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Shujaa was a large lion, well-muscled, with a thick dark mane that was considered 'desirable' according to the pride's culture and trends. Though he had been born into the dawnlands, he had taken several seasons to himself to travel the roguelands when his adult mane had started to grow in. He and his father had never been very close, and his mother had spent most of her energy raising his sisters, so in early adolescence Shujaa had been struggling to find his place in the pride. Thus, he had considered leaving permanently, and had nearly done so, had it not been for his memories of a certain golden, young empress-to-be. Khanya. They had only spoken in passing when he was young, but it was difficult to forget her little smirk of a smile, her laugh, and that slight twinkle in her eye when a mischievous thought crossed her mind. Even now that they were older, he still thought fondly of her and the light she shone on him.

These were the thoughts Shujaa was dwelling on as he slowly followed the rest of the harem to settle down into their sleeping arrangement. The day had been a long one, and his paws had covered much ground that day to ensure their borders were well protected, but he hid his tiredness within a mask of stern seriousness for his job. After all, the protection of the empress and their harem fell upon his broad shoulders, and he'd be damned if he let any of them down.

So caught up in his own thoughts was he, that he nearly missed Chui calling his name, only coming to a complete stop when he noticed her head dip in his direction. Shujaa quickly recovered from a slightly surprised look that had crossed his features for a brief moment, but he returned the gesture with a dip of his head and a rumble deep in his chest. "Chui. Of course, how can I be of assistance?" He took a few steps away from where the rest of their harem was gathering and looked to the spotted lioness, expecting her to lead him the rest of the way away and where she would be comfortable speaking to him.

He wondered what mischief the empress had gotten herself into, or perhaps it was one of his grown sons that had done something to stir up trouble around the pride. He had done his best to impart the importance of duty into those boys, but they were young and still growing into their mane, there was no telling what they might have gotten themselves into. His red eyes carefully watched Chui and her body language, trying to decipher what the sudden fuss might be about. Though they all happened to be a member of the empress' harem, he couldn't remember a time when Chui had sought out his company for idle chit-chat. Especially right before they settled in for the evening. Something was on her mind.

Her posture, the way she took steps away from where the harem rested and kept looking over her shoulder, sent a wave of tension through his body as his claws subtly slid from their sheathes to grip the dirt. Clearly, something was wrong, and his mind was instantly preparing for the worst. An ambush, perhaps. Something he would need to physically protect the lionesses in his care from. Had Chui sensed a rogue in the area? Was she trying not to alarm the others?

Red eyes shifted to take in the area around them, attempting to find the would-be assailant hiding in the shadows. Shujaa was a thick lion, his muscles growing taught under his dark hide as he prepared for Chui to send him towards whatever threat was making her so nervous. And then, she told him.

In the sudden shock of the request, he took a few moments to simply lock eyes with her; to be certain he was hearing her correctly. "Ah, I see..." he said with a careful breath, allowing the tension to leave his body like a gentle wave, his posture returning to its more neutral stance as his claws slid back in. The large male took a moment to shake his heavy mane as he followed Chui's lead to take a few steps away from the rest of the harem and lowered his voice to match hers. "Of course, Chui. I will help you."

His red eyes studied her as he took a few more paces away from where the harem bedded down, trying to respect Chui's obvious need for subtlety and quiet. "It can sometimes take a few meetings," he told her as clearly and openly as he could while speaking in a more hushed tone. He could see that she was nervous, which he wasn't used to seeing in Chui, but she seemed determined despite that, so he pressed on. "Late night, or early morning while the harem sleeps, when I know Khanya is not alone, would be the best time for me. To, well, to ensure I can focus on meeting your needs without worrying about protecting the others," he told her. He was somewhat curious what had made her come to this decision, but it was not his way to question the lionesses under his care. He trusted she hadn't come to this conclusion on a whim.

Despite his great size and typically aloof, serious nature, he was quite the perceptive lion, and Chui was making it very easy for him to read her body language. He could only imagine the thoughts that were running through her head, so he stayed quiet, patient, and allowed her to feel them without interruption from himself. This was big step forward, especially for a lioness who had not yet become a mother. Mothers were the most highly revered in dawnlander culture, and Shujaa had tremendous respect for them.

He nodded along to the little questions she asked and answered for herself, keeping his presence a calm and resolute one to help balance the nervous energy he could feel pouring off her. "We can wait until tomorrow," he told her with a nod, thinking it might help her to settle her nerves. "The day has been a long one, and it would do us both some good to rest and prepare." He inclined his head in a small, curious motion, allowing a quiet moment to pass between them.

"If I am not intruding, I am curious as to what has brought you to this decision? When Khanya had approached me for our litter, she had told me she was excited to play with little cubs, and to put it in her words, 'to teach them to gang up against me in our little games'." he gave an amused snort at the thought of it. She had certainly made good on that promise, as the cubs had often taken their mother's side in their playful bouts of wrestling. He had to wonder what Chui had in mind for her litter... and if he had to worry about them being as mischievous as Khanya's sons had been.