The Ambassador's Daughter

Chapter 37

Louise quietly let herself quietly into the Mansion. T'Challa was allowing her and her mother to stay in the Mansion until the president and US senate designated another American ambassador to Wakanda. Louise and her mother both knew this was highly unorthodox and so Elise had been working frantically to pack up their personal affects and prepare for the move back to America.

Louise carefully wound her way around the boxes in the foyer, and up to her mother's room. She didn't really expect her mother to be asleep, but it was late, so the bedroom seemed like the best place to start. Louise did, indeed, find Elise in her room, packing up her husband's things. She looked up as Louise entered. "I don't know what to do with all of this," Elise said, sadly, closing a box and labelling it neatly.

"I'm sure that Father will want it when he gets out." Louise assured her mother as she grabbed a box and began filling it with impeccably shined shoes. Elise watched her daughter carefully. She seemed paler than Elise would have liked to see her. But Elise wasn't sure if that was because Louise had spent the whole day in dangerous company, or if the memory of her father was causing her distress.

"Well, either way," Elise said, moving her box off the bed and towards the door. "We'll take them with us." Louise stiffened.

"But if you do that, and he does want his things, he'll come looking for them." Louise struggled to keep the panic out of her voice. She didn't want to be anywhere near her father ever again.

"Of course." Elise responded, unconcerned.

"If he come looking for his stuff, what will you do?" Louise asked in a tone of would-be calm.

"Obviously, I will let him have it back." Elise said, taking her husband's ties out of the closed and carefully folding them before tucking them in amongst his shoes.

"And then?" Louise asked, pausing as she picked up a pair of black loafers. Her hand shook and she didn't want her mother to see.

"And then what, my child?" Elise asked, turning to look at her daughter, her hands on her hips.

Louise turned, balancing the loafers on her cast, trying to steady them. "Surely, you'll just be sending him on his way after?" Louise asked, she couldn't keep the concern out of her voice.

Elise sighed, a deep bone-weary sound. "No, Louise. If your father comes back for his things, I will not be turning him away." Louise was so surprised, she dropped the loafers unceremoniously into the box.

"What?" She gasped, choking on her fear.

"I will not be turning you father away. I am married to him, still. For better or worse, 'til death do us part. As neither of us are dead, I will not be turning him away."

"Mother!" Louise cried, "There are times when it is ok to walk away!" She raised her right arm, as if it was enough evidence to keep her father out of their lives.

"I can't just walk away from him, Louise." Elise scolded. "If you really loved that assassin the way you say you do, you'd understand that." This revelation suddenly made her news easier to deliver. Louise clenched her jaw defiantly at her mother's words.

"You're right, Mother." Louise said, her voice dangerously quietly, "I do understand loving someone so much that what they've done doesn't matter anymore. The only difference between your husband and my fiancé is that Bucky never hurt anyone if he could help it. And certainly no one I was supposed to love."

"You're what?" Elise gasped.

"My fiancé." Louise replied, impatiently. "Buckyasked me to marry him this afternoon. I said yes. I'm going to marry him andwe're going to stay in Wakanda." Her mother gaped at her, so shocked shecouldn't stop Louise from turning on her heel and marching from the room.