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they told me once or twice that dreams come true
but they never told me nightmares did too. 

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Natasha's recovery had been going very well. She was finally getting her strength back and with the help of Cho, she was finally walking once again. Well, she walked around the room before she got tired and had to rest for about five minutes. Apparently almost dying seems to take a lot out of you. 

Today, however, she was ready to venture out of her room. She felt so many memories rush toward her of when she was alone in her room for five years. She was ready to get back to normal...hopefully. 

There were many things that she had to take care of. For example, her parents were leaving the decision of marriage on her, which was big. Her kingdom is already in an uproar demanding Sharon be punished severely. But Natasha didn't want that. But many people did not agree with Natasha's choice.  Especially Steve. 

"She must be punished! What if she had killed you, Natasha!" He yelled very upset that Natasha didn't want to sentence Sharon to death, even if she had almost killed Natasha. 

"But she didn't!" Natasha told him. They would have this same argument every morning when Steve came in to eat breakfast with her, he didn't want her to feel alone and trapped in a room. But when he left Clint came in, and he besides having hundreds of worries about her, did not talk to her about that matter, instead informed her of how the family was doing. Today was no different. 

"So" Clint started as Natasha held onto his arm walking down the hall. "Laura sends her best wishes once again." He said. 

"Didn't she send her best wishes yesterday?" Natasha asked with a soft laugh afterward. Clint himself let out a small sigh. 

"She's worried about you," Clint said seriously. "They all are. Everyone is actually." Clint didn't want to get all serious around her because he knew she heard the same thing every single day, he wanted her to get her mind off things, so she changed the topic. "So where is Maria? wasn't she suppose to be here for your first walk around the castle?" Clint asked. Natasha laughed lightly. 

"Oh, Maria is with Sir Samuel." She said with a smirk plastered onto her face. Maria has been talking a lot with Sir Samuel lately but Maria claims it's only because he is the only interesting person in the castle. 

"Samuel?" Clint asked shocked. This was the first time he was hearing anything about Maria and Sir Samuel, and to him, it was kind of a real shocker. "I did not see that one coming." He said shaking his head. "Really?" 

"Believe it or not Clint I think Maria is smitten." She said and she could just imagine Maria giving her a glare or threatening her right about now. 

"Maria? Smitten? No, I don't see it." He said shaking his head in disbelief. Natasha laughed as well, Maria always claimed that men were just a waste of her time, but that was before she met Sam. 

"PRINCESS!" A voice yelled stopping Natasha and Clint. They looked behind themselves and saw Wanda and James. 

"Princess Wanda, Sir James." Natasha smiled kindly at them. Natasha hasn't had a chance to thank James for his warnings because he had been very busy but she sent him a smile, which he knew exactly what it was for.

"How are feeling today Natasha?" Asked the very curious princess. Wanda, besides Steve, has been the most nervous and worried about Natasha. In truth, she really liked Natasha because she was the one princess who wasn't looking at Steve like a piece of gold. And Natasha was one of the very few to ever show interest in the young princess. 

"Well as good as I can I guess." She laughed. Wanda gave her a small smile. "So I heard I am making the final announcement today." She said with a sigh. King Joesph requested Natasha make it today so they could give the kingdom some sort of idea what was going on. 

"Natasha, I know this is a big decision but Steve never wanted any of this to happen, he cares about you. We all do." She said as if she was almost begging Natasha to continue the engagement toward the marriage. 

"Trust me I know. I have heard the same speech for everyone. I have heard it from him. And trust me, Wanda, it's not that I don't care about you or your family, I have to think about what will happen to my kingdom. I have to worry about their well being and if they are safe." She said sounding very formal. 

"I can tell you this Natasha, your kingdom can never be in danger when it comes to us. I know that my father needs your kingdom to help defeat Hydra, but my brother needs you. To be his queen and his partner. To have someone to lean on." She said. "and if I know my brother, after everything that has happened he can only trust very few people and you are one of them." 

"How can he trust someone he barely knows?" Clint asked although he was not in charge of the overall decision he was very keen on making sure Natasha, his sister, aunt to his kids, best friend, would be okay. 

"Because Steve now knows who really matters in his life, and you Natasha." She said turning back to Natasha, "are one of those things." 

"Wanda is right you know, Steve may be an idiot sometimes, but he knows what he wants. You are one of the things he wants." James said. 

"I don't like being referred to as something he can have. If I do marry I want to be someone he can count on. I want him to be someone I can count one." Natasha said making it very clear she would only ever be his equal, nothing more, nothing less. 

"And you will be if you are willing to give him a chance," James said. "Everyone in this kingdom is working to make up for what Sharon did, and we understand if you are scared princess, just know that we are gonna make sure something like that never happens again." He said, and Natasha could help the small tears burning at the corner of her eyes. 

"But what if it does? What if staying here shows those who want nothing to do with the problems I bare come after me." Natasha asked everyone understood her fear. She wasn't scared of dying, she was scared of bringing problems. She was scared of people hating her, or worse people dying because of a choice she made. So despite the words that sound so shallow, they knew she was only looking out for both her kingdom and theirs. 

"If they come after you, they are coming after us. You won't be alone anymore." James said. "You will have the whole army of Rogerteria, you will have a new sister, a husband, and friends who are all willing to protect you and your beliefs." James's words were comforting to Natasha, she saw a look forming in his eyes as he talked about how he would protect her and it made her feel safe... loved. 

"Please say you will think about it," Wanda asked with a glimmer of hope still swimming in her eyes. Natasha sighed and nodded her head, she didn't know her choice but she sure knows that James made an impact on her. Made her feel something quite unknown to her, something she hasn't fully experienced in a long time. 

"Princess," A maid says, Natasha turns to see who it was. 

"Your mother would like you to go prepare for the announcement." She said Natasha nodded, not even her parents knew her choice, she thought it was best if they waited to find out so no influence on what they wanted to flood her mind.

"I guess I will see you all out there?" She asked and they nodded their heads as Clint took her arm, because she was stilling feeling wary when moving and standing around for a long period of time, as he led Natasha back to her room to prepare for the announcement. 

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May your choies reflect your hopes
not your fears

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