Long May They Reign

Darkness

It's coming for you. It's coming for your sons and your daughters. You can't run. You can't hide. It's coming for you. The darkness will rise.

She stood in front of her mirror and smiled. Steve had gifted her this amazing gown along with a carriage of 8 black mares.

She lifted the gown out of the box and started dressing herself. A maid knocked on the door and she had to put the dress down to get it,

"I'm here to start your bath your highness. Your husband wanted me to let you know that he would be on his way soon."

Husband! She still couldn't believe it, she was married to the love of her life, the physical embodiment of all things perfect. It was a dream come true.

"Of course. Thank you." She smiled and set about getting her bath supplies. She was still going to try the gown on, maybe she'd try it on for Steve?

She had to leave the room for a bit to go down the hall to Wanda's suite for her powders and when she came back the maid was gone but her bath was ready.

She settled herself into the rose golden tub and got to work on washing the day away. It was such a magical day. She was a married woman with family and friends she loved. She never thought she'd live long enough for any of this. She gave her blessings and said prayers for her long gone family.

She fell asleep in the tub and woke up to Steve kneeling next to her.

"Nat? Babe it's time to get out. The waters freezing." He smirked at her and stood up, holding his hand out to her.

"Thanks. A maid came in and she set it for me. It was so soothing Steve. We should look for her again." She took the hand and then the towel from him.

"I was thinking about trying the gown on for you. I love it so much. Thank you Steve." Wrapped in her towel she stood on her toes and gave him a soft kiss which he returned passionately. She chastised him and then went to the gown.

"Wait- that's not my gown Nat."

"It said your name."

"The lavender one was mine. I loved you in the other one and so I had another one made. I don't know where this one came from."

"Oh well? I'll do both!" She didn't think much about it. She should have.

"Okay."

She stood and dropped the towel, enjoying the sound Steve made when he saw her.

"You know, I think we should do this another time."

"Is there something else you'd like to do?"

"Someone."

"Hmm. Well just this one then!" She started putting it on and once she was done she twirled for him. She usually wouldn't ask for any mans opinion but Steve always made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

"You look gorgeous Nat." He came up to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. Then he turned and started getting the bed ready. He wasn't paying any attention to his bride.

"Yeah..." she felt hot and she was sweating really bad. She couldn't breathe.

"Steve..." she choked out. Suddenly she started losing her balance and her vision went blurry before she started scratching to get the dress off.

"Yeah Nat?" When she didn't answer he turned and what he saw made him jump into action. Nat was sweating through the dress. But what really set him off were here eyes. There was nothing but the whites of her eyes and she kept making the choking gesture before she started coughing up blood.

"Nat! Shit!" He ran and started trying to pull the dress off but it burned his hands. He searched quickly for something to cover his hands and started ripping the dress off her body. She had fallen to the ground by now and all he could think of was that she had to be okay. She had to be.

"Nat. Look at me. That's right. Good. Keep your eyes open for me okay? I'm gonna lift you up and take you to the infirmary." Wrapping her in a sheet for her modesty and grabbing the dress, he ran out the room through the halls and down to the infirmary. Many of the palace guests saw them and followed.

"Steve!" His mother yelled after him after he passed them.

"Was that Natalia?" His father asked.

Both parents started running after.

"What happened Steve?!"

"I don't know, she wanted to show me this dress that appeared in our suite and when she put it on it started smoking and melting onto her. She was coughing up blood!"

"What's going on?! Someone said they saw Nat and that she didn't look so well." Wanda came running into the room. When she saw Nat she stopped and started towards her.

"What happened?!" She started reaching her hands out towards her-

"Don't touch her! There's something on the dress and it'll burn your hands."

"What?!"

"This sounds like an attempt on her life. This was supposed to be safe for her. How did this happen?" He just kept pacing after being kicked out the room.

The doctor had checked over Nat and she was in critical condition but if they followed the healing regimen she would heal and be fine within weeks.

"We need to find out what happened." Sarah said gravely.

Steve was seeing red and had left when he encountered Sam and James in the courtyard.

"We have news from the woods! Something is coming, we don't know but it's not good."

"Someone just tried to kill her."

"What?!"

"They poisoned a dress and forged my signature so she'd think it was a present from me."

"Well what we have to say isn't going to make any of this easier." Sam said.

"Did you find anything in the woods?"

"We found lots. And something else. We think there's a darkness coming or already here. And by what you just told us- it's here and had been here for awhile."

"You think the poisoning was just the beginning?"

If that's true than they're in a lot of trouble....
***
It's 11 pm and I just got a huge burst of inspiration out of the blue. So here's the chapter.