In walked the King of the Glacis!.
He didn't just walk; he processed. He was not a towering figure, but his presence was towering. He was draped in robes that looked like woven starlight and frost. Behind him followed a retinue of guards whose armor clanked with the sound of old, expensive money.
They looked like they had come for a fight!
The council members, who had been lounging in their various orbital offices, suddenly "materialized" their full-body holograms into the room out of sheer respect_ or fear.
"Your Highness," Melvin stammered, standing up. "Sovereign of the Seas... to what do we owe this unexpected honor?"
The King didn't answer immediately. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced the chamber, his eyes scanning the high ceilings and the cold walls. Finally, his gaze landed on Sunshine. He offered a microscopic nod_ a secret signal between two people who had already had a conversation on a serious matter.
