The royal Odinson wedding was one week away and everyone in Asgard was enthusiastically preparing for the event. Odin's home, in particular, was bustling with excitement as all of the preparations were complete, leaving only the anticipation of waiting for the royal ceremony. Tony and Pepper were the first guests to arrive, bringing an extra cart hauling crates of spirits with them.
Loki felt like he was the only one not lost in the excitement. He chose to hide away in his room, not bothering to eat with his so-called family and Natalia. For a few days, he feigned sickness, but that only made his Mother and Natalia worry, so he stopped. When Natalia came to him one evening asking what was wrong, he told her it was just nerves. She kissed him, promising that things would be fine. Loki believed her, until he thought back to Odin's 'private collections.'
With the wedding only a week away, Loki decided to ask the King what his secret library of witchcraft was all about. He needed the truth as to why the King owned such books. "Father?" he asked one morning after Odin was finishing up his breakfast. "May we have a word alone?" he asked. Odin nodded and left the table with the prince in tow. Loki's eyes happened to meet with Natalia's as he walked past her. Her normally flushed cheeks were void of colour and she didn't seem to be eating. The prince wondered if he was worrying her. He promised himself that he would spend some time with her once he finished up his business with the King.
"What is it, my son?" Odin wondered as they walked along a stone corridor. Rays of warm light seeped in from the openings in the wall, creating an oddly cheerful mood.
"I've found your documents about Laufey. That is how I knew…" Loki began in a low voice.
Odin lowered his gaze. "I noticed. You didn't straighten up my room as I had left it. Unless a wind blew in and scattered my papers…"
"What is my punishment?" Loki asked in an uncaring tone.
"No. None of that," Odin promised with a small smile. "You were right, Loki. I shouldn't have hidden who you are. You have every right to know about the past and I am sorry for locking it away."
"And the spell books?" the young prince continued. "Why do you own those?"
Odin began to chuckle. "So you found those, too? Promise me your snooping will end, Loki."
"Why does the King have books of witchcraft hidden away?" Loki demanded with a growl.
"They are your Mother's," the King admitted. "Not mine."
"'Mother's?'" Loki froze in place, trying to let Odin's correction sink in.
Odin chuckled at the puzzled look on his son's face. "She gathered all that she could find after I brought you home. Yes, we both wanted the books to see if we could learn anything new about witches, but your Mother insisted on attempting to learn some witchcraft in hopes that she could teach you about your heritage. After meeting you, she fell in love with you and wanted to help prove that an innocent babe could grow to be a good man, even if he was born to witches. Everything she did was in hopes of one day uniting witches with humans."
"Mother knows magic, then?" he blinked.
"No," Odin answered, shaking his head. "Nothing worked for her, I'm afraid. It made her believe that only a born witch could use such spells… Loki," Odin murmured. "You have found the books. Have you been learning from them?"
"Of course not," he answered quickly. "I have no intentions of making and deals with the Devil. Witchcraft is forbidden. That is what I have spent my life hearing from you," he coldly added.
"I only told you that because I saw how frustrated your Mother became when she couldn't learn any spells. It made her angrier, Loki," the King warned him. "I felt that unless I hid those cursed books away, she would become corrupt."
Loki eyed the old man worriedly. "I cannot imagine seeing Mother in that light," he breathed in shock. Frigga was the most loving woman he knew. To think that seemingly harmless practice in black magic could lead her to ruin… However, Loki believed his Father's words. Ever since he had picked up those books, he felt different. Loki knew what the power was doing to him. The loss of Sleipnir was enough of a shock to show how his madness had progressed. Not to mention his rage towards Clinton had increased. Loki had never thought of killing a man until the voices in his head cried out for him to commit murder.
"That is exactly why I have always said that such power will corrupt even the best of people. I hid those books away for a good reason, Loki. Promise me you will never look at them again."
"Yes, Father," Loki dryly replied. "Thank you for telling me this." He let his signature grin spread across his lips. "Now, I have to bid my fiancé a good morning," he added before turning on his heel. Did Loki really plan on giving up on his beloved witchcraft lore? If there was one thing Odin needed to know, it was that there were liars in the house of Odin, and the King wasn't the only one…
"You just missed her, I'm afraid," Frigga told Loki after he inquired where Natalia had gone. "She said she needed to lie down. Give her some time to rest before visiting her," Frigga told her son with a smile.
"Yes, Mother," Loki answered. "I will be in the library if I am needed."
Natalia spent a good deal of breakfast staring at her plate of bacon and eggs and fighting back the feeling of queasiness. Sif had earlier advised that she stay in bed, but Natalia declined. Today, she was determined to break the news to Clint. Natalia felt the nagging urge to tell someone before she went mad. Who better than the child's father? She fully intended to tell Clint to run far away so he would never set eyes on her child. If Loki ever learned the truth, he would have Clint beheaded for the whole city to see. Natalia knew her choice was foolish, but she still cared about the archer. He deserved to know. Clint was to be her confidant during her time of need. After all, he was the reason she was in her current predicament.
"Have you tried eating at all, dear?" Frigga asked with worry in her eyes.
Natalia shook her head, stabbing the yolk of an egg with her fork. "The stress of the wedding is catching up with me." The princess forced a laugh. She felt herself stating to teeter on the edge of chickening out.
"Natalia, dear, please return to bed if you feel inclined to."
The princess turned towards the entryway and saw Clint approaching. "I… Actually, I think I will lie down. If Loki comes by, tell him I'm sorry." She quickly rose from her seat and managed to catch Clint before he could walk past the entryway. "Can we talk?" she whispered, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Something wrong?" Natalia had already begun walking away, so he hurried to catch up to her. "Nat?"
"Shut up," she warned him. "We're going up to the library."
"Did something happen between you and Loki?" he wondered.
"Just shut up, Barton," she grumbled, quickly ascending the staircase two steps at a time.
Judging by her bitter tone, Clint had a gut feeling this was going to turn into her crying to him about how awful Loki was. The archer had hope, at least. He was curious as to what would send Loki off to a bar to try drinking away his troubles. Clint was starting to like Loki less and less as days passed. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the prince.
Natalia grabbed Clint's arm and pulled him into the library before quietly shutting the door behind her. They had the room to themselves, yet Natalia still felt a leering presence. Her heart pounded in her chest and she worried that Clint could hear it.
"Natalia?" Clint pressed the back of his hand against her forehead. Her skin felt clammy and held a sickly tinge to it.
The red-head shrugged away from his touch and took a seat before the heart. Don't back out now, Romanova, she repeatedly told herself. "Clint." She brought a hand to her mouth as she felt her stomach violently churn.
"Nat?" The archer kept a close eye on her. "If you're going to be sick, I can get you a basin," he offered.
"No." She quickly shook her head. "You need to leave."
"Yes, Milady," he bowed. "Call me back in if you need anything."
"No, Clint," she said in a low voice. "You need to leave Asgard. Today. Without a word."
Clint's brows furrowed in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, Nat?" He took a step towards her and she rose from the bench, her eyes set to kill.
"I need you gone!"
"Why?!" he demanded. "Is Loki putting you up to this?" he shouted. Clint knew that this all boiled down to her spoiled prince. "Because I'm not leaving here! This kingdom needs my aid!"
"No we don't!" Natalia yelled, her volume competing with his. "I want you gone! Me! Not Loki-me!" Tears formed in her eyes, but she swore not to cry in front of him. Clint was making it harder than it needed to be.
"I know you don't want me gone!" Clint grabbed her by the shoulders. "I can see it in your eyes, Natalia-you want me to stay! What did Loki say? Is he threatening you?!"
"This isn't about Loki!" she howled, shoving him in the chest. "This is about you! What you did to me!"
Clint backed away from her, suddenly coming to the realization of what went wrong. "Does Loki know what we did?" he breathed.
"So help me God, Clint! If you don't leave right now, I'll force you away myself!" Natalia threatened. "I'm telling you this as a friend," she continued in a quieter tone. "As someone who cares about you… Because you're still very dear to me and if Loki finds out, he'll have you dead." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked into Clint's blue-green eyes.
"Wait-Loki doesn't know?" he asked, puzzled. "Then why are you so upset?" She lowered her gaze and Clint did the same, only to find that her hand rested against her middle. "Oh," he choked out as the pieces suddenly fit together. The archer couldn't tear his eyes away from her stomach as he stood frozen in complete shock. "Oh no," he muttered in disbelief. "Natalia, you can't hide this!" he exclaimed in a state of panic. "Loki's gonna find out-he's tricky, Nat, and it really worries me." He reached for Natalia's hands and held them tightly. "Let's run away together! Somewhere far away where he'll never find us!"
Natalia freed her hands and slapped him across the face, outraged by his childish escape plan. "I can't run away from this, Clint!" she shouted. "These people need their queen. Royal blood flows through my veins-I can't run from that, and I can't run away from this child!"
"If Loki finds out, he'll have you killed, too!" Clint warned her.
"He loves me too much…"
"Does he?" the archer inquired.
Natalia slapped him again in the jaw. "Don't you dare speak to your Queen that way!" she ordered. "I'm telling you this because it's driving me crazy to keep this hidden!"
"Well what do you want me to do? Keep quiet?!" he snapped.
"I want you to run away and never return," Natalia sternly warned him. "Now that you know that a child is in my life, you should know to stay away."
Clint shook his head. "No. This has given me all the more reason to stay-I'm not abandoning my kid!"
"It's not yours!" Natalia coldly informed him. "This is Loki's child now." She turned away right when she felt fresh tears threatening to fall.
Clint felt his anger overwhelm him. He grabbed Natalia's shoulder and spun her around so he could properly scold her. "My child! Not his! You're crazy if you expect me to-"
Natalia stared up at him, helpless as her tears fell. "If you love me, then do me this favour… Please, Clint." Her voice began to crack. "I told you this because I trust you with my life. Do this one thing for me. If not for me, then for the child..."
Outside of the closed door, Loki stood with clenched fists and an uncontrollable rage. His home was filled with more liars and traitors than he had imagined…