"Who sent you here?" Simba barked.

"I was brought here by my Nanna when I was little. I don't remember where I was before that," Hari rasped softly.

"Why did she send you here?"

"She told me I had to stay inside the magical pegs so I don't interact with others to spread my affliction."

"Wise woman. Where is she now? Is she a Witch?"

"She used magic, but only on the pegs. She never returned one day when she left for supplies. I assumed she was killed and buried her belongings on the outskirts of the forest."

There was a pause that confused Hari. The warmth in Simba's eyes flickered for a moment before disappearing.

"If shes gone, why didn't you leave?"

"I can't. It's my purpose to the world to stay hidden. Once I leave, the curse will spread. Once I leave the forest, the magic barrier that contains my illness is broken"

"So there was never a Princess here. This was all a mistake and a waste of time."

He stated the last question as a remark, sounding exhausted.

"Yes. This tower was vacant when I arrived. It took a long time to rebuild it."

He took the knife from Hari's throat, and he sat back against the opposite wall, letting his shoulders fall back, and the tension disappeared from his body as he leaned his head against the old wood.

"One last question: why did you pretend to be the Princess? You knew it would lead nowhere, and you could have taken advantage of my vulnerability. Instead you just talked. What sick game were you playing? Why were you leading me to believe my mission was meaningful?"

Hari looked at Simba, slumped in defeat before him.

"I... haven't talked to anyone in years. It was nice to hear your voice and know that someone else was out there."

"Don't lie, you piece of shit," he growled. "I know what you were doing. You wanted to infect me, keep me as your prisoner knowing I could never return home as a Carrier."

"I had lots of time to infect you. But I didn't."

Hari noticed that Simba's eyes softened at his remarks. Despite looking confused, they sparkled with the same sense he got from his voice in the pond. It was a duality he felt uneasy with. The idea of a scary lion turning into a gentle cub was hard to anticipate and predict. Hari tightened his gloves as much as he could through the binds his wrists were in as Simba sat in silence.

Simba knew Hari was right. He could feel it in his voice, soft and naive. He really hasn't spoken to a human being for as long as he said. He felt a small sense of pity for this man who was trapped alone for so long, maybe too much for such a disgrace to his kingdom. Simba wondered what divine prank would have led him here to this pathetic little monster in a forest.

"By the way, your troop needs me in one piece for your dad. It's not in your best interest to kill me until you get home."

Simba glared at Hari with eyes filled with a spark of realization. To what the realization was Hari hadn't a clue, but he was glad Simba's eyes were filled with that small light he came to find comforting rather than the anger he feared.

"What did they say exactly?" he said, crawling closer to him.

"They said I was exactly where your father said I would be, and now they have to convince you to get me to your castle in one piece." Hari, still scared of Simba, was happy when his eyes softened- he assumed he did what he was supposed to, maybe enough for him to spare his life for a few more days. Simba nodded in reciprocation to Hari's recounting of his squadron. Meanwhile, Simba knew what had to happen now. He smirked slightly as a joke ran his mind. Perhaps it was he who was saved by the "Princess".

They sat in silence as the carriage swayed back and forth against the ground. Hari noticed the luxurious detailing and comfort this carriage had. He could tell Simba wasn't lying about his mission, but he also saw a spark of sadness in the Prince's eyes. Hari had has the same defeated look in his eyes for years now, and could recognize it on Simba's face even if he were a mile away. Hari felt bad he wasted Simba's time. He wanted to apologize, but when he opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out.

They heard the hooves clicking against rocky patches in the trail, and watched as the honey light that oozed through the windows slowly faded to silver as the moon replaced the sun in the sky overhead. It must have been hours. Hari had fallen asleep, nestled in the corner he backed himself in as Simba watched diligently at his captive. The wagon came to a halt, and Hari's eyes fluttered open as the metaled guards opened the door to retrieve him, throwing him onto the dirt of a makeshift campground surrounded by trees, just on the edge of an open clearing.

The moon shone through the tree leaves, the cool air juxtaposed with the warm flicker of a small fire in which the group placed their swords, bits of armor, and supplies around. The silhouette of horses within the trees nearby weaved nicely with the subtle movements of the flickering foliage and fire against the otherwise still night. 

The metaled ally of Simba, still clad in his metal attire, tied Hari to a nearby trunk of a tree by his hands so he couldn't infect them despite his being fully gloved and still bound together. He found being bound this way unnecessary, but he was afflicted after all. It was in their best interests to assure he wasn't a problem.

The fire crackled in the night, smoke swirling towards the sky. Hari leaned up against the tree. The bark was cold and brittle, but he found it preferable than laying on the prickly dry grass he currently sat on. He listened to the campfire chat of Simba and his crew, only vaguely following what they were discussing. He found it best to dissociate from what was going on around him. 

All he had the motivation for was being dragged down to the tree's trunk by the weight of the reality that he found himself in. It would all be over soon anyway. He slowly drifted to sleep hoping less time awake would make his last few hours go faster. He originally wanted more time to experience life, but he now surrendered to the truth that he was just dragging this out and inconveniencing everyone. When he was gone, the world would be better off.

Simba sat at the edge of the campfire as his troops, unarmored and mostly unclothed under their thin makeshift bedding, slept the night away. He insisted on taking first watch for the night. He looked over at a slumped over Hari as he slept quiet and defenceless.

Quietly unsheathing his sword from his hip, Simba walked past the embers that remained in the fire pit was now nothing but hot ash. He traversed his way to the beast that lied to him and tried to infect him with his disease that would have cast him from his only ambition. It was time to get rid of him.

Gloves equipped, he knelt next to him, blade pointed at his throat. Simba took a deep breath in. It was time to do what he knew he needed to.