A life of slavery is all that Suzanna Hayles has ever known or been exposed to. But the tragic murder of a fellow-servant, a boy she happens to have very strong feelings for, sends her and her father on a run for their lives, when they are accused of committing the crime. And just when she thought things could not get any worse, Suzanna loses her father by the hands of a group of bandits in an unfamiliar territory. She must escape before they rape and kill her. The only way to do that is to find the castle of Lord Darvon, King of Albania. Suzanna is sure he is old and grumpy, until she beholds the face of the king. Lord Darvon is the most miserable man alive. Having lost his wife and his unborn child, he is left wounded and depressed. The king has made up in his mind that he will never marry again. That is, until a green-eyed beauty barges into his castle battered and bruised.