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"I'm sure," Kiara said again, glancing from one grandmother to the other. "I don't_want_ to wait any longer. I want to marry him!"

Sarabi glanced nervously at Sarafina before taking a step toward the bright-furred lioness, "But you are not in heat..."

Kiara flattened her ears. "I will be, soon. Why should it matter?"

This time, Sarafina spoke up, her tail twitching against the gnarled savannah tree behind her. "The wedding night -"

"I _know_about the wedding night, I -"

Sarafina interrupted right back, "It will hurt, granddaughter. Much more."

Kiara just growled. "I will bear it, for Kovu."

Sarafina sighed. "You_have_ Kovu now, what difference does it make if the wedding is now or in one month?"

Sarabi agreed, "You're as stubborn as your father."

This time, Kiara walked slowly, pacing away from the older lionesses. She walked in a tight circle, lowering her hips until she sat in front of them. Glancing up with wide, amber eyes, she said, "The other lionesses are all going into heat before me. I...I wanted to be Kovu's first..."

The grandmothers shared a glance.

Sarafina said, "That's noble Kiara, but -"

The dark-brown lioness interrupted, "There is," before continuing, "a tradition..."

"You don't mean -" Sarafina said quickly.

"I do. Kiara, you would not be the _first_princess to go to her wedding out of heat. But there are customs...to help you with it," Sarabi finished, giving Sarafina a knowing glance.

Kiara's ears had perked up. She half-stood where she sat, balancing on her hind claws as she said, "What customs...? What must I do?"

Sarabi lifted her head and spoke slowly, with an ancient authority so that Kiara had to resist the urge to shiver. Kiara always felt like a cub around the dark brown lioness. She saved her mischief for when her parents were around. The old matriarch said, "For you to be ready, we must prepare you. Once the wedding ends, the young couple must be separated to undergo their own private ceremonies, the princess at the very pinnacle of Pride Rock. Sarafina and I will be your guides."

"But...what is it?" Kiara asked, ears flat.

"That can only be revealed that very night," Sarafina said. She gave Sarabi another questioning glance.

"It is your decision," Sarabi told the yellow-furred grandmother.

"I will guide Kovu," she nodded, though there was an edge of reluctance to her voice. "I am the more experienced."

Sarabi nodded in agreement. "And I will serve our granddaughter well."

Kiara glanced from one lioness to the next, her head tilted sideways. "What does that mean?"

Sarabi just smiled. "All in good time, granddaughter. Now, have you any other questions?"

The young, bright-furred feline twitched her tail before looking up, ears perked forward. "Yeah," she said. "How soon can we begin?"

* * * * *

The wedding took place three days later with a large majority of the Pride Lands in attendance. Kovu and Kiara beamed as they stood before Rafiki, while all their friends and family looked on. This was the first major celebration since the reuniting of the Outlanders, and exile stood shoulder-to-shoulder with pridemate.

Kiara couldn't help but smile at her father, standing proudly next to Nala. She spared a quick smile to her mom as well, but the bright, young lioness couldn't help but look at Kovu, her one, true love. He'd shared many loving smiles already today, but right now, he too was looking at her parents. Kiara watched his expression change from uncertain, as he looked to Simba, to a wide grin when he met eyes with Nala.

_What's that?_Kiara wondered.

Nala quickly looked away, her tail twitching. Was her mother still suspicious of Kovu? Whatever - nothing could spoil the young lioness's mood.

"You are now prince...and princess! Congratulations!" Rafiki exclaimed, and all the animals bleated and trumpeted and hooted for joy. She trembled with anticipation, wondering what customs Sarabi had in store. Kiara couldn't hold it in any longer, and licked the side of Kovu's face. She could _hear_his heart racing, but she knew that there would be a surprise delay for the dark-furred male. He didn't even know about the readying ceremonies, much less what would happen.

Out of courtesy, Simba and Nala retired to the watering hole with the rest of the lionesses, to allow Kovu and Kiara Pride Rock all to themselves. But four lionesses snuck away from the group: Sarabi, Sarafina, and Kiara's two, closest friends. They quickly caught up to the newly-weds.

Kiara raised an eyebrow at the unexpected guests, while Kovu looked completely clueless. "What is this?" she asked.

Sarabi spoke first. "Customs are passed down from generation to generation. I have chosen Zuri to learn the secrets of our ceremony -"

"And I have chosen Tiifu," Sarafina continued.

"Ceremony?" Kovu asked, cocking his head.

Sarafina said, "You are to come with me, young prince, so that we can make you ready for tonight."

Kovu grinned at Kiara, "I'm pretty sure I'm already ready."

Under her breath, Sarabi said, "Maybe _too_ready."

Sarafina interrupted, "You may not have had this custom in the Outlands, but there is a long history here. You will come with us to the very edge of the Pride Lands, while the others instruct Kiara."

Kovu glanced nervously to Kiara, who just looked up at him and nodded. "Okay..." he said, and soon he'd disappeared behind Sarafina and Tiifu.

Sarabi grinned down at the nervous princess and said, "To the tip of Pride Rock, granddaughter."

Kiara gulped, and walked ahead of the others, feeling strangely like she was being lead to an execution. What did the ceremony entail? Why show, rather than tell the custom to Zuri? She wished it had been Tiifu instead, she liked Zuri well enough, but the shallow lioness tended to think more of herself. Kiara could have used a knowing, empathetic smile from her best friend.

The path was short - her part would begin far earlier than Kovu's. It would take almost half-an-hour to reach the Pride Lands end, and then to return. What sort of custom required an hour? Even the _wedding_had only lasted twenty minutes.

With a slow, trembling step, she stood at the very edge of Pride Rock, where she'd once been held aloft by Rafiki for the whole world to see. Now, the animals had returned to their grounds. Only the most inquisitive eyes could have seen a flash of bright, yellow fur at the very edge.

Sarabi said, "And now the ceremony begins."