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Swan Lake. Dragon Empire
«I know you,» he said, «we’ve met somewhere before.»
«Everything in this world is unknown, handsome prince,» Edwin grinned and raised a sharp sword glittering in the darkness in his hand.
Christian looked at him, and suddenly he remembered the dark night and the uprising in the palace, his eyes narrowed for a moment, he could not believe it.
«I know you,» Christian repeated. «You killed my father, didn’t you?»
A wicked grin ran over Edwin’s spiteful lips. Odile involuntarily recoiled and from the side, leaning her hand against the wall, watched their duel. The rivals’ swords crossed. Odile watched them and did not know what to do to save the one she loved.
The duel continued, Edwin’s sword gleaming in the darkness as if forged from magic steel. For a moment their swords lingered against each other, and Edwin’s eyes flashed with fire, and the hiss of a dragon escaped from his lips.
«This is your death,» he said, but it was too early for him to triumph. Odile with a wave of her hand blinded Edwin for a moment, and Christian’s sword sank into the shoulder of the opponent.
Blood gushed from the wound and Edwin grabbed his shoulder with a hand in an urge to stop her.
Odile ran to Christian, they were just children in love with enemies, but they loved each other as much as those who separated them could not even imagine.
«Run,» she whispered, giving him one last hug, «save yourself, for my sake.»
«I’ll stay with you,» he replied boldly.
«You must leave,» Odile replied, «I will never forgive myself if now you die here because of me, you must leave.»
He looked at her for the last time, they were not parted forever, and he knew it.
«I’ll come back for you,» Christian whispered, he knew that Odile was now cursed forever, but he loved her, even if she was a black swan.
He disappeared into the distance, and Odile looked after him with sadness. She didn’t even turn to look at Rothbert who had come up. Her eyes were full of tears. She has no way to a simple human life, but the love in her heart will never disappear. And now she could only look after Christian, leaving for distant Spain, to forget about her.
Death lilies
Today, all the noblest and richest people of the kingdom have gathered in Odette’s palace to celebrate the princess’s coming of age. Odette became different, life made her joyful and beautiful, she was an adornment of her kingdom, but today sadness crept into her heart, she remembered the dazzling eyes of her handsome prince, but fate separated her from him, and even today for some reason she remembered Richard, her faithful friend.
What happened to him? Where has he disappeared so mysteriously? It was impossible to find him anywhere, but he was alive, Odette knew this and hoped that someday she would see him again.
The dance ended, and Odette sat down in a graceful curtsy to the gentleman who danced with her. Finally, she was able to quietly leave the ball and go out into the garden by the palace. Here the lake shone in the light of the moon, and its water shone with all the shades of night beauty. The lake both amused and soothed, it was Odette’s favorite place, and now, not knowing why, she came down here.
Swans swam on the clean and transparent surface of the lake. At the sight of them, the legend of the king of darkness was recalled, the king bewitched the girls he liked and turned them into swans.
«Where are you, Richard,» said Odette and before she had time to say it, the whole lake was lit up with bright light, and on the dark road to the palace flames flashed, creating a whole bridge of light.
A rider on a black horse appeared in the distance. Odette immediately realized who it was. All in black, on a shining stallion and in a black mask, from under which dazzling blue eyes shone, it was he, who was called the dark prince. The one about which legends were made, but how could he find himself here, a ghost on a black horse, a prince from the kingdom of elves.
He drove onto the road of blazing lights, his horse whinnied, and flames burst from his nostrils, his hooves beat impatiently against the ground, he was waiting for something and could not wait. Odette could not believe what she saw, the dark prince jumped off his horse and, approaching her, knelt down in front of her.
«Leave with me, Odette,» whispered the elf, who came to the realm of mortals, he raised his face to her, and Odette recognized Richard’s fiery eyes.
Who was in front of her: her old friend or the prince of the fairies? She did not know what to think, her thoughts were in confusion, and she closed her eyes for a moment, who could believe that the prince of elves was once a mortal man and loved a mortal girl, and now he came for her to take her with him to the kingdom of witchcraft.
He bowed his head in respect, and Odette did not know what to do, she could not believe that Richard was standing in front of her, her old friend and faithful lover. Did he come for her from the kingdom of witchcraft, again came to the world of mortals. She did not know whom she loved more: the mortal prince Etienne or the dark prince.
Yes, it was him, her friend Richard, but how he had changed. He became the king of darkness, not light. He had long suggested that she run with him, but now she had to decide, and Odette did not know what to do, she could not escape from her kingdom, she was his princess and could not leave it. On the other hand, she was drawn to the world of elves and fairies, from which Richard came for her to take her along with him to the wonderful world of endless witchcraft.
Richard was on his knees before her, raising his beautiful eyes to her, he begged her to leave with him, but Odette could not make up her mind.
«Richard,» she whispered.
«Now I am the prince of darkness,» he answered sadly.
She squeezed his hand, but suddenly lightning tore their hands. In a minute, Richard was no longer with her.
Where did he go? He always appeared and disappeared like a ghost, like a vision, now he was the prince of the elves, and this divided them in a way that the enemies could never separate.
And in the thicket, not far from the palace, beautiful eyes followed her and a voice whispered:
«I would give my life for you, but my life belongs to witchcraft.»
Odette turned around, it seemed to her that some quiet voice called her, but there was no one here, and she alone stood by the transparent lake and could not recover from this short meeting.
Richard disappeared as he had many years ago. She didn’t know if he would ever return.
Suddenly Odette saw a dark figure in the light of the lights. Suddenly, the shape of the figure began to change, the dark folds of his clothes turned into locks of red hair, and a red-haired witch stood in front of Odette. Odette froze with horror, but the vision faded, and before her stood only an old woman in tatters. She walked over to Odette and bowed her head politely.
«Hello, Princess Odette,» she said.
«How do you know my name?» Odette was surprised, but the old woman just grinned.
«Who doesn’t know Princess Odette,» she said, «everyone in the country says that she is the most beautiful girl in the whole kingdom.
«Thank you,» she burst out.
«And seeing you,» the old woman continued, «one can understand why you are considered the most beautiful.»
The old woman walked around Odette, peering at her, as if at some antique statue.
«Today is the day of your majority,» she said, «believe me, this is the most wonderful day that can only be in the life of a girl like you. You are very beautiful.»
How did the old woman come here, since the gate to the garden was guarded by guards?
«How did you get here?» Odette asked.
«By chance, and at the same time not,» she replied strangely.
«But the gate is guarded.»
«Nothing can be so well guarded that no one gets inside.»
«There are guards there, how did you get in?»
«Witchcraft can slip anywhere.»
«Witchcraft?»
«Yes.
«I do not believe you.»
«It doesn’t matter,» the old woman said, and took out from the folds of her clothes a wonderful sparkling flower – a white lily.
«What, besides flowers, can decorate the holiday,» she said, «lilies grow here on the rocks, you could collect a bouquet.»
«But it’s dangerous on the rocks,» Odette tried to say.
«This is nothing,» answered the old woman, «go and you will be happy.»
Wanting to get rid of her interlocutor, Odette walked away, and it was not the eyes of the old woman who were following her into the darkness of the night, but the eyes of the red witch.
Odette noticed from a distance one rock, where the most beautiful lilies grew. The princess simply could not resist the sight of them.
The wings of a huge black bird flashed at the top of the cliff. The bird flapped its wings and again became part of the rock, but Odette did not notice it, she was too carried away, picking flowers,
Odette plucked a few more flowers, but she couldn’t reach for the next one. It grew high on the edge of the cliff, and she, without hesitation, climbed there and picked a fragrant flower. It sparkled in her hand, and at that moment the huge wings of a bird – a demon covered her. She tried to escape, but nothing worked; the wings squeezed her tightly. She herself did not understand how, but her hands were covered with feathers and golden dust of the witchcraft ritual, she was another beloved of the devil, whom he turned into a swan. Her hair shattered in the wind and turned into white plumage. The dress was slowly covered with white feathers. In a moment, a white swan was swimming along the calm surface of the lake. It was an unusual bird, with a golden royal crown sparkling on its small head.
Rothbert has finally avenged his damned love, his broken heart.
Now she has become a magic bird, Rothbert took revenge, but this revenge could become a punishment for himself. Once he was already in love with the beautiful Diana, now he could fall in love with her beautiful daughter. No, it was just a fairy tale. His love died with the death of the queen, not his, but someone else’s bride. He loved her, and his love died with her and her beauty. Could he really fall in love with the one he was supposed to take revenge on, the one he turned into a princess – a swan?
Prince’s love
Years passed and Christian returned. Travels, wars, duels, battles tempered him and made him an invincible knight. He won fame and honor with his sword, but he did not rush to the palace to meet with his family. Of course, he loved them, was attached to them, but now he was called by a stronger love, love for the black swan. He has to see Odile at all costs.
His brother Etienne has changed a lot over the years. The taverns, booze, drunken fights were forgotten. University education and military training. He became flawless. Love for Odette completely cured him of drunken fights and noisy taverns, now he did not look at any girl, he was waiting for the moment when he would return to Odette again.
Rothbert went to the lake and flapped the flaps of his long black cloak like the wings of a black bird. The white swan on the lake sparkled with magical colors, and now it was no longer a swan, but a beautiful girl with blond hair. As if after a long sleep she ran her hand over her face, she was again a man, she, Princess Odette, enchanted by a swan.
«Remember everything,» said Rothbert, and like flashes of lightning in Odette’s head flashed a moment from the past, but not her, but her beautiful mother.
She seemed to see how Diana ran across the hall, how she bends over the corpse of the young king, how she receives the kiss of death from the golden bowl of the red-haired witch.
«Yes,» whispered Odette, «yes, I remember you, because of you my mother died.»
«I avenge the death of the one who was your mother. She has doomed you to suffer forever, far from your love, forever to be a cursed princess, a swan girl. At night you will take on a human form, and during the day you will become a swan with a golden crown on your head. I can give you just one day, one day you will be human and make sure that your prince has long forgotten you.»
«It will never happen,» she said boldly.
«Just remember one day, princess,» the evil genius hissed. The flaps of his cloak swept, and a large black bird flew away from the lake.
Etienne drove up to the caves located in the depths of the forest, far from the capital.
He jumped off his horse and, tying it to one of the trees, entered the cave.
Voices rang out from afar. Where did the voices come from in the domain of the old hermit, and in addition female voices, which was even more alarming.
«Prince,» someone invisible called, and another voice continued:
«Come to us!»
«Come!» It sounded in silence and echoed from the walls of the cave, «come to us, we have been waiting for you for so long!»
Etienne could not believe what he was hearing. The owner of the caves, his old friend, the hermit, had no relatives. no friends, but he was the greatest sorcerer in the whole kingdom. With this in mind, Étienne boldly moved forward.
«Prince Charming,» came from behind him. He turned and had time to catch his gaze, as a shadow flashed, dark and fast as an arrow. Suddenly the cave was lit up with light, and three girls appeared in front of him, looking like oriental princesses.
One of them was red-haired, the second was a brunette, the third was a blonde. They were undoubtedly beautiful, but for the prince, only Odette existed in the world.
The red-haired beauty looked straight into Etienne’s eyes, trying to find at least some response to her beauty, but in vain, Etienne’s eyes remained impassive. She put her hands on Etienne’s neck and grinned.
«I look like her, Etienne,» she asked. How did she know his name?
«And I? And I?» The other girls moaned to her.
«It’s stupid to think about the one so far away,» the brunette echoed.
«There are other girls in the world,» the blonde continued.
«Stay with us, Etienne,» continued the red-haired girl, «even if we are not her, but we can replace her for a while.»
«Never,» Etienne replied, removing her hands from his neck, but the red-haired beauty did not pay attention to it.
«Is she really so beautiful,» she interrupted.
«Yes,» the prince answered firmly, «more beautiful than all earthly girls, and even ghosts.»
«Go away,» came an imperious voice behind him. The three girls rose up like smoke and disappeared, and before Etienne stood his old friend, his second father, a hermit and a sorcerer.
«You came,» he said, and slightly tilted his head in greeting.
«How could I not come,» Etienne replied to his words, «you became a second father to me.»
«And you have changed,» said the hermit, «now you are a handsome prince, and soon you will become the king of your country.»
«One thing scares me,» said Etienne honestly, «marriage, I cannot marry any girl, except…»
«Her?»
«Yes,» said Etienne, not even knowing how the sorcerer knows his secret.
«Princess Odette,» said the wizard thoughtfully.
«Yes, but where is she?» The prince roused himself.
«I don’t know that, but there is one thing that I can know.
He led Etienne forward, and they found themselves in another, dark and huge cave. On the table with books lay a skull, and above it, on the wall, hung an old sword, decorated with precious stones and a golden hilt. Next to the table, on a dais, was a mirror. They approached him.
«Look,» said the hermit and ran his wrinkled hand over the smooth surface of the mirror. The mirror reflected a lake with swans swimming in it, and then Etienne saw Odette’s face. She has grown and become even more beautiful.
«Yes, it’s her,» Etienne burst out, and immediately the vision disappeared.
«Will I find her?» The prince asked.
«Yes,» said his old and wise friend, «but believe me, I know how hard it is to lose your love.»
«How do you know,» Etienne was surprised, «tell me!»
The old man moved away from the mirror, and his face was not visible behind the long gray hair, but Etienne could swear that for a moment, just for one magical moment, it again became the young and beautiful face of a prince in love with a red witch.
«It was a long time ago,» he began, «in that kingdom that no longer exists, War and death destroyed it, after the beautiful witch killed the king and the king’s brother, who was handsome and young, and…»
«And it was you,» the Etienne continued, fascinated.
«Yes,» his friend nodded his head and continued his story, «I was young and brave, I was looking for glory and battles, but she appeared, a beauty from a dark fairy tale, and crossed out my whole life. She became the wife of my older brother, the king, and broke my heart forever. She did not need love, her selfish heart longed for power, and I could offer her nothing but my heart. I left the palace and went into voluntary exile. When my brother died suddenly, she was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death at the stake.
The day she was to be executed, my life was shattered forever.
«Was she executed?» Etienne asked excitedly.
«No,» was the answer, «she sold her soul to the devil, and by this she was saved from death. She disappeared right from the place of execution, and I have only one memo about her.»
«Which one?»
«A piece of her dress,» the hermit replied. He clutched a piece of scarlet cloth in his hand, and suddenly it slipped out of his hands.
«What’s going on,» Etienne asked excitedly as a strange glow lit up the entire cave.
«I’m even afraid to think,» answered the sorcerer, but the radiance has already illuminated the whole room, and a piece of dress fell on the mirror and began to grow. Now it was not a fragment, but a royal scarlet dress.
Then, against the background of a scarlet dress, white hands and a neck appeared, and then everything was over, and a red-haired beauty stood in front of them. There was something eerie, blood-curdling about her beauty, and a long cross-shaped brand on a long chain stretched around her neck.
«You called me,» she whispered, addressing the king’s brother, and a cold grin ran across her lips, «I had a dream,» she said, «and I became young again, as I did many years ago, but this is just an optical illusion.»
«You’re back,» he said. She walked over to him, her face beaming white. He was old, and she was very young. Her beauty shone like a bright star, like her red hair against his gray hair.
«I was always afraid that old age would touch me,» she said as if in thought, «but it happened even worse: the devil made me vicious and ugly, like himself.»
Her eyes flashed with life and hope.
«Come with me,» she said, «come with me, and you will look younger again.»
«Violetta,» he said, moving towards her, but the scar on her neck reminded him that she was different.
«Will you come with me?» she asked.
«I can’t,» he replied, and at that moment her eyes again filled with anger and hatred.
«You will regret it,» sounded in the silence, and the red-haired witch disappeared.
«Go away, Etienne,» said the hermit, «don’t make me fear for your life.»
«Remember, now you know the secret of the red-haired witch, and danger will haunt you.»
Etienne rode for a long time through the forest, heading back to the royal castle. He did not leave the feeling that someone was watching him, but so far the enemy had not attacked him openly. Odette’s face was in front of the prince’s eyes, and now he was going to find her, no matter what it cost him. The price could be high, but he was not afraid of anything.
Etienne’s coming of age has long been celebrated at the royal castle. Both the peasants who loved the good prince, and the noble people who highly appreciated him, all gathered here, and each of them celebrated this event in his own way, although it was equally dear to all.
The peasant girls immediately ran up to the prince, and Etienne barely managed to free himself from their circle and approach his friends. Fritz and Ben, as always, were ready to leave any fun company for the sake of the prince’s company.
«Etienne, where have you been,» Fritz asked first of all, «some very beautiful girls are waiting for you here, they want to congratulate you.»
«If you knew what real beauty is,» Etienne sighed sadly.
«What happened to you,» only his friend could squeeze out, «before we went around all the taverns in the district and if you have no desire to resume all this, then I have it.»
«I was in an old hermit’s cave,» Etienne said quietly.
«Now everything is clear,» Ben cut him off. «They say that getting into the world of witchcraft there is as easy as crossing the entrance to a cave.»
«You’re right,» Etienne admitted honestly, remembering what happened in the cave today.
«I also saw witchcraft,» as if by chance, Fritz threw, «by one swan lake, no one comes there now.»
He was silent for a moment, as if with difficulty remembering the features of some misty ghost.
«I saw a girl there,» he finally said, with such admiration as if he were talking about the heavenly angel itself.
«Girl,» Etienne burst out.
«Yes, she was very beautiful. So beautiful that I cannot compare her even with you and with the prince, I mean your strange brother.»
For Fritz, Christian has always been strange, because, unlike Etienne, he spent his youth not in a tavern, but in duels.
«It was like a vision,» Fritz continued. «She was wearing a luxurious ball gown, although she was standing in the middle of the swan lakes. I have never seen such a beautiful girl. She had blonde hair and clear eyes, I was struck by her look, and then right in front of my eyes, but I swear I wasn’t, and it didn’t seem to me, she turned into a white swan and flew away into the distance.»
He expected Etienne to protest, but he was stunned.
«You say she had blonde hair,» he could only say.
«Yes,» answered Fritz without hesitation, «do you believe me?»
«Still a swan girl,» Ben laughed at him, «you can tell stories. anywhere, but not at court, you will be immediately sent to hell, deciding that you are insane.»
«I swear to you, I saw her,» Fritz objected, but Ben cut him off.
«Hush!»
A group of young peasant women came up to congratulate Etienne. One of them handed the prince a bouquet of wildflowers.
«Meet, Etienne, this is Marie,» Ben said.
Marie sat down before the prince in a graceful curtsy. She was very attractive, with golden spike hair, and reminded him a bit of Odette, but this was not his favorite princess.
«Today is a wonderful day, your highness,» said Marie, and her eyes flashed merrily, «are you happy?»
«I doubt it,» Etienne replied honestly, he did not want to lie or dissemble, he did not see this sweet girl as a threat to his happiness.
«You should be happy on a day like this,» she said.
«It’s too difficult, my happiness is far from here, in the land of swan lakes.»
«Do you love the girl, or maybe,» she smiled slyly.
«Perhaps what?» he asked.
«Perhaps you love the swan girl. It’s just a fairy tale, but I wanted it to be a reality, right?»
«I do not understand?»
«Do you know the legend?»
«Which one?»
«It doesn’t matter,» she replied.
«What legend?» Etienne could not resist.
«About girls – swans who become fabulous beauties at night if they are on the swan lake.»
«No, I don’t know,» said Etienne.
«BUT it’s just a fairy tale,» she shook her head sadly.
«Why is it only a fairy tale?»
«Do you believe that this is reality?»
«Let my friends laugh at me, but I would like to believe it.»
«It’s impossible to laugh at you,» she replied coquettishly.
«Why not?»
«Because today is a holiday in honor of your birthday.»
«But there is no happiness in it.»
«And you would be happy if there was a girl who would love you with all her heart.»
«I only love one girl,» Etienne began, but did not have time to finish, as the heralds announced: «Queen!»
The Queen was accompanied by a large, luxuriously dressed retinue. Almost next to the queen was a girl who was simply hated by Etienne. Her name was Rosalyn, and it was her, after Odette’s disappearance, that Etienne was predicted to be a bride.
