After Steve had climbed down the vine from Y/N's roof, he moved to see her window shut and saw as her figure disappeared from view.
She loved him? She really loved him like he had loved her all this time? He could do a happy dance right there! But...
"Steve!" A voice shouted breaking him out of his very brief happy thoughts. "Steve, Tony is searching everywhere for you right now. Man, this isn't looking good." Bucky said running up to his friend.
"Never saw it looking good in the end. I knew things would blow up like this." Steve sighed running a hand over the back of his neck.
"It needed to be done. You know it did, we all did. What Stark made you do all those years ago... Y/N deserved to know." Bucky defended.
"Yeah, but look where that got us. Y/N and her father are at war with each other, and I'm the reason for it."
"Hey. Don't put this on you. If Tony hadn't made you pick her over your life all those years ago, none of this would have happened." Bucky said patting the blondes shoulder.
"Yes, but if neither of us fell for each other, than nothing like this would be happening."
"Are you really trying to say that having feelings and emotions for each other is the reason for this?" Bucky laughed. "Punk. You can't help those kinda things. You're life would be miserable if you tried to hide from love your whole time living. Wouldn't be much living if you ask me." he scoffed.
Steve looked up at the window once again knowing that Y/N was hopefully tucked in for the night. God, how he wanted to stay up there with her and comfort the beauty all night. Her brain had to be working 100 mph to try and take in everything of the night.
"Yeah. I guess you're right. I can't be upset about that." he said with a fond smile thinking of her. "Still, doesn't make me feel any better of what's to come."
"About that. I think if you give Tony another 30 minutes or so to cool off, he may not give you too cruel punishment." Bucky tried to reason.
"Buck. I just confessed my undying love for his daughter who happens to be the future queen of the kingdom. Right after he told her that she was to be wed to some stranger like she has been shaped to do her whole life. All I did was further complicate things he was already worried about with the free-spirited and stubborn daughter he has." Steve said stone faced. "I don't think an easy punishment is on the table for me."
"Ok, maybe not, but-"
"No more excuses James." Steve said with a sad smile and pat to his friends back. "Time to face the consequences." he began walking to the throne room and Bucky quickly ran after him.
"Steve, you can't-"
"I'm not going to run Buck. I did that last time and look what it did. I'll be ok. I can handle myself." he said again with a sad smile as he looked forward.
"Steve, what if he-"
Steve stopped and turned to his terrified friend.
"If the worst case scenario does happen. If he ships me off and bans me from ever coming back, or worse... I need you to take care of her. Please. Just promise me that."
"You'll be here to do that. I won't let him send you away, Rogers."
"You don't have control of that. You have to promise me you will protect her just as much as I would." Steve said more stern and turning into the Captain he was.
Bucky wanted to fight him, but he knew Steve was right. They needed to think worst case scenario given the events unfolding tonight.
"Ok. Yes. Always. I'll always take care of her Steve. You know that."
"Ok. You make sure that Clint, Sam, and everyone else does too. If anything happened to her-"
"I know. I won't let it though. Not on my watch nor anyone else's. Everyone cares too deeply for her to watch anything bad happen."
"I know." He let out a sigh looking back down at her room. "She's going to change so many things Buck. This place will be a better place with her in it. That woman is something else." he said with such pride, but also such sorrow.
"You found quite the girl Cap."
"Too bad I can't keep her." he sighed before walking by himself back to the king.
_____
Two days had gone by since the day Y/N had almost taken off after Steve. She had avoided her father like the plague knowing she wouldn't be able to hold her tongue. There was so much she wanted to scream at him about, but she knew it would get her nowhere. Not until she was the head ruler of their home.
But as the second day came around, she found Bucky and asked for an update. She had calmed down since the first time she had heard of the news of him being sent off, so when Bucky said a few more days, she didn't fight him. Did she become more worried? Yes. But Steve knew what he was doing. She had faith in that.
Then a few days carried on into a week. She became more frantic. Concerned that something had gone wrong.
Bucky and Clint reassured her saying that Sam had reached out to them and told them that the mission had become more promising than they thought, and they would be staking it out a little longer.
Y/N hadn't known that was a lie made up by Bucky and Clint, so she brushed it off again having faith that Steve would be ok.
It continued like this for a month. The princess finding the acting captain and his co-leader when she wasn't buried by books and avoiding her father. She would ask them for updates, and they would come up with some lie or excuse as to why he wasn't back yet.
All elaborate enough that she would hold herself back for one more day before jumping on her horse and running to him anyway.
That was until one day she was making her way to the training room to check on the women-warriors, or the A-Force as they named themselves. Just about 10 feet from the door she overheard some soldiers talking about a mission around the corner. One that sounded a little too familiar.
"Yeah, no. I heard that it was supposed to be a month long mission. King Stark had been so furious with Captain Rogers about something, he literally shipped him off on a pointless stake out. From what I heard Captain Barnes talking about, it may be a whole other month before he gets back."
"Wait, so what was Stark mad at him for? What could he have done so wrong that he would send his best Captain on a wild goose chase?"
"No idea. All I know is the King was in a fit for a few days. He's been stern and short with everyone since. But if you ask me, I think it has something to do with the princess. They haven't been in the same room as each other unless for a meeting. Even then, the guards say they're super cold and distant with each other."
"Do you think the rumors of Cap and the Princess are true? You know, the one where-"
"They're hopelessly in love with each other? Wouldn't doubt it. Have you seen the way the man's eyes glaze over when she's anywhere in sight? It's like all the authority and poise of a Knight melts. I mean still stupidly intimidating, but he softens around her."
"Yeah, I think I've seen it. Man, talk about drama in the castle."
Y/N's hand was tightly gripped around the door handle since she was seconds from going into the room. Wanda was about 30 ft back having been stopped by her brother who had been training hard since Y/N had got back making it hard for everyone to see him often. So any chance she saw him for a bit, she took advantage of it.
Nat was in the middle of training the A-force so Y/N was by herself listening to all the truths leak out.
Her hand was gripped so tight on the handle, that when Wanda came and saw, she grew concerned with the white tone it was taking on.
"Uh, Y/N..." she said placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
That snapped Y/N out of her thoughts, and she threw her hand off the door, turning the opposite way back to the castle.
"Y/N! Hold on! What happened?" Wanda shouted running to keep up with her.
She threw the throne room doors open seeing the culprits of her anger all conveniently sitting around a table discussing things. Perfect. No escape for her prey.
"You. All of you." she said with a certain venom dripping with the words.
Bucky was the first to see her, and by the looks of it, he knew exactly what had happened.
"Y/N. Listen." he said standing with his hands raised in defense.
"It's your highness to you." she said through her teeth. "I only let my real friends call me by my first name." she said with a snarl before turning to her father. "You really though I wouldn't find out."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." he shrugged.
"Oh, save your fucking lies for someone else. They don't seem to work on me too well, now have they?" she huffed slamming her hands on the table and staring her father straight in the eyes.
"Y/N Marie-!" he said standing to match her stance and giving her the most stern look he could.
"No, Anthony Stark! I don't want to hear anymore shit!" she scoffed standing taller and crossing her arms. "You know. I was hoping the next time that I walked through those doors, I would be coming here to have a civil conversation with you to try and calmly discuss all the wrongs that you've made, and I could apologize for acting out the way I had, but no! Here I fucking am, screaming because ONCE AGAIN! You lied to me!"
"You need to walk away now and go reset your tone young lady. I don't know where the hell this mannerism is coming from, but I know damn well this isn't what they taught you at the academy." Tony said just as harsh.
"Oh shut up about the academy! That's all everyone talks about. Academy this. Academy that. You must have learned so much. You came back so much more poised." she mocked. "You want to know what I really learned, huh? I learned how to hide it better. I learned that there are different approaches to conflict, but I hate to tell you father. This is NOT one of those moments. I am beyond enraged at how you decided to handle this matter. How could you? You lied to me AGAIN!" she shouted hands moving wildly.
"We'll just-" Clint said as him and Bucky started to sneak away at the door Wanda was up against.
"No, you will not." Y/N said turning to them. "You two are just as much at fault for hiding this from me." she pointed fingers. "I thought we were closer than that! What the hell?"
"I told them not to say anything." Tony spoke up.
She let out an angry laugh. "Let me guess, you threatened them that if they spoke the truth you would banish them?" she said crossing her arms.
"No. They know not to disobey their king unlike some people. And they know not to question his reasonings. You should take a note out of their books." he said lowly.
"All out of paper." she sassed. "So tell me. Why did you do it? Why are you fighting me so much? Why are you making everything in my life so much more difficult?" she said stepping closer to him.
"You know why."
"I want to hear you say it because I'm not sure anymore."
"Y/N."
"No please. You want me to understand so bad. Then tell me why!"
"BECAUSE IT'S NOT HOW THINGS WORK! NEVER HAS! NEVER WILL! Rules and laws were placed for a reason! You can't bend them! You can't change them because you're in love! The world is cruel Y/N, and I'm just trying to protect you!" he shouted making everyone shudder at his anger except Y/N who stood her ground.
There was a silence as Y/N stared at her father and he took deep breaths trying to calm his heart. Minutes went by that felt like an eternity for everyone there. Bucky, Clint, and Wanda looking back and forth between the two waiting to see who would speak first.
"How is something supposed to grow if you shelter it?" she said quietly making everyone stare at her. There was no anger in her voice anymore. Just sadness and disappointment. "Mom said that if I wanted to change this world, I would have to fall down sometimes. It's about growing and learning Tony. Not hiding when things get rough." She never broke eye contact with Tony and noticed that his face had contorted into sorrow in himself.
She finally looked down and sighed before turning and leaving brushing past the knights and Wanda. All too stunned to move or follow.
"Sir-" Bucky finally spoke up after a while.
"Wanda go follow her. You two are dismissed. I need the rest of the day off." Tony sighed leaning on the table and pinching his nose as he closed his eyes.
They bowed and shared a look before walking out following his orders.
___
Three more days went by. Y/N had hoarded herself in the library with books, or the garden with books the whole time. Wanda keeping her company majority of the time while Nat trained.
She didn't talk much. Only to ask for Wanda to hand her things, or say soft hello's to the staff as they passed and assisted her in anyway.
There was a certain calm but sorrow to her that everyone noticed. She hadn't raised her voice in anyway. She hadn't joked around any. She had simply gone about her day in a poised and natural matter. It was weird to those who knew her, but normal looking to those who didn't. The giggly, outgoing, and talkative Y/N they knew was reserved and quietly in another world. One that no one seemed to be able to break into.
"Hey Y/N/N? I brought you that book you asked for, what exactly are you researching now?" Wanda asked handing the princess the new book while she sat on her usual bench in the garden.
"Just brushing up on the laws and what not." Y/N answered never lifting her head as she grabbed the book and opened it with the others around her.
Wanda watched as she once again dove into another world. She let some time go before she finally spoke up.
"Y/N, you've been dodging your father for the past five days every time he tries to reach out. People say that he's actually really upset and it's not an angry upset, but a he feels bad upset. I know you're not happy with him, but do you think holeing yourself up and reading endless books on old laws and kingdom rules is going to help?"
Y/N didn't look up immediately, but instead took in a deep breath before closing the book, and setting it next to her on the stack. She looked around her, leaning back in her seat and then finally looking at a worried Wanda.
"Please. Sit." she instructed patting the stone bench she was on.
"Wha-"
"Sit." she said with a soft smile.
Wanda did as asked and became more worried for going off on her knowing that she wasn't really in a normal state of mind, and was now freaked out she would yell at her like she had her father. But the exact opposite happened.
"You remember when my mom brought me out here all those times back then?" Y/N asked looking out into the garden around her.
"Yeah. You two would spend hours out here." Wanda nodded watching the princess closely.
"Because she said this was a place of refuge. A place of no hate and no trouble. Basically, if I felt as if an emotion was taking over myself or my actions, this is where she would tell me to come ground myself."
"I don't under-"
"It could be if I was sad. I would come here and the rule was grow and learn from it. Don't fester in it. Same for if I was mad or angry." she said leaning forward more with her hands on both sides of her. "Come here and try and figure out the balance. It doesn't have to be bad emotions either. She would even bring me out here if I had too much energy. She taught me this was a place to find the center emotion of whatever I was feeling. Do you get what I'm trying to say?" Y/N said turning to Wanda who she knew out of all people she would understand.
"If any emotion good or bad overwhelmed you, you came here to balance it out instead of letting it take over you." she summarized.
"Yes. This place is a grounding sanctuary for me." Y/N laughed slightly looking at her hands now. "I almost went insane at the boarding school since they didn't have this. It became hard to find a happy median, but then I realized. Mom built this place as a stepping stone. She gave me an area to help grow in learning how to find the peace, but in reality, I can now do it anywhere." she turned to Wanda who was giving her a look saying that hadn't been the case recently. "Yes, I know I've been all shouting and anger with my father lately instead of finding the peace, but it's hard. Years of my life suffering emotionally because of a lie. I think I have the right to be a little angry and not hide it."
"No, you're right. I would probably scream a little too." Wanda chuckled making the both of them lighten up.
"That's why I've been coming out here the past few days. I'm finally getting my head in a spot where I don't want to punch my hand through a wall... or my father's face. Am I happy with him? Far from it. Am I deciding to let that anger break me down anymore? Absolutely not. Instead, like a queen, see a problem? Fix it. See a war on the brink? Back up your reasons for peace." she shrugged grabbing the book and facing it to Wanda who now actually read the title of the book.
"How to rewrite a law- Y/N what are you-?"
"I'm surprised you didn't catch on earlier. But I guess when everyone is so confused by my change in demeanor, it's hard to focus on the little details surrounding them." she laughed opening the book and finding her place.
"Y/N, do you really think you will be able to change anything? Don't get me wrong, I want this for you and Steve. I do. I really do, and so does everyone else, but this law... This rule and ongoing agreement. It's something that hasn't been changed since the dawn of time. Since empires had been built-" Wanda continued.
"Which is exactly why we need a change. How is history supposed to better itself if we keep everything the same?" Y/N said as if it were a simple question. Which it was, but it was something so new for this era. "Change is coming, and I'm going to be the person who starts it."