Where There's Life, There's Hope

When Zira offered Kovu as her "pound of flesh" to Simba, what if Simba had actually taken him? Not to harm him, but to protect him from Zira's brutality and give him a free life in his kingdom. How would this have affected the course of everything? Would Kovu's life change for better or for worse? And most urgently, how would the Outsiders themselves respond to such a sudden move?