After a late breakfast, I sat silently for a while, trying to think what I wanted to do. "Try to make a bit of fun", T'Challa had said. Well, what did "fun" mean, exactly.
'Hey, James,' I called out, 'didn't Daniel say something about a Bowling Lane?'
'I believe he mentioned one, highness.'
'Yeah, I believe so too. Do you think you could find it?'
'I don't think that'll be difficult, highness. The White House isn't exactly a maze.'
'Good.' With resolution I rose. 'Then let's go bowling!'

It turned out there actually went skill into bowling. First of all, you had to start up the electronic lane, which wasn't that hard. I did typed my name wrong, and noticed too late. Elsa, it said. Well, I could be a ice queen, I thought. Then it was my first turn. There were balls with holes in them. Different coloured balls. Was there a difference? I shrugged to myself, taking a dark blue ball, finding myself almost collapse under the unexpected weight.

I tried really hard to walk to the white line with grace, holding myself as straight as possible. I put my fingers in the holes, wondering if it should hurt, and swung the ball backwards. The weight hit the wooden floor, rolled to the right, and immediately dug itself in the little gutter running along the lane.
'Right…' I turned around, and smirked at Jams. 'You're turn.'
He didn't laugh at me, but I did see how his eyes twinkled.
Of course, he didn't throw the ball into the gutter, though he didn't do as well as I would have thought - only seven of the ten pins, knocking over two of the remainders during his second turn. Perhaps he had to get accustom to the weight.

My second try was just as bad, though because I had tried to compensate for my warp to the right, it now rolled away through the left channel. By now I had already accepted my faith: I was going to lose, badly.
However, James' next try was barley better than the last - worse actually.
I grinned, smirked, and then sighed, leaning back in my chair.
'James, please be honest… are you going easy on me because I am the princess or because I'm horrible?'
James shrugged as he walked towards me, ready to take his place in the soft seat. 'Neither. Because I have an unfair advantage, highness.'
Happy he wasn't trying to deny his efforts to let me win, I laughed incredulously. 'That's nonsense! If I were you I would totally destroy me!'
'If I were you, I wouldn't trust me.' Silence. That was the most personal thing he'd said to me so far. Weight settled in my stomach. 'Most people wouldn't.'
But I wouldn't let this be. No, I wouldn't let him sulk in dark thoughts - those didn't help anyone. Believe, I could know.
'Luckily for you, I am not like most people.' Intensely I glared at him, in a defiant manner.
The corners of his mouth twirled upwards. 'No, you are not.'
I frowned, bit my lip and smiled. 'I'm going to take that as a compliment.'
Barnes bowed his head. 'It was, highness.'
'So, we have two options, don't we? Either you're going to teach me how to do this, or this is going to be incredibly dull.'
'Don't you like losing, highness?' His lips curled in a genuinely teasing smile.
'I prefer winning, of course. But when that's out of the question - as it is here - I'd rather go down with style.'
'No doubt you will.'
'I might win!' I exclaimed indignantly, knowing there was no chance at all.
James grinned. He took another bowling ball, this time with his left hand. Before his foot hit the white line, he looked back, raising an eyebrow, an expression on his face I had never seen on him before; relaxed, happy confidence. It suited him well.
With one precise and powerful swing, he launched to ball over the lane, toppling all of the ten pins. They never had a chance.
On the screen colours flickered, and the computer congratulated the player.
I clapped loudly, laughing and amazed at the same time.
'Well done! You just gave me extra points!'
For the first time, James made a really big bow. 'You're welcome, highness.'
'Don't worry, we'll reset the game,' I reassured him, before standing up. 'So… what's the secret?'
'Well, highness,' James began, still that easy smile on his face. 'For one thing, you shouldn't pick the heaviest ball, that is if you want to have some control over it.'
'There's a difference?'
'Yes. Here,' he held out a brightly coloured pink one.
I took it, expecting it to weigh me down immediately, like the previous ones had done. But it didn't. This one was actually of reasonable weight.
'O, right. That's better. What now?'
'Please stand here, highness.' So I did. He then started positioning me with gentle nudges. 'And now,' he continued, his voice quietly because he was standing closely, you should hold your hand like this, swing your arms backwards and, let go.' Again, I did as he said. The ball fell on the lane with a thud, rolling in a rather straight line. Not a perfect line. You couldn't align a rules with it like with James' move, but still. I knocked down five of the pins. Five!
'Yess!' I balled my fist, celebrating my first points. I turned around. 'Did you see that, James? Did you see that?'
'I did, highness. Well done.'
'All right, all right,' I gave a little leap of excitement. 'Again, again!'
We repeated the action. This time, I hit three pins.
'I'm starting to like this game,' I grinned, stepping back so I could see the scoreboard. 'I'm still going to lose, but at least I like it.'

Again and again James guided my arm, making sure I got the ball to the end of the lane. Soon I was entirely engulfed in the game, and I was starting to get a feel for it. After a while he let go of me, and we found I had actually picked up what he had been trying to teach me.
'You're a fast learner, highness,' James complimented me.
'Thanks.' I was actually quite happy with myself. To me it felt like confirmation that I actually was worth something. 'You're a good teacher, I suppose. But now… I think it might be time for lunch, isn't it?'
I let them bring a lunch for two up to my room, and James and I shared some delicious sandwiches.

While I was processing a rather big bite of salmon and cream cheese, I studied my protector. He seemed younger, I noticed. Somehow this morning had brought something… human to him. Yes, that was it; a humanising aspect that had been hidden by his mechanical behaviour.
James caught me looking.
'Is there something you need, highness?'
'O no,' I smiled. 'I was just thinking what a wonderful morning I've had.'
'Me too, me too.' For some reason he seemed surprised. Then he smiled at me, and with a happy feeling, we ate our food in silence.