Forbidden Love: A Loki Fan Fiction

Chapter 4

Aubrey

"How did your mother die?"

The question caught Aubrey off guard, for a reason beyond her comprehension she never believed that her conversations with the imprisoned prince would lead down such a personal alley. She looked down at her hands, biting her lip as she debated whether or not to answer Loki. Was it really his place to know?

"She fell ill." she replied, at barley a whisper. "I was eight at the time and don't remember much. Just that one day she was here, and in a blink of an eye she was gone." Aubrey kept her eyes glued to her hands, which were entangled within each other, her own body heat causing them to sweat. She could feel the breath caught in her throat as she awaited Loki's response, becoming aware of her heart beating heavily in her chest.

"Do you remember anything about her?" Loki asked after some time of silence had passed, as if he was trying to process her answer. He sounded genuinely interested in her story, though Aubrey didn't know if he was or if it was her own lack of being able to read people that had her at that conclusion. She looked up, her hazel eyes meeting the prince's blue eyes, and there was something there that she couldn't quite understand. Sadness? Loneliness? Perhaps he missed his own mother, Freya, who she knew Loki was close to.

"I remember she was kind." she let out a small breath, unaware she was even holding it to begin with. "She had a smile that could light up a room, everyone around her loved her. I remember my father was happy, glowing, different than he was after she had passed." a small smile crept onto her face as the memories came flooding back to her. " She always put everyone else's needs before herself, and always taught me to never judge someone based on the surface."

Loki nodded, placing his hands behind his back as he started to pace back and forth behind the wall that separated them. Aubrey studied his face, looking as though he was deep in thought, and let out a small sigh, silently kicking herself for having yet another conversation with the prince after promising herself she would be distant.

"I should return to cleaning." She mumbled as she stood up from the ground, dusting her skirt off and straightening her shirt. She wasn't aware how much time has passed and didn't wish to be scolded by the guards for putting off her work.

Loki stopped pacing and looked at her, his face unreadable. "Will you return tomorrow?" He questioned quietly.

Aubrey shook her head. "Tomorrow is my day off, remember?" She chuckled innocently, thinking by now the prince had to have had her schedule memorized. "I have errands to run in town."

The prince said nothing as she left and went back to cleaning.

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Basket in hand, Aubrey made her way around the farmer's market shopping for the weeks groceries. Normally, her sister would be with her but had spent the night at a friends and had yet to come home. She was glad that her sister was enjoying herself, after all that is what she wanted. Why she had taken the mantle of provider when their parents had passed. Though the exhaustion did eat at her at times, and she wished there were days where she could relax and see her friends, but she knew her parents would be proud of her for taking care of Kali as well as she was.

The market was busy today, as it was most days if she was being honest, crowds of Asgardians perusing the goods of others, smiles amongst their faces. She had always found kindness amongst her neighbors, but at the same time, a pit was beginning to form in her stomach. She couldn't help but feel like she was betraying them, betraying the Midgardians, by having conversations with the fallen Prince.  While they weren't talking about Kingdom secrets, she was still friendly towards him, still not cruel though others would not have faulted her for it.