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I think she used all of them personally, but I thik she was sad over Nuka, because he actually did what he was trained for. Vitani and Kovu betrayed her.

Gah! I submitted my vote a bit late >_<
I think she was using both of them. I'm not sure about Vitani,
but I think she loved Kovu even if it was hardly there for she told the other lionesses
who were gonna attack him to 'let him go'. So I'm not sure what to think on this.
It was obvious she was insane with hatred and didn't care about either if she was gonna say,
'If you will not fight, then you will die as well' to her own child [Vitani this time].

I think the only think Zira loved was power, or possibly Scar.

She mostly just used Kovu. Vitani she may have liked, or at least trusted. I think she only "liked" either them because they were fighters for her "team". When Kovu stood up for Kiara, Zira spat at him and told him quite harshly to get out of the way. She no longer supported him because he was on the other "team".
And I think that's why she was so upset about Nuka's death. She lost a fighter that she felt she couldn't afford to loose.

In short, she may have loved them, but any liking was probably because they were on her side, and I think she mostly used them.
I hope that made sense.

Good point! What about Nuka? He was one of her children too!

...and at that point I'm also torn. Her eyes looked like she died a little inside when Nuka did. Maybe she lost it after that.
Maybe that's when she decided to use them. Or just not care so she didn't hurt anymore. *shrugs*