Art by SaarkelleEliv

For her entire life before this, Nala had only heard of snow. That it was like rain, but fell slower and stuck to the ground a while before melting. She heard that it was beautiful and a rare sight in Africa, but seeing it first hand was magical for her.

Nala sauntered across the frigid white field, her fur and the heat of her life filled belly providing her adequate protection against the cold. Her gaze moved all about, taking in everything. Simba wasn’t far away, getting directions from a pack of painted hounds they’d come across earlier. They’d been traveling southwards for the last several months, and with their journey so close to being done, the birth of her new litter was approaching.

For now, the former queen of Pride Rock was content in waiting for her king while relishing this moment, feeling an inescapable sense of wonder as she stood in the center of all this snow.