"Everything you will need is packed and ready to go," Ivan announced to the royal couple. "If we leave now, we should reach York by sundown."
"Excellent timing," Loki grinned. "Let's hope we make it in time to attend Lord Stark's dinner feast. He throws quite the party, Natalia."
The princess nodded, distracted by the sound of approaching footsteps. She turned her head and saw Clint approaching the three.
"The King himself asked me to look after you," Clint announced with a grin. "King Odin wants only the best protection for the Prince and Princess. I've been appointed as your hunter, and servant to Prince Odinson while on our travels."
Loki frowned, but he couldn't refuse his Father's orders, especially with Ivan present. He needed to remain calm and collected for now. "Of course. You will ride in the carriage with Natalia's handmaiden," he decided.
"Wait!" Natalia knew Sif's identity could possibly be at risk if she was forced to ride with Clint. Ivan was arranged to travel in a carriage with she and Loki, but plans needed to change. She couldn't have Sif sit with Loki, either. Surely he would discover her secret… That left only one viable option. "Loki, I'd feel safer with Clinton riding with us." She noticed the archer's small smile. "He can ride alongside the horseman," she finished.
Loki flashed Clint a sly grin. "You heard the Princess' wishes. Leave us to sit in private."
"Pardon me, my Lord, but that doesn't feel appropriate," Ivan countered. "You and Lady Natalia alone…"
"Sir Barton is free to poke in every so often," Loki promised Natalia's servant. "The privacy will also make it easier for me to concentrate on glancing over the documents my Father gave me," he added matter-of-factly. "It will also benefit Natalia's mind if she, too, glanced over the papers."
Natalia nodded at Ivan and he gave in. "Very well," he agreed. "If you need anything, my Lady, I will only be a stagecoach away."
"Thank you, Ivan."
"Are we all set to make our leave?" Loki asked, feeling pleased with the new arrangements. Now he had Natalia's company all to himself. He approached his carriage and helped Natalia hop in after him. "It will be just you and I, my darling," he crooned. Loki could feel Clint's death glare as the archer slammed the carriage door shut.
"Yeah," she responded. Natalia hoped that she would get an opportunity to speak with Clint alone at least once during their travels. She needed to apologise for lashing out at him earlier.
"Where to begin?" Loki breathed as he reached for a rolled up sheet of parchment at his side. "Royal documents or simple chatting?"
Natalia began to laugh. "So you weren't lying about the documents."
"Have I ever lied to you before?" he innocently wondered.
"I see you as an honest man," Natalia began. "Which is why I intend on being honest with you…" She lowered his voice in case Clint could overhear. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you…"
Loki's lips formed a thin line. "Ask away," he said after a moment. The prince didn't like the idea of lying to her-he was already keeping so much from Natalia. If worse came to worse, he would lie and all his problems would be solved.
"Did you do something to those tarts-the ones from the day the Doctor went mad?"
Loki held his breath as he forced a straight face. "Natalia!" he gasped. "You don't…You think I did that to Doctor Banner?" he worriedly asked.
"Clinton has his suspicions," she breathed. Judging from the look of worry in Loki's eyes, he was telling her the truth.
Clinton. Of course… He clenched his fist in his lap. "That's quite an alarming suspicion…" he began. "But why tell me this? You see him as a friend, so why betray him?" Loki suspiciously inquired.
Natalia closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. "He wasn't acting like himself last week," she admitted. "He even told me that…that he thinks he was possessed at one point."
"Natalia," Loki gravely stated, "you telling me this gives me reason to have him burned at the stake…"
"Then would you have Banner burned as well?" she countered. "Don't forget that something came over you, too, that one day," Natalia reminded him. "You yelled at me-you weren't yourself that day…"
"What is it that you're hinting at?" the prince wondered, stroking his chin.
Natalia stared at her fiancé in silence for a brief moment. "What if we're being targeted?"
Loki paused, taking a deep breath as his mind contemplated what to say. He needed to agree with her notion-it all made sense in his mind. Loki could agree with his bride and pull all of the suspicion away from himself. "I suppose that could be the case," he concurred. "However, don't let this assumption give you any reason to fret."
"I could be next, though! Loki-"
He silenced her by pressing a finger to her lips. "I refuse to let that happen. No matter how strong the spell, know that I will find a way to counter it," he vowed. "Nothing will ever harm you."
"You can't promise me that," she said in a low growl. "Don't try to sound heroic-this is magic we're dealing with! Witches!"
"Do you trust me, Natalia?" he asked with a kind smile.
"Of course I do," she quietly answered.
"Then believe in me. Please." He reached over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Natalia flashed him a smirk. "You're a fool in love, aren't you?"
"'I am two fools, I know, for loving, and for saying so,'" he quoted.
Natalia quietly laughed as she leaned in to boldly kiss him. She desperately forced her tongue between his teeth. How she missed the taste of his tongue and the way his hot breath mixed with hers.
Loki's body went rigid as their lips made contact. He didn't expect for Natalia to become so daring. His large hands grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to hold her back, but she was stronger than she looked. "Natalia?" he hummed once she took a moment to catch her breath. "We'll catch hell if we're caught like this, you know," he warned the woman.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as she straddled his hips. "Is the Prince afraid?" she playfully wondered.
"I was thinking you would be the one showing fear, my darling," he smirked, running a hand through her hair.
"Don't forget you're talking to a woman who killed a witch." She lowered his hips against his and could feel what her body needed rub between her legs.
The carriage was suddenly feeling too hot for Loki. He tried to ignore his growing arousal that was pressing against his trousers, but Natalia's gentle grinding was sending him over the edge. A soft groan escaped his throat. "P-please stop."
Natalia began to laugh as she heard her prince's whimper. His body was betraying him, but that didn't stop Loki from being the proper man that he was. Natalia had complete power over him in this situation. He was all hers-they were all alone. She had the chance to fulfill her inner desires, but she chose to pull away and sit on the bench right beside him. Loki wasn't like other men. He wasn't a lecherous pervert behind closed curtains-he was a man with a pure heart and Natalia found that endearing.
"May I ask what that was all about?" Loki asked, folding his hands in his lap in an effort to conceal his need.
"I felt like kissing my husband," she innocently answered. There was something about Loki's yearning for her that made her want to refrain from taking him right then and there. He was a proper gentleman who wanted nothing more than to keep her as an innocent woman… even though she wasn't.
"Really, now?" he raised a brow. In his eyes, she seemed more like a wild animal in heat. He would never say that to her-Natalia had a fiery temper that he didn't wish to mess with.
"You love me," she breathed in an earnest tone. "Here we are all alone, yet you don't even try taking my gown off."
"Have I passed your test, then?" he pondered with a chuckle.
"Yes." Natalia's fingers laced around his.
"Self-discipline will only make our hearts grow stronger," Loki whispered into her ear. "I would be lying if I said that I haven't been dreaming of our wedding night," he added in a seductive tone.
So there was a dark side to the prince. At least he kept that to himself… "Speaking of that…" Natalia needed to change the subject before she became more riled up. "How's that poem coming along? You made me a promise…"
"And it is a promise I intend to keep."
"Can you give me one stanza?" Natalia wondered.
Loki took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Natalia, but a promise is a promise."
"You haven't written anything, have you?" she asked doubtfully.
"Of course I have!" the prince objected. "One week on bed rest-what exactly do you think I did with my time?" he heartily laughed. "I thought of you, and only you, my Natalia." He reached for a lock of her hair and began winding it around his finger. "Sweet thoughts of you made my body stronger."
Natalia hummed in approval. His voice was music to her ears. "Is that part of the poem?"
"Something of the sort," Loki mused.
She rested her head against his shoulder. "Talk to me about you-about your life," she murmured.
"Are you going to fall asleep?" He continued caressing her silky locks.
"Maybe…It's a long trip-I want to get to know you better. This is a perfect chance."
"Well," Loki began. "Where shall I start?"
"A happy moment," Natalia said with a smile. The prince took a long pause and Natalia had to glance up at him, curious if he was still awake.
"I believe it was my sixth birthday," he finally said. "Thor had gotten a horse for his and ever since then, I had always wanted one of my own. When my day of birth came around, Mother woke me up and told me to come help her with the garden." Loki closed his eyes as he replayed the memory in his head. "Mother and I often tended to the flowers together, so I found nothing to be out of the ordinary. As she led me outside, she suggested we pick some apples first. I ran ahead of her and there, tethered to our apple tree was a dashing foal standing at about my height-he's grown so much since then," he reminisced. "But I remember how excited I was. I ran straight to my mother and threw my arms around her. A boy couldn't have asked for a better present."
"That's very sweet," Natalia giggled. She could already picture a young Loki, wide eyed and brimming with joy. "Tell me another story?"
Unable to deny her request, Loki indulged her with the tale of an encounter with a wild Bildshnipe while hunting with Thor and his Father.
"A what?" Natalia asked. She thought that he was joking when he said the creature's name.
"A Bildshnipe," he repeated. "They aren't nature's most majestic creatures, I'm afraid-you aren't missing much!" He laughed, then went on to tell her how Thor attempted to ride it, only to have the beast stab him in the rear with its antlers.
Natalia occasionally laughed. Her drooping eyelids kept making her lose focus. She finally drifted off to sleep during Loki's story about when he made himself sick after eating three helpings of desserts. Natalia was out like a light for the duration of the trip. A rapping on the wooden door jolted both her and Loki awake.
"We've reached York," Clint announced, frowning as he noticed the couple had been cuddling side by side.
"Yes. Thank you." Loki felt groggy from his nap. Looking at his fiancé, he could see that she felt the same way.
Natalia climbed out of the carriage with Clint's help. The sky was dark and the only lights were those from the flaming torches Ivan and Sif were holding.
"My Lord and Lady of Asgard." A guard dropped to his knees once his Price and Princess emerged. "Lord Anthony Stark awaits your presence."
"Wonderful!" Loki beamed. "We owe him many thanks for hosting us. Come, my darling." He linked arms with the redhead. "You're in for a treat tonight."
She grinned widely and let Loki lead her inside the grandiose palace of Lord Stark.
A/N:Loki's quote 'I am two fools, I know,
For loving, and for saying so.' -John Donne