The Arboisian Emperors have conquered 4/5 of the globe. Their clever handling of local elites has allow them to keep these lands unified into a prosperous federal empire in which magical technologies thrives and innovations are continuously pushed further. Hélène was born into the elite of one of the most powerful region of the empire with her magic naturally attuned to that of the emperor—a "soulmate", of which everyone only has less than a dozen throughout the empire. However, she has rejected both her family and kept this imperial link a secret, instead embracing the freedom of choosing her won path through life. Unfortunately, Hélène's best friend inherited a curse set her parents by the emperor to punish them. In order to save them, she needs to get close to the emperor, potentially revealing her secret and forcing her to spend the rest of her life in his entourage in the imperial palace, at the center of all conspiracies against the empire. When the emperor is kidnapped by the enemy kingdom of Sanne, Hélène sees it as her chance...