The elders settled into a deep silence one that made it seem as if they were all in the same room, as they tried and failed to think of any credible threat that they could throw the new men into.

"I believe I have an idea," Winters grandfather said to everyone

"Then tell us Nicholas" Jaunes grandpas said to the second eldest person in the call

"It's only a matter of time before the council hears about the Arc's families attempt of restoring their house and as such, I propose that the new Knights of Vale repeat the story"

'What I mean is that they travel from kingdom to kingdom on foot, granted they will have the benefits of public transportation- airships- trains and ships but regardless they will still be completing the journey"

Nicholas Schnee said to everyone before breaking down coughing as his lung poisoning had caught up to him.

'How could that be considered a mission, huntsmen make that same journey every day" Glyndas mom asked Nicholas

"No he's right," Jaunes grandpa said to Glyndas mom

'They take nothin with them and should they live then the council won't have a choice but to acknowledge our sons and daughters marriage" he said to everyone

"What about the other two, I believe they are named Ren and Mark they maybe branch houses under your grandson's protection but lets us be honest here it's not the first time lower houses rebel" Pyrrhas mom said to Jaunes grandpa

"Let them, Mark is like a son to me, he grew up alongside Jaume, but I only have one grandson, I may have a few great-grandchildren but Jaune is my one and only grandson," the old man said to Pyrras mom as he tried to convey a message

"...I see" Pyrrhas mom said to Jaunes grand pa

"Enough if we all agree our son will move from one kingdom to another, they will only have what they can carry with them," Glynda's mom said to everyone, and hearing no one refuse she continued to talk

"Our daughters will serve as both the prices if they succeed and sacrifices if they fail," she said to everyone, hoping that they remembered what the council would do should the three men fail

"Now shall we begin with the next topic, Sir Arc it has come to my attention that your family is in need of restoring several of your properties"

'I could help with that if you were to allow my sn inlaw access to a few o of the dust reserves that you have under our control"

'Of course, my granddaughter shall stay in your home to oversee the process" Nicholosa Schnee said to Jaunes grandpa, who just began to chuckle

'A businessman even when your dying, I like that"

"Of course I have just the place and I welcome everyone in this call to my home so that my family can meet the new additions to our family" Jaune grandpa said to everyone his only answer was the sound of everyone's line cutting off

Time had run out and they had just barely managed to stay under the council's detection

[][]

][Elsewhere]

Jacques Schnee stared at his glass of water as he tried to clear his mind, Willow had come into his office not too long ago and told him that Winter had gotten married behind his back.

At first, he was beyond angry, not because Winter had married someone behind his back but because she had gotten married at all.

He had tried to use his daughter to secure the family lineage and yet his daughter had resisted him at every turn, she had even gone as far as to join the military, just to spite him.

Willow had refused to tell him who his daughter was wed to, so he had to find that out himself, luckily he hadn't had to search for long, those records were always open to the public.

He had to admit that a smile formed on his face when he noticed who she had joined his family with, but there was an issue with the marriage.

"What do you think?" Jacques asked James Ironwood, as they both looked at Jaune Arcs' assets.

"I have to admit that I never expected Winter to make such a move" Ironwood answered Jacques as he placed a hand on his chin

"With her marriage not only does Atlas acquire a foothold in Vale but both our miliaries - technology and supplies benefit from her marriage," James said to Jacques but his face showed the doubt he had

"You can see the problem just as clearly as I can ironwood," Jacques said to the general as he took out a picture of Winter.

"She is too old, even if the two had already wed, this union is only temporary f she fails to have an heir. " Ironwood said to Jacquesas he pointed out the obvious.

Winter was his subordinate and a trusted figure in his inner circle but his loyalty was to Atlas, not the royals but the kingdom itself, so that meant that he always had to make the hard decisions.

So he had to admit that despite Winters beauty and youthful appearance she was quickly nearing the end of her years that she could have children and that was a problem if she failed to have a single child in this marriage then any future plans were gone before they even started.

"I've been looking into this opportunity and have decided that perhaps Weiss might be better suited for this union," Jacques said to Ironwood

it was no mystery that the second daughter of the Schnee family was going through a rebellious phase, but she would fall in line one way or another, after all, Winter had fallen in line as well, her life just like her fathers and mothers was given to Atlas, this marriage and the fact that she served the Atlas military was proof of it.

"Agreed," Ironwood said to Jacques as he looked at the picture of Weiss, the girl was laking in nearly everything, but she was young and was at the perfect age to have children.

"So what's your plan?" James Ironwood asked Jacques

"A simple change rather than severe Winters marriage with the Arc family, Weiss joins her"

"It's a simple plan, we simply manufacture an event"

'The sole Arc boy gets a few drinks, it doesn't matter if he's alone or with friends, but we drug his drinks and he wakes up in bed with Weiss and somehow gets caught" acquest explained to Ironwood

'Thereby forcing him to either wed your second-born or risk starting a political and military issue" Ironwood said to Jacques

"What if the plan fails?' Ironwood asked Jacques

"Simple, everyone knows that Mark grew up with Jauneand despite not being an Arc himself the family has given him access to everything including their name"

"he may not be the main house and our hold will be significantly weaker, but it's something we can use," Jacques said to Ironwood