After Mouse's proclamation, there was silence for several seconds. The entire court seemed to be on a knife-edge, looking between her and Maur-Azur where he stood at the top of the stairs, his face impassive and unreadable. Even Kersinta seemed to have been forgotten.<br/><br/>Finally, the sea god stepped down, his guards hurriedly pulling back to make way.<br/><br/>"There was no need for pretence." he said, his expression breaking into a wide, generous smile. "Ones such as you should not have to sneak about under false pretences. In a just and righteous world, you would have entered my domain in a grand parade, with mortals and quisling Terrestrials alike bowing before you, and I would have been the envy of all Yu-Shan to host three emissaries of the Sun united together. Yes, I know what you are, O Lawgivers of Sol Invictus. The memory of a god is long, and my hatred of injustice is second only to yours. Not all of the Celestial Order meekly accepted your death and exile beyond the world, many of us remembered the old order and waited for a time when the usurpers would be reminded of the true Lords of Creation."<br/><br/>He looked around the court.<br/><br/>"Come! Why so silent and dour, my children? Let there be celebrations on this momentous day! For surely our visitors are heralds of a new and brighter time coming to this corrupt and hollow world?"