There had been something bothering her for some time now and the thought just wouldn't go away. Ever since she and the other lionesses settled into their peaceful home, Anansi had had plenty of time to think about the past, the present, and the future. As of late, there had been one particular and peculiar thought that was steadily present in her mind. With her recent acceptance of male individuals as significant beings, Anansi could not help but wonder about the existence and whereabouts of her own father.
Growing up, she had never bothered to consider her parentage outside of her mothers Hippolyta and Ebere. Anansi knew that Hippolyta was her birth mother, but because of the culture that she grew up in, she never considered her birth father when thinking of her parentage and history. As a young girl, she vaguely remembered having brothers around and them being taken away by who she could only assume was her and her siblings fathers. Anansi had only gotten a glimpse of the large males that had come to take her brothers away, and that had been the last time that she'd seen any male related to her by blood.
Having been raised a princess of an all female pride, the realization that males were important and significant in culture and society had come as a bit of a shock to her. However, she knew in her heart that she could not expect for there to be benevolent and righteous males in the world without the presence of females throughout their lives. It wasn't that she realized that they needed the males, it was that she realized that the males needed them. From her captivity, she had learned to feel sympathy for violent and evil males because she ultimately realized that their nature was likely due to a severe lack of female love and direction in their lives. Anansi understood that males truly were weaker than females, and that the consequences of negligence and abuse were much more severe in the adult male than in the adult female. The Queen allowed males to live in the pride for their own good.
One of her Masters Naledi had recently given birth to her first litter, which brought much happiness to the Queen. The changes and strength that she'd seen in Naledi in Anansi's time of knowing her had been nothing short of astounding. Naledi was truly powerful and gracious and had overcome her fears and trauma to become the leader that she was today. Anansi couldn't help but be curious at the mixture of boys and girls in her litter that would be raised together. This was an experience that the Queen was quite unfamiliar with. Well, given the fact that she had never had cubs of her own, she didn't actually know what raising cubs was like at all. Anansi was quite excited to see how Naledi's sons would turn out as adults. Of course, she already had utmost confidence in Naledi's two daughters.
At the present moment, Anansi knew that she was not yet ready to approach a male in any connecting or spiritual way as of yet. Although, in the back of her mind, she knew that one day she would need to provide an heir to succeed the Indlovukati. It was simply the way things were. On the bright side, Anansi was getting more and more used to the males that she and the other lionesses had allowed to live in the pride. She could see that she was correct in her beliefs that males were more emotionally sensitive than females. The males living in the pride already had a more peaceful and calm demeanor about them than Anansi had ever experienced seeing in males. Anansi was honestly starting to like them and alter the beliefs that had been instilled in her heart.
It was from this line of thinking that brought Anansi to the decision to travel away from the pride for a short while and seek out the lion that had sired her. It would only make her a better leader to her people to have this understanding of herself. With this in mind, she went to pay Naledi a visit to let her know of her plans. Anansi walked slowly, greeting those that she passed on her way to speak with Naledi.
Naledi herself, was lounging peacefully in the warm sunlight. She had spent several hours attempting to teach her cubs some basic instruction appropriate for their age. Now exhausted from her efforts, Naledi was laying in a lush patch of grass in the sunlight with her cubs playing freely around her. She chose a spot away from the river so her cubs would not feel tempted to go for a premature swim. She would teach them the ways of the water of course, but only when they had gotten a little bigger and stronger. Her last born son decided to come barreling into her just as her eyes had begun to close.
"Khalifa," Naledi groaned, "please watch where you are going and try not to run into others while they are trying to sleep. Did you need something?"
"No mama! I'm sorry mama!," the small boy responds cheerfully. He decided not to mention the tiff that he'd been having with one of his siblings that caused him to tumble his mother's way in the first place. Shaking his fur a bit, Khalifa decided to settle next to his mother for a bit and stay safe from his sisters and brothers. Naledi and Khalifa were laying like this when Anansi found them.
Chuckling softly at the sight, Anansi spoke in greeting, "Hello dear friend, how are you this beautiful day? And hello to you young one."
When Naledi saw her Queen approaching, she sat up in a proper sitting position and gently nudged Khalifa to do the same since he was near her. "Good day my Queen," the lioness said smiling widely, "To what may I owe you gracing me with your presence on this beautiful day?" Naledi could honestly say that she loved their Queen. Anansi had saved her life and the lives of the other lionesses that had been held prisoners.
Khalifa sat up quickly and gave his best, "Hi!," to the ominous looking figure that stood before them. He had only seen the Queen a couple of times since his birth, but he was no less impressed by the powerful energy that rolled off her being.
"No need to be so formal Naledi, "Anansi said smiling softly, although she knew the other lioness would never listen to her and would always be very respectful of her. The Queen told Anansi of her plans to spend a few days away to seek out her father. She asked Naledi to watch over the pride in her absence and make sure that things continued to run smoothly and that no harm came to the inhabitants. Anansi had nothing but trust and admiration for Naledi, and felt confident asking her to take on this responsibility, even with young cubs in tow.
Naledi was surprised at her Queen's intentions and request, but she did not hesitate to agree and accept the task that she'd been assigned. "Of course my Queen, I anxiously await your return and I hope you are successful on your journey and that no harm comes your way. Please my Queen, at least take a Guardian to accompany you. I fear for your safety out there on your own."
Anansi thought about it before agreeing to ease the new mother's mind. "Alright Naledi, I will have a Guardian escort me on my journey. Thank you for you concern and willingness to sacrifice your time with your children for the sake of the pride. I will return as soon as I am ready. This is something that has become very important to me, and I just can't move forward without at least trying to find the lion that sired me." With that, Anansi bid farewell to Naledi and her son and went to acquire herself an escort for her journey.
Watching the Queen walk away, Naledi sighed and hoped that her Queen found what she was looking for. She would try her best not to worry about Anansi during her absence.