Chapter 23 23: The King's verdict

[3rd POV] Scar lay at the top of Pride Rock, overlooking his entire kingdom. His giant frame shimmered under the afternoon sun while his gaze was stuck on the horizon. His thoughts were not idle as he waited for Leo to appear in the distance. Even now, just thinking about his name left a bitter taste in his mouth, like the rotten flesh he used to eat long ago. That abomination of a cub. Or not, he was not a cub anymore. He was a behemoth in a young body, a freak of nature moulded by hardships. Scar had let him grow too strong and tolerated his existence for too long. Now the young lion walked through the Pride Lands like he owned the place. And a few of the lionesses watched him with hope. That was unacceptable to Scar. It disgusted him. He was not even of his blood. Not of his will. And yet, day by day, he grew more confident, more capable, more adored. It could continue no longer. He had considered the traditional route of letting him live for a few more months before finally exiling him, as was how things should be. But Scar was fully aware that he could not do such things. He needed to kill Leo, and he needed to do it now. If Leo was allowed to live longer, even if he were exiled, he would only return a year or two later and fight for the throne. That was completely unacceptable. Scar was determined to enjoy the throne for as long as he lived. At the same time, Scar could not just outright attack Leo and kill him. That was not the way things were supposed to be. That would cause instability among the pride as they questioned the legitimacy of his rule. Unlike what most people believed, Scar did not want to be a dictator and be hated by the pride. He wanted to rule rightfully, at least on the outside. Therefore, he needed to make different plans. The only way he could earn the right to kill Leo would be if the young cub attacked him first. That would mean Leo was trying to kill the king, and Scar would have every right to fight back and even kill. Although Leo had grown big and strong, he was still too green in Scar's opinion. Leo was still smaller than Scar since the King was much bigger than the average male lion. Scar also had experience over Leo, so he was confident in his chances of winning. The only question was how he was going to get Leo to attack him. The young lion was too smart and clever for his own good; he would never strike the king, knowing the consequences. Unless he had a good reason. A reason that Scar would give in full. It was almost too easy. Everyone knew about the lioness Zuri and the relationship she shared with Leo. She was barely of age, but Scar was not blind. He had been young once, he had been in love once. He knew full well the tragic pain of seeing the person you love be owned by someone. He had once witnessed Sarabi being taken away from him by Mufasa, and that was about the worst pain he ever felt. The rage almost drove him mad. Nothing could hurt a lion more. And so he waited. He waited on the Pride Rock and looked into the horizon. It was about the usual time for Leo to return. The king did not have to wait long before he saw a figure appear on the far ridge. Leo was returning with prey clamped between his teeth. "Perfect," Scar said with a sinister smirk spreading across his face. He stood and made his way into the den where Zuri rested among the others. When he entered the cave, she noticed him immediately. She was guarded, lying a little isolated from the rest of the pride. She was not afraid at first, but simply observed him. But that changed quickly when Scar made his way towards her. "You've grown beautifully, Zuri," Scar began with low chuckles. Zuri pushed herself up and tried to escape, but he did not give her any opening. Slowly but surely, he approached her and cornered her. Scar made his intention clear after he confronted her. He did not have to say it outright, but his body language and his low demanding growl were enough. Zuri bared her teeth and unfurled her claws when Scar tried to sniff her there. She was extremely hostile when she realised his aim. She was prepared to fight to the death. Lions did not have the same perspective towards loyalty and cheating when they were in a relationship. The King owned them; regardless of their feelings, they had to bear his cubs. In any other scenario, even if one lioness was fond of a young male in the pride, she would not reject the king. She would not even consider that she was doing something wrong. That was just how their instincts were. But Zuri was different. She had spent too much time with Leo and she learned from him that to mate with any other male than him was unacceptable. Even if it was the king. And besides, she never considered herself to be Scar's. In the deepest part of her heart, she knew she was his. She was Leo's female. So she reacted as if another king besides her own was trying to mate her. There was a lot of growling, a lot of clawing and wrestling. Scar overpowered her, but he couldn't exactly force himself on her either. But that was fine for the king. He was really only doing it for the image rather than actual desire. He was merely cloaking cruelty with instinct. Scar set the stage perfectly, with his paws on her belly and her tail shielding her privates. He made sure she struggled and looked as helpless as possible. He made sure her snarls echoed just loud enough, her call for help reaching outside. No one inside the den tried to stop him because technically, he was not doing anything wrong by trying to mate with his female. He was not crossing any line; therefore, they did not really care. But the only lion who cared finally appeared. His presence was undeniable to everyone. Leo was large and big enough that although they might not see, hear or smell him, their instinct screamed in his presence. A primal instinct that warned them of a threat that could kill them. Everyone turned except Scar. He painted a more vivid picture for the young lion. He made sure Leo saw how she was pinned beneath him, made sure he could see his intent, and the exposed desire he didn't really feel. Only then did he turn. And he saw exactly what he wanted to see on Leo's face. Rage was twisting his young face into something feral. Oftentimes, rage was the death of intelligence and reason. Leo didn't speak. He charged almost immediately, and Scar could barely hide his smile. Leo attacked the King; he crossed the line and abandoned the law of the pride. Now Scar could kill. He lunged at the young cub that used to visit his lonely cave a long time ago, now grown. Two beasts collided. And only one would live by the end. .. .. .. 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