| Chapter Thirteen |
Hope walked along slowly, somewhat sadly, though she kept an outward smile. She had just encountered the thing that
made her the happiest; and the only thing capable of making her sad. She didn’t want to burden her friend with her
problems, but the feisty meerkat was close to guessing herself. Hope again reassured her, “Bela, I told you, I’m okay. I’m
just tired and don’t feel like playing anymore.”
“You were just fine all day yesterday. And all day all the other days.”
Hope was getting just a little irritated now. “Well, today I’m tired.”
“You were even more energetic than usual until the prince came by.” Hope tried not to react, but Bela was riding on
Hope’s neck and felt her suddenly tense up. Timon’s daughter quickly got off, stood in front of her friend and held her
paws for the lioness cub to stop. “Whoa there, sister, stop right there and have a seat.” Hope sighed and sat down. “It is
the prince, isn’t it?” Bela laid her paw on Hope’s. “Are you… sweet on Prince Jozay?”
“Hmmph.” Hope turned her head away. “It’s perfectly normal for me to have a… cubhood crush on the only male lion cub
I know. It’s not like he’s my brother or anything.”
Bela’s face lit up. “Oh! I get it! This is about Jozay not really being your cousin, isn’t it?”
Princess Hope rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows we’re not really cousins.” Bela, a somewhat sensitive little meerkat,
suddenly looked very crestfallen. Hope lightened up a little for her friend’s sake. “You’re partially right, Bela. But there’s
more to it than that.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Well,” She looked around to make sure the coast was clear, which excited Bela even more. “The adults all know this,
obviously. They haven’t told Jozay or me yet, I found out on my own.”
“So when are they going to tell you two?”
“They’ll have to pretty soon. They’ll have to tell us the rest.”
“Which is?”
“Well… we’re not family but we’re not just friends.” Hoped looked her best friend in the eyes, desperately looking for
understanding for what she was about to say. “Jozay and I… are betrothed.”
Bela’s eyes widened, her jaw grew slack; she actually looked frightened. Not exactly what the lioness cub had been
hoping for. “Bela, come on, it’s not…,” but the meerkat’s expression had just gotten worse, becoming one of sheer
horror. She couldn’t speak, her eyes lost focus and she actually stumbled back a little. Hope was exasperated. “Bela!
Focus! I need some support here!”
But Bela had been looking over Hope’s shoulder—at the human being that now closed a slipknot collar on a pole over
the hybrid breed cub’s neck. The noose tightened, and the Princess of the Pridelands was captured.
made her the happiest; and the only thing capable of making her sad. She didn’t want to burden her friend with her
problems, but the feisty meerkat was close to guessing herself. Hope again reassured her, “Bela, I told you, I’m okay. I’m
just tired and don’t feel like playing anymore.”
“You were just fine all day yesterday. And all day all the other days.”
Hope was getting just a little irritated now. “Well, today I’m tired.”
“You were even more energetic than usual until the prince came by.” Hope tried not to react, but Bela was riding on
Hope’s neck and felt her suddenly tense up. Timon’s daughter quickly got off, stood in front of her friend and held her
paws for the lioness cub to stop. “Whoa there, sister, stop right there and have a seat.” Hope sighed and sat down. “It is
the prince, isn’t it?” Bela laid her paw on Hope’s. “Are you… sweet on Prince Jozay?”
“Hmmph.” Hope turned her head away. “It’s perfectly normal for me to have a… cubhood crush on the only male lion cub
I know. It’s not like he’s my brother or anything.”
Bela’s face lit up. “Oh! I get it! This is about Jozay not really being your cousin, isn’t it?”
Princess Hope rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows we’re not really cousins.” Bela, a somewhat sensitive little meerkat,
suddenly looked very crestfallen. Hope lightened up a little for her friend’s sake. “You’re partially right, Bela. But there’s
more to it than that.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Well,” She looked around to make sure the coast was clear, which excited Bela even more. “The adults all know this,
obviously. They haven’t told Jozay or me yet, I found out on my own.”
“So when are they going to tell you two?”
“They’ll have to pretty soon. They’ll have to tell us the rest.”
“Which is?”
“Well… we’re not family but we’re not just friends.” Hoped looked her best friend in the eyes, desperately looking for
understanding for what she was about to say. “Jozay and I… are betrothed.”
Bela’s eyes widened, her jaw grew slack; she actually looked frightened. Not exactly what the lioness cub had been
hoping for. “Bela, come on, it’s not…,” but the meerkat’s expression had just gotten worse, becoming one of sheer
horror. She couldn’t speak, her eyes lost focus and she actually stumbled back a little. Hope was exasperated. “Bela!
Focus! I need some support here!”
But Bela had been looking over Hope’s shoulder—at the human being that now closed a slipknot collar on a pole over
the hybrid breed cub’s neck. The noose tightened, and the Princess of the Pridelands was captured.
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