"…She has my son, but refuses to give him up?" Emperor Rael sharpened his gaze.
His expression hardened as he leaned forward on his table, steepling his fingers. He was not pleased by the revelation that Mother Alicia had offered to him.
"And she wants to keep him because she hopes that… he can deal with fear?" Emperor Rael frowned. "I don't understand."
"I was unable to make heads or tails of it either, Your Majesty." She shook her head. "I tried reasoning with her and threatening her, but none of it worked. She refuses to give him up."
"It seems like she has figured out that we don't have any real leverage over her," Emperor Rael remarked. "What about offering a trade?"
"She was not receptive at all to any such offer," Mother Alicia remarked. "She does not want anything for him. At this rate, we will not be able to get Rui back. It appears that he is incapacitated in some way by his injuries, given that he hasn't attempted to move back to West Genora."
