SS - King of Pride Rock

Feast and Rememberance
(King of Pride Rock from the Lion King soundtrack)


A single note on the silver horn called the feasting crowd to silence. The Queen rose from her place and servants dimmed the lights on the rough rock walls. Three of the troupers rushed into the open ground encircled on four sides by the long tables. They laid out a shimmering length of grey fabric. A fourth trouper poured water upon the fabric. The music started, a mournful melody with the rhythm of marching feet behind it.


“Remember,” said the Queen. “Remember our lost.”


Water and fabric rippled as the troupers danced. Not a single drop escaped the entwining until they came to kneel before the Queen’s table and pour it out at her feet. A cascade of black lillies followed the small waterfall.


The troupers spun away and others came to join them, matching into pairs. Each trouper moved within a handsbreath of his partner without ever touching. It seemed impossible for them to leap and whirl and crouch so close and yet not embrace.


“Despite peace and prosperity, we built walls between ourselves and allowed hatred to flourish where there should have been fellowship.”


The music grew darker and ominous. Several of the troupers lit blue fire and danced with it, still without touching their partners.


“We tore ourselves apart in false pride with our derision, our gossip, our scorn.”


Here and there, blue light blazed as two partners met in sudden violence and one crumpled to the ground.


“There were those who dared another way.”


Red light flared as two more pairs embraced but the connection blended into their dancing and made it greater than before. One lifted the other high and then caught her when she fell. The four came together, whirling kaleidoscope of coloured fire and swift movement.


The other troupers halted their dancing to surround the four who dared to touch each other. The blue fire in their hands died, casting them as silhouettes between the watchers and the four who still danced.


“We could not bear their freedom, their joy, their abandonment of what we most prized.”


The shadowed troupers tore the dancers from each other. Fire flashed in brief spurts. One of the women was flung between several of the shadowed ones until she fell limp and motionless. One of the shadows flung up a hand of brightest blue fire and all the others froze. He knelt beside the fallen woman. Red fire licked up from her body to alight in his hand and merge with the blue.


“Only after blood had flowed like water through our land and every family had lost a sister or a brother, did we see truly what we had done. Too late. All life rebelled against our tyranny.”


One by one the frozen troupers dropped to their knees and covered their heads.


“The sun did not shine. The clouds held to their rain. Mines collapsed. Forest burned. Fields only grew thorns.”


The trouper with the hand of red and blue flames stood. He brought the fire to his lips and drank it. The hall grew brighter even as the fire vanished. Golden light ran across the tables more like water than fire. One by one, the gathered rose from their own seats. Each spoke a single name. The music had crescendoed but every name still rang clearly through the hall no matter how hushed the speaker’s voice.


“Annalise.” Said the last man as he stood at the Queen’s right hand.


“Avron.” Said the Queen. “We remember.”


“We remember.” The words echoed back not only from those at the tables but from the servants who stood behind them and from the troupers where they knelt or lay.


“We forgive,” said the Queen.


“We forgive!” Every hand in the Hall raised a cup with the cry. They drank a sip of the wine and then passed the cups, sharing with whomever was in reach. The troupers rolled to their feet and passed among the tables with their cups. Every light was relit. The feasting resumed.