"Are you alright, Sif?" Natalia asked as her corset was tightened. "You've been quiet all morning," she noticed.

Sif wasn't one to burden others with her own problems, but for Natalia, she chose to make an exception. "A newcomer entered the city the other day and Thor won't stop talking about her."

"Really?" A faint smile crossed her lips. "And you're jealous?"

"Of course I'm not!" she huffed, yanking the silk strings. "It's just annoying to keep hearing the dumb oaf talk about 'Jane this' and 'Jane that!'" Natalia inhaled sharply and Sif realized that she was being a little too rough. "Sorry!" Her fingers swiftly worked to loosen the corset.

"You're sure you're not jealous?" Natalia repeated, trying to stifle a giggle. "Because it seems like you are…"

Sif wrinkled her nose at the princess' comment. "Would you like for me to intrude on your love life?" she countered. "A husband and another man on the side," she taunted with a smirk.

Natalia shot her a cold glare. "Clint's only a friend. Loki's the only one I'll ever love," she told herself.

"Clint's living in the castle now, you know. Just a friendly reminder…"

Natalia already assumed as much. With his home destroyed, the castle seemed like the next best option for residency. "I doubt we'll run into each other, if that's your concern." She stepped away from her servant to look at herself in the mirror. A new dress of dark emerald velvet adorned her figure. She smiled, positive that Loki would love it. He had a fondness towards the colour green. Hopefully, it would brighten his day to see her wearing her new gown. "I'll see you later," the princess stated before fleeing her bedroom. First on her agenda was to eat, then bring Loki his meal. The notion of having the future queen serving food appalled the staff, but Frigga thought it was sweet of her daughter-in-law to be doting on her son.

Loki was beginning his first day of strict bed rest. He wasn't too upset about the ordeal-he could sit in bed all day and read. The only downsides were the nagging pains in his torso and that poor Sleipnir would be in the care of the stable boy. He found himself staring blankly at his curtained window when a refreshing knock was heard. "Come in," he announced, fully anticipating an elderly woman serving him his meal.

"Loki."

His eyes glistened as he heard his darling princess speak his name. "Natalia!" She was the picture of absolute perfection. The colour green had never looked so beautiful until it was matched with Natalia. His eyes looked from the gown, to the necklace he had bought for her-it was meant to be worn with this dress. Her full lips smiled widely for him as she approached his bedside with a silver platter. "My eyes have never drunk in a more lovely sight."

Natalia rolled her eyes as she set up a miniature table over his legs. "You weren't expecting me, were you?"

"Not at all!" he assured her as she set his breakfast before him. "Will it be too much trouble for you to serve me like this every morning?" he playfully wondered.

"For you, I'll serve every meal, my Lord," she teased. "I need to be prepared for when I'm your wife," she hinted.

Loki chuckled and shook his head. "I'd much rather be the one to dote on you, Natalia."

She took a deep breath and let their eyes meet. "You risked your life for me," she reminded him. "That hulking creature wanted me dead, but you saved me. Loki…" Did he understand how much this meant to her? He risked his life. For her. That was unconditional love at its best. Natalia owed him with her life, and more.

"Now what kind of a dashing knight fails to save the princess?" he winked, popping a berry into his mouth.

She instantly remembered her dreams of a knight in shining armor-was that what those visions meant? Maybe it was silly, but Natalia believed in them. "We're going to be happy together," she swore, taking his large hand in hers. "We'll be happy. Just us and however many dark-haired princes I can give you." She forced herself to laugh at her last comment.

"You've already given me enough happiness to last me a lifetime," he smiled warmly. "I cannot wait for the day when we will be united as one."

"The wedding' not getting put off because of your injury, is it?" she wondered.

"Know that I will see you to the church even if my last breath was near," Loki vowed. Natalia's nose wrinkled at his wording and he laughed. "Seven weeks, Father said. I should be well enough by then," he added before continuing to eat his breakfast.

Only seven weeks until she would be named Princess Natalia Odinson. It felt like an eternity away, but she knew time would pass quickly. "Do you need anything? Some new books to read?" She got up to inspect Loki's bookshelf. Natalia had never set foot in his room until today. Soon, this would be her room, as well.

"That won't be necessary, Natalia," Loki assured her. He had several books of witchcraft randomly tucked away in between volumes of his other tomes. They were his craftily hidden secrets…

She eyed the book with the most withered spine and pulled it out from its neighbors.

Loki had been watching her like a hawk. When she touched one of those books, his fork clattered to his plate and he saw the woman flinch. "I need my journal, Natalia," he blurted out. "On my desk. I need a quill and ink, too."

"Okay." She nodded and approached Loki's desk, cradling the book under her arm.

"Put that away, please," he icily advised before she dared to take another step.

Natalia moved to pick up his journal and writing tools. "I'm only going to borrow it," she promised with a light laugh. "I need something new to re-"

"Natalia!" he snarled, baring his teeth.

She dropped everything, spilling ink all over the wooden floor. Natalia wasn't aware of how frightening he could be when angry-it wasn't her Loki at all. "Sorry!" she gasped. His journal was the first thing she grabbed. Luckily, only a few drops of ink got onto it. She wiped away the black mess on her sleeve and heard uneven footsteps.

"Pick up my book before you ruin it!" Loki barked, glaring down at her.

"Loki, you shouldn't be walking!" she warned him, hiding the hurt she felt from his remark. Why was he so upset?

He scowled and struggled to get down on his knees to pick up his book. Ink had seeped through the worn cover, but the inside pages were fine, much to his relief.

"Loki?" she softly asked. "Here, let me help you into bed." She offered him a hand smeared in black ink.

"You've gone and ruined your dress!" he hissed, noticing the stained sleeve. "Why can't you be more careful?!"

"I was cleaning off your precious book!" she shouted back, thrusting the journal at his torso.

His soreness changed to a shock of pain. A soft whimper escaped him as the book smacked him in the chest.

Natalia wanted to feel sorry for him, but he yelled at her. And for no reason! If anything, he could have thanked her for helping out… Loki struggled to catch his breath and Natalia's anger switched to fear in a split second. "Loki?" A shaking hand reached out to stroke his hair.

Loki hunched forward, hugging the spell book close as his body trembled. What just happened? One minute, he was happily discussing marriage, and the next… something had come over him. Something vile. He lashed out on his unsuspecting bride, all because of a poisonous book. "I…I'm so sorry… Natalia…" he gasped. His desire to protect his knowledge of black magic forced him to act like a cruel witch towards his bride. Loki's attitude was becoming just as dark as the spells tucked between the pages. "So, so sorry…" Tears fell from his eyes and he hugged the book tighter.

"Loki?" she shakily asked. "You don't seem well… Let's get you back to bed."

He weakly nodded and reached for her hand. Using Natalia as a crutch, he made it back into bed with little difficulty. "I truly am sorry... Something just came over me-the pain, I presume…"

"It was that." Natalia pointed at the book in his hands. His white shirt was now stained with ink. "Do your books really mean that much to you?" Loki set the tome aside and lowered his eyes. "Something changed, Loki," the princess continued. "You weren't yourself at all."

"Natalia, I-"

"You yelled at me! Scolded me! I was only trying to help!" she huffed, refusing to let him get a word in edgewise.

Loki knew he upset her with his foul temper. It physically pained him to have her cross with him. "Never again," he murmured.

Natalia handed him his journal. "I have to go. I'll let the help know to get you a clean shirt." She quickly turned on her heel and left. First thing was first, she needed to clean her dress before someone saw. She felt bad enough that it was newly made. Her thumb rubbed against the delicate fabric and she could tell that the ink was drying fast. She quickened her pace, frantically eying her sleeve and debating whether or not to see if Sif was still around.

"You lose something, Princess?" Clint joked as she brushed right past him.

She stopped and turned to acknowledge the archer. "I could use some help, actually…" she admitted, showing him her sleeve.

"I never took you for a klutz," he teased.

"If you're going to be rude, then don't help me!" she snapped.

She seemed more on edge than normal. "Is everything okay, Nat?" He wondered if yesterday's incident was still affecting her.

"Fine," she breathed. "I just…I need to clean this…"

"I'll show you to my room. There's a wash basin still there."

"The water will get dirty-I can't," she told him.

"I'll empty it and refill it," Clint assured her with a small smile. "It'll keep me distracted.

"You're sure?" she asked, raising a brow.

"You worry too much," he chuckled, hobbling over to her.

Natalia saw that the archer was limping on his right leg. He had been hurt defending her, just as Loki had. "No-Clint, don't." She pressed a hand to his chest. "I didn't know you were hurt, too."

"It really isn't that bad," he shrugged. "I think it looks worse than it really is."

Natalia bowed her head, suddenly feeling helpless. "This happened because of me…"

"Hey. Look at me," Clint whispered, gently lifting her chin. "This wasn't on you. Don't blame yourself…"

'Why can't you be more careful?!' Loki's words came back to haunt her and she pressed her lips into a thin line. At least Clint wasn't shouting at her like a mad man.

"Natalia?... Did something happen? With Loki?"

"Just a spat," she sadly answered. "My gown, Clint," she reminded the man. He nodded and escorted her to his makeshift bedroom one floor below them. Natalia had to remind herself that a leg injury wasn't the only thing Clint suffered. He also lost his home. Natalia knew the pain of losing everything. Granted, Clint's was only partially wrecked. Nothing went up in flames and turned to ash… Old toys, family paintings, her parents… Natalia clenched her fists so that her nails dug into her palms. The subtle pain was a nice distraction from her morbid thoughts.

"Seems like more than a little spat happened," Clint remarked as he showed her into his room and closed the door behind them.

"He's in a lot of pain," she mused. "Can't blame him for getting so wound up…" She knelt beside a small basin of water beside Clint's bed.

He took her arm and scrubbed at her sleeve with a washcloth until the water turned cloudy. "Don't worry," he whispered as he rubbed against the fabric. "We'll fix this." His hand accidentally sloshed the water, soaking Natalia's front. "Ah, shit!" he groaned. "I really didn't mean that…" Clint caught himself staring at her chest and averted his eyes.

Natalia began to laugh. "It might be easier if I had this off. Help me unbutton this." She rose to her feet and combed her hair over one shoulder. "And no peeking!" she warned him.

"C'mon, Nat, you know I can't do that…"

"This is a brand new gown!" she hissed. "Loki's already angry about me ruining it! This is his favourite!" Natalia didn't think her day could get any worse.

"You're better off getting someone else to undress you," Clint warned her. He hungrily stared at her exposed neck. It took everything in him to refrain from touching her porcelain skin.

Natalia knew that Sif would probably be in town by now. "I can't ask someone else-what if it turns out to be the dress' maker? That's rude, Clint!"

He rolled his eyes and gave in to her request. "Fine. We'll make this quick." He began slowly unbuttoning the gown at the back until he could see her corset.

"Hurry, Clint!" she impatiently reminded him.

"Take it easy!" he breathed. "I've never done this before…" The dress soon fell to her ankles and he was grateful for the underskirt to keep him from getting too worked up.

Natalia shied away from him once her dress was off. She plopped down on his bed and covered herself with his blanket. The two were silent except for the found of Clint attempting to clean the dress' sleeve. "Have you ever been with a woman before?" She pulled the blanket closer to her.

Clint stopped scrubbing to stare at her in disbelief. "That's kinda rude, isn't it?" he laughed. "And personal…" The stain was just about gone, but it was hard to tell since the dark green velvet looked darker while soaked. "But no. There's never been a woman. I mean, besides you, but…that's not working out for everyone."

"I love him, Clint," Natalia sternly reminded him.

"I'm not saying you don't," he replied. "I'm happy for you, Nat."

"Why?" she prodded. "You're mad that you can't have me, but you're still happy?" Were all men this confusing?

Clint looked down and thoughtfully stared into the basin of murky water. "When Barney and I found a stray dog this one time, my Mom said we couldn't keep it. We were upset, but she said if you love something, then let it go…" Clint stared up at the redhead. "So that's exactly what I'm doing."

"Why?" she asked gently. "Why are you saying this? To make me love you?"

"Love…can't be forced, Nat," he sighed. "I just want you to know the truth. Before you're his…"

"Just because Loki's my husband doesn't mean I'm his property!" she scoffed. "You make it sound like I'm being roped into this-I honestly love him!" It felt strange on her tongue, but she meant every word. She loved Loki, even when he wasn't on his best behaviour.

Clint dropped what he was doing to approach the bed. "Nat… I…" he hesitated. "You can't expect me to want to settle for friendship. Seeing you with him…it really pisses me off."

"You're just jealous!" the redhead scoffed.

"He's not who you think he is," Natalia.

"Loki is a good man! You have no right to-!"

"I don't think it was someone in the damn kitchen who made Banner into that thing!" Clint interrupted. "Think back to yesterday," he scowled through clenched teeth. "It was Loki who brought those tarts over-specifically for me! He wanted me to eat one, Nat!" he shouted. "And why was yours the only different one? Huh?! He wanted me to turn into some monster and try to kill you so he could play hero!"

Her palm smacked him across the cheek as tears threatened to make an appearance. "How dare you say that!" Natalia seethed. "He took one, too!" she reminded him. "That could have been any of you, but it happened to be Bruce!"

"Something's wrong, Natalia, and I think Loki's behind this!"

"You're wrong!" she snarled. "You're just jealous!" She jumped off the bed, still hugging the blanket close. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "You're just like him… One second, you say how much you love me, then you make an ass of yourself!"

Clint roughly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to look her in the eyes. "I'm only telling you this because I really do love you! I want you to be happy, but if Loki's up to something-"

"If you love me, then don't accuse your king of this-this witchcraft!" she ordered.

"Natalia…" he breathed, letting her go.

"I swear, Clint! Just stop it! Stop!" she yelled, her voice echoing throughout the four walls.

The archer bowed his head in a silent agreement.

Natalia grabbed her soaking wet gown and proceeded to wring the water out over the basin. The blanket fell off her shoulders, exposing her undergarments.

Clint went over to kneel at her side. He draped the wool blanket across her shoulders and stole the opportunity to kiss her cheek.

"Cli-!" Natalia turned her head and the man's lips met with hers. Fuming, she pulled away and grabbed the basin of dirty water and tossed it forward, completely drenching the archer.

He frowned, shaking his head in an effort to comb his hair back. "I deserved that…" he mumbled. Clint saw the livid look in her eyes and regretted his actions. "Natalia…"

Seeing him looking like a helpless dog left in the rain made her burst into a fit of laughter. His short hair was stuck to his forehead and he looked absolutely miserable.

Clint heard her giggles and heaved a sigh of relief. "Is this amusing to you? I'll catch a cold." Lowering his eyes, he saw that there was still some water left. "Hey, Princess," he smirked, "you missed some." He poured the rest of the water over her head and laughed.

Natalia squealed as the cold water seeped down her scalp into her corset. "Clint!"

"Now we're even," he snorted.

"When I'm Queen, my first order will be to toss you in a lake!" she declared with a laugh.

"You're not that mean." He began removing his jacket, followed by his ragged undershirt.

Natalia quickly turned her head to preserve her innocent eyes.

"Nat?" he blinked. "Here, I'll give you one of my clean shirts to wear. It'd be bad if I let you leave the room wet…You'll be fine staying here for a bit, right?"

She stole a glance of his bare arms in her peripheral vision. The layers of clothes had always hidden his arms toned, muscular arms. Natalia found it hard to stop staring. She let her wet hair conceal her eyes. "As long as you remain decent." The next thing she saw was the man's bare torso as he handed her a shirt. "You might wanna dry your hair, too. I'd feel awful if you got sick."

"It would technically be your fault." She snatched the shirt and went over to sit on his bed. "Unlace my corset," she ordered. "And no peeking." She shot him a warning glare.

Clint groaned at how difficult she was being. It was getting harder for him to be so close to her. He instantly regretted their foul play as he approached her from behind and unlaced the silk ribbons binding her corset.

She let out a soft moan of relief once her ample breasts were free of their bindings. "Thank you." Clint said nothing in return. Instead, she felt his warm fingers tracing against the sore indents left from her tight clothing. "Clint?"

Her words failed to reach him. He was far too mesmerized by her bare skin. She was so soft, so warm… The next thing he knew, he was leaning closer, pressing a kiss to her exposed shoulder.

"Clint!" she hissed.

Natalia elbowed him in the chest, but he refused to be stopped. His male instincts kicked into full gear. All he could think about was her naked flesh. There was one thing he needed from her and the bulge pressing against his pants proved it. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her onto the bed. Clint gawked at her breasts, amazed by how soft her large mounds looked. Her pink nipples matched the hue of her full lips and all he could think of was his desire for her.

"Clint!" She kneed him in the lower gut, but that didn't stop the man. His large hand began groping her breast, squeezing and massaging her. Natalia responded with a low moan as a tingling sensation filled her body. "C-Clint!" she cried. "Let me go!"

Clint silenced her by pressing his mouth to hers. He gently squeezed her breast and felt her moan into his mouth. Without thinking, his free hand trailed down her stomach until he reached her skirt. The only thing keeping him away from the core of her womanhood was but a thin piece of fabric.

Despite the pleasant shocks Clint's touch was giving Natalia, she knew that things had gone too far. She would be ruined-a disgrace-if he claimed her body. Natalia growled his name, but her words failed to reach him. She began screaming, but he forced his forearm into her mouth to stifle her. She bit down until her jaw hurt and she could taste blood. Something wasn't right. Why wasn't Clint responding to any pain? Unless this was all a witch's work? But how? Her mind went completely blank as his heated touch stroked her core. His physical contact sent a shiver up her spine. She knew it was wrong, but her virgin body ached for the blissful sensation.

The archer's thumb rubbed her clit and he heard the most lovely moan caught in her throat. Desperate to hear more, he slipped a finger between her slick folds and pulled his arm away from her mouth in time to hear her musical cry.

Natalia never would have imagined that pleasure could be experienced by such a vulgar manner. She closed her eyes and gave in to Clint's strokes, all while imagining her King's fingers. Her fingers reached up to grab Clint's sides as she felt his finger curl inside of her. "Oh, Loki!" she gasped. The finger pulled away just as suddenly as it had entered.

"Loki?" Clint's voice spat. "You're so shallow, Natalia!"

The redhead opened her eyes, unashamed by what she had said. "He's my husband-I should be thinking of him in this…situation…" She watched him pull down his pants, releasing his stiff length. "Clint!" Her eyes widened and she quickly turned her head. She drew her knees close together, but his strong arms forced her legs apart with ease. "C-Clint!" she stammered. His lips pressed against hers in a heated manner. This wasn't Clint at all! Clint was kind and caring-not lecherous and violent! Where was Loki when she needed him most? She longed for her prince to come rushing in to rescue her, but he was bed ridden with only his precious books for company. The princess' doubts were pushed aside once Clint's tip probed her entrance. She let out a frightened squeak as she felt his thick cock stretching her. Her fingers grasped at the sheets as he filled her completely. Natalia's eyes rolled back into her head as a wave of euphoria kicked in. Each and every thrust felt amazing and made her whole body grow hot. She involuntarily found herself making noises she didn't even know she was capable of making. There was a steady pressure building up in her lower belly and she wasn't ready for the passion to end until she felt release from it. She closed her eyes and relaxed as she fantasized about Loki taking her roughly. This was her wedding night and she was perfectly content about giving herself to Prince Odinson. She was his, and his alone. 'Natalia,' Loki would whisper in a husky voice. "O-Oh!" she gasped as her insides ignited with passion's flames. "Oh, God!" She dug her nails into Clint's ribs as her legs felt limp and satisfying shocks rippled through her. His manhood felt better than any touch or any romantic kiss. She needed his physical love to complete her, even though it meant she would be a ruined woman. They were both at the point of no return. Even if there was, Natalia wouldn't take it. Her body was filled with a burning need and Clint was helping her take care of the itch. Her inner walls clenched and Natalia moaned louder than she had expected as her orgasm made her entire body shudder. She grew overly sensitive after her release, making Clint's deep thrusts feel even more amazing.

"Oh, Nat!" he cried as he spilled into her.

"Ah!" she screamed as his hot seed filled her up. Her breathing became erratic as she tried to come down from her high.

Clint had pulled out of her and stared down at her flushed body like he was looking at her for the first time. "Natalia," he panted. "What just happened?"

She answered him with a dumb look plastered across her face. "How do you not know?!" she demanded.

"I…I know what we did, but…" He slapped a hand to his forehead. "My head feels weird…"

Natalia's body froze. "You don't think…that this was a witch, do you?"

Clint absently stared at the wooden floorboards. "I really don't know, Nat…"

"Fuck!" she snarled, rolling onto her side. "Fuck!"

"Nat, what…?" Clint saw a trail of tears roll down her cheek. "We're okay, Nat. There aren't any witches here…" He couldn't sense any, at least.

"We're not okay!" she snapped. "I'm a whore, Clint!" she shouted. "A filthy whore!" "You…" she glared at him, letting reality hit her. "You ruined me…" How was she supposed to face her prince after this? He wouldn't want a defiled bride-she would be labeled as a whore and cast out! She would be forced to return home and bring shame to her people. Maybe then, the witches would kill her for good…

"Natalia…" Clint wasn't sure what to say. Even if this was some form of mind control, he was still responsible for what happened. "I'm sorry," he began. "But I don't regret this. I love you, Natalia. And what we just shared proved our love."

"I don't love you!" she threatened. "I hate you!" She sat up and would have fallen over had Clint not helped support her. "Let me go!" She ignored her shaky knees as she put on her smock and sloppily tied her corset before slipping into her damp gown. This was the last place Natalia wanted to be. She fled from the room as quickly as she could and went to the one place she could seek comfort.

Loki had been expecting Natalia's return, only not this late… He glanced down at the current page of his spell book while quietly repeating what the book referred to as 'the enchantment of revulsion.' If the spell worked as planned, then Natalia would never again think twice about wanting Clint Barton as her friend. As for Clint, Loki had made sure to add a little 'spice' to his breakfast. Loki had given his previously failed monster potion another go. He dulled down the recipe, hoping that the effects wouldn't make Clint green with rage. Getting the potion into his food was no easy feat, though. He had a difficult time walking down dozens of stairs with an aching body. Loki only hoped that his efforts paid off. "Come in," he called out when he heard a knock on his door, accompanied by what sounded like tears. Natalia came bursting into the room, looking like an absolute wreck. Her hair was a tangled mess and her dress had wrinkles in it. "Natalia, what happened?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice.

"Everything!" She cautiously approached the edge of the bed and he motioned for her to sit. "I…I tried getting the ink stain out." She showed him her sleeve. "I think it's all gone…" If she told him about what she and Clint had done he would kill them both.

"Have a new one made," he smiled. "You may have as many as you like, your highness."

The sincerity in his voice tortured her. He didn't know… He would never know about her secret affair.

"Has the dress made you this distraught?" he sadly wondered. "I still feel awful for shouting earlier. I didn't sleep well last night with this pain."

"I'm sorry, Loki," she breathed. She wasn't apologizing on behalf of his injury, though. The tears fell even harder and Natalia buried her face in her hands.

"Natalia?" Loki ignored the nagging ache in his ribs as he sat up to wrap his arms around her. "What is it?"

Heart racing, Natalia knew that he knew something was amiss. "I…ran into Clinton," she stated, fighting to keep her voice even. "I was still upset you yelled at me and I confided in him…" At least she was partially telling the truth. "Then he accused you of being a witch and I smacked him." She swore Loki's heart stopped beating at the mentioning of a witch, but then his comforting chuckle reassured her. "I hate him," she growled, grabbing the front of Loki's shirt. "Let him stay to protect our home, but know that I refuse to have anything to do with him!"

Loki was grinning from ear to ear. Everything had gone according to plan. "From now on, it will be you and I, my darling," he murmured, cupping her face. "My Natalia."

Natalia ignored the hurt she felt from her infidelity. The unforgivable deed was behind her. From here on out, she had only Loki. "I love you," she mumbled before kissing his lips. "My Loki."

Unbeknownst to Loki, his spell had worked, but not without a cost-the price being his bride-to-be's purity. Asgard's future King had chosen to walk a dark road, and for his sins, he would pay dearly.