Wow, the end of 2021 already is upon us, and boy is the weather cold here in Alberta, Canada. Despite the cold however, the snow makes the trees look beautiful and winter can certainly be magical if you let it. If you read my previous blog post you will know that the Empire of Frythiel does not suffer the same cold and snowy weather as we do here in Canada, but that doesn’t stop the magic. So, today I want to talk about the two main ceremonies that occur in The Cardinal War: the gift of flight ceremony as well as the coronation ceremony. There will be SPOILERS in this blog so please finish the book before continuing on if you do not want to know more.

The first ceremony that is touched on in The Cardinal War is the ritual that occurs to allow an individual flight. In the briefest description, the ceremony is given to those of nobility who reach the appropriate age. We know as well that the messengers of Mordale, as well as other cities throughout Frythiel, have the gift of flight in order to rely messages and advanced warning of trouble. While only getting a glimpse of Cinnia having gone through the ceremony and later Eileen, it is a small event that generally only involves the one gaining the flight ability as well as those with the ability to grant the ability. It is such a closely kept secret that there is never even a witness as a part of the ceremony. What is known is that the power can be granted and taken away and in future books you will learn more about the specific group that is in charge of this ceremony (don’t want to give to much away too soon 😉)

The second ceremony that occurs in The Cardinal War is the coronation of Eileen near the end of the book. In the best circumstances, it would be a parent or the previous Emperor/Empress that conducts the speeches and crowns the next in line, however as Emperor Ithel had passed some time ago and was ill before his passing there was no opportunity for this to occur. Commander Quilan, as the lead commander for the Emperor’s guards, was the ideal choice to lead the ceremony. In addition to whomever leads the ceremony, the two messengers always flank that induvial during the ceremony both as a guard as well as a symbolic role. Eileen comments on only having a short time to learn what she must say and do in order for her to please the people and become Empress. Normally the heir would have months of study and practice to ensure nothing goes wrong but Frythiel had already been without a ruler for too long at this stage to allow for this preparation. Despite this, Eileen studied hard and performed excellently despite the distractions around her and the people agreed. What topped it off was the imagery of light surrounding and reflecting off of the new Empresses. This would not have mattered to everyone but the more superstitious of souls would have been hard pressed to accept her during another storm. In accordance with law, the two messengers are to be in full support of their Empress and dutifully guide her from the ceremony room. While not explicitly stated in The Cardinal War, Eileen would have gone through the flight ritual as soon as the ritual givers could be summoned.

This post is a bit shorter but I wanted to end it with engaging my readers. If there are any particular topics you would like me to touch on or even anything you would like to know about me or my writing process please comment. Depending what response I get I will do a bonus post in January or include suggested topics in my notes for the future.

Keep reading, Happy New Years and remember to keep doing what you love.