[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 sixty 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 had seen 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 lay even 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. His life had just been threatened, and yet his smirk remained fixed on his face.]

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 shouldn'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 them. Its 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. Its 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. It 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.]