I'm Trapped Inside a Prince as the Most Powerful Entity

All the kings and all the soldiers watched with held breath. The big doors of the council chamber were open. From within the shadowy room Emperor Sir David emerged into the sunlight of the garden. And walking beside him was Eric.

Eric looked utterly confused. He seemed quite surprised to be outside. A dazed look was in his eyes as if he had just woken up from a strange dream and didn’t know where he was. Fear was clearly evident in the way he held himself.

There was a slight tremor in his hands a small shaking he couldn’t quite control. But he was somehow managing to keep himself standing. His posture was stiff and unnatural like a puppet.

It was clear to anyone who was observant anyone who was watching closely that this was Eric the boy. This was not the terrifying powerful entity that had so easily defeated the Emperor’s elite guard just moments before.

The change was startling. It was like seeing two completely different people in the same body.

Immediately upon stepping out into the garden Emperor David turned his gaze upon his assembled soldiers.

His voice though no longer booming with the rage it had held earlier still carried an undeniable weight of absolute authority.

It was the voice of a man who expected to be obeyed without question. "This is my decision," he announced loudly. His words cut through the tense silence that had fallen over the garden. "And I want all of you to listen to it very carefully."

He paused for a moment. His sharp gaze swept over the stunned faces of the other kings and his own men.

They all looked back at him with wide eyes waiting. "I am... impressed by this boy’s strength," the Emperor said.

He gestured with a hand towards Eric who was standing beside him. Eric flinched slightly at being the center of so much attention. He looked even more uncomfortable.

"And therefore," the Emperor continued his voice firm and final "I have decided that I will forgive this boy’s transgressions his mistakes. I will forgive what he did. Furthermore I grant Eric direct entry into The United Academy. He will not need to take any competitive examination to get in. He is accepted."

The Emperor’s pronouncement his official declaration landed like a thunderclap in the quiet garden.

Eyes widened in disbelief among all the people present.

Jaws literally dropped open. No one had expected this. It was the complete opposite of what they thought would happen.

King James of the Roland Kingdom was visibly aghast. His face which had been full of triumphant expectation now turned pale considerably pale.

The earlier look of victory had completely vanished. It was replaced by an expression of utter shock and deep outrage.

This was not how things were supposed to go. Behind him his daughter Princess Lily had also witnessed everything that happened in the council room.

She had seen Eric stop the Emperor’s incredibly strong punch with just a single hand only moments before. She was equally astonished by the Emperor’s decision.

She stared at Eric a mixture of fear and intense curiosity in her eyes. Who was this strange boy from the enemy kingdom of Estoria? She knew little about the complex games of geopolitics. Her singular ambition her one big dream was to become as powerful as the Emperor himself.

The display of power she had just witnessed from Eric and from the Emperor had been on a scale she had never even imagined was possible. It made her own goals seem both more real and much harder to achieve.

A short distance away King Noor was also profoundly shocked. He could hardly believe his ears.

But his surprise was tinged with a dawning almost incredulous relief. Eric was forgiven? He was getting into the Academy? It was too good to be true.

He started to move forward. He wanted to go to Eric. He wanted to go to the Emperor to thank him.

Instantly the Imperial soldiers standing before King Noor tensed up. They moved quickly. They drew their swords from their sheaths. The sharp sound of steel ringing in the otherwise quiet garden was loud and jarring. They blocked King Noor’s path.

"King Noor," one of the soldiers warned his voice hard and unyielding "your own sentence has not yet been pardoned by the Emperor. You cannot approach."

Emperor David noticed the commotion the movement of his soldiers. He raised a hand calmly.

"Soldiers," he commanded his voice firm but not angry

"let him approach. I have pardoned King Noor’s sentence as well. He is free from my earlier judgment." He then added his stern look sweeping over all the assembled kings making them straighten up

"But let it be known to everyone here. This is the first time I have shown such leniency such forgiveness for such serious matters. And it will be the last time. Do not expect this again."

This new declaration from the Emperor sent fresh waves of shock through the crowd of rulers. The other kings murmured amongst themselves their expressions a mixture of disbelief and apprehension.

They didn’t understand why the Emperor was being so forgiving. It was not like him. King James of Roland however looked utterly apoplectic. He looked like he was about to explode with anger.

"But Emperor!" James sputtered out his voice rising in protest. His face was flushed red with anger and frustration. "This is injustice! This is completely unfair! This boy attacked my son! He broke your laws!"

Before King James could complete his angry sentence Emperor David released just a small fraction of his immense power. It wasn’t a full-blown assault like the one he had used on Alina in the council room.

It was a focused wave of pressure that slammed directly into King James. It made the air around King James crackle with energy. The Emperor’s voice now laced with a dangerous chilling edge cut him off sharply.

"I have made my decision," he stated coldly. His eyes bored into King James making him feel small and weak. "And if anyone here has an objection to my decision they may challenge me directly. And I will personally demonstrate to them what happens when one defies the Emperor of this realm."

The threat was clear. It was unambiguous. And it was terrifyingly potent. Everyone knew the Emperor was not making an empty threat. King James felt the oppressive weight of the Emperor’s power pressing down on him.

He physically recoiled taking a step back. He swallowed hard his earlier outrage completely extinguished by a primal gut-wrenching fear.

He knew he could not challenge the Emperor. His mind was racing trying to make sense of this sudden disastrous turn of events for his kingdom. His plans were in ruins.

As the Imperial soldiers heard the Emperor’s final decision regarding King Noor they immediately sheathed their swords. They stepped aside clearing the path for him. They too were surprised by the Emperor’s leniency but they obeyed his orders without question.

King Noor his heart pounding in his chest with a wild mixture of disbelief overwhelming relief and a thousand unanswered questions moved forward. He walked towards his son Eric and towards the Emperor who had just changed their fate so completely.

He still couldn’t quite understand what had happened or why. But for now his son was safe. And that was all that mattered.