Her Majesty: The Swan Princess

Prologue

*Best read in dark mode

Once upon a time there lived a king named William. He rained over his large and mighty kingdom of Ropia with a stern yet kind hand.  He had a lot to be proud of  but nothing came close to the pride and adoration he had toward his loving wife and queen. Queen Mia was as warm as the sun's rays on a spring day. She was beloved throughout the kingdom and was well known for her charitable personality and kind heart. Life seemed almost perfect for the lovers but something was missing, a family. They longed to have a child who they could share their love and lives with but sadly to no avail, the queen struggles to bear a child.

All hope seemed lost till one day, to the couple's surprise, the queen became pregnant.

The couple was overjoyed upon hearing the news but it quickly tarnished when the doctor informed them that having the child would more than likely kill her Majesty. The king was disheartened upon hearing the news but the queen wanted to go through with the pregnancy. She wanted her child to have a chance at life , to enjoy the world around her, to experience all the little things that the world had to offer. The king desperately tried to reason with her but she had made up her mind. Even though he was heartbroken, he knew how much this meant to her. He supported her and made the most of the time he had left with the love of his life.

After 9 grueling months, the queen finally went into labor. She struggled for hours to bring her child into the world, many in the kingdom including the king himself waited with baited breath. Finally after what felt like years, a girl was born. Upon hearing the news that his wife had successfully given birth, king William rushed in to meet his daughter and his wife. He made it into her room just in time to give his wife a loving kiss on the forehead before she left the world. The king, knowing his darling wife would want him to stay strong and move on, shed but a single tear. He knew that there would be time for him to grieve properly but now is the time to focus on his newborn daughter. He walked over to his daughter who was being held by a nearby nurse. He took her from their hands and coddled the small child close to his heart. Tenderly he removed the cloth that covered her face and immediately  felt a small lump rise in his throat. She was beautiful.  

She had light blond hair and striking purple eyes, just like her mother. While he was admiring his beautiful  little princess, one of the nurses that tend to his wife approached him. "Your Majesty" The king hummed in response, not wanting to look away from the baby. " The doctor wants to know what you wanted to call her?" King William lifted the baby closer to his face. "Her name is Odette, Princess Odette."

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Five months after Odette's birth, King William held a grand ball to celebrate her. Kings and Queens from all over the realm gathered from far and wide to offer the younger princess their gifts and most treasured trinkets. Among the royals was the widow Queen Uberta.  She ruled over the neighboring kingdom of Chamberg. She was quite the charming and energetic ruler. William admired how devoted she was to the wellbeing of her people. Furthermore she was a single mother taking care of her only son. His father had died of sickness when the young prince was just a year old. Uberta was heartbroken but nevertheless held her head high for the sake of her people and her son Derek.  The king could relate to her circumstance. When his wife died, he stayed strong for Odette but whenever he got a moment alone, he would feel the sting of his heart being torn into pieces. Uberta was one of the only people who consoled the king and truly understood what he had been through.

"Don't be shy Derek, go give the princess our gift." The queen placed a hand on the two year old boy's back and pushed him gently toward the crib. Derek looked up at his mother excitedly and cheerfully made his way to Odette.  King William smiled at the boy as he stood on his tippy toes so he could look at the girl clearly. When she was in sight, he looked down at her in amusement. She was so tiny and when her eyes met his own, she smiled. Derek smiled back in joy and reached into his pocket to pull out a golden heart shaped locket.  He dangled it over her head and she laughed in amusement. When she reached for it, Derek quickly raised it higher overhead. The little princess pouted at his teasing and reached her hands higher in hopes to obtain the shiny object. The prince laughed at the little girl's efforts and eventually dropped the necklace into her hands. She giggled in joy at the trinket and put it in her mouth.

"Oh no my dear, that's not what it's  for." King William quickly took the necklace from the little girl and wrapped it around her neck. " There you are my dear."  Odette grabbed the heart pendent that rested on her chest and placed it back in her mouth. The king  shook his head at her antics but let her be, knowing that with the necklace secured  around her neck she wouldn't choke.  King William then turned his gazed down toward the little boy.

"Thank you prince Derek for your gift. It seems as if the princess thanks you for it as well." Derek smiled with pride and leaned back over toward the crib to observe the young girl once more. Queen Uberta chuckled at her son's fascination with the young princess. King William looked down at the two children fondly. Suddenly An idea struck in his mind. He looked back up at the widow queen with excitement in her eyes but to his surprise she was already looking at him with a similar look in her eyes.

Later that day, long after the party had ended, William and Uberta met up again to discuss their plan that they had been brewing. After a long hour of discussion, they were in agreement that when Odette was of age, the young princess and prince would meet up every summer in hopes that they would fall in love and in time lead to a marriage that would combine the two kingdoms.

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Unknown to all, another plan was being hatched. That of the evil enchanter Rothbart. The princess's birth was of little concern to him for he was preparing to take William's kingdom by use of the forbidden arts. Rothbart's plans were almost complete but they were foiled by the king himself. His knights forced themselves into his lair and broke, burned, and ripped the room apart. They arrested the enchanter and his servant. Despite the calls for his death, the enchanter was only banished from the kingdom.

As he was being thrown out, he vowed that one day he would return and that everything king William owned and loved would be his. With those final words, Rothbart disappeared into the nearby forest never to be seen again. Many feared that the king was being too kind but in time the threat was forgotten, all hopes turned to that not too distant summer when Derek and Odette would meet.