A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers, favers, and followers! I love you guys!
Natalia kicked the woman restraining her in the shins.
"A feisty little princess, aren't you?" the witch taunted.
Natalia's teeth bit into the hag's inner palm, but she still refused to uncover her mouth. The witch forced open the bedroom window and Natalia let out a muffled scream as they both went flying through the air. Natalia squeezed her eyes shut and didn't open them until she could hear Loki's voice crying out for her.
"Natalia!" the prince gasped. "Unhand her, you beast!" he seethed.
Natalia was grateful that Loki had been unharmed. The three were now gathered deep in the woods, surrounded by a crowd of trees. The witch shoved Natalia forward, but Loki caught her before she fell.
"You're alright, Natalia," he whispered. Her body trembled beneath his embrace and he could feel just how frightened she was.
"What's happening?" she choked out, glaring back at the black-haired witch nearby. "Loki…"
"Does she not know?" the hag wondered. Her black dress dragged against the leaves as she stepped closer.
"You stand back!" Loki shouted. Why was Natalia getting dragged into this? He didn't even have a clue as to what was happening. For now, he needed to protect Natalia, even if it meant risking his secret.
The witch drew closer, her skin decayed and wrinkled. She noticed Loki summon a blade into his hand and smirked. "Do you intend to kill me, Prince?" she taunted.
Natalia turned her head and saw Loki's sharp dagger. He wasn't holding that before… "Loki?"
"Just like the poor, poor animal," the witch added.
Loki shoved past Natalia and charged at the monster, his blade pointed at her heart.
The witch easily dodged his attack and grabbed a fistful of his hair. "Come with me and I won't harm the girl," she hissed, keeping her voice hushed.
Loki swung the dagger and the blade made a clean slice across the witch's chest. "I have no business with your kind!"
"Oh, but you do," she taunted. "Don't you wish to be with your family?"
"My family is here!" Loki spat. "What the hell kind of madness are you sputtering?!"
"Is this really your family, Loki?"
His brows furrowed in confusion. Was she trying to get inside his head? It had to be a trap!
"Ordinary humans aren't born with magical abilities," the hag continued. "A witch is born a witch. Ignore whatever lies you've been taught, Loki Laufeyson."
"Laufeyson?" he breathed.
A flash of white light appeared from out of nowhere, blinding the witch and forcing her away from the prince.
Natalia looked around and saw a striking young woman with medium-length brown hair in a clearing. In her hands was a ball of white light that she was preparing to throw at the witch. She had to be a witch, but the light illuminating her face showed her chocolate brown eyes and young, flawless face. There was no way she was evil-she was saving Loki's life! The woman fired another attack and Natalia watched, unblinking.
The evil watch's skin began to sizzle from the ray's burning intensity. It wasn't long until her skin charred and she was reduced to a pile of ashes.
Thor came running towards the bright light, hammer in hand. He stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell upon the brunette angel of light. The fact that she had wielded magic wasn't what left Thor stunned. He had met this woman before. "Jane," he uttered in disbelief. She disappeared from sight just as he broke out into a mad dash towards her.
"Loki!" Natalia shouted once the enemy had been burned into nothingness. She sprinted to her fallen prince and fell to his side. "Loki, can you open your eyes?" she asked, gently shaking his shoulder.
He hummed in reply as he slowly opened his eyes. Loki still felt blinded and his memory was fuzzy from the sun-like intensity of the witch's attack. Other than that, he felt no severe pain. He was sure there was going to be a lump on the back of his head from when he smacked into the ground, though. Loki sat upright, only to be nearly knocked over again as Natalia flung herself at him.
"You need to stop scaring me," she whispered, her arms encircled around his neck.
"Danger seems to be quite fond of us," he lightly mused.
"I mean it, Loki," Natalia growled. She pulled away, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. "Is there something you're not telling me?" she prodded.
Loki felt a lump in his throat. Natalia was too clever to hide anything from. He knew that the day would come when she needed to know the truth.
"Why were we captured? The witch said that I didn't know something," the red-head continued. "You seemed…too friendly with it. What was it that I don't know?"
He recalled the witch rambling about Loki's 'true family.' "Can we discuss this later?" Loki asked as he saw his Brother approaching.
"Loki!" Natalia watched him stand on his feet and walk towards Thor.
"That was Jane!" Thor exclaimed. "Jane Foster-Loki, I know her!"
"What?" Loki had no clue what the fool was chattering about. "The witch?"
"No! The woman who saved you!"
Natalia nodded and joined the two brothers. "I saw her, too. She was a witch."
"I can assure you that Jane Foster is a good woman," Thor promised her. "She's not a witch-it isn't possible…"
"A good witch?" Natalia assumed. "Do those even exist?"
A good witch. Loki let his fiancé's assumption sink in. He practiced witchcraft but didn't possess the red eyes or rotting skin common to witches. Was it possible that he was a good witch? 'Ordinary humans aren't born with magical abilities,' the witch told him. 'A witch is born a witch. Ignore whatever lies you've been taught, Loki Laufeyson.' Laufeyson. That name returned to Loki's memory and sent a chill up his spine. Whoever that witch was, she knew something that he didn't. Something about his 'true family.' "We need to return home!" Loki urged the two. "Quickly!"
Natalia could sense her prince's urgency and was eager to return to the castle.
Thor escorted them back and sought after Heimdall to let him know about the witch. Loki wandered upstairs to his library with Natalia trailing behind him. "You should go back to bed," Loki said in a quiet tone. "It's late."
"Not until you talk to me," she threatened him.
"Tomorrow," he drawled. "I have matters that need tending to."
"This late at night?" Natalia scoffed. "Loki!" He walked ahead of her and Natalia grabbed his arm. "Loki!" she shouted. "What the hell are you doing? Talk to me!"
"I said tomorrow!" the prince yelled back, his anger level doubling.
Natalia took a step back, shocked by his sudden outburst. Loki only raised his voice when something greatly angered him. Natalia didn't mean to be the reason for his anger. She only wanted to help him. "Fine," she muttered. "Good night."
As much as Loki wanted to let her go, he knew that would only add fuel to the fire. "Wait. Natalia…" She stopped and smugly eyed him. "Alright. You deserve to know the truth." He extended his arm and let her take his hand. "My wife deserves to know," he added as he showed her into the library. They sat down on the bench before the burning coals in the hearth. "I've honestly never met that woman in my life, Natalia," the prince began after taking a deep breath. "However, she knows me-perhaps my family has done wrong to her in the past. You and I seem to both be targets at the moment," he added.
"She mentioned me not knowing something," Natalia reminded him. "What is it? And Sleipnir! I'm sorry, Loki, but you threatened to kill that hag and she brought up Sleipnir! Why?"
Loki clenched his fists in his lap. "I…" She needed to know about his secret-he couldn't hide it any longer. Natalia didn't seem to believe in the notion of good witches, though, and he couldn't afford to scare her away. Once again, Loki needed to lie to his beloved. Lying was nothing but a bad habit, yet the fibs came so naturally to him. "You remember me telling you that Sleipnir hadn't been himself," Loki quietly began. "I grew frustrated in seeing him playing so nicely with the errand boy that I grew jealous." He kept his gaze focused on the wooden floor and channeled his inner sadness. "I…I wished he was dead-but I swear it was only out of jealousy!" He returned his attention to Natalia. "I swear I never meant it, Natalia. But… What if she overheard me saying that?! What if it's my fault that Sleipnir is dead?!" A tear escaped his eye and he knew he was fooling Natalia with his story.
"Loki," she breathed. "No. It's not your fault. None of it is." She embraced him, burying her face in his chest. "It's like you said-we're targets. We need to be careful…"
"Natalia, where will I be without you?" he murmured. "You mean everything to me-please know that."
Natalia felt her chest tighten at his words. The guilt of carrying Clint's child was slowly increasing with each passing day. She didn't know how she was supposed to live with the lie for the rest of her life. What if the baby looked like Clint? Would Loki still love her? Or was his love for her all a lie that would end all because of one night of betrayal… "And you're my everything," she promised. "Don't ever forget that."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep." His lips met with hers for a brief moment. "I suggest you do the same."
Natalia nodded and accompanied Loki on the walk to his bedroom. She bid him goodnight before making her way to her own bed.
Loki closed his bedroom door before he transported himself back into his secret hideaway in the library. Laufeyson. Loki swore he wouldn't rest until he knew just who this Laufeyson character really was.