They waited for Luna to calm down. Solomon even offered her his own handkerchief, which she accepted without hesitation. Luna realized she had displayed her fear and emotions in front of everyone. It took some time, but she eventually stopped crying and forced herself to keep a straight face. Everyone looked at her with a worried expression on their faces when she looked up. That was the last thing she needed.

"Why are you really helping us, Solomon?" Luna said as she held the handkerchief firmly.

"Do you need a reason to help your family?"

Luna looked down on the floor as she felt guilt, anger, and shame rose like bile in her throat.

"I am offering a proposal to all of you." Solomon addressed them all as he sat down. "If you really want to deliver the child to Aspana, then going by land is no way to do it. I am willing to offer the princess to be escorted to Aspana riding on an airship instead. I have contacted Vhlad and he has agreed to lend his services and his dreadnaught to us.

The princess will ride into Aspana and be escorted by a full crew of incredibly trustworthy people we all have confidence in. Not only that, she will have the full escort of my personal air squadron as well and will be escorted personally by someone everyone in this room trusts. But you and Baldric will not go with her." Solomon looked at Luna.

"We won’t escort her to Aspana?" Luna looked up and saw he was serious.

"Be practical and realistic, Luna. If you were to show up in Aspana escorting the princess, do you think it would just go with a happy ending? You will be captured, tried, and executed even if Princess Elizabeth gives you her assurance.

Remember, she is seven years old and they can just say you have manipulated her into thinking you are the hero. Don’t forget as well that Princess Alicia is still missing within Silvus and they are condemning you for that as well. Also, you and Baldric have a criminal history which they will not hesitate to use."

"If we won’t escort her, then who will?" Baldric asked.

"Me." Max answered. "Elizabeth knows me a little bit well enough to trust me. I have a reputation with the chevaliers. I have guild members in Aspana who can help us slip into the border, and I will deliver her to the Iron Chancellor personally."

"This seems too good to be true, Solomon." Baldric looked at him. "What’s the catch?"

"Luna, Baldric, you will no longer escort princess Elizabeth to Aspana because you will help us in the fight against Batts and Maurius. We can all agree that you two will no doubt be a great asset in the war against them. No one knows counter espionage and sabotage warfare like you two, and your combat abilities can tip the fight back in our favor. I believe it is a better use of your talent than escorting the princess to Aspana, especially now that I can provide her with a full military aerial escort. Also, when we find Oichi, I want you there, Luna, to personally lead the rescue. I believe this is a fair proposal, is it not?"

Everyone seemed to agree, including Ada and Tinkerton-G, who voted in favour of it. Luna was the only one who was against it.

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"I… don’t know…"

"What?" Solomon said to her.

"I think… I should stick with her to the end."

Everyone looked at her as though she had truly lost her mind. Meanwhile, Luna avoided everyone’s gazes and kept her eyes on the floor.

"Are you serious? Is she serious? Baldric, tell me, is she serious?!" Solomon looked at Baldric for some reason.

"Luna, this is a rare win." Baldric said to her gently. "With Vhlad’s airship, Elizabeth could be in Aspana literally in two days if they go through the gate. Why are you against it? Isn’t this what we want?"

"I know. It’s just. I think." Luna stammered as her hands twitched and shook. "I should be the one to escort her there. I just. I can’t trust anyone else."

"... What?"

"Wow! Yeah, ok. So I can’t be trusted with this? I know we had a fight in the past, but do you really think that less of me?" Max scowled at her.

"No!" Luna looked Max in the eye pleadingly. "No. Look. I trust you, Max, completely with my life. But I think I should be the one to do it."

"Why? What difference does it make?" Max pressed her. "The kid trusts me. You trust me. Done and dusted, right?"

"Meatbag, Based on my observations, this has to be the best solution I can see to your problem. It has the best chance to deliver the child home without any more complications. I say, take this offer while it's here."

"Ada is right, Luna." Tinkerton-G added, "This is the best solution out there. You will never make it on your own."

Luna shook her head.

"No. no. It needs to be me." She said as her hands started to shake.

Everyone tried to convince her to accept the deal, but Luna remained stubborn, which irritated Solomon.

"Why on Pandora does it have to be you Lunabeth? Tell us."

Luna just shook her head.

"Why you?"

"Luna, this is the best option!"

"Why do you need to be the one?"

"Think this through!"

Everyone talked over each other as they tried to convince her. Luna’s tremors worsened, and her chest felt tight. She refused to look at them all as she kept her head down and closed her eyes. The moment she shut her eyes, her mind flashed the image of her nightmare, of Elizabeth being in her place at the operating table with tubes and wires placed on her body. The mental images, the tremors, days of no sleep, weeks of hallucinations and nightmares, anxiety, and stress finally caused her to snap.

"I don’t know alright!" She stood up and roared at all of them. Luna’s voice resounded, silencing them all. "I just feel it! That she is my responsibility! That if anything were to happen to her, I would kill myself because I let it happen!"

Luna picked up her chair and threw it at the wall. The impact made a crack in the wall and shattered the wooden chair.

"I have to see her safe! With my own eyes! Even if it means I die! I just have to do that myself! I need to see it!"

She did not realize that tears streaked down her face as she shouted at them.

"Do you have any idea of the faces I see every time I close my eyes?! Blaming me that I failed to save them! Blaming me for their deaths! Do you know what that is like?! I cannot see her as one of them! I will not let Elizabeth be another face that blames me for her death!"

Luna caught her breath.

"I can't sleep, and I can't eat or drink because I feel guilty! I let them get hurt and die when I could have done more! You don’t understand! You don’t see the faces! You don’t see them like I do! You…"

Luna breathed heavily, and she slowly collapsed down on the floor. Everyone rushed to her, and Baldric clung to her, afraid she'd pass out.

"You wouldn’t understand. But I have to do it. And I don’t even know why. You just don’t understand." Luna sobbed on him. "I promised her. I promised her I would be with her and that I would keep her safe. I cannot let her be another face that blames me when I close my eyes. I cannot take it anymore. My heart cannot take it anymore. I’ll die. You just don’t understand. I can’t take it. Please. No more, no more, no more."

Everything caught up to her and it finally caused Luna to breakdown.

Baldric held on to her as she wailed and desperately tried to breathe. Solomon looked at Luna, who looked like she was drowning, and felt a pang of guilt. For the first time in nineteen years, he saw her again as the frightened little girl who was thrown into a chaotic world alone and desperately cried for help.