Prologue: The Beginnings

It was the break of dawn in early spring, when he sat on his ever present bench, basking in the glory of nature at its best. The cool breeze gently caressed his weathered face like a mother kissing her child.

A lot had changed, he reflected as he stared at the newly formed buds dancing in the breeze, a joy unknown to men.

His joints ached at the continued pressure of his posture. There had been a time he couldn't sit for a moment calmly. So restless was he that even his best friend used to call him Cyclone.

His best friend!

Immediately a barrage of memories greeted him, bringing with them their own share of feelings.

They were so fresh and clear that he pondered on the well accepted notion that old age dulls the memories, for never had he forgotten any that was connected to him; his best friend, brother and guide.

 "Grandpa!" The shout broke him from his train of thought. Relaxing, he turned his head only to be met by a pouty face glaring at him.

A tremendous wave of love and care for the small child filled in him. His littlest grand-child, named after one of those who had left a lasting impact on his life.

"Patience, Ishaani, Grandpa is thinking."

"Come on, Grandpa, you promised me a story," Ishaani whined and aimed her puppy eyes at him.

He sighed, a slave to her wishes.

"Fine, fine," he said relenting as usual, "What do you want to hear?"

"Prince and Princess," the little child erupted, "The Prince saves the Princess from the dragon and-"

"Ishhh, you always listen to that. Come let me tell you a different one."

The child pouted adorably. "But I want the Prince to save the Princess."

"Hmmm." He pretended to think hard, while his granddaughter sulked at not getting her wish. Suddenly an idea came to him.

"Fine I will tell you one," he said as her face lightened up, "But it would be different."

The child looked torn but finally she accepted. "But the Prince has to save the Princess."

He laughed aloud, mirth bubbling into a joyous facet.

"Definitely, little one, the Prince would definitely save his Princess." For in her lived his life, remained unsaid.

He took his own sweet time arranging and re-arranging his thoughts and memories, of a past long left behind. A past of pain and loss, a past that made him what he was today.

As the memories rushed through him, those old feelings too erupted in him as he delved deeper into them. The wounds still raw, grated against his senses.

A sharp poke on his sides brought him back to the present where his granddaughter stared at him expectantly, her tongue jutting out in curiosity.

"What happened, Grandpa?"

"Nothing, child, nothing," he gulped hard, "just old memories." He shook his head to clear his thoughts and began.

"Not always the first meeting of the Prince and the Princess is normal. At times even the Princess cannot recognize the Prince and that is exactly what happened to them." If only she had, perhaps things would have been different today.

"Then? What happened then? How did the Princess marry the Prince? And dragon?"she asked excitedly.

He gave a smile. "The Prince and the Princess were very different. And so their story is different too. Why, it all started from the mansion." Memories of a different time flitted in his mind. The plotting, planning, the games, the manipulations.

"Mansion?"

"Yes." He turned to her. "It all started when the Princess's mansion was to be sold."

--Niki