Broken

Chapter 1

There had always been walls around Loki's heart. It long slipped his mind when exactly he started to build it- brick by brick, slowly isolating himself from the world. He wore a mask on his face, only allowing select emotions such as anger, betrayal, hate and the occasional smirk to grace his features. Most of the time though, Loki wore a face of cool disinterest, his features still and resolute.

Only his intense green eyes gave away his bitter sentiments when he glowered at anyone who was brave enough to meet his gaze. One of whom was Thor, his brother-his supposed brother. They were not even related. While Odin's blood flowed through Thor's veins, frost giant blood flowed through his.

Loki felt repulsed just thinking about it. He was a monster. A monster whom everyone feared, a disgrace to the house of Odin. He would never be heir to the throne. He felt his anger boiling as more of such thoughts filled his head and the book which had been in his hand all the while hit the opposite wall with a loud thud before falling to the ground.

Just then, the doors of his room opened to reveal the one person he did not want to see.

"Sulking again brother?" Thor commented.

Loki chose to ignore Thor. He stretched out his arm, feeling the magic in him tingling. The fallen book flew back into his hand and he resumed reading. As Thor approached, he placed a tray of food on the table nearby.

"Loki, you have been in your room for the past 3 weeks. You should come out once in a while." Thor had come everyday with a tray of food, trying to coax his brother out of his shell.

"Exactly why would I do that? So people can stare and gossip? Talk how the disgraced prince walks these halls, imprisoned in his own dwelling?" Loki spat, his voice full of venom.

"Loki! You are a prince of Asgard and my brother. No one would dare to speak this way."

Thor had always been insistent that Loki was his brother. He had been pained that the Loki he once trusted and loved betrayed Asgard, wreaking havoc in his wake, tried to take over Midgard with an alien invasion and destroyed a whole city in the process. It had been Thor who finally dragged his brother back to Asgard in chains after all his misdeeds. Even after all that, he still loved and cared for his brother with all his heart. Odin had been strict,initially sentencing Loki to an eternity in the prison. He only relented when Frigga intervened on Loki's behalf, begging for leniency. Instead, he was now confined within the walls of the palace, his magic limited by a band around his wrist.

Loki then decided to ignore his brother and no matter what Thor said, he refused to respond or look up from his book. After a while, Thor realized that his efforts were futile. He sighed heavily and walked towards the door. "There's going to be a feast tonight. Mother expects you to turn up." Thor shouted over his shoulder as he left the room. The door slammed shut.

Finally there was peace and quiet. The surroundings were once again silent. Loki was getting annoyed by his brother's constant yammering. He stretched his arms over his head and settled into a more comfortable position before delving back into the contents of his book. He was certainly not going for any feast whatsoever.

However, that was not the case as Frigga had turned up at his door herself and as much as he hated it, he could not refuse his mother. That was how he found himself sulking in dark corner of the grand hall with a glass of wine in his hands.

Loki was never good at social events. He was not like Thor who was surrounded by his warrior friends Sif, Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg. They laughed and drowned in alcohol making a din in the already noisy hall. He could never understand why they would want to get drunk and deal with the massive hangover after. He wanted nothing more than to disappear back to his room and settle down with a good book but Frigga's sharps eyes were on him and he knew he could not leave.

What Loki hated most about feasts was not the noise or the alcohol-induced behavior (both of which he hated with a passion) but the women. Being a prince of Asgard meant there was no shortage of women flocking around him. He classified women into 2 categories: those who tried to seduce him, and those who despised him with a passion. As news of his involvement in Midgard had been kept under wraps, many Asgardians were unaware of his cruelty, of his evil deeds. He wondered if those bothersome women would still come after him. His lips turned up in a sneer as he pondered.

Loki's eyes scanned the crowd. People were either drunk beyond reason, engaged in friendly brawls or participating in public displays of affection with such fervor that Loki wondered why they had not gotten a room yet. However, as he swept his gaze over the room, a single figure caught his attention.

She wore a simple red dress, her chestnut brown hair cascading around one shoulder leaving the other one bare. As she turned slightly, he caught a glimpse of stormy grey eyes. He smirked as he picked himself off the wall and headed in her direction. Perhaps this night would not be as boring as he thought.

Aster was NOT having a good time. Her feet was killing her and the dress was far too heavy and hot to be comfortable. She felt like a walking curtain. Her face betrayed none of her feelings of discomfort as she struck polite conversation with the Asgardian gentleman before her who was asking her for a dance

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I don't dance very well." Aster had tried to reject him as politely as she could. She was feeling irritable and dancing was the last thing she wanted at the moment. She had not wanted to attend the feast in the first place.

Waking up at the break of dawn, Aster had been cleaned and groomed by her hand maidens. She was scrubbed down and waxed, leaving her feeling like she had shed a layer of skin before being forced into a dress that felt as heavy as a sack of potatoes. The corset did not make a life any easier as she felt her chest being constricted. All in all, she hated going for feasts. She was no more than a puppet, being groomed and displayed for her family's honor.

Thus, she put on a façade, one she had perfected, feigning enjoyment and displaying all qualities of a proper lady. She was frustrated, wanting nothing but to escape but the gentleman was insistent. Just as she was about to refuse him once again, they were interrupted by a voice as smooth as silk.