“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 could you possibly be referring to? 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.”

/ / / Continued in Part 2 / / /