"I can not begin to imagine the suffering you all must be experiencing. On my name and throne, I give my most sincere apology, and hope you'll be able to say your goodbyes." Emperor Cabel stands on a podium, speaking to the large crowd of weeping family and friends of the deceased.
Gentle music begins playing as men walk down the aisle, carrying caskets with pictures of the miners on top of the caskets.
Emperor Cabel stands at the podium, watching the crying men, women, and children.
He takes another look at the crowd before turning to leave the stage.
Marquess Simone and Duke Oslo stand by in formal uniforms, bowing as Emperor Cabel approaches them.
"Duke, could you go to the palace and help Luna?" Emperor Cabel asks.
"Yes, your highness. Help her with what?" Duke Oslo tilts his head.
"The lapis crystals arrive today, and she'll be supervising the transport of the jewels into the vaults. She's still a bit weak and since I can't go, I need to ask for your help."
Duke Oslo smiles, bowing his head.
"Of course, your highness." Duke Oslo stands straight, bowing his head to Marquess Simone before leaving.
"Has Lady Luna's health been improving, your highness?" Marquess Simone asks.
"I suppose she has, but I can tell the events are effecting her mentally." Emperor Cabel sighs with worry.
"It's not in my place to speak on the topic, but I know with the friends she has around her as well as your care for her, she'll be able to have people to lean on when it becomes challenging. Surely it'll help her heal fully."
"That's all I can hope for now." Emperor Cabel turns to walk, "Come, we should speak with the families."
Emperor Cabel turns, walking off the stage as families and friends follow their loved ones caskets.
"Lady Luna." Duke Oslo calls out.
Luna turns and bows her head.
"Your grace, hello. What brings you here?" She asks.
"His highness wanted me to assist you with the vault."
"I see, thank you for coming." Luna smiles.
They walk, following Lance.
"Have the reports come back from the lapis mine?" Luna asks Duke Oslo.
"Regarding what?"
"With the incident, did the knights slay the monster?"
"We don't know about it yet... With the large funeral being held, his highness decided it'd be best for everyone to focus on the deceased and we'll meet with Captain Arron afterwards."
"I see... Was there any injured of the knights who went?"
"Luckily no. Our information is cloudy as some have said that the monster partially injured knights, or that it left before they got there. We'll find out approximately tomorrow or tonight."
"Thank goodness. Do you think if the monster did escape the mine, there'd be a hunt?"
"Possibly, it could move to attack our empire since it's close, or travel to the next nearby village or kingdom. I wouldn't worry too much, his highness will think of a plan that's best." Duke Oslo smiles, opening the door.
Outside are large parked carriages filled with crates. They sit under tents to avoid rain from ruining the crates.
Captain Arron stands as he flips through papers.
Lance approaches Captain Arron and bows, speaking to him.
He looks up, realizing Luna and Duke Oslo's arrival.
"Greetings your grace, Lady Luna." Captain Arron bows.
"Captain, how's it coming along?" Duke Oslo asks.
"Very well. All the jewels mined have arrived safely. There are some jewels left behind as we had to close the mine off for further investigations."
"Good. Shall we proceed?" Duke Oslo looks over at Luna.
"What is it that I should be doing?" Luna asks.
"It's a rule that whenever the vault is opened, it must under the direct supervision of the imperial family." Captain Arron explains.
"But I'm only engaged with his highness." Luna tilts her head.
"My lady, because of your engagement, your name has been registered under the imperial family tree, in order to prepare the necessary authority to be given to you." Lance speaks up.
"Is it really okay to do such an important task when I'm only the future empress?" Luna asks.
"Yes, you won't have all the authority that comes with being an empress until you exchange your vows, but his highness and his advisors have agreed to allow it for today." Lance articulately speaks.
"I see. Shall we begin then?" Luna smiles.
Captain Arron hands Luna the papers and documents for the crates.
The crates organized by weight and by the lapis's brilliance.
Duke Oslo helps Captain Arron organize everything as workers begin to carefully unload the crates.
"Lady Luna, when we enter the vault, the crates will be weighed. That's where you'll have to write down the actual weight of the crates, to ensure no one's pocketed any of them. We'll also empty the crates to make sure the crystals weren't replaced with rocks." Lance explains to Luna, guiding her to the entrance of the vault.
"I see. Do these shipments happen often?" She asks.
"Yes, we receive many shipments of jewels frequently. They're eventually transported to be traded for currency, but there's an extensive process before that can happen. Jewellers will come and test the jewels, and determine the price before they're sold."
"Hm, does Cabel supervise when that occurs?"
"Yes, but once you marry him, this will be placed in your care. So I will do my best to ensure you're able to complete this when it happens. It is rather time consuming, but it's necessary."
"I understand, I don't mind how much of my time is taken to oversee this."
They reach large metal dual doors, ten knights lined, standing guard.
"This is the key needed to open the doors." Lance removes a small wooden box with a lock.
He unlocks the box revealing another box.
He opens the lid, revealing a silver jewelled key. He holds the box out to Luna.
She cautiously picks up the key, turning to the doors as she inserts the key. The door clicks unlocked, sounding as if multiple clogs begin rotating.
The doors slowly move, opening on their own.
"There is a timer set on the doors. They'll automatically close within a certain amount of time." Lance explains as Luna places the key back into the box.
"Won't people be locked in?" She asks.
"There is a possibility, but even if they are, the guards take note of how many enter in the vault and how many leave. This is the only exit and entrance so if the numbers are off, it'll be clear someone's left down there, and his highness will just open the door if that happens. His key works on the inside and outside, so we won't be stuck if it closes on us."
Chains and clogs begin rattling as the lights of the vault turn on.
Luna looks to see two men spinning a lever.
She looks inside the vault to see chains and claws moving against the wall of the staircase.
"To ensure this is done efficiently, the crates are placed on the claws and slowly brought down to the bottom." Lance guides her down the steps.
The walls and stairs made of steel.
The workers begin hauling the crates onto the claws as they slowly begin descending down the large stairs.
"Will others join us?" Luna asks.
"Yes soon, but there's another door that must be unlocked, and until it's opened no one is allowed down."
They walk down the stairs, reaching the bottom.
Another set of large metal doors stand but with no key hole.
"This is meant to be a secret, but no one will ever know how this set of doors open." Lance smiles, removing a chain hidden from underneath his clothes.
He holds out a ruby encrusted gold pendant in the shape of a sun.
"His highness carries this on him at all times." Lance hands Luna the pendant.
"Oh this..." Luna stares, remembering the gold chains that hung from Emperor Cabel's cape.
A moon pendant encrusted with a sapphire, and a sun pendent encrusted with a ruby.
"His highness and I are the only ones who know how this door works. We replaced the builders every day to ensure no one knew the plans. No one would think this pendant of his is a key." Lance approaches the door and pushes on the bolts.
The bolts designed to hide the fact that they're buttons.
The buttons click with each press until the doors begin rattling. The metal cover slides over, revealing a key hole in the shape of a sun.
Luna pushes the sun pendent into the lock, rotating it.
She removes the key as the metal covers slide back over, closing properly until the doors slowly swing open to reveal a large vault with multiple shelves, and boxes of various crystals.
"Shall we begin?" Lance smiles.
Luna nods, handing Lance the key back.
-------------------
Almost two hours pass as I quickly write down the weights of the crates, watching the workers empty them on a white clothed table.
The crystals are inspected carefully until transferred back into the crates, before being weighed for the last time.
The lids are nailed down shut, before I label the crates.
"You're doing well, my lady. The final boxes should be arriving down soon." Lance smiles at me, examining the documents.
"This is more simple than I thought." I shrug, smiling back.
The workers quickly work as we finish the last crate of crystals.
I look at the lapis lazuli all laid out carefully.
I write down the weight, and watch the box be nailed closed.
"Wait." I call out.
"Yes, Lady Luna?" Lance steps closer.
"This box says it should contain 20.5kg of lapis. There's a few missing?" I show Lance the papers.
"Hm... We'll need to notify Captain Arron. How much is missing?"
"1kg... Would this cause an investigation?"
"Yes, I'm afraid we need to search all the workers, and search the homes. This is only a small amount though, none of our workers would steal."
"Would it just be a mistake they wrote?"
"Possibly. It seems likely it was just a weight error, but I'll speak with Captain Arron and his highness."
"Okay." I mark the papers to be the correct weight, signing it to have missing lapis.
Once we finish the last boxes, knights begin to chain the shelves, constricting the crates.
The last workers exit escorted by knights, leaving only Lance and I.
We wait until everyone leaves, making sure no one stayed behind.
Lance listens to the footsteps of the knights, and workers travel farther until disappearing.
"Would you like to do the honours, my lady?" Lance asks, gesturing to an exit lever on the inside of the vault.
"Of course." I smile.
I pull the lever, and the clogs begin to rotate as the doors slowly shut.
The metal cover slides open revealing the key hole again. Lance hands me the key.
I slide the pendent in, turning it to hear a loud click locking the door.
"Back up!"
Lance and I jump as we hear Duke Oslo shout in the distant.
The far sounds of a commotion growing.
"Please be cautious and stay behind me when we get up there, my lady." Lance speaks, walking ahead.
I nod, following behind him as we hurry up the steps.
"My lady, here's the key to lock the door." Lance speaks, handing me the key before we exit the staircase.
We reach the top as I pull the lever on the inside, the doors shutting behind us.
I lock the door quickly, handing Lance the key back.
He places it in his pocket, standing in front of me as we move closer to a crowd of knights pointing their weapons.
"Your grace, what's the matter?" I call out.
"There's movement in the carriage the knights were transported in. A knight went to grab his bag, and something moved." Duke Oslo cautiously watches.
"What do you think it could be?" I ask.
"It's probably just an animal, but we need to take precaution since we're in front of the vault." Duke Oslo signals for a guard to stand beside Lance and I, approaching the carriage.
I watch as the knights gather close too, following Duke Oslo and Captain Arron.
Duke Oslo and Captain Arron step onto the carriage.
Captain Arron pulls off a sheet.
The knights block my sight as I try to take a peek.
"Lady Luna, let's go inside. It's dangerous-" Lance is cut off as a knight shouts.
"A child?" A knight shouts, confused.
I turn, stopping as we walk.
Duke Oslo and Captain Arron bend down, sheathing their swords.
I hear cries of the child as they struggles in fear as they're grabbed by the arms.
"What are you, a thief?" Captain Arron shouts.
The knight assisting Lance and I, gestures for me to quickly get inside.
I stand frozen, watching the commotion as I catch a glimpse of the child they drag off.
Long dark blonde hair in disarray with mud sprayed throughout. She wears a dirty white tunic dress, her feet bare.
The young girl struggles, both of her arms restrained by Duke Oslo and Captain Arron.
My eyes widen.
Her panicked eyes look around, overwhelmed until they stop to meet mine.
Her eyes widen as she looks back at me with her golden eyes.
"Esmerelda?..." I whisper, shocked.
A memory instantly hits me; The memory of being dragged out of the dining room on my eighteenth birthday.
The memory of meeting her for the first time, remembering how I looked back at Esmerelda as I was dragged by the guards.
I take a step towards her, the knight holding his arm out to stop me.
"S-Sister?" She calls out, her movements freezing.
Instantly, Duke Oslo looks back at me, the knights looking back too.
I watch as Esmerelda escapes their grips, dodging the knights that try to stop her as she runs towards me.
"My lady!" Duke Oslo shouts, worried.
"Sister!" Esmerelda shouts.
"Esmerelda?" I call out, shocked as I look closer at her features.
Everyone freezes, confused as they hear me call out to her.
She jumps, wrapping her arms around me.
"S-Sister!" She sobs, gripping onto me tightly.
"E-Esmerelda? I-Is that you?" I stutter, shocked as I look down at her face.
She nods, sobbing as I feel her frail body tremble.
Her gold eyes making it evident she's my sister.
I feel my body grow cold from shock as I look down at her, holding onto me tightly.
The knights look on shocked until one of them approaches.
I hold my hand up, stopping them.
Taking a shaky deep breath, I gently placing my hands on her back, hugging her.
"My lady?" Lance calls out, stunned.
I look over at him, unable to move as Esmerelda hugs me tightly.