The lance has found her heart. 

"... Thank you for listening to me," said Solarel quietly. The radio static of the comms was audible now that the music of the Makhaira has died along with its reactor. "I was listening too. I think that was my problem. When I heard, Speak Not to the Outsider I took it to mean that I should express myself with my actions alone. I put my heart and soul into every battle. Few heard me. The only people who heard me were those who made a deliberate effort to listen."

"... so maybe that's what the Sage meant. That I should listen rather than speaking. And now the two people closest to me have both told me the same thing. They don't want to fight me as I am. They want to fight me at the height of my power. Different reasons, but the same desire. I had planned to show my love through planning, understanding, Tactics. Showing that I knew you so well that I could find your most hidden weaknesses. But that's not what you need. That's not what she needs. So yes, I've heard you. I will travel to Roevg, infiltrate the Imperial Palace, and reclaim the Aeteline. It will be my stake in the final rounds of the tournament."

"I hope what I have shown you about your own strength today is enough to let you defeat it. I hope what I have shown you of our friendship is enough for you to help me steal it."