Rook was openly intrigued by what his Roi du Poison was doing with his fellow housewardens. It was something very big, and so openly fascinating that he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the change it made in his beloved Queen. Vil was dazzling enough on a good day, but whenever he went to discuss this mysterious deal he was making with the others...well, he changed in a subtle way that made it clear he was heading to war.

Everyone knew that Rook was descended from the great Huntsman who was sent to find Snow White and bring her heart to the Queen. What they didn't know was the other half of his lineage. The one he rarely spoke about, for it wasn't the sort of thing one mentioned in polite company.

For while his mother descended from the Huntsman, his father was a far more...interest matter.

It was clear to his expert eyes that Vil Schoinheit was a mafioso...a real one. And that his flames burned so brightly that it drew him like a moth to his light.

Rook knew that he still had a chance to drop the matter, and forget the entire thing. The thing was...he didn't want to. He had heard whispers of something called 'Harmony' and of belonging to someone so deeply that it went soul deep. It was something he had picked up trying to find his birth father.

Which was why Rook waited until the right time to approach his Roi du Poison about the matter.

"What do you want Rook? I have no time for your idle flattery," said Vil.

"Roi du Poison, you wound me to the quick!" said Rook. "And here I was hoping you would take to my ah, sunny...disposition."

Vil's instincts must have told him something, because he slowly turned from his paperwork to look at him. The expression on his face was most bemusing to behold.

"What did you just say?" he said slowly.

Rook didn't know what made him do it. He knew of the Vindice and their laws, after much trial and error. Fortunately in a realm of magic no one would look any deeper to the deep golden flames in his right hand.

Vil's face became one of shock for a brief moment, before understanding filled his eyes.

"How did you know?" he demanded. "I thought I had kept that tapered down to the point no one would notice, especially anyone from that side."

"My dear Roi du Poison, it was obvious to me you knew of Flames," said Rook. "Though it wasn't until recently I became certain of it."

"How does someone descended from the line of the Hunter know about flames in the first place? I thought mirror travel to that realm was restricted."

"My father," said Rook. "I've been trying to find him with limited success for years, and it's lead me to the Cosa Nostra. Someone was ah, polite...enough to explain them to me after some questioning."

Vil snorted at that.

"You mean you tortured it out of them. Most mafioso have the sense to keep their mouth shut for obvious reasons. If I were to say Omerta..."

"Vindice," said Rook without hesitation. That had been one thing he had picked up after a great deal of annoyances. "You are planning to enter that society as a power in your own right. I want in."

"You want to join up to find your birth father," said Vil.

"That and to witness your rise to glory, my beloved Roi du Poison! The peace between the realms is so dreadfully boring, but I never tire of watching you work."

Vil did his best not to roll his eyes.

"You realize if you do this, there is no backing out. I need a competent right hand and I don't feel like poaching him from the other two."

"But of course, Roi du Poison! My bow and my skills are yours to command...as are certain other things," said Rook with a lustful wink.

Vil felt a shiver go down his spine, but it was the sort of thing he had reluctantly ignored for years. He wasn't against bedding Rook in the least...he just didn't have time for frivolous romance. Not if he wanted to challenge the Vongola at their own game and expect to come out alive. Rook was very easy on the eyes and unlike Hayato was more likely to occupy his bedchamber himself rather than indirectly cock-block him constantly.

Vil had been ready to strangle Hayato after the fifth time the fool had chased off his partner with his slavish loyalty and proclaiming no one was good enough for his "Boss".

Rook looked at Vil expectantly, and was pleasantly surprised when Vil touched his golden flames without hesitation.

There was a brief tension between them...a subtle dance that had Rook's eyes close in delight. Then it felt like a bubble bursting and warmth flooding his veins into the very core of his soul, sweeping away all the insecurities and doubts he had about himself, filling the holes built over a lifetime.

It felt like coming home in the best way possible, and it explained why so many had spoken so wistfully of this... harmony. Rook almost felt drunk on it.

Once he was able to come off the sudden high of finding his Sky, Vil looked at him.

"I'm going to need a name if you want me to help you locate your birth father."

"Oh how dreadfully forgetful of me," said Rook, still deep in harmony. "His name is Renato Sinclair."

Rook was taken aback when Vil knocked his glass on the floor.

"What?" said Vil incredulous

"That was the name he gave my mother anyway, after several pleasant nights," said Rook. "He said something about potentially recapturing the moment, but my mother met my father and they were unaware I wasn't his until I first manifested my flames. It was a rather awkward month."

"Are you telling me that you're the son of him?" said Vil.

Rook came off his high to properly look at his Queen.

"Is that a problem?"

Vil sat down hard, his face incredulous.

"Out of all the Suns I had to run into this far away from that society, it had to be his son," said Vil. "He's never going to let me hear the end of this."

Rook stared at him.

"Who?"

"Reborn," said Vil, too shaken. "I should have known my luck would pull this one on me."

"Wait... you know where my father is?"

"Not at the moment, but it would be child's play to get his attention. Knowing him, if there was a chance he had actual progeny he would come out of the woodwork much like Vanrouge does to scare people. That troll would probably get along with that faerie far too well and get off on the pranks they could play," said Vil wistfully. "This explains why you're so good at hunting. Being related to the Huntsman and the World's Greatest Hitman would give anyone a major boost."

After all this time, not only had he found a Sky that understood him, but his actual father was being dropped in his lap with a shiny bow on top. Fate really did work in mysterious ways.

Vil woke up slowly. He remembered the night before, and Rook coming to his room, but the rest was a bit hazy. It took him exactly two seconds to register there was another person in his bed, and that it was his recently bonded Sun.

More important was the slight creeping pain in his backside...and the multiple bite marks along his body.

"Good morning, Roi du Poison," purred Rook.

"Rook...how the hell did you convince me to sleep with you?" said Vil. There wasn't as much bite to it as he liked, but it was suitable for what he needed.

Rook stared at him, his too green eyes glinting with mischief that was all too familiar to Vil.

"Why Roi du Poison, I merely convinced you that you needed to relax a bit! You were so exhausted you weren't thinking straight... I did nothing you were unwilling to do!"

Vil glared at him.

"Rook, if I had been in any way unwilling to get laid, you would have known in short order...as would have the rest of the dorm. Your father is a demon when it comes to training and exhaustion wouldn't have kept me from expressing my... displeasure...at the idea in spades," said Vil flatly.

Seeing the intrigue in Rook's eyes, Vil rolled his own. He was feeling particularly lazy today, and if Rook had managed to coax him into his bed, then he definitely needed a day off.

Seeing the look in Rook's eyes, Vil threw caution to the winds. They didn't have class today and if they had already slept together there was little point in holding back.

Rook's eyes gleamed with an all too familiar glint. Vil was tired of being cautious, and just wanted to feel.

The next morning...

Everyone knew what had happened. However the students of Pomefiore knew better than to say anything, because their house warden would make their lives hell.

They knew the other dorms viewed Pomefiore as the house of the vain, pretty people who were only good at poisons and sweet talk. Only those in the dorm knew of Vil's demon side. Those that earned his ire learned to fear it, because he had some rather...spartan training methods. He would not tolerate less then their absolute best. In grades, in appearance, or in behavior.

So seeing Vil looking far more relaxed and allowing minor things go with a slap on the wrist (for him), and Rook's all too smug look...well, it was fairly obvious the hunter had finally slept with the housewarden.

It was about time, as Vil was increasingly more difficult to be around the more stressed he got.

They weren't the only ones to notice.

"You look like the cat that finally got some cream," said Leona.

"I don't ask about what you're doing with Ruggie, you don't ask about me and Rook," deadpanned Vil.

Leona snorted at that.

"I'm not complaining...you've been chomping at the bit for a while now," said Leona.

"Creating a new domain isn't as easy as some think. There's entirely too much paperwork involved, and never mind having to garner allies," said Vil.

While Leona's family was all too happy to support him, Vil wasn't stupid enough to rely on just that as their main source of income. He wanted them to be entirely self-sufficient, even when it came to food.

And in order to be recognized as a legitimate kingdom in their own right, they needed allies from already established ones.

In order to do that, they needed something that they could use as incentive for the other countries to acknowledge them. Something unique to them.

To that end, Vil had a rather...unique plan.

He was going to make their kingdom the go-to capital for the entertainment industry. He wanted it to be bigger than Vegas and Hollywood combined. Azul could handle the gambling, Leona was the security, and Vil? Vil was going to head the biggest production company in the world.

Between magic and flames, they could produce special effects the likes no one had seen before. Computers could only do so much and you could always see the difference in CGI.

The problem was creating something like that took work, knowledge and more importantly recognition. Vil could make as much cash as he needed (without having to forge any of it)...but recognition among the bigger players took ages.

Leona snorted. It really wasn't his business, he just wanted to rile up Vil.