The Heart Made of Broken Gold

Chapter 3: Too Old

The next day, Princess Jackie prepared herself to go to France. She seemed to be in a bad mood and was hoping to find a way to escape. Coincidentally, Paul was also on his way to France for a vacation. They were on the same plane and Paul ended up sitting next to Princess Jackie.

“What brings you to France?” she asked.

“Just taking a break and also thinking about moving to Mississippi to be close to my sister Nancy,” Paul answered.

Princess Jackie was curious and asked, “What about Anne? Are you going to leave her alone?”

“Anne is going to be fine.” I assured her that if she chooses to end her marriage with Henry, I will have a job ready for her in Mississippi. I need to leave England because my parents are pressuring me to marry Stacy Parker, whom I absolutely despise!” Paul responded with annoyance, expressing his own dislike for Stacy.

He acknowledged that she has had feelings for him since they were kids.

“I understand your sentiments. I am considering running away because I refuse to marry an older man,” Princess Jackie stated.

“I know my parents are going to be angry with me for not marrying Stacy, but I hope they can forgive me in time,” Paul replied.

“I understand how you feel, Paul. Making decisions that go against our loved ones’ expectations can be tough,” Princess Jackie empathized.

“I hope Henry will forgive me for not marrying the king of France,” Princess Jackie replied.

“I’m sure Henry loves you for who you are and would want you to be happy,” Paul reassured her.

“You can come to Mississippi with me. I can help you get a job,” Paul offered. “Thank you for your kind offer, Paul. But I don’t think I’d be good at working,” Princess Jackie responded.

“I am sure there are plenty of jobs you can do,” Paul replied.

“Perhaps there are, but I don’t think I will ever have to worry about that,” Princess Jackie said with a small chuckle.

The aircraft touched down in France. Princess Jackie and Paul successfully evaded the alert bodyguards. Paul hurriedly obtained two plane tickets to New York. The flight was lengthy, but Princess Jackie was relieved to escape her marriage to the French king. She anticipated her brother’s anger, but hoped that Anne was correct in believing that Henry would eventually forgive her. Eventually, the plane landed in New York. The weather was delightful, and Princess Jackie felt a sense of tranquility. It was summertime. Princess Jackie was amazed by the beauty of New York. She hadn’t had many opportunities to explore, so she was thoroughly enjoying her newfound freedom.

A week had passed since the anticipated arrival of Princess Jackie, but the king of France had called King Henry to inform him that she had not shown up. The news was not taken well by King Henry who was already feeling quite agitated. To make matters worse, the king of France had revealed that he had already married Princess Maria, leaving King Henry feeling quite betrayed. The conversation had ended on a sour note, with the king of France angrily hanging up on King Henry. Princess Jackie, who was at the center of all this, was about to face King Henry’s wrath. He was so angry that he banished her from the castle. Meanwhile, Anne had become increasingly worried about Paul, suspecting that he might have been with Princess Jackie. Princess Mary, on the other hand, remained banished from the castle due to her unwillingness to show respect to Anne and her little sister, Princess Elizabeth.