They both got into the car and the driver drove them back to the palace. Jean Pierre sat there thinking about what it was going to be like to live with Liane. Her mother was already sorting out a house for them to live in. This was all very weird for him. While he was twenty-five, he had never considered getting married. He liked his life the way it was and one indiscretion had changed his entire life.
“We shall have separate bedrooms,” Jean Pierre announced.
“Of course, did you think I wanted to share a bed with you?” Liane asked.
“Who wouldn't?”
Liane groaned and rolled her eyes. He thought the whole world revolved around him. It was pathetic.
“Can we stop for food?” Liane asked the driver.
“Can you not wait until we get back to the palace?”
“No, I want to eat right now,” Liane replied petulantly. Since she was pregnant, she got so hungry that it was unbearable and having to spend time with Jean Pierre only made her want to eat more.
The driver felt awkward. He did not know whether to stop or not. “So...are we stopping?” he asked hesitantly.
“We are,” Liane said. The driver pulled up near a row of restaurants. Liane opened the door without waiting and went into the burger shop while Jean Pierre remained in the car. Liane ordered herself two meals. She felt ridiculously hungry.
Growing impatient, Jean Pierre went into the shop to find Liane sitting at a table and clearly on her second burger. He frowned as he approached her. “Just how much are you eating?” he asked her.
“You try being pregnant and then see if you can be so judgemental,” Liane shot back. Jean Pierre sat down at the table with her and snatched a French fry.
“Well, could you eat faster?”
“Take a taxi if you are so impatient,” she told him as she finished off her burger. It would be so much better for her if they went their separate ways.
Jean Pierre narrowed his gaze at her. He had never taken a taxi in his life and he was not going to start now.
“No, thanks,” he said and grabbed her milkshake. Liane smacked his hand and took it back, setting it out of his reach as she glared at him.
“Not this time,” she snapped.
“Relax, lady,” Jean Pierre laughed. Liane frowned at him. It was not a laughing matter. She finished her meal and stood up.
“You pay for it,” she said to Jean Pierre and left the restaurant. Jean Pierre sat there speechless before reaching for his wallet. She was certainly a woman full of surprises. He paid for her meal and followed her to the car. He expected her to say thank you or explain herself but she ignored him. He shook his head, as the driver pulled away. He never knew what to expect from her.
***
Prince Louis found Macee sitting outside in the courtyard. He wanted to see how she was handling everything with her sister. The past two weeks had not been easy for any one of them. He kissed Macee before they sat down for dinner. The maids immediately served their dinner and poured them wine.
He asked Macee how Liane was coping with everything. “Presently, she is trying to avoid Bridgette,” she replied. After the recent turn of events, Bridgette had been allowed back into the palace to visit. Liane knew that if she were to run into her, there was going to be more name calling.
“I don’t blame her,” Prince Louis replied. On more than one occasion, he had come across the two women in a heated argument.
“The women is diabolical,” Macee declared. “Whatever she has against my family, I will never know,” she added. The prince took Macee's hand and kissed it. He hated how Bridgette treated her family. Macee smiled at him, “How are you?” she asked. She did not want to speak about that hateful woman any longer.
“Under a little stress.” The prince had something he needed to tell Macee. He stopped eating and looked at her.
“What is it?” she asked him. She could see that there was something on his mind.
“Father wishes to abdicate early.”
Macee gasped and dropped her fork on the plate. She knew that she was to be queen one day but she had thought it would not be for another ten years or more. “What? Why?” she asked. She was not ready. She had only just become the crown princess. Prince Louis smiled at her.
“It is not like it will happen tomorrow, relax ma cherie,” he said to her. He could see the panic on her face.
“How early?”
“He has not stated a date but he is seriously considering it.”
“Considering is good. It means his mind can still be changed.”
Prince Louis laughed. “You will still be queen one day,” he told her.
“Yes, but not now. When that time comes, then I will be more suitable for the part.” She still had classes with Charles on a regular basis, although he was more respectful to her now that she was the Crown Princess.