The sky had shifted into deep orange and purple hues as Scar walked the familiar paths of the Outlands. The air here smelled different—wild, alive, and undeniably his. This was his territory, carved out with claw and blood, shaped by ambition and the loyalty of one lioness who never wavered.
As he crested the final ridge overlooking the valley of his pride, he saw them. Dozens—no, hundreds—of lionesses scattered across the land, some teaching their cubs to stalk, others relaxing in the tall grass or eating the day's hunt. Herds of antelope grazed nearby, more plentiful than ever before. The air buzzed with energy.
Zira was already waiting for him at the edge of a small rock plateau. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up like fire, and she rushed forward with almost feral excitement.
"Scar!" she cried, leaping up and colliding into him, wrapping her forelegs around his shoulders in a way no other lioness dared. Her eyes were soft, her expression full of admiration and hunger.
He chuckled, allowing the affection. "Zira… I missed that welcome."
She nuzzled against his neck, tail flicking with barely contained energy. "I thought you were going to take longer. Everything's been going so well! The herds are bigger, and there are more cubs than we ever dreamed of. Scar… there are almost five hundred cubs with your bloodline now. Our legacy is real."
Scar's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't expected the number to grow that fast. "Five hundred… we're raising a dynasty."
Zira purred, clearly pleased with his reaction.
Scar's tone shifted, becoming more commanding. "Zira. I need you to gather every lioness, every cub. Tomorrow will be the biggest day in our lives. We'll make it official. Our wedding. And our coronation. King and Queen of the greatest pride the savanna has ever seen."
Zira froze, blinking rapidly.
"Our… wedding?" she repeated, like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.
Scar nodded. "You've earned it. You stood by me from the start. You've led them all in my absence. I was king in name, but tomorrow, the whole world will know it. And you'll be queen beside me."
For a moment, Zira looked stunned—like a dream she hadn't dared believe was suddenly coming true. Then her face split into a huge grin and she laughed joyfully, leaping into him again.
"You mean it?! Finally?! Scar, I—I'll get everyone ready. I'll have the cubs cleaned, the lionesses lined up, the land prepared—"
Scar interrupted, eyes sharp. "And double the guards. Hyenas on the outer rim. I want no one crossing in or out without our word."
Zira's tone dropped to a growl of respect. "Consider it done, my king."
"No," Scar corrected, eyes narrowing proudly. "Tomorrow… it'll be our kingdom."
Zira purred again, fiercely proud, and dashed off, already shouting orders to nearby lionesses and sending howls of command across the territory.
Scar turned to look at the setting sun over his vast domain. Soon… the world would bow.