How much is your brother worth to you?

"Run along little one."

"Give them the denied daughter of Suden" he said starting straight at me.

Both Jacob and I leaned back in our chairs. I saw some of the other Malateins walk a little closer to Leon.

I knew Jacob and I barely knew each other, and this kind of thing was something very intimate. However, I need to at least try, I needed him on the same page. Finding his link was easy, he was right next to him, having him accept it, was a different story.

-Don't kill them just yet.-

"To bad we don't know where she is" Jacob said.

"That's too bad. Even if we knew where she was, we wouldn't give her to the Palateins." He said looking at me. " The Sudens would be furious, at that betray. Even if she is denied."

I swallowed. "If you had her, what would you do with her?"

One of his Lieutenant answered. "Protect her, that's what the second son of the Suden prince, wanted"

They know.

"I was hoping, you knew." Leon said.

"How does knowing where she is help her, my brother, and your family?" Jacob asked.

I could feel his anger growing, he was at least allowing me that. He was ready to fight.

"We'd use her as bait. Lure them out, free everyone, while they are distracted. And we'd escape, regroup later."

"That's your plan??" Jacob asked

"Well there's more details than that, obviously." Leon said. "But it doesn't matter now, no one knows where she is, maybe that's for the best."

"You're wrong." I said.

I felt Jacob, anger stop then and there.

"About what?" Leon said.

Jacob was now looking at me, he was wanting to know what I was getting at.

"That your plan doesn't matter, now. No one knows what the daughter of Sunden looks like. The Palateins know all of your women, but they don't know me. You can use me as your fake daughter or Suden."

-What in Galton's name are you doing??? Are you insane?-

-Ah. So you do know?-

- That's not the point right now, but yes!-

"That could work." Leon said

"No, it will not." Jacob jumped up. "It will not work, because I will not allow her to use herself as bait"

-you won't allow me? I know it's risk. But how much is your brother worth to you? Is it really less than a denied daughter of Suden??-

-Stop. You are asking me to choose between you and my brother. And while yes being denied means you are nothing, but to me your still someone-

"Is your brother really worth to you?" Leon asked.

-Jacob. I'll be ok. I trust you. Clearly I trust you. Besides who says you aren't gonna let me go in alone.-

"You have a point. Fine. On one condition." Jacob said.

"Name it?" Leon said.

"For your plan to work. You need at least two to turn her in. She wouldn't be just by herself all alone. She'd have a couple guards with her. You and a few of your men, turn us in. I'm not leaving her side. I'll be one of the guards."

"Who would be the other?" Leon asked.

"They have the other one. My brother."

"Hmm this could work. Let me think"

-I don't trust him.- I told Jacob.

-You should have thought of that before you gave yourself as bait. He's a desperate man, he wants his family back. It's also his job to protect the royal family, and well he failed at that.-

-Ok. Fine, your mad, I get it.-

-Look, I don't like this, it's the best shot we got. I may not trust him either, desperate men should never be trusted, but I trust you.-

-I trust you too. Besides your not gonna let anything, happened to me, right?-

Through the bond. I could feel him smiling and getting a kick out of what I said. I looked at him he was watching Leon, holding a straight face.

-Jacob, right??-

"I got it!" Leon said " After the attack outside the broader of the Malatein territory. You came here. We befriended you, fed you, slipped something in your drink, and while you were sleeping. We grabbed the both of you and before you knew what was happening, it was too late. And well here we are."

Jacob and I stared right at each other.

-Jacob... right?-

"Ohh it's perfect! Come on let's feast!" And with that he left.

-Right-