"Loki" the bodyguard whispered, tapping the young prince on the shoulder "We have to return now"

Loki felt himself depress the moment he realised the bodyguard, who promised to stay outside in the library, had wandered in. It was a violation in his view, and suddenly the claustrophobia of being imprisoned and having nowhere to go returned. Getting off the floor he straightened himself out , brushing down his clothes carefully; he'd always liked to be neat.

"Yes. I understand, sorry I didn't mean to be bother and make you come get me" he responded coldly not meaning a word of it but not wanting any bother either.

"You've been crying?"he asked sounding confused, like he could not think of reason Loki might be upset."Did you hurt yourself?"

Loki stared at him incredulously for a second but then his face became blank and he walked off, ignoring the man question altogether.

As always he walked with grace and poise; but he felt light, like he would crumble any moment. He had lost the only place he felt peaceful, someone else had entered his domain and now it was just like any other room. Beautiful, but it held no shelter from the outside world.

He should have just not come back, just kept the place as a comforting memory. Now he'd had it forced on him that he really had no place to hide and protect him, and there would certainly be no places for him like that to ever appear again.

Looking around he noticed for the first time how many mirrors where around the palace; he never used to pay attention but now he was all he could see everywhere was this dainty, lithe figure of himself. His feet gently tapped against the floor as he walked; looking down he had always remembered his stride having more weight to it, maybe it had just been in his head.

He was stripped, his magic gone he was like a naked babe in the woods. There was no deluding himself he had power, he was weak in this state and he could not think of a possible way out other than getting his magic back, and he could not imagine that happening anytime soon.

Loki felt a faint, bitter smile reach it's way onto his lip; patience was something he was a master. If it was just a matter of time, he had lots of it and he would wait his moment, he just had to remain strong.

Looking away from the mirror he moved on; his appearance never bothered him before, and so he wouldn't let it bother him now either.

His guard led him back to Thor's room and told him his brother would be arriving shortly; some comfort thought Loki , grinding his teeth and biting down his tongue to stop the sarcastic retort slipping out.

Strolling round the room he curiously observing the books Thor had on display; he had no idea how obsessed his brother was in philosophy, psychology and academia. He had always known the man intelligent enough and studied military history and strategy religiously, but he didn't know how broad the man's interests where. He always thought Thor was a too much to fickle to be interest in anything other than his sports, showing off his fighting skills and parties.

The door creaked open and Loki turned around to Thor in the doorway looking at him curiously. Walking in slowly he ordered the servants out stripping off his armour himself; such a casual independence .Loki felt a pang of jealousy before burying it down deep, he didn't need to be thinking about these things now.

"I didn't know you read so much" Loki stated "or are they for show?"

"Ha Ha, I'd lose my reputation if people knew I read books like these in my free time; I'd stop being their free-spirited hero " He said in laughing, light tone; as if it was a joke, but Loki knew it wasn't, however his step brother tried to brush it off. This was the part of Thor no one but Loki knew of, the manipulate and dangerous version, far from Asgard's pure golden child

"Very true" Loki agreed.

"You might like this book" Thor said changing the subject away from him subtly; he walked over, his body inches away from Loki's as he stretched up to reach a book just behind him "it's one of the restricted books about past wars. It contains literary fragments, art and ideologies from the opposing sides."

Loki looked at him surprised; it was bribery and corruption, he was clearly trying to curry a little favour and get Loki to talk to him civilly again now that he had made it clear Loki was his. Loki was still surprised he had given him something so valuable; knowledge like this ... well let's just say that it would not be Thor's benefit if Loki let his tongue loose on it's contents.

"Thank you" Loki responded taking the book of Thor. It was a beautiful book,; leather bound and embossed with gold illustrations of men, women and monsters fighting alongside each other in a stormy war scene.

"I am sorry it came to this" he whispered , and Loki looked up; Thor face was but inches away. "but you have to understand ... I'm that sort of person"

"And you have to understand the kind of person I am" Loki responded back

"yes." Thor whispered, "I guess the battle continues."

Hi, I know this is a short chapter but I hope you liked t anyway :)