"Natalia!" her knight beckoned to her, riding his valiant steed through a field of roses.

He was once again wearing a mask to conceal his face, but Natalia was determined to get a look this time.

"I've found you!" He hopped down from his horse and slowly lifted his silver visor.

Natalia bit her lower lip as everything felt just like an adventure story. She let out an audible gasp as the knight's helmet was tossed aside. "Loki!"

His midnight black hair flowed in the wind. "At your service, my Lady." He took her hand in his and kissed it.

"I knew it was you," she suddenly admitted. "All along…"

Loki stared at her, puzzled. "What about Clint Barton?"

Natalia woke with a start. Her heart was pounding so hard that she could feel the drumming in her ears. The rush she felt from the dream felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. After Loki saved her from having a complete breakdown, he proved himself to truly be her knight in shining armor. That incident had to be the cause of the dream. Natalia was sure of it. Then again, she dreamt of a knight just the other night. Was it a sign that the Prince was her savior? Even so, why would Loki mention Clint's name? Natalia did have a hope that Clint was her knight, but that was before she knew that she could feel safe with the King's son. The princess felt proud to have such a kind-hearted man for a husband. She promised herself that she would learn to love Loki, just as he seemed to love her. Love was such a strong emotion and also a difficult one for the young princess. The only three people Natalia truly loved were her parents and her caretaker, Ivan-three people whom she had known from the day she was born. To find room in her heart for another person she just met was going to take getting used to. Loki's generosity was hard not to find endearing, though… She reached for the necklace Loki gave her. Staring into the emerald gem was like looking straight into his eyes. "Loki," she said under her breath. A delicate smile formed at the corners of her lips. Just thinking about her prince filled her with joy. Maybe she was in love. But was love supposed to come so suddenly? The door to her room opened and Natalia set her necklace aside. "Sif," she said quickly. "Good morning."

Sif merely nodded as she went to stand before the mirror, taking the hairbrush into her hand.

There was an eerie silence between both Sif and Natalia amidst the princess' morning hair brushing. Natalia desperately wanted to question Sif regarding yesterday's surprising encounter, but the coldness in the woman's eyes made her keep quiet.

Sif set the brush atop the dresser and sighed. "You keep staring at me, my Lady," the handmaiden noted.

Natalia lowered her gaze so she could no longer see Sif's reflection.

"This concerns yesterday, I take it…"

"Nobody knows, do they?" Natalia's question came out faster than anticipated. "How do the King's sons not even know?"

"The Queen appointed me," Sif replied softly. "She knows of Sif the lady, not Sif the warrior."

Natalia stared into the mirror to eye Sif. "Why is that? You seemed awfully close with Thor and his friends-why hide as a man?"

Sif turned on her heel to hide from the princess' gaze. "I plan to tell them one day. Only when I achieve a heroic deed… That will show every man that a woman can be just as fierce in battle." Her voice was filled with confidence. "We're looked down upon, us women."

Natalia rose from her seat to approach Sif with a smirk. "You're very noble, Sif. If only I could join you…" Natalia had a newfound respect for Sif. She felt that they could potentially be good friends.

The dark-haired woman flashed her mistress a smile. "You can show your prince just how strong you are when it comes time to bear his child."

Natalia's face grew hot just thinking about engaging in the forbidden acts of producing Loki's heir. "That sounds a bit degrading. I can be strong without needing to have a baby!" the red-head huffed.

"But it's the only way a woman of royal blood can prove herself," Sif reminded her. "A noble woman like you wasn't born to hunt witches."

The corners of Natalia's lips fell. "Have you ever fought a witch?" she asked worriedly.

"No," Sif stated. She placed a reassuring hand on her Lady's shoulder. "Try not fret. The Prince expects your company in due time…"

…..

"Natalia, you look as lovely as ever." Loki noticed that she was wearing her new necklace. "I'm very glad to see that you like it-the necklace." He pointed to the emerald medallion resting below the pit of her neck.

She softly smiled and let her fingers trace against the stone's facets. "I think of you when I wear it now," she admitted. Her hand reached for his and she noticed his cheeks blanch. "What was it you wanted to show me first?" she wondered.

Loki composed himself and led her to the stables across from the garden. "There's someone I'd like for you to meet."

The scent of hay soon overpowered the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. Natalia heard a whinny nearby and Loki began to run, pulling her along with him.

"I'm almost there, boy!" Loki shouted. He turned around to Natalia. "He's a smart boy! He already knows I'm near!" Loki laughed in a carefree manner as he approached a wooden gate. He held open the stable gate to let Natalia in first.

"You own a pet horse?" she inquired. Natalia stepped inside and tried to get used to the stench of hay and horses.

"Yes," he nodded, closing the gate behind them. "So does Mother, Father, and Thor." Loki sauntered over to the fourth and final stable and unlocked the pen. "Natalia, meet Sleipnir." He rested a hand against the horse's thick neck while the other gripped his reign. "Sleipnir, this is Natalia, my Queen," he said to the horse.

Natalia stared at the large steed in awe. Unlike the snowy white horse in her dream, this one had a coat of midnight black.

"Come, Natalia." The prince beckoned Natalia over. "Sleipnir is quite friendly."

She took a step forward and reached out a shaky hand.

"Don't be scared," Loki chuckled. "I promise he won't bite."

"I'm not scared!" she informed the prince matter-of-factly. Natalia wasn't used to being within petting distance of a horse. When she was small, her Mother warned her not to pet the carriage horses in case they scared easily. She never had a horse of her own and the only time she was ever around the majestic creatures was during her travels. "Hello, Sleipnir," she managed. "Nice to meet you." Loki guided the horse forward and her body tensed up. She quickly shut her eyes as she kept her arm outstretched in front of her. The feel of soft, silky hair nudged her palm and her eyes opened to see the horse's snout nuzzling against her hand.

"That's a good boy, Sleipnir," Loki whispered.

Natalia stepped closer and let her other hand caress the steed's mane. "You're very soft," she said to the horse as if it could understand her. "And so pretty."

"You'll make him grow vain if you talk like that," Loki teased.

As she ran her fingers against Sleipnir's cheek, she noticed that the raven black coat reminded her of a certain someone. "He looks like you, Loki," Natalia blurted out, not thinking about how ridiculous it sounded.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment!" the prince chuckled.

"Your hair-it matches," she stated. "You two look like you belong together."

He kissed the horse's nose. "He's been a dear friend to me since I was a boy. We truly do belong with one another."

Natalia loved seeing Loki's sweet and caring side. Seeing him dote on his horse was like looking at a father with his child. She was sure that someone as open-hearted as Loki would want several children of his own to love. Natalia wasn't fond of the notion, but she would gladly give Loki a baby if it would bring him joy.

"What are you thinking about?" Loki wondered, noticing the distant look in the woman's eyes.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Nothing," she said quickly. The happenings between a married couple in their private quarters were the last things an innocent princess needed to be thinking about.

"I know-I'll let you give Sleipnir a treat. He'll love you forever!"

"The quickest way to a man's heart is his stomach," Natalia mused. "Is that true for horses, too?"

"For my boy, yes," Loki crooned. "Nothing compares to a freshly picked apple."

Sleipnir sharply exhaled through his nose in reply.

"Natalia will pick you a nice apple," the young man promised. "Let's go, Natalia. I'll show you where Thor and I used to play as children." He trotted over to the gate and opened it back up. "We'll be right back, Sleipnir. You stay right there!"

"Does he really understand you?" the red-head wondered as Loki led her away from the stables.

Loki nodded, "they're smart creatures. Fascinating, too." He led Natalia towards a tree with a thick trunk. "Mother would always yell whenever Thor and I would climb this," he said, looking up into the leaves.

She averted her gaze from Loki's face to stare up at the tree. "Wow!" she gasped. The tree looked as though it was covered in snow. Tiny bouquets of white blossoms adorned each of the many branches and ripe, red apples hung like ornaments.

Loki grabbed the thickest branch within reach and started to climb.

"Be careful, Loki!" Natalia warned him. Just by watching his nimble footwork, she could tell that he was confident in his tree-climbing skills. He was up no more than ten feet high, but a fall would still be dangerous.

The prince sat himself up on a branch and reached for an apple. "Catch!" he yelled towards the ground.

Natalia stood beneath him and caught the piece of fruit in both hands.

"Get ready for another!" he laughed. Loki snatched two more apples and sent them down one by one to the princess. He then climbed back down and sat in the grass.

Natalia accompanied him under the shade of the tree. "You'll need to teach me how to climb this one day," she remarked, passing him an apple.

"Does my princess yearn for adventure?" He raised a brow in interest.

She recalled what she and Sif had chatted about regarding a woman's strength. Natalia liked the idea of adventure and showing that she could be tough. There were limits, though. She knew that she lacked the courage to become a warrior like Sif. "Perhaps she does…" Natalia answered before taking a bite out of her apple.

"Delicious, aren't they?"

Natalia nodded, still in mid-chew. After swallowing, she answered him. "I can see why Sleipnir is so fond of them."

Loki opened his mouth as if to speak, but instead took another large bite from his apple, creating a silence between the two. "I also managed this," he finally said. Loki set his apple down. In between his thumb and forefinger, he held a white blossom. "For you."

Natalia squeezed her unfinished apple tightly. The longing look in the prince's eyes made her heart pound in her chest. "Thank you," she stammered.

His hand reached out to weave the flower's stem into her hair. "There," he smiled. "Beautiful."

The princess' face flushed and she forced herself to look down at her apple.

"Natalia?" he questioned. "What is it?" A finger reached under her chin and lifted her head.

Their eyes met and the two stared at one another in complete and utter silence. Natalia feared that he could hear her thumping heartbeat and felt even more embarrassed.

Staring so closely at her face, Loki noticed her lower lip tremble ever so slightly. Was she scared? Nervous? The red flush coating her cheeks told him otherwise. Another glance at her full, luscious lips was enough to make him weak and give in to her womanly charms. He brought his face close to hers. So close, that he could taste the forbidden fruit against her tongue.

All Natalia noticed was that his face seemed to draw nearer to her own. Before her mind could process what was about to happen, the prince's soft lips were already caressing hers. Natalia gasped against his mouth. His hot breath mixed with hers and she longed to taste him some more. The apple fell from her hand and she practically threw herself into Loki's warm embrace.

Loki would have kissed her all night, but the need for air forced their lips to part. "Forgive me," he gasped, his forehead pressed to hers.

"Again."

He blinked, wondering if he heard the woman correctly.

Natalia looked up at him beneath her long lashes. "Kiss me again."

Weakened by desire, the young prince obliged to her whim. Off in the distance, a loud whinny was heard. Loki had to pull away just to laugh. "I'm sorry. Sleipnir must feel like we've abandoned him."

Natalia saw how red his normally pale face had become and she started to giggle. She grabbed her apple, then the one for the mare. "Okay," she said quietly. The two returned to the stables in an awkward silence. Natalia nibbled on her apple until Sleipnir was in sight.

"Just… hold out the apple," Loki finally said. He was still trying to recover from their romantic moment alone.

She did as instructed and presented the shiny piece of fruit to the stallion. "Look, Sleipnir," she cooed. "I hope we can be friends," she grinned.

Without a second thought, Sleipnir greedily ate up his treat straight from Natalia's open palm. He even licked away at the sticky juices, making her giggle.

"That's a good boy," Loki whispered, stroking Sleipnir's silky mane. "Maybe he'll even let you ride him," he said to Natalia.

Natalia wiped the horse slobber off onto her dress. "'Ride?'" she repeated, handing the remnants of her own apple to the horse.

"You've ridden a horse before, correct?"

"No, actually," she confessed. "I haven't."

Loki flashed her a mischievous smirk. "This will be another first for you, then."

Natalia swore he winked at her before climbing up onto his stallion's back.

"Take my hand." He outstretched his hand out to her.

The way the wind danced against his hair felt like this was all just another dream. "You're sure he's alright with this?" Natalia warily asked, glancing at the horse.

"He's very gentle," Loki promised. "We'll only go for a trot. What happened to that adventurous spirit?"

Natalia grabbed his hand. Her main reason to join Loki was solely to be closer to him. She hopped up with much-needed help from Loki. He made getting up onto the horse seem like an easy feat, but for a novice, it was a struggle. Once she saddled herself atop the horse, she placed her hands firmly against Loki's sides.

"You'll need to hold on tighter than that, my Queen," he chuckled. He clicked his tongue and Sleipnir's sturdy legs began to move.

Natalia locked her arms around Loki's middle, squeezing him and pressing her chest against his back. She felt herself bob up and down with the horse's trots, but she didn't mind. Right now, she was so close to her prince that she could feel his thin frame beneath his velvet shirt. Regardless of his tall, lanky frame, her hands could feel a defined set of abs beneath a layer of fabric.

"Here we go!" Loki announced. His hands tugged on the reigns, forcing the horse into a gallop.

The young princess had to bury her face into Loki's back to prevent herself from screaming. Her hair began whipping behind her. All she could hear were hooves repetitively thumping to match the pounding of her heart. When she finally had the courage to open her eyes, she noticed the blurred trees enclosing her surroundings. "The forest?" she exclaimed. "Loki! Go back!"

Loki tugged hard on the reins, forcing Sleipnir to stand up on his hind legs and neigh loudly.

Natalia screamed, unaware as to what was happening. She let go of Loki and crashed into a pile of leaves on the hard ground.

"Natalia!" Loki cried. Before he could reach out to her, Sleipnir took off in a mad dash towards the castle. "Sleipnir, no!" Loki barked.

The sound of hooves grew fainter as everything around Natalia went black.