The Tower: The Queen of Asgard
An Avengers Fanfic
Pairing: Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)
Word Count: 2430
Warnings: none
Synopsis: The twins are now three and while the Avengers know that Clint and Thor are the biological father’s none of them know or care which blond, blue-eyed baby is related to which man. When Riley gets the power to control wind and it becomes evident that she is the heir to the Asgardian throne, Elly, Steve, Thor, and Tony take the twins to Asgard to train her.
Not every Asgardian is happy with their king’s choice of consort, nor the impurity of the heir’s blood. While others expect Thor to make things more official. What’s clear is, the role of Queen of Asgard is not easily filled.
Chapter 23: The Feast
We all stood in a group outside some ornate doors as we waited to be announced to the room for Thor’s victory feast. Thor had picked up Riley because she kept trying to hide under everyone’s skirts or capes. Pietro was cuddled in Bruce’s arms, hiding his face in his father’s neck. Bruce had started looking nervous too and he’d subconsciously reached out and taken my hand as we’d approached the doors.
Everyone else was a mixture of nervousness and excitement. This was both new and yet familiar to most of them. They were used to being the center of attention. The royalty in space thing was a novel twist to it though.
“Imagine how much food there’s going to be, bug?” Clint said trying to distract Riley as she wriggled in Thor’s arms. “Just a whole room of food.”
“Dats so much,” Riley said. “Did Mags made it?”
“Some of it,” Thor said and Riley started clicking her teeth together.
“What’s that noise about?” Clint asked.
“Gonna ead da food, daddy,” Riley said and started making nomming noises to go along with her chomping.
“I thought you were being picky,” Clint said, shaking his head. “I should have known.”
“Yeah, Clint. It’s Riley.” I teased.
“Yeah, is Wiley.” Riley mimicked.
Clint looked at me and blinked. “You’re a horrible influence.” He deadpanned.
I didn’t have time to counter because they began to announce us. I was made to take Pietro, though I was told that he could sit in his own seat or with whoever he wanted once we were inside. Clint was called first followed by Sam. Then Natasha and Wanda. Bucky and Tony. Steve and Bruce.
Finally, I was ushered forward. An older man stood by the side of a grand table at the front of a huge ballroom with large windows that looked out over the city. The table was elevated above all the others and just in front of it, Loki sat with Sif and the warriors three. We had been led in and then split, so Sam and Clint sat on the outside of the table, then Natasha next to Clint and Wanda next to Sam. Tony was next to Natasha and Bruce next to Tony, while Bucky sat next to Wanda and Steve next to him. The two chairs that were vacant and in the middle of the ten chairs were bigger than the rest. The chair next to Steve was practically a throne.
“The Lady Elise. Mother of the Heir. With her, Prince Pietro Son of Clinton, bearer of shield.” The old man said. I walked out to an enormous cheer from the crowd and everyone got to their feet applauding and trying to see.
I took the seat next to Bruce and Pietro scrambled back into his lap, hiding as best he could in Bruce’s arms.
“Shh… “ Bruce soothed. “It’s okay, little one. We’re safe. Hulk’s not even worried right now.”
Pietro looked up at Bruce and his eyes flashed green for a moment as he pressed a kiss to Pietro’s forehead. Pietro didn’t say anything, but when he rested his head back against Bruce’s shoulder he seemed calmer.
“Thor. King of Asgard. Son of Odin. Bringer of storms. With him, Princess Riley. Daughter of Thor. Bearer of shield. Heir to the throne.” The man announced.
Thor strode out carrying Riley who was looking around in awe. The crowd erupted with applause. Many people were calling out to Riley in the hopes she’d look at them. Thor gave a wave as he reached his chair and Riley mimicked him making the cheering even louder.
As the room began to settle he took his seat. He said something in that language I assumed was Asgardian. Someone yelled something in return and Thor raised his hand. “And now we feast.” He roared.
There was another cheer and servers came out carrying trays of food. We were served first and while our food was being put in front of us Riley turned and said something to Thor in that same Norse sounding language.
Thor raised an eyebrow at Riley and said something back to her.
“Did she just…?” I asked.
“It was close,” Thor replied. “That simplistic way she speaks, but it was Asgardian.”
“Huh,” I said shaking my head. “Is that the Allspeak.”
Thor gave a small shrug. “I assume it must be.”
We started to eat the first course. Pietro finally stuck his head out from Bruce and began to pick at the food while Riley just wolfed things down.
Pietro picked up a piece of food and held it up. “Whad’s dis?”
“It’s mackavon,” Thor replied.
“Is good, daddy?” Pietro asked.
“Yes, son. It’s very good.” Thor answered.
“Is wike ham and fings,” Riley said with her mouth full. Pietro tentatively took a bite. He took a moment to decide if he liked it before tucking in properly.
The first course did have a ham-like quality. Almost like ham wrapped peach in a jus. It was more of a sample plate and quickly finished. Riley started to lick the plate clean.
“Oh, Riley,” Steve said taking a napkin and wiping her face. “We’re in public, honey.”
“She enjoys her food,” Thor said.
“That’s one way to put it.” Tony joked.
“She is free to. The customs are different here.” Thor assured us.
“If you say so,” Steve said with a shake of his head.
More plates were brought out. This time holding a small bowl with a clear broth, like a consommé with a single piece of bread with a paste on it floating in the middle. Neither Pietro or Riley were particularly excited by it and they began to look around the room at all the people. At one point I reached over and ran my fingers through the back of Thor’s hair as he attempted to keep Riley from toppling off the edge of the table and the crowd hushed and started whispering. I thought I’d done something wrong but Thor assured me they liked seeing the casual display of affection and to prove it he kissed me. Just a gentle peck on the lips but it made everyone cheer.
As the third course came out, this one a salad of sweet fruits and tangy leaves with crunchy seeds and nuts through it, Riley had started playing a game of name every single person in the room with Thor. When he told her that she would have to go and ask Loki who all the people were she decided she’d had enough and stood up on his legs and waved at some people at a random table.
There was a hush from the table and one woman fainted clear away.
“Honey, please, no,” Thor said gently.
“Daddy, she sick?” Riley asked, trying to climb off his lap.
“She just became too excited.” He explained. “We’re going to stay here though.”
She pulled a face and sat back down again and began to pick the fruit out of her salad and shove it in her mouth.
With the next course, a selection of cold meats and cheeses, a food fight broke out, started by Clint and Fandral. The whole room joined in with them, like the air of formality had been suddenly dropped and everyone realized who we actually were. Not royalty but regular people in an unusual position.
Riley was flailing about throwing food every which way, while Pietro panicked and got off Bruce’s lap and hid under Wanda’s skirts.
I threw something at Steve and he looked at me and narrowed his eyes. “Oh, you’re gonna get it now, El.” He said standing.
“No!” I squealed, hiding behind Thor.
“Oh yes,” he said moving past him.
I backed up, giggling and throwing more food at him, using Bruce and then Tony as a shield.
“El, you started this.” He said and picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. “And I’m gonna finish it.”
“No, Steve!” I giggled flailing my legs. People in the crowd laughed as they watched our antics even as the food fight was still going strong.
“You started this,” Steve said, swinging me from side to side.
“I did not! It was Clint!” I protested as I failed my limbs. “Someone help!”
“Clint made you throw food at me?” Steve asked, giving my thigh a playful swat.
“It’s a food fight!” I protested.
“Well, now you’re stuck there.” Steve teased.
“Why won’t anyone help me?” I whined. “You’re supposed to be heroes.”
Steve suddenly groaned and dropped to his knee, letting me slip off his shoulder.
“C’mere, printsessa,” Natasha said, taking my hand.
“Are you okay, Steve?” I asked, looking him over as he clutched his thigh.
“He’s fine. It’s the only way he’ll learn.” Natasha assured me. She took a seat and I sat down in her lap.
“My hero,” I said as she kissed my neck.
“We should rescue Pietro too,” Natasha said. “Wanda? Can you send him down?”
Wanda crouched and spoke to Pietro who was hiding under her and he poked his head out from under her skirts, looked at us and then scrambled over, climbing up into Natasha’s lap and hiding in her side.
“I’m here, baby,” Natasha said. “The adults are just having some unconventional fun.”
“Is messy,” Pietro grumbled.
“I know, honey.” Natasha soothed. “They’re stopping now.”
“You godda ead wif a fork.” He said.
Natasha and I chuckled and she pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. “I know, kiddo. Don’t worry, we’ll just smush you between us.”
Pietro started giggling and wiggled against her shoulder.
“Oh, we’re gonna smush you.” Natasha teased, ruffling his hair.
“I smush you, mama.” Pietro giggled as he opened and closed his hands on Natasha’s back.
I wrapped my arms around both of them and squeezed them tightly. “I smushed both of you.” Pietro giggled and squirmed between us.
The food fight seemed to trickle out and then end and some staff came out and started to clean up and hand out moist towels. Another course was brought out, this seemed to be some kind of fish served in a crunchy red cone.
Pietro pushed it away from him and pouted. “You don’t want that one, peanut?” Natasha asked.
“Wiley frew da food and id god on me.” He pouted.
“Did you want to change your clothes?” Natasha asked.
He nodded as he tried to wipe the food off his robes. Loki must have been listening in because she got up from her table in front of us and stalked over. “Follow me. Quickly now.”
Pietro held his arms up to her and she took him. I got up and followed after her.
“Imbeciles,” Loki grumbled. “What’s wrong with my little boy?”
“I’s dirdy,” Pietro said.
“Don’t worry, little one. I shall get you cleaned up.” She soothed.
She led us down to a room and into a large closet and began to walk down the racks of clothing. “I suppose his father would pitch a fit if I put the boy in a dress?”
“If you mean Clint specifically? No. He wouldn’t care. I don’t think any of them would care.” I said.
Loki nodded and pulled something green out. “I’ll give the boy options.”
She pulled out a few outfits and then let Pietro choose the one he liked best. He picked out something in green and purple that wasn’t exactly a dress but was more dress-like than the robes he had been wearing. I wiped him down and changed him into his new clothes and we took him back to the feast. Everything had settled back down and another dish hand been brought out. This one was a white foam and what looked liked caviar but tasted sweet on thick salty noodles.
We made it through three more courses without incident. A deep-fried dish that had some kind of grains and leaves inside what almost tasted like sushi. A thing that looked like meatloaf but when you ate it there was almost a sensation of eating tomato soup. And something like a custard served in a glass that had a fish-like taste.
I was starting to get quite full and the kids had seemed to grow bored with eating. Riley was just standing on Thor’s lap, bouncing and looking out at the crowd while Pietro was moving from one person’s lap to the next.
Riley suddenly stopped bouncing and pointed at a table at the back. “Daddy deres kids.”
“Yes,” Thor agreed. “There are kids here.”
“Pied!” Riley called, still pointing at the table. “Dey’s kids!”
Pietro looked up from where he was sitting on Sam. He looked at Riley and then the kids and then at Sam. I think it was probably the first time they had actually seen other kids besides Cassie who they had only met a couple of times. I felt really bad because we really had been sheltering them way too much.
“Can we pway?” Riley asked, looking back at Thor.
“You need to ask your mother,” Thor said.
She looked over at me. “Mommy? Mommy can we? Pwease?” She begged.
I looked from Natasha to Thor. “They’ll be okay to play in here, right?”
Thor leaned over the table to the one in front. “Will one of you supervise?”
“Of course,” Hogun said with a nod. He got up and came to the end of the table. “Come, little ones. Let’s make friends.”
Both the kids scrambled off laps and ran over to him and he led them to the back table. Hogun crouched down between the twins and the children at the table. For a moment all the children looked too shy to actually do anything. The parents of the other children watched on in shock as Hogun tried to act as a mediator. After a few moments, the children all began to run around the tables together, laughing excitedly.
We sat through seven more courses while the kids played. At that point, they seemed to set up a picnic on the ground and were taking turns feeding things to Hogun. By the eleventh course, they had returned and passed out. One in Bucky’s lap and one in Thor’s. By the 21st course, something that vaguely resembled s’ mores, but all the parts were separated and the wrong color, the feast was over. We left to more applause and returned to our rooms. The children were put into bed and the rest of us passed out together, full and as relaxed as we’d been since we’d arrived.
The Avengers Compound 