The salt air whipped across the deck of the Sovereign Gale, carrying with it the sharp, biting scent of the open sea. This luxury vessel, a marvel of Astraian craftsmanship recently refitted with subtle Essence stabilizers, moved with a predatory grace through the choppy waters of the neutral zone. Constantine stood at the bow, his hands clasped behind his back. The rhythmic crashing of waves against the hull provided a steady heartbeat to the heavy silence of the morning. Behind him, the silhouettes of two Maritime Kingdom frigates loomed through the mist, their presence a testament to the wary curiosity his sudden invitation had sparked among the Merchant Lords of the sea.
"The representatives have boarded the mid-deck, My Lord," Isabella said, her voice cutting through the wind with mi
