King Noor IV sat in shocked silence in Eric's bedroom.
The weight of his son's words – "I don't remember" – felt like it was crushing him. The Queen dabbed her eyes with a fancy handkerchief, clearly very upset.
The recent visit from the Imperial Captain, plus Eric's weird memory loss about what he did in the Roland Kingdom, created a scary mix of confusion and dread.
Suddenly, King Noor IV had a sharp, clear thought that cut through his worry. He replayed the Imperial warrior's words in his mind, focusing on exactly what he accused Eric of and the threat he made.
The warrior hadn't just said Eric trespassed or caused a general problem; he specifically said Eric had "broken a rule made by the Emperor." The King's mind, which was good at understanding politics between kingdoms and the Emperor's laws, latched onto this.
