I never thought I could know joy like this. The day I married Victoria, I was happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life—I had no idea I could be happier still. But thinking of the life Victoria is carrying inside her fills me with a sense of love and abundance that I never thought possible. We’re going to have a baby. A baby!

It's been a couple of hours since we got the news. Now I stand at the window of my study with a freshly poured glass of brandy in my hand, thinking about all the wondrous possibilities.

Unbidden, Victoria’s words of warning creep into my head, reminding me not to get my hopes up too much, pointing out that there’s still a chance that something could…happen. But I refuse to believe it possible. This is nothing short of a miracle—the physician said it herself—and miracles don’t just un-happen. Right?

I sip my brandy. There’s a light rap at the door, and I turn. My brother Leopold stands in the doorway, a grin on his face.

“You needed to see me?” he says, not waiting for me to invite him in. “And yes, I’ll take a brandy.”

He’s looking much more chipper these days, now that his son is a few months old. Apparently little Matthew is finally sleeping through the night, and it shows on my brother’s face. The dark circles under his eyes are much less pronounced than they were a few weeks ago.

He joins me at the window and takes a glass of brandy from me.

“Something’s different about you,” he says, squinting as he studies my face. “I’m not sure I like it.”

I arch an eyebrow. “No?”

“God, there it is again,” he says, grimacing in mock horror. “Good God, Andrew, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you almost look giddy. And trust me, that’s not a good look for you. It’s a little unsettling.”

In spite of myself, I laugh. My brother leaps back a step as if I might attack him.

“This is absolutely terrifying,” he says, but there’s an amused gleam in his eye as he edges near again. “I take it you’ve had some good news?”

“You could say that.” But I’m not sure you will think it as good as I do. I take a long, slow sip of my drink, trying to find the right words. I had an entire speech prepared before he arrived, but I can’t seem to remember it now.

“How is Matthew doing?” I ask him finally.

“Cheerful as ever,” Leopold replies. “But you know that already. What’s this really about?”

I set my glass on the windowsill. “It’s about the future of this family.”

“And now the old, serious Andrew is back.” Leopold grins. “Always thinking about the future.”

“In this case, it’s necessary. I don’t want this to cause any tension in our family, Leopold. I want to make that clear up front. But honestly, I’m not sure what to expect. None of us were prepared for this.”

“Prepared for what?” He drains the rest of his glass. “I must say, your flair for dramatic speeches gets better and better with every passing year.”

“I’m not trying to be dramatic,” I say. “I just…” I sigh. He’s right—there’s no point in continuing to be vague. “Leopold, Victoria is pregnant.”

Leopold’s hand freezes halfway to the bottle of brandy. His eyes widen. “What?”

“She’s pregnant. We just found out. Of course it’s still early, but the physician says the baby appears to be healthy. Against all odds.”

My brother’s face splits into a grin. “Are you bloody kidding me? That’s amazing!” He claps me hard on the back. “Congratulations, Brother! This calls for a celebration!” He grabs the bottle of brandy and pours each of us a full glass. Then he lifts the bottle closer to his face, frowning at the label. “Why are we drinking this? We should pull out the good stuff. I know you keep a bottle hidden in your desk—”

“I’m not sure you understand,” I say, a bit taken aback by his exuberance.

Leopold laughs. “That explains your mood. Those first few days after you get the news…” He shakes his head. “It’s crazy. But fatherhood is the most amazing thing you’ll ever experience.”

“I understand that,” I tell him. Or I’m beginning to, anyway. “But that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about the consequences this will have on our family.”

Leopold sobers a little. “Oh.”

“Exactly. We have some things to discuss.”

“But not before another drink.” Leopold raises his glass. “To fatherhood.”

“To fatherhood,” I echo, for his sake. We clink glasses and drink.

When I lower my brandy again, I find Leopold looking thoughtful.

“You’re talking about the ascension, aren’t you?” he says. “When your child is born, Matthew will no longer be the heir.”

“That’s correct.” I study him closely, trying to guess his thoughts, but for once, my brother’s face is unreadable. “I understand this complicates things.”

“Maybe.” He takes another drink. “But is it terrible to admit that the thought of it gives me some relief? It’s a lot of pressure, raising the heir. And probably not something that lies in my specific skill set. You, on the other hand…”

My frown deepens. “I’m not sure I…”

“You were born to be king,” he says. “It’s been a part of you since the moment you came into existence. It’s your life, and if anyone is going to raise the next generation of rulership, it should be you. I have no bloody idea what I’m doing, anyway.”

“Matthew is in good hands,” I assure him. “You and Elle would have done just fine—”

“And now we don’t have to,” Leopold says, though I can’t read his expression. “We’re free to travel the world like we originally dreamed. Elle never wanted to spend her life in this palace. She never wanted to be royalty. Now we have the freedom to do whatever we’d like again.” He pats me on the shoulder. “Really, this is a blessing.”

But I’m not so sure. I never would have taken this news so well—but maybe that’s the difference between my brother and me. But now that I’m looking at him, I’m not so sure he’s telling the truth.

“Don’t look so bloody worried,” Leopold says, though there’s no smile on his face. I could almost swear he wants to glare at me, but his forced, small smile betrays any sense of true happiness. “This is a joyous day. Enjoy your good news.” He tilts his head back and downs the rest of his brandy. “I should probably get back to my wife and my son. You should go find Victoria and celebrate.”

And with that, he’s gone again, leaving me standing at the window with a half-full glass of brandy, feeling more confused than ever.

It will be all right, I tell myself. My brother is telling the truth about one thing—I know he and Elle never wanted to be confined to this palace for the rest of their lives. Maybe he’s right, that this all turned out for the best.

Only time will tell.