Iclutch my fur coat tightly as I make my way through the dark courtyard toward the sounds of sparring just behind it. The palace provided me with riding pants and thick fur-lined boots, and I couldn’t be more grateful for them on this freezing morning. The icy wind whips against my cheeks, and any sane person would have turned back toward the warmth and safety of the palace. Instead I walk into a seemingly abandoned tower and make my way up the spiral staircase toward a lookout point I found several days ago. Every day, I’ve come here, quietly observing the courtyard and all other parts of the palace I can look into. I’ve spent every waking second gathering information about my surroundings and the inhabitants of the palace, but I have yet to learn anything unusual.I’ve barely seen Felix in the week since that afternoon in the library, either, and every night since, I’ve fallen asleep alone. It should’ve been a relief, but every night, countless new questions float through my mind. It’s clear he’s immortal, and if killing him was my purpose, I would’ve succeeded.I’m certain the only reason he didn’t end my life was because he thinks I’m still of use to him—because he thinks I’ll break his curse some other way. If I want to stay alive, I need more information about my immediate surroundings, Eldiria as a whole, and the curse—and I’ll need to make sure he never finds out about my own penchant for misfortune.I pause when I near the top and peer out of a small window, my eyes widening as the rows and rows of soldiers come into view. This is the first time I’ve seen them all train together. Normally, that part of the palace’s courtyard looks empty but for the shimmery gold all around it. I’ve been wondering if perhaps it was an enchantment of some sort that disguised what was underneath, but each time I tried to walk in that direction, I’d end up getting lost.I raise a brow as I watch carefully. This is not at all how Althea’s soldiers train—far from it. These soldiers are all viciously fighting one another, real blades drawn and magic being used freely. I stare in disbelief as one soldier casts a spell, while another directs it back before it hits him, causing burns to appear all over the caster’s arms. He screams for a split second, then Elaine rushes up, the air sizzling light blue around her. Moments later, his wounds are healed, and he looks down as he’s obviously reprimanded by her.It’s no wonder this is the strongest army in existence. They train as though their lives depend on it, and considering what I’ve learned so far, that might very well be the case. My gaze roams over the hundreds of people until I find Felix standing right in the middle of all the chaos, at least a dozen soldiers attempting to take him on all at once. For once, he’s shed the black uniform he normally wears, his torso bare, icicles in his dark hair.My cheeks heat as I watch him move, unable to shake the memory of our wedding night. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t make me feel pleasure unlike anything I’ve ever known before, and I’m surprised he didn’t demand anything from me in return. I was taught that pleasing my husband in bed would be one of my primary duties as a wife, but Felix didn’t seem to expect that from me, nor did he consummate our marriage when it is both his right and duty to do so. He is not what I expected, and I fear him all the more for it. If there’s anything I’ve learned growing up in Althea, it’s that I’m safer when I can predict behavior and consequences.I take a deep breath as I try my best to assess just how many soldiers there are and what their powers might be. It’s valuable information to have, even if only to sell in return for a safe voyage someday. I begin to mentally catalog everything I see, but every few seconds, my gaze is drawn back to Felix. He seems to be in his element, and it’s clear that not even a dozen warrior wizards can take him on. Their magic seems to glide off him, and I can’t quite figure out how he’s doing it. It’s a shield of some sort, that much I’m sure of. Is he able to use his alchemy powers against any magic thrown his way, much like the way another soldier just threw back a spell? I’ve never even read of such strong command over alchemy powers, but then again, he must’ve had at least a century to master it. Felix isn’t just immortal, he’s close to all-powerful.It makes it even stranger that he didn’t consummate our marriage when he clearly wanted to. I was so certain that a man as powerful as he is would be used to taking whatever he wants with no care for anyone else’s feelings, but I’m starting to wonder if I was wrong. He didn’t retaliate when I quite literally stabbed him in the heart, and even when he did lose his composure, it wasn’t because of what I’d done—it was because I’d been thinking of Nathaniel on our wedding night. In the library, too, he seemed to merely be teasing me when he could’ve demanded my body without offering me any kind of pleasure or comfort in return.I draw a shaky breath as I try to tear my eyes off him, uncomfortable with the confusion he’s left me with. He doesn’t seem to be the evil man the history books portray him as, and in the week I’ve spent sneaking around, I’ve learned that his staff all seem to revere him. I know all too well what it’s like to be misunderstood and judged unfairly because of a curse I had no hand in. The parallels between us leave me feeling off kilter, and the conviction I arrived here with is faltering. Perhaps it’s hubris, but the thought of being able to break his curse fills me with a sense of hope and purpose—something I’ve never felt before. It seems impossible, but a small part of me wishes to believe it’s true. Perhaps then, my cursed existence would be worth living.“There are six hundred soldiers on the training grounds, of which four hundred and thirty-nine are sorcerers or sorceresses.”I whirl around at the sound of Felix’s voice and lose my footing, pure terror crashing through me as I begin to fall down the stairs, only for his arm to wrap around my waist. He pulls me against him and holds me tightly, our eyes locking.Heat rushes to my cheeks when I realize his torso is still bare, and I press against his chest in an attempt to create some distance between us. He merely grins and keeps holding me against him. “Tell me, Empress. That’s what you were trying to figure out, isn’t it? You’ve come here every day, so I figured I’d best ask Elaine to drop her protective enchantments, allowing you to see what you’ve been seeking.”My lips part to refute his question, but that knowing look in his eyes lodges the words in my throat. “Sorceresses?” I repeat instead. “Do you allow women other than Elaine to join your army?”He turns us around so I’m pressed against the stone wall and places his left forearm beside my head, his free hand cupping my face gently. I gasp when warmth flows from his palm and through my body, relaxing my taut muscles. I hadn’t realized just how cold I was until he took the chill away.A soft sigh escapes my lips when the warmth reaches the tips of my toes, and Felix’s eyes flash. His thumb brushes over the edge of my mouth, and an unfamiliar feeling rushes down my spine. “Yes,” he says, his tone different from before. His thumb brushes over my bottom lip, and he leans in a fraction, his gaze on my mouth and his breathing uneven. “It’s not uncommon for our male soldiers to have more brute strength, but our female soldiers are often far more cunning. They’re better strategists, and they often accomplish missions far more efficiently than their male counterparts can. Eldiria is lucky to have two hundred and eight sorceresses among our soldiers.”“You don’t consider women inferior to men?”noveldramaHe chuckles, the sound oddly mesmerizing. It’s odd to hear him make such gentle sounds, to see that twinkle in his eyes, when every other part of him looks so monstrous. “Only a foolish man would ever underestimate a woman’s formidable strength, Arabella. Only a foolish ruler would weaken his own empire for fear of a sorceress’s magic when nurturing those who are often forgotten and forsaken forges the deadliest blade.”I exhale shakily as I search his eyes, a mixture of relief and hope settling deep in my chest. His words mended a part of my heart I didn’t realize was broken, and it just adds to my confusion. “Do you not fear that I will use my knowledge about your army against you?”He gently brushes the back of his hand over my cheek, his eyes never leaving mine as he presses his body flush against mine. “I do not,” he replies, his voice soft. “For my people are now yours, and I know you will not forsake them as others have.”“I tried to slay you on our wedding night,” I remind him, my voice different now, unrecognizable.He laughs, and my heart seems to respond to the sound, its beating accelerating just a touch. His proximity shouldn’t confuse me so, and I should be pushing him away, yet I find myself rising to my tiptoes. “Yet somehow, I am certain you will never raise a blade to my people.” His gaze roams over my face, and his smile transforms into something that can only be described as mischievous. “Besides, I thoroughly enjoyed punishing you for the mess you made. If anything, I welcome you to try it once more.”“I—”“Have dinner with me tonight, Empress,” he says, cutting me off and taking a step back. “It’s clear you have questions that only I can answer, and I do not want to be at war with you. I understand that you don’t wish to be here, but I’ve waited for you far longer than you could possibly know, Arabella. Hear me out tonight, I beg of you.”