The monster of Swan Lake

Prologue

Prologue

Our story begins in a land, far far away, in a time long long ago. It is a tale about friendship, adventure and maybe probably love.

It all started in a big castle, where a young princess lived. She was always packed with energy and happiness, always looking for her next adventure. One day it was climbing the highest tree in de garden, the other it was trying to skate across all the little streets of the nearby village.

The servants had to run from left to right, and up and down to clean up the mess she made behind her. Once it was washing all the linen in the castle after her mud adventure. Then another time it was clearing up the streets because of her unplanned horse race with the neighbouring King.

As narrator I must say that was a show to watch, and definitely because she gave the old man a run for his money. Of course not all the people in the village were as happy as she was.

The Queen couldn't laugh with it. She would rather see her daughter sitting behind books and behaving like a proper princess, than having her behave like an unstoppable bouncing ball. So she would make scedules that involved studying from dusk till dawn.

First it would be horseback riding, then caligraphy class and to end the afternoon it was ballroom dancing. After a good luch, the lessens would begin again and go on till th minute before dinner. No wonder the little princess would sneak away so often to play in the Enchanted Forest.

It wasn't always called like that. In the middle of the forest was a grand Lake with an little Island in the middle, its name was Swan Lake. Named after the gracious swans that made it their home. The surface of the water would sometimes be coloured white due to all the feathers. Every morning they would sing their ballad toghether with their young, but now...

A few years ago some horrible accidents started happening in the forest. Anyone that stepped a foot inside, disappeared. People grew fearful, no one dared to come near. Rumours stared rising amongst the people. Even in the castle hung a cloud of anxiety. On the walls of the castle stood guards day and night and at every entrance to the village stood a guard on look out for rear coming monsters.

There was a path through the tick middle but was only used as necessity to reach the village on the other side of the eerie lake. Some who stopped on the way heard noises others heard voices calling to them from within the bushes.

There was only one person who dared to go beyond the first trees, little princess Elly. It took all the servants plus cook and guards to keep her away. But at times when her mother's lessons got so dull there was only one option, leave and discover the mysteries the forest offered.

And today was a day like that. She had just woken up and a maid was already at her door with three ball gowns for her dance classes. First it was traditional dance then folks dance and after that ball etiquette on the list. She hadn't finished putting on her first dress, or her mother was already busting in to lecture her on how to put on the dress. She gave her daughter a glance and then focused her attention on the maid that helped her. With a sharp voice she spoke,

"Can you be anymore slower than that? Don't you know what time it is? Eleanor should have been in the lesson two point four minutes ago! What is the point of making a schedule if your two can't even follow it?" She sighted and threw her hands in the air.

Next she kneeled down next to the little princess and kissed her cheek. In a softer voice she said, "In another two minutes I expect you to be down stairs in the dance hall..."

And with an ice cold voice she threatened the maid, "...don't be late, you wouldn't want Us to get angry now would we?" She stood up patted her skirt and walked away, her head held high and shoulders broad. The door closing behind her echoed a little after. The princess and the older maid could only stare.