The Reborn King

Alfred opened his eyes. The view in front of him was completely different from the one previous.

One second, he was standing in front of a classroom teaching his students; the next, he was in front of a coffin adorned with multiple jewels. He tried to move but couldn't, as if he was only inside the body but not in control. A wave of memories flooded his mind as a pain he had never felt before assaulted him.

It took a few minutes before the pain finally stopped, as a new set of memories filled his mind, finally giving him control of his body. Internally, he began to scream as he saw the situation he was in. Reborn, as the only son of a king, his father suddenly died, leaving his kingdom to his 12-year-old son. Alfred wanted to cry as he saw the situation. He knew enough that a power struggle would have already begun to replace him, or at least someone would try to use him as a puppet ruler.

He didn't let the turmoil he was feeling show on his face as he went through the motions until the funeral was complete. The funeral ended without trouble as Alfred returned to his room. He sent away all the servants and finally could be alone.

"FUCK!" He threw a vase across the room, shattering it. Over and over, he smashed things, releasing his frustration. After nothing was left to break, he slumped on the floor and looked at the ceiling. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he thought about his terrible situation.

Nobles and family members would soon try to approach him under the guise of being his guardian and would slowly try to control him. He began to bite his fingernails as many scenarios flew through his head. He understood what they would try to do, and once they realized he couldn't be controlled, they would assassinate him. He had a few days to figure out a solution to his problem.

Looking down at his fingers, he saw they began to bleed from his biting. The blood fell to the ground, and Alfred just watched it. Slowly, a plan came to mind. Although he didn't want to do it and didn't think he would truly be able to, he figured the only way forward, for now, was to act like a tyrant.

With a plan in mind, he began to prepare. He rang a bell calling in his servants, dressing him as he ran towards his father's office. He read through all the documents across the office, barely stopping to eat and drink, only napping for a few hours a day. He read through his father's diary and personal notes to understand the nobles in his Kingdom and who he could trust and who he could not trust.

After a few days, the coronation came. Alfred got dressed in a fancy outfit and led toward the throne room. He was stopped before the door as a servant went ahead of him.

"His Highness Prince Alfred is now entering." The throne room went silent as Alfred walked through the sea of nobles. He held his head high and confidently walked, trying to make a good first impression. Gliding his hand across the throne, he finally worked up the courage to sit on it and look over all the nobles. All the nobles looked up at Alfred and felt a strange unease. They couldn't figure it out, but something just felt off about him.

Alfred looked around and smiled in response to the reaction of the people present. He knew that if any adult suddenly became a child, things about the person would seem off, such as the aura around them, mannerisms, eyes, and other things. He had spent a while practising in the mirror, trying to find a way to bring this out to its fullest. Added to this was his sleep-deprived appearance and extremely pale skin from avoiding sunlight for the last few days.

Alfred watched a man in religious clothing walk towards him with a crown on a pillow. The nobles watched as the man stopped before Alfred, raising the crown in the sky for everybody to see.

"Prince Alfred. Do you understand the responsibility which you are entrusted with as King?"

"I do."

"Do you swear you will wear the crown to serve God, the nation, and its people?"

"I do."

"Then I shall place this crown on your head and declare King Alfred II with it. King of Ammar. Ruler of the Ammary people." The bishop placed the crown on Alfred's head before turning towards the people present. "Long Live The King!" He shouted across the throne room as everyone repeated the words back.

Alfred looked down at all the people, and a smile appeared on his face as he felt a strong feeling of pride from it. The cheering died down as Alfred stood up to address all the nobles. This would be his most important moment as it would dictate his rule in the future. He was confident that his plan would buy him some time.

"As your King, I plan to take the Ammary to new heights that not even my late father could. My rule will see an economic boom, stability, and expansion that our people have never seen." Alfred paused for a second as he looked around at the nobles.

The reception he had gotten was mixed. Some looked enthusiastic about Alfred's future. These nobles tended to be amongst those who were neutral or heavily supported his father. He recognized a few from his father's notes. The other reception was that of annoyance. The annoyance was directed at what looked like Alfred's competence. These nobles were mainly part of a faction that wanted greater independence and personal benefit. However, a few distant relatives were included in this.

Alfred gauged this response and felt he could proceed with his plan. "To achieve these goals, we first must strengthen ourselves. Fix the issues we as a nation face. Only then can expansion even become a possibility. That's why." Alfred clapped his hands as a group of knights walked in. Some held papers and the others had their hands ready on their swords.

At the head of these knights was a tall man with scars all over his face. His father's bodyguard and his swordsmanship teacher. He was someone with whom he had great trust and had helped prepare this plan. Alfred had been lucky when looking through his father's office and found evidence he had compiled against corruption. He had guessed his father would use it before his sudden death.

The nobles looked at the group of knights walking in and couldn't help but be shocked. They looked at Alfred with slight fear as they didn't know what the child king would do. The knights passed the paper to a Duke on his father's side to let him begin reading all the evidence. He was the Duke of Flanders and held great power in the Kingdom.

"Count Edward, Count Eto, Earl Harald, and Duke Issac. There are multiple charges against you, from corruption and slavery to murder. Your crimes are too large to be ignored, and you shall be placed under arrest until a verdict is carried out." The knights walked towards the nobles who tried to fight free, ultimately being put to their knees. Alfred looked at the Duke of Flander, who nodded at him.

Alfred understood what he wanted. Although he would help out right now, it would cost him something. Alfred just had to bite his lip and go along with it. He needed the support right now. The Duke of Flander, seeing Alfred's light nod, smiled as he walked forward. All the nobles looked at the old Duke.

"Everybody. What our king is doing is not tyrannical. He had provided us with the evidence and is willing to hold a trial for these obvious traitors. Our job is to assist him in this great reformation he promised us." Everybody looked at the Duke, with some clicking their tongue in annoyance. Although what he said was practically nothing, it held one clear notion. The Duke was supporting the new King. This was enough for some people to lock away their ambition and others to see the King's side as the better choice.

Duke Issac, the Duke of Aragon, squinted his eyes when he saw this. Although he knew that he could escape death thanks to the power he held, the fact that Flander supported Alfred was a hindrance. The Duke played along as he understood Alfred flexed his power to establish his position. He could respect it was a smart decision for a kid to make and just moved along with a small grin.

The throne room, now cleared of knights, quieted again as Alfred began to talk. "I apologize for that. Everybody here must remember no one is above the crown, and any blatant disregard for its authority will be stamped out in this new era I will bring us." Alfred clapped his hands together as he put an innocent smile on his face. "Now, let us celebrate." Everybody walked into the adjacent room, a large ballroom, as people began the last part of the coronation.