A light head, blurry vision and muted sounds all around. A call from a man can be heard from the distant, getting closer and closer. “ Lara!” A shattering scream comes bringing everything back into view. Lara turns to her right in confusion. Lyan subtly points to the distance. She turns to see an adviser staring at them. a condescending look on his face, he reiterates, “ would the honorary guests like to say something before the meeting begins?”. “ uhhh ,n-no… thank you” Lara responds her head still slightly dizzy. “Thank god” the adviser mutters under his breath, he looks up and continues “the honorary guests are the only ones gracing us with their presence this meeting, unfortunately king Frederic of the crescent kingdom couldn’t make it . on account of unforeseen events. The meeting will carry on without his highness with the crescent kingdom taking their same share as last year. That is all”. “Thank you” the queen replies, he bows then sits back down.  

“ now may we start the meeting with the reporters of our states” as the queen finishes her request, many papers start to fly onto the circular sleek grand table. Lara’s head starts to clear as the room starts to move. Her eyes wander looking at the faces of the people around, spotting the familiar face of Vernon, they exchange a brief glimpse of each other before he looks down, avoiding staring back in their direction. puzzled by Vernon’s reaction , her eyes stray away stoping at his dad, he notices her staring and smiles a kind smile, she gives a slight smile in response.  “ chief cor, are you positive that all your reports are present?” The queen asks as she checks his file, getting his attention back onto the meeting. “ oh my apologies your majesty, here is the rest, just as great as last years” he says In somewhat embarrassed tone. the queen takes the rest of the files.  

As the entire room awaits for a word from their queen. maya notices one of the men on their right glaring at them from the side of his eye. She leans over to her sisters and whispers “hu dil alfari qaeid ya bihalq fiiinaa lih?” .bringing their attention onto him , they gave him back the same glare. He turns forward and says “your majesty, may I object?” He asks the queen. confusion fills the room in an instant .a muddled expression falls on the queen’s face as she asks “object?” She ask in skeptic manner. “ Precisely” He replies. “What is there to object about?, these are the usual procedures of every meeting” the queen answers in calm voice. 

 Infuriation growing on his face, he answers “indeed, that would be the case in the usual circumstances but nothing about this is usual, is it?. your majesty, if we are meant to adjust to the sudden huge change in the amount of people these resources are to cover then the stats become completely useless!. The only thing they tells is that we’re short on every conceivable end!. And that months of work went down the drain for a bunch strangers”. Chatter immediately arises, the room has been shaken and the disorder grows. The queen only takes a single glance at the papers before she stands up , the sound of her chair creaking on the marble floor, quiets the room in a split second, turning the attention back to her. The queen calmly sits back down and reaches for a first ,a second and third file. Swiftly rearranging each one. The room silently watched. The queen then slides a new file to each of the members of the table. breaking the silence she then goes , “ignoring your awful tone of voice, I’m glad you have brought up that point but I have an objection as well, the files are not useless, in fact they are nothing short of useful. they will act as a base for us. What we have , what we need to have and how to have it”. Enticing the curiosity of the members of the table. They began to glance at each other before one goes, “how so?, your majesty”.  

Without even lifting her head ,the queen answers “ the files in front of u” . Each one of the members reaches for their perspective files and begins to browse through it. The queen continues “they each have complete details of what’s needed, in how much time and how-”. “An increase of over 200%?!, in the matter of two weeks?!, how would that even be possible!?,your majesty” one the ministers says in pure shock, cutting off the queen. In response she rises her head , remaining in the calm collected manner she rejoinders , “ the urgent refugee housing that was order isn’t mostly complete?”. “Y-Yes, five out the ten intended buildings , but-”. Q: “ that’s making 50%, when the other five are finished, which will be in approximately a week ,that would make a 100% increase” . Minister: “ for sure, but the other-”. Q: “inns and hotels all over the kingdom have been contacted to start taking in people by in by today , all rooms paid by us. The castle gates have and will remain open, taking all those in need in ,and many many awfully generous residence have opened up their homes, to help the kingdom in this kind of time. All of this combined would make about a 100% increase. In fact just as we speak we have already reached 150% increase”. “ I-I..” is only thing the minister musters to say before falling back into her seat. “ what else?, whoever has any more questions speak now!” The Queen raises her voice as she says to the members.  

M: “ well about the food, your majesty, how do we plan on such a huge increase” . Q: “ the cattle whose ready, will be processed immediately rather then waiting for the best market season, the kingdom of dawn is not looking to sell for the meantime, all the resources must be utilized by the kingdom. As for the the crops, luckily we are in the time of the spring harvest ,giving us a great start stat but we connote stop, right after the harvesting of the current crops, newer ones must be planted immediately. The focus will be on the main four primary agricultural villages. There will be reinforcement coming from all over the kingdom to help. I entrust you will be able to see over them, chief cor?” . Cor: “ of course”.  

Questions keep coming, the queen answering to each and every one of them in a swift and intelligent manner. M: “ well what about the security of us , our nation, the people?!”. Before the queen is able to answer she’s beat by Cyrus taking the question, “ all guards, soldiers and any serviceman are working overtime to ensure the safety of everyone in the kingdom and they are placed strategically all round to guarantee control all over. So there’s nothing to worry about in terms of the security”. Q: “ thank you, Cyrus: “my pleasure, your majesty” he says looking over at her with a warm smile on his face. 

 The room goes quiet at his answer but not for long as whispers break it. turning the heads of the entire room to them. “ I think they’re married, there is ring on her finger”. “ but not on his”. “ I think it under the glove-”, the girls stop as they notices the various dumbfounded eyes on them. “Am I at least right?” Lara asks the commander. He nods and answers in delicate voice “ yes- it’s under the glove”. “Ah, well you should probably wear it above, I mean you don’t anyone to think you’re not married to the queen, right?” Says Lara. “ you think so?” And as the conversation goes on for longer, the adviser rubs his eyes muttering “ unbelievable”.  

“May we get back to the point please, I mean what about the earthquakes?, we have the first victim right here in front our eyes!”. “I’m not a victim” Lara says. “ will your face says otherwise” responses the minister to her before facing back the queen and continues “ in sight of these uncontrollable machines posing danger to the civilians, I vote we shut them down!”. chatter commence once again, discussion of whether or not. And as the noise rises, Vernon’s face drops , filling with sorrow. “We don’t have to shut them down, there hasn’t been an earthquake in a week!” Cor yells out. “ tsk, obviously you would say that” the minister responds in a patronizing manner. A frustrated look wears cor’s face but he does not stand ,he does not move, he takes a deep breath and turns his head to the queen at the sound of her calling, “ order, order!”.  

The room quiets down, waiting for the queens judgment. “ I will not deny that what these machines were causing, was alarming at first but the kingdom has greatly grown dependent on the hot running water these machines provide. before we go any further, I’d like to here the experts opinion” . As those words escape her mouth the atmosphere shifts instantly. People didn’t turn their heads they only stared from the side of their eyes as Vernon raises his head, his eyes still locked to the ground and says, “ theses machines are nothing to be concerned for. What happened was a sudden overload, the generators were trying to keep up with sudden high increase in demand and that’s what caused it. But I fixated it!, uhh I can assure you, your majesty, even if there was another increase their will be no more earthquakes or… victims”.  

“Tsk” is the sound that followed up the moment he was done. “Will that’s reassuring to hear. The machines will remain operating until further notice” the queen makes her ruling. Which is followed by noting short of silence and few displeased looks but in the midst of the glum air. shines cor as he waves at Vernon with a big smile and two thumbs up. 

 “ your majesty, with all due respect ,may I point a- flaw in our plan forward” one the members speaks in a firm tone, one that completely matches the atmosphere. “ you may” the queen answer with in the same calm attitude. “ it’s impermanent, your majesty, in every possible corner,. The housing, sure the refugee buildings will stay up and the gates of the castle may remain open. but for how long are people truly expected to keep strangers in their homes and inns before they start losing future business. The crops and the cattle , we’re only so lucky for such events to occur on the spring harvest giving us a good starting point but if we are required to double the amount of crops we get on the spring harvest then we risk exhausting the soil and the people. And as for the cattle, Dawn can only go on for so long without selling. The same points apply to everything we’ve brought up except the ‘ perfect’ machines I guess”.  

As he finishes his statement, the attitude of the queen shifts, resting her elbows on the table, her hands crossed in front of her face with a more thought-full look upon her face. “ allow me to be honest with you for a moment, I’m aware of this issue , in fact I have ran into it several times as i was arranging the plan. and I have narrowed our possible solutions to two. we either slowly integrate these people into the workforce, or find a way back for them. And that’s where you come in, the ones who know the most about these people , their own kind. what do you think should be done?” She turns to face the girls and so does the entire room.  

Without a hint of hesitation they answer “ we should get them back!” . Then with the same unwavering manner Lara continues “ these people they have families and friends that they long for. their own world, our world, would surely suffer without them and they would too… it would be for the best to get them back home!”. “ and how do you plan on doing that, child?” One of the ministers asks . The girls stand silent in front of his question, turning their eyes to the queen for aid.  

The queen goes after “ well, relying on a past remark of king Frederic’s, if we’re able to obtain the power of the three , then their is a chance for a portal to open between the worlds. a cleave. just like the stories state”. A look of pure skepticism falls upon the members faces at the sound of such suggestion.  

“ your majesty, your surly not proposing that the way to solve this crisis is to follow urban legends!”. One of the advisers cries out. immediately follows after him another rejoins “ even If so, who could possibly have the time to chase after legends and loose chances?, when the entire kingdom is on duty”. An answer for that question lays heavy on the queens tongue. but it does not linger on for long before. “ we!, we can go” Lara yells out , what seemed to be unthinkable idea. The eyes of the members began to glance at each other not a word spoken before. “ we can’t possibly let-” . “ I like it” . “ what?!” The discourse begins to rise again between the members of the table. 

 “ if they want to take the matters of getting back to their own world, into their hands. Then why should we stop them?. It’s not like any of us want to do it instead” . “I guess you’re right…” . Cyrus: “ but with the limited knowledge they have about the world and the magic it would be pointless to send them on their own”. Q: “ someone must a company them”. As that point is made evidently clear the discourse only got more heated, the noise levels only increase, it becomes harder to think and focus but in the midst of the chatter a point a minuscule one in the eyes of its reciter , catches Lara’s ear. “Maybe it could be one of us”.  

As she hears that her eyes suddenly light up as if revelation just dawned upon her she turns to her sister in a rush and says “ I have an idea!, but we just have to shut them-” before she could even finish her thought, maya takes her chair and flung’s  it across the room. Getting the complete attention of the table back to them. Lara follows “ maybe- maybe Vernon can a company us” . Vernon turns in shock to face the girls. “ he has finished all his work ,right? And he’s surely as knowledgeable about this world as needed, right?”. Cor face fills with excitement as her turns to the queen and goes, “yes!, yes he is , he’d perfect your maj-” before he could continue he’s cut off by the doubtful Thoughts of the members. 

 “  I don’t know about the, your majesty, wouldn’t be risky , looking at his previous re-”. Cor cuts the minster off, slamming his hands on the table, “ your majesty, my son has shown nothing but loyalty and full obedience to the kingdom, he deserves to a least have the chance to accept or refuse this honor, seeing as he is the only eligible for it!” He yells out, shaking the room to its core. The queen In response “ order!, order everyone!. *takes in a breath*. Chief cor is right on this matter, their is no reason left to doubt the royal scientist In any way. He can be fully trusted with this duty. But as it’s stands he still holds a vital role in this kingdom, one that only he himself can deem whether it’s necessary or not for it to stay under his supervision. The acceptance or rejection of this offer stands on that. On what he decides”.