Natalia felt a comforting warmth surround her body. "Loki?" she groggily mumbled.

"Shh. Keep quiet, my Lady." The voice didn't belong to Natalia's prince, but to Clint Barton.

She tried to open her eyes to see something besides darkness, but her body refused. "Where's Loki?" she worriedly breathed. Why wasn't Loki saving her? All she remembered was flying off of Sleipnir's back… Did Loki fall off, too? Her eyes fluttered open in a second and she found herself staring straight into Clint's blue-green orbs.

"Listen to me," Clint whispered, his face inches from Natalia's, "I need you to stay quiet."

Natalia obeyed, feeling a dull ache in the back of her head.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, alright?" Clint calmly reassured her. "You're okay, Nat."

She blinked, confused by what he had just called her. "'Nat?'" she repeated dumbly.

He rolled his eyes. "I just need you to stay calm…Sorry about that."

The princess shook her head, not offended by her new nickname in the slightest. It was highly improper for him to speak to his future queen in such a manner, but Natalia didn't mind. All her life, she had been Princess Natalia Alianova Romanova, but to Clint, she was just 'Nat,' a regular person. She felt his grip around her hand tighten. Natalia felt a stinging pain and glanced down to find that he was applying pressure to a cut on her palm.

"You're okay," Clint repeated once he noticed her eying the piece of blood-stained cloth. "It's just a tiny cut."

"Shouldn't you take me home?" she wondered. "They should have fresh bandages there…"

Clint's keen eyes gave the surrounding area a quick scan. All was quiet, except for the sound of wind blowing through the treetops. "Just a few more minutes," he said uneasily.

"Clint?" Hearing the doubt in his voice made the princess suspicious. Seeing the bloody rag tied around her hand made her mind come to one shocking conclusion. "Is it a witch?" she squeaked, fear slowly overcoming her.

There was no lying to her. Not when she already knew… "I can sense it," he murmured. "The Prince and his horse came running back to the castle. He claimed the horse was scared off. He was about to run back for you, but I couldn't let him," Clint growled. "I could sense a witch nearby, so I ran. Then I found you unconscious and bleeding…" He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Laying low is our safest option. But don't worry!" Clint's free hand pointed to the bow and arrows strapped to his back. "I'm armed and dangerous."

Natalia managed to smile. Yes, she felt safe. She knew that Clinton would risk his life to save a woman of royal blood. Something felt different about him in this moment, though. He sounded different-like she was hearing the real Clint Barton rather than the loyal and proper King's guard. "I trust you, Clint Barton," she promised.

The man grinned, relieved to have her trust. He took a deep breath, then took another look at the surrounding trees. The feeling of uneasiness had vanished. "We should be fine. Hold on to me, Princess." He secured his grip around her and prepared to lift her up into his arms. Natalia's body froze. "I'm just gonna carry you home," he offered.

"I can walk just fine!" Natalia stammered. She forced herself to her feet and suddenly felt dizzy.

"For somebody to black out, the injury could be serious... Just let me carry you."

She pursed her lips and silently agreed to let him carry her in his arms. Natalia didn't like getting the royal treatment, but if she was injured, then she made an exception.

"Does the Princess not like being pampered?" Clint teased.

Natalia wrapped her arms around his neck, inhaling the scent of leather and nature. "You have a bold way of speaking to your future queen," she finally commented.

"You're not going to have me beheaded, are you?" Clint jokingly remarked.

She let her head rest against his shoulder. "Of course not." The pain in the back of her skull was beginning to ache more and more.

Clint swore he heard her softly whimper, so he broke out into a sprint. "You'll be just fine, Milady."

"Nat," she whispered. "I like Nat better." Her eyelids grew heavy and she easily fell asleep in Clint's arms.

The archer smiled as he admired how defenseless and innocent she looked whilst sleeping. His thoughts were cut short, though, once Loki came running towards him.

"Natalia?!" he gasped. Fear overcame him once he noticed the redhead's closed eyes. "Oh, dear God, please tell me that she still lives!"

Clint mentally rolled his eyes at how dramatic the prince was reacting. "She fell asleep," he stated. "She's fine."

"Thank you, Clinton," he breathed, reaching out to stroke his future bride's hair. "You will be greatly rewarded for aiding her-I swear."

Staring at Loki's relaxed face, Clint suddenly couldn't blame him for overreacting. Natalia was to be Loki's wife. If Natalia was his to wed, then he, too, would worry for her safety.

"Let us make haste to the castle," Loki instructed. "The Doctor will need to be sent for immediately."

"Right," Clint firmly agreed. He knew that he couldn't let himself become too attached. Natalia wasn't his. Still, he vowed to care for her no matter what the cost.

"Barton," Loki continued. "Allow me to carry her."

Clint shook his head quickly. "There's no need to trouble yourself like that, Milord. I've got her."

"No!" the prince snapped. "Give her to me. You are to send Heimdall in search of the Doctor."

Unable to refuse an order from royal blood, Clint carefully handed Natalia over.

"When you return, you and I will scour the forest," the black-haired prince continued. "Something frightened my horse, and I fear it may have been a witch. Did you sense something while you were there, too?"

Clint nodded. "Yes. I did. And I'll gladly return to search for it, but not with you-it's dangerous!"

"I trust you will keep me safe, then," Loki assured his servant with a confident grin. "I want to help in keeping my Natalia safe. For her, I will do anything…" He turned on his heel and headed for the castle.

The archer watched him with a pang of jealousy rising up from within. He thought the prince was a fool if he thought he could handle a fight against a witch. Clint agreed to humour him, though with a little witch hunting. If he could scare Loki enough to scream like a girl, then he would have quite a funny story to tell Natalia.

…..

"Do you really think a witch is near? I suppose with the blood moon drawing near, it is a possibility…"

Natalia's eyes flew open at the mentioning of a witch. A rag soaked in cold water fell into her lap as she bolted upright. She looked around her room and saw that Ivan and Sif were talking with a man she had never seen before.

"My Lady!" Ivan rushed to her bedside and squeezed her hand. "I am so glad you've awakened. You had me worried sick." He smiled for the princess.

Natalia didn't recall ever falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was Clint carrying her through the forest. "Where is my prince and Clinton?" she wondered.

Ivan was afraid to respond, so Sif answered for him. "In the forest, searching for traces of witches."

"Loki is?!" she cried.

"They're fine!" Ivan interrupted, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Your prince wants to personally make sure that danger is kept away from you. He seems to be quite smitten," he whispered with a chuckle.

"Before you worry yourself sick, how does your head feel, my Lady?" the man wearing dark purple robes asked. "The Prince said you suffered quite the fall…"

Natalia watched as the man with dark brown curls approached her. "I'm fine," she replied.

"Doctor Banner," the man said. "You may call me Bruce if it makes you comfortable." He bowed his head.

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor Banner," she nodded. His large hand reached behind her head. A finger lightly circled against a particularly tender lump at the very back of her head. Natalia stared at the doctor as he felt her bruise.

"Does that hurt?" he wondered.

"Not too much," she assured him.

"Your nap must have done wonders for you," Bruce smiled. "Now let's see how your hand is." He sat down on the edge of her bed and undid the clean strip of cloth tied around her right hand. "The bleeding seems to have stopped," he noted.

Natalia saw the tiny scrape against her hand and knew that she was fine. Everyone always found overreacting necessary simply because she was a seemingly helpless princess.

"You're a lucky one," the Doctor smiled kindly. "No gashes, no broken bones..." He took the damp cloth and wiped her hand before retying her bandage.

'Lucky.' Natalia wanted to scoff at the good doctor's assumption. How lucky was she to have survived a witch attack while her parents needed to die? Natalia hated her luck. It felt more like she was cursed. "Can you see if Loki and Clinton returned?" she asked. Thinking of her dead parents suddenly made her fear for the innocent lives of her prince and the witch hunter.

…

"Lo—My Lord!" Clint had to correct himself from being informal with the King's son who was currently on his last nerve. Loki had insisted on straying ahead in the slowly darkening woods. The hunter found himself chasing after him and constantly watching out for him as though he was a small child. "Stay close to me! Dammit!" he swore under his breath. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"I heard something," Loki whispered, stopping in his tracks. "Do you feel a presence, Barton?" he asked once his companion had caught up.

Clint adjusted the set of arrows slung across his back. "No. But if we stay out here long enough, trouble's bound to follow…"

"I came prepared," Loki informed the hunter. He indicated to a blade secured to his leather belt.

"Tell me what you know about witch hunting again?" Clint smirked.

"Loki."

The prince whipped his head around towards the source of the noise. All he could see in the distance were trees and fallen branches.

"Because I'm sure I know a hell of a lot more about my job than-"

"Shut up!" Loki hissed. He heard a soft voice call out his name once again. "Did you hear that?"

Clint furrowed his brows. Clearly, the young prince was going mad. "We should go back. You can see Lady Natalia," he urged him.

A bright blue ball of flame illuminated the path between two trees. "Barton, do you see that?" Loki said under his breath. He took a step towards it, but the tiny light vanished. Another appeared several yards ahead of him and he took off running.

"Loki?" Clint looked ahead just in time to see the source of blue light that the prince desperately chased after. "Loki, no!" The archer charged after him and firmly yanked his arm. "You trying to kill yourself?!" he spat.

Loki stood mesmerized by the path of blue lights spread out before him. "It's trying to show me something…" he said in a daze.

"Yeah, a witch!" Clint grabbed Loki by the collar and forced him to look at him. "The Queen didn't tell stories about the Will-o-the-Wisps as a kid?" he angrily asked.

"Is that what that was?" Loki innocently asked. He recalled his Mother reading him a story once about how a witch used its magic to lead a traveler astray in the form of a so-called 'guiding light.' The light, however, brought the traveler straight to the witch, where he was killed in an instant. Loki didn't realize just how inviting the Will-o-the-Wisp could be. He had felt so drawn to follow those lights, no matter what the cost… and he could have died because of his foolishness.

"Are you listening to me?" Clint demanded, shaking the prince out of his silent stupor.

"Yes," Loki stated. "Thank you, Clinton. I had no idea…" He turned back around, but there was only the ever-approaching darkness.

"I need to get you out of here. Something's happening," he breathed.

"So there is a witch?" Loki questioned as he and the archer ran towards their home.

"Possibly…"

Loki grew hesitant for a moment. "Then Natalia mustn't know. Please don't mention any of this to her!" he pleaded. If Natalia knew, she would only grow fearful of her new home.

"I won't," Clint promised. The two could finally come to an agreement on something, and that was Natalia's safety.

…

"Natalia!" The raven-haired prince appeared in her bedroom's entryway. He was still struggling to catch his breath after running from out of the forest and straight to her chambers. It was worth it to finally see her face, though.

The princess ran to Loki and nearly tackled him to the ground as she flung her arms around the man.

Loki gently stroked her hair. "I'm relieved you are well," he smiled. "I was so worried."

"You were worried?!" she growled.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that her eyes were puffy and red. "Did you weep for me?"

Natalia answered by punching him in the chest. "It's dark out and you were in the woods?! You're mad!" she angrily accused him. "I was worried sick! You and Clint… I thought I lost both of you!" Fresh tears formed in her eyes.

"Oh, Natalia, I'm so sorry! I promise you that we found no danger. Barton and I are completely unharmed."

"Yeah," Clint agreed, leaning against the door frame. "Unharmed."

"Thank you," Natalia said as she turned her head towards Clint, "for keeping my prince safe."

Loki forced Natalia's gaze to meet with his. "Now who said I needed protection?" His hand cupped her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her soft lips.

Natalia felt her body grow hot with embarrassment. She peeked out of the corner of her eye, only to see Clint quickly walking away.

Loki's eyes slightly opened in time to see that Natalia wasn't focused on the kiss, but on a certain archer. He pulled his lips away from hers. "I love you, Natalia," he murmured.

Her attention was immediately brought back to Loki upon hearing him speak.

"I'm just so glad you came back to me…" she said softly, squeezing him tightly. "My Prince."