Reprieve

In the years that passed after Lorian departed on his journey, the kingdom of Lothric had come back to life. King Oceiros had returned along with the Queen shortly after news reached them that Lorian was no longer at the castle. Lothric supposed that despite his title and the praise lavished upon him, his father did not entrust Lothric alone to rule in his absence.

Attending to the Queen was a new handmaiden who called herself Gertrude. If he was being quite honest, Gertrude bore a striking resemblance to his mother - far more than either himself or Lorian who bore closer resemblance to Oceiros - and he was well aware of the practice of having daughters of Queens serve them as handmaidens.

But that was none of his business, not truly.

Though the King had also returned, he was as reclusive as when he was locked in the Grand Archives, rarely leaving his chambers. It was hardly an improvement from when Lothric himself was ruling, which begged the question as to why his father had bothered to return at all.

Lothric was currently settled in one of the studies nearest to his room; his tutors had each departed on their own accord around the time the King had returned. Orbeck had claimed he had taught Lothric all he knew and now needed to search for more knowledge as Wulfred would not grant him access to anything else, while Kriemhild had finally uncovered a lead on the location of the Fire Keeper's eyes. Eagerly, Lothric had sent her out to find them and bring them to him. She had only been gone for a little over a year, and Lothric was expecting to hear from her soon as she sent letters regularly to keep him informed.

In their absence, however, it meant he had to fill the time each day on his own. There were always some requests from the people at least, which he responded to promptly. Lothric was grateful the people were content with written responses from him for the most part, given most knew of his condition. Afterwards, on good days, he would spend his evenings practicing the sorceries he had been working on with Orbeck and Kriemhild. Though the balance of his days had once again shifted towards more bad days than good ones.

At that moment, Lothric had been replying to an inquiry from the Cathedral of the Deep, requesting more supplies be sent to them. He was partway through the letter when the castle bells began to toll, and Lothric couldn't help but press one of his hands to his chest as he did every time the bells rang, waiting to hear the moment the ringing of the bells matched the beat of his heart.

Outside the study he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching and turned just in time to see Gertrude appear in the doorway. "You've been summoned by the Queen, my Lord. To the courtyard, quickly."

Lothric sighed and moved to stand. Gertrude moved to his side offering her hand for support. Since arriving, she had not once been prompted by him for assistance, it was just something she did automatically, as intuitive as breathing. "Should I assume this has something to do with the bells?"

"I believe so, my Lord."

"It was the pattern indicating a guest - has the Queen finally taken on the foolish task of trying to find me a wife? For I fear that if that's the case, she will be sorely disappointed." Lothric gave the girl a wry smile, "After all, who would dare be wed to a cripple who is all but dead already?"

"I'm afraid I don't know why you're being summoned." She paused for a moment and bit on her lower lip before continuing, "And you treat yourself unfairly, my Lord. I think you'll live and find someone who cares deeply for you."

Lothric grinned at her and leaned in closer, whispering, "You know, even the thought of allowing me to live would be considered heresy, dear Gertrude. You would do well to consider who you say such things around."

"Forgive my saying so, my Lord, but perhaps there should be more heretical talk." She cast her eyes down after she spoke, pursing her lips shut. Lothric said nothing in reply; it wasn't as though he necessarily disagreed with her.

As they drew nearer to the courtyard, they were greeted with more than just the Queen. It seemed people were spilling out of the castle from every station - cooks, knights, servants, and even some scholars - all were gathered and talking amongst themselves. A space had naturally formed around the Queen and King out of respect and perhaps fear. Lothric would not blame them, considering the appearance of King Oceiros.

Where once a man had stood, tall and imposing, there was now a deformed husk. He was half man, half mutated beast as his appendages twisted unnaturally at places, his neck elongated, and his hands formed into claws similar to Lothric's own. It seemed whatever his father's research had led him towards was also leading him down a path which Lothric suspected there was no returning from.

He took the spot beside his mother, using her as a barrier between himself and his father. "Hello Mother."

"Hello Lothric, are you feeling well?" she asked softly, her voice as kind as he remembered.

"Today is one of the better days. For what reason are we all gathered here?"

His mother turned to him and merely smiled. "You will see in a moment."

As though summoned by the will of her words, Lothric heard the crowd in the front start to quiet as a figure began crossing the bridge towards them. Behind them were several horses, dragging a large object wrapped in cloth, and Lothric knew at that moment that Lorian had finally returned home, and with a tribute, as promised.

Lorian reached the courtyard, and Lothric took in the sight of his brother who he had not seen in several years. Time had treated his brother very well. Where before he could claim that standing they were roughly the same height, now Lorian undoubtedly towered over him. His brother who had left lanky and not yet fully grown in armor which had seemed ill-fitting before, now fit him perfectly and had clearly seen years of use and wear. The brass was stained brown in places where the dirt (or was it blood?) had collected over the years.

The horses came to a stop, and the rotten smell of decaying flesh quickly overwhelmed the courtyard. All around him, people were pulling out handkerchiefs and fans, trying desperately to keep the stench away from them.

At last Lorian looked at them; Lothric only barely caught the flicker of surprise on his face at the sight of their parents. He met Lothric's gaze and gave a quick smile before falling to his left knee and curling his right arm, placing his hand in front of his face. It could be mistaken for a bow, but Lothric recognized the stance of fealty his brother took. What could Lorian have brought to elicit such an action, Lothric wondered.

"Prince Lothric," Lorian called out, "I have completed the task as I swore when I first departed. A mighty beast, slain in your honor."

Lothric took a sharp breath. It appeared Lorian had grown more than he thought in his time away. To address Lothric directly instead of the King or Queen who also stood in front of him - it was a sign of the utmost disrespect for them. And yet that was also the exact reason that it caused his heart to beat so quickly with excitement. The Lorian that had left had still planned on proving himself to his father, but this Lorian had spent years focusing singularly on a goal to prove himself worthy to Lothric.

"Show me."

He watched as Lorian drew his sword, cutting the ropes that the horses had been dragging the corpse by and pulled off the blood soaked sheet.

Beneath it was the head of a wyvern, the rest of the corpse apparently abandoned. Oh yes, Lorian knew exactly how to prove his worth. "Magnificent," Lothric whispered, moving closer until he was able to place his hand on the beast's scaled head. "We must find a place to display it."

"No!" Came a cry from behind him, a voice Lothric only barely recognized as his father. Whatever curse or mutation he had brought upon himself had deepened his voice and given it a strange tone. "As King, I will be taking it to further my research. It could have told us so much in life…"

Lothric calmly watched as his mother cast her gaze elsewhere while his father trailed off into fitful muttering to himself before turning his gaze back on Lorian who had risen back to his feet. In an instance, Oceiros lurched forward, his eyes crazed as he snarled, "By what right did you have to kill it? How dare you!"

He raised a mutated hand as if to strike at Lorian. On instinct Lothric placed himself in front of his brother and stood as tall as he could manage. He made for a poor shield, he admitted, the top of his head only barely passing Lorian's chin. But it was enough.

Oceiros's strike made contact, tearing through the flesh of Lothric's cheek, leaving a streak of blood in its wake. But it seemed to be enough to bring his father back to his senses. "To be able to defeat and bring back such a rare creature is an incredible feat, Father, surely you see the value in what he has accomplished?"

Behind him, Lorian added, "The original intention was always to bring the creature back alive." A lie, but one that slipped so effortlessly from his brother. Oh how proud Lothric was of him. "But as I'm sure you understand from your research, Father, dragon-kin are prideful creatures. It would only surrender in death."

Oceiros deflated in front of them and moved to the head, placing a hand on its forehead. As though in mourning. "Yes, of course. You're right. Well done Lorian, for bringing home this prize which will undoubtedly bring great knowledge and prosperity."

Lorian bowed in response as a gesture of his humility and respect for the King.

"If I may be so bold, Father, I would ask to keep a piece of this tribute." Lothric requested.

Oceiros opened his mouth and stuttered out a few incoherent words, his voice sharp with anger, before he turned his attention back to the wyvern. "Very well."

Lothric turned to the crowd, searching for their apothecary who he had spotted earlier. "Master Aelfric, would you be so kind as to bring your amputation instruments?"

The man nodded, "at once my lord!" and hurried inside.

Aelfric returned with his tools - sharp blades and a saw sturdy enough to cut through bone. They were crude tools, and rarely used when miracles were so prevalent, but they had proved useful in the past. He calmly instructed Aelfric, "I desire a pair of teeth from this beast."

At his command, Aelfric pulled out his tools and began the process of removing two of the largest teeth and handing them to his Lothric. Lothric took them greedily, one in each hand, straining slightly as with everything else about the wyvern, its teeth were massive.

Oceiros looked as though he was about to protest, so Lothric reassured him, "Worry not, Father. The beast has more than two teeth. But should you require to view these particular teeth for your research I will make them available for you. I have every intention of preserving them."

"A kind memento to remember your brother by," the Queen added as she set a hand on Oceiros's shoulder to calm him.

"Lorian, would you please escort me to my chambers so I may store these where they belong?" Lothric asked. At his words, the others gathered realized that the spectacle was over and began to disappear back into the castle, many looking all too grateful to be away from the stench of the rotting corpse.

Together, Lorian and Lothric walked past their father who had gathered various knights to begin moving the remains to a better location. On their way, the Queen intercepted them, wrapping her arms around Lorian's shoulders and pulling him into a deep hug.

He seemed to melt right into her arms at that moment, Lothric thought.

"Welcome home, my son," said the Queen warmly.

"Thank you, Mother." Lorian said quietly, pulling away from her embrace.

"Tomorrow we will celebrate your return with a feast," she said, smiling brightly.

"I would like that."

"Now go on, we shall have plenty of time to speak later. You must be exhausted."

As she walked away with Gertrude and her other handmaidens following behind her, Lothric wrapped an arm around his brother's elbow like he used to do before Lorian left. With little effort he led Lorian through the halls to his chamber, taking one of the teeth from his brother and placing it on the table beside his bed. He gestured to the other tooth, "I wish for you to keep that one. It was your victory after all."

"I will be sure to cherish it."

"Now, let us stop by your room and then continue on." Lothric said dismissively, dragging his brother with what little strength he had.

"Continue on?" Lorian asked.

"In case you have failed to notice in your time away from civilization, you, my dearest brother, smell nearly as foul as that corpse." He waved a hand in front of his face in an exaggerated motion. "I am taking you to bathe."

Luckily for him, Lorian's room was on the way and was hardly a moment's pause for them as they set aside the tooth, grabbed a set of clothes, and continued to the bathing chambers. It seemed one of the servants had the foresight that this would be a stop for the returned Prince as the tub had been recently filled with warm water.

"Do you need help?" Lothric asked from the doorway as Lorian tugged at the clasps on his armor.

"I believe I will manage," his brother replied as he tossed his gauntlets aside and began removing the breastplate next even as his eyes turned to Lothric and he frowned. "You need not have placed yourself in his way. You know he would not have harmed me with such a blow."

"And allow him to disrespect you and the tribute you brought to me? I would sooner endure a hundred of his blows than allow him to disrespect you so." Lothric leaned heavily on the doorframe, "I knew the moment I saw the beast that it would anger Father. But, that is why you chose it, is it not?"

"He has always placed more dedication and care towards his research into dragons than into his own sons," Lorian sneered. There was genuine anger in his voice. "Look at what that research has brought him - only madness. And for what he did to our mother, what his deranged methods did to you-"

Lothric sighed. "I have grown accustomed to this accursed body of mine, and have even found ways to make it useful. Watch."

He took a step back, making a quick motion with his hand as light appeared from above them and runic symbols appeared on the ground beneath the pile of armor. In an instance, there was a flash of light and the armor had disappeared entirely.

"One of Master Orbeck's sorceries he taught you?"

"A miracle of my own creation." Lothric grinned at the surprised expression on his brother's face. He had long speculated that such a feat could be possible and spent countless hours willing a book across the room until suddenly, it had happened.

"You have grown much in my absence it seems."

"In parlor tricks only, I fear." Neither needed elaboration; Lothric's condition was still plain for all to see.

"You give yourself too little credit." Lorian scolded as he pulled his tunic off and Lothric could make out a jagged scar in the center of his chest and another scar - faint and nearly impossible to see - on his hand. Lothric moved out of the doorway, back into the hallway to allow Lorian some semblance of privacy even as he continued the conversation, "You have barely changed in the years I have been gone, I am grateful."

"Whereas you have gone and changed far more than I could have anticipated. Which God blessed you to grow so much?"

Lorian laughed at him, "Being our mother's child, I suppose. She is still taller and larger than I am, even now."

A servant passed by and gave a quick bow to Lothric. "The scar on your chest… tell me what happened."

"That was from an encounter shortly after I defeated the wyvern. For all of Father's madness and obsession, his respect for the beasts is well-founded; they are powerful beyond comprehension. When I followed the rumors to the wyvern's lair, it had surrounded itself with twisted men nearly as powerful as the wyvern itself. I encountered a second dragon-kin after I slew the wyvern - it had looked as if there was a figure atop its back as a spear of lightning sang across the skies. I underestimated it, thinking it too far away and it struck it's mark true, right over my heart." He paused and Lothric could barely make out the quiet sound of shifting water. "Even with my armor, the power of it bled through, still managing to scorch my flesh and leave its mark."

Lothric hummed in response, "And the others?"

"There's one on my shoulder: a strike from a deranged hollow, tainted with power from the abyss."

"How frightful," he murmured, "and the one on your hand?"

"That was from a man I encountered several times on my journey. The first night he found where I was resting, he thought I was hollow and attempted to strike me down as I slept."

"Pray tell, brother, how does a sleeping man stop a blade intending to kill him while he sleeps?"

"I dreamt-" Lorian paused, closing his eyes and breathing deeply before continuing, "I dreamt I was fighting in the training yard, unarmed. Before I awoke, one of the figures in my dream thrust a blade toward me and I reached out to grab it."

Lothric peered around the corner to glare at his brother. "Even in a dream I dare say I suspect you would not be so foolish without cause. Perhaps it was your body's natural attempt to react to the attack it sensed, or perhaps you are avoiding telling me something. You have never been good at lying to me, Lorian, not even lies of omission."

Lorian turned away from him, his gaze landing back on the water in the tub, "I dreamt that you were in the garden, tending to the spark of the First Flame. The moment you touched it, it engulfed your body entirely. You were in agony beyond imagination, and I could do nothing."

"Oh, Lorian…" Lothric sighed, ducking back around the corner and leaning his head back against the wall as he shut his eyes, all too familiar with what Lorian was describing. "To think that we would share such similar dreams."

"How often?"

"Near nightly," Lothric shrugged, "what other future do I dare dream about?"

After a long pause, Lorian spoke again, "That man who tried to kill me was the one who first led me on the path to the wyvern. He thought my intentions were to impress Father. Perhaps because that was who I was expected to impress."

"And yet, here we are with Father oozing madness and anger. But I have been entirely impressed, brother."

"Then I can rest easy knowing I have accomplished my task." There was the sound of moving water again, presumably as Lorian exited the tub.

"Are you clean then?"

"It is the first proper bath I have been afforded in a very long time," Lorian agreed as he emerged from the bathing chamber, dressed awkwardly in his old clothes that no longer fit properly.

"You look ridiculous," Lothric said with a grin as he reached forward, grabbing his wrist and teleporting both of them to Lorian's chambers.

From beside him, Lorian stared, clearly impressed. "You can teleport people as well as items?"

"It is a relatively simple concept. Once you understand how it applies to objects, living things are hardly any different."

"We could have simply walked."

"Ah, but then how would I regale you with my newfound skills?" Lothric grinned.

He watched as Lorian began searching through his old clothes, looking for any that may be a better fit. Lothric tired of standing and moved to sit down on Lorian's bed as he watched. Eventually Lorian found a slightly larger tunic which he traded for the one he was currently wearing.

Lorian sat down on the edge of the other side of the bed, collapsing backwards into the sheets and closing his eyes. "It has been a very long time since I have been able to sleep in a bed large enough to lie on comfortably."

"Do you plan to go back out there?"

"Eventually, yes. I will have to keep reminding Father and everyone else why I will be the one to accompany you when the time comes. Just as you will prove them all wrong by returning alive."

Lothric snorted. "What beasts will you fight to prove yourself capable of such a miracle?"

"I have heard rumors of a creature called the Demon Prince that lingers where Chaos was born, feeding from it. It is said to be incomparably formidable and ruthless; even demons fear to tread near him." Lorian slung an arm over his eyes in exhaustion as they talked and his voice became more subdued. "As it stands now, I am aware I am not yet strong enough to fight such a monster. So I will go after other, lesser prizes. But one day, I swear to you, I will bring you that foul creature's head."

It was as though he could already feel Lorian slipping away from him again, despite the fact that he was still very much here, beside Lothric. "I will go with you next time." Lothric declared. "After all, if we are to eventually have to travel and fight together, we should practice first. But we must depart before Father inevitably leaves back for his studies, dragging Mother along with him."

"Perhaps we should do something less dangerous to start with. After all, you have still never ventured outside the castle grounds." It wasn't a statement meant to wound Lothric, but it was a fact which was a sore spot for him regardless. "Perhaps a hunt?"

"And what exactly would we hunt?"

"There are plenty of boar and deer in the area, and it is not uncommon for hunts to occur, particularly at this time of year. But they will try to stop us, for your sake."

"To keep me in my gilded cage, safe from harm," Lothric sneered. He knew they would. But this would be a good first step. If he could prove that he could handle a hunt, there was a marginal chance that they would allow him to venture out with Lorian the next time he left. "They should have no reason to fear me leaving this time; not with the worthy Prince Lorian watching over me."

"Just because you see value and strength in what I have accomplished, does not mean that Father has," Lorian countered.

"Then Father is a fool," Lothric declared, and was about to continue with other choice words when the sound of a woman clearing her throat caught his attention.

Lothric rose from the side of the bed and turned to look at their uninvited guest; in the doorway was the servant in charge of delivering Lothric all his letters as well as any urgent messages, staring straight down at her feet.

"Forgive the intrusion my Lords, Lady Emma suggested you both might be here or in Prince Lothric's room as you were no longer at the bath chamber. My Lord, you instructed me to inform you at once as soon as word was received from Mistress Kriemhild, no matter what you may be doing. A messenger just arrived with a letter from her."

Of course when Lothric had first instructed her of this, it was before he had known that Lorian would be returning. However, he realized that the task he had set Kriemhild out on may in fact serve a greater purpose in the long run than his reunion with Lorian. "Where is the letter?"

"Here, my Lord." She held up a rolled up sheet of parchment which he took from her.

He moved to her, taking the letter as he skimmed the contents of the message. It appeared that Kriemhild had at last found a promising lead, but her journey would be leading her far beyond the kingdom of Lothric's domain to the ruinous city of New Londor. She was requesting aid on her task, which Lothric could certainly provide her. At the rate she was proceeding, the retrieval of the eyes would take awhile, but more importantly she was his only solid lead. He needed to ensure she was protected on her journey above all else if the legends of the eyes were true.

For a moment, he glanced to Lorian. His brother would undoubtedly be able to keep her safe, but he did not want to entangle him into this; not yet at least. Lothric turned back to the servant. "I will send a reply at once, please find Albert and Kamui and send them to my study."

The servant bowed, excusing herself from the room to do as he requested.

"Apologies, Lorian, I must attend to this matter. We will speak again tomorrow, and request permission for the hunt. Sleep well."

Both Albert and Kamui were hunters that followed the orders of the Black Hand - an elite group of warriors, assassins, and spies who swore fealty to the Lothric royal line, serving whatever role was needed from them. They assisted the current leader of the Black Hand, Gotthard.

By the time he reached his study, the two were already waiting inside, each bowing as he entered. "Thank you both for attending to this with such little advance notice. You are each aware of Mistress Kriemhild, yes?"

"She was your Fire Keeper tutor, but also the apprentice to the Crystal Sage, was she not?" Albert asked.

"That is correct. As such I have sent her on a task to retrieve a rare artifact that I hope to use in the future when the bells finally toll." He paused, giving them time to absorb what he was saying before continuing, "Her task will take her to the abandoned city of New Londo, where I fear she may encounter that which she is not equipped to deal with. I will be relying on the two of you to keep her safe."

"As you command, Prince Lothric." They both said in unison.

Lothric nodded appreciatively at the two of them before sitting at his desk where he wrote a brief response to Kriemhild giving her permission to continue to New Londo as well as explaining that Albert and Kamui would be joining her for the duration of her task. Lothric quickly rolled it up and sealed it before passing it to Kamui. "You both leave at once."

"As you command, Prince Lothric." They both repeated while saluting before leaving the room.

Lothric sighed once they were gone, sinking back into the chair at his desk where he caught sight of the letter he had been drafting earlier before Lorian's return. Seeing as how he was already here, he may as well finish his response to Archdeacon McDonnell. It was only a single letter that sat on top of an entire stack awaiting his response.

Resigned to his fate, Lothric hunched over his desk and began drafting responses until late in the evening.