It had been a couple of days since Kion's departure and Kovu being welcomed into the pride lands. Simba had Timon and Pumbaa on Kovu duty until he felt Kovu could be trusted alone.

Kamaria just let Kovu be. She liked to remind Simba that Kovu didn't grow up in a loving family, not like they did. He was trained to not have fun, to not even know what fun was. To hate everything and to not know the meaning of love. By letting Kovu roam the lands and learn how to be a true, free lion, he would choose the right path. Kamaria just knew it.

———

It was currently dark in the sky, stars twinkling down to the lone lioness. She was near pride rock but far enough away to be alone. She liked to have a moment at night alone, to be able to look to the stars as she did as a cub. It was the only moment she felt she could breathe, to not be a queen, mate or mother.

She was looking to the two lions in the sky when she heard a twig snap behind her. Turning she saw Kovu approaching her. He looked worried about Kamaria getting mad, yelling at him and telling him to leave her alone. He truly just wanted to talk to the lioness, he felt welcomed and comforted in her presence. Something he had never felt before.

"Hello Kovu. Would you like to join me?" Kovu nodded and sat down next to the queen.

"What are you doing?" Kamaria looked back to the sky, the stars reflecting in her eyes.

"Do you see those lions up there? A little to the side?" Kovu followed her gaze and just barely made out the figure of two lions dancing around. It reminded him of Kiara and himself.

"I was looking to these same stars when Simba and I truly connected. We told each other about our pasts, him losing his father and me being abandoned by my parents. It was the first night we truly got to know the other." Kovu looked to the queen in awe. She was ethereal looking as her coat matched the same stars she looked at. The dark sky just making her look like a great lion come down to bless them with her presence. No wonder Kiara was so beautiful with a mother like Kamaria.

"Yet I can't imagine having a parent that held me to unreachable standards. One that pushed me to make the decisions she wanted, rather than my own. To hate rather than to love." Kovu blinked in surprise, how did she know about Zira's teachings?

"I met Zira once, before Kiara or you came to be. She was terribly mean. Told Nala to go eat bugs. Told me I was the worst queen the pride lands would ever see. Simba was not happy with that comment. Plains, I thought he was going to light on fire with how red he was!" Kovu laughed at Kamaria's story. The lionesses joining in as she remembered Simba's very red face. He looked like one of the fruits from Rafiki's tree.

"I don't think you're that bad of a queen." Kovu whispered out after the laughter died down. Kamaria sent a soft smile back to the young lion. Kovu was a good lion, he just was pushed down the wrong path.

"Thank you Kovu. That's very kind of you." Kovu nodded and turned back to the stars. He didn't say anything for a while but he wanted to. He liked talking to the queen, it was fun to not be ordered around or told how to think.

"Do you like my daughter Kovu?" Kamaria sent a knowing look to the lion.

Kovu's eyes widen as he just stared at the stars in fright. He didn't want to lie to the queen but saying yes felt risky. What if Kamaria told him he wasn't good enough for Kiara? Kovu already knew that, but hearing it from Kamaria would crush him.

"It's okay, I can see it in your eyes when you look at her. You look at her the way Simba does to me. Like she's your whole world." Kovu felt his face flush red at being caught.

"It's okay, she looks at you the same way." Kamaria teasingly whispered. She wasn't blind to their looks to the other, she could see their unsaid affection every time one looked to the other.

"Keep her safe Kovu. She's a special lion." Kovu looked to those two dancing lions again. How happy they looked going around and around. He wanted that with Kiara.

"Yes she is." Kamaria smiled before continuing to look to the stars above them. Neither said anything more, everything being said already.

Kovu and Kamaria walked back together later that night, Kamaria into pride rock and Kovu outside. As Kovu laid on pride rock, he could only think about how he had to tell Kiara the truth.

He was here to kill Simba and Kamaria to avenge Scar.

But not anymore, he didn't want to do it. Not after seeing how good and wonderful the king and queen are.

He refused to do it.

———

Kamaria watched as Simba approached Kovu and Kiara. Kiara was jumping up and down in excitement as Kovu looked annoyed. He was trying to tell something to the excited princess that kept interrupting him. Kamaria found it hilarious as it reminded her of a younger version of herself and Simba.

Simba had told Kamaria that he planned to spend the day with Kovu. After seeing how he judged the lion to harshly before truly getting to know him, Simba wanted to redeem himself. Kamaria instantly agreed and told her mate about her interaction with Kovu.

Simba seemed happy to know that both Kiara and Kamaria enjoyed the young lions presence. Kamaria as a son and Kiara as a future mate. He could see how happy Kovu made Kiara and that's all he wanted for her. Happiness and safety.

With determination in his step and a goal to get to know Kovu better, Simba took Kovu away from pride rock to learn more about him.

Kiara approached her mother with a nervous skip in her step. Kamaria sent a warm smile to the female as she knew Kiara was worried about Simba scaring Kovu off.

"He only wants to talk to him Kiara. I promise, I wouldn't have let him go otherwise." Kiara nodded as she paced around pride rock, waiting for her father and Kovu to return.