Dubbed the King of the Beasts, lions are often framed as symbols of status, power, and survival, perched high above the plains. But we sometimes forget that, like all apex predators, they are part of the ecosystem too. Lions once roamed from southern Africa to Europe, even as far as Greece, but today are mostly confined to sub-Saharan Africa. Though her kingdom is now a sliver of what it once was, the lioness remains the heart of the pride: provider, protector, and pillar of her family. Placing her at the center of the frame felt only right.