Ben walked between the guards with his head high. Yes, he had just turned himself into a captive but that didn't matter. What mattered was helping Tetalia and using the clues her mother had left her with. As he was led through the door he looked to his left and saw Tetalia sitting cross legged on her bed. She looked surprised to see someone else being led into her prison. Will had wondered who the other set of chains was for and now he saw who. He had never met Ben Gates before but he had seen his face in the newspaper. Ben was chained just like Will and the guards left the room locking the door behind them.

"Who are you?" Tetalia asked Ben.

"Benjamin Gates. You can call me Ben."

"Ben. Why were you brought here?"

"I wasn't brought. I volunteered." Both Will and Jasmine looked at him as if he were insane. Of course, he knew they would. "Well, not so much volunteered as I'm here because of a promise I made."

"What? Did you owe him money?" Will asked not really caring about the answer.

"No. I made a promise to Alexandria." Tetalia looked at him intensely. Will looked at him shocked.

"You made a promise to my mom that led you here? What did you promise?" Though Tetalia didn't like thinking about her mothers death she couldn't imagine what kind of promise he would still be bound to after 8 years. She wondered if she wanted to know the answer to the questions she'd just blurted. Ben didn't get to make a reply because at that moment Charles walked in.

"I see you three have been becoming acquainted. Good. I need the three of you to solve the first clue. It's a riddle." He handed Ben a piece of paper. Tetalia thought she saw a look of recognition flash across his face when he saw the paper.

"I don't need the paper."

"Once you have solved the riddle there will be more food than you can eat provided for you. I want to know the answer when I come back in the morning." Tetalia felt her stomach growl at the mention of food. She hadn't eaten anything the whole day. They had not been permitted food or water since they arrived the night before. Charles turned to leave.

"Wait!" He turned towards Tetalia. "I would feel more comfortable talking to them if they were out of that cell." He faced her fully now.

"No." He again turned to leave.

"Please." She tried again.

"Look, if it's going to bother you that much then join them."

"Then I will." All in the room were surprised by her answer. They shouldn't have been. What else would a girl who's used to having things her way do?

"You'd be better off if you stayed out there princess." Will tried. She gave him a disgusted look. She still wasn't talking to him for what he said the night before. Ben seeing her reaction thought he'd try his luck.

"Jasmine, you'd be much more comfortable out there." She hadn't realized he knew her nick name.

"My mother would have joined you." She added quietly.

"She would have." Ben agreed. "But your mother was more accustomed to this than I think you are."

"She taught me that it was always better to sink lower than your rank in trying times." There was nothing Ben could say to that for he knew it was true. Tetalia was led into the cage but no chains were placed on her. Charles left the room and conversation began shortly after.

"Ben did I ever know you?" Tetalia asked the man next to her.

"Yes, you did."

"That explains why my heart started racing when I saw you. It was as if my body remembered you and reacted as it did when I knew you."

"I was once your mothers bodyguard." Tears began to form in her eyes because she was reliving the feelings she had the night her mother passed away.

"I remember now that you've said it. You were there that night." She looked away as tears began falling down her cheek. The feelings were still to raw. Ben didn't have to be told what night she was thinking of. He gently turned her head to face his and wiped the tears away.

"I wish I was strong like her."

"Your mother was strong when she had to be and from what I just saw you say to Elton you are too." She smiled weakly at his words. "Sit here." He pointed to his lap. Tetalia was hesitant at first but she did as he asked. He then gently made her lay her head on his chest and softly stroked her hair. Before she knew it was happening she fell fast asleep. Will watched her and when she was asleep he spoke in whispers.

"Why did you do that?"

"When she was a small child I held her like this. It was the only thing that would make her sleep."

"Ah, so we needed you all those nights she wouldn't go to sleep. Last night was one. Not only had she just had a gun at her head and been brought here but she found out that I heard something and was mad at me because I didn't tell her."

"Rough night. What had you heard?"

"I had over hear someone speak of kidnapping someone at night but I wasn't even certain they were talking about her. The only thing that made me even suspect it might be her was that they were talking about a treasure." Ben nodded in acknowledgment.

"Have you two eaten anything?"

"No." Ben nodded his head knowingly.

"So why are you here?" Will asked, breaking the silence.

"I promised her mother I'd protect her." At the mention of her mother Tetalia awoke. Ben realized this and decided she should hear what he was about to tell Will. "Also, in her last words to me, she told me a riddle. It's supposed to be a clue to a treasure. Elton knew about the treasure. She didn't want him to find it so she gave me a clue and Tetalia a clue. He found out about what she had done and forced me to write it down for him. That was the paper he tried to hand me. I need Jasmine's help to find this treasure. Because she didn't want it to fall into his hands she made it so that we would have to work together to find it."

"We're dealing with a dangerous man."

"Yes." Tetalia fell back asleep sensing that there was no more information to be shared now. The two men sat in silence for a few minutes, each processing the information they had taken in that day.

"That doesn't seem like a very comfortable position for either of you. I'm Will by the way." Will said after a brief pause.

"Nice to meet you. It's been my experience that she always wakes up well rested but I'm sore the next day."

"I can see why you would be."

"How have things been for her growing up?"

"Not as good as it could have been. In his misery her father saddled me with raising her and he never took back the job. I've done alright with her and I've had a blast doing it. She just wishes he would take an interest in her. Just the other day was a perfect example of their relationship. She's wasted her morning singing. She then has fifteen minutes to get ready. Once they are in the car he tells her that she was a few seconds late and tells her to do better. But other than that dark cloud she's doing fine." Ben shook his head in disappointment.

"She's a good kid. I can tell she hasn't changed much. Though I don't like it, I'm not surprised about her father. He loved his wife very much. She probably reminds him of her mother."

"I don't know. I've never met her."

"I know. I left the day you came into the picture. In fact she was standing next to me when she first saw you. She knew I was leaving and that she had to pick someone to be her bodyguard. When she spotted you she looked up at me and asked me what I thought. I told her that she would know she had found the right person if he picked her up and swung her around. That's when she ran up to you. I was surprised but you did exactly what I had told her to look for. When you put her down she ran back to me and I told her goodbye and then I left. Her father was the one who let me go but she insisted that I help her look for a bodyguard."

"So that's why she picked me. I'm glad you told her that then." Ben had an amused look on his face.

"We'd better get some sleep while we can. I know this isn't the most comfortable place but it's better than what we'll be getting later." Will agreed to this and he laid down on his jacket to separate himself from the cold metal floor. Ben used his hands and arranged his jacket over Tetalia and then closed his eyes.