Iflip through the pages of the oldest history books in the castle, each portraying Theon Felix Osiris as a cruel monster. No one knows how old the Shadow Emperor is, and for a while there was some speculation that he wasn’t a person at all, but a myth whose mantle was passed down from one generation to another. After all, no one lives forever. Fates, no one lives as long as the Shadow Emperor seems to have. It should be impossible, yet it isn’t.I browse through the accounts of his conquests, each tale more gruesome than the last. He’s conquered half the world, yet it never seems to be enough. Based on what I’m seeing, he mostly conquers lands with fertile grounds and crops, but we don’t have any of those. Althea is known for its trade, and compared with the countries already under his command, there isn’t much we can offer him.I don’t understand what he wants with us. With me. According to historical records, the Shadow Emperor has never been married, nor are there accounts of mistresses or concubines. The only woman he has ever been mentioned alongside is Elaine, who seemed to appear by his side a decade ago. She is as shrouded in mystery as he is. Why would he take a wife now? And why a Princess of Althea?I’m trembling as I reach for yet another book about the Shadow Emperor, fear chilling my skin. Will I survive? If I marry the monster, will I make it past our wedding night? Even if I fight him, I doubt I could harm him. My father won’t avenge me, and I won’t be able to protect myself. I don’t stand a chance against him.My eyes widen as I flip the pages and begin to read about his alchemy, my fear making way for intrigue. The Shadow Emperor is one of the last known alchemists alive, and according to this book, he’s able to perform alchemy without needing to draw transmutation circles—circles that can be drawn on any surface, often with a pentagram inside, along with equations and ancient written text that allow an alchemist to channel the energy required to perform alchemy. It’s unheard of, and if it’s true, his alchemy wouldn’t just look like magic to bystanders. It’d make him even more powerful than the rumors suggest.Alchemy is a forgotten science—it’s similar to magic, yet different in its nature. While sorceresses can often conjure things out of nothing but the energy in our atmosphere, alchemy relies on the laws of equal exchange, which dictate that something cannot come out of nothing. For example, gold must be transmuted from another type of metal, and cannot be conjured with energy alone. The law of equal exchange is different from the natural balance sorcerers are subject to, which dictates that magic cannot be used for nefarious purposes without a hefty personal sacrifice.Magic is limited by spells, potions, and a caster’s natural ability to channel and manipulate the life-force that magic utilizes, but alchemy is limited only by the alchemist’s environment. To create a spear, an alchemist would need metal, yet a sorceress might be able to use energy in the ether. The difference, however, would be that the sorceress’s spear is only as strong as her powers, and eventually, the spear would return to the ether, often at a most inopportune moment. An alchemists’ spear would remain forever.I bite down on my lip harshly as I continue to read about the Shadow Emperor’s ability to manipulate sunlight into hot beams that cut straight through people, his command over the shadows that surround him, and his rare ability to use alchemy as a means of teleportation, moving objects at will. It appears he has found a way to weaponize even the most mundane things in ways magic users are simply incapable of, such as the air we breathe and the blood that courses through our veins.If he so chose, he could suffocate me without so much as blinking, or render me completely immovable without the need for spells. All he’d have to do is displace the air in my lungs, or solidify it around me. My life would end before I even realize what’s happening.“Arabella?”I look over my shoulder to find Nathaniel standing by the library doors, a look in his eyes that I can’t quite decipher. “What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice trembling.He walks over to me and drops a bag beside my chair. “Let’s go,” he says, his voice soft as he pulls me to my feet. “I can’t let you do this. I can’t watch you marry someone else—least of all him.”I freeze and stare up at him in shock. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I could run away. For once, I could choose myself. “And go where?” I ask, a hint of hope blooming deep within my chest. “My father would find us wherever we go, and when he eventually does, he’ll have us hung for treason.”Nathaniel runs a hand through his hair, exuding the same restlessness I feel. “You’re dead either way, Arabella. The Shadow Emperor… do you think he’ll let you live? And if he does, for how long? What kind of existence will that be, living with a man like him?”A shudder runs down my spine. “I can’t run,” I whisper. “He’ll just take my sister. It’s one thing to live a life in exile, but it’s something else altogether to live with Serena’s blood on my hands.”Nathaniel shakes his head. “Arabella, he didn’t ask for just any of your father’s daughters. He asked for you specifically.”“Me?” That can’t be. I’ve never met him—I would remember if I had.“Yes. You.”Nathaniel stares at me as his words sink in. “You don’t think he’ll take Serena if I run?”He shakes his head. “I’m certain. My father was present when the decree was delivered. You are to marry him. You, and no one else.”I raise my hand to my pounding heart, trying my best to hold on to the sliver of hope Nathaniel is handing me. He takes a step closer and places his hand on my shoulder, his eyes on mine. “I don’t need to tell you how I feel about you, Arabella. I can’t think of a future that you’re not in. If that means the only way I get to have you is in exile, then so be it.”My heart races as I take in the sincerity in his eyes. I inhale shakily, allowing my thoughts to roam for a moment, to a future where Nathaniel and I are living together in a small house in an obscure village, somewhere no one knows who we are. It’d just be the two of us, without any royal obligations, no rumors about me being cursed. We could even live somewhere where magic isn’t outlawed.“You’re certain?” I ask. “I have nothing to lose if I go. My life is already condemned. But you? You’re in line to take over as my father’s strategic adviser. You’d be one of the highest-ranking officers in the country. If we run, you’ll lose everything.”He shakes his head and cups my cheek. “I won’t. I’ll gain everything I’ve ever wanted. Don’t doubt my intentions, Arabella.”He seems so certain that my own hesitation seems foolish. Nathaniel is one of the smartest people I know. If he’s proposing this as a solution, then that means it’s the only viable option.“Okay,” I whisper, trying my hardest not to overthink this. “Let’s go.” This is likely our only chance at a future together. It isn’t what I expected, but I’ll take any chance of being with Nathaniel.noveldramaHe smiles at me and bends down to pick up the bag at my feet. “I’ve already had some of your essentials packed. You cannot go to your room and be seen leaving with luggage. You cannot say goodbye to your family, either. We must have left the borders by the time they realize that we’re gone. We must leave at once.”He’s trying to tell me that I can’t bid my farewell to Serena. I’ll never see her again, and her last memory of me will be the devastation in my eyes as I found out about my impending marriage. “She’ll forgive me, won’t she?”Nathaniel entwines our fingers and tightens his grip on my hand as he nods. “She just wants you to live, Arabella. To be happy.”I nod hesitantly and squeeze his hand, and for the first time since my father told me the news, I’m filled with hope instead of despair. My mind is racing as Nathaniel pulls me through hallways I didn’t even know existed, expertly leading me down to the tunnels within minutes. It’s clear he’s been planning this from the second he found out, yet somehow, I can’t shake the unease I feel. “These routes are known by very few people in the kingdom,” he whispers as we enter the humid stone area. It’s cold, and it’s dark, and all of a sudden I wonder what I’m doing. Is it even possible to run from the Shadow Emperor?“He’ll kill us if we’re caught,” I whisper, uncertain who I’m even referring to. Our lives are forfeit regardless of whether it’s the Shadow Emperor or my father that intercepts us.Nathaniel reaches for something by the wall, and before long, we’re bathed in light from the lamp in his hand. “We won’t get caught,” he promises. He seems so certain that I want to believe in him, but there’s a niggling feeling deep down that I can’t ignore. My intuition has never failed me. We won’t make it.I choose to remain quiet, to ignore the voices telling me to stop and turn back, because I know there’s nothing for me there. The unknown lies ahead of me, but all that lies behind me is certain death.Nathaniel holds my hand as we walk together, and I take comfort in his touch. He’s always kept a polite distance, but tonight is different. Just as I’ve convinced myself that Nathaniel and I will be fine, a soft voice sounds ahead of me.“Arabella of Althea,” a woman says. “You must turn back. Your father has been notified of your actions.”I whirl around, trying to find the source of the voice and finding nothing but emptiness. My eyes find Nathaniel’s, and he looks as horrified as I feel. Before either of us has a chance to respond, we’re surrounded by the sound of footsteps rapidly catching up to us, echoes ringing through the tunnel.My heart sinks when I recognize the soldiers running up to us, our kingdom’s flag stitched to their uniforms. Nathaniel’s father is at the head of the group, but his eyes aren’t on me. They’re on his son. “Nathaniel Orathis, you are under arrest on account of treason.”