Page 8 of Learning to Rule

The prince and I look at each other, and he gives me a beaming smile—he has immense confidence in my abilities, but I can feel little flutters of nervous butterflies flying around in my stomach. This will be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’m willing to do it for the man I love, though, and I know he’ll support me all the way.

I nod my head.

“Agreed,” Dalton responds to his father.

Four

Dalton

Ifall back onto the bed and let out a massive sigh of relief. I know we’re going to have a difficult month, but at least I’ve got my father to see sense for once in his life.

Elodie walks around my apartments, going from room to room, taking everything in. The decor is from the eighteenth century and was done by the famous British architect William Kent. The rooms feature neutral colors on the walls with splashes of brighter furnishings. Corniced ceilings allow for painted depictions from the Bible, and the furniture is all Georgian in style.

My father chose the apartments in the palace that have a more modern design when he became king, but I love the older style of these rooms—they’d been the ones used by the kings and queens of Janastria for centuries, so I was happy to take them over when my parents vacated them. My bedroom has a door that leads to the queen's apartments. I’m hoping Elodie can use those in the coming days should she need peace and quiet or time to do yoga lessons with her clients back in America.

“How many rooms do you have?” Elodie shouts from whatever room she’s made her way into.

“Ten, although I don’t tend to use them all,” I shout back.

“Ten.” Elodie pokes her head around the doorway.

I nod at her.

She disappears again, and I hear the small heels she’s wearing clip quickly along the corridor that runs the length of my rooms.

“Oh my God, this is massive.” I hear from a distance away.

I slide from my bed and walk casually to the open bedroom door. Looking down the corridor, I see Elodie waving at me from the end of my apartments. She comes running back to me when she sees me, and pulling her into my arms, I lift her off her feet and swing her around.

“Do you like them?” I question, nervous of her answer.

“I do. I adore them. They’re just as I’d imagined. Modern wouldn’t suit you. This is what I expected your palace to look like. It’s so beautiful, Dalton.”

Elodie presses a kiss to my lips, then pulling away from me, she runs to the door in my room that connects to the queen’s bedroom and the rest of her apartments beyond.

“What’s through here?”

I cock my head toward her. “Your rooms while you’re here.”

She furrows her brows together.

“What do you mean? I thought I was staying here with you?” She bites her lips nervously.

I stride toward her.

“You are, but these are the old king’s apartments, and next to them are the queen’s. The bedrooms are joined. You will be in my bed each night, but I’m having the queen’s rooms aired for you tomorrow, so you can use them during your time here if you need a break from me. After all, if this goes well, they’ll be yours for real one day.”

Elodie places her hand on the doorknob to the room.

“May I look?” she asks.

“Of course.” I place my hand over Elodie’s and help her to push the door open.

The bedroom on the other side is very feminine in nature. My room is pastel blue, but Elodie’s is pink and gold. However, since the room is still covered in sheets to stop the dust from damaging the furniture, its full splendor is yet to be revealed.

I turn my head to look at Elodie, her eyes are wide open, and I can see tears forming in them.

“Are you okay?”

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