A Misplaced Love

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 by Renee M. Palstring All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. First paperback edition February 2023 Cover Design by Whimsy Book Cover Graphics ISBNs 978-1-959414-00-1 (Paperback) 978-1-959414-01-8 (eBook) Published by Acorn Forest Publishing Content Warnings A Misplaced Love is an adult romance novel that contains content that may upset some readers. This content includes graphic sexual scenes, graphic violence/death, some swearing and scenes of sexual assault. To David, For being there to listen to my 5th time working through an edit…and the 3 more times after that! Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1 Ijostled around the carriage as it rolled down the beaten path causing the nausea to worsen. I pushed my handkerchief, doused in lavender oil, closer to my nose. Inhaling the scent, hoping it would soothe my stomach. “We’re almost there, Your Highness. Would you like a few more drops of oil?” “Please.” I handed my kerchief to Lord Griffith, our hands grazing softly during the exchange. Under normal circumstances, this would have caused my heart to flutter, but the impulse to vomit was stronger and required all my energy to subside the feeling. “Here you are, Princess Estelle.” I swiftly took the handkerchief and inhaled the floral scent, my stomach calming immediately. Lord Griffith, noticing my relief, smiled sweetly. I did not like him seeing me in such a manner, but I was glad he was the one to help me through the sickness. No, it was more than that. I was glad he was the one traveling with me despite the horridness of this trip. Four weeks ago, my father had announced that a union were to happen between me and the king of the rising country, Modare. A kingdom the world and I knew very little of until recently. The country had existed for hundreds of years, much like Isara; however, it was small and wedged between two great kingdoms. Modare’s past kings had not raged a war in years as they were content with their power and land, making them irrelevant to the rest of the world. And with Modare not having any valuable resources, power-hungry kings overlooked their existence. Thus, allowing Modare to stay the quaint, quiet, forgettable country it had been for a hundred years. However, the new King of Modare had other plans when his time of power came. His rule had begun a year ago, a short time, and yet he had already taken over the countries that touched Modare’s borders. Astra and Ula. Two respectable kingdoms, always at war with one another, but were ancient much like Isara. My father fearing Isara would be the next target had reached out to the King of Modare, offering me as a sign of peace and trust between our two kingdoms. And, finally, after many letters back and forth and the mention that with ties to Isara Modare’s rise in power would be acknowledged quicker than without, Modare’s king accepted my father’s offering. I remember that day vividly. I was walking with Lord Griffith, slyly asking him if he would join in this year’s match-making season. He never got to answer as a messenger ran out, alerting me that my presence was required by my father, who then informed me I now had a fiancée. My heart grew heavy, and my eyes dulled. The King of Modare had taken Astra and Ula. He had taken our allies’ homes unprovoked. He was power-hungry, a tyrant. To be sworn to a man like that would cause no greater heartbreak. No, the greater heartbreak would be to lose the one you love, to know you’d never walk the gardens with them again, to never see them laugh, their smile. That’s what really dulled my eyes that day. I argued with my father for countless weeks, begging him not to send me, as I heard more and more about the King of Modare. The King had not allowed any outsiders to visit his newly conquered lands. Rumors spread of his raging temper, the servants who shivered before him, his iron fist. All of it adding to the terror and mystery surrounding his name. King Titus the Conqueror. Despite my pleas, my father’s answer was always the same. That this was my duty, my sole purpose as a princess. Marry a king and protect Isara from the inside. I would run into the gardens and cry often. Lord Griffith always found me. He would give me his handkerchief and offer comforting words. My heart yearned for him. And so, I concocted a plan. I asked my father for Lord Griffith to escort me to Modare. If I had to say goodbye to my world, I would at least spend the last of it in the company of my secret love. I would give myself and my heart to him before the journey’s end. For that was the one thing I could do without hurting my kingdom. The carriage came to