human
Prisca:  To mock the dead, and dead relatives at that—Prisca winced. It wasn’t due to anger at Lamia’s remark. She was just irritated that, for once, she completely agreed with her sister. Indeed, thus far, Prisca was in total agreement with Lamia. She shared her disdain for their more cowardly siblings, as well as those who had been incinerated when they tried to take up the sword. And she, too, had briefly considered immediately making her first move of the Rite against her most hated sister. Most hated, of course, not so much because the two didn’t get along, but because Prisca had judged Lamia to be one of her most dangerous enemies. She had no doubt that Lamia was among those whom she would want to eliminate most swiftly. There was, however, another, even more deadly foe. Namely…
gpt
Lamia:  “Our beloved brother, Vincent Abelks.”
human
Prisca:  “You never cease to be the most unpleasant woman…”
gpt
Lamia:  “I think I’ll take that as a compliment.” Lamia smiled triumphantly, having all but read Prisca’s mind.
human
Prisca:  Prisca felt the bile rise in her throat when she saw the barely concealed viciousness that rested deep in Lamia’s eyes. At least it appeared that she was not the only one struggling to endure the humiliation of talking to the sister she hated most without letting it turn into an outright duel to the death.
gpt
Lamia:  “The only way to stand a chance against our brother Vincent is to work together. And as long as I have to work with someone, I see no point in choosing chaff and trash. If you’re going to take poison, who would pick anything but the strongest poison? And besides, I somehow suspect you agree with my assessment.”
human
Prisca:  “And that’s why you come to me with talk of alliances? Exactly the sort of underhanded scheme you would come up with.”
gpt
Lamia:  “Underhanded? I’m hurt. I wish you would say sly.”
human
Prisca:  “Sly—indeed. The perfect word for a vixen like you. I don’t object.”
gpt
Lamia:  Lamia laughed, emitting a sound like a tinkling bell; it was the laughter of someone who was sure that even here, her back was not against the wall. Sure, because her Pruning Force would ensure that Prisca could do no violence to her. It was her private army, recognized as the strongest among all the retinues in Volakia. It wasn’t as if the Pruning Force was surrounding Prisca’s mansion at that moment, of course—but its very existence posed a threat to her. She and Lamia might be speaking in solitude, just the two of them, and this might be Prisca’s home—but the sisters were certainly not on equal footing. Lamia might look defenseless, but she was anything but, and she knew it.