Odette's POV.
The silver stars filled the sacred night, sparkling and shimmering against the blue-black sky. The night was always her favorite time to be outside with her loving swans, doing whatever it was she desired. The night in Azure Lake was always been an enchanting view, and Odette felt privileged to be able to witness it every single day in her life.
She went outside and stood by the swan lake, feeling the cool night air that gently kissed her skin. It was a magical night. It would always be.
"Hello, my loves," she greeted her swans, her voice tender. They looked up at their mother, swimming closer to where she was standing.
"I hope you're not tired of my dance," she continued, giving them a smile.
She took her white staff, which was now glowing, and placed it right in the middle of the garden as she summoned music with her magic. It was called Swan Lake, a musical piece composed by her mother. It was never meant to be known in all the lands, for it was a gift to her daughter, all because her beauty and grace reminded her of the majestic swans. Ever since her mother's death, Odette had always played the song every night to reminisce her past she wouldn't want to forget just yet.
Odette remembered how her mother taught her to dance. She said it was a great way to express oneself, and dancing was a must in the Regina family generation. A woman must impress nobody but herself, she remembered her mother say. Dance, my little swan.
She started with a plié, then slowly rose her body as her hands were above her head. She pointed he feet, surrendering her toes completely on the ground as she sidestepped effortlessly to the left.
She then spun around in perfect balance, feeling proud everytime she did it. This dance would always have a special place in her heart, even though she did this almost every day in her life. It would always feel like the first time, and Odette was glad it was.
She did another twirl then wrapped her arms around herself, feeling every inch of her perfectly imperfect body and how her mother taught her to be grateful for it. She opened her eyes slowly, observing the night sky as she continued her dance.
As she was spinning around in a graceful motion, she suddenly saw Lancelot walking in a distance.
"What a beautiful show, my princess," he said pretty loudly as he bowed before her.
"Oh, was it?" Odette faltered, stopping her moves. She had never experienced someone watching her, let alone praising her dance. Now that Lancelot was here, she thought she might get used to it.
"Why, of course," Lancelot said as he moved closer to her. "A beautiful mage with a beautiful talent, is there anything you can't do?"
Odette couldn't help it, so she blushed and looked down in slight embarrassment.
"Still nervous about my presence, Odette?" Lancelot asked, slowly closing the space between them. He lift her chin, his attention fully on her enchanting face.
"Why would I be?" Odette answered honestly. For the first time in her life, she finally found someone who she could feel comfortable with. All her life she had always been a lonely girl, despite the love her people had for her. She had no siblings whatsoever, and her parents died way too soon because of the cruelty of the abyssal queen, Alice. She remembered her grief too well, but she didn't want to let the feeling consume her. Ever since then she was with her guards, and even they show no emotions most of the time. They acknowledge her as a royalty and nothing more. She was left with herself and her alone with nobody by her side, until Lancelot came into her life in a tragic incident.
She wasn't sure what she was feeling, for she never felt like this before. She didn't know what it was. Was it love? Even if it was, what if he didn't feel the same way? What if he considered her a friend all along? Would she be stuck in a severe heartbreak if she knew he was just a temporary visitor? Odette didn't want to expect anything far too much. A heartbreak was the last thing she wanted in her life.
However, she just couldn't stop. Her eyes were completely on him. You're gorgeous, she thought, then smiled unconsciously. She realized she was observing him way too long, so she changed her attention to her beloved swans, hoping he would as well.
"Aren't they the most beautiful creatures to ever exist?" Odette asked, trying her best not to focus on him.
"They are," he said, but she still felt his attention on her. "Just like their mother." She felt him putting his hand on her back. Odette couldn't hardly breathe, and this was only the beginning.
"What are you doing?" she asked, pretending to not know his purpose. Her heart was racing, excited but nervous of his touch against her body.
"You know exactly what I'm doing."
As much as she wanted to let go, she ended up feeling comfortable in his hands. Deep down she also knew this was what she always wanted.
"May I?" he asked. He seemed doubtful, but he leaned in anyway, filling the air between their bodies, and planted a kiss on her lips.
They stayed like this for a while, and Odette felt her life was finally complete. She found a man she could love and trust and surrender her heart to him, and in this very moment, nothing else mattered.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt deeply into the kiss, not wanting this to end in the slightest way.
"Lance..." she breathed between kisses.
"Yes, my love?" His words took her by surprise. My love. It was a word no man had ever said to her.
"Stay with me," Odette said, leaning forward so their foreheads touch.
"Where else would I go?"
"Don't you miss your family?"
"I failed them horribly, so I left and I don't think I'll ever come back. That's all I can say for now. I hope I won't fail you."
"You will never."
Lancelot's POV.
She was the perfect woman for him.
He had been with several women in his life; flirted with some, dated some, and even slept with some. However, he did that for fun, and deep in his heart, he regretted it. He knew a woman didn't deserve to be treated like a toy, and he wished he would apologize to every single one he toyed with.
Odette was the first one that made him know what love was. He never felt like he wanted to live with a woman for his entire lifetime until she came into his life, and he was more than grateful to meet her.
"I want to give you this," he said as he revealed his sword he always used for battle. It was his favorite, and giving it to her would mean giving his true love.
"Your sword?" Odette asked. "But why? Don't you need it?"
"I have an entire room full of swords at home, you don't have to worry."
Odette seemed to hesitate to take his sword from him, but she did it anyway as she touched it, observed it from edge to edge.
"It's beautiful," she whispered. "But I can't possibly have this—"
"It is my choice to give it to whom I will," Lancelot said, his eyes completely focused on her. "Like my heart."
As he declared his love, Odette went speechless as she smiled, half giggling, from ear to ear.
"A little cheesy, but I'll take it," she said, putting the sword down and took his face instead. They were so close nothing was between them anymore.
"I love you, my beautiful Odette."
He stroked her auburn hair gently and pulled her into a passionate kiss, not wanting to let go any sooner. She was the love of his life, and he couldn't imagine what he would become if she wasn't here, slowly fixing his messed up self.
Despite his unforgivable actions in his life, the swan princess never really acknowledged his horrible mistakes. She loved him back like he was brand new, and Lancelot felt like he didn't deserve her. A princess and a guy like him. Nothing could go wrong, couldn't it?
They continued kissing, wanting each other so bad they doubt they would stop. He held her close like she was the only person that mattered, and so did she. Her soft lips brushing against his was the true definition of pleasure and trust. His previous days of his past were not as good as it seemed, but the swan princess whom he loved changed all.
He kissed her again with true love under the moonlight, and in that moment, his life was complete, and there was nothing more he could ever ask for.
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[ an; a short lancedette chapter !! theyre so cute my heart 🥺 anyways, enjoy this romantic part i enjoyed writing! i hope u enjoy reading it too :) credits to the artist for creating a beautiful fanart of lancedette !! ]
xoxo, cel.