Page 113 of Royally Matched

Father takes both my hands in his. “I want you to be happy, Sofia. We both do. I could see you were choosing a man for all the wrong reasons. Enzo might be a fine man, but he was never the right man for you. It was as plain as day to your mother and me.”

“That’s why we had the riddle sent to Marco, darling. We both agreed that he was the sort of man you would never purposefully choose. But we felt he might be the man youshouldchoose,” Mummy adds.

“But this is so out of character for you. It's so … playful,” I say, landing on a word I never thought I would use to describe anything my father did, let alone a complex plot to bring Marco and I together at the same time as reveal to me that I’m to be his heir.

It’s all too fantastical to fully comprehend.

“I suppose you could say I've lightened up a little since Alex’s abdication,” Father says. “And what better way to do it than to secure the future happiness of my darling daughter.” He smiles at me and tears spring to my eyes.

Father has never been demonstrable in his love for any of us. But it would seem that is now changing, and I love him all the more for it.

“Your trip away in Monteluce together confirmed thatwe had made the right decision in throwing you two together,” Mummy says.

I’m gaping so much I’m beginning to feel like one of those clown heads with the open mouths you throw balls into at fairs. Not that I’ve seen them firsthand—Iama princess—but they’re sometimes in movies.

“You knew about that?” I sputter.

“Of course we did,” Father replies. “My dear girl, do you really think a member of the Ledonian royal family could slink away without being noticed? We had several secret service agents in the village during the festival. You’re far too important to us, my dear, particularly now you’re my heir.” He pauses before he adds, “You know your professor was in on the ruse.”

My eyes are so wide they’re at risk of falling right out of my head. “He was?” I guffaw.

“Of course he was. He wrote the thing for us, and made up a story about having to leave the village to go to New Zealand to ensure you visited him quickly.”

“It was Australia, but I suppose that’s not the point,” I mumble, trying to comprehend all of this. Because it’s a lot. “Was he even a professor?”

“Of course he was,” Father replies.

“May I ask a question?” Marco begins and Father nods. “Was it part of the ruse, as you call it, that the professor not see us until the following morning?”

“I hear the lantern release at the end of the festival was rather romantic,” Mummy replies with a knowing smirk.

My parents share a smile and I think I might burst spontaneously into flames, right here on the Persian carpet.

Theyknew? What's worse is they set this whole thing up!

I risk a glance at Marco. He looks equally embarrassed, but his face is alight in a grin.

I step over to his side and slide my hand into his, smiling up at him. “So… you approve?” I ask my parents.

“We do,” Father confirms.

“Wholeheartedly,” Mummy echoes.

I capture Marco’s gaze. His eyes are intense, full of love for me, and I want nothing more than to close the gap between us, feel his arms wrap around me, and whisper what he means to me again and again and again. But as bizarre and wonderful and surprising as today has been, I want to wait until we’re in private for that.

Mummy gives me a hug as Father shakes Marco’s hand again, slapping his back and telling him how well he did with solving the riddle.

“I rather like this one,” Mummy says softly in my ear.

I grin at her, my heart completely full. “I rather like him, too.”

Chapter 31

Marco

I’ve experienced a lot in my life. I’ve travelled to many countries, skydived over breathtaking scenery in New Zealand, gone on a camel safari in the Thar Desert in India, eaten jellyfish in Hong Kong, and played table tennis with Buddhist monks in the foothills of the Himalayas.

But today tops them all.

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