(Lychorida)

"No!" I shouted again and went to push a vase over in my frustration. Mother just sat there in front of her toast and cried.

Father picked me up and I thrashed against him. "You can't make me do it." I warned them. "I won't."

"Lychorida." Father boomed, dropping me onto his chair. It was uncomfortably comfortable. "We cannot make you but the Decretas can. You will marry Prince Edward. There is no debate."

"You didn't raise me to marry. Why can't he marry Milana?" I glared at both mother and father.

"You can read the letter if you want." Mother passed the neat letter to me and I crumpled it up, but after a look from father which scared me, I pulled it smooth again and read the fancy handwriting.

"Lord Balliol,
"To thank you for protecting the south so generously and amicably, I write you to propose two weddings. My brother in law, Francis of Nilson is in want of a wife, and I am anxious to pair my son with a bride to bring an heir too.
"I heard word that you had two lovely daughters, how very secretive you are about them. The eldest I would Wed to Francis, and the younger will marry my son Edward. You will bring your family to La Fer, and we will provide accommodation until the first wedding night, that of your elder daughter and Francis of Nilson, when you may stay in the palace until your younger daughter marries. One day after the royal wedding, you will leave and your daughters will stay here, the elder of course will go to live in Francis's quarters.
"When you arrive in La Fer, you will be brought straight to the palace for introductions. I send a carriage in case you find yourself unable to come.
"Fondest regards,
"Queen Sara Decreta."

I put the letter down. "She's a bitch." I muttered and smirked when I realised that father agreed with me.

"But it is good opportunity." He took me by the shoulders and we walked out, I cast a glance back at mother but she was already making plans with the servants.

"Can I at least take Kiro with me?" I asked meekly, hoping with all my might that he would agree.

Father nodded and I let out the breath I had been holding "There are a few cogs we could put into place, but you must have complete control of yourself." Father murmured again and I nodded.

"That's all I am; control. Wait, why aren't we going to Kiro?" I asked as we missed the archway leading out into the rose garden where I trained. "He won't know where I am, send someone to tell him." Father relayed my wishes to a servant who loitered around the corner.

"James is going to teach you about how the families work, in a military sense. You need to understand who they are, then Milana well teach you how to act around them. Then you will go back again with Kiro, and plan your strategies, I will stay with you today and help. It's going to be hard, but you're my little fighter."

Well then, that was the first time I had ever heard him day anything mildly endearing in at least four years.

James took me through it far too quickly, and his tactics were wrong anyway.

"So you're saying that I should kill King Finley when the time comes as a signal for your armies to come in and take over? That's a bad idea."

"Trust us, Ly, we've been planning this for years." Jim sat back on his chair, finishing writing my list of instructions.

"But Sara has the best tactical armies in the world doesn't she? You couldn't beat her in normal war. You need to take her out first, if her husband isn't as good. All killing Finley would do is anger her. I could kill her, I could slip away, disguise myself, use a throwing knife to further protect my identity, then go back to my chambers and get changed."

Father looked impressed and Jim rolled his eyes in an irritated but friendly way.

"Wouldn't poison be even safer?" James suggested, trying to get in in some way.

"'Poison is the weapon of the cowardly court.' That's what Kiro says. If we use poison it'll be tracked back to one of the members of the court, I'm the newcomer, they'd suspect me instantly. Also, in this unusual circumstance, I would like a scapegoat put in my place to be arrested so that all suspicion is taken away from me."

James frowned, how noble.

"This is how war works, Jim." I went over to him and took his hands and looked up into his face. "Innocents will die, but I need to keep my position. They'll all already be suspicious of girls who they have never heard of before marrying so high. You get that right?"

He rolled his eyes which meant yes.