Duncan had been feeling better, but was still prone to moping, despite throwing himself into his work with new dedication. It was still hard, and he suspected it always would be. But at the end of every day, he told himself it was one day closer to feeling confident in his role. Leo had admitted it had taken him some time as well, when he first finished university, to get used to the idea. He said he’d felt like a fraud; just some kid, surrounded by their father and his advisors. He told Duncan that the only thing that had really helped was time, and learning more. Some things you couldn’t rush. Like getting over someone

But the more time that passed, the more Duncan seemed to miss Alix, not less. So when Helena invited him to come to dinner, it provided a nice distraction. He’d been the one complaining, after all, that they hadn’t been able to hang out much this summer. And now fall was already well under way.

Duncan was initially upset when he saw that Stella and Annabelle were there. He felt Alix’s absence sharply. Trying to focus on the positive, he decided that he would try to ask Stella if she had any news about Alix.

He avoided her, though, during pre-dinner drinks, sticking to government topics with Leo and asking Anton about his new series of paintings. When they sat down to eat, he worried that her name would come up somehow. He was sitting across from Stella, and he was sure that she could see on his face how much he wanted to talk about Alix.

Luckily, Helena was skilled at leading the discussion away from any difficult topics. Recent movies, a charity concert they’d all be attending in a week, and other benign subjects were all part of a lively conversation during the first half of dinner.

Then, as the chef that Helena had hired for the night cleared away their duck to make space for the salad, Leo cleared his throat.

“We have some news,” he announced, looking immensely pleased.

Duncan tried to look interested, but knew that he probably just looked grumpy. It sounded like Leo was going to tell them when they’d be getting married. They needed to wait until the abdication was finalized, which wouldn’t happen for another few months; a great deal of discussion in parliament and with the king’s advisors, over the exact terms of Leo’s situation, needed to take place first. It hadn’t even really officially been announced to the public yet, but the whispers were there. Everyone knew a big change was coming.

It’ll probably be the very next day, after we sign the papers, Duncan thought bitterly, looking at his smiling brother. He just can’t wait for his happily ever after to get started.

Leo looked around the table to be sure he had everyone’s attention.

“Annabelle is pregnant,” he said, taking her hand and beaming at her. She blushed a deep red to match her fiery mane.

Their reactions ranged from stunned silence (Duncan) to gasps and swears (Helena). Anton nearly spit out his drink.

“Are you serious?” said Helena, sounding furious. “You idiot! You couldn’t have kept it in your pants until the abdication was final? It could still take months, and you won’t be able to get married in time. You know the law. They won’t be allowed to stay in Prynesse.”

In addition to the more restrictive rules surrounding the marriages of the royal family, there was an even older law still in the books, stating that any illegitimate children of the royal family could not remain in the country. While it had been very relevant in the 16^th century to avoid disputes over the throne, it was not quite as useful in the 21^st. Getting around Europe was easier now that it had been then, so it was more of a social punishment than banishment. Still, it had been enforced as recently as their great-uncle, who had been living in France with an entire branch of the family they’d never met.

“Well, then perhaps I should just change the law,” Leo said, smiling even wider. Duncan’s heart began to beat a little faster.

“Father has agreed to grant Annabelle’s family a title. We can marry, and I’ll be king.”

Duncan’s initial reaction was annoyance that he hadn’t been involved with the discussions. If they were preparing him to be king, he needed to know about granting titles. Then, he suddenly realized what Leo had actually said: He would be king, not Duncan.

Excited and relieved chatter erupted around the table.

Duncan remained silent, thinking over what it all meant for him. As they congratulated Leo and his future queen, Helena glanced his way several times, as did Stella. They were waiting for him to say something about what this meant for him and Alix.

“Duncan?” Leo looked at him hesitantly. Duncan flashed a brief smile at his brother, still deciding if he was more annoyed or relieved.

“I’m sorry that we couldn’t involve you in the discussions, but father wanted to be sure it would pass parliament before telling you. You seemed so dedicated these past few weeks; you’re really impressing everyone. We didn’t want to pull you off course in case it didn’t work out. Everyone agreed that you would have been wonderful. I hope you’re not disappointed to be going back to the charity rounds.”

Duncan shook his head.

“Disappointed is the opposite of what I’m feeling,” he finally managed to say. A smile lit up his entire face. He felt the weight lift from his shoulders and the entire world seemed like it was within his grasp.

“What are you going to do?” asked Stella, barely containing her eagerness.

“I don’t know yet,” he admitted.

“Do you want us to help?” Helena asked.

“No,” Duncan said confidently. “I think I can figure this one out on my own.”