The cold wind howled, sweeping through the streets and alleys. Loud percussion, trumpets, and ensembles resounded from the distance, coupled with laughter and lively singing. In the dark part of the capital, the bright lights from lanterns and torches faintly crawled, flickering, casting dancing shadows of buildings and posts.
Pain coursed through her body. Her back had hit the ground pretty hard and sharp rocks rubbed against her palm, sending a stinging sensation all over her hands. Her knees were also grazed. The fall hurt, but she needed to get up.
When the adrenaline toned down, Shina's nose began to be stuffed and her eyes became watery. Before her, a tall, regal-looking young man stood. His cold, golden eyes gleamed eerily in the dark as he stared down upon her miserable state.
It turns out, her years of contemplation and careful planning were useless. Hoards of ironclad knights had always surrounded her for as long as she could remember. Even if she were to beg for some time to be alone in public, such a wish could only stay as a pipedream. She'd always wanted to escape, but only tonight, now that everybody was preoccupied by the festival, did she find a narrow window of chance.
It should have been flawless. She even set up a fake princess. But there was one fatal mistake. She underestimated his watchful eyes. Truly, nothing could elude him.
She glared at Dheinyrus. Though rage was welling up within her, she knew the vast difference of strength between them.
"Are you going to drag me back now?" she asked, averting her gaze.
Shina felt a chill run down her spine when silence was all he gave for a response. Even his body was like a firm statue, not moving an inch. She began to wonder what he could be thinking. Was he enraged? Insulted? Did her refusal to become his bride offend him?
Only then did she realize how foolish her actions were. She was the princess of the largest empire in the world. Something like running from her role and responsibilities wasn't a luxury she could afford—not even the thought of it.
Shina looked down. Suddenly, the night air felt a lot colder.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, preparing to face Dheinyrus' wrath.
She heard a sigh—
And then his soft, quiet voice.
"Nevermind that. Are you alright?"
Her eyes widened before slowly turning her head to look at him. He was still standing there, calmly watching her.
"W-What?" she stammered, confused.
"That fall was pretty high. Aren't you hurt?"
For a second, Shina was stupefied—His words were ones that she didn't expect. A cold tyrant like him was concerned about her well-being?
Until she remembered something.
He used wind magic to make her fall back here. He caused this! Why was he asking if she was alright?
'He is making fun of me.'
But what can she do about it? Nothing. In fact, since they were alone in the dark, he could just do whatever he wanted with her. She was basically under his mercy.
She backed away slowly, fear creeping up in her system. His sharp eyes stalking her didn't help.
Though terrified, Shina mustered her courage and spoke.
"What is your goal?"
The brute remained silent.
"Don't try to stop me. I won't make a good wife, I swear!"
Her breathing was heavy and uneven. Bullets of cold sweat trailed down her face as she waited for his reply.
How can she convince him? His unknown thoughts were terrifying, enough to make her stomach twist inside. She had to find the right words. Fooling him would be impossible, so the only way was to reach an agreement—a deal. But how?
She almost jumped when he spoke.
"Are you sure about what you're doing?"
Shina exhaled slowly and straightened her posture, dropping her guard.
Was she sure about all this?
'Of course, I'm sure... I've been planning this for a long time.'
A simple answer for a simple question. But why did she feel there was an underlying message behind it? Something she failed to see.
"Well... I.."
She looked away, searching herself for a response.
She needed justification for what she was doing. Her role was heavy as the only daughter of the emperor, her actions would certainly impact its people in a significant way. But there was something about it that she couldn't accept.
Thinking had never been this stressful and hard. She couldn't keep Dheinyrus waiting forever, and she was tired as well.
So she just blurted out whatever she was feeling.
"I don't want all this!" she yelled with clenched fists.
"Everything is being decided for me without my consent—all for the sake of the empire! My whole life, I tried to live up to my duties. I've been a good daughter and a leader, I always put my people first!"
All the noise around her was muted, only her voice and racing heart was all she could hear.
"And now... even now! They're going to make a decision for me.. that I, alone, for the rest of my life, will suffer for! My voice never reaches them. If I say something, they'll pretend to not hear it. Even if I begged on my knees, they won't listen."
"Why do I have to be somebody's wife? I'm not a damn breeding stock, God damnit!"
"Why can't I inherit the throne? Am I not enough? Why do they have to force me to bear a child? I have to do all this just because I wasn't born as a man? Doesn't that sound stupid?"
Her tears of anger drenched the collar of her cloak, but she wasn't aware. She hadn't been able to say these words to someone. And when she finally had, they flowed nonstop like a crashing river.
"I did everything they asked. Can't I have a say for myself this time? I didn't even want to be born as me!"
"I didn't choose to be the princess! It's so unfair! I want to live my own life and make my own decisions. I can't just be a puppet for my father to control forever!"
"I love my father. I love my mother. I love this empire and all its people.. but why can't they love me back?"
Suppressed sobbing filled the silence. Shina never thought that saying all those words would lighten up her load so much, it felt like she just let go of a giant baggage.
Sniffling quietly, Shina wiped the tears from her face. She'd never cried in front of someone before, and she couldn't believe she did in front of a stranger, someone like Dheinyrus, no less. Before she could forget what she told him all those things for, she looked up to see how he reacted.
Whether that would convince him or not, she didn't know. None of those were planned, anyway. She started to doubt if that was really the right thing to do.
'Was that a bad move after all?'
Shina braced herself when Dheinyrus opened his mouth. What he will say next would determine her fate.
"I see.."
His voice was colder than the breeze, but soft to the ear. Her heart raced as she prayed that he would somehow agree with her. There was a slim chance, and she clung to that tightly.
Her hands trembled on her sides, but she tried to appear calm and collected. She'd already shown too much weakness after all.
Dheinyrus continued to speak.
"Where are you planning to go then?"
Shina swallowed the lump in her throat. Lies would be instantly detected, given how sharp Dheinyrus was. She could only tell the truth.
"I-I don't know yet.."
He crossed his arms.
"Hmmm... so you don't have a plan."
Her cheeks warmed up and turned red. It was dark, but it was possible that he still could see her clearly.
'After all that talk, I don't really have a proper plan... how embarrassing...'
But what could she do? There was no place in this continent untouched by her father's rule. If someone as influential as her were to hide somewhere, it had to be in a place where no one would recognize her. But did such a place really exist?
Dhein sighed, Shina lowered her head.
"Alright. I won't stop you."
Her eyes widened, her breath hitched. Words were trapped in her throat, choking her as she looked up at him. Her heart raced even faster as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"R-Really?!"
"In one condition."
Suddenly, her face became serious and her eyes burned with determination.
"I'll do anything."
She couldn't believe it. Dheinyrus really listened to her.
'I was wrong about you.'
One bright firework traced the sky before exploding, casting light all over the city—including the dark alley they were in. It was strange, but Dheinyrus' face appeared gentler to her, unlike his usual cold and calculating look.
"Have you heard about the tome of secret knowledge?" he asked, snapping Shina back from her thoughts.
'Tome of secret knowledge? Even he is still going for more power?'
She shook her head.
"No."
"It is a mysterious book of legends. Only a few individuals know about it."
'So even he has a goal he is yet to achieve.. Intriguing..'
"So.. you want me to find this book and give it to you?"
Dheinyrus shook his head.
"No, you don't have to search for it. No one even knows what it looks like or if it really exists. But if you stumble upon a stange book, I want you to give it to me."