by Jacques Ciseleur » Fri Feb 04, 2022 1:06 am
"I hope so. I really do," Jacques nodded. "This is...not something we get a second chance at."
"Well, no time like the present, I suppose."
The mold Jacques was using was custom-built for this purpose, which is an odd purpose to be custom built for, but hey - royal prerogative and whatnot. It was a ceramic mold with a sort of gate at the front, so it could be placed over Katarina's head and shoulders. It came in two pieces -- one shaped like the back of Katarina's head; one shaped like the top.
"Normally," Jacques explained, "we would melt the gold or brass or what have you, and pour it into the mold. That is not an option with the Princess, for what I hope are obvious reasons. Instead, we will seal her inside the mold, locking it tightly. We shall insert it into the furnace and heat it, slowly and carefully, as we monitor the Princess for any signs of distress. There will be a point of no return after which, well, we can not return, but if we discover any problems early, we may be able to abort with minimal damage done. Once we pass a certain point, however, we will have to stoke the furnace to it's hottest, to completely melt everything. We shall then remove the mold from the furnace, pour in the separately-melted gold, and wait for everything to cool. Hopefully, the new gold will meld with the old gold. Hopefully, the mold will allow everything to form properly. Hopefully, the Princess' power shall keep her in one piece and...comfortable...throughout the process.
And hopefully, four of us will leave this room in a few hours."