Chapter 121
Several days had passed since the mountain collapsed.
The rescue had ended.
Most of the miners had returned home to their families.
Some were still recovering in the medical centre.
Captain Turner remained unconscious.
And today...
The Grand Emberforge Duchy gathered to bury the eight men who would never return home.
The cemetery overlooking the valley had never been so silent.
Eight polished wooden coffins rested side by side beneath white canopies, each one covered with fresh lilies, mountain roses, and wildflowers gathered by the children of the duchy.
Behind every coffin sat a family.
Wives dressed in black.
Mothers with swollen eyes.
Fathers trying desperately to remain strong.
Children too young to understand why everyone kept crying.
A little girl clutched the edge of her father's coffin.
"Daddy..." Her tiny voice trembled "When are you waking up?"
Her mother immediately covered her mouth as a sob escaped her lips.
The child looked around in confusion "Mommy... why is everyone crying?"
The woman dropped to her knees and wrapped both arms around her daughter. "Because Daddy has gone to Heaven, my love."
The little girl frowned "When is he coming home?"
No answer came.
Only tears.
Not far away, a little boy buried his face against his grandmother's dress. "I don't want everyone to stop saying Daddy's name."
The elderly woman stroked his hair through her own tears. "No one will forget your father."
Around them, dozens of villagers quietly wiped tears from their eyes.
Entire families had come.
Blacksmiths.
Farmers.
Teachers.
Shopkeepers.
Miners.
No one had stayed home.
At the front stood the House of Ambrose.
Duke Owen.
Duchess Eleanor.
Lady Aurora.
Behind them stood Philip, Emily, Anne, Julianne, Turner's knights, soldiers, servants, and every official of the duchy.
No one spoke.
Even the wind seemed quieter today.
One by one, the coffins were carried to their graves.
The sound of boots against the earth echoed across the cemetery.
Slow.
Measured.
Respectful.
Aurora watched as one grieving widow reached out, desperately placing her hand upon the coffin one last time.
"Please...", Her voice cracked "Don't leave me."
Two women gently helped her back.
She collapsed into their arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Nearby, another young mother held an infant no more than a few months old.
She gently touched the tiny hand against the coffin, "So you'll always know your father."
Aurora looked away.
Her vision blurred.
Beside her, Eleanor quietly slipped her hand into Owen's.
The Duke squeezed it tightly.
He could feel her trembling.
Truthfully...
He was trembling too.
When every coffin had finally been lowered into the ground, silence settled across the cemetery.
No bird sang.
No child laughed.
Only quiet weeping filled the air.
Duke Owen slowly stepped forward.
His shoulders were straight.
His voice steady.
Yet everyone could hear the grief beneath every word.
"My friends..."
He looked across the grieving families.
"There are no words powerful enough to ease your pain today."
His gaze moved from one coffin to the next.
"These eight men were not simply miners."
"They were husbands."
"Fathers."
"Sons."
"Brothers."
"Friends."
"They were men who rose before dawn each morning, not seeking glory..."
"...but simply hoping to provide a better life for the people they loved."
His voice grew softer.
"They descended into the mountain carrying picks and lanterns..."
"...never imagining they would not see another sunset."
Many people lowered their heads.
Even the soldiers standing guard struggled to keep their composure.
Owen continued.
"They gave their strength to Emberforge."
"They helped build our homes."
"They forged the steel that defended our borders."
"They sacrificed more than most people will ever know."
He looked toward the widows.
"I cannot return your husbands."
He turned toward the children.
"I cannot give you back your fathers."
A tear escaped Eleanor's eye.
Aurora quietly wiped her own.
"But I can make you this promise."
Owen's voice rang across the cemetery.
"You will never face tomorrow alone."
"As long as House Ambrose stands..."
"...your children will never go hungry."
"...your homes will never be abandoned."
"...your families will never be forgotten."
He placed a hand over his heart.
"I swear this..."
"...not as your Duke..."
"...but as a father."
Many of the widows broke down completely.
One elderly miner removed his cap.
"Thank you... Your Grace."
Another man bowed his head.
"They died serving this duchy."
Owen nodded solemnly.
"And this duchy will spend every day honouring them."
He looked toward the freshly turned earth.
"To the eight brave men we lay to rest today..."
"Thank you."
"For your courage."
"For your sacrifice."
"For every life you helped build."
"You will live on..."
"...through your children."
"...through your families."
"...through this duchy."
"...and through every heart that loved you."
His voice finally broke.
"Rest now."
"You have earned your peace."
"May the Creator watch over you..."
"...until the day your families meet you again."
Silence.
Then...
One by one...
People began placing flowers upon the graves.
Children.
Mothers.
Fathers.
Neighbours.
Soldiers.
Knights.
Even the servants stepped forward with trembling hands.
Aurora knelt before the first grave and gently laid a single white lily upon the fresh earth.
"I couldn't save you..." she thought.
"But I promise... I will spend the rest of my life protecting those you left behind."
A soft breeze swept through the cemetery.
The flowers swayed gently.
For just a moment...
It almost felt as though the mountain itself was mourning alongside them.
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