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On this day a queen was born
and time only grows her beauty

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The night before Natasha's birthday

Natasha sat in the carriage, her eyes were glued to the beautiful sky that was in her view outside through the mirror. She wore a long white gown, matched with her white cloak and golden imprints along the piece. 

She was getting ready to leave, on her journey home. She saw all the men and woman guards were sitting around the carriage on their horses ready to take off on their journey. King Joesph assigned his best soldiers to accompany her, which included James and Samuel. 

Maria was in the carriage behind her, with Wanda who elected to join them, unfortunately, the king and queen would miss out on the birthday celebrations due to wedding affairs. But none of that matter, because in a few hours she would be 18, old enough to officially become queen.  Clint was also in Wanda's carriage in case anything were to happen. Maria was accompanying Natasha until the time being, then she would move over to Wanda's and Clint's carriage. 

James who was keeping Natasha company stood outside her carriage with his horse behind him. She was smiling at the little things he said and did, all the while trying to keep her mind off of anything that would frustrate her. 

They were supposed to leave a while ago, however, Steven hadn't arrived yet. In fact, she hasn't seen him for a while, whether it was because he was too busy, or just didn't want to be around her. Things have been tense since the incident, and conversation they have had before seemed to be slowly slipping away. 

"James, it's becoming dark, if we don't leave now then it will be too dangerous to travel," Natasha announced to James. James was trying his best to stall for Steve, knowing how bad he would feel if he missed Natasha's birthday. Not only that but of how bad it would look. 

"Natasha are you sure? you don't want to give it another moment?" Maria asked Natasha, who was giving them both an uninterested and annoyed look.

"Your Highness," James said officially because when other nobles were around it didn't matter if they were friends they always had to address the royal families with respect. 
"I know the prince is a tad bit late, but I am sure he will come." But Natasha shook her head. 

"A gentleman shouldn't keep his fiance waiting, and I do not wait for any man." She said firmly and stuck her head out of the carriage to look at Samuel who was leading her carriage.
"Samuel," She said and Samuel looked back. "Let's go." Samuel waited a moment to see if she was joking, but she was not so he nodded as James moved away from the carriage so she could close the door. And just like that, they left, and James had no choice but to follow leaving his best friend behind. 

Meanwhile, 

Steve was running through the castle with a gift in hand. He had been working all week on it and planned to give it to Natasha on the carriage ride, knowing how much she hated the long trips. He thought that this gift would make it all better. Hopefully. 

The only problem was that he was running late, and not even a little late at that. He was busy admiring the present and making it perfect that he forgot he was due to leave. So he quickly wrapped the gift in the piece of silk he had purchased and raced down the hall. He ignored the strange looks he got from those around him because he only cared about getting to Natasha in time. 

He ran toward the entrance of the castle only to find no carriage in sight. He frowned, he had missed her again. He really had terrible luck however it never got to him until the most recent days. 

But his sadness was overdraw when he heard the stomping of men's boots and the drawing of swords. He turned around to see his father shouting at his men to go. All of his best men where with Natasha so it was quite frustrating. 

"Father what is going on?" Steven asked setting the gift beside the bush and walked up to his father who was yelling younger new guard. He looked up from the guard, who was coated with fear and at his son. He wasn't supposed to be here. 

"What's going on? What are you doing here! You are in danger!" His father said, "Our kingdom has been attacked by Hydra once more." He announced. 

"Hydra? We haven't seen them for months why are they back now?" He asked in confusion. 

"I don't know my men didn't have time to ask before they got stabbed in the chest," Joesph said in frustration."This is bad, this is actually really bad." He muttered running his hands through his face as his men ran off into town where the battle was happening. 

"Father, what are you talking about?" He asked, noticing his father was in more distress than ever before. 

"He knew. He had to have known that the princess would leave tonight." His father said marching back inside. "He only attacked after she left, meaning he also knew you had missed the ride."

"Are you saying we have a mole in the castle again?" He asked, anger running through his veins as he thought about what happened last time. 

"Focus. I am saying that Rumlow and Alexia are after the princess." Steve's heart dropped. If he had been only a few moments earlier then he would have been on the carriage to protect her. "And he knows my men have to protect the kingdom, he is smart I'll give him that." 

"What are we going to do father? We don't have enough men to go after the princess, and she only has very few with her." 

"We must find the princess, if they are attacking us, most likely they won't let anyone leave, they are a great danger." Steve nodded and ran around back taking a shield and sword around his waist and then jumping onto his horse.  He sped off on the path. The king would stay and try and stop those who were in the village. 

It has been two hours since they left, yes it took Steve 2 hours to realize that he was late, but he wanted things perfect. But now there was no telling where they were at this point. He rode down the path, it was quiet and he kept looking back and forth. 

As he rode something caught his eye. He jumped down off his horse to pick it up as it sparkled in the moonlight. 

It was Natasha's tiara. 

Steve's heart was racing as he walked a little farther revealing fallen soldiers. His heart raced as he saw their stabbed wounds. They all died. Their horses must have run off when they were ambushed. There were two carriages that looked to be smashed into a tree, and then the horses connected ran pulling off their restraints. 

Steve quickly ran over swinging the door opened, there was someone in there. There was a cough, and a hand reaching for help. She wasn't stuck but she looked as if she was hiding. 
"Maria," He said a helped her out of the carriage. She had no major injuries but she wasn't who hydra wanted so that's why they left her. She got out of the carriage and looked around, finally witnessing the mess that Hydra created. She was in horror. 

"What happened?" He asked, his voice was low and scared. He looked at Maria, who had never seen so scared since knowing her. The strong facade of she played was gone. 

"I don't know, everything was peaceful until they came out nowhere. They jumped from trees, came out of bushes. We were outnumbered. Clint and James tried following them, I don't know where they went they have been gone for a while." She said. 

"Maria, can you tell me which way they went?" He asked, but before she could answer there was a cough from one of the bodies on the ground. Sam. The two ran over to see he had been stabbed right below his head. 

"NO!" Maria said as she tried covering the blood seeping from his chest. He groaned in pain. 

"Sam what happened," Steve asked very concerned helping Maria stopping the bleeding. 

"They tried to get her." He said looking at Maria but talking to Steve. Maria looked at him, he saved her life. "I tried to save them too Steve, I couldn't." He said tearing his gaze from Maria, even though she was giving him a questioning look. 

"Hey don't worry about it, your safe Sam, you are going to be fine, you hear me that's an order. "Steve said trying to make his friend feel better, getting his mind off the pain he was obviously feeling. 

"I never disobey an order." He said, with his classic smirk. As Maria worked on tending to his wound Steve stood up, the sound of horse came back and Steve drew his sword and looking in every direction. 

"MARIA!" A voice yelled, it was Clint. Maria carefully placed Sam's hands on his wound to Stand up, she recognized that voice. Steve lowed his sword when he saw them. 

"Over here!" She called back, when they came into view it was not only Clint but James, both not shocked at all to see Steve there. They both ran over at seeing Steve. Clint was first to arrive and saw Sam on the floor. 

"Wow Sam, no one said you can die on us," Clint said trying to lighten the mood. He helped Sam stand up once checking to make sure that his wound was secure. 

"Is everyone else..." Clint trailed off not wanting to finish the sentence. Maria nodded sadly. "May they rest in peace." He muttered. Steve, although was all for making sure that when death came they would be happy, was too nervous to actually stay on this topic. 

"Will someone tell me what is going on!" Steve yelled in frustration. "Where is Natasha? Where is my sister?" He asked, the two most important women, besides his mother, of course, were missing.

"We were ambushed Steve, I tried protecting them, but Hydra outnumbered us and kidnapped the girls," James said. "We tried following but we lost them after ten miles, they took them over a river." He announced, they are in hydra territory and if would have been outnumbered. We came back for back up."

"They knew what they were doing too," Clint added and James nodded his head. "This was not an attack out of the blue, they didn't wake up this morning thinking that it would be a good day to attack. This was planned, every little step they took, and they knew which roads to take. Steve, they have been planning this for a while." 

"So what? They have just been planning to kidnap Wanda and Natasha? Was this their plan all along?" He asked. 

"This isn't Natasha's first time with Hydra," Clint said cautiously not knowing how much they all knew about Natasha's past. "So it makes sense." 

"Oh god," Steve mumbled running his hands through his hair trying to think of a way to reverse everything and go back in time. "They are going to hurt them," Steve said in a panic his mind was going to everything that could go wrong.

"We will get them back, but they are both strong and capable women, I am sure they will be fine. But Steve, we have to focus, we have to think about it reasonably we can't just barge in with no plan." James said sternly. 

"We have to work fast. We have to get them back." 

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I think I will miss you forever

Just like the stars miss the sky when the sun rises

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