The King's sudden decree stunned every Merfolk in the hall.
One male Merfolk, roughly the same height as the Third Princess, stepped forward, his face marked with disbelief.
"Father… you can't! Our ancestral law forbids us from using any force against the sea creatures…"
"Silence! Do you dare defy the Merfolk Sovereign's Sacred Mandate?" the King snapped, his voice cutting through the chamber.
"But…" The young man's protest died in his throat.
"Don't play games with me," the King said sharply. "I used that exact trick ten thousand years ago. I'm still alive, so don't you dare try it!"
In a blur, his small figure flashed forward. The King appeared directly before the male Merfolk, his entire frame barely the size of the younger man's head.
