Last Time on Spoils of War: The final showdown in the tournament revealed Fighter 1717 as none other than Mîrvana! Not only did she return, but she also brought a dragon with her. Before a winner was decided, Hiei blacked out. Who won? Read on to find out!
Chapter 41: The Return of the Queen
Mîrvana, Queen of Alyatavar, One of the Nine, and now Queen of the Demon Realm really wanted Hiei to wake up. It wasn't for her sake, mostly. She did purposefully manipulate him to expend his energy faster than her during the fight, but after a week of him sleeping, she was beginning to fear the claims of his death were actually true. He was, of course, breathing, but what if he was in, oh what was the word Kurama used? Coma. That sounded scary. She knew good men and women whose fates ended with that horrible outcome. Regardless, everyone assured her this was normal.
Hah, normal. Honestly, if she slept for this many days her brother would have been beside himself and whoever put her in that state would have evoked the great dragon himself to appear, despite her brother's usual peaceful demeanor. But the inhabitants of this world? Sleep for a week after an "epic fight for the ages," and it's perfectly normal. Well, her brother was right—the people of this world are insane.
She smiled a little at the thought of Rodynar. She needed to find a quiet lake to contact him, and hopefully the connection would go through. He wasn't overly thrilled about her coming back to the Makai—probably because there was no guarantee the portal dagger would work—but he knew there was no stopping her. She may be One of the Nine, but she absolutely hated it. Besides, someone else could replace her… her seat anyway. She doubted anyone could replace her presence, knowledge, and influence.
Vana looked over as Maria wrung a cloth, the excess water rushing back into the bowl underneath. The dog demoness began to gently pat the sides of Hiei's face as an attempt to keep him clean, Vana supposed. It was amazing how so much time could pass and yet in some ways, so little changes. For instance, Hiei's round face still looked completely unassuming as he slept, which was something that always baffled Vana. Still, she noticed the lines under his eyes and the etches in the corners of his mouth from frowning too much; She didn't mind them on him though. She only wondered why he would be frowning so much.
She shifted in her chair slightly and lazily reached over for her water glass. After finishing her morning workout and quickly showering (Showers! Ancestors be praised!) she decided to stop by and see if there were any signs of Hiei waking soon. Vana wasn't sitting too close, not right up against the bed anyway, but close enough to see him well. The Great Fire, as the older inhabitants of the fortress called it, did not touch this part of the fortress and the room remained mostly intact. The same plush red chair, dresser, and nightstand were present as the day she first entered the room as his new bride. Her vanity was still there too, but it was bare of the accouterments that once adorned it.
The door opened and Vana turned to see Yusuke's son anxiously enter. Normally, the boy reminded her of his father. In addition to his looks, he was aloof and generally held a laissez faire attitude, (as well as being a filthy, dirty, awful playboy friend who is a complete and utter moron, according to Shana.). But it was moments like these where his mother shone through him. Vana saw it in his narrowed brown eyes, despite his attempts to remain casual.
"Yo, Baachan. Got some news for you."
Vana sighed. "How many times must I tell you that I am not-" she paused and sighed. It wasn't worth it. "What's going on, Ryuji?"
"Murkama's back," the boy replied.
Vana was quite tired of appeasing Murkama. While Hiei was still sleeping, dealing with angry A and B class demon lords was annoying and tiring. Most of them had come around once they saw Mukuro backed her, but Murkama was persistent.
She sighed and finished her glass of water (She wished it was wine. Maria refused to give her any), musing about this news. She had to admire Murkama a little. At least he was extremely devoted to Hiei, and it was, perhaps his only saving grace.
"Well, tell him that his lord is not awake yet, we are still monitoring him and as soon as we know, everyone will know, and then, turn him away. I've already said my piece to him and I don't really want to spoil my morning repeating myself," she instructed.
"Yeah… this time he brought an army."
She swung her full attention on Ryuji who grimaced. "Morning spoiled!" Vana was on her feet and Ryuji flattened his body against the door to let her pass. She grabbed Víraserce, just outside the room, and began strapping it to her hip as Ryuji briefed her.
"He's got an army, two thousand strong, and Shana expects more as word gets out that he pressing on the Fortress."
She stopped in tracks and whirled around to face the poor boy. "Can I even ask, how in the Ancestor's name, did a two thousand strong demon army march all the way here and no one noticed it?!" The hall rung silent as her words echoed off the stone and Ryuji paled, but held her gaze.
"I don't know. I guess we have shit spies. But that doesn't change that right now, we have a moment to end this. If we can talk Murkama down now, then any momentum he could gain will end." The boy was right, but she understood their situation even without his explanation. If Vana didn't figure out a way to appease Murkama here and now, she was facing a war she could not hope to win. Again.
Vana started her brisk pace again, Ryuji easily keeping in step with her. "Where's Honjo?"
"He's with Yukina-baachan. She's trying to talk down Murkama by the gate entrance, or at least keep him distracted until you arrive. Sakura has been moved to the servants' quarters with Claudia. Archers are primed and Fudo is prepping the army now. Shana is with Mukuro's forces who are preparing to flank them from behind if they get the signal."
"Who's signal?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Probably you killing demons."
Blessing of Fealóce, these demons are complete idiots! How did Hiei run the fortress without issue for this long? After this ordeal, a talk with Honjo was in order.
Vana stopped just short of exiting the fortress to the upper walkway. "Are you prepared for a fight?"
Ryuji hesitated for a moment and she stepped in, making the decision for him. "I need you to protect Yukina no matter what. If the encounter goes south, keep her safe at all costs. Am I clear?" The boy's mouth closed and she read the lines of disapproval in his face. She didn't care. He was either committed or he was not.
"Yes."
"Good." With that, Vana opened the door. A couple steps out on the walkway and she could see Murkama's army spanning until the horizon. Brutes of C and D class demons, waiting to be released by the B and A class overlords, who would devour everything and everyone in sight. Yukina and Sakura were her top priorities; Hiei would never forgive anyone who let them come to harm, although it appeared Yukina was holding her own.
Honjo stood a few feet back from the short demoness, and while Honjo was quite formidable with his tall, masculine stature, the ice demoness was clearly a force to be reckoned with. Yukina, at some point, created a large, thick, ice wall, barring the demons from breaking down the door directly or scaling the front walls of the fortress. In addition, she seemed to be swirling up a blizzard as she argued with Murkama. Vana looked up at the dark cloud blocking out the sun and couldn't help but grin. What a woman. Hiei's sister indeed.
Vana jumped down just to the side of Yukina, so as not to startle her. "It seems I'm late for the party," she smirked. "Murkama, how nice of you to bring so many of your friends. Unfortunately, I can't accommodate them."
Murkama seemed to be an average demon: muscular, tall, blue colored skin with a tail, and a face resembling that of a human. His dark black eyes and hair stood on end. "You!" he roared. "This ends here and now! I refuse to listen to anyone else that you have brainwashed and tricked!"
"I haven't-" Vana started to say but Yukina cut her off.
"I am not brainwashed!" She shrieked. Vana's flickered her gaze to the now swirling storm brewing above her. Does lightning strike during snow storms?
'No,' Dimitri's bored voice responded. 'But it would be fun if it did. Malgora would hate me even more!'
'Indeed,' Vana responded.
Murkama turned his attention back to Yukina. "How can I trust anything you say? You opened your doors to this elf willingly and without hesitation! Her schemes must be stopped! Look at yourself!"
"I am like this because you threaten my brother, my daughter, and my home!" She snapped.
"Then why will you not let me see him?" Murkama's voice began to amplify as he turned to his army. "If Hiei-sama is alive, then why will you not verify that for myself?"
Vana noted that it was beginning to lightly snow. Yukina shook as she struggled to contain herself. "I will not put my brother on display as he recovers from his fight." Or show that his is completely vulnerable at the moment. (Another annoying trait of sleeping for a week.)
But this could not go on any longer. "I will take you to see him." Vana stepped forward as she spoke.
Yukina turned to her shocked, the snow dissipating as she lost her concentration. "What? No!"
Vana ignored her. "I will take you to see Hiei, who is still recovering, alone."
Murkama took a step towards her, curious. "And be killed by you inside? I don't think so."
"Yukina will stay out here with Honjo, Ryuji, and your army," Vana replied. Ryuji's horrified gasp, Yukina's glare (which completely resembled her brother's hard stare), and Honjo's growl did not go unnoticed. Too bad. They aren't in charge.
"You would use Hiei-sama's beloved family members as a hostage?" Murkama demanded, outraged. Honestly, this was-
Before Vana could respond, a piecing screech filled the air. Then, the black, long serpentine dragon showed herself, hovering over the large ice wall. Vana noticed the black blur just before Hiei appeared, planted in front of Yukina.
Great, of course he picks now to wake up.
Hiei's eyes darted from Murkama, to her, and towards Yukina, before turning to Honjo. Murkama immediately knelt in front of Hiei and his men stood down. Vana sighed and crossed her arms. Now they had to play catch up on a week's worth of back and forth with someone who was beyond short sighted. Grumpy and pissed from hearing his sister was being used? This was a recipe for disaster.
The large wolf-demon saluted his lord. "Heika, accusations of your death have been circling the Makai. Murkama… passionately believed Mîra-hime killed you and was trying to protect your honor and the fortress." Hiei's red eyes shifted back to Vana, and he started at her for a long moment, registering her presence. She stifled the butterflies in her stomach as his red gaze bore into her. She didn't blame him for staring, after all she had a full week to stare at him and believe she was actually next to him again. Sort of.
But the long silence was driving her mad. "Allow me to elaborate," Vana announced, walking up to Hiei and Honjo. "I've been talking with this lord of yours the entire time you've been sleeping, holding this place together as we've received multiple death and attack threats, and despite my peaceful endeavors, he decides to show up with an army." She eyed Murkama coldly. "He was willing to risk Yukina, Sakura, and all the lives of those who live here from a lack of patience and trust. If I were among my people, I would not hesitate to take off this traitor's head."
"You are not among your people, elf, "Murkama hissed. As if the past week hadn't made it clear already, Hiei's silent, averted gaze made that fact understood. It didn't change that she still wanted his head. But before she could reply, Murkama continued, "I was willing to uphold patience, out of respect for your clan, but I feared this elf brainwashed them all into accepting her. Just now she even went again Yukina-sama's wishes and was willing to offer her as a hostage!"
Vana sighed. "All this time you demanded to see Hiei as proof of my claims and Yukina, as mistress of the fortress, refused. I respected those wishes until you showed up with an army. If fulfilling your request meant avoiding bloodshed, then I was willing to make that concession."
Murkama rose and yelled, "Don't pin this on me! I have been serving Hiei-sama for longer than you ever lived in this realm! If I were you I-"
"Enough." Hiei's cool, low voice cut through Murkama's screeching cleanly. He cast Vana a long glance before resuming his gaze on Murkama. "She did not brainwash anyone. She does not have the capability. Yukina was always in her right mind, and is entitled to make decisions on my behalf. You will respect them."
"Yes, Hiei-sama," Murkama replied.
Hiei glanced around, looking for something. When he didn't find what he was looking for he motioned to Ryuji, standing behind her. The boy immediately strode forward and Hiei spoke quietly in his ear. The boy nodded and jumped up, onto the upper walkway and disappeared.
"Murkama, dissipate your army and send your men home. You will remain here until I decide a suitable punishment. I don't care that you spoke against my clan, but I won't ignore the threat you brought here today." He glanced over at Vana again. She held his gaze until it returned to the kneeling demon. "I will not take your head." Hiei turned to his commander. "Honjo, stay with him as he talks with his men. When they're gone, bring him to the room Maria set up and place him under guard." Honjo nodded, and in a matter of minutes, the entire situation that was a complete thorn in her side all week was gone.
Vana shouldn't really complain considering the whole thing was resolved without bloodshed, and Hiei finally woke up as a bonus. Still, she didn't really feel like she won.
She patiently waited for Hiei to send out more orders, including bringing the ice wall down, before turning to her. She could do this, right? She thought about this moment for a long time, what she would actually say to him after so long. Don't freak out, Vana. Keep cool. Just do it like you rehearsed: Hi, it's been a long time. I missed you. I hope you're happy to see me. It's good to see you. I love what you've done to the fortress.
"We," he growled at her, "are going to talk. Now."
"Fine," she responded coolly. She braced herself, and followed her former husband inside.
~*0*~
In the years following Mîrvana's departure, Hiei often wondered what he would say to her if he saw her again. He thought about an apology for, well, everything. He thought about telling her how he truly felt about her. He thought about simply addressing her as if no time passed at all. But now, with so many years gone by, everything felt different. His mind was still trying to process everything that just happened in the past few minutes, starting with Sakura waking him up by jumping up and down on his bed screaming her head off, to seeing Yukina in the middle of the fight, to the elf demanding Murkama's head. Whatever he originally envisioned saying, those words were useless now.
He could feel Mîrvana's cold stare behind him, ignoring everyone they passed as he stormed through the fortress. The elf kept up easily with his pace, but the sharp sound of her boots hitting the floor began to grate on his nerves. He attempted to steady himself and clear his mind; he only needed to focus on the present and get through these next few minutes. Then he would spend some time alone to sort through everything.
He pushed open the doors to the smaller dining room where everyone usually ate. She closed the door behind her as he went to the other side of the table, putting some distance between them. She didn't look at him when she turned around, and instead began to pour herself a glass of water. He kept staring at her, as her presence settled in his eyes. She wore the same armor she wore to their fight; all black save for the golden tree in her breastplate. He noticed a long, faded scar across her cheek, the darkness under her eyes, and how stern she appeared with her hair pinned back so tightly to her head.
The realization crept into him, making his gut feel uneasy: 1717 was indeed Mîrvana, and seeing her for the first time in over a century and a half, the fight, her dragon- a chill went down his spine. Her dragon. It wasn't right. It couldn't be right. She would never take a dragon because she couldn't rule with a dragon and Mîrvana was destined to rule. Always.
Hiei breathed deeply, trying to stay his frantic mind. There must be a reason she's here. There must be a reason she is queen and ruling over his land. What incentive does she have?
"I presume you're going to impose a fine on Murkama," she said, sighing as she sat down in a chair. "Well at least he's finally shut up. Still, it's rather disconcerting that he marched here with such large numbers and we received no warning," she pursed her lips. "I should have Honjo look into that."
"I will handle Murkama," Hiei said.
She raised an eyebrow at him before taking a drink. A heavy silence settled between them as she stared down at her drink, her gloved hand gripping the glass tightly. This was unlike the Mîrvana that stared him down just before their fight, full of confidence and strength, and unlike the cold Queen he encountered moments before.
"How did Yukina get involved?" He asked.
"She was already arguing with Murkama by the time I arrived. I let her make the rules and I complied with them, but the situation called for overruling her. I respect her, but I was not about to start a war over her pride," she explained.
As if she was one to talk. "Her pride? You started a war to save yours," Hiei snarled.
The elf's lavender eyes narrowed and her cold gaze bore into him, but he held his ground. "How long were you here, hiding with Yusuke?"
"Oh, so you figured that out. I'm impressed." Her cool, condescending words made the uneasiness in his stomach grow. "About six months before the tournament."
How could she have spent half a year in his best friend's territory and no one knew? Not even a whisper? …She didn't even have the desire to come and see him?
"I spent the first few weeks bedridden. Getting here was not pleasant, in addition to being sick as my "immune system" adopted to the Makai. Or that's what his physicians told me. Then I trained."
"You spent six months in the Makai hiding so you could show up at the tournament?" He spat.
She smirked at him, "Well you know me, I love to make an entrance."
Six months… so much happened in that time frame. Hurt twisted inside him. If she was here for six months and didn't reveal herself, then it was clear she was not here for him.
"What do you want?" he asked. He realized he sounded angrier than he intended but he didn't care.
"Well," she sighed, "For starters, I'd rather not have my morning spoiled by annoyances such as Murkama. Hopefully tomorrow will be quite peaceful. Well, other than doing an entire examination of how you run your soldiers."
Hiei was stunned. "What are you talking about?"
"Your security is horrendous. I'm going to fix it."
Hiei curled his hands into a fist. "This is my home. You have no right to do anything here."
Mîrvana froze for a moment, and then she stood. Drawing herself to her full height, she squared her shoulders and raised her chin as she stared down at him scathingly with her cold, empty eyes. "I am the Queen," she stated coldly.
Rage surged through him and the words flew out of his mouth, "I don't give a damn," he snarled. "Get out of my home. You are not welcome here."
The elf remained motionless as she continued to stare down at him. Then she smiled, cold and empty, as she said, "Mukuro expects you back at the host, but I will need you here to attend to a few matters. Don't run off until I give you permission to do so."
"How dare you," he growled.
"I don't dare, Hiei. I simply do," The elf responded candidly. With that she turned, thrust the door open, and walked out.
Hiei stared at the empty space for a long moment, trying to process what happened. This… this was not the Mîrvana he remembered. A lot of time passed, but everything about her was removed and cold. Six months… she was here six months… the six months he spent coming to a reasonable place with himself, six months spent getting to know Simran, six months… and nothing from her. Not only did she ignore him, she waited for an opportunity to seize power, and now what? Revenge? Is that what this was? Was this her purpose, to exact vengeance for his wrong-doings against her?
Hiei gripped the top of the chair tightly. Mîrvana was back, and she wanted nothing to do with him. That, he could accept. He could deal with it. But he would not allow or accept her to run over him or his home.
"Papa?"
Hiei sharply looked up to see Shana standing in the doorway. Her gaze was locked on his hand and he looked down. His grip cracked the wooden arch and his blood was trickling down the back, staining the fabric with a deep purple. Shana rushed over, and he let her take his hand. She forced him to sit as she wiped the blood away and began to take out the splinters.
"Are you okay?" she asked tentatively. Shana must have overheard the encounter.
"Where's Simran?" he asked, diverting the question.
Shana sighed. "After the tournament Simran came back with us but Mîra tossed her out. Simran tried standing up to her, but well, Mîra is ruler of the Makai. Yukina didn't like it but she didn't have a choice."
"What else has she done?" Hiei demanded.
Shana bit her lip. "Not much. She was busy handling the aftermath of winning the tournament, and once she gained Mukuro's support everyone shut up about it publicly. It's still really tense out there."
"Did she come alone through the portal? Are there any other elves here?" He asked.
"No, not that we know of. Yusuke and Kurama are in Gondora handling Yomi and the other high political figures on her behalf."
"What does she want? Why is she here?"
"I don't know, Papa." Shana's hand paused before continuing to pull out a piece of wood. "Did you mean what you said?"
Hiei stared into his daughter's concerned violet eyes before looking away. "If she's here for revenge, I won't let her take it," he growled.
Shana didn't say anything after that.
~*0*~
Hiei avoided the elfin queen for the remainder of the day, and instead dealt with Murkama and checked in on his sister and other members of the fortress. He tried to get more information out of them regarding the new queen, but no one had anything new to offer. He spent the night in bed wide awake, wondering if she was plotting to kill him. He hoped that wasn't the case, but he didn't know what to do, or what to think. All he could do was confront her the next day, and force her to leave.
Hiei got out of bed before sunrise and dressed quickly. As he was making his way down to the dining room to get breakfast, he saw Maria in the hallway.
"Oh, Hiei-sama! Mîra-hime is looking for you. She asked me to tell you to meet her in garden courtyard as soon as possible." Good, now he didn't have to seek her out.
"I'll meet her there." Maria frowned at him, confused by his tone, but she bowed and went on her way. Hiei quickly ate breakfast and went out to the courtyard.
He found the elf walking slowly around the seasonal garden, now full of winter flowers and plants. The glowing petals and soft white and blue hues stood out in drastic contrast to her black, fur cloak. She was dressed in black from head to toe again but this time she wore a thick dress. With the hood of the cloak up, only her pale face and bright lavender eyes visibly revealed her to him. He felt a longing stir within him as she smiled warmly at one of the plants and bent over to sniff the flower's scent. Her cheeks became rosy and her eyes softened in a way he had not seen in a long time. He came to the garden with every intention to throw her out, but now, staring at her like this, he began to doubt his decision.
As Mîrvana raised her head back up, she noticed his presence. Immediately he saw her tense; her hands clutched together tightly and the warmth in her visage disappeared, replaced with neutral look and hard eyes. "Good, you received my message," she started as she walked towards him.
"What do you want, woman?" He growled.
The elf took a deep breath and said, "Well I thought that perhaps we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. There was a lot going on and I've had more time to digest everything."
"I don't want to talk," he stated.
She stared at him for a moment before asking, "You aren't the least bit curious as to what I've been doing for the past century and a half?"
Hiei looked down at a rustling noise to see a dark purple muzzle appear from behind the elf's skirts. The dragon. He was smaller than Hiei remembered from the fight, and was no bigger than a demon spider. Along his back were dark yellow spikes and his talons were yellow as well. He bared his small, thorny teeth at Hiei and without warning, Koku materialized, growling down at him. The lizard like dragon came out into the open, his thick tail swaying back and forth.
"You can't be queen with a dragon," Hiei said, looking back at her.
She smiled wryly, and her eyes seemed tired. "Yes, well, turns out I am. Sort of." She gestured to the rest of the gardens. "Shall we?"
Hiei turned and followed her, glancing back at Koku as she stared down the other dragon.
"His name is Dimitri by the way," the elf told him, glancing down at him.
He flickered his gaze up to her before focusing his gaze forward.
"Well, I guess I'll just… begin. After blowing up and destroying that wretched traitor Mitage," ah, so that's where those explosions came from. Hiei didn't know for sure, but he assumed it was her, "I returned home and claimed my crown. Unfortunately, human and elvish relations were deteriorating quickly. With the rise of human mages, and the depletion of Alyatavi resources from the Demon War, things were not good. The humans went for the Duirintavar first and we learned the humans had magic for binding dragon, and stopping our own spellcasters. With the quick fall of Duirintavar, and their sights set on Dûrtavar, we knew time was short. The elfin leaders decided to leave the mortal lands and go into the west, where our ancestors originally came from."
Mîrvana stopped and her eyes grew distant. Hiei gave her the moment. Hearing about her people's downfall was not pleasant.
"Then," she began softly. "We sealed away the treasures we could not carry with us with ancient magic and various traps and barriers. I led the troops at Alyatavar to make the last stand, and provide a distraction while the rest of our race escaped."
She turned to him, her now hard eyes staring into his. "Dimitri approached me twice before about joining with him. He was desperate since the humans hunted down the sky dragons and there were so few left. This time, the third time, in my desperate hour of need, I accepted." Her lips curled into a haughty smile. "The humans didn't know what hit them." She continued, her voice full of relish and satisfaction and her eyes glinting, "That day, I got revenge."
The dragon offered his power twice before and she accepted it to get revenge? Hiei felt there was a lot more to the story, but he didn't push. She turned away from him and began to walk slowly again.
"It didn't matter, taking the dragon. Once we were settled in the Grey Islands, we formed a council of nine with three representatives from each elven country. The current rulers and Angulóce Tae automatically held two seats and the third was left for the people to elect."
So, she lost her sole power. Was that why she returned, to try and relive her time as a monarch? Hiei doubted that as her sole motivation. She always had deep, strong ties to her people.
"Why did you come here?" He asked.
She frowned, but did not look at him. "That's a discussion for another time."
So, she was avoiding the question. Hiei still didn't know whether or not he could trust her. If Kurama were in this situation, he would keep her around to try and get more information.
"What were the two other times the dragon came to you?"
Mîrvana stiffened. Her lips pulled into a thin line, she responded, "The first was when my husband, Sigmundr died. The second is when his son, Eileifr died."
Husband? Son? …of course she remarried. She was strong, beautiful, and a queen.
His hand went to his chest and felt the long cold gem against his chest. He wondered if that was the day it went cold. He remembered it distinctly. He was bathing in the fortress after returning from a long trip and decided to use the tub and soak. From time to time, in moments of weakness and yearning, he used the bathing lotions and perfumes she left behind as a reminder of her scent. He took off his necklaces to clean them, but once he put them back on, the gem felt…empty. There was always a presence to Mîrvana's magic, a chi that was unrecognizable but unmistakably hers. In the four years after her departure, the presence of her magic gave him hope. But that day, when he put the necklace back on, it was as cold as the dead.
"It was a political marriage," she explained. "A way to try and keep peace between my people and the humans. It worked well enough for a time but after Sig's death…"
"How long were you together?" Hiei asked quietly.
She hesitated before responding. "Around 25 years."
"And you raised this child, when?"
"Eileifr was born a few months before Sig died. He was ill and died before his time," she responded quietly.
"Did you have more children?" He asked.
"No, but we tried for years."
Years? Hiei felt something in him twist and break. He looked up at her and scowled, "So you're telling me, that despite everything you told me, as soon as you leave you turn around and marry a human and immediately spread your legs for him?" he spat with disgust. He ignored the shocked look on the elf's face and pressed on. "Was everything you told me a lie for the sake of revenge?"
"What?!" The elf gasped. "Hiei, of course not! Everything I said to you was true, but my marriage to Sig was different."
"Did you tell him that you loved him too?" He snarled.
"What? Yes, I grew to love him after-"
"Don't toy with me woman," he snapped.
"I'm not toying with you!" She exclaimed. Hiei realized she was unraveling; her eyes were wide with confusion. This was a sight she would never allow him to see before. It was pitiful.
"Hiei, I- please, you need to just listen. Just as a fell in love with you I also grew to love Sig. I never toyed with you or your affections."
"I don't want to hear your lies anymore woman! You replaced me with a human who is so far beneath your stature that-"
Hiei suddenly felt the wind knock out of him and his back seared with pain as is slammed against a tree. Coughing he looked up to see Mîrvana's narrowed eyes boring down on him, cold and dark.
"Say what you want about me. Call me a whore, a liar, a piece of trash. I can defend my honor. But don't you dare, don't you ever dare to speak of Sigmundr in that manner. He was a man among boys, and the greatest wizard of his time. You will NOT besmirch his name in your petty attempts to regain honor!"
"You dare question my honor?" Hiei spat.
Mîrvana's eyes ignited as she snarled, "Says the man who abandoned me."
Hiei's world stopped. He stared at her wide eyed as she breathed deeply, trying to contain her rage. "Abandoned?" he echoed.
"You heard me," she said heatedly. Hiei could only stare at her, trying to understand. He never abandoned her. He would never abandon any of his kin, not when he was abandoned himself.
Mîrvana threw her arms out, as if speaking to a large crowd. "And now he has no answer! No snarky response, no insults that would normally warrant my sword through your gut."
Hiei stared at her evenly. "I want you to leave," he said.
"I'm not going anywhere. Get used to it," she snapped.
Hiei did the only thing he knew he could do at this point: he disappeared, leaving his ex-mate in the barren, cold, orchard.
Hi everyone! See, I live! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until this point I wanted to keep it all in Hiei's POV but it got a lot harder to do, so I decided to switch things up. I look forward to all of you seeing Mira without Hiei around. If you liked the chapter, please leave a review! Every time I get one it's further motivation to keep going! Special shout out to bubbles whose review got my butt in gear ;) Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers!
Translations:
Angulóce Tae: Dragon Keeper
