"Three cheers for his highness, for today he has become a young man. May the rest of night be glorious for the young prince!"
[As the crowds cheered, Siegfried slowly sipped from his champagne glass. It was the first drink of many that he planned to have, but he could feel his mother's gaze from the left of him. If it weren't for her, he would be having the time of his life right now. Tonight was supposed to be one of excitement, but instead it was overshadowed by parental advisory. Siegfried sighed, looking up from his glass. But instead of seeing his mother's watchful eyes, he saw a young woman staring back at him. A woman whose skin seemed as dark as wenge and as soft as silk. Everything about her was elegant, from the pearl headpiece that adorned her curls to her dress, which reminded the prince of a bird's wings. Even her ears were embellished with bird-like accessories, making her appear even more ethereal to him. And yet, her eyes were as dark as they were sorrowful. To Siegfried, it was paradoxical. He could not fathom the idea of such a majestic woman being so miserable.]
[Just as Siegfried got up to approach her, he heard his mother's voice beckoning him.]
Queen: "Siegfried, before you have any more drinks tonight, there is something I need to discuss with you."
[Reluctantly, the prince followed his mother away from the festivities. A prince can not escape from his royal duties, even if it is his birthday.]
Siegfried: "What was it you wanted to discuss, Mother?"
[The Queen opened a dark blue box. Inside the box laid a wooden crossbow with the letter 'S' engraved into the handle. Siegfried looked at the crossbow and admired its craftsmanship. Before he could properly thank her, the queen shut the case and began to speak.]
Queen: "I know you want to enjoy the evening, but after that I need you to focus on your future. By the end of the ball tomorrow, you must choose a bride for-"
Siegfried: "So that's what this is really about."
Queen: "I've given you plenty of time to explore your interests, but you need to think about what's best for our kingdom."
Siegfried: "So I don't even get to choose someone I'm in love with?!"
[The Queen let out an aggravated sigh, and handed the box over to him.]
Queen: "You've been so focused on hunting with your men that you haven't even considered finding someone to love, much less someone who is actually suitable for marriage. I've tried to support your endeavors, I really have, but you can't keep running away from your duties as this kingdom's heir!"
[There was a long silence between them. Then out of the corner of his eye, the prince saw the mysterious woman again. She gracefully walked past them, as if nothing had even happened. The Queen turned to look at her son, more confused than angry by this point. She turned to look in the direction he was facing, then back to him.]
Queen: "Did you already have too many drinks tonight?"
[Siegfried turned towards his mother, with the brightest smile on his face.]
Siegfried: "Her. That is the woman I plan to marry. If she would have me that is."
Queen: "Siegfried, who are you even talking about? There are several women here, and most of them aren't even eligible."
[The prince pointed towards the middle of the ballroom, where he could clearly see the woman looking back at them.]
Siegfried: "Do you not see the beautiful woman right there? I'll admit, it's a bit hard to see within the crowd, but surely her beauty still stands out?"
Queen: "There's no one there, Siegfried. If this is an excuse to get out of choosing a bride, it's not a very good one."
[Siegfried was about to respond, but as he saw the mysterious woman turn to leave, he immediately turned to follow her. Much to the Queen's dismay, her son was running after some mystery woman that as far as she knew, didn't even exist.]
[The prince followed the woman through the crowd, carefully avoiding those around him. His eyes were set on her, and her alone. It was only after they had both left the castle that Siegfried realized where she was headed. What could a woman like her be doing in the forest this late? The sun was already setting, and the prince was not about to let a young lady get lost in the woods after dark. Siegfried took the blue box, still held in his hands, and pulled out the crossbow. He hastily picked up his quiver from the archery range as he passed by, making sure to keep up with the woman.]
[As the prince continued, he quickly loaded his crossbow, and prepared himself to fight if necessary. When Siegfried looked up again, the woman was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she had suddenly vanished without a trace. And yet, he continued forward, pushing through the trees and hoping she would be on the other side. Instead, the prince saw the shadow of a different creature. Siegfried held up his crossbow on instinct, and prepared to shoot the potential threat.]
[That is, until he saw that there was no threat at all, but rather a beautiful swan. There was something almost mystical about it as it glowed in the moonlight. Despite the mysterious circumstances, the prince was mesmerized as he watched the beautiful swan transform into the beautiful woman he had seen before. He slowly lowered his crossbow, and gazed at the woman's eyes. Her eyes were now hazel instead of the dark eyes Siegfried saw back in the castle, and they stood out even more to him by comparison. The sadness within her eyes had been replaced with an entirely new emotion: fear. It was clear that the woman was still wary of him. To ease the tensions between them, the prince collected himself and bowed to her.]
Siegfried: "I am Prince Siegfried of Thornwood. And what might the enchanting young lady before me be called?"
[The woman seemed hesitant at first, but then reciprocated the prince's bow with a curtsy.]
"Odette. Odette of Lakehaven."
[Odette was soft-spoken, and yet her voice was carried with grace. Her hands were shaking, and had been doing so since her transformation earlier.]
Odette: "Are you going to hurt me?"
[Siegfried took his crossbow and tossed it to the side.]
Siegfried: "Not on my life. Now tell me, what are you doing alone in the forest at this time?"
Odette: "Me and my friends were cursed by a sorcerer to become swans during the day. We can only regain our human forms at night, and I lost track of the time when I left the lake."
Siegfried: "The lake?"
Odette: "The lake is the only place we have to stay during the day. It's the closest thing we have to a home right now."
[Siegfried would not have believed it if he hadn't seen it right before his eyes. How could someone ever do such a thing to whom he could tell was a remarkable woman, much less any other maiden as well? The thought itself sickened him almost as much as knowing that this was her reality.]
Siegfried: "Why are you telling me this? I know I've promised not to hurt you, and I plan to keep my word, but…"
Odette: "For some reason, I trust you. It may seem irrational, but some part of me believes that I'm right for doing so."
[In that moment, the prince knew that he had to break her curse for her. It simply wasn't right to have such a kind soul live such an unjust fate.]
Siegfried: "Odette, I will do everything in my power to break your curse. Not just for you, but for your friends as well. Please, tell me how I can do this for you."
[Odette stood there speechless. If she had any doubts before, they had melted away within an instant. After a moment of awestruck silence, Odette collected herself and looked the prince straight in the eyes.]
Odette: "In order to break the curse, someone who has never been in love before must swear to love me forever. The oath has to be made in the presence of several people in order to work. Since I was the first one to be cursed, all the others will be free once I am too. Come with me."
[Odette took Siegfried's hand and guided him through the forest. Beyond the forest was a clearing with a lake at its center. About 60 young women could be seen by the lakeside, all wearing the same dress and feathered accessories as Odette. Although, the prince could probably assume those were not actually accessories, but rather side effects of the curse that was upon them. Suddenly, one of the women came running up to the two of them and pulled Odette close to her.]
"Odette! Thank goodness you're okay!"
[The woman hugged Odette with all her strength. After letting go, she turned to look at the prince.]
Odette: "Penny, this is Prince Siegfried of Thornwood, whom I met in the forest. He has promised to help break our curse. Isn't that wonderful?"
[All the other women gathered around the prince in curiosity. Some looked at him in excitement, while others seemed distressed, as if there was something that they weren't telling him. But Siegfried was not concerned, so long as he could break Odette's curse as soon as possible.]
[Siegfried turned back towards Odette, and took her hand.]
Siegfried: "I swear to love you, now and forevermore. From the second I saw you in the castle, I knew within my heart that you would be the perfect match for me."
[Odette looked at the prince, slightly confused.]
Odette: "I never went into any castle. We first met in the forest, remember?"
[Siegfried looked at her in confusion. It was true that she had officially met him in the forest, but he was so sure that Odette was also the woman he saw earlier at the ball. Before he could question it any further, Siegfried began to hear cries of distress around him. One woman pointed up at the trees, her finger trembling as she spoke.]
"It's Rothbart! He has returned!"
[Sitting on one of its branches was a man fully clad in black with gold embroidery. His back laid against the trunk, with his feathery cape draped behind him. His hair resembled an owl's ear tufts, and he had the most mischievous grin on his face.]
Rothbart: "So, the young prince thinks he can lift the curse that easily. What a laugh!"
[The sorcerer turned to face them. The crowd immediately dispersed, leaving only Siegfried and Odette to face him.]
Rothbart: "If my spell was really that easy to break, she surely would've done so by now."
[Rothbart jumped down and pulled Odette next to him. He held her head up by the chin and smiled.]
Rothbart: "Isn't that right, my dear?"
[Odette tried to keep her composure, but her shaking hands and uneven feathers clearly indicated her discomfort. Siegfried couldn't stand the sight of it. He lunged after Rothbart, pushing him to the ground.]
Siegfried: "How dare you even lay a finger on her? If you ever try that again, I'll kill you!"
Odette: "No! You can't!"
[Odette looked over at the prince in fear. She looked so uncomfortable in Rothbart's arms, and yet she looked horrified at the idea of her captor's death.]
Odette: "If you kill him, the curse can never be undone."
[As Odette ran to Siegfried's side, Rothbart stood back up and brushed himself off. Even though his life was just threatened, his smirk remained.]
Rothbart: "The only way to break it is for someone to declare their love in the presence of many people. And unfortunately for you, swans don't count. Now, if Odette were to marry me instead, I might consider letting them all go. Until then, young prince."
[And just like that, Rothbart disappeared into the night. Siegfried could feel Odette's arm shaking as she held his, and turned her around to face him.]
Siegfried: "Odette, look at me. As long as I am here, I will not let him hurt you, and his power over you will not last long. My mother is hosting a ball tomorrow evening. I will wait for you, and then declare my love for you in front of the entire kingdom."
[The prince took both of Odette's hands.]
Siegfried: "If you'd like to, maybe dancing for a bit could take your mind off of things. I know I can't do much for you right now, but I can at least do this."
Odette: "I'd like that, Siegfried. Thank you."
[Siegfried brought Odette closer to him, treating her like a delicate flower. He placed one hand by her side and raised her arm up with the other. The two followed each other's movements in perfect harmony. The prince had danced with others before, but it had always been out of courtesy rather than a mutual connection. But this time was different. Maybe it was the way she moved with grace, or the fact that her once gloomy face now had such a beautiful smile on it. She trusted him with all of the moves, and Siegfried would gladly take the lead in everything if she wanted him to, not just when dancing. From the moment he saw how that wicked sorcerer had treated her, he felt a strong desire to protect this princess. And as long as he was around, he planned on doing so.]
[Siegfried twirled Odette around him, hearing her response in the form of a delightful laugh. It would have been a perfect moment, except he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. Out of the corner of his eye, he expected to see Rothbart again, but instead saw something that couldn't even be possible.]
[Odette appeared to be standing near the trees, watching the pair with a somber look on her face. But the prince could both see and feel that Odette was right next to him as well. How could she be in two places at once?]
[And that's when he saw it. Her eyes. They were now dark again. Not just dark, but pitch-black, like they were two pools of tar. This woman was the same one that he saw in the castle hours ago.]
[Odette put her hands by Siegfried's face, turning it to face hers again.]
Odette: "What's wrong, my dear?"
Siegfried: "Do you not see her? Am I truly the only one who sees her?"
[Odette turned towards the figure, then back at the prince. None of the other women have noticed the presence in their midst, and by the look on Odette's face, neither has she.]
Odette: "Whatever it was, I want you to tell me what you saw. You look like you've seen a ghost."
Siegfried: "It's you. And yet, it's not really you."
[Odette paused for a moment.]
Odette: "I'm not sure why, but I've seen it too. Not in real life though, only in my dreams. If this creature is real, I wonder what it wants from us…"
[Suddenly, the figure began to make its way to them. Siegfried pulled Odette behind him, shielding her from any possible danger. The figure placed its hands by Siegfried's face, just as Odette had done, but the prince could not feel its hands. Her lips kept mouthing the same word, over and over again.]
"Beware"
[Before Siegfried could ask any questions, the figure wrapped her arms around him, holding him in an embrace. She looked up at him longingly, and disappeared in front of his eyes.]
[Odette looked towards the East, then back to Siegfried in concern.]
Odette: "Siegfried, there isn't much time until the sun rises. Promise me that you won't declare your love to anyone else. You mustn't, no matter what!"
Siegfried: "I promise. I could never love anyone else but you anyway."
[Shortly afterward, Odette and all the other women began to turn back into swans. Odette smiled at Siegfried, but this time looking just as sad as her mysterious counterpart.]
[On his way back to the palace, the prince stumbled upon his crossbow that he dropped earlier. He lifted his foot and crushed it underneath. Siegfried had no intentions of hunting ever again. All he wanted was for the evening to arrive as quickly as possible, so he could see Odette again and save her once and for all.]