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Henry

"It’s uncanny"

"It’s bizarre"

"It’s fascinating Look at her"

My brother, Nicholas, gestures towards old ballroom At nineteen-years-old, Jane takes after Sarah in beauty and build--dark cascading hair, a lovely face, long, lithe lireen She slides towards the podium to answer questions about the newly established scholarship fund in honor of randmother, Queen Lenora

But her personality and demeanor are distinctly unlike Sarah Oreven" Nicholas says as she takes to the podiuht, the very e like ere at her age"

"I know" I reply, bewildered "Every responsibility I give her, every duty--she absorbs like a sponge She thrives off of it"

"Mrunts "All your years of recklessness, all Sarah’s sweetness, and soive birth to…"

"Granny" I finish for hi

"She’ll h" Nicholas offers

"She will" I nod, with pride But then I frown "It sucks that I’ll be too dead to see it"

My brother grins "You could retire when she’s a bit older Step down Live out your golden years away from the headaches of the capital and politics in one of the country estates with your wife"

I shake my head "Nah There’d be tooof her choices and what I would’ve done I won’t do that to her When Jane takes the throne it will be hers and hers alone"

As Jane begins to take questions, we turn our silent attention back to her Until my sister-in-law slips into the rooth red dress and strappy heels, her hair a mass of wild black curls Even in her late forties, she couldn’t be described as anything less than a full-on knockout

"Hey, guys"

"You’re looking especially lovely, Olive"

She gives ht Date weekend, actually" She oing to Cannes and I can’t wait" Olivia glances at Nicholas’s face and her set, did you? Tell et, Nicholas"

They lived the first half of theirvisits to Wessco That changed when Granny becaed--my brother to move his family back home, to become my First Royal Advisor I kneas a lot to ask, but I needed hih they have their own estate, they live most of the year in their apartrins wickedly and wraps his arlorious days alone with et that I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks My bags are already in the car"

Olivia’s shter "Janey looks great up there" And then she snorts "God, she reminds me of your Grandlances at his watch "We should getmy arm "Henry"

Neither of them bow, nor would I want the weird, even for us

"Have a good weekend, you two"

After they make a quiet exit, I fold ainst the wall and watch Jane do what she does so well

Until a reporter begins a question with, "Lady Jane--"

And ht at the balls

"Princess"

"I’hs, quick and impatient "I am the Crown Princess of Wessco, the heir apparent--which means when you address hness Perhaps, one day when you can get that right, Iyour question"

Oh boy

She turns her head away to the rest of the crowd "Next"

The same reporter lifts his hand tentatively "Princess Jane--"