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They’re twins. It’s never mentioned; Mufasa is older (barely) and stronger and braver and handsomer, and they both know he will be king someday, strong and wise and fertile, and that is how it ought to be.
But they are brothers, and they love each other. They can’t help it. Scar comes up with the cleverest pranks (Mufasa shouldn’t enjoy putting ants in Father’s tail, but it was so funny!) and the driest jokes, and Mufasa curls around him at night and puts his head on Scar’s shoulder and never has nightmares at all.
Scar should leave, of course, as second-born lions do, go out to find his own pride or his own death, whichever comes first; but they are very young when Mufasa says to him, “Brother, never leave me,” and Scar promises. For a while they both think it will be alright, that Scar will be his brother’s shadow, advisor, friend, beloved forever. Mufasa does not notice it has gone wrong until after he wins Sarabi.
Scar has known since he was young that no lioness will want him, dark and scarred as he is, but oh, he wanted bright beautiful Sarabi as much as Mufasa did, and they have always shared everything, and even his cynical heart still had room for hope: perhaps this, too, could be shared between brothers, half and half, as they have shared everything until now. But it cannot.
Scar does not betray his brother until his brother betrays him: until the new prince is born, Sarabi’s cub, beautiful as both his parents, and Mufasa no longer lies with his head on Scar’s shoulder and sleeps deeply and without dreams. Scar promised never to leave his brother, and he keeps his promises.
Mufasa leaves him, and someday Scar will follow, as he always follows (and he has sent Mufasa on ahead, as if they were cubs hunting together again). Someday Scar will follow his brother into death. But in the meantime he will have his half, the half he is entitled to, of the kingship and the love and the beauty of Sarabi.
Mufasa will forgive him. He always has before.