The Stolen Princess: A YA Dystopian Romance (Desolation Book 3)

by Kortney Keisel

  The Stolen Princess

  Kortney Keisel

  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.

  The Stolen Princess Copyright © 2021 by Kortney Keisel

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  First edition April 2021

  Cover design by Seventh Star Art

  Map design by Foreign Worlds Cartography

  www.kortneykeisel.com

  This one is for you, Kurt

  Thanks for being my happily ever after. I love you and the life that we’ve created.

  Here’s to forever.

  Contents

  1. King Adler

  2. Drake

  3. Myka

  4. Drake

  5. Drake

  6. Myka

  7. Drake

  8. Myka

  9. Myka

  10. Drake

  11. Myka

  12. Myka

  13. Myka

  14. Myka

  15. Drake

  16. Drake

  17. Commander Stoddard

  18. Myka

  19. Myka

  20. Drake

  21. Drake

  22. Myka

  23. Myka

  24. Drake

  25. Myka

  26. Drake

  27. Myka

  28. Drake

  29. Myka

  30. Myka

  31. Myka

  32. Myka

  33. Drake

  34. Myka

  35. Drake

  36. Myka and Drake

  37. Drake

  38. Myka

  39. Myka

  Epilogue

  Also by Kortney Keisel

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  1

  King Adler

  The Kingdom of Tolsten

  Fall 2250

  Streaks of afternoon sunlight sliced through the wall of aspen trunks, forcing shadows onto dead leaves scattered across the forest’s dirt floor. King Adler thought the shadows looked like the tips of missiles—narrow and long—but then again, weapons consumed his thoughts no matter where he was.

  “Everything is going according to our plans, Stoddard.” Adler clasped his hands behind his back as he walked through the trees, side by side with his commander. The height difference between them forced him to look down to meet Commander Stoddard’s eyes. “The weapons have been safely hidden, and I’ve taken care of all of the people who know about them.”

  “What about Rommel? You didn’t take care of him,” Stoddard said.

  Adler’s face went stiff. “I fired him and threatened his life. That should be enough.”

  “Why are we threatening Rommel’s life? We should kill him. He designed and built the weapons. He knows more about them than anyone else. If he leaked that information, our entire plan could be ruined.”

  Adler sucked in a deep breath. He hadn’t killed Rommel or his wife, Joett, because they meant too much to his daughter. They were like grandparents to her. Up until he had fired them both last week, Joett had been Myka’s maid. And now that the queen was gone, Adler wasn’t going to remove anyone else from Myka’s life. He glanced fondly at his daughter playing in the dirt beside them. Myka bent over an anthill, lining the edges of it with bark like she was fortifying the hill. Her creative mind would serve her well someday.

  He turned to face Stoddard. “I’m not worried about Rommel.”

  Stoddard licked his lips. “Your Majesty, I think that is very unwise.”

  “What you think doesn’t matter.”

  The commander shut his mouth, jutting out his chin. Stoddard didn’t like being put in his place, but he wasn’t the one in charge. Adler was, and Commander Stoddard would do well to remember that.

  They walked in silence for a few more steps until Stoddard got the courage to mention something else that he shouldn’t have an opinion on. “Are you sure you don’t want to divulge the location of the weapons to me?”

  Adler shook his head. “I can assure you the weapons are safe.”

  “That may be true, but I believe you take an unnecessary risk in keeping this information to yourself. What if something were to happen to you?”

  He laughed. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”

  Stoddard reached above him and pulled a leaf from a nearby branch, making the twig snap back. He twisted the leaf between his fingers as he spoke. “What about the threat of the other six kingdoms? If any of those leaders find out that you are developing weapons against the Council’s orders, they will come after you.”

  Adler rolled his eyes. “We shattered Albion in war, killing their commander in the process. They are in no shape to come after me or my weapons. The people of Enderlin almost kicked King Davin off his throne because he’s marrying some working-class girl, so I doubt Enderlin will attack. Northland is so far away. I don’t think they know what is going on up there. The kings in Appa and Cristole are nearing the end of their thirty-year terms; they’re not going to stir up trouble right before an election. And Bryant is more concerned about making a marriage alliance for his ten-year-old daughter than he is about Tolsten. Do you really think another leader wants to trifle with me?” Adler scoffed. “Besides, we’re years ahead of every other kingdom. If they’d approved the weapons at the last Council of Essentials and had started making their own, perhaps I would consider them a threat.”

  “I don’t think we should be overly confident,” Stoddard said. “You never know what might happen. That’s why you should tell me where the weapons are. We’re more powerful when we work together.”

  Adler trusted Stoddard to a point. He was his right-hand man, but he lacked vision, his plans were all simple, and Adler liked keeping him an arm’s-length away when it came to the weapons. The man was the only other person who knew the majority of his secrets. He didn’t need to know all of them. Adler had to keep the power somehow.

  “Daddy?” Myka demanded, running up to his side. “You said you would play with me.”

  Adler turned his head, smiling at his daughter. Two brown braids tumbled down her back. A smattering of light freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, but his favorite feature was her cool-blue eyes that matched his, like the color of the Tolsten lakes.

  “In a minute, sweetheart. Let me finish talking with Commander Stoddard.”

  Myka’s lips turned down, and she folded her arms across her chest.

  He bent over, meeting his daughter’s angry gaze. “Oh, don’t pout.” He tugged on one of her braids. “Why don’t you set up a tea party for us?”

  “That’s boring!” she complained.

  “What do you want to play, then?”

  “We need to fight the bad guys.”

  Adler laughed as he glanced up to Stoddard. “She’s the only eight-year-old girl I know who would rather fight bad guys than play tea party.”

  “How cute.” Stoddard raised his eyebrows, but the scowl on his face showed his disinterest in the princess.

  If Stoddard knew what was good for him, he would be sucking up to the princess right now. Adler straightened, and they continued walking, Myka trailing behind them. “It’s more than cute,” Adler said. “Myka is the future of this kingdom, and she will rule after me.”

  “What makes you so confident she’ll win
an election when your reign is up?” Stoddard questioned, his dark eyes darting to the little girl.

  “Myka will be queen if I say she will.”

  “She’s still young. It is too soon to know that.”

  “It’s already been decided. Money controls everything. I don’t need votes or an election. I’ll buy Myka the crown. And the missiles stashed away are my insurance policy.”

  Stoddard’s expression flattened. “Then I’m sure the princess will make a wonderful queen someday.” He didn’t mean what he said, Adler could easily see that.

  “Dad!” Myka whined behind him.

  “Set up the game,” he said, smiling at his daughter. “I’ll be there soon.”

  Myka stomped away as his focus went back to the commander. “That will be all, Stoddard. I’m sure you have more important things to do than watch a father play with his daughter.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” Stoddard flicked the leaf in his fingers to the ground and bowed before leaving.

  “Dad!” Myka pulled on his arm. “Were you even listening?”

  “Yes, I was listening.”

  “No, you weren’t. You were talking to Stoddard.” Her fists went to her hips as her pink lips pressed into a frown. “You said you would play with me.”

  He hadn’t been listening to his daughter’s made-up storyline, but he wouldn’t tell her that. He knew better than to provoke Myka’s feistiness. “I am,” he defended. He walked over to her tree stump and sat cross-legged in the dirt. He picked up one of the acorns she’d placed on his leaf plate and pretended to eat it. “Princess Myka, this meal is delicious.”

  Her brows drew together. “You weren’t listening. I said the food is poisoned. You should be choking like the poison is killing you.”

  A surprised laugh escaped his lips. “Why would you poison your guest? Aren’t I the prince?”

  “Dad!” She threw her hands out to the side. “I told you. You’re not a prince.”

  “Are you sure? Most little girls like to pretend they’re eating with a prince.”

  She shook her head, flapping her braids against her shoulders. “This isn’t a love story. This is an adventure.”

  “Then who am I?” he asked.

  She let out a loud breath. “You’ve come to take over the kingdom.” She raised her shoulders as she spoke. “You’re the bad guy.”

  His throat thickened, and he looked away from his daughter. The last thing he wanted was for Myka to think he was a bad guy.

  “Dad?” Myka’s voice sweetened.

  He couldn’t look at her.

  She stepped closer, placing her little hand on his shoulder. “You’re not really a bad guy. It’s just pretend.”

  He forced a large smile, overcompensating for the tightness stirring in his chest. “I know, darling. I’m one of the good guys.”

  Her fingers traced his neck. “Did mommy go away because she thought you were bad?”

  Myka had been sad ever since her mother had left two months ago. Adler hadn’t told her where the queen went. She was too young for all of that, and he wanted to protect her. He wrapped his arm around her tiny waist, lifting her to sit on his knee. “No. Your mother left because she was weak and selfish. She’s not strong like us.”

  The queen hadn’t seen how brilliant Adler was. She didn’t understand that in everything he did, he was ten steps ahead of everyone else. She couldn’t appreciate that about him, and Adler was glad she was gone. She only held him and Myka back.

  Myka fidgeted with the bark and leaves on the stump in front of them. “When will Mommy come back?”

  Adler looked straight into her blue eyes. “Never.”

  She twisted her lips, then peeked up through her lashes. “I’m sad she left.”

  “I know, honey. Me, too,” he said, surprised by how easily the lie rolled off his tongue.

  “I won’t ever leave you, Daddy,” she said, kissing his cheek.

  Adler would make sure that was true.

  2

  Drake

  Ten Years Later

  The Council of Essentials

  The Kingdom of New Hope

  February 2260

  Drake stood in the corner behind Trev, watching as the other kings filed into King Bryant’s office—all the other kings except Adler. Adler hadn’t even bothered to show up to the Council of Essentials, sending two advisors in his stead. Even if he had come, he wouldn’t have been invited to this particular meeting. This meeting was about the king of Tolsten and the threat that he posed to them all.

  It had only been three months since Seran’s assassination, but now that Trev and Drake had proof from Joniss Doman that King Adler was behind the shooting, they needed to stop Adler once and for all.

  Bryant took a seat behind his desk while the other men sat on the couch and in the two leather chairs nearby.

  Trev waited until the door was closed before he began speaking. He cleared his throat. “Thank you all for coming. I invited my commander, Drake Vestry, to join us today. He’s worked closely with me on this project.” He paused, glancing around the room at the other kings. “Before I left for the Council of Essentials, I received a letter from a man in Tolsten. His name is Rommel, and he used to work for King Adler.”

  “So?” Marx said, raising an eyebrow. He was in his late twenties and carried an air of arrogance with him everywhere he went, like he believed himself to be the smartest person in the room, no matter what room he was in. In Drake’s opinion, Marx was one of the worst rulers to have ever come out of the kingdom of Cristole, and his reign had only just begun.

  Trev pinned his eyes on Marx. “Rommel was the engineer who designed and built all of Adler’s weapons.”

  “Why would he reach out to you?” Davin asked. King Davin was in his early thirties and had proven himself to be an innovative ruler for Enderlin and someone Albion could work with and trust.

  Trev shrugged. “He heard about my tragic wedding recently, and he assumed Tolsten was behind the shooting. He wants to help us take down Adler and his weapons.”

  King Reddick’s expression turned to disbelief. “Why now?” It was no surprise that the king of Appa would be skeptical. There were times he seemed as crooked as King Adler.

  “The letter says that after what happened at the wedding, he’s concerned Adler might use the weapons to hurt people, not just for intimidation. It sounds like his guilty conscience is weighing him down,” Trev explained.

  “Do we believe that?” Bryant asked.

  “Well,” Trev turned over his shoulder, looking briefly at Drake. “My commander—”

  “Your very young commander,” Marx cut in.

  Drake narrowed his eyes at the king. Marx was only a few years older than him.

  “Yes. My young and more than capable commander,” Trev said with a pointed stare aimed at Marx, “has done some research, and what Rommel is saying is true. He was the king’s engineer but was terminated around ten years ago. The letter says that he has the original blueprints for each weapon, and he’s willing to hand them over to us.”

  “I don’t understand how blueprints could help us,” King Hilton from Northland said. Northland was so far away; they usually didn’t like getting involved in problems with other kingdoms.

  “The blueprints help us know what kind of weapons he has, how many, and, most importantly, how we can detonate them,” Trev said.

  “Assuming we find them,” Bryant added.

  Trev nodded. “That’s why I called you all here. I want to form a secret alliance between our six kingdoms.”

  The other kings looked at each other.

  “What exactly would the secret alliance do?” Davin asked.

  Trev lowered his voice. “I want to go after Adler’s weapons.”

  Reddick and Marx scoffed, but Trev ignored them, continuing, “I thought we could each send a man from our kingdom—our best man—to Tolsten to work together to retrieve the weapons.”

  “What would they have to do
?” Reddick asked.

  Trev shrugged. “Bryant and I have spoken, and we have a few ideas, but first, I want to make sure you’re all on board. We all have to agree to complete secrecy,” Trev said. “If anything goes wrong, Adler will come after Albion first, and I don’t want to put my kingdom in danger.”

  “He may even come after New Hope. If he thinks this mission is a retaliation from…” Bryant’s voice cracked and he coughed back his emotion before continuing, “my daughter’s death.”

  “Are we sure Adler was involved in the princess’s death?” Hilton asked.

  “Joniss Doman admitted that he had been working with Adler and that the man who shot Seran was one of Adler’s men,” Trev explained.

  Reddick leaned back into his chair. “What if Adler didn’t know? What if his man went against him and shot the princess on his own?”

  Bryant tensed. “What would be his motivation?”

  “We have proof of letters between Joniss Doman and King Adler,” Trev said. “We know for a surety that they were working together and that Adler was involved. His goal was to break up the alliance between New Hope and Albion.”

  Davin nodded. “Because of that, I don’t think we should go after Adler immediately. If something goes wrong, it does put an unnecessary target on New Hope and Albion. I think we should take our time planning and strike in a few months when Adler least expects it.”