I'm Trapped Inside a Prince as the Most Powerful Entity-Chapter 84: Alina Fears

The man’s last words echoed in the large council room. A heavy silence fell. The only sound was the man’s uneven breathing. He kept his head bowed, not looking up. King James of the Roland Kingdom had a small, satisfied smile on his lips. He had made his move, and it seemed to have worked just as he wanted.

Emperor Sir David listened to every word the soldier said. He did not move. His face was like a stone, showing no feeling at all. After the soldier stopped talking and the silence continued, Sir David slowly closed his eyes. He stayed like that for a long time. To everyone in the room, it felt like forever. It seemed like he was thinking very hard, weighing all the words he had heard from everyone.

King Noor IV watched the Emperor. His heart felt like a heavy, cold stone inside him. The soldier’s story was full of lies, but he told it with such real-looking fear. It was very harmful. King Noor had not thought Roland would find one of Baron Noble’s men.

He had not thought they would twist the story in this way. He felt a strong feeling of hopelessness. How could they fight against such well-planned lies? He looked quickly at Eric, his son.

Eric’s face was completely wet with sweat. It ran down his forehead and into his eyes, making them sting. He could feel his heart beating very fast in his chest.

The soldier’s words accused him of chasing him. They accused him of killing Roland’s border guards for no reason. It was all wrong, but it sounded so true coming from that shaking man.

Eric wanted to shout. He wanted to say it was not true. But he knew he could not speak unless the Emperor said he could. He felt trapped, like a bird in a cage.

After a few more moments of this deep silence, Emperor Sir David’s eyes opened. They were sharp and they looked through you. They moved slowly, looking first at King Noor, then at Prince Eric.

There was a coldness in the Emperor’s look that made a shiver run down Eric’s back.

"King Noor of Estoria, Prince Eric," the Emperor’s voice was quiet, but it had a power that made everyone listen very carefully.

"The rules of this council are very clear. You were called here to answer for an attack on the First Prince of Roland. You were also called to answer for breaking Imperial law by going into another kingdom’s land without asking permission. The evidence shown by the Roland Kingdom, the memory crystal, showed an attack. This new witness, a soldier from Estoria, now says that you, Prince Eric, followed him into Roland and killed Roland’s border guards. He also says you did this after killing a Baron in your own land."

The Emperor stopped for a moment. His look did not change. "I will not ask you both if this new story is true or false. Because, your own King, King Noor, said earlier that Prince Eric was indeed in the Roland Kingdom. That by itself is a breaking of my law. No permission was asked for, and no permission was given for such an entry. You have already broken my rule. That part is very clear."

King Noor felt his breath catch in his throat. The Emperor was not even going to let them say that the soldier’s lies about the border guards were untrue. He was focused on the first problem – being in Roland without permission.

"However," Emperor Sir David continued, his voice still calm but with a hard sound underneath, "I will give you one last chance. This chance is not for yourselves, because your breaking of the rule by entering Roland’s land is already known. But this chance is for the matter of how serious your actions were in that land, and for the things that happened leading up to it."

After saying this, Emperor Sir David’s look moved. He looked away from King Noor and Eric. He focused on the young woman standing next to them, Alina. She was still pale and shaking. The full power of the Emperor’s attention now fell on her.

"Girl," the Emperor said. His voice was a little softer now, but it was still full of authority. "You heard what the soldier said. He said that Prince Eric killed Baron Noble and all the soldiers who were at the Baron’s home. He said Prince Eric then followed him." He stopped, and his eyes seemed to get a little narrower. "I will ask you a straight question. Answer me with the truth. Did Prince Eric kill that Baron and all the soldiers who were there at the Baron’s home, or not?"

Hearing the Emperor’s direct question, Alina felt a new wave of fear wash over her. Her face was already pale. Now, it was covered in fresh, cold sweat. She was completely terrified.

Her mind was racing. She knew the truth.

She looked at King Noor and then at Eric. Their faces were serious and worried. She felt like their fate was resting on her small shoulders. If she said yes, it would prove at least some of what the runaway soldier had said. It would mean Eric had indeed killed many people.

In this room, with King James looking so happy about their trouble, she felt that saying Eric killed anyone would be twisted. It would be used against them.

They would be completely trapped. No one would help them. She felt she had to protect Adam. She had to protect the King who had tried to help her find her family.

Alina started to shake her head back and forth, desperately. Tears came into her eyes. "No," she stuttered. Her voice was weak and shaking. "No, Your Imperial Majesty. Nothing like that happened—"

But before Alina could finish her sentence, before she could try to make up a denial, a sudden and frightening change came over Emperor Sir David. Anger flashed in his sharp blue eyes. It was like a cold fire. He did not shout. He did not even move from his big chair. But he released his pressure.

It was not a shout or a physical hit. It was his immense personal power made real, an invisible force that suddenly hit everyone in the council room. It felt like the air itself had become heavy and crushing. All the kings in the room, even the ones who were strong warriors themselves, gasped.

They found it hard to breathe. Some of them gripped the arms of their chairs so hard their knuckles turned white. The golden-armored Imperial soldiers standing guard around the room flinched.

They managed to stay standing because of their training, but even their faces showed how hard it was. The very air in the room seemed to shake with the Emperor’s anger.

Alina was already very scared. She was hit by the full force of this pressure. It was too much for her. She cried out, a small, choked sound. She fell to the ground. Her legs could not hold her up anymore.

She put her hands out to stop herself from hitting the cold stone floor completely. She lay there, gasping for air. The Emperor’s invisible power felt like a mountain pressing down on her.

Eric was standing next to her. He was also forced to his knees by the pressure. He made a small sound as the breath was pushed out of his lungs. He felt as if an invisible giant had stepped on his chest.

He tried to push himself up, but the pressure was too strong. He could only stay on the ground, trying hard to pull air into his lungs, which felt like they were burning.

Even King Noor, a strong man and a king, was affected. He bent over quickly from his waist. He put his hands on his knees. His breath came in loud, harsh gasps.

The power the Emperor was releasing was huge. It was much more than anything he had ever felt before. It was a clear reminder of why Sir David was the ruler of the whole continent, and no one questioned him.

The Emperor looked down at Alina. She was now huddled on the floor. She was shaking and trying to breathe. His voice, when he spoke again, was cold and deadly. It cut through the heavy silence that his power had created.

"Girl," he said. Each word was like a piece of sharp ice. "I asked you a question. I expect a true answer. If I hear even one lie from your mouth, if you try to trick me in this council, I will not wait for any trial. I will pull out my sword, and I will cut your head from your body, right here, right now. Do you understand me?"

The threat was harsh and direct. No one in the room doubted that he meant every single word. The picture of the Emperor, the famous warrior, doing such a thing himself, was terrifyingly real to everyone.

Hearing this direct threat, seeing the cold anger in the Emperor’s eyes, and feeling the crushing weight of his power, Alina’s last bit of courage to tell a lie broke completely. She was completely terrified. Her whole body trembled without stopping.

She knew she could not lie to this man. He would know if she lied. And he would kill her, just as he said.

She nodded her head quickly, again and again. It was a small, jerky movement. Tears were now running down her face like a river, mixing with the sweat. She tried to speak, but it was very hard. Her breathing was still difficult because of the Emperor’s pressure. "Yes... Y-Your... Imperial Majesty," she choked out. Her voice was quiet and weak. "I... I understand."

"Then answer my question," the Emperor ordered. His voice was still like ice. "Did Prince Eric kill Baron Noble and the soldiers at the estate?"

Alina closed her eyes for a second. It looked like she was trying to prepare herself. Then, with great difficulty, forcing the words out past her fear and her struggle to breathe, she said,

"Yes... Yes, Emperor. He... he did." Her voice was almost a whisper. Then, a tiny bit of her earlier wish to protect Eric came back, even though she was so scared. "But... but the Third Prince... he only did it to save me. He had to. They... they were all about to capture me. They were going to... to kill me. He did it to save my life."

As soon as Alina finished speaking, as soon as she had admitted it, the crushing pressure in the room got less. Emperor Sir David seemed to relax, just a little. The strong force he had been sending out pulled back. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from everyone.

Everyone in the room took a shaky breath together. Air rushed back into their lungs. The kings sat up straighter in their chairs, though many of them still looked shaken.

Eric managed to push himself up from his knees. His legs were trembling. King Noor also straightened up. His face was serious and sad. Alina stayed on the floor. She was crying quietly, tired out by the fear and the Emperor’s display of power.

Hearing Alina’s forced confession, King Noor closed his eyes for a moment. He understood now. It was all over. Alina had told the truth about Eric killing the Baron and his men, even if she added that he did it to save her. In this court, with the Emperor in this mood, the reason why things happened seemed to matter very little.

The act itself was what counted, especially since Roland had already made Eric look like an attacker. Eric would now surely be punished. The Emperor had the admission he wanted.

A very large, happy smile spread across King James of the Roland Kingdom’s face. He leaned back in his fancy chair. He looked very pleased with himself. His plan had worked even better than he had hoped. The girl herself had said that Eric killed those men. He quietly sat down in his seat, looking like a cat that had caught a bird. His son, the First Prince, also let a small, winning smile show on his face.

Emperor Sir David looked at Alina on the floor for another moment. Then his look moved over King Noor and Eric. He, too, stood up from his grand throne. He was a very tall man, and his presence filled the room even without him showing his power openly.

"So," Emperor David announced. His voice was calm again, but it had the sound of a final decision, a judgment. "From all the evidence that has been shown, from the memory crystal showing the attack on the First Prince of Roland, from the words of the Estorian soldier about the chase and the killing of Roland’s border guards – which has not been convincingly denied because of your own admission of being there without permission – and now from the girl’s own admission that Prince Eric did indeed kill Baron Noble and his soldiers in kingdom..." He let his words hang in the air for a moment.

"It is proven that Prince Eric of Estoria attacked the First Prince of the Roland Kingdom. It is proven he entered Roland’s land without authority. It is proven he has done significant acts of violence."

The Emperor’s voice became a little harder. "Therefore, I, Sir David, Emperor of this Empire, by the power given to me, give this sentence."

Every king in the room leaned forward a little. The silence was complete.

"King Noor IV of Estoria and his son, the Third Prince Eric," the Emperor declared, "will stop ruling their kingdom. Their royal power is taken away from them right now. Estoria will be put under temporary Imperial rule until a new, suitable leader, loyal to the Empire’s laws, can be found and put in place. King Noor and Prince Eric, they will keep their noble blood and their noble status, but from now on they will live only as a noble family. They will not have a kingdom to rule."

A gasp went through the room. Taking a king’s crown away was a very severe punishment. It was not done often.

But the Emperor was not finished. His eyes, as cold as winter ice, fixed on Eric.

"And for the direct acts of attack, for the killing of Roland’s soldiers, and for the violence that has caused instability, I sentence the Third Prince, Eric, of the family that used to rule Estoria, to death."

The words "sentence to death" echoed in the large room like a loud clap of thunder. Sweat appeared on the faces of almost all the kings who were there.

They looked at each other with faces full of shock and fear. Even though they had not done this crime, even though this judgment was not against them, the message was very clear and brutal.

This was what would happen if the Emperor’s word was not followed. This was the price for going against Imperial law, or even for just seeming to go against it.

It was a strong reminder of the Emperor’s total power and that he was willing to use it. Several kings moved uncomfortably in their chairs. Their own positions as rulers suddenly felt much less safe.

As King James of Roland heard this final, terrible news for Estoria, his eyes lit up with a strong, almost crazy happiness. He had to stop himself from laughing out loud.

This was so much more than he had asked for! He had hoped Eric would be punished, sent away or put in prison. He had hoped Estoria would be made to feel ashamed, maybe forced to pay money.

But to have King Noor lose his throne and Eric sentenced to die – it was a complete win, better than his wildest dreams. Estoria, his enemy, would be weakened, for many years. A voice in his head laughed, This is perfect! More than perfect!

Everyone in the council chamber then slowly turned their heads. All eyes, filled with different feelings – some pity, some fear, and some grim happiness from a few – focused on King Noor IV and his son, Prince Eric.

They stood there, on the platform for the accused. The Emperor’s terrible judgment hung over them like a sharp blade ready to fall. The King’s face was pale but he stood straight, trying to keep his dignity. Eric looked completely stunned, as if the world was falling apart all around him.