Zinzin, the Holy

The only son of the Pride's founder, born days after his father's death, too late and too young to be crowned, he was raised instead by his father's right paw, the Regent King Valentaine. Unambitious and preferring the idle life of a king in waiting, Zinzin never outgrew the childish name given him in infancy, and never seemed to outgrow a certain childishness himself. He preferred his own company, and rather than attend to the complaints and needs of dozens of wives and daughters, he was willing to postpone his own ascent, allowing Valentaine to rule as long as he so desired.

Which turned out to be a suspiciously long time- particularly when Valentine returned one day without his own right paw, suspiciously younger and more energetic than he'd been even when Zinzin was a cub. It was almost a relief, really. The looming promise of responsibility had been put off for another half lifetime.

But Time is a ruthless master. Valentaine has again begun to show his age- younger than he truly is, but old nonetheless. Zinzin is no longer a young lion either, and like when his father aged, there seems to be no heir apparent. The old king has begun to liason outside of the pride, searching for a suitable, able heir- a damning vote of no-confidence from the only father he'd ever known.

Perhaps a lifetime too late, Zinzin has begun to consider his legacy.