"I challenge you!" The jewelled hand poiting at Lysei is none other then Esena, face contorted in anger and contempt.

Aegon has refused the proposal of Esena's family flat. Yet their protegé doesn't take no for an answer. And Lysei now knows how she plans to take her throne.

A challenge is not something she would agree too, but it will cost Aegon dearly in his economics and at the moment Esena's family is not an ally they can loose. She sees their eyes, all of them. She knows what they will expect her to do. She knows and she knows Aegon, Rhaenys and Vysenya will trust in her logic but she cannot do differently.

" I accept." She says, and her words seal the deal.

" What were you thinking?!" Vysenya screams, and turns to Lysei, nearly in the young woman's face. - " Do you know what will happen if she wins? She will be allowed to take your crown because refusing would bring shame on our name."

" Had I not done it, you would have had no support from her family."

-" And we would have been fine." Vysenya quipps.

" You perhaps, but the people in the farthest reaches of the land not. Who knows how long it xould take before a rebellion starts?!" Lysei responds

" She's right." Aegon says, though displeased." " It was a stupid but logical decision."

" Do you realiz what you're saying brother? Lysei might be replaced by that...twat." Rhaenys snorts.

" Then she will just have to not loose. Many things compose this challenge. Swordfighting, horseriding, dance and the final challenge, which we do not know what will be yet. You've made your bed, now you have to lie in it." The king says. " But I will not let you leave us for that nitwit.

From tommorow on, you are going to train until you cannot do anything anymore. Vysenya is going to learn you swordfighting and horseback, Rhaenys will teach you dance, poetry and you will remain with me to sharpen your strategic thinking. Don't forget Lysei, it will only be you in the battle. Nothing or no one else." Aegon speaks and then turns his head.

" She could have not done any differently though." Aegon muses as he turns to look at Vysenya. " It would have brought possible shame upon us if she would have refused; many of the court still think Lysei unfit a queen. They'd rather see someone of their own on the throne then a girl from the fieldlands.

" It is not certain that would have happened had she refused. You think your court so shallow?" Vysenya snarls. " It is a possibility that I rather not take, even if their is a small chance. Also, Lysei has already accepted, we cannot turn back on our word." The king answers.

Vysenya's brow shoots up. "So what are you going to do, you are still her go through with it?"

-" My decision has been taken sister, no matter what you say will change my opinion."

Vysenya huffs, slams her goblet on the table and then leaves with hurried steps.

Aegon turns away, brow turned downward in anger, Rhaenys standing next to him, hand on his shoulder. - " You are just going to let her go?" Lysei mumbles. " Sometimes it's best to let Vysenya go if she's angry." Rhaenys replies, soothing Aegon all the while.

" That is what you always do." Lysei mumbles, angry. " Perhaps if you would change your ways for once and speak with her she would not stay angry for several days!"

"Ly.." - " No!" Lysei says to Rhaenys spoken comment.

" Leave it, I'm done with dealing with your indecision. " Lysei quipps angrily and than she turns and leaves.

Perhaps she should not have taken Vysenya's defense, but it annoys her for the first time that since they are married, that Aegon lets Vysenya in her anger while he could remedy it by simply talking it out.

She knows his relationship with Vysenya is strained a little more than with Rhaenys, but she is still his wife.

" Vysenya?" " Her voice is silent in the large stone hallway. She knocks on the door to Vysenya's chambers and waits.

Eventually the older queen opens and lets her in.

" I'm sorry if I caused you trouble. " Lysei whispers. Vysenya shakes her heda. She's wearing some loose kind of tunic and her long silverblonde, almosrt white hair is loose and flows around her.

" Aegon and I don't see eye to eye from time to time."

-" He should not have been so..uncaring. If both of you would speak about it I think you would be able to let go of your anger easier. "

Vysenya's brow raises. " Are you..lecturing me?"

Lysei becomes red. " No no! That's not what I meant!" Vyenya smiles slightly, a small quirk of her lips. " It's okay. I know you didn't mean it badly. Although I think i've never seen anyone lecture another so gently and sweet. But perhaps you are right, perhaps I should not run off next time. "

-" Yes, indeed. But neither should Aegon stay and do nothing about it." Vysenya smiles again and then squuezes the other queen's shoulder.

" On that we are both of the same mind."

Then she turns serious. " I hope you realize what has happened ? You will have to fight. And though Esena is a little wench, she's a good fighter, even I have to admit that. First things first."

At that she throws Lysei a kind of harness. - "We're going to train for swordfighting.

Lysei's eyes widen -" Now?" Vysenya nods.

" Vysenya!" Barely have they turned or Aegon approaches.

Lysei stands by with a secretive smile when Vysenya and Aegon finally make up. Then the king's face turns serious. " From now on, we will train you and you will not like it."

It is in the following weeks she comes to understand how true Aegon's words are.

She wakes early, is then sent to learn to swordfight with Vysenya, then she is sent back to learn dance with Rhaenys, followed by strategy studies wih Aegon, then music with Rhaneys and ending with again fighting with Vysenya, poetry and literature with Rhaenys, and battle strategy with Aegon again.

The eveing she is so tired, she can barely keep her eyes open or move her feet and it doesn't help that her teachers are severe and harsh.

"Come on, Lysei. Again! Esena will not be kind to you when she fights. Find your footing and parry my attacks like a fighter. Again!"

Lysei's arms hurt from holding the weapon, heart beating in her chest and air filling her lungs until it hurts . She can barely stand on her legs and she is tired so tired that she does whatever she does whenever she is in pain, she cries.

The tears blubber in her eyes, fill her vision and leak over her cheeks.

With an angry hand she tries wiping them. " Lysei, it's okay." Vysenya soothes.

" No, it's not! I can't do anything right..-I!

"Lysei, you are tired. It's normal. come, let's take a break. You'll feel better."

Both women sit down and Vysenya pats her shoulder. "You're doing well, better than I expected. I know we are harsh on you, but we are to learn you in weeks what others learn in months or years. " Lysei nods. - " Let's try again. "

Vysenya smirks, helps her up and then takes her position. " Three, two, one, now!" Perhaps it's her will that drives her to strike viciously, but it it is clear she surpiseds Vysenya when she's able to attack her without having her sword blown away. Vysenya smiles. " Good! Again!"

With progress finally making itself known, the three Targaryen's becom:e even harder. She has to dance till her feet hurt, fight until her wooden practice sword and then the steel version is dented and naerly broken, play music until her fingers are open and bleeding, pain her mind to Aegon's exercises until she feels her head will explode and recite poetry and literature until her voice is hoarse.

It is a harsh time, but it brings fortj it's fruits. When Lysei stumbles to her rooms, barely able to keep her eyes open, she is surprised to find the three siblings before her door.

" What are you doing here? " she slurs. They smile.

" You're ready to do the fighting. Tommorow we will announce the start of the tournament."

Though she does not feel ready, Lysei sighs and nods. " It's time".