The Ambassador's Daughter

Chapter 19

The next morning, Louise was getting ready to slip away to the palace when her mother knocked and entered her room.

"No." Elise said without any preamble. "Today, you stay here."

"Mamma!" Louise protested, "I have to go."

"No." Elise said again, "The ball is in two days and you are not prepared."

"Mamma," Louise argued, "I am prepared. I have my dress all fitted and hanging in my closet, I know all the dancing protocol anyone could ever be expected to know. What do I have to learn?"

"You are a poor dancer."

"That's not what I've heard," Louise muttered, glaring at her mother and folding her arms. "Clint taught me to dance." She said more clearly.

"My niece's husband is a poor dance teacher. You lead too much. That will work against you, child. Come." Elise turned on her heel and marched out of Louise's room. Louise had no choice to follow her mother down to the dining room.

The table and chairs had been removed providing a respectable dance floor. A Wakandan man stood by the window with his arms folded across his chest. "This is my daughter," Elise said by way of introduction. "She needs reminding of her place on the dance floor. Her last teacher was somewhat lacking."

One chair remained by the opposite door, an IPod dock and speakers sat on it plugged into the wall and ready to go. The man stepped forward and offered his hand to Louise. Elise moved across the room and hit play on the IPod. A slow waltz began to play. "Miss Louise, may I have the honour?" The man asked in Wakandan.

Louise stifled back a sigh, knowing that was bad protocol and it would seriously displease her mother. Louise forced a smile and nodded. "It would be my honour," she replied, also in Wakandan. She put her hand into his and he pulled her close. She tried to ignore the memories of her last dance and allowed the stranger to lead her through the steps of the dance.

At the end, he bowed low and kissed her hand. "Thank you for the dance," her instructor stood up and looked at Elise.

"How did she do?" Elise asked.

"Well, she didn't lead," Louise shot her mother a triumphant grin from behind the instructor's back. "However, she seemed distant. Like she wasn't really here." Elise shot her daughter a triumphant look from behind the instructor's back. "She must be present and attentive as well as a good follower."

Louise sighed, "I'm sorry, sir. Can we try it again?" the instructor nodded and offered her his hand again. Elise pushed to play button again.

"May I have the honour of this dance?"

"It would be my honour," Louise said, smiling sweetly and allowing the instructor to pull her close again. She forced her mind to focus on her dancing and her partner. At the end of the dance, the instructor thanked her and kissed her hand.

"Much better, Miss." The instructor praised her. Louise smiled at her partner and then at her mother. "She is an excellent dancer and will undoubtedly be the, how do you Americans say it? The belle of the ball?"

Elise nodded. "Are you sure she isn't leading?"

"Yes, Ma'am. She knows her role on the dance floor quite well."

"May I go now, please?" Louise asked. "I have an appointment to keep." She sashayed out of the room smiling. She went right to the garage. She knew if she waited to call Gordon around to the front of the house her mother would probably find something to keep her at home again. Louise climbed in the back seat and gave Gordon the instructions. She settled back in her seat and watched the city slip by. She leaned forward and rested her arms on the back of the front seat and then rested her chin on her arms. "You know, Gordon," She said, "My parents are driving me crazy. Most people my age are allowed to go visit their friends, even if they're still living at home. They don't need to make up excuses and lie about where they've been. Why can't they just trust me on this? What I'm doing is very important."

"I don't know, miss." Gordon replied. Louise growled and flung herself back into her seat. There really was no point in talking to Gordon. He was a good listener, but he would never give her any useful advice. It was like the nature of his job prevented him from being useful to her.

She also knew that she couldn't tell Gordon exactly what she was doing. She had a feeling that he would relay it back to her father as soon as the man asked. She scowled out of the car window. Her slightly good mood from earlier had completely evaporated. Louise pulled out her phone and glanced at it. Nothing. Not that she was surprised, but it would have been a nice distraction. She sighed and tossed the phone onto the seat beside her.

Finally the car pulled up in front of the palace Louise climbed out. Her mood had definitely soured. She didn't really know why. She just knew she was grumpy. She moved through the palace, she was heading for the garden, but then decided against it. She went to the library and picked a book from the shelves and wove through the halls to a little niche she'd found a few hours into her first visit solo visit to the palace.

It was really a rather convenient place. It was located near the ball room and had a heavy curtain across it that could be hooked out of the way to provide a semi-shielded view of the hall. The niche itself had mullioned windows with a comfortable chez lounge chair. Complete with cushions. Louise reached the niche and pulled the curtain back.

To her surprise, Bucky was already sitting on the couch. "You're in my seat." She said, trying to keep her voice light and airy. Bucky tipped his head back and looked up at her and smiled.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked.

"That's my seat. I found it. It's mine." Bucky closed his book and twisted around on the couch and slid over, allowing her room to sit down.

"What's up?" He asked, his eyes softly searched her face. Louise sighed and dropped onto the couch. She tucked her feet up under her and leaned back against the arm of the couch.

"My mom decided to teach me how to dance this morning." She sighed.

"Is that why you're late?" She glared at him.

"Yes. I am really starting to get fed up with this! I really want to tell her why I'm constantly coming over here."

"Then why don't you?"

"What?" Louise asked, completely caught off guard.

"Louise," Bucky said, reaching out and laying a hand on hers. "If it's driving you so crazy, tell them why you are constantly 'sneaking' off to the palace."

Louise sat on her knees and took both of Bucky's hands in hers. "Um, Bucky. You know the reason I keep coming to the palace is to see you, right?" Bucky nodded, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. "I can't tell my parents that I'm coming to the palace to see Bucky Barnes. Everyone knows who you are. Ok, maybe not, everyone. But you're not a lot less popular than Captain America. And in case you haven't been paying attention over the last few weeks, I don't exactly trust my dad with that kind of information."

Bucky shrugged. "Then, what do you need from me?" Louise smiled, the first real one since her mother had shanghaied her into the dance class that morning.

"I need you to listen and offer advice that I can shoot down. By the way, you're doing great." She teased. Bucky shook his head smiling at her and slung his arm across the back of the couch.

"Well, I've been offering advice that nobody listens to since 1918." Louise laughed. She shook her head and punched his shoulder, and rolled her eyes.

"You were, what, one??"

"Yeah, and Steve was punk even then." Bucky joked.

"He was a baby!" Louise cried,

"I don't care. He's a punk. Why couldn't he just not chew on the bars of his crib?"

"You know," Louise said thoughtfully, "That actually explains so much!" They laughed and Bucky continued to regale her with stories of ignored advice from his youth.