Aelyn, princess of Alfheim and Thor's intended, arrived on the very same day that Loki left, departing to visit Hela in order to bargain for the right to speak with the Disir and use them in combat if they agreed to it. At Nat's confused expression the previous day he'd explained to her how the cannibalistic Valkyrie's of Bor's time had been bound to his word upon their banishment. If they fed on the Aesir's energy and life force in the past, how would they fare with so many other factions of beings to feast on? That was at least how Loki saw it, and Natasha had to admit that it made sense to her. For the first time in quite a long while she felt his enthusiasm.
Felt hope. It was strange to consider such a thing could still exist at a time such as that, and she kissed him deeply before he left, giving him her very best and praying for a quick return. The sooner he got the others on their side the sooner they could tip the scales. The sooner they could think about things getting back to normal.
And then Aelyn had stepped from the Bifrost, transported, courtesy of Frigga, and that hope dimmed slightly. She was lovely, a demure smile tipping her thin lips, skin milky white and blonde hair braided down her back bright as the midday sun. Natasha's throat seized up as she watched Thor step forward to greet his fiance, kissing her cheek and welcoming her. At least his words sounded sincere, even if Nat could catch how hollow his eyes were. Aelyn thanked him as though nothing was wrong, stepping over to where Natasha was standing and smiled, taking her hands in hers.
"We are to be sisters in a sense," she said with a kind smile, and leaned closer to kiss Natasha on the cheek. The redhead repeated the gesture, only then noticing that Aelyn had brought two others with her, a woman perhaps a few years older than her, skin a gorgeous olive and deep brown eyes taking in the world around her, as well as another man that ought to have been Aelyn's twin. He kept silent, even as Thor greeted them and they were introduced by the princess to be Carissa and Jerome, the latter turning out to be Aelyn's sibling as Natasha had predicted. While he moved to speak with Thor, Natasha just barely able to hear the two carrying on about the treaties between the two realms and the help that would be expected to come from Alfheim to aid in Vanaheim's reconstruction and continued safety, Natasha kept a close eye on the other two women. They were speaking softly to one another in a language Natasha couldn't understand, feeling very much the outsider, but it was more than that. There was something different about how the two women spoke, that Carissa kept pressing her thumb into Aelyn's palm and drawing soft circles in her skin, that they were close enough to-.
"My Lady Natasha," Aelyn's face turned to her, her smile near splitting her face. "Would you be so good as to walk with me and show me who needs our help? I would be more than happy to assist however I can."
"Sure thing," Natasha nodded, taking the hem of her dress in one hand and moving towards the pair, explaining to them what had happened, where had been hit the hardest. Well, she explained to Aelyn, mostly. She wasn't sure that Carissa understood her.
"Have the Jotuns been rounded up?" Aelyn asked, tipping her head to the side. Nat felt her jaw clench, not caring much for the way that the princess had worded it. They weren't cattle, or a herd of sheep to be herded and taken to the slaughterhouses.
"Those who fought against us perished, but as did those who fought beside us. The remaining frost giants are on Jotunheim training and preparing themselves for what is to come." Her voice was as frosty as those who they were speaking about, but she didn't apologize for it. Wouldn't. Aelyn would find out soon that they weren't the monsters she would have heard of growing up.
"And what is to come, my lady Natasha?" Aelyn asked, tipping her head to the side in curiosity. Her eyes were warm and inviting, as though she wanted nothing more than to hear what it was Natasha had to say, had no other interests aside from the war and the statistics that Natasha was providing.
"I'm sure your brother is discussing it with Thor at the moment," Natasha said with an easy smile of her own. They'd begun to take a turn around the clearing that Aelyn had appeared in, Carissa just a few paces behind them, fingers twitching nervously at her side, eyes constantly darting around. Were it not for that she'd have thought her a handmaiden, but her nature was far too on alert. A guard? They seemed near too close to simply be that, but Nat would keep her mind open.
"Oh, yes," Aelyn gave an embarrassed, small laugh, the sound similar to that of nails tapping on glass as she twisted her hands in her lap. "Of course. I only ask because they do not . . . well, after all has been said and done I am rarely clued into what is happening. I do not often get the courtesy of knowing what is to pass or to come until it already has, and I thought that you might be more willing to be honest with me. After all, we are both of us women thrown into a society that neither has any real use for us or need for us outside of the bedchambers."
Her words had a ring of bitterness that even left a bad taste in Natasha's mouth as she heard them, compassion welling in Natasha's chest to hear it. Though she'd been fortunate enough to have been treated as a warrior for most of her life, both on Midgard and Asgard, if she'd felt hopeless while in those situations it must've been terrible to be a woman with very little power, physical or material, growing up in a time such as the one they were in.
"Well, we've been doing all we can to help rebuild the houses and undo the damage that has been done, no matter how extensive it is. Dra'ace doesn't seem so convinced now, but he will be when Thor holds to his promises. He-well, he's an honorable man who keeps his word no matter how difficult the circumstance." Natasha assured Aelyn, who smiled in an understanding fashion. Helbindi had known about Natasha and Thor, but she wondered just how far that information spread, whether or not Aelyn knew about it. She hoped not. The last thing she needed was her future sister-in-law to know . . . well, she wasn't ready to divulge that much information to the woman yet.
"How did the king take it?" Aelyn was asking, snapping Nat out of her reverie. "He's such a proud man from my understanding of him." Aelyn winced, her tiny lips pulled in a delicate mou of disapproval, as though she was unpleased with the idea of working with Dra'ace. Natasha could hardly blame her after how she'd been treated by the so called king. Still, irritating though he was, they needed him. More importantly they needed his men.
"I think he's frightened. He puts on a good show, but our numbers are not ideal." Natasha grimaced. "It worries him now that his land has been gouged for the sake of sport. And it's understandable. Thanos is a master manipulator and planner." She paused. "But so is Loki, and so am I. So long as we can rally from this, we can win. We just need the upper hand. Just once."
She smiled encouragingly at Aelyn, willing her to share in her confidence, even as she seemed to be carefully absorbing what it was Natasha had said. Too carefully, almost. Perhaps she was too paranoid. It wouldn't have surprised her, but she had a right to be after what had happened as of late.
"So, you will keep Alfheim's help and goals aligned with our own, won't you?" Natasha asked pointedly, throwing the princess for a quick loop, eager to take her off guard and figure out what was behind all those pretty, practiced smiles.
"Me?" Her eyes widened, lips parting in surprise. "I'm not given any power or control over it." There was a near apologetic smile on her face, as if she actually felt bad for Natasha's mistake. "I am not sure what sort of influence you women are given here, but on Alfheim it is not common for the women to get any say in near anything. How I wish I was allowed your same influence."
"Well things are far different here, then," Natasha said, throwing a look back to Carissa, still standing just behind Aelyn. If that was the case why was she even allowed out of the palace to begin with? Shouldn't she have been protected behind thick walls if they insisted on treating her like glass? "Frigga resides as Queen in Thor's place and he's always been good at valuing the opinions of others, no matter what their defining traits are."
"Even King Loki, and you as his wife?"
Her jaw clenched. "Yes. Even my husband and I." The woman's prejudice, while Natasha had fully anticipated it, grated her nerves. What did this woman have against those who were different than her own perfect self? Not all of them could be fair and without blemish. She knew the Jotuns were not without blemish, but neither were the Aesir and Aelyn seemed far too keen on jumping into bed-.
She didn't want to think about that. Either way, she gritted her teeth. It would be all the more satisfying when Loki proved them all wrong, silencing those disgusting rumors forever. After all they were helping, wasn't that enough? She certainly thought so. Loki wasn't without fault, that Natasha knew all too damn well, but he was at least working on it. She shoved her reservations about the woman to the back of her mind as she watched Aelyn with a keen eye as she greeted those who were working in the nursery tent. Many of the Vanir, not having the time or strength to watch their child as they helped with the reconstruction of the country. There Natasha caught sight of the baby she'd seen come back to life, shivering on the memory. How that mother had known what to do, had even done it for her son-. Would she do anything different for Thor, or Loki? Her chest clenched, breath going out of her in a forceful sigh. No, no she wouldn't. Aelyn kept busy speaking with the nurses, her maid keeping close by, as Natasha moved off, gravitating towards the child. Despite all that the realm had been through, this child, this baby boy, cooed and stretched fat fingers up to the nurse's hair, taking fistfuls of it but not pulling, as though he was just curious and wanted to touch it. The woman looked less than pleased before she screwed up her face into one of pleasure as soon as she saw Natasha. Perhaps Nat wasn't as invisible or unknown as she'd hoped, or it was simply because she'd come in with the princess.
"Milady. How can I help you?" The woman asked, brown eyes fixed on Natasha in curiosity. She wasn't in charge or important, Natasha could all but hear her think, so why was she being approached? Nat's attention turned to the child, whose green gaze fixed on her, rather intently for a young infant, Nat thought.
"I, ah, what's his name?" She asked, stumped for words for the first time she could remember.
The nurse's eyes saddened at that, the lines around her lips hardening. "He doesn't seem to have one. No one has come to claim him, and as far as we can tell he has no family. You were the one to bring him in, weren't you?"
Natasha nodded, her mouth growing dry. "His mother didn't-there wasn't any time or-weren't his eyes brown?"
The nurse looked down at the boy in her arms and looked as though she couldn't have cared less. "Yesterday they were sky blue. I've stopped paying attention. Would you like to hold him, milady?"
Would she? She held her arms out without another word, just a simple nod in response, and the weight of the baby was pressed into her grip, tightening her throat with memories as the boy reached up to her hair to feel it the same way he'd done to the nurse. The latter looked relieved at the displacement of the child, bustling away without anything else to say to Nat. Not that she took much notice, if she was honest. Her gaze fixed on the boy in her arms and brought one of her fingers to his, grinning when he took her finger in his own hand and brought it to his mouth, sucking on the appendage. The few sparse curls on his head shifted color, taking on Natasha's shocking red hue so quickly and easily she nearly lost her breath. How was that even possible?
"Aren't you a wonder?" She murmured to the infant, who cooed up at her, wide grin showing empty gums and a bright pink mouth. She couldn't stop herself from smiling in return, and stayed with him until Aelyn circled back around to her.
"He's adorable," she said as she brought her hand to his curls, her eyes lighting up. "Is he yours?"
Nat shook her head. "No, I saved him during the fight. His mother-she passed." Nat said with a tight swallow. The nurse moved back to collect the small baby, murmuring how sweet he was though it didn't quite meet her eyes. Nat tensed, not wanting to let him go, though with Aelyn's eyes on her and the nurse's expectant gaze she couldn't quite refuse. The world they were living in wasn't conducive to raising a child, especially not with a target on the back of her head. Thanos knew her, knew already what buttons to push if he needed to get to her. The last thing she needed to do was bring a child into that.
It didn't stop her from choking out "Alexei," when the nurse took him back. "If no one comes to claim him, or give a name. He just shouldn't be without one." It was all she could offer, her heart aching. She was going soft, and it was dangerous, but dammit she couldn't just let that go. Still, she let herself be dragged away, mind heavy as Aelyn started talking about children, not waiting for Natasha to do more other than to nod or hum her understanding. Natasha could hardly remember her own mother from before the war, feeling as though that was a whole life time ago, and so who was to say that she would be any good at raising a child? Alexei had already escaped death and suffering once, she didn't want to run the gambit of subjecting him to more.
While they didn't have the resources or the time to plan anything extravagant for Aelyn and her family's arrival, dinner that evening was a far more enjoyable affair than normal. Dra'ace smiled, energized by the arrival of allies and what the light elves had brought, and his cheeks reddened as he and Jerome continued to drink more and more. Thor engaged Aelyn in conversation with ease, her eyes bright with his attention, fingers of her left hand threaded with his. Natasha couldn't watch for long without getting sick to her stomach, even as she forced herself to eat, her eyes focusing on her plate. It was all she could do to keep herself from losing it whenever Thor's genuine, booming laugh would echo.
She hadn't anticipated Carissa to plop down beside her, jaw tight and eyes bright with anger.
"Tell me about Thor," she said without preface. Natasha blinked once, twice. What?
"What is there to tell?" She asked, taking in the woman's narrowed gaze, the stiff shoulders, white knuckles. Hell, Nat didn't even think Carissa knew the All-Speak, let alone was willing to speak with her. "What do you want to know, Carissa?"
"What type of man is he? Will he treat my lady well?" She demanded, color rising in her cheeks as though she'd had too much to drink.
"He will." Natasha insisted. "He's kind, a good king. Your lady will want for nothing," Natasha said, the words feeling hollow and tasting of ash. Carissa rolled her eyes, fingers tapping quickly on the wooden table beneath them. Nervously, almost.
"Is he free with his affections, attentive, kind? I've seen him fight in the past, there was a tournament some time back in which he fought in a melee. He is a brutal warrior," she spat the word, as though it were poison. "But should he harm my lady-."
"She will be well looked after," Natasha said, trying to shift her attention away. This was not something she wanted to think of, not what she wanted to realize. Her time with her lover was swiftly passing, if it hadn't gone already. "Why are you coming to speak with me? I've only known him for a short amount of time. The Lady Sif, surely, would be the wiser choice-."
"You have been intimate with him. Short though your time has been-."
"I am married," Natasha hissed, heart thudding faster. Worst kept secret, she supposed.
"Yet you were still intimate, and your husband did not seem to mind." Carissa reminded her. "I did not come to speak of your marital status, simply your connection with Thor, your experience of him. Will he harm her?"
"You do not listen when I speak so why should I bother to answer?" Natasha demanded in a low voice before she shoved away from the table. She'd had enough, resigning herself to a sleepless night and training in the morning to keep her mind from the empty bed she'd be forced to sleep in that evening. For half a moment she wondered about simply sneaking into Thor's room and-.
What, snuggling up with Aelyn and Thor? It was laughable, ridiculous, and not until she got back to her room, back against the door and shoulders shaking as she forced her eyes shut and bit her tongue to keep quiet, did she realize how alone she was.
A/N: Well, school's starting up again, and ideally this'll be the last semester I've got! Yay! Unfortunately, though, this does mean that I've gotta start doing hw again and getting my butt in gear, so as slow as the updates have been, they might slow down again.
Or speed up because I'm putting off doing what I ought to be doing. God only knows.
Anyway, hope you're enjoying this! Thanks so much for reading!