Chapter Text
After Commander Fury had made his introductions, and dismissed Steve to put both Harley and Liho into the stables, Natalia was told to follow a young woman, not much older than herself, through the castle.
The woman wore a decent burgundy red gown that had hints of gold trim on the edges of the hem. Her brunette hair was braided into a bun, and her eyes shown with curiosity. Every now and then, she’d look behind her, glancing at Natalia. It was as if she was afraid the redhead would get lost or fall behind.
As they moved through the castle, Natalia felt more eyes being drawn onto her. People stopped and stared. Others whispered in hushed tones. She didn’t like the feeling of all eyes on her, especially like this. It made her skin itch. Thus, the reason why Natalia seemed to quicken her pace when they passed by large gathering halls, or a densely populated rooms.
‘The stares will only be temporary,’ she told herself, yet it didn’t do much to calm her anxious nerves. Usually, Natalia liked being invisible. She felt naked around these people. They knew exactly who she was, though she didn’t know any of them.
The woman led her through a narrow hallway, which was adorned with multiple paintings and portraits. The natural light coming from the glass windows on either wall gave the corridor an airy feeling, though Natalia felt no-such thing when a certain portrait caught her eye.
It was of her family. But that wasn’t what struck her. Michail was in it. Her parents looked the same, solemn and serious. Her mother wearing a luxurious gown, embellished with jewels. Her father wore his finest surcoat, a belt of gold, and his silk breeches. It was Michail that made her stop and stare. He looked older. Much older. His features more grown. He looked like a young man, all serious like her parents. The joy and mischief that usually was present in his eyes were absent in the painting. What had changed him so?
“My lady,” a voice came from up ahead. The woman waited patiently as Natalia stared at the portrait. “We must hurry, the King is expecting you soon.”
“And why don’t we see him directly?” Natalia questioned.
Her gaze was now directed at the woman, and all thoughts of the painting was left behind. Her stomach twisted in knots from just thinking about seeing her father again. What would he be like? Would he be the same as she remembered? Had he changed? What would he even say to her? The amount of uncertainty in that meeting alone made Natalia feel faint.
“He wishes you to be… presentable,” the woman explained, tentatively. “Meaning, bath and a new gown. Good thing the seamstress planned ahead.”
Presentable? Natalia nearly scoffed, but instead just shook her head. Of course, why would she expect anything less from King Ivan? All he cared about was looks.
“I don’t know your name,” Natalia explained, as the two climbed a spiral staircase, leading to the second floor.
“I am Maria Hill, my lady…”
“Call me Natalia,” she interrupted. Natalia didn’t know how much more she could take of people addressing her as “my lady”. It was giving her a headache.
“The formalities…”
“Are foolish and I hate every part of it,” she finished. Maria gave Natalia a bizarre look, like she was shocked at her statement. “At least when we aren’t in the accompany of others, can you call me Natalia? Please?”
“Yes, as you wish, my… Natalia,” Maria stumbled. She probably wasn’t used to such a request.
“And what is your role around her?” Natalia asked. If she was going to be in the presence of Maria as her guide, she minus well befriend her. Enough to tolerate her, at least.
“I’m technically your lady-in-waiting, Natalia,” she explained. “But before today, I was the handmaiden of… oh we’re here.”
She stopped at a set of heavy wooden double doors, then entered. Natalia followed, and eventually realized where they were.
“This used to be the queen’s bath chamber. Though Victoria uses it now, frequently enough,” Maria began.
Victoria? Who was Victoria? As Natalia was thinking of Maria’s words, she didn’t notice how the handmaiden had made her way to Natalia’s side, and was slowly unthreading her dress. Immediately, the princess turned around in alarm, backing out of Maria’s reach.
“I’m sorry, did I… did I do something wrong?” Maria asked, again her face seemed puzzled and confused.
Natalia forgot about how things worked in the castle. How helpless the royals seemed. She forgot that the handmaidens would help the queen bathe. Now, Natalia was the one looking like an idiot.
“No, you didn’t…” Natalia sighed. How could she explain? Not like Natalia wanted this in the first place, but she couldn’t be bathed by somebody else. Nobody could help her change into her gowns like they did when she was young. With the markings… none of that was possible. It was tradition, it was the “formality”, yet Natalia had to go against it. “Please, leave me for my bath. It’s… I just…”
“Of course, my lad…I mean Natalia,” Maria said, curtsying slightly first, then excusing herself from the room. The heavy doors closed with a thud, and without the presence of a stranger in such an intimate setting, Natalia felt like she could breath again.
Slowly, she stripped off her gown. It was the maroon one that she had worn in the tavern, when she danced with Steve. Immediately, Natalia’s thoughts shifted onto Steve.
If she couldn’t bathe alone, for God’s sakes, then how would she find moments to be alone with him, or at least even near him. Only now the realization of how much freedom she had truly lost settled into her mind. She wished she was still on the trail with Steve. She wished they had more time.
But Natalia would find a way. These silly formalities wouldn’t stop her.
After settling in the lukewarm bath she closed her eyes, trying to seek some comfort of relaxation. It was no use. Her head couldn’t calm and neither could her nerves. Her stomach churned desperately. It was all too much. Yet Natalia knew what she had to do. She’d face this head on, like everything else she had faced in her life.
Eventually, she emerged from the water, wrung out her hair, and continued to dry it with a towel for a good ten minutes. Her hair was thick, and took forever to dry, but she knew she had to hurry, the King was waiting for her.
Only once she had dried her hair and combed through it with a given brush did Natalia notice the gown hanging over a changing screen. Slowly, as if it was a deer, she approached it, touching it softly, like it was the most delicate thing she had ever seen. The dress was beautiful. The fabric was a soft cobalt blue, which had long sleeves that flowed at the elbow. The neckline, hem and bodice was threaded with a gold pattern, and had matching fabric shoes to go with it. Ugh, the shoes would be an issue, Natalia would rather wear her boots.
The princess kept her gold hour-glass necklace on, and it matched the gold that adorned the dress nicely. She didn’t tie her hair up, due to the low neckline of the dress (which reached her back), yet still pinned a matching (yet, thankfully simplistic) headdress into her hair. Lightly, she shook her head, enough to make sure the decorative piece on her head wouldn’t fall off. Natalia, then, folded her old clothes (which only now did she realized were truly dirty), and made her way to the door.
Unsurprisingly, Maria was waiting outside, standing poised at the edge of the hallway. Her face seemed to brighten up when she saw Natalia, though it eventually turned into a grimace.
“I could’ve helped you dress, if you called for it, my lady,” she explained, while rushing over to Natalia’s side.
“You don’t have to do anything like that Maria, I can take care of myself,” Natalia responded, then began walking. Though, once she started walking, she realized that she had no clue where to go. “My father then?” she prompted.
“Yes, he expects use to meet him in the throne room in fifteen minutes,” Maria nodded.
“Do I look presentable enough?”
“Breathtaking. Beautiful as a princess.”
Natalia just took in a breath, holding her tongue. She knew she’d have to do a lot more of that soon.
As the two ladies walked down the hall, heading towards the staircase they had came from earlier, somebody stopped them. More like somebody’s voice.
“You! Just who I was…”
When Natalia turned to face who she assumed had addressed them, the speaker’s voice seemed to go silent.
“Well, who do we have here?” the voice continued. It was a woman. Her hair blonde, her stature confident, and her dress a marvelous violet. She looked to be just a year or so younger than Natalia, though her outspokenness and attitude full of boldness seemed to say otherwise.
“Princess Natalia Alianovna Romanova, the one and only,” she muttered and gave a stumbled curtsy, which was served with a complimentary glare. It was obvious by both her tone and actions that she didn’t take to Natalia kindly. “Maria, come to my quarters once you’re done. I need to speak with you on… other matters.”
With that, the blonde had scurried away, her heels echoing down the hall.
“Who is she?” Natalia asked once they started walking.
“Technically, that’s your stepsister,” Maria sighed, and they began to scamper down the stairs quickly. Natalia gave a look of shock, in which Maria responded, “I’ll explain later, the King’s waiting.”
King Ivan was indeed waiting, already seated on his throne when they entered the room. Maria bowed at the entrance then stood in the doorway, while Natalia was motioned to stand in the center of the room.
Commander Fury, along with Steve, were already waiting. Once Natalia reached the center, she bowed respectfully, then looked up to meet the king’s gaze. He looked exactly like how she remembered, except older and with a beard. Natalia gave a glance towards Steve, and their eyes met only momentarily before the King started his address.
“The princess Natalia has so long returned. I am grateful to Knight Steven Rogers for being successful in this conquest. And I am grateful that my daughter is home once again,” he announced. Steve nodded, keeping his head bowed as he took a knee, while Natalia stood at attention. The King eventually looked expectantly at Natalia, waiting for a response.
“So am I, your majesty,” she nodded, and took a curtsy. The king seemed to gleam, now standing from his throne.
“We have much to discuss, but first we have much to celebrate. I say a banquet tomorrow! Invite all the fine lords and ladies. This much joyous news needs to be commemorated!”
The King’s advisors nodded and talked amongst themselves, while Commander Fury, Natalia, and Steve still stood in the middle of the room.
“Leave us,” the King commanded. “You stay.”
Natalia knew from his gaze who he was requesting on keeping in the room. Her. She didn’t really know what to think.
Again, Steve caught her eye as he left the throne room. They shared a quick gaze, yet it only lasted a mere second before he was out of the room and the doors closed shut.
“My daughter, it is good to have you home,” he said, and stood from his platform. “Too late to share this day with your mother or brother, yet…”
Natalia followed his gaze onto the mosaic glass window that adorned the walls. Most were of the past kings and royals, each one wearing their crown, probably for their coronation. But the two windows he was looking at replaced the ones of the kings Natalia had remembered to be there. In their place was one of her mother, another of her brother. Her brother wearing the royal crown in the window, the same one her father was wearing.
“I wished I could’ve passed the throne onto Michail. He was being groomed to become king. He would’ve made a fine one. The plague was a horrific thing. You are lucky you were not here during that time,” he continued.
Natalia wanted to scoff. She wanted to scream and yell. How dare he?! Her life away from the castle wasn’t some leisurely vacation! She had nearly met death. What she was cursed with is more horrific than any disease. Honestly, some days, she did wish she was dead. Then her dark magic wouldn’t exist.
“You will make a decent queen someday, if you are to rule over this kingdom, once I am passed.”
“Isn’t that why you called me here?” Natalia asked.
“Yes,” King Ivan nodded. “Yes, indeed. Yet you haven’t been raised at court, not for the past ten years. For you to become queen…”
A knock sounded at the door, and the King stopped his speech.
“You may enter!” his voice bellowed.
“You’re majesty,” a servant entered the room with a bow. “Your plans for the banquet?”
“Yes, yes. Natalia, you are dismissed,” the king explained with a nod.
Natalia left the room, still wondering what in the world her father’s next words would be. What would she have to do to become queen?