Rewatched the scene where Cleon XIII is being briefed by Demerzel before he starts walking the Spiral, and the clash between the clear love and reverence that Cleon clearly has for Demerzel versus his incredibly entitled nature, both over her and everything else around him, borders on the absurd in the best way.
Cleon at one point commands asks Demerzel to give him her salt bracelet, which is a holy symbol used for prayer among the luminists. Keep in mind, Demerzel has probably held on to it for a very long time, and is a very religious robot. This object has great sacred meaning for her, and he knows that.
And Cleon just... breaks it. Just yanks the hunk of salt right off the chain. Demerzel is clearly startled and may be even hurt by this, but then Cleon turns around, and in Lee Pace's amazing ability to pour gravitas into everything he does, solemnly declares that he's taking the salt with him during the pilgrimage. To him, it will be like she will be right there with him, as she always has been (slight paraphrasing).
The moment in the scene and the tone absolutely drips with incredible reverence and love, but it's juxtaposed by the tremendous act of disrespect he so casually and obliviously commits. And of course, we're aware that Cleon doesn't believe in or even respect luminist beliefs, so that would likely have directed his actions as well.
But even so there's something so... absurd in its most serious form about this action.
Imagine you had a mother/servant/mentor/advisor figure in your life that you deeply love and respect who is a devout Catholic. She carries around an ancient rosary that she's had forever and prays with it daily, and often holds it for comfort. You've never seen her without it.
Now imagine that you're about to embark on a very dangerous Catholic pilgrimmage, and just before you go, you randomly ask her to hand her rosary to you. And then you break it. You pull the cross off at the end. No warning. No asking. You just do it. And then, completely seriously, you declare that you're taking it with you to honour her.
It's a moment that both heartwarming and horrifying: Cleon XIII is genuinely trying to honour Demerzel, but his extreme sense of entitlement, arrogance, and his sense of ownership over her poisons the moment. He may be trying to honour her, but his actions entirely conflict with his intentions and reveals, in my opinion, a kind of obliviousness he and so many other monarchs and royalty can have when they've grown up in a bubble of privilege. My guy didn't even ask if he could take the salt, or even see if there was a way to get the salt without breaking the chain. Demerzel may be his mother figure and advisor that he holds in the highest regard, but functionally, at the end of the day, she's still just another object he owns.
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