His Enchanted Swan

Chapter Nineteen

“What do you mean, that you are married to my daughter?” Alexander exclaimed. “No wedding was performed!”

“Simple.” Rothbart replied, with a smug look upon his face. “Odette begged me to take her to my enchanted kingdom. In exchange for saving her from her dreaded fate, marrying the horrid Prince Siegfried, she then would be forever mine. My Swan Queen by day, and my human bride by night.”

He then looked at her, and smiled. “Isn’t that right my dear?”

“I thought-I thought it was a dream.” She replied, as tears began to well up in her eyes.

“Oh no my dear.” Said Rothbart. “I can assure you that it was very real. Everything happened, just as you remembered.”

“My kingdom does not recognize this union!” Alexander angrily proclaimed. “And my daughter will not become a member of your-your harem!”

“She is not a member of a harem!” Rothbart exclaimed. “She is my wife, and my queen! I have been in love with her, ever since she rescued me from the wretched boy. The one that now stands before me, as a so called man!”

“That was you?” Cried Alexander. “You were the owl that my daughter rescued? She was only eight! What kind of a foul creature falls in love with a small child! If I had known the owl was you, I would not only have forbade her from taking care of you, I would have had you stuffed and mounted!”

“I fell in love with a beautiful soul!” Rothbart replied. “It just happened to be in the body of a small child, but I was willing to wait. I waited for her to come of age! It was you, who sealed her fate at such a young age. You are the one who promised her hand to Prince Siegfried, when she was merely a small child! It is you who are the foul creature, not I!”

“How dare you!” Exclaimed Alexander. “You are the one who abducts helpless maidens, and turns them into swans!”

“What you see as abduction, I see as liberation!” Rothbart proclaimed. “I took them, and made them even more beautiful then they already were! I rescued them, and saved them from being subjugated by man! They are immortal, and no longer forced to serve the beasts known as the descendants of Adam! They are free from man’s tyranny, just as I have freed Odette. She is my bride! And can no longer be forced to marry Siegfried!”

“As I stated before, your claim to my daughter is not recognized in my kingdom!” Cried Alexander.

“Really?” Rothbart sneered. “Even if I were to tell you that we have already consummated our union?”

“That’s a lie!” Alexander exclaimed.

“I can assure you, it is the truth.” Rothbart replied. “And if you don’t believe me, then you will, when Odette gives birth seven months from now.”

A collective gasp could be heard throughout the ballroom. Odette was horrified by what he had just said. Not only had the entire nightmare been real, but he just said that she was carrying his child.

“What is he talking about?” Alexander angrily asked Odette. “Did you let that foul creature enchant you? Did you let him seduce you?”

“I was afraid!” She cried. “I didn’t want to marry Siegfried. And I had always remembered the owl as a dear friend. I thought I dreamt about him every night since he left me, ten years ago. But it was never a dream. He would visit me every night, after I would fall asleep. However the last time he visited me, I woke up. He turned me into a swan, and we flew into the night. I felt so free, so alive. When he asked me to stay with him, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was caught up in the moment. But he didn’t care that he had manipulated my feelings. He forced me to engage in acts of marital love. I swear, I tried to stop him. But he cast a spell on me, and kept me from fighting him. After we finished, I then escaped, and woke up in my bed. I thought it was all a dream!”

“I assure you my dear, it wasn’t.” Rothbart said to her.

“What is this Alexander?” King Harold exclaimed. “You promised me a virgin bride, for my son! But instead you offer him a demon’s w***e!”

“Father!” Siegfried exclaimed, as he seemed appalled.

“Keep your mouth shut, boy!” Harold growled. “You are not yet a king! I am your king, and your father! And I will not permit this union to this—this harlot!”

“But father!” Siegfried began to protest. All of a sudden, SMACK! Harold had backhanded his own son. Siegfried grabbed his burning cheek, as he stared back at his father with a complete look of disbelief.

“I said be quiet boy!” Harold exclaimed.

“How dare you, talk about my daughter that way!” Alexander cried.

“I am only speaking the truth about her!” Replied Harold. “This marriage is off! I will not have some perverted creature’s strumpet, marrying my son. Nor will I allow her bastard child, to one day ascend to my thrown!”

“Oh! Of course not!” Rothbart angrily exclaimed. “Because she is not a man! Such hypocrisy, how very human of you! It would be okay for Siegfried to have multiple lovers before his wedding day, and even after. But Odette is expected to be a virgin, and to always remain faithful.”

Rothbart then turned to Odette. “You see Odette! I am the one who loves you, I am the one who defends your honor! Even though you left me, even after you promised me that you wouldn’t, I still love you! You are my wife, and I accept that you were tempted by another man! But that man is a coward! That man will not defend your honor, nor will he stand up to his own father. He will always betray your love! All men will always betray your love! But I my dear, no matter what, shall always love you!”

“Siegfried?” Odette inquired, as she started to plead with him.

“I’m sorry Odette.” He replied, as he couldn’t even look at her. “But I have to bide by my father’s wishes.” As they looked at one another, they were both crying.

“Enough of this!” Cried Harold. “Do not let this witch enchant you anymore! Come Siegfried! Anna! We are leaving!”

Odette gave Siegfried a pleading look, as she was begging him to declare his love for her. But all he did was look back at her with sorrow, and regret within his eyes. He then followed his angry parents, as they left the ballroom.

“Now then my dear, Odette.” Rothbart stated as he bowed to her. “It is time for us to return to our kingdom.” He extended his hand to her, but before she could even respond, her father drew his sword.

“Away foul beast!” Alexander cried. “Or I swear that I shall send you to hell where you belong! You have ruined my daughter! But I would sooner have her become an old maid, then have her betrothed to you!”

“And are you willing to allow, my child?” Rothbart began to ask. “A child born of the mother who’s an enchanted swan, and a father who’s an owl shifter, are you willing to let such a creature one day ascend to your thrown?”

“I would love any child that is Odette’s!” Alexander declared. “She is my daughter, and I cherish her more than anything, even my own crown!”

“I will admit, I am pleasantly surprised!” Rothbart said to him. “So I am giving you, and your kingdom, one more chance, before it faces my wrath. Will you honor my marriage to Odette?”

“Go to hell!” Alexander cried. “I would sooner recognize your title of Barron, before I would recognize you as a son-in-law. You will not use my daughter to take my kingdom!”

“I have no use for a human kingdom!” Rothbart exclaimed. “All I want is my Odette. If she will not come to me, and accept her rightful place as my eternal bride, my swan queen, than I shall simply take her! And this kingdom shall face the same wrath, as other kingdoms that have fallen before me!”

“Wait!” Odette pleaded. “Please Rothbart! Please don’t hurt anybody! I will go with you! I will be yours. But please spare my family, as well as this kingdom!”

“NO!” Cried Alexander. “I will not accept this union!”

“Than accept your kingdom’s fate!” Rothbart, angrily responded. To the horror, of everyone in the ballroom, Rothbart soon turned into the black owl. With that, he dove at Odette.

“Let go of me!” She cried in terror, as he swooped her up, off of the ground. His talons firmly, yet gently, held her in place as she looked at everyone below her.

“Never!” He cried, as she could hear his voice inside of her head. “You are mine, Odette! “

“Please spare them!” She begged.

“I’m sorry, my love.” He said to her. “But your father has sealed his kingdom’s fate!”

To her horror, she soon heard a spell that he was casting, as he was still communicating with her in her mind.

“Daughters of the kingdom rise! Eve breaks free from Adam, and takes to the skies. What was once flesh, now feathers fly. Those not waterfowl, shall drown in their own tears, and die!”

Right before Odette’s very eyes, every unmarried girl in the kingdom, soon turned into a swan. Forever trapped inside their new bodies, the swans began to panic, as they were randomly flying everywhere. Mother’s, father’s and brother’s all began to weep profusely for the swan maidens.

So many tears began to fall, that an enchanted lake started to form all around them. Odette cried out in horror! She soon watched the remaining people of the kingdom, including her own parents, drown.

“Mother! Father!” She cried, as she tried to reach for them. But he began to carry her off into the night sky. Odette watched helplessly, as she watched the people of the kingdom drown. She could hear the screams of terror below her, until they were then completely silenced—forever!”

“And now my Swan Queen.” The black owl whispered in her ear. “Swan by day, and woman by night. Forever my love, forever my light!”

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