After gaining the loyalty of the Centaurs, Visara next went to the Mer and Sirens. Like the Centaurs, the two races were targeted by the Fae and humans. After Visara released the centaurs from their slavery in the mines, security was upped on all the other slave creatures. Unlike the Centaurs, the Mer and Sirens weren't being used for physical labour. Instead, once their powers were removed, the Mer and Sirens were mostly sold into prostitution. Brought by pimps and locked in brothels or by rich lords to be sex slaves in their estates. The Mer and Sirens were seen as a status symbol. That made freeing all of them all the more difficult. Visara ventured alone to find the free Mer and Sirens that had banded together to plan the rescue of their brothers and sisters. To this day, no one knows the location of where Visara found the Mer and Sirens. It was a secret she kept with her. At first, they went to kill her as they did with all those who got too close. However, she did not fall under the spell of the Siren's songs or the hypnotising beauty of the Mer. They soon came to realise it was Visara who stood before them. Having heard stories of her efforts in freeing the centaurs, they asked for her help. Swearing that if she worked with them to free all Sirens and Mer from the captors, they would pledge their loyalty to her.  After spending hours negotiating a deal with the Siren Queen and Mer King, a blood oath was made.

Visara did not use the same destructive approach to free the Waterfolk that she used when freeing the centaurs. She was much too clever for that. She would sneak into brothels carrying Siren's tears and lots of money. She would buy time with a Waterfolk creature. When they were alone, she gave them the Siren's tear, healing all their wounds. The wounds that stopped their magic from working. For Mer, the eye that had been ripped out would regrow. Making them once again enchantingly beautiful. For the Sirens, it would fix their tongues and mouths allowing them to once again sing. It was then that she would allow the healed Waterfolk to take their revenge on those who owned them. After that, she would smuggle them back to the lakes and move on to another estate or brothel. It took nearly two years but in that time Visara freed most of the Waterfolk still alive. Once all their brothers and sisters were free, they pledged themselves to Visara completely.

The Sirens became her Second Army.

The Mer became her Third.

Fallon watches through the small vent. She takes soft, quiet breaths and dares not make a move in case of making a sound to alert anyone of her presence. She sits in a passage that Illyana had shown her. A passage which leads into one of the healing rooms that do not show on the newer castle building plans. The fact that the passage leads to one of the many healing rooms is not what makes this narrow tunnel special, however. About halfway down the tunnel, a small black grate sits on the stone wall. It looks over the council chambers. The room it looks into isn't huge but isn't small either. It is circular in shape with great pillars rising up to the golden carved ceiling. The walls are all white marble with torches hanging on golden candelabra's that sit on the walls. More, free-standing, intricately carved candelabra's sit around the room and a large oak circle table sits in the centre of it. The vent that Fallon looks through it high up on the wall. Almost at the ceiling. Though it is high above the ground, the circular shape of the room and smooth walls means that any sound could easily echo.

She looks down to the table. She has only been in the room a few times. It is the place her father conducts all royal business and has all his meetings on how the country is run. No place for her or her sisters. He sits at the table now. As the table is circular, there is no head of the table. That being said, her father sits on a bigger chair decorated with yet more gold. He talks with his High Council. The five men sit closely together almost opposite him, leaving big gaps on either side between himself and the other council members.

It is Councilman Leander Drake, Kristoff's repulsive father, who speaks.

"Sir Jago has had his men tear the villages beyond the flatlands apart. He believes that the Princess was helped across one of the great fjords by a ferryman who fled upon questioning. It is believed she was offered accommodation and food in one of the villages around the fjord but has found no trace of her. He believes that the Princess was long gone by the time they got there." Fallon licks her lips nervously, wondering how many homes were torn apart and family members injured during this search for her sister. The Red Guard are not known for their kindness.

"Why did it take them so long to catch up?" The King asks in a cold, calm voice. Fallon's eyes fall on him. He wears his usual robes made up of the finest embroidered fae silks in colours of silvers and blacks. Around his neck hangs various chains and his fingers are lined with large jewel-encrusted golden rings. His usually pale skin seems to be whiter than normal and slight purple bags sit underneath his green eyes. Though his black hair is neatly brushed around his head and the crown sits proudly on his head, it cannot hide the hint of tiredness in his features. Nor does it hide the slightly baggier clothes. Fallon isn't the only one who has noticed her father's tired appearance. Nor is she the only one to notice that fact that his large appetite for all the finest foods has shrunk.

"As the Ferryman refused to help them it was decided it was best to take the long path around the mountains to reach the villages. Making a raft to fit all of his men would have taken to long and put them at a higher risk of injury should the raft have not held." The King nods but by the light from on his face, Fallon can tell he isn't pleased.

"Once they reached the villages, they searched every house and interrogated every person."

"What damage was inflicted?" the King asks.

"A couple of burned down homes, a broken bone here and there," Councilman Drake shrugs. Fallon narrows her eyes. She has no doubt that there was more devastation than the Councilman is letting on.

"They found nothing," he continues. "The villagers don't seem to be a fan of the monarchy. The ferryman who helped the Princess seemed to have fled also." The room goes silent before the King lets out a long sigh.

"So they couldn't get any information out of a bunch of farmers?" he asks and though he doesn't raise his voice, there is a stern coldness too it.

The Councilman licks his lips before opening his mouth to speak.

"Sir Jago managed to get something from a farmer in the last village. He saw a woman escorting a younger woman on a large horse to the river that leads out of the village during the early hours of the morning. It turns out that the woman was Emmaline Druvrick, a Lupine who has been living in the village since she escaped from this castle a couple of decades ago. He also discovered that she was the mother of the ferryman who helped the princess?"

"Where are they now?" the King asks.

"Gone. The Red Guard were shown their home, their place of business and their farm. When they got there they could find nothing. Sir Jago decided to press on with the information that was given to him about the Princess. Upon following the river away from the village, they found tracks leading from the water after a few miles. Matching the size of a Warhorse. They now follow the trail."

The King sighs and nods his head.

"How hard is it to find a girl who has never even been out of the city?" he growls and thumps the table. He closes his eyes and brings his hands to press at the bridge of his nose.

"What do we do with the village?" he asks.

"What do you mean?" Councilman Drake asks.

"They harboured a Lupine criminal for decades. They need to be made an example of," he tells them as though it was obvious.

"Well," Councilman Drake stutters. "Most of our soldiers are out searching the country for the Princess."

"I want the village destroyed," he interrupts. There is silence in the room and even Fallon lets out a small gasp.

"My King," it is the Councilman of Medicine and Healing, Emlyn's father, who speaks out.

"If you tear apart a village, it will only direct more toward favouring the Princess," he tells him.

"Not if we blame it on her," the King says.

"How?" The Councilman of Coin asks. "There is no way people are going to believe that one small girl can slaughter an entire village," he states.

The King says nothing and glares at the Councilman.

"Fine," he finally sighs. "Just kill them all and cover it up. Actually," he pauses as he sits up in his straighter with a frown. "Kill them all and blame it on a group of rebels. What is that fucking annoying bunch you have failed to capture called?" he smiles and asks Councilman Drake patronisingly. The councilman tries not to show any hint of annoyance at the question, but Fallon notices his jaw clench. The King sees it too and smiles, getting a kick out of aggravating the councilman.

"They are called The Knights of the Phoenix, your majesty," he replies curtly.

"Dumb fucking name," the King chuckles before looking around at his councilmen again. "Anyway, they are well-liked by a lot of the common folk aren't they?" He asks.

"Yes," the councilman replies. "They are a rebel group with a lot of connections all over Vivelle and a lot of followers. They have saved many people from bankruptcy by stealing from the nobles who actually earned their money," the councilman snarls. Fallon rolls her eyes. The Noblemen only got their money by being born Noble. "They're nothing but common criminals," the councilman spits. He obviously hates that he and his Red Guard have failed to capture any major leader of this nationwide group of bandits and thieves. Fallon finds it incredibly satisfying seeing the man bested by a few common criminals. 

The king smiles, obviously proud of his idea.

"Kill everyone in the village and blame it on them. Say that their fight with the monarchy does not end with me but anyone of the royals that get in their way. Say that even though they hate me, they would rather have me on the throne over a mad whore," he shrugs. "That way, we turn people against them and Illyana at the same time. If people see that is the punishment just for helping her, then they will refuse to do so. They may also begin to hate her if she continues seeking help after knowing what risk it poses to the people she claims she wants to protect," he grins. Fallon narrows her eyes and clenches her fists.

"Your majesty," the Councilman of Medicine and Healing speaks. He licks his lips nervously. "My mother lives in that village," he tells him with a slightly shaking voice.

The King looks at him coldly, his eyes narrowing. "Then she aided a criminal and must be punished," he says with no remorse in his hard voice. Emlyn's father freezes, his eyes widening.

The King ignores him and turns to Councilman Drake.

"For fuck sake, Leander," he says to the councilman. "Where is your boy?" he scoffs angrily. The Councilman is about to say something when the door opens.

Lord Kristoff walks in confidently wearing a blood-covered uniform of the Red Guard. His blonde hair is dishevelled and his face covered in faint traces of blood and mud. Fallon freezes. Kristoff was not meant to let out of the room for another few days. Cordelia said he still had to recover from Ilyanna's poison. Yet, he looks as though he's been travelling for days and been engaged in battle. He clearly had help. What was Cordelia playing at?

"Where the fuck have you been?" the king asks as the whole room stands.

"I am so sorry, your majesty," Lord Kristoff says as he bows deeply in front of the king.

"I travelled back as fast as I could as soon as the news reached me," he tells him. The King scoffs and shakes his head.

"Well don't even think about resting. I have a job for you." Kristoff nods his head.

Fallon continues to watch on as the King gives his instructions on slaughtering the village and how to pin it on The Knights of the Pheonix. Once the meeting is over, she rushes back through the castle. She finds Emlyn first, quickly telling him of the plan of killing those in the village, including his grandmother. He rushes off quickly. After talking to Emlyn, Fallon meets up with her sisters.

"We need to enter the city tonight," she tells them. "We need to spread the truth about fathers plan," she continues.

"But how are we going to stop the slaughter?" Rayana asks. Fallon shakes her head.

"We can't, Ray. I've told Emlyn about it, but I don't think he can do anything to stop. Lord Kristoff and some other soldiers have already left for the village," she tells them. Tears spring in Rayana and Shaelyn's eyes.

"But I thought we weren't going to let Kristoff out for a few more days whilst we got our plans together," Shaelyn says.

"Yes, that's what I thought too," Fallon replies, looking at Cordelia. Cordelia looks down, ashamed.

"I went to visit him as we planned. He decided it was time to make his appearance. That he was strong enough. He ordered me to get his uniform and to make it look as though he's been on the road for a while. I couldn't stop him," she sighs, looking down. Fallon frowns.

"Nevermind, we'll just have to adapt," she tells them. "Get your cloaks. We are going into the city tonight to tell as many people as we can of father's plan," she tells them. They all nod their heads, grabbing their cloaks and using the shadows of the castle to get to yet another secret passage this one leading into the city.

Once they are out, they separate into two teams of two. "You know the story?" Fallon asks the group again. The other three girls nod before Cordelia and Fallon go one way and Rayana and Shaelyn go another. Over the years, they have spent many a night visiting the city. They all have their own networks and their goal is to spread the rumour as much as possible.

The King has sent out Lord Kristoff and some of the Red Guard to a small village in the mountains. They helped Princess Illyana so he is slaughtering them for it to dissuade others from aiding her. He's going to blame it on The Knights of the Pheonix and claim they don't want madness to ascend the throne. Madness is already on the throne. It isn't in the form of a Queen. Instead, it is a King.