The Ashe Sisters
Verka reappeared in a deep subterranean cavern below Castle Ashe. It was dominated by a large pool of water that stretched down for what seemed like forever, and apart from a single door on one end of the cavern, there were no other exits. Magical lights hung from the ceiling, along with a few enchanted torches on the walls. In the pool, a rusalka was floating on the surface laying on her back, while two others were sitting at the water's edge.
"Lena!" Verka shouted, her voice echoing heavily in the cavern as she ran over to them. "Zoya! Tatiana!"
"Verka, what's going on?" One asked as she pushed herself up out of the water. "You look a bit frazzled."
"Zoya, there's been an incident involving the elves." Verka answered, her eye twitching slightly. "She's upstairs in my chambers right now with father."
"Who?" The rusalka who was floating on the surface of the pool asked, moving an arm so as to start drifting back to the shore.
"A teenage rusalka, she showed up out of Lake Votwe practically shaking with fear." Verka said, pacing. "Only speaks rusalki, seems to trust humans but hid behind father when she saw Vamir even though he was in a heap on the ground."
"A heap?" Zoya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He's been arrested. The Ashen Fist are ransacking the Embassy by now I imagine." Verka said, making a reasonable assumption.
"This sounds serious." The floating rusalka said as she bumped up against the one still sitting.
"It is, Lena." Verka answered, crouching down and helping her out of the water. "We need to agree on a course to be charted."
"What's Father said about all this?" Tatiana asked, kicking her feet in the water.
Verka sighed. She didn't agree with his decision, but he was the Moonfall Prince, which meant his word was law. "He's... put us in charge of the response. His words were clear."
"What did he say, exactly?" Lena asked. "I know you."
"He used the words. The binding words." Verka said, looking around to lock eyes with each one of them. "The protection of the race."
The sisters all looked around at each. Every one of them knew exactly what their father meant when he said that. What the elves had done was considered an act of war against the rus.
"Who's heading the military response?" Zoya asked.
"It's obviously me." Verka said, sneering at Zoya. "Amy's got some lovely gas weapons we can use."
"We're not poisoning the North, Verka." Zoya said, crossing her arms.
"Why not?" Tatiana asked, smiling evilly. "You know what they'd do to us if they could, even though we help them with their little war."
"No." Lena said, joining Zoya in opposing.
The gills on Verka's neck flared as she scowled at Lena. "I will not do nothing, and sit idly by as they dare disrespect our race!"
Zoya bared her teeth and hissed at Verka. "Just because you're the eldest it doesn't mean you decide alone!"
"Show me your strength!" Verka shouted in Rusalki, rushing Zoya. Verka tried to punch Zoya, but Zoya dodged and yanked on Verka's long hair.
Verka snarled and kicked Zoya in the torso, causing her to shout in pain and loosen her grip on Verka's hair. Taking advantage of the opening, Verka started punching the slightly shorter Zoya over and over in the torso, who responded with screaming but refused to relent her own assault.
"Lena..." Tatiana said carefully as she watched her older sisters viciously attack each other.
"I would snap your neck in an instant." Lena said calmly while not even looking over at Tatiana. "Are you in that much of a hurry to meet the Death God?"
"Understood." Tatiana replied, nodding. Lena was always the quietest of them, but there was a suppressed rage that bubbled behind her words that Tatiana always carefully tried to avoid. "You have a plan?"
"For the elves, or for these two?" Lena asked, her voice eerily calm despite the fight.
"First one, then the other?" Tatiana suggested, to which Lena shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
"Hundreds of arrests. Detain every elf in the Empire and force the Princess to come down here. If she comes down looking for a fight, which she will, we give her a thrashing she won't soon forget."
"We don't kill her?" Tatiana asked, to which Lena shook her head, and even Verka took notice, pausing a punch to Zoya's kidney.
"As vile as she is, she's worth more to both the rus and the Empire alive than dead." Lena continued, unphased. "Her actions have cemented her status as our greatest enemy since the Dawn King. However, Connor is the Emperor so official relations will be up to him and frankly aren't rusalki business."
"I don't care how useful she is, I still want her dead!" Verka snarled, hissing again.
"You were always such a difficult one." Zoya said, admonishing Verka as she struggled in the headlock Verka had her in.
"I was mother's favourite!" Verka shot back.
"And where did that get you? Covered in scars and a garbage disposal for dead enemies!" Zoya snapped, punching Verka in the stomach both figuratively and literally.