Last time on Spoils of War: Hiei returns to the fortress with Simran and discovers Mîra concocted a plan to increase the fortress' security while making her seem trustworthy and bolstering Hiei's position as ruler of the fortress. Later, Mîra asks an old, personal favor from him and he complies, wondering about her intentions in the fortress. Regardless on his undecided feelings towards Mîra, Hiei makes a decision about Simran.

Chapter 44: Purpose

Mîrvana scowled as she easily dodged another punch. This was too easy, and she was disappointed. She swung her arm effortlessly into the boy's gut and threw him to the ground, and Ryuji moaned in pain. She didn't pity him; hitting him straight in the gut with her fist was far worse that the blow she dealt him. Still, she clearly needed to go easier on him.

"Again," she said sharply.

Ryuji moaned dramatically. "Come on… maybe call it quits for today?"

As he spoke, Vana walked back to her starting position. When she was at a reasonable distance from him, she began the countdown. "Five."

With a great heave, Ryuji pulled himself to his feet. He groaned again, holding his gut, but he stood nonetheless. As she continued her countdown slowly, he began to stretch a bit before settling into a fighting stance, his fists raised in front of his face.

Good. Vana charged at him again and he darted out of her way. She spun around and effortlessly dodged his slow punch. He put too much force into the throw and she noted he was off balance. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she lunged for him and tackled him to the ground. She got up, dusted herself off, and stared down at him. "You overextended yourself and lost your balance. You should have known I was going to dodge that punch; instead, use a punch like that as a feint for a follow up attack that catches your enemy unaware," she explained.

He scowled up at her. "Can't we take a break? How can I learn anything if you're just beating the shit out of me?"

Vana narrowed her eyes at him. "Again!" she commanded. She walked back to her starting position and gave him some time to pull himself on his feet. In a way, Ryuji reminded her of Eileifr. For a moment, she imagined being back in Alyatavar's high rooms with open windows, a pleasant breeze running through the pristine magnificent hallways and rooms. She imagined Leif with his shaggy brown hair obscuring his bright blue eyes standing across from her, his arms crossed and an uncharacteristic frown on his face. She was always harder on him when they practiced magic dueling, and she could hear his irritated tenor voice in her ears: "Amil! Why are we doing this? I can't focus!"

Vana cocked her head as Ryuji finally got ready. "Here's a good lesson for you, Ryuji." He perked up for a moment, but then she came at him. "Now is the time that you push!" She let him dodge her punch and she deflected his counter attack. He came at her again, and she saw his leap and kick coming with plenty of time to dodge. "Now is the time that counts!" she instructed as he kicked the air in the space she used to be. From behind him, she swung her leg around and kicked him in the side, sending him to the ground once again.

She stared down fiercely into his tired brown eyes. "Now is the time when you hone your strength! Anyone can win a fight when they are at 100%! But those who can push and persevere when they are hurt, tired, and wounded, those that survive, that's what marks good fighters from the great ones. That's the difference between life and death."

She let her words sink in and then Ryuji's face hardened and he nodded at her. Good. This is what the boy needs; what Hiei and Yusuke neglected to instill in him. With renewed purpose, Ryuji pulled himself to his feet and they began sparring again. Vana noted his attacks were more accurate and, while he was weaker than she expected, she didn't have to hold back nearly as much as before.

Purpose was important. It gave the individual spirit something to strive towards and provided a sense of belonging in the world. As Queen for many years, her purpose, drive, and passions were all devoted to making her lands safe and her people prosperous. She trained soldiers, checked in on upcoming magi and apothecaries, and consulted with the tradesmen all for the sole purpose of ruling properly, as any god monarch should. Here in the fortress, watching Ryuji languish about was irritating and she decided it had gone on for long enough. After their many discussions, she realized that he was wandering aimlessly. It was clear that Hiei had no plans for him, and, considering Ryuji had no interest in being with his father for the moment, she took it upon herself to mold the boy. As an experienced leader, she saw his weaknesses easily and became determined to rectify them.

What else was she going to do around the fortress anyway?

Vana began considering when she should end the match. After this match they could discontinue for the day and allow him to reflect on the day's lessons. She could spend the rest of her day with Yukina, relearning the inner workings of the fortress, or down in her old potions room and unpack everything. The thought of returning to the room sent a chill down her spine, and the involuntary shiver caused her to misstep and Ryuji nearly landed his kick. She narrowly dodged and after a few moments, her mind began wandering to back to the days' itinerary. Going back down to the potions room did not seem like a good idea today… Now that winter was beginning to subside she could always begin reviewing the gardens. Hmm…

Vana felt a certain heat begin to prickle on the back of her neck that soon spread over her, as if she entered Fealóce's temple. Whenever she entered the temple she could feel the dragon's strength emanating from every inch of the temple's cavern, but it wasn't threatening or a boastful announcement of power. Instead it simply existed within the space and the magnitude was aweing and terrifying at the same time. But unlike Fealóce's fire, the strength creeping over Vana was prickling and teetering on the edge between threatening and reassuring. It felt volatile and almost uncontrollable, as if it was going to burst any second. Her heart sped up and she felt anticipation grow within her. Perhaps to some this was disconcerting, but, to her, the feeling was absolutely thrilling. She glanced around past Ryuji but didn't see anything. As she deflected another punch, she saw the black blur out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, her jaw exploded in pain and before she knew it she was lying on the dirt of the training arena.

She blinked for a few second to get her bearings and then slowly pushed herself up so she was sitting, her tongue greeted with the familiar salty taste of her blood. Holding her throbbing, bloody jaw in her hand, she looked up at Ryuji, who was staring down at her jaw-slacked in complete shock. He clearly hadn't been expecting to hit her square on, and she should have never given him the opportunity. How utterly embarrassing!

Vana wiped the blood off her chin with the back of her hand and ruefully grinned up at Ryuji, who now looked down at her terrified. "Well, I think we both learned a suitable lesson today. Shall we discontinue for the day?"

"Are-are you okay?" he croaked out.

"Oh, I've had worse," she shrugged. It was true. When it came to fists, Yusuke's punches hurt far more than anything Ryuji could deal at the moment. As far as injuries went overall, it didn't come close to the time she earned the scar on her face. Ancestors, she thought she was going to die when that sword came down… but that was a long time ago. Ryuji's punch took her by surprise and landed in the right place, that was all. As she began to pull herself on her feet, Ryuji scrambled towards her and helped her up. She didn't need it but she didn't want to push the boy away and have him think that she was cross with him.

After stretching her arms for a moment, she put a hand on Ryuji's shoulder. "You did well today. Think about what I said."

Ryuji nodded hesitantly, "All right… you sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry, it looks worse than it feels," she reassured him. "I'll make sure to get it cleaned up right away." Vana turned her attention away from Ryuji to her left where Hiei was now standing.

For a moment, he seemed like an intimidating statue with his arms crossed and his red eyes boring into her. But then he broke his stance and walked towards them, and Vana wasn't sure what to think. She was excited to see him again, especially since she hadn't excepted him to be back so soon. After he took care of her spider problem, he called upon her a few times before setting out again on the gang's trail. They were in an amicable state, and she was hoping that they could actually become friendly again. That was all she could hope for, at this point. But seeing him, standing in front of her with his red, piercing eyes unreadable as ever, she wasn't sure if he felt the same anymore. Clearly, he was not pleased.

"Hey, Gramps! You're back!" Ryuji grinned, clapping his uncle on the shoulder. "Did you see me lay into her?"

"I did," Hiei responded flatly. "She was distracted." Vana's cheeks flushed. He noticed? Now she was even more embarrassed, feeling like a young elf whose crush caught her staring from across the gardens.

Ryuji seemed to deflate a little, the brightness and pride in his eyes blinking away. "Oh… well, yeah I guess…" he said.

"It doesn't matter whether or not I was distracted," Vana boldly interjected. She stared straight into Ryuji's unsure eyes and said, "What matters is that you saw an opening and took advantage of it. You did well today." He smiled and perked up a little bit, but it was evident that Hiei's dismissal hurt.

"We need to talk," Hiei said to her in a low voice. Any excitement Vana held for seeing Hiei again dissipated. He was angry with her again… what did she do this time? Ignoring the sinking feeling in her gut, and the urge to just run back to her room, she forced a smile to Ryuji. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah… good to have you back, Gramps." His light joke felt forced and Vana hated it. As Ryuji walked away from them she glared down at Hiei. The sight of his unwavering, cool, gaze reflected back. With them standing so close, she realized he was a bit taller than she remembered; his chin now rose above her breast line and his natural gaze would have settled on her throat. While she appreciated knowing that her neck may not cramp as bad as it used to from staring down all the time, she didn't like him being angry with her. The heat around her seemed to vibrate for a moment and then suddenly disappeared, as if he wasn't standing in front of her at all.

Hiei took a step back and his gaze traveled to the large welt on her jaw. "You need to get that cleaned." Without another word, he turned and began walking back towards the fortress. She simply stared at his back, unsure of what to do, when he turned to her and motioned for her to follow him. She stalked over to the weapons rack where she left Víraserce and attached it to her hip as she followed him.

As they silently walked through the corridors Vana began to feel more and more tired with each step. Every time Hiei was in the fortress they fought. Every time he left she foolishly regained hope that they would reconcile and become friends again, if nothing else. She dared not even hope for his affections again; it was too painful to think about. Vana heard Dimitri begin to hum in the back of her mind, as he tended to do when she was distressed, and so she focused on the flanging of his tones and simply walked, turning off the thoughts in her head.

Hiei led her to his office and she sat down in front of his desk. Maria was already waiting for them with ice and bandages and immediately set to work. The maid fussed at her, and Vana responded cordially but her words didn't really matter. She noted that Claudia brought in food and two pitchers, presumably water and wine. When Maria finished, Hiei was pouring water into a goblet and he set it down towards her before pouring another goblet with wine. She quickly downed the water, thirsty from her exercise with Ryuji earlier, and took the wine goblet as soon as he set it down. She leaned back in her chair and decided to put on her "court" appearance—one of neutrality but authority.

Hiei's actions were confusing. He was angry with her, but he was serving her food and drink as if he was never angry to begin with. He clearly wanted to talk to her about something, and perhaps it wasn't about her. Perhaps he was angry about his investigation and merely took out his frustrations on her and Ryuji. It was uncalled for and unacceptable, but still a possibility.

Hiei sat down after drinking some water himself and kicked his legs up onto the desk, reclining in his chair. It was a relaxed posture for him, and one clearly intended to help dampen the tense atmosphere between them. He stared at her his eyes and face devoid of any hints as to what was racing through his mind. Eventually, the quiet between them began to grate on Vana's nerves. Why call her here if he had nothing to say? Well, if he didn't have anything to say, she certainly did.

"You were cruel to Ryuji earlier. That was rightly his victory and you stole his moment." Her words came out colder than she expected but she did not take them back. Her jaw throbbed at the movement but she ignored the pain.

Hiei scowled at her. "You have no business pushing him like that. He's not a fighter."

"Not a fighter?" she scoffed. Rolling her eyes, she took a sip of the wine. It was a nice white wine, cool and refreshing, despite mixing a bit with the blood in her mouth. She made a note to thank Claudia later before continuing, "Fighting is in his blood. He's far too weak for his own good and that of his father's."

Hiei inhaled deeply and curled his fingers around the armrest tightly like claws digging into flesh. He stared at her for a long moment, his red eyed simmering. In a controlled voice he said, "His blood doesn't matter. Only his will."

"His will? Do you think that I would force him to do something against his will?" She snapped indignantly. "I am only training him because you have neglected to do so yourself! He's your ward; it's your responsibility to ensure that he's living up to his fullest potential and you're ignoring him."

Hiei's leg's swung down so quickly from the desk that she almost missed the motion. He did not stand but he sat closer to the desk and leaned in threateningly. "You have only known him for three months. I have known him for years."

Vana narrowed her eyes and leaned in to challenge his gaze. "Then why is he so weak?" she hissed.

"He is not weak, his strengths lie in other areas," Hiei growled at her.

"What areas?" Vana snapped. "What are you using him for? What is he doing here?" When Hiei didn't respond, she pulled back and stood.

"He worships the ground you walk on and you continuously push him aside. He feels that you don't even like him because of what's going on with Shana, and it's not like that comment earlier helps convince him otherwise." Hiei leaned back, his eyes darting away from her, but she wasn't finished yet. "If you won't mentor him, I will. I won't allow him, or Shana, to be unprepared and weak because of your negligence." With that, she turned and began to march out the room.

"Wait."

Vana stopped, door knob in hand. She paused, took a deep breath, and glanced behind her. Hiei was standing tensely with his hands curled at his sides. Maybe it was the tightly controlled frown on his face, or the uneasiness in his eyes, but whatever it was about his demeanor, it caused her to release the handle and slowly walk back to her seat. She stared at him impassively as she sat and crossed her legs, waiting patiently for him to speak. In just this half hour, he had transitioned from swirling anger to an uneasiness. This was a vulnerability that he did not expose lightly, and for that reason alone she was willing to wait and give him another chance to speak his mind.

He said nothing for the moment, so she studied him as he refilled her water glass. He gestured towards the wine, but she declined with the wave of her hand. He sat slowly and he appeared so much older to her; the weight of all his burdens made his face seem tired and his eyes distant. It was a look she was unaccustomed to seeing on him, and it made her uncomfortable. What was troubling him so much? Was it the gang case? Vana was already working with Mukuro on locating the gang's base of operations, while Hiei and Simran continued to chase down names, locations for drops, and motives. It was a struggle, but both Mukuro and Kurama indicated there seemed to be something personal about the case to Hiei that he refused to share.

The distance from his visage lifted and he looked younger again, his burdens pushed aside. As he relaxed his beautiful red eyes settled on her and she felt herself fall under an old spell, but one that she welcomed. Did he know what it was like to feel him walk into a room? His fiery aura radiated from him in quiet waves as he stared at her. Earlier it felt like his aura would erupt at any time, but now it was subtle in a way that was soothing and relaxing. Oh, how she longed for his calloused fingers to merely hold her hand and allow her to feel his natural heat sink into her body.

Vana looked away from his intense stare, drinking more water before her thoughts carried away. Those days were long ago. Now there was someone else who received his touch.

"We," he started slowly, "are fighters. Killers. Survivors. Because we have to be. But, Ryuji, Shana, all of them. They don't." His low voice settled into Vana and she ignored the unsettled feeling that arose in her from his emphasis on killers. "Shana and Ryuji have responsibilities within the fortress. With their fighting, not much work is getting done and I won't force them to confront each other unless it's necessary. I need them to be capable. Beyond that it is their decision. "He paused and his features softened a little.

It was then that Vana realize that Hiei was speaking as a father: as a protector, a guardian, and a nurturer. The realization touched her, a mixture of pride and longing rising in her. She always knew he would be a wonderful father; he was always so caring and selfless with her when they were married. Even watching Hiei and Sakura interact now, she knew that he had grown into the role naturally without realizing it.

Vana sighed. "Then what would you have me do? I suggested training to Ryuji and he pounced on the idea."

Hiei's gaze went still, and she knew he was sorting through his thoughts. Eventually, he shared his conclusion. "I will speak with him later." Vana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Apparently speaking half or partial thoughts was still a habit of his. Back when they were married, there were days she could easily see through him and read him perfectly, but other times he was a complete enigma. She supposed that was one reason she was attracted to him, but his natural instinct to only say the smallest pieces of his thoughts was still quite annoying.

"How goes the investigation?" She asked casually, taking a sip of her wine and reaching forward for a snack. She didn't like anything that related to Simran and tried avoiding talking about her as much as possible, but the investigation was important.

His body tensed and his mouth pulled into a tight line. Wrong question, apparently. "Fine," he replied coldly. Then, eying her warily, he added, "I ended things with Simran."

He ended things? As in, they were no longer together? Her heart beat faster and while her first instinct was to cheer, she beat it down. Just because he broke up with his girlfriend didn't mean that he wanted Vana back. But still, there was a chance and she would allow herself a little piece of hope, at least.

A small silence settled between. She began wondering whether or not she should leave when he spoke, startling her. "How are things at the fortress? Gondora is quiet since you haven't done anything significant."

She wasn't sure if he was trying to provoke her intentionally, but his words stung at pride at the implication she was doing a poor job of ruling. "I'm waiting for tensions from the tournament to die down." While Hiei's territory seemed to accept her, she still received reports from Shana on talks of uprisings. It was hardly surprising, but there wasn't much she could do at the moment other than wait. "I am planning a meeting in Gondora with all the major demon rulers for an announcement in a month. Yukina and Kurama are making the arrangements but the goal is to see Ryuji's band play on their opening night and then a day or two later hold the meeting. Your attendance is required," she instructed. He grunted his acknowledgment.

She continued, "Additionally, working with Mukuro her has left a positive impact on those in her service. I'm optimistic about tensions being manageable enough for safe travel."

Hiei frowned at her and his eyes narrowed, which was his signal for confusion. She sighed, "I've begun working with Mukuro on finding the gang's location. We have a few good leads that we're investigating now."

Now he clearly looked confused and she held back a small laugh. Vana smiled at him and nonchalantly said, "Oh we're friends now." His frown deepened, suspicious of her words but she sent him a sugary smile. It seemed to have the effect she intended and he drew back, falling into deep thought—likely about what machinations the two of them could conjure, and what trouble that meant for him.

She and Mukuro had made jokes at Hiei's expense of that nature, but all in all Vana enjoyed working with the former King. When she first lived in the Makai, she hated the way Mukuro looked down on her as nothing more than a trophy from the war, small and insignificant. Vana looked back up at her and hated that she was free to rule as she wished, while Vana was chained to her marital bonds. But now, they were on equal footing and that, combined with time, seemed to heal the old rift between them.

Hiei stared at her hard, but then he relaxed, a smirk forming on his face. It seemed he found something to taunt her with in response to her new, suspicious friendship.

He nodded towards her, his eyes glinting, "It's not like you to be taken by surprise from someone so far beneath your skill."

Vana smiled wickedly at him. He was trying to play on her pride, which he knew would always illicit a response. Unfortunately for him, she was far better at this game. "Well," she started dramatically. She locked her eyes with his and continued in a low, flirtatious tone, "you were always effective in… distracting me." His cheeks flushed and for a moment, his eyes widened in surprise. Oh? Had he not realized that he was the reason for her distraction? Vana almost laughed out loud.

She stood slowly, making a show of it as she leaned forward and then up, accentuating her bosom. It worked and his eyes followed the curve of her movements before frantically returning them back up to her face. "You know, now that you're here for several days, we should spar again," she said nonchalantly. She turned and walked for the door. She opened it and then turned slowly to face him. His eyes were locked on her intensely, the attractive flush still on his cheeks.

"I do miss your expert swordsmanship," she purred. Her words had the desired effect on him, and his face deepened in color. But instead of looking away like he used to, he held her gaze and his smirk deepened at the challenge.

She kept his heated gaze for a touch longer and then exited the room. The rush of adrenaline from the banter and her heated body from the suggestive exchange left her in high spirits as she walked back to her quarters, a large grin on her face. It had been too long since she flirted with anyone, and her last attempts back home were embarrassingly disastrous. But with Hiei, she felt like she was reciting an old spell that she knew like the back of her hand. Still ginning as she passed a confused Honjo, she decided her goal for the next few days was to flirt with him as mercilessly, and deliciously as possible. It wasn't a task she expected, but one that she would devote all her energy towards with immense pleasure.

Originally, this chapter was going to talk more about Sig and Mîra's relationship but it sort of evolved on it's own for the better. I've been meaning to bring more of the fun and humor back into the story and this seemed like a perfect opportunity! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and thank you to all my readers and reviewers! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! :)