Sacrifice
It was the day of the coronation ceremony and Lothric needed everything to go as smoothly as possible. The goal was to soothe the people, not stoke the flames of their disquiet further. It was the only reason he was agreeing to be a part of the charade in the first place.
He had asked Lorian to meet him in his study shortly before they were both due to be heading over to the cathedral. Lothric had requested a rush order from the Royal blacksmith, shortly after his brother had returned home, to craft a gift. Now he only hoped that Lorian would not misconstrue his intentions and recognize it in the light he intended.
"Surely you did not call me here because you are nervous," Lorian said in good humor as he entered, closing the door behind him. He was already dressed in his armor which had been completely refurbished by the blacksmith shortly after his return. The brass that had been blackened by smoke and fire was now dyed black intentionally. Each crack and broken piece had been reforged and reassembled, invisible to the casual observer unless they knew where to look.
No longer was Lorian the awkward young man in ill-fitting, shiny brass armor. No, this was a man who had seen battle and death, endured, and emerged victorious.
"Far from it," Lothric assured him as he motioned Lorian closer. "I have something for you, for the ceremony."
Lorian took a seat across from Lothric, clearly intrigued. "A gift?"
"Of sorts." Lothric pulled an ornate chest out from behind his desk, pushing it towards Lorian who easily picked it up and set it on the desk. It was a very nice chest, carved and lacquered, clearly intended for diplomatic gifts. "Go on."
With only a moment's hesitation, Lorian opened the chest and pulled out the contents - a helmet crafted as twisting flames, dark as smoke, and almost more reminiscent of a crown than a helmet. Lorian turned to look at him, opening his mouth as if to speak but saying nothing.
"It is to commemorate your victory in the campaign," Lothric said, before softening his voice. "It will also cover the scars on your face should you wish it."
"Will it not block my vision?"
Lothric waved his hand dismissively. "A few enchantments quickly solved that problem."
"Of course," Lorian said with a small smile before taking the helmet and sliding it over his head. It settled perfectly, creating the illusion of the flames wrapping around his head, reaching upwards. It stopped just below Lorian's cheekbones, perfectly concealing the scars. Lothric would miss being able to catch his brother's gaze, but for the strikingly imposing figure it transformed him into, it was worth such a small sacrifice.
"Stand for me," Lothric requested, and waited until Lorian stood to his full height, his presence seeming to fill the room. From his back where his sword was sheathed, there was a faint glow of whatever magical embers had settled within. "You will strike fear and admiration into the hearts of allies and enemies alike."
"That remains to be seen," he laughed.
"Now, we must go, I fear if we make Emma wait any longer, she will be crowning a corpse of her own making."
He fixed his robes, ensuring everything was in place and waited for Lorian to place the helmet back on his head and fix up his hair before they left the room. Where there was usually a buzz of servants, knights, and nobles in the halls, on this day the only ones left were the various knights stationed throughout the castle.
As the cathedral was attached to the main Keep of the castle, it did not take them long to reach the upper levels where Lady Emma was already waiting, donned in the formal robes of the High Priestess. She urged them forward when she spotted them. "At last! Come, it is nearly time to begin. Lorian, please take your place at the head of the Knights."
With a curt nod of his head, Lorian entered the cathedral. Lothric couldn't help but watch as he did, the voices of those chatting already in the cathedral fading as they all took in the sight of him as he towered over them - a dark figure seemingly out of place in this house of worship. After he took his place, the hushed talking resumed but with a different energy than before.
"You know when to enter," Emma said to him with a nod and a smile, reaching a hand forth to readjust his robes, smoothing them down. Then she too descended the spiral staircase before taking her place at the altar.
Once those within had quieted once more, she began to give her sermon. Lothric, who had heard the sermon far too many times already at this point, tuned out her words, instead turning his attention to all those gathered. At the front, and lining the aisles were the Knights, all dressed in their armor, helmets shining in the soft sunlight that came in through the stained glass windows.
Among those seated, Lothric recognized the majority of them. There were of course the priest and priestesses of Emma's order, as well as the various scholars that work in the Archives. The rest were from the nobility, many of whom Lothric spoke with on a regular basis or was in written correspondence with often enough. There were no representatives from their neighboring kingdoms, as Emma believed - and Lothric agreed - that this matter, being purely symbolic, did not require the formal attendance of such figures.
At the back stood an assortment of commoners, several of whom were distracted from Emma's sermon by trying to peer up at him. Lothric kept his head down, glancing into the cathedral from under his hood, knowing that it would appear to all those before him as though he was deep in reflection as he listened to Emma's words.
Eventually Emma's sermon came to an end, as Lothric caught the tail-end, signaling him to enter. As he began to descend the spiral staircase, Lothric felt the gaze of every person in the room turn toward him as he stepped inside, his bare feet treading on the cold stones within.
It was the first time, he realized, that many in attendance would have seen him in person.
Emma stood at the front before an altar whereupon an empty basin and a platinum crown lay. Lothric took his place, settling on his knees in front of the altar, head bowed and hands clasped.
"Holy Prince Lothric, named for the Kingdom which you have sworn your life to protect, on this day we would grant you the power and honor to rule this Kingdom and all who reside within it," Emma began before moving to pick up the crown. "As you will be expected to bear the burden of each decision you make, I place upon your head this crown, to remind you of the weight that rests upon you."
Lothric raised his head as she placed the crown atop it. The platinum was dense and Lothric, naturally weak, had to take great effort to keep his head upright in spite of the weight.
"Do you swear your loyalty and your life to the people of Lothric?"
"I swear."
"Rise, if you would, to demonstrate your willingness and ability to carry the weight of the Kingdom of Lothric."
Slowly, Lothric rose to his feet.
"Do you swear to sacrifice your own life, to ascend as a Lord of Cinder, so that the Age of Fire may continue?"
"I swear."
With that, Emma stepped aside and Lothric approached her, standing in front of the altar and facing those in attendance.
"Then spill your blood, if you would, to demonstrate your willingness and ability to sacrifice yourself for the Kingdom of Lothric."
Lorian stepped forward then, along with two of the priests who held Lothric's Holy sword, forged from platinum - immaculate from never being used. They had practiced this part the past few days; Lothric was supposed to take the blade in his own hands, but he lacked the strength. In truth, its weight was so great that Lothric was certain only Lorian could hold it on his own. He watched his brother grasp his sword, kneeling beside Lothric with his arms outstretched until the blade was poised above the basin.
Before him, each person seemed to hold their breath as they watched Lothric rest his hand atop Lorian's, guiding the blade to his throat. At once, the blade tore through his thin skin, and a few droplets of blood slid down his neck. But that was not a sacrifice. They may have been satisfied with such a weak offering from the newly enlisted knight recruits, but not from Lothric.
He gripped Lorian's hand, steadier now, as he leaned into the blade, feeling it sink into his flesh, before guiding his brother's hand and the sword so that the blade slid all the way across his throat and the blood spilled forth in a burst, over the blade and into the basin. Lorian removed the blade, setting it on the edge of the altar and returned to his place.
His instincts shouted at him to cover the wound, to stop the bleeding. But Lothric knew he could do no such thing as he stood as tall as he dared, letting the blood flow freely into the basin below.
"Holy Prince Lothric has offered a bountiful sacrifice in the name of the Kingdom." Emma announced, making no move towards him. "Are there any who doubt his commitment? His loyalty?"
Lothric stared ahead, head going foggy as he strained between the blood loss and the weight of the crown on his head, praying that none spoke out.
After a few moments of silence, Emma continued. "Are there any who would speak against the appointment of Holy Prince Lothric, destined Lord of Cinder, as the rightful heir and ruler of the Kingdom of Lothric?"
Time seemed to stretch into an eternity as Emma waited for any nay-sayers to speak their piece; though they both knew the only ones with authority to challenge this charade were Oceiros himself as King or Lorian as the elder heir.
Emma moved forward, and all at once everyone in attendance rose and bowed; the knights each took the pose to swear fealty, while the rest bowed in the same gesture they took in prayer.
"By the grace of the First Flame which provides us light and strength to ward off the Darkness, your sacrifice is not required on this day." Chimes in hand, she spoke a miracle which closed the wound on his neck, stopping the flow of blood, but would inevitably scar.
Emma stepped aside and the same two priests from earlier gathered the sword, still coated with Lothric's blood, before disappearing into the back of the cathedral.
Lothric took her place; Emma had prepared a ceremony for him as well as a speech, but Lothric abandoned her preconceived script, choosing instead to speak freely. "Most of you gathered here today are aware of the noble sacrifices of many in support of the campaign against the Demon Prince, and all that were moving to threaten our borders and our very way of life.
"Of those who gave their life, was Knight General Godwyn, the Knight Pillar. He served my father, King Oceiros for decades and the weight of his sacrifice has been felt across the kingdom. Today, I will bestow the title of Pillar on the new Knight General. In honor of Knight General Godwyn's sacrifice, I find it only fitting to appoint the title to the one who slew the Demon Prince himself, Prince Lorian."
A quiet murmur rippled through the crowd as Lorian moved forward, kneeling before Lothric with his head bowed as he called out. "I offer in tribute, the horns from the Demon Prince, taken after I felled it in battle."
This had not been in any of their rehearsals, and Lothric found himself staring in surprise as several knights carried in two large chests which they placed on either side of the altar before opening them to reveal a massive horn in each. Though dormant, Lothric could see the same spark of flame that now lived within Lorian's sword pulsing through each horn. It was hard to imagine the size of the demon that Lorian had taken them from. It was certain to cow any nay-sayers of his appointment into submission.
"The title of Knight General and Pillar is not a light responsibility. Do you swear to guide the Pillars and myself to the best of your ability to ensure the safety and sanctity of the Kingdom of Lothric?"
"I swear."
"Then spill your blood, if you would, to demonstrate your willingness and ability to sacrifice yourself for the Kingdom of Lothric."
It was now Lothric's turn to watch, this time as his brother lifted his own blade to his throat, dragging it across until the blood flowed into the basin. The sight was nauseating to witness, watching as Lorian stood motionless, allowing the blood to flow freely, placing his trust entirely in the fact that they would heal him.
Lothric turned to those gathered once more. "Are there any who doubt his commitment? His loyalty?" When none spoke, he continued. "Are there any who would speak against the appointment of Prince Lorian, Dragon slayer, Dragon tamer, and executioner of the Demon Prince, as the Knight General, Pillar of the Knights, of the Kingdom of Lothric?"
He was grateful when none spoke out, as he motioned for Emma to return and he parroted her own words from earlier as she healed the wound, "By the grace of the First Flame which provides us light and strength to ward off the darkness, your sacrifice is not required this day. And I grant you this ring, which so long as you bear it, will grant you authority as Knight General, Pillar of Knights."
Lothric pulled the pillar ring from his robes, and placed it on Lorian's hand, curling his fingers around it as if it were a precious gem.
This time only the knights moved to salute their new highest ranking leader.
Lorian and Lothric moved to the side, allowing Emma the space to close out the ceremony with her final sermon before they began filing out of the cathedral; first Lothric, followed by Lorian, and a knight regiment to escort them the short distance from the cathedral back to the Keep.
Once the castle doors shut behind them, Lorian dismissed the knights, sending them back to the barracks to celebrate the day's events. Lothric took the opportunity to lean heavily against Lorian's side, still light-headed from losing so much blood. The downside of miracles was that even though they could close and heal wounds, they could not create that which was already lost.
As they walked the halls, Lothric lightly elbowed his brother, "You did not tell me you had managed to bring back such a remarkable trophy."
"It would not have been much of a surprise if I had," Lorian laughed. "What will you do with them?"
"I will keep them for myself, in a place where only I may look upon them and admire them," Lothric declared, "no one, not Father, or Wulfred, or any others, will be allowed to witness them."
Lorian shook his head in amusement as they arrived at the door to Lothric's chamber and he pulled the door open. "Then I will ensure they are sent here directly. Now rest."