Legends tell of the seaponies, who mysteriously went missing millenia ago. Some claim they died due to a mysterious illness. Some claim they were hunted to extinction. Most say they never existed in the first place. None of these theories are correct. For you sea, whale the seaponies did exist, they never died.
Instead, they were lead into hiding. The above world coveted their rarity and saw them as nofin more than trophy items. It was the leadership of none other than Her Imperial Condescension that led them to safety from the air-breathers' nets. She saved them, so they serve her. She is not a cruel Empress by any stretch of the word. In fact, she is pretty tame. What laws she does occasionally pass are usually just common sense and in response to major crimes. Like, no murder, no rape, no stealing and absolutely no smoking any of Her fancy cigars. Common sense.
However, after years of being hidden away beneath the waves, Her Condescension grows bored. She's been sitting on a cushion for so many years the stone beneath has butt grooves, no joke. So, to escape the tedium, she makes the obvious decision. To move to the surface and sea what it's like. There's no way somefin can go wrong with a nine foot tall sea monster from the deep managing a bakery?
…
Right?