I Was Anastasia

by Ariel Lawhon

He is the recipient of a terrible, divine inheritance and I do not know how to explain that he cannot command this trouble away.

At twelve, my brother hovers somewhere between foolish child and future monarch. He is spoiled and naïve, but I love him completely and irrationally.

She laughs at this, and I feel as though I have won a small victory. Laughter in the face of fear is no small accomplishment.

I’ve never realized before how clearly men need leaders. How adrift we are without them and how the mere sight of one can breathe courage into a room.