Joran strides out onstage and begins addressing the heavens as the King of Icemere. The thunderous cadence of his condemnation of everyone who plots against him carries him through the monologue as if he hadn't still been dropping his lines three days earlier. The costumes glitter and gleam under the stage lights. There are no ominous shadows to be seen. The audience is attentive, and as the King of Icemere's two sons come onstage for the first time, there's a scattering of applause.