Natalia was rudely awakened the next morning to Sif ripping her blankets off of her body. The princess groaned in reply and buried her face into her pillow.

"My Lady, it's time to rise." Sif couldn't hide the small smirk across her lips. She couldn't even tell where Natalia's face was what with all of her hair.

The young ruler's brain gradually started to think coherently once she sat upright in bed. Natalia brushed a strand of hair out of her face as she looked at her handmaiden. The thought of the recent fire and witch attack crept back into her mind and Natalia realized that standing before her was a first hand witness to the whole event. "Did you fight the witch last night?"

Sif narrowed her eyes at the princess. "By the time I got there, Barton already had the hag tied to a tree," she began, noticing Natalia smile. "Volstagg was put in charge of taking the witch to the dungeon while the rest of us worked to put the fire out. A shame the boys wanted to spend the evening drinking-we missed out on rare action."

"And Clint got hurt? That's what Loki said…" Natalia chimed in.

"Just a slight burn, is all," Sif shrugged as she showed the redhead to her vanity.

"I intend to thank him after breakfast," Natalia stated as her morning hair brushing ritual began. "He's a brave man."

Sif suddenly laughed. "Does the Prince know of your plans?"

"He said I could see him after I've slept," the redhead answered matter-of-factly. "It doesn't matter, anyways-the Prince isn't my master…"

"He's the jealous type, believe it or not," the handmaiden playfully warned her.

"Really?" Natalia thoughtfully stared at Sif's reflection.

"Aye," she nodded, continuing to brush the princess' locks. "Mostly of Thor since he's the eldest… Lucky for him, Thor turned down the throne. Who knows what would have become of the Prince had Thor willingly accepted his place."

"Why did Thor turn down the throne?"

Sif shrugged. "He's always craved adventure." Her features softened as she spoke of the blond. "The King was upset and angered that Thor wanted to hunt witches, but he soon came around. Thor is his favourite, after all."

"The King and Queen play favourites?" Natalia blinked.

"Thor is their first born. But Frigga favours Loki-they're both quite alike what with the arts and literature." Sif soon finished with Natalia's hair. After helping her into a corset and gown, Natalia was free to leave for the dining hall.

Frigga was eating by herself. Once she saw Natalia pull out a chair across from her, she warmly smiled at her. "Good morning, Natalia. My deepest apologies for the scare last night…"

The princess curtsied before taking a seat. "No need to apologise, my Queen. I'm just grateful that your son wasn't harmed at all." A servant approached her from her right and set down a plate of fresh berries and bread for her.

"You and Sif have been talking, I presume?" the Queen asked. "I hope you two are getting along…"

Natalia managed a quiet laugh. "I like her." That was no lie-Natalia truly felt that she and Sif could grow closer in time. "Has my Lord eaten yet?" she wondered, curious as to where Loki was.

"He must be sleeping," Frigga sighed. "Or off reading somewhere," she added. "Have you and my son become close?" she prodded with a knowing grin.

Natalia thought about their kiss at the mentioning of 'becoming close.' "One could say we have," she nervously chuckled. "He's a kind man. I'll work hard to be the best wife I can be to make him happy." She took her fork in hand and poked at a blackberry.

"So you want for him to be happy?"

The princess glanced up at Frigga and felt her face grow hot. Was this a trick question? She chose to answer honestly since lying to her Queen was unforgivable. "His happiness is everything to me. I want for us to have a happy marriage," she shyly answered.

"My Loki couldn't have found a more perfect suitor," the Queen proudly beamed. "Thank you, Natalia dear."

"No, thank you, my Queen," she replied.

Frigga watched Natalia as she began to eat. "You know, if it makes you comfortable, feel free to address me as 'mother.' In my eyes, you are already my daughter."

Natalia's mouth fell open in surprise. "Th…thank you," she managed. She didn't expect for Frigga to make such a request. Looking at her smiling face, Natalia saw much of Loki in her. She instantly felt more at home now that her Mother-in-law saw her as one of her own. Since her own Mother was gone, it was nice to have a new maternal figure to look to. "Thank you very much."

"No problem at all, dear."

She finished her breakfast and excused herself from the table. "I'll be back soon-I wanted to thank Sir Clinton for defending our home last night."

"Would you mind bringing him some breakfast?" Frigga wondered. "I don't think we've sent someone over with his meal yet."

"That's a great idea-I'll do it."

"Clinton?" Natalia knocked on the hut's door with one hand while the other carried a silver platter.

The door opened and Clint blinked in surprise. "Nat? Wow, it's nice to see you here," he chuckled.

"Here." She held out the covered tray for him. "I'm taking over for one of the servants today."

"You're being put to work now, huh?" he smirked, accepting his breakfast from her. "Come on in, Princess."

Natalia giggled and stepped inside his home. It was small, but cozy. Clint motioned over to a bench and she took a seat at his side.

"Excuse the mess," Clint quickly told her. His bag of arrows had fallen, leaving them strewn across the floor. There were also several jackets tossed into a pile near his bedroom door. Other than that, his home was kept rather tidy.

Natalia found that it felt empty more than anything. There were no tapestries or plaques hung on the plain stone walls. She noticed some pans and dishes resting on the mantelpiece above a small fire. He had only the essentials-nothing unnecessary to fill up space. "It's nice here. Small and quaint…" She finished looking around, then began watching Clint eat. There was a bandage wrapped around his right forearm and Natalia remembered her reason for coming in the first place. "Thank you, Clint-for what you did last night. It was very brave of you."

Clint nodded mid-chew. "Just doing my job," he said after swallowing.

"You aren't hurt badly, are you?" she worriedly prodded.

"What, this?" he asked, eying his injured arm. "Nothing bad. Just some stinging. I'll live." He proceeded to inhale the contents of his meal.

"Loki said you're going to burn the witch today," Natalia stated. "I'm going with you." She refused to take no for an answer. Natalia wanted to see the beast go up in flames before her very eyes.

Clint chuckled as he set the tray aside. "The royal family doesn't usually attend burnings. The last one was maybe five, six years ago, though," he guessed. "If you really wanna come, then I won't stop you."

"I'm hoping it helps me get over my fear," the princess shrugged. "I need to grow stronger… I promised Loki I would," she quietly added.

Clint narrowed his eyes at the mentioning of the prince's name. "How about you burn the hag yourself?" he suggested. "More power to you."

"Is that safe?" she questioned, arching a brow. "I don't want to get too close or anything…"

"The hag'll most likely still be unconscious," he promised. "She was an ugly old bitch-just warning you."

"I'll be alright," she uneasily replied.

Clint smiled and nodded. "I was thinking of heading out soon, if you'd care to join me…"

"I'll go let Heimdall know," she nodded as she rose from the bench.

"Let me go with you," he offered. "We'll get more time to talk."

"Okay," she agreed with a smile. "Maybe I should bring you breakfast more often, then," she coyly remarked.

Clint nodded, but feared that Loki and his family would grow suspicious. "Maybe…"

"Is something wrong?" she innocently asked.

"Is spending time with the King's guard really a good idea for a princess? I shouldn't waste your time…" He bundled up his arrows and slung them over his back, along with his trusty bow.

"I like you, Clint," she freely admitted as they left the cottage. "You're kind and you've saved my life."

"Well," he chuckled, "thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck as they approached Heimdall at the gate.

Loki had been busying himself with reading a book when he heard a voice call his name.

"Loki."

The raven-haired prince wondered if it was another Wisp tempting him. He looked around, but saw only the books neatly placed upon their shelves. His name was heard again and he slowly rose to the feet and looked out the window. He expected to see a Wisp waiting for him outside, but no. Loki saw something much worse. Down by the paved path leading up to the castle was his Natalia walking alongside Clint Barton. He threw his book to the ground and beat his fist against the window.

"Loki!"

"What?!" Loki snarled, whipping his head to the side. A Wisp floated in midair right before his eyes and led him towards a bookshelf at the farthest end of the room.

Bewildered, the prince followed. His curiosity had taken gotten the better of him. Was this a trick? Why were the Will-of-the-Wisps beckoning him? The little blue orb disappeared into the spine of a withered red tome. Loki reached for the book and attempted to pry it from the shelf, but it wouldn't budge. "What in the hells?" he hissed. He began pulling with all of his strength until he suddenly heard a click. Loki's heart began to race as the entire bookshelf jerked forward. He carefully approached the shelf's edge and saw that it opened up into a secret passageway. A trail of Wisps acted as Loki's guiding lights into the unknown room. He reached for a handle located behind the bookshelf and closed it, leaving the prince enclosed in an unfamiliar room.

A large crowd had gathered in the town square that afternoon. Natalia tightly held Clint's hand as he forced all bystanders to clear a path for the Princess. The first thing Natalia noticed was that Thor and Sif were there, accompanied by their other friends.

"So my Lady, the Princess, has decided to join us!" Thor's voice boomed.

Several townspeople cheered at the notion.

Natalia felt embarrassed to cause a ruckus, but she was here on important business.

"Ready to light this hag up?" Clint asked Thor with a smirk.

"Aye," he agreed, making more people cheer. Hogun handed him a torch, which Thor passed to Clint.

"Nat?" Clint whispered. "You want the honours?"

Natalia eyed the flame and squeezed her fists tightly. She kept repeating to herself that everything was going to be fine-she had Clint with her, along with Sif, and Thor. The princess felt a little more at ease, but when she finally looked up to see the witch tied to a wooden stake, her whole body froze. She had never been this close to a witch before.

The creature had the form of a woman with string-like black hair. Her black garments were tattered and burned, most likely from last night's battle. The witch's skin was the most unsettling feature-it was waxy, but had cracks running through it as though she was made of china.

"Nat."

Hearing her nickname forced Natalia into a more composed mindset. She needed to be strong. For Loki. For Loki, she told herself, grabbing the thick piece of flaming wood from Clint's hand.

"You sure you don't want help, my Lady?" Clint winked.

The witch unexpectedly awakened from its unconsciousness and deeply inhaled. "The royal blood…" she crooned, her voice hoarse.

Natalia would have dropped the torch, had it not been for Clint to hold her hand.

"This is the Princess?" Eyes the colour of blood glared down at Natalia's shivering form. "Romanova," she cruelly grinned. "You look just like your Mother."

"W-what?!" Natalia's voice was a broken whimper.

"Shut the hell up!" Clint growled at the witch. "You die today, hag!"

The witch ignored Clint's threats. "Yes, I remember her… I was lucky enough to drink of her blood…"

Natalia felt bile rise up in her throat. She couldn't allow herself to get sick in public, though. She needed to calm herself down. What would Loki think? Loki would want her to be brave. So would Sif. Just before Clint could throw the flame into the pile of wood and dry leaves at the witch's feet, Natalia snatched the torch away.

"And oh, was it delightful! The best blood I've ever tasted!" She threw her head back and cackled wildly.

"How dare you speak of my Mother that way!" Something inside Natalia snapped as her fear was replaced with rage. "You'll die for your crimes, you ugly old hag!"

The crowd cheered and applauded for their Princess' valor.

"Then kill me!" the witch spat back. "Kill me, and my brethren will come forth and slaughter you and your kingdom, you insolent cunt!"

"Go back to hell where you belong, ugly bitch!" Natalia seethed as she threw the flame directly at the witch's chest. The flames caught on her dress, then fell to eat away at the brush below.

It didn't take long for the witch's body to burst into flames. The hag's tortured screams were drowned out by the gleeful applause from the surrounding townspeople.

"Geez," Clint breathed. He grabbed Natalia's shoulder and forced her to look away from the burning corpse. "Remind me never to get on your bad side," he laughed, guiding her away from the crowd. Natalia abruptly took off running and Clint followed after her. "Nat?"

Sif happened to notice, but knew that it would be a risk to run after her. Instead, she stayed with her friends so she could aid them in putting out the fire and disposing of the creature's ashes.

"Nat, wait!" Clint yelled. He chased her into an alleyway and watched as she collapsed to the ground in a fit of tears.

"Sh-she knew my Mother!" Natalia cried out. "She drank her blood, I…" She clasped a hand over her mouth, most positive that she was going to vomit. "She was there that night!"

"Natalia…" Clint knelt before her and reached out to stroke her cheek. "I'm so sorry… Nat, I really am." His saddened eyes stared into hers.

"I-I feel sick," she whimpered. "I shouldn't have come today, I-"

"Hey," the archer said gently, "you killed your first witch today. You did good, Princess. She's dead now, thanks to you." He offered her a small smile.

Natalia pressed her lips together and threw her arms around Clint's neck. The feeling of sickness passed, but the tears remained. "That was terrifying!"

"You'll never have to do it again," the blond whispered. "I'll kill any witch before they can get within a hundred yards of you," he promised.

The redhead nodded as she sobbed into his chest.

"You were really something back there. You had me scared," he laughed.

Natalia glanced up at him and a giggle escaped her. He was right-in that very moment the witch threatened her, something inside the princess had taken over. She felt invincible for that one moment. And now here she was, crying like a baby. Natalia had just faced her greatest fear-she looked into that witch's ruby eyes and set its body aflame. Just thinking about it felt empowering. Natalia's crying quickly ceased and she rose to her feet, ready to return home. This would certainly be a story for her children to hear…

"The town's gonna be talking about how fearless the future Queen is," Clint laughed. "You've just made a good name for yourself." He began to walk her back to the castle.

"I guess I have…" Natalia had no reason to cry. Her moment of weakness had passed.

"You gonna tell Loki?" the hunter smirked. "My bet is that he'll have a horse is he hears what you did! Natalia the witch slayer…"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Hush! That was a onetime thing-from now on, you are my royal witch slayer."

Clint ran ahead of her so he could kneel at her feet. "Yes, my Queen."

"Now you're being ridiculous!" Natalia laughed.

"What? Soon enough, you'll be my Queen. I'll be taking orders from you." He got up to walk beside her.

"I guess so," she mused.

The two fell silent for a moment as they walked. Clint glanced at her several times until he finally had the nerve to speak. "You sure you're okay, Nat?"

She stared right into his eyes. "Fine… Just got a little too emotional back there."

"They killed my family, too," Clint softly admitted. "First my parents, then my older brother…"

Natalia froze in place. "Clint…" she sadly whispered, grabbing his leather coat.

"I escaped, though," he added, "I was lucky enough to survive..."

"I'm so sorry, Clint. I-I brought up your family on a whim that day- I swear I had no idea…"

"It's not your fault," he gently assured her. "Actually, the first time I heard about you and your parents, I remember that I really wanted to meet you," he confessed. "I felt that you'd understand me, you know? Then when I first saw you…" he paused, looking away from her intense stare. "You looked at me with those eyes-I don't know!" he shook his head and feared where his nonsense was taking him. "You made me feel important when you looked at me." Clint felt his entire body grow hot. "Is that too weird?" he forced himself to laugh, hoping that it would erase the tension in the air.

In that moment, Natalia felt her chest constrict like the first time she laid eyes on Clint. She knew something was wrong with her. Both Loki and Clint managed to make her feel so happy and it made her feel like a horrible person. She feared that this was love, and if it was, then it needed to end. Loki needed to be her one and only-not Clint Barton… But she really liked him. Natalia knew that she wasn't going to give up the archer so easily.

"Nat?" Her face seemed pale and he feared that he had said something stupid. Did it sound too much like a love confession? "Aw, crap," he groaned, fearing that he made a fool of himself. "Natalia, I didn't mean-"

"I thought you were my prince when I first saw you," Natalia interrupted. "When the King introduced you, I really thought that you were the man I was to marry."

"Really?" His eyes lit up at the notion.

Natalia started tugging on the fabric of her gown. "But then I got to meet Loki," she continued. "I'm going to marry him, Clint. I care about him," she declared.

Clint felt like she had just stepped on his heart and shattered it.

"And you're making it very difficult to love only him…" She fiercely looked him in the eyes.

"Natalia?" he questioned. Clint felt so confused. One minute she loved Loki, and now she was blaming him for finding it hard for her to marry the guy. Did that mean Natalia loved him?

"Just take me home," she ordered. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to be near you." She turned on her heel and began to storm off. Tears threatened to escape her eyes, but Natalia refused to cry.

"Wait!" Clint grabbed her wrist and forced their gaze to meet. "Do you love me?"

Natalia's eyes narrowed as she clawed at his hand. "Let me go!"

"Do you love me…Natalia?" he gravely repeated.

"I don't love anyone!" she huffed. "I just met you-you and Loki! And you're both driving me crazy!" Tears blurred her vision and soon trailed down her pink cheeks. "I don't love-" Natalia was silenced with a startling kiss on the lips.

Clint didn't know what had come over him in that instant. All he knew was that he wanted her and he couldn't hold back any longer. She shared the same pain he did-she understood how it felt to lose family. Natalia was special, sweet, beautiful… He wanted to protect her, even at the cost of his own life. "I'm sorry," he murmured once their lips parted. "But I love you, Natalia."

She scoffed and slapped him across the face before sprinting away from him. He had some nerve to kiss an engaged woman! And his future Queen, for that matter!

"N-" Clint rubbed his stinging cheek. He debated about chasing after her, but stopped himself. Natalia clearly didn't want to be near him and Clint could understand why. Even if she did hate him forever, he had no regrets. She knew how he felt. That was what mattered most.

The princess soon returned to the castle and dashed past Heimdall before he could ask what had happened. Natalia stopped running once inside her home so her heels clicking against the marble floor wouldn't make a racket. She hurried up to her chamber room and shut the door behind her. Her heart was pounding from all the running and she collapsed onto her bed. All she wanted to do was sleep and hope that her afternoon was all just a dream.