Hand of the Heart | S. Rogers x Reader - Royal AU

Ch. 6 - Jousting

"Why do you condemn them so?" asked Lady Natasha.

You invited her to your study to converse before dinner. You were tired of being around men for the last few days, so you sent for her. You normally would have talked to Eamon, as he was your best friend, but you were going to see him later and he was a man. You wanted to talk with another woman for once, and she proved to be good company during the last dinner.

You were confiding in her about the dates you were on and what you thought of each of them. So far you were only complaining. Which again, you normally wouldn't do, but it was all so stressful.

You told her of Loki being prone to being materialistic, Pietro's kiss, Anthony's want to please you, Erik's ambition, James' kindness, Brock's aggressiveness,  your distracted mind at Samuel's date, and finally your infatuation with Steven. You did not tell her about Brock's threat.

"I know nobody's perfect. But if I am to wed one of them, I need to judge them accordingly. Now is the time to do that, since there's so little of it."

"I understand. May I give my advice, your Highness?"

"I feel we can be friendly, you may call me y/n. And yes, you may."

"Of course, y/n. When I was courting Lord Bruce Banner, I was quick to judge as well. Even during consummation I had my doubts. But over time, I got to know him and learned that he was nothing like the man I thought he was."

"What happened to him? He's not here with you."

"He's a scientist, as you know, and he was working on one of his experiments when it went terribly wrong."

You nodded in sympathy. "So you're a widow?"

She hummed in response. "Point is, men are hard to understand. You have to give them a chance to open up."

"I think I am getting your point. I truly am keeping an open mind, Natasha. But with so little time... I'm just trying to get an accurate impression of each of them. It's tiring."

"I don't think any of us have any idea how exhausting men can be until they start courting us." You chuckled at that. "Well, some will go home tomorrow. That leaves less for you to worry about," she tried lifting your spirits.

"Yes, and the impending wedding gets closer as well." Natasha sighed at your words. "I apologize, I don't mean to contradict most things you say."

"It's alright. You're under a lot of stress."

"Thank you so much for listening, Natasha. I appreciate your advice as well."

"Of course."

You put a smile on your face. "Now, we have a dinner to attend."

You and Natasha entered the dining room together, where all the competitors were waiting. She took her seat and you moved to stand at the head of the table.

"Good evening, everyone. I will keep this as short as possible, I'm sure you all desire to eat." There were a few nods and murmurs of agreement at that. "The second game is a joust. It shall take place tomorrow, midday. Different from the first game, half of you will go home. For those thinking it, no, you may not use your own materials other than your personal garniture. This includes lances, riding gear, and even horses. The horses in my royal stables shall do just fine."

Steven looked down at that, and you felt bad. You knew how much his horse meant to him because of that first conversation you had. But him using his horse would have offered him an advantage.

"There will only be one ultimate winner. Good luck tomorrow, dinner may commence."

Pietro sent you a smirk as you sat down, reminding you of the kiss you shared. You were never going to admit that it was your first one, ever. At least not to him.