The Queen shuffled around in her sparkling cave, ignoring the calls of pity from her subjects. She was a failure. Nobody should pity failures. She let her long tail drag across the cave floor, although she usually did not let it get so dirty. But now, as a failure, nobody would care.

She kept dragging her paws around until a small, and very brave subject stepped in front of her.

"Great and powerful Queen," the small lion said, "is there anything is lions can do to stop your sorrow? When you grieve, we grieve with you. Please, Queen. There must be something."

"The only thing that could stop my grieving," the Queen growled, "was if I could have my daughter back!"

The cave became silent. The Queen rarely addressed her subjects in such a cruel way, but they all understood that her heart had been ripped up like a delicate piece of paper.

"I--I--" The lion started to apologize, but then began to cry. He sobbed, "Never mind about what I said, Queen. I shall never grieve with you again." He ran to his mother and father, who quietly reassured him while shooting nasty looks at the Queen.

The Queen sighed a great lioness sigh, and then jumped up onto the Announcement Rock.

Heads turned toward her as she began to speak.

"Loyal subjects," she rumbled, "I have lost the only lioness I have ever loved today. My daughter. The princess. And you have been treating me like I have been grieving for nothing, like I have been off my duties because of nothing. But that is not true, and you all know that. Subjects, hear my words. If you do not respect me, I shall leave.

Gasps filled the room, followed my howls.

"No, no, Queen, great lioness, you can't leave!"

"We'll be better, I promise!"

"Good riddance! You hurt my son's feelings! Leave if you want, we won't miss you!"

"Worthless Queen! You are not fit to be a Queen at all! Leave! A daughter is a simple thing, not as precious as jewels!"

"Lioness, Queen, stay! Please stay! Please!"

The last voice to be heard was the young lion's.

"Queen, I don't want you to leave, even if you made me cry."

Golden heads turned to look in disbelief at him.

"Your heart is broken," the lion continued. "I like you. You are a good Queen, no matter what my mother and father say. Stay, for we shall fall apart without you."

The mother and father looked embarrassed, and dipped their heads in apology.

The other lions murmured in agreement and the lion's brave statement.

"Young lion, what is your name?" The Queen inquired.

"B-Blazing Star, good Queen," the lion stammered.

"Blazing Star." The Queen tried it out on her tongue, and jumped down from the rock. "Blazing Star, I must thank you."

"Thank me?" Blazing Star asked, as if nobody had ever thanked him before.

"Yes," the Queen agreed. "You have helped me see what I am. A broken-hearted, grieving Queen, who has lost her daughter. But... I am still a Queen. I must still do my duties, and carry on with my life." The Queen took a deep breath. "If it is okay with your parents, I'd like you to become my Trained One."

A Trained One was a special, young lion chose by the King or Queen to be trained as royalty and follow in their pawsteps, if the King or Queen did not have a son or daughter.

Blazing Star looked taken aback.

The parents nodded.

"I accept," he whispered.