A Bougainvillea Odyssey

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, thus does not revolve around the real world. Any kind of words or incidents mentioned does not signify anything related to the real world. **

It was just some other normal afternoon for Shivantika when she was playing with her little brother, Yuvraj, the crown prince, in the royal gardens under the tree of Bougainvillea flowers, which were her favorite.

"You can't catch me, sister! You can't catch me!", the prince mocks her sister, Shivantika.

"Wait till I catch you brother, then I will ask the royal mother to do justice for me....", says princess, while trying to catch him.

"Princess! Princess! Stop what you are doing, have some manners and shame. What example are you trying to put in front of all servants? Is this how a princess behaves in front of everybody", Chhoti Rani (the royal concubine) enters the scene and scolds Shivantika.

Then Chhoti rani grabs her by her wrist and drags her to her chambers.

"Now you will stay here until you realize your mistakes. You won't get any food, but will just repent on your mistakes..." says Chhoti Rani and leaves angrily.

After a day of a forced fast, when Shivantika was about to pass out from hunger, she heard footsteps. At first, she thought it might be a servant passing by; however, those were some kinds of manly footsteps. Moreover, she was on a house arrest like situation, though who would visit her at the oddest hour of the night. Then, she wondered it might be an assassin. A mysterious man enters her chamber. She took out a dagger, turns to see who it was, "the man" grabs her and put his hand on her mouth, so she doesn't shout.

"Shh...! Shh...! It's me your royal highness, Veer" the man whispered. When she heard the name, she calmed down.

Veer was her elder brother's personal guard. They met two years ago, when Shivantika was 16 years old and was kidnapped by some bandits on her way back from the mandir (temple) after her prayers with her grandmother. It was Veer who protected her and brought her back safe and sound.

From that moment onwards, she fell in love with him, her savior. She would always try to peek a look of him when he would practice. Once, when he was practicing his sword ship skills, and Shivantika was trying to peek a look, she climbed up a wall, and when she was about to look, her younger brother (the crown prince) called out her name from below. She lost her balance, directly fell on the ground, resulting in breaking her legs, having injuries and couldn't walk for months after that incident.

Even when she broke her legs, she was not upset, instead was happy as she at least could look at him and even both of their eyes' glare met. She would just jump with joy, when she imagined that scene of him. Shirtless body, six pack abs, body with sweat, dazzling eyes, sword in his hands and sharp facial features made him incomparable to other men in the entire world.

After this incident, even Veer realized something was off with the princess, as he too now saw Shivantika peeking at him.

Months later, when her legs recovered and she was able to move them and walk, she moved out of her chamber and tried to walk with the help of her maidservant, Radhika. She lost her balance, as she was about to fall, Veer grabbed her and saved her from falling.

"Thank you again for saving me, my savior...," she thanked him, "... earlier I didn't get a chance to properly thank you, so now I do it properly. Thank you for saving me."

"It was my duty to do so, your highness. And earlier when you fell..."

She stopped him from speaking any further, grabbed his hand, took him to a place where nobody else was (her chambers).