It pained Bucky to see his brother leave, Elena could see that clearly even if he didn't say anything. They were close, probably best friends and always together as they grew up and she couldn't even imagine how it felt to him to see him leave.

"Do you think we can visit them?" he questioned after they were too far to be seen. "In some months, maybe? Half a year?"

"Of course," his wife nodded, turning to look at him. "We can talk to our private secretary and schedule a visit if the finances and time allow. We still need to resolve the military part, ship our tropes, decide things."

He frowned.

"We?"

"Well…" she turned her eyes away. "Me."

He didn't seem to understand.

"Why would you?"

Elena looked at him, and she was the once confused this time.

"Why wouldn't I?" the redhead said back. "I'm the future queen, I have things to do."

He seemed taken back by her answer and she couldn't help but wonder how much involvement he and his brother had in his father's reign.

"Oh."

The princess stood in silence, stepping back into the castle and listen to him following her.

"What do you do?" he spoke again, making her look back.

"Beg your pardon?"

"What do you do?" he repeated, talking fast. "Do you take decisions? Do you join meetings? Do you create laws?"

Elena stared at him in surprise, both by his rushed words and his clear curiosity.

"I do join my father doing meetings and no, I don't create any laws. I learn," she pointed. "I learn what the people need and what I'm supposed to do. I learn how to speak, protocols, about the codes and… Everything."

He stood straight, still looking at her.

"Why are you so surprised?" the woman questioned. "You were in line for the throne, didn't King Joseph have you and your brother learning your roles?"

He went back to his usual posture, trying to hide the melancholia that his eyes let out.

"Father didn't want us anywhere close to him," he muttered. "We had a tutor."

Elena tried not to look at him with pity. The way he said that made his childhood sound very sad and lonely.

"Well, our children will be following me when they are old enough. You may come with us if it is of your interest."

A question rolled to his tongue but he held back as she continued her way, following her steps with some distance.

"Elena," he called when he noticed she was ready to turn and walk into a room. "Do you want to dance?"

The woman frowned, turning to look at him.

"Dance? Well, I don't see a problem."

"It's a date," he smiled openly. "Meet me at eight in the ballroom and make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes."

Elena stepped shyly into the ballroom, glancing around the room and trying not to look awkward as she waited for James, opening a very small smile when her husband entered through the door opposite to hers.

"My lady," he gave her a boyish smile, taking off his hat respectfully and the music started playing, filling the room.

"Come here," he walked to the princess and she felt her cheeks warming when she realised the rhythm wasn't exactly the one she was used to.

"I'm not sure I can dance this," Elena told him, caressing the palm of her own hand to comfort herself, something she seemed to be very often when nervous.

"Don't worry," he held her right hand, resting his right palm in the middle of her back. "Put your hand on my shoulder, stay close."

His wife followed his instructions silently as the song kept playing.

"Now, just to the side," he continued, moving his feet and moving a bit back só she could see. "And spin… This way. And back."

It took her a few tries but, eventually, she was moving around the room and just following his steps and enjoying the heat of his body against hers.

"You're a quick learner," her husband chuckled into her ear. "I knew you had more than a slow dance type in you."

Elena hid her smile by hiding her face on his chest and when the last song was over, the two just stood there. Bucky had a good smell, something manly and fresh, and the redhead could feel something close to oranges in him. It was hard to describe but delicious.

His hand moved slowly from the middle of her back to the lower part of it, right where her skirt started puffing, and she felt one of his fingers playing with the start of the piece of clothing, playful but silently questioning if she consented with a more intimate touch.

Slowly, James pulled himself back, making Elena look at him. She was almost panting just from the way he stared at her, and both his touch and his eyes were sending shivers all over her body.

"Can I kiss you?' he finally questioned.

"Please."

Bucky leant down in a split of a second, kissing her thin lips softly and using both his large hands to hold her waist and pull her up to his height. She parted her lips and his tongue came in contact with hers in the same gentle way, slowly creating a need inside her that seemed to be moving itself to the middle of her legs.

Elena wasn't dumb, she knew what that meant. A handful of times she'd felt such an urge she had managed to relieve herself, but nothing had ever built her up this way.

Without thinking, the princess moved her hands to his shoulders and the back of his neck, tugging on the hairs there and hearing him groan very softly. It took her a moment to realise when they were moving, and the redhead jerked away from him when she felt a table under her body.

The princess looked in Bucky's eyes for a moment when he stopped to check if she was okay and moved to kiss him again, tugging on his hair once again when she felt his hand resting on her knee and moving up to her thigh, pushing herself against him without even noticing.

When it was unbearable, the redhead moved away, gasping for air and letting out a very soft whine when he started kissing her neck and opening her blouse, caressing the top of one of her small breasts.

Every kiss of his lips felt like liquid fire being poured onto her skin, lightening every inch of her up and making Elena feel completely irrational and primal.

"James," she sighed when he squeezed her thigh and her husband smiled at her soft neck, yanking the side of her delicate blouse away to fully cup her breast, caressing her pink nipple just over the of her bra. "Good god."

"Do you like this, my princess?" he questioned in a whisper.

Elena couldn't tell if he was asking to tease her or honestly wanted to know how she felt.

"Yes," she gasped back.

"I wanted to take you to dinner," he continued, moving his big fingers to the top of her bra, pulling it down and releasing her breast from its confinement. "Wanted to walk around the gardens, to be like a couple in on of their first dates, but darling…"

She closed her brown eyes and gasped when he tugged on her nipple, feeling pleasure running her body.

"You shouldn't be allowed to be so tempting," he said with a dark tone, licking the lobe of her ear. "So beautiful."

Elena pulled her hands from his neck to hold his face, taking him back to kiss her lips once again, rushing to unbutton his dress shirt when the sound of a door opening and a loud gasp made the two freeze.

They were still in the ballroom, for God's sake.

"Out," Bucky yelled before the person could say anything and Elena rushed to pull her bra back and button her blouse up, absolutely embarrassed as Bucky shielded, helping her down when she was recomposed.

"Let's take it back to our room, shall we?"