's betrayal, but refuses to let him hurt her newborn son.
"If you're going to punish anyone, punish me! It isn't his fault his father wasn't you." she spat.
Nderemo, heart heavy, agrees but cannot bring himself to harm her. He sulks away from the scene murmuring that they'll talk about this later.
When later does come Nderemo seems incredibly cool and collected - scarily so. He calmly says that he respects Vera's wishes for her son to live, but brings up the fact that if anyone else finds out it could cause a scandal throughout the whole kingdom. The Emperor resolves to give the tawny cub to his best friend and Royal Advisor, Hatari, to raise. He will never know his mother is the Empress. Vera, surprised by Nderemo's seemingly benevolent understanding, agrees that this is the best course of action. She nurses her son - named Coppar by his new 'father' - until he is able to be weaned. Then he is given to Hatari and she is barred from ever seeing him again.
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