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Description
As Taka and Zyra grew, their love got stronger. And when Taka's eye got harmed protecting his love from a wild rogue, it seemed she had surgically plastered herself to the prince.

But Zyra felt herself holding back too. Rafiki, mandrill and servant to the Pridelands, had told her it might be difficult to conceive- a fact that both devastated her and worried her. Both Taka and Zyra knew they wanted children at the youngest age possible, as they understood Mufasa was next in line and Taka would be allowed to stay in the lands if he was a father-to-be. Ahadi had begun trying to get that law modified so that expectant parents didn't have special treatment, but so far, Mufasa and the surrounding kingdoms didn't bend.

One night, Zyra approached Taka carefully. "Taka, my dear, I need to ask you something...discuss really." His eyes dimmed with seriousness as he took in her emotions. "Okay, what's wrong?" She bit her lip, staying silent for a long time, but finally spoke when Taka's tail interlocked with hers, his special signal that he would do whatever he could for her. "Rafiki thinks it will be hard for me to get pregnant. I want you to take my sister Naanda and conceive with her, the law is still enacted and will keep you here. Your father will be passing the crown over in a matter of weeks. I will die if you leave!" It was law that only the second son would leave, no wife or lover could accompany him. "Zyra... I could never betray you like that. And Naanda has expressed her refusal to have cubs many times. It would be wrong to ask it of her." "I... already asked her. She said yes." Taka sighed, digging his claws into the dirt. "Will it make you happy?" His voice was flat, and his gaze was like stone as his brownish-orange ears went back at the thought of taking another other than his betrothed. "Yes. It...it will." "Then I'll do it." But the prince's reaction was anything but happy as he walked-well, honestly, stalked- off to find the oldest of his betrothed's sisters. Taka snarled, kicking up as much dust and dirt as possible, slashing rocks with his claws, and spitting on the ground. Ears back, whiskers down, brow furrowed in anger, regret, and self-hate, he entered Naanda's cave and did what his beautiful Zyra had asked.

A month later, it was announced. Naanda was pregnant. And in the next days when the crown was handed down to the new king Mufasa, Taka stayed in the Pridelands.

Original scene (c) Disney's Lion King

Description
As Taka and Zyra grew, their love got stronger. And when Taka's eye got harmed protecting his love from a wild rogue, it seemed she had surgically plastered herself to the prince.

But Zyra felt herself holding back too. Rafiki, mandrill and servant to the Pridelands, had told her it might be difficult to conceive- a fact that both devastated her and worried her. Both Taka and Zyra knew they wanted children at the youngest age possible, as they understood Mufasa was next in line and Taka would be allowed to stay in the lands if he was a father-to-be. Ahadi had begun trying to get that law modified so that expectant parents didn't have special treatment, but so far, Mufasa and the surrounding kingdoms didn't bend.

One night, Zyra approached Taka carefully. "Taka, my dear, I need to ask you something...discuss really." His eyes dimmed with seriousness as he took in her emotions. "Okay, what's wrong?" She bit her lip, staying silent for a long time, but finally spoke when Taka's tail interlocked with hers, his special signal that he would do whatever he could for her. "Rafiki thinks it will be hard for me to get pregnant. I want you to take my sister Naanda and conceive with her, the law is still enacted and will keep you here. Your father will be passing the crown over in a matter of weeks. I will die if you leave!" It was law that only the second son would leave, no wife or lover could accompany him. "Zyra... I could never betray you like that. And Naanda has expressed her refusal to have cubs many times. It would be wrong to ask it of her." "I... already asked her. She said yes." Taka sighed, digging his claws into the dirt. "Will it make you happy?" His voice was flat, and his gaze was like stone as his brownish-orange ears went back at the thought of taking another other than his betrothed. "Yes. It...it will." "Then I'll do it." But the prince's reaction was anything but happy as he walked-well, honestly, stalked- off to find the oldest of his betrothed's sisters. Taka snarled, kicking up as much dust and dirt as possible, slashing rocks with his claws, and spitting on the ground. Ears back, whiskers down, brow furrowed in anger, regret, and self-hate, he entered Naanda's cave and did what his beautiful Zyra had asked.

A month later, it was announced. Naanda was pregnant. And in the next days when the crown was handed down to the new king Mufasa, Taka stayed in the Pridelands.

Original scene (c) Disney's Lion King