Page 10 of Princess Bride Swap

But he was a married man now. His plan to ensure the crown stayed stable was moving as it should. His internal thoughts and unexpected feelings wouldn’t change that.

He wouldn’t allow it.

He would simply get to know his new bride. Engage in that which producing heirs required. And ensure whatever odd sensations plagued him, he was always in control of them rather than the other way around.

As the sun rose, glowing between the gap in the drapes, Lyon carefully slid out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower and try to clear his mind.

It was good, really. To face a challenge that made him sharper and sounder of mind. If things got too easy, he might get complacent and that would never do. His entire rule would no doubt be an exercise in fighting to regain all the control his great-uncles, uncles and cousin had pissed away for the past decades.

Until all that was left was him. Until the entire future of Divio rested on his shoulders. He dressed, though he kept his tie loose for the moment. He told himself he was full of all that determination that had grown shaky after the ceremony.

Until he returned to the bedroom.

She was sitting up in the bed, her cheeks a little flushed from sleep and her dark hair tousled as if he’d had his hands in it last night, just as he’d desired.

She yawned and stretched, looking perfectly...

Well, it wouldn’t do to look too hard.

“Good morning,” he offered, moving stiffly toward the window. He pulled the curtains back to a bright, snowy day below. He tried to imagine all thatcoldencasing him. “Today I will give you a tour of the castle, answer any questions you have. The announcement and pictures from last night will go out soon, and we’ll host a dinner this evening. Then afterward we will film a short video that will go out to news outlets.”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll just go get ready.”

He did not dare look at her even as he heard the rustle of sheets and the soft landing of footfall. He kept his gaze on the window, on the mountains, on all thatice.

When she returned, he allowed himself to look at her. She wore slacks with enough swishy fabric not to give much away about the shape of her legs. The dark green sweater she wore was a little more formfitting, but only a little. She looked elegant but cozy. Perfect for the morning ahead.

Because shewasperfect. “Let us take a little tour on our way down to breakfast,” he said, and then began to lead her out of his suite.

It was better in the daylight, he decided. Other things to focus on.Movement. Certainly not darkness and listening to her breathe and shift in her sleep. Not hours stretching out in front of him where he couldn’t help but think of the way she’d looked when she’d just woken up.

He told her what every door was as they passed. Some he let her peek her head into, some they merely walked by.

“You can of course request to make any changes to our rooms you’d like. It will have to go through Mr. Filini, the head castle master, and myself, but as long as it’s reasonable, there should be no problems.”

“I doubt very much I’ll have any changes.”

He didn’t know why that settled in him as an annoyance. He shouldn’t want a wife who wanted frivolous changes when his entiregoalwas to make certain everyone in Divio looked at him and thoughtstability. Strength. Certainty.

He came to the last door before the staircase and held it open, gesturing her inside.

Her eyes lit up. Admittedly, the reaction he’d been hoping for. She moved forward, reaching out to touch the spines of a row of books. For a moment, she looked around at the shelves and shelves of books—old ones, new ones. Some ancient and passed down from generation to generation, some his own additions.

“It’s the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen,” she finally said, breaking the silence. She beamed at him and a warmth of satisfaction settled in his chest.

Perhaps there were some complicated reactions he hadn’t anticipated, but a woman who was bowled over by a library was certainly not a bad choice.

“You may of course make any additions you’d like. Your personal assistant will order any book for you.”

“But you already have so many.”

“No one can have too many books. And no collection should be so rigid so as not to allow entertainment that many users might enjoy.”

“My father did not agree,” she said, perusing the books. “The booksIwanted to read, I often had to sneak read digitally through my phone. Which was fine enough, but I always wanted something...” She trailed off, then shrugged, gesturing at the room around them.

Lyon was no fan of King Rendall. The man was a supercilious braggart who used force more than intellect to impose his will on others. Lyon could admit to himself that part of Beau’s proposition had been intriguing simply for getting around the king while still uniting Divio with Lille. And he felt that satisfaction again, because a man who imposed limits on reading was no leader.

“Did you always get around your father?”

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