Imani thought, fighting the urge to cuff him over the ear for his stupidity.

The Queen's eyes were livid at his response. "I will give you one more chance to leave willingly, rouge, after that I won't be so generous." She hissed, her tail flicking back and forth angrily.

Imani tried to ignore the various glances the other lion had shot at her. She tried to catch his eye again, descreatly throwing her head to the side, trying to signal for him to give it up and leave, as the Queen's furiousness continued to grow by the second.

I love her thought by the way, it livens up the story XD

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Zeus bit back a laugh. He bowed before the Queen. "Fine, I'll accept your generous offer." He said with a smile, emphasizing and stretching out the word generous. He then turned his back to her and the other lionesses, and began to walk away. After he was a little farther he looked back and said. "And I have a name, Queen." He finished, and began at a trot towards the border. A smile creeping over his face. He hoped she fell in a hole.

Of course as the antelope scatter, the herd breaks up, and he easily followed the herd that took off towards the border.

Imani breathed a small sigh of relief when Zeus left.

The Queen flicked her tail angrily. "Imani, follow him. Make sure he is out of the territory, then come back."

Imani nodded and trotted after him, since he was still in sight.

She was tempted to stay behind him and make her presence unknown, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she trotted up to his side, setting her paws down heavily to announce her presence.

Zeus looked over to see the familiar lioness, who was in the group with the Queen. Imani was her name, right? He didnt have good communication skills, although he could pick an arguement with the Queen any day. "Imani, if I'm correct." He started, looking into her brownish-rust colored eyes. "What'd she send you up here for?" He added, knowing the Queen wouldnt let him go that easy. He'd known Imani as a cub, just before he was exiled, so he wasnt at all worried she'd attack. But he was on edge in case any others were near him.

"Yes." Imani replied, keeping pace with the huge lion. "She sent me to escort you off of pride land."

Imani studied Zeus, taking in how much he had changed, and how much he hadn't.

She noticed his tense body language, "Don't worry, I won't start anything unless I have a reason too." She said, mainly to reasure herself, even though he could easily beat her in a fight.

"What in the heck were you thinking back there, arguing with her? Any lion with an ounce of a brain would never mess with her."

He chuckled at her comment. "I have about 2 ounces of brain." He added. Before he made a stern face. "She was the one who suggested the idea of me being thrown out." He said. "I have no respect for her or her mate." He finished still walking. He studied her earlier words. Was she that worried he'd come back, or was she just scared. He almost laughed at the thought. He turned towards Imani, before looking behind him, waiting for the young lionesses response.

"Sometimes it's hard for me to respect her. She's so harsh sometimes, I feel bad for the cubs growing up in the pride now. The punishments keep getting more brutal. I try my best to keep myself in line, and I don't have many friends in the pride, maybe it's for my own good though, if I ever get kicked out I won't be so sad."

Imani stared at the dirt below her paws, wondering if maybe life as a rouge would be better anyways, or maybe she could find another pride.

"No, dont say that." He said, trying to reassure the young lioness, why he was opening up to her, he didnt know. "Life in a Pride, no matter how corrupt, or how bad, will always be better then being a Rouge. No social life, loneliness, its harder then anything you've ever known." The two approached one of the few trees in the Serengeti, but it also marked the edge of their territory. "Look Imani, life in a Pride is something I'll miss, and sonething Ive barely known. Dont lose it."

"Why don't you go search for another pride that will take you?" She asked as the two stopped by the trees at the end of the territory.

Whether Imani knew it or not, Zeus's words stuck with her for a long time, some that she would never forget. She looked out over the savannah, watching the beautiful sunset that turned the sky different shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Her words etched a deep question in his mind. Why didnt he search for a new pride. Another one would gladly take him in. But something drew him back to this pride time and time again. "I guess." He started looking into Imani's rust colored eyes, "I guess I want to prove them wrong." He said, walking across the border. "I want to show them the lion I can be." He took another step then looked back. "Go back to your family, and it was nice talking with you, Imani." And with that Zeus turned his back and began to trot into the sunset.