Laxita's POV

"Laxita, was it?" She asked.

"Yes."

She gave me a smile and said, "You don't have to be so nervous girl. I'm not going to eat you alive."

I relaxed my tense shoulders a little bit and smiled back. "I am actually very nervous."

"Like I said, you don't have to be. I can't even begin to describe how happy I am that Veer's finally ready to settle down. I was so worried that I would die without ever seeing my grandchildren's faces..." Another smile with a little shake of her head. "Laxita, I am so curious about you. How did the two of you meet?"

I decided to tell her the story which we had told everyone else. Now that I knew the truth, I realized that the story was all too real. The thought itself warmed my heart.

"So, you're telling me that Veer proposed to you for marriage?"

"Yes, he did." I couldn't hide my smile.

"Wow, it feels unbelievable." It really does. "Um, just one thing, I got to know about your real identity. Are you really...."

"An Arch Mage? Yes. Well, I couldn't believe it at first either."

"I think congratulations are in order then."

"Thank you." I smiled cheekily.

She had some work so she asked me to make myself comfortable and busied herself with her work. I wandered in the cottage as I was curious about the place Veer grew up in.

And that's when a portrait caught my eye. It was hung on the wall so I went up to it to get a closer look. The man in the portrait looked oddly similar to Veer. That smile, that commanding aura and that fierce gaze.

"That's Veerbhadra. My husband and Veer's father." She came up behind me.

"They look so much alike..." Veer wasn't kidding - the resemblance was uncanny.

"Oh, they do. I think Veer inherited most of his traits, he hardly resembles me." She sounded wistful and a bit emotional.

"How was he like? I mean if it's not too difficult for you, can you tell me about him?"

"Bhadra was my everything. Even though our time together was so short, he gave me a lifetime of happiness...."

Author's POV

25 years ago

It all started when princess Aarya of Suryaagra was set to wed the crown prince Parmanand of Somapura.

When the wedding date was selected, it was decided that a few close aides and subordinates would follow the princess to the kingdom of Somapura. Surekha was one of them. She was less of a princess's personal guard and more of a friend.

As it was determined, after the wedding, the selected individuals left their homeland and headed towards Somapura - their new home.

Although, many of them were upset that they were moving away from their families, Surekha was quite delighted. She finally got to escape her father's clutches. She had been controlled by her father all her life and now, she was glad to leave the place she called home.

Princess Aarya and crown prince Parmanand received a grand welcome in Somapura. Everyone accepted their future queen with open arms.

Aarya was quite sad when she left her home - unsure of whether she would be able to handle such a huge responsibility. Also, leaving the home in which you grew up was not an easy task. But the grand welcome of the people warmed her heart. That day, she swore to become a queen who will live for her people.

Days passed and Surekha and Aarya started adjusting to their new life. Aarya focused on her education of the kingdom's history, etiquette and culture to be a better queen. Surekha on the other hand continued to remain her personal guard. She had integrated well into the royal guard. Everyone praised her for her abilities and quick thinking. This was something which she had always wanted - to showcase her full potential and talent. And now, she was free to do so.

"How's the council treating you so far?" Surekha asked her friend. It was a pleasant evening and the two friends were sitting in the palace garden, sipping Somapura's special hot beverage.

"The council is well, harsh but I expected that. It's not something that I can't handle. My parents prepared me for situations like these..." Aarya replied.

"And the prince? How's he treating you?"

Aarya took a sip and replied. "He's....nice. He doesn't say much but he helps me out when I get stuck somewhere. I am the only one who talks all the time. He just...listens. I don't know, for now everything seems fine."

"Hmmm, that's good then. At least, the prince sounds like a decent human."

"Oh, he is. Have I mentioned that he's quite handsome?"

"Yes, you have like 45 times."

"I just wish that he would smile a little bit more. At least then, he would appear more approachable. His intimidating presence scares me sometimes."

"Tell me if he bothers you. We will pack our luggage and leave this kingdom."

"That's a funny suggestion. You know that's not possible."

Surekha just shrugged and said, "Hey, if you want to, we can escape from here. Nobody will know."

Aarya just laughed at her friend's casual response. "In the future if I feel the need for it, I will tell you."

Weeks passed and nothing unusual happened. Surekha started loving her new life and Aarya's relationship with her husband sailed smoothly.

It was a day like any other when a young man came running towards Surekha. He was in quite a rush and appeared breathless. "Have you seen the crown princess?" He asked Surekha.

"No, I haven't. Did something happen?"

"She's missing. Nobody has seen her since last night..."

"What?! She's missing and none of you informed me?"

"We just assumed that she's with the crown prince. We had no idea that he hadn't seen her since last night."

"Why? What happened?"

"Apparently, she had an argument with the crown prince and she bolted out of the room. Nobody has seen her since then."

Surekha felt guilty. Very guilty. She had no idea that her friend was going through something. She knew that Aarya wouldn't leave just because of a single argument. Something grave must have happened to her or else she wouldn't have gone like this for an entire day.

"You know your way around the palace, right? Lead the way, we must find her."

The man nodded and both of them started searching the palace.

"We have to find her, fast. It will be dark soon."

"Don't worry, we'll find her."

What did the prince do to her precious friend? She wanted to rage but now was not the time. They had to find her first.

Surekha and that man frantically searched every nook and cranny of the palace to no avail. She was getting anxious by the moment.

"Please let her be alright." She prayed.

They started searching in the palace garden. It was almost nightfall when they spotted an anklet in the garden.

"This belongs to her. She must be here somewhere."

"Let's start with those bushes." The man pointed towards a thicket of bushes.

When they reached there, they found the missing princess. She was lying on the grass with her eyes closed. "Aarya! Aarya, can you hear me? Aarya!"

Aarya blinked awake and looked at her friend with bleary eyes. "Surekha? What are you doing here?"

"Thank God, you're alright." Surekha helped her in sitting up and gave her a tight hug. "We were so scared. Where were you?!"

"I am sorry. I just needed some space to clear my head."

"What happened? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I-"

"Aarya! Aarya!" The prince called out to her and came running towards them.

"Where were you? You got me all worried." The prince kneeled in front of her to get a proper look at her. He appeared all weary and tired.

"You. What did you do to my friend?" Surekha tried to shield her from the prince's gaze.

"You've got me all wrong. I just want to talk to my wife."

"Oh, yeah? Now you want to talk to me? Where were you when I desperately called out to you?" Aarya was so furious that she averted her gaze from her husband.

"I am so sorry. Listen to me, please."

"I don't want to listen to anything you have to say."

"It might not be my place to interrupt but I request the crown princess to at least hear out my friend." The young man interjected.

"Fine." Aarya agreed at his insistence.

"Can I get some privacy to talk to my wife?"

Surekha didn't want to leave but Aarya assured her that she'll be fine. So, she left reluctantly with that man.

"Your friend better doesn't make my friend cry. Or else, I will personally make sure that he suffers."

"Oooh. Feisty, aren't we? Don't worry, he won't. They just have some... misunderstandings."

"Care to share what those said misunderstandings are? I mean, you surely know something."

The man smiled and said, "Yes, I do know. The princess is mad because our married couple over here still hasn't shared a bed yet....It sounds kind of weird when I say it out loud."

"What? It has been quite some time since they got married. So, why?" Aarya didn't tell her that. What happened?

"Param didn't want to push her. So, he kept some distance between them. The princess misunderstood the situation that he didn't like her which can't be further away from the truth. Param likes her, a lot. He thought that he was doing the right thing. But the situation escalated and rumours started spreading in the palace that the prince dislikes her or something's wrong with the princess...."

"I had no idea." Surekha spent most of her time in the training arena that's why she didn't come across any rumours. "My friend was struggling and I had no idea. I thought that she was fine..." She felt even more guilty now.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. This is something that the married couple should've resolved themselves. But they're too blind to see the love they have developed for each other. Don't fret, everything will be fine."

"I hope so." Surekha thought that it was better to let it go for now. She decided to catch up with Aarya later.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name. You're?"

"Surekha, the princess's personal guard. And you?"

"Veerbhadra. I am one of the commanders in the Somapura army."

"That's great." She hummed under her breath. "Oh look, it's my room. I will see you later, Veerbhadra."

"Please, call me Bhadra. And yes, let's meet up later." With that, they parted ways and went to their respective rooms.

The very next day, Surekha confronted her friend. She only let her go when she was assured that Aarya was completely fine. Aarya told her that all the misunderstandings were resolved and their relationship was going strong.

Later that day, Surekha bumped into Bhadra in the palace corridors.

"Hey, I almost didn't see you there." He said. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. Why?"

"I just wanted to ask if you're free to take a walk with me?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Bhadra and Surekha roamed the palace corridors talking about anything and everything in between, laughing and giggling all the time.

"Surekha, I want to tell you something." Bhadra suddenly grew serious.

"What is it?"

"I am in love with you and I want to marry you. Will you give me the honour of becoming your husband?"

It happened so fast that Surekha's world tilted. "What?! We just met like yesterday. How can you be....Bhadra if this is a joke, I have to tell you that it's terrible."

Bhadra grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her closer. "Do you really think that this is a joke? Yesterday wasn't the first day I met you. You have been attracting me since the day you stepped into this palace. Your talents are exceptional and your smiles are rare but radiant. Believe me when I say that any man would be lucky to have you."

The earnest and vulnerable look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. "You don't have to answer it right away. Just take your time and think about it. Meanwhile, I will try my best to woo you." With that, he left. Surekha was all confused and surprised. No man had ever confessed to her. It was all so new and it came out of nowhere.

Bhadra followed through his promise. He started sending her flowers every single day, made an effort to know about her and praised her skills all the while ensuring that she wasn't uncomfortable. Trying to win her over was not an easy task but he never gave up.

Soon, his sincere attitude and warm smiles started thawing Surekha's ice cold heart. She glanced at him at every chance she got and her eyes searched for him when he wasn't around. It was as if he had done some kind of magic on her.

"What is this that I'm hearing?" Aarya cornered her friend in the training arena one day.

"What?" Surekha asked dumbly.

"You've got yourself an admirer who's actually very sweet. Also, his good looks are an additional bonus. So, what are you waiting for? Why don't you accept his proposal? He seems like a nice guy."

"I don't know Aarya. I feel like I am not the right person for him. He's such a warm, caring and outgoing person. I, on the other hand, am cold, stoic and not at all expressive. What if I just end up hurting him in the end?"

"But what if you don't? What if you end up making him the happiest man alive? The fact that you're so concerned about hurting him clearly shows that you've started caring about him. You don't let someone in so easily but he managed to do so in such a short amount of time. If this doesn't speak volumes then I don't know what does."

Surekha thought about her friend's words for the entire day. By the time the day ended, she had her answer.

That night, Surekha decided to meet Bhadra in the palace garden.

"Is everything alright? You called upon me so late at night..." He looked concerned.

Surekha just hugged him tightly in response. Bhadra was taken aback but he soon regained composure and hugged her back.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to do it." Surekha couldn't contain her feelings. "I want to get married to you." She whispered under her breath.

Bhadra couldn't believe his ears. "Really?!" He pulled back from the hug to look at her. His happiness knew no bounds.

"Yes, really." Surekha also smiled while looking into his eyes.

Bhadra placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and said, "Mai humesha tumhara dhyaan rakhunga."

("I will always take care of you.")

The news was welcomed warmly by the royal family and Bhadra's father. Bhadra's father welcomed his daughter-in-law with open arms. He was the only family Bhadra had till now and they were overjoyed to welcome a new family member.

Surekha's family on the other hand was not too pleased with the news. Her father vehemently opposed her decision. The situation turned for the worse and in the end, her father cut all ties with her.

Even without her family's approval, Surekha proceeded with the marriage. The ceremony went without any hitches and soon, Bhadra and Surekha were declared as husband and wife.

The next two years were the happiest years of Surekha's life. There were moments of sadness as well, like the passing of Bhadra's father but they pulled through everything.

They moved to a new residence which was very close to the palace and it helped her in continuing her job easily.

He gave her the love she had always craved for and healed all the cracks of her heart. He brought her flowers every single day, said that they reminded him of how he preserved to win her heart and how happy he was that she was finally by his side. Their happiness multiplied when Surekha gave birth to a baby boy.

At the naming ceremony, the priest asked, "Have you decided on any name for your baby?"

To which Surekha replied, "Veerendra. Yodha Veerabhadra ka beta Veerendra." Her statement made Bhadra sentimental and happy at the same time.

("Veerendra. The son of warrior Veerbhadra.")

The very next month, Aarya gave birth to a princess and they named her Nityanjali.

The entire kingdom was celebrating the occasion but something sinister started brewing under the surface.

"The barbarians have attacked a village, you say?" The king asked.

"Yes, your majesty." The army general replied.

An urgent meeting was called upon hearing about the recent attacks of the barbarians. The attacks were getting worse day-by-day.

"I think I should go and check it out." Bhadra said.

"No. I think we both should go and check it out. Father, please give us the orders." Param requested his father.

"We should nip the flower in its bud. Fine, you both go and check it out. But be careful, you're the future ruler of Somapura."

"Yes, father."

The meeting concluded and it was decided that Bhadra and Param would leave at first light.

"Please be safe out there." Surekha said to her husband while he was packing.

"I will. Don't worry." Bhadra assured her.

"I am worried. These barbarians are no ordinary opponents, they are extremely skilled warriors."

"I will be fine." Bhadra went up and kissed her forehead. He took Veer from her and cradled him in his arms while gently stroking his cheek. "Father will be back before you know it."

As it was decided, both of them left the very next morning along with a very skilled army unit.

Weeks passed and it was almost a month now. The battle was getting prolonged and the messages were few and far in between. And then, news arrived that they had won.

Surekha rushed to the palace to meet her husband, her anklet bells echoing in the corridors. Everyone had assembled in the great hall to welcome the brave warriors.

When she reached there, she saw that there was utter silence. Why wasn't anyone celebrating the victory? Then, her eyes landed on someone.

It was Veerbhadra but instead of warm smiles and kind eyes, a lifeless body greeted her. Not everyone had returned. She was horrified and she couldn't believe her eyes.

She ran to sit beside her husband and started sobbing. "You promised that you'll return safe and sound. You said that you'll always take care of me!" Her voice rose with each sentence. Everyone was watching her with tears in their eyes, especially Paramanand and Aarya. "How am I supposed to live now? What about Veer? You said that you'll teach him swordsmanship. What about all the promises you made to me?!"

Paramanand couldn't bear the guilt and blurted out, "It was all my fault. If I hadn't been so overconfident then Bhadra would've..." A lone tear escaped his eyes. "I have failed you Surekha..." That day, Param didn't lose a friend, he lost a family member.

Aarya tried her best to soothe Surekha but she wouldn't stop weeping and wailing.

How could the universe be so cruel? It snatched everything away from her...

.

.

.

Hello dear readers🌷

A flashback chapter, I know right? And kind of rushed too but I wanted to add this chapter so here it is...

It was sort of emotional but the next chapters won't be. So, stay tuned!