Ch.1 Meeting Arathus

"Princess Shang!" said a voice in the palace corridors and the Princess looked back while running as fast as she could, smiling and giggling with joy.

Princess Shang, or Shang, as everybody called her was the daughter of His and Her Highness Mazarine and Marine, the King and Queen who ruled the kingdom of Azagard, a small kingdom, located in the valley of lush green forests.

Princess Shang parents had died when she was only five years old, and since then her parent's trusted maid, whom they also referred to as grandma took care of her, Grandma Rootoo.

The Princess was very naughty, and today as usual she was once again irritating her grandma very much, running here and there and making it difficult for her to even breath. But Shang didnt know about her and so she always called her mom. To her she was her mother.

As the princess ran from here to there, with her luxurious dress flowing, suddenly unknowingly she got hit by something hard and fell down on the ground.

"Princess!" her grandma said in a shocked voice and ran to help her get up, but before she could, a very handsome and strong build man already helped her to get up, the one by whom she had got hit.

When she was standing properly she looked at the man and said, "You! Don't you know how to walk properly! You have hit a Princess!"

The man looked at her amusingly and smiling said kneeling down, "Forgive me your highness, I apologize for my mistake."

The grandma who now reached them, holded her ears and she moaned giggling.

"Sorry mom sorry!" she said laughing.

She then looked at the man who kneeled infront of her greeting her and when he stood she said to Shang, "Shang, my dear, this is your personal bodyguard. Arathus."

Her eyes fluttered for some seconds and she blushed.

"He? But I don't need one! I'm fine with my own self!" she said screwing up her face at them.

"Your Highness, your lunch is ready." A servant said coming to them.

Shang went inside the place giving a look to him and when she had gone both Arathus and grandma started walking through the palace gardens.

"I'm sorry for her behavior Arathus. She can sometimes be a little aggressive." said grandma holding his hand.

Actually Arathus was her real son. Shang's parents had made him the royal bodyguard of their palace when they were alive, but Shang didn't know.

"Don't worry mother. It's fine. Anyway I know why you have made me her personal bodyguard."

"My son, I'm very worried for her. Even though she has grown up, she is still too young to enter the real world and know about her responsibilities. And I want you to make her realise about them."

Before she said this sentence she worried if her son would agree because she wasn't sure if he would agree to take so many responsibilities upon him, but when she heard his answer she felt proud to be his mother.

He said, "I am willing to do anything you want me to, because now she is my responsibility. You have taken care of her from so many years, but now you should give that responsibility to me. Don't worry."

As they were completing their fourth round in the gardens, suddenly Shang showed up and immediately again Arathus kneeled down infront of her giving her respect.

"Mother, can I take him with me inside? I should know how my personal bodyguard is!"

She smiled, "Ofcourse dear! But respect him. He's not just your personal bodyguard, he's our palace's Royal Bodyguard."

She gave a scoff and hugging her took him inside holding his hand.

She took him to her royal room, and making him enter closed the door.

Then resting her back on the door she took out a frustrating scoff, and said, looking angrily at him in the eyes.

"I don't know why my mother sent you for me, but I really, seriously, truthfully do not need you."

"Its Her Highess royal order and I'm bound to accept it." he said.

"Royal order, really!" she said again screiwng up her face at him.

"This is your Princess's Her Highness's order to leave from here right now!"

Arathus was standing away from her but finding that the door was locked he started walking toward her, looking at her mischievously.

"Don't you dare come near me!" she shouted.

He put his hand over her mouth and her eyes widened with fear. Then coming close to her, so close that there bodies were touching each other she felt his warm and calm breaths. He looked her in the eyes and then made himself even more close to her, their faces only inches apart from each other.

He could feel her heavy breaths from under his hand over the mouth, and her heart beating erratically.

"I'm here to take care of you dear Princess. Not to harm you. And even if you want I can't leave you. Because you are your mother's and my precious princess. And I have to protect you."

Shang at once became frozen and when he removed his hand from her mouth, she could not look him in the eyes. She was feeling too scared, too nervous, she was feeling looked down and she feared what he might do next. Her body had grown hot, her cheeks red, her heart was still beating fast and her eyes fluttered as fast as they could out of fear.

Then Arathus slowly lifted his one arm up and she closed her eyes immediately. She heard the door getting unlocked from up and when she looked at him he moved back again kneeling down infron her and apologized.

Shang ran out of her room and when she was gone he smiled to himself. He had never felt such a feeling before in his heart, but somehow looking deep in the Princess's eyes made his heart beat and he wondered what this feeling was.

When Shang came to the palace corridors she found her mother strolling by the gardens and going to her she gave her a hug.

"Oh! You're back, and where's he?" she asked and she felt her breakdown.

"Shang.." she said making her face her and she saw that her face was red and she was shivering.

"I don't want him!" she cried.

"But dear, you have to keep him. Who will take care of you once I'm gone?"

"You will not go atleast not now!" she said.

Soon Arathus also came and he looked at his mom who knew what had happend but giving him a smile and gesturing him to go, he went and then she started walking with her and explaining her about him.