Disclaimer: I don't own the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Author's Note: Thank you as always to everyone who has read, followed, or favourited this story. I'd also like to thank Guest for your review. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and please feel free to review and tell me what you think. :)

Chapter Five: The Shaking Sickness

The next day, Artys decided to do some early morning training. He hadn't trained yesterday since he'd been out riding with Alyssa, so he had to make up the practice time. After all, the tourney was approaching, and if he truly wanted to win, he knew that he had to work for it.

After he'd put on his training gear, he left his chambers and starting walking down the steps of the Tower of the Hand.

"Artys?" A small voice said from behind him. "Are you going to train again?"

Artys turned, and saw Robert staring at him with those large, wide eyes of his. Artys didn't frown at the sight of his half brother, but he dearly wanted to.

"Yes," He said at last, trying not to sound as irritated as he felt. "I'm going to train now, actually."

"Oh, okay," Robert smiled at him. "Well, can I come then? I could get Alyssa."

This time Artys couldn't help it, he frowned at his brother. Robert looked so...hopeful, but Artys didn't want him to come. In his annoyance, he didn't notice how pale his brother was, or how weak he looked today. "Well...I don't think that's such a good idea." Artys told him, moving to turn away.

"But why not?" Robert asked him, a note of petulance entering his voice. "I want to watch you train. Please, let me come."

"Let you come where, Robert?" A new voice asked, and Artys turned back to see that his twin was approaching them. Unlike him, she gave Robert a smile, which he returned brightly.

"Oh, Alyssa, please say I can go," Robert said, looking at Alyssa imploringly. "Artys is doing training again, and I want to watch him."

"I said I didn't think it was a good idea, Robert." Artys said stiffly, and then he frowned at the reproachful look his twin shot his way.

"Artys, what's the matter? He only wants to watch, to support his big brother." Alyssa said, and Artys glared at her.

"His lady mother won't be pleased," He responded, turning a sharp look on Robert. "Why don't you run along now, Robert. Your mother will be worried."

"No, she won't, she's visiting lord Petyr," Robert said sullenly. "So can I come then?"

Before Artys could tell him no, Alyssa cut in. "Of course you can, sweetling. I'll come with you, okay?"

Robert's face lit up, and he hugged Alyssa. "Oh, thank you. I'll be good, I only want to watch."

Artys turned away from them sharply and heading down the stairs. He didn't look back at them, he simply headed to the training yard, not sparing a glance for either of them.

It had been two hours since she and Robert had followed Artys out here, and Alyssa was getting bored. Artys had initially been training with lances, but now, he was sparring with several other knights, and he'd swapped his tourney lance for a practice sword. Alyssa sighed as she watched him fight. Her brother was good with a sword, there was no denying it, but with the tourney so close, the sword should not have been what Artys was focused on.

"Alyssa?" Robert asked softly, tugging at her skirts. Alyssa looked down at him, giving him a small smile.

"Yes, Robert?" She asked him sweetly.

"Who is that?" Robert asked, pointing to a young man who had just entered the training yard. He wore armour, and although it was clearly only his training armour, it was far too flashy in Alyssa's opinion.

"That's Ser Loras Tyrell," Alyssa said, looking back at her brother. "He's going to be jousting in the tourney."

"Really? His armour is very shiny, isn't it? Just like the knights in the stories."

"Yes, it is," Alyssa agreed, offering Robert another smile. She glanced back in Loras's direction, and was surprised to see him striding towards her, an easy smile on his admittedly very handsome face. He must have caught her watching him, she thought, and he'd evidently decided to turn on the courtly charm which made the ladies of court pointlessly fawn over him.

"Lady Alyssa," Ser Loras greeted her, giving her a dazzling smile and a polite bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I have to say, the stories I've heard about you do not compare to your beauty."

Alyssa smiled in return, wondering exactly how the ladies of the court could see this act as anything but fake. "You are too kind, Ser Loras," She replied, her gaze meeting his. "I hear that you are competing in the tourney?"

"Yes, I am," He said, giving another of those smiles of his. "In fact, I am here to practice for it now."

"Of course," She said, her tone polite. "I wish you good fortune Ser, for there are many skilled knights competing as I am sure you know."

A flash of arrogance flashed across Loras's handsome face, but it was swiftly replaced by that courtly mask that he wore so well. "I will enjoy the challenge then, my lady. I heard that your brother Ser Artys is competing, is that true?"

"It certainly is, Ser Loras," Artys answered from behind Loras as he strode towards them. "I very much look forward to testing my skills against the other competitors. Wouldn't you say the same?"

"I would, Ser Artys," Loras agreed. "Especially against such a well known knight as yourself." he added, a slight smirk crossing his face at those words. Artys had not entered a large tourney like this before, so Loras's words had clearly not been genuine. He was mocking Artys, if subtly, and Alyssa knew that this would not end well. Indeed, her thoughts were proven true with her brother's next words.

"Well, then who am I to deny you the chance? There is no guarantee that we will face each other during the tourney, is there so why don't we spar now? Unless you have other plans for your training, of course. I would not want to intrude."

Alyssa frowned at this development in the conversation. Artys was challenging Loras now, and it was very unwise, considering that the Tyrell boy had a clear streak of arrogance. She knew that she should be taking her little brother out of here, but she was frozen, watching Loras to see what he would do.

"As you wish," Loras said, his hand on his sword hilt. "Live steel? We are not children after all, and I think the challenge would do us good some good. Do you agree?""

Alyssa could actually feel her face growing pale. The air between her brother and Loras was tense, and Robert had started to tremble beside her, clearly noticing that things were no longer cordial. He was scared now, Alyssa could tell, and when Robert got upset or scared, she knew that it was time to worry for him.

"I want to go," Robert whispered, his trembling growing worse. He could obviously see how tense things had gotten, and he was getting himself upset now as well as being scared.

"It's all right, Robert," Alyssa murmured, taking his hand in hers. "Come on now, let's get you back inside."

Before they could move very far away though, Artys had nodded and both he and Loras were moving away, getting ready to fight. Seeing this, Robert's shaking renewed with a vengeance, and as the two young knights drew their swords to begin sparring, Robert's fear and anxiety took over, and the fit of shaking sickness took hold of him.

Alyssa didn't think, she simply acted. She picked up her little brother and hurried for a castle, shouting for a maester with every running step she took. Robert shook and flailed in her arms, but she held on, desperate to get him the help that he needed.

Artys didn't know what he'd been thinking. He'd wanted to challenge the arrogant Knight of Flowers for his comments, but he hadn't truly wanted this. When he'd drawn his sword, he'd heard a commotion from behind them.

"What's wrong with your brother?" Loras asked, his gaze fixed on what was happening behind them. They'd both sheathed their swords, and now the Tyrell boy was frowning.

"What?" Artys asked and he turned just in time to see Alyssa hurrying into the keep, with a flailing Robert in her arms.

"Oh, seven hells," Artys cursed, his heart sinking. "He's having a fit again."

"He has fits?" Loras asked, and Artys turned to him, glaring.

"Yes, he does," He snapped. "They happen when he gets angry or upset or scared."

Loras frowned. "You should go then, and make sure he's all right."

Artys nodded slightly. "Yes, of course. We'll continue this later."

"Of course." Loras turned away and Artys hurried off. He entered the keep, and sorely wished that Robert had stayed away. Now, because of his actions, his weakling of a half brother had taken ill, and of course, he'd now be blamed for it.

He knew that really, he should not have challenged Loras, not with his sister and Robert present. He'd wanted to knock the boy's arrogance down a bit, but all Artys had managed to do was to cause his family more conflict. ~truly, it seemed that conflict was all there was in his family, and Artys was tired of it. Sighing, he headed for the Tower of the Hand, to face what was to come.