Six swans (Fairytales reloaded #3)

Leda's curse

The wedding was hold and the folk attended, but it was clear, that the new queen showed how greatly the old one was missed. It had been forbidden to speak about the king's children, so Leda didn't find out about their existence.
Feeling horrible in her presence, the king went to visit his children two or three times a week, leaving hus wife at the palace. He was still afraid, that their new stepmother wouldn't treat them right or might even harm them, so he didn't dare to take them back home.

After a few months, Leda started to ask questions and when she got no answers she sended one of her servants to get them for her.
That way she found out, that het husband went to visit his children ever so often and jealousy burned high within her, for she felt, that she could only get his heart, if she got rid of her stepchildren.
She paid a lot of money to get more information and finally the servants told her about the ball of magic yarn, which lead the way to the castle, but they didn't know where it was.
Leda searched for the yarn at the times when her husband was sleeping, but it took her several weeks to discover it.
Finally able to get to her despised stepchildren, she sewed some shirts of white silk and having learned the art of witchcraft from her mother, she sewed a magic charm into each one of them.
So when the king had a meeting the next time, she took the magic yarn and followed it to the castle.

The children expected their father to be visiting and just like always they ran outside to greet him. When they, however saw the woman on the horseback they knew something was wrong.
Leda threw a shirt over each of the kids, turning them into white swans, which flew away terrified.
Pleased with herself Leda left and returned the yarn to its place, believing that now her husband would love her, now that his children were gone.

The next day Sandor went to visit his children again, but he felt something was wrong, when they weren't outside to greet him. Worried he went inside, but didn't find anyone, til he came to the last room. His only daughter, Cascadia, had caught a cold and had been unable to go outside the other day. Bedridden she had been forced to watch, as the witch had turned her brothers into swans.
At first the king didn't believe in her words, but then he remembered that strange feeling he'd had when he'd first seen Leda and her mother. Telling his daighter to be safe and to keep watch for her brothers he left, returning home heartbroken.

Having lost his children, the last part of his beloved wife, Sandor became ill and had to watch, as Leda took the power and the kingdom bacame darker, even than it had been when his queen had died.