WOLF QUEEN | RHAEGAR TARGARYEN

CHAPTER FIVE

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"And why, my dear Oberyn, do I need lessons from a dancing master?" Alyssa asked. Prince Oberyn had found her reading under a tree in the gardens, the shadow of the tree protecting her from the sun, and after that he had dragged her into her room and told her to wear breeches and a tunic. When she had emerged he had led her through the busy halls of Sunspear towards her new dancing master.

"Oh, my dear Alyssa, you will see soon" Oberyn said smugly, "Continue down this corridor, it's the last door to your right. Good luck" he sent her a wink before walking away, leaving her alone.

She followed his instructions, opening the door and entering the room to see a man standing with his back against her, looking through the window. "You are late boy" the man said, his accent was completely foreign to her, she guessed that he wasn't from Westeros but the Free Cities.

"How exactly can I be late when I didn't know I was coming here?" Alyssa asked confused, when the man still didn't turn around.

"Tomorrow you will be here at midday" the man finally turned around. He was a fairly young man, not much older than twenty or thirty, with copper skin, curly black hair and a moustache.

"I don't want to sound rude, but who are you?" Alyssa asked, looking at the wooden swords in his hands.

"Your dancing master, Syrio Forel" the man said proudly, throwing one of the swords towards Alyssa, but she wasn't ready so the sword hit the ground with a thud.

"Tomorrow you will catch that" Syrio said as she picked up the wooden sword.

"Thank you for the advice" Alyssa mumbled under her breath, her sharp tongue coming out to play.

She supported the sword's weight in both of her hands, having a suspicion that it wasn't just wood. "That is not the way boy. It is not a Great Sword that needs two hands to swing it" Syrio told her when he saw her grip.

Releasing her right hand she felt the swords weight in her left, her favoured hand. But the weight was too much for just one hand to hold. "It's too heavy for one hand" she told him.

"It is heavy as it needs to be to make you strong" he threw his own sword into the air and caught it by balancing it on his hand. "Just so, one hand is all that is needed. No, you are standing all wrong, turn your body side face" he told her.

She did as she was told, deciding that arguing with him wouldn't get her anywhere. "Good." he said, using he own wooden sword to lift her chin, "You are skinny. That is good, the target is small. Now the grip, let me see."

Alyssa held up her left hand that was currently holding the sword. "The grip must be delicate" he informed her, moving her hand to get a better grip.

"Then I will drop it" she pointed out with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"The steel must be part of your arm" Syrio exclaimed, "Can you drop a part of your arm?"

"Aye, if the grip is so delicate that I drop the sword and someone else cuts it off" Alyssa said, with a smug smirk.

"No you can't" Syrio said like he hadn't even heard her, "Syrio Forel has fought for many years now. He knows his things, you must listen to me boy."