"It's not grave robbing if it's your own tomb."

"I'm not sure the law has ever considered this angle of the question, sir. Still, the legal technicality is not what puts me at unease."

Blueblood raised his head from the duffel bag, a crowbar and a tumbler filled with ice and an amber liquid levitating beside him. "Trusted Butler, what are you talking about?"

"Sir, for the umpteenth time, my name is not Trusted Butler, it is Cornerstone. And I am more worried about the fact that somepony may see the supposedly deceased Prince shuffling around 'Alive and Kicking' so to say."

"You worry too much." The Prince took a sip from his glass, then smacked his lips. "Nopony comes ever in the catacombs, certainly not at night. And after we have my heirloom we can finally leave for a bright and exciting future." The crowbar flew to the gray earthpony in black jacket.

Cornerstone grabbed the tool and stepped to the marble sarcophagus. He lowered his head, his eyes following the thin line separating the upper and the lower part of the coffin.

Blueblood observed his drink, his eyes unfocused. "You know, I really appreciate that you'll follow me, Trusted Butler. I mean, you'll leave everything behind for this big, crazy even if undoubtedly fascinating adventure."

Cornerstone put his ear on the marble surface, then tapped with his hoof two times. "My oath of service won't expire with a fake death, sir. I checked." He rose and moved a bit further down before eyeing critically another point. "I admit I was surprised that this specific case was covered. If you permit the observation, it raises some worrying questions about your family. And it explains what happened to great-aunt Mainstay."

"True, true. What can I say, we Bluebloods are lovable rascals."

"Right sir, lovable." Cornerstone raised the crowbar, stuck it in a thin slit near the head of the sarcophagus, then pulled down. The cover sled almost without a sound. "Sir, you can recover your heirloom, and then we can continue with this farce."

"We could become pirates." Blueblood put the tumbler on the floor and trotted to the open tomb. "It would be thematically appropriate. Forced to flee and leave an old live behind because of a prohibited love, scour the nine seas, and return in a decade at the head of a ragtag bunch of misfits to get the place that is rightfully mine. I can see it."

"Sir, I detest to pop that specific romantic bubble, but there was no prohibited love. Princess Essekbeli swore to gut you and feed you your intestines while you died."

"Details. But you are right, I should have romanced her brother. Ah, the sacrifices one does for his country, I was sure the edge we could get at the negotiations would have been worth it. And he is a handsome stallion. So, no exile on the wide sea to forget a tragic love?"

Cornerstone closed his eyes and moved the lips murmuring something. He sighed and walked to the duffel bag. "No sir, it would not be appropriate. And I would be very grateful if we could avoid any deeds involving banditry, fraud or similar endeavors that may end with us being chased by angry villagers or guards."

"We shall see." Blueblood looked in the open sarcophagus, then smiled as he levitated out a monstrously decorated Cuckoo clock. It was an abomination that spat in the face of everything decent. Timekeeping devices everywhere wept whenever it ticked. It was so tacky it deformed space around it, and if one remained alone with it it was possible to hear a faint yodeling from beyond the veil reason suggesting horrid visions of wooden chalets and lederhosen.

Cornerstone shivered, then looked away and gathered the tools and the bottle of Griffin Mist.

Blueblood trotted over to the earthpony. "Isn't it a beauty? Ah, the idea of abandoning it was breaking my poor heart."

"It is certainly something, sir." He glanced briefly at the horror before closing the bag and swinging it on his bag. "Are you absolute certain that it is necessary to take it? Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have put so much effort in the funeral and in showing that you were really dead by sealing that thing in a tomb. And now the open coffin may create some doubts."

"Worry not. They'll say it was changelings or something like that. Enough complaining Trusted Butler, it's time to go. Onward to Adventure!"