Disclaimer: Sadly I don´t own Swan Princess
Note: This is RothbartOdette...so don´t like it, don´t read !...and english ain´t my mother tongue so please don´t be harsh or unfriendly if you find a mistake...
The flapping of giant wings echoed through the forest.
It was the only sound in the whole place except for the breathing of Prince Derek.
With a look of terror in his eyes he had shot the arrow that should mean his triumph,...and was yet the last thing he ever did.
Though the arrow went through the great animal´s wing it couldn´t care less in its killing frenzy and kept on climbing lower by the seconds.
Digging his claws in the body of its victim, it looked at the Prince through his red slitted eyes one more time. Derek could have sworn it had an triumphant, evil look on its bat face. If it were human he would have considered it as a grin. A grin which made the enormous teeth of the monster stand out of its mouth.
This teeth,... that sank themselves in the Prince´s throath to end his life.
After the gory deed had been done the bat turned its head - and so its attention - to the next human presence nearby.
Since it only had one wing left to fly, it crouched nearer on its forelegs - making it look like a fat bird - over to the lifeless body lying on the ground next to the lake.
The deathly red shine in the eyes of the creature vanished as its glance fell on the unconscious Odette; what was left was a man in a black coat and with a red beard, his eyes darting over the form of the sleeping woman, his mind already plotting on their future...
"Odette ! Wake up !"
Her head hurt as her mind slowly began to awaken, the heaviness of sleep left her, the fog over her thoughts disappearing.
She heard the faint sound of calling, not sure what was dream and what reality.
"Odette, please..".
With all her will power she carefully opened one eye, allowing it to adjust to the brightness of the room. What she saw after she was able to see clear again, surprised her to a great extent and made her open her eyes wide :
Hunched over her stood Queen Uberta, a frightened look on her old face.
The moment they made eye contact a relieved smile appeared on the other woman´s lips.
"Finally ! I thought you wanted to sleep for the nex hundredth years, like Sleeping Beauty !"
Odette´s tongue felt heavy in her mouth, she hadn´t been using it for days it seemed.
"What- why-"
She tried to stand out of her bed, but was stopped by the Queen.
"Stay. You better sit while I explain, dear. Unfortunately there´s not much time left for a long and soothing explanation...It´s-" Her lips trembled. For a moment she looked down to gather all the strength for saying the next all in one breath.
"This- this man, this monster...- Rothbart- he k-...he ki-" She let out a half scream, half sob.
"My poor boy ! This bastard took him aw-ay-ay !..." Another wave of tears. This time Odette wasn´t able to lend a comforting hand, as she was dealing with her own crying now.
"An-and now...he rules the kingdom...that is..he is going to rule it, officially..as- as the king...after this day..now.."
This actually made the blonde stop weeping. She looked up at the still crying Uberta.
"WHAT ?! But how ?"
Uberta gave her a grim look, all of her make-up messed up in her face, making her look like a clown - adding to the tragic of the moment.
"Rothbart will become the king after his wedding to the Princess...to Princess Odette..."
She said, her voice suddenly without emotion.
"Come now, I have to prepare you for the ceremony. After this task is done, I´m permitted to leave this awful place and this awful man..."
Odette´s mouth went open and shut, open and shut again - gaining her a similiarity to a fish.
She didn´t know what to say, ...neither to think even...
Her mind froze, thinking stopped.
Like a doll she let herself being dressed, dead expression on her face...
Her thinking started again and she found herself in a white wedding dress, which she would have considered as the most beautiful piece of clothing ever seen, hadn´t it not been for the circumstances.
In front of her was a priest, babbling something about faithfulness, god and matrimony.
Considering the whispered noise in the background there had to be at least ten more people in the church behind her.
Far more shocking than her surroundings was the sight she was confronted with as her eyes wandered to the side, to the person next to her:
It was Rothbart of all people !
Instead of wearing the black clothes he alway wore, he was dressed in an expensive-looking golden suite, a cape of red silk hanging around his shoulders.
With a distant look he was patiently listening to what the priest told them, not noticing her side glance.
Suddenly the holy man stopped in his speech, making a sign to the butlers standing at his left and right side.
The two servants hurried away to come back each carrying a pillow; on the pillow lay a crown, heavy with gemstones and gold.
One for the king, and one for the queen.
With an important expression on their faces, they came to a halt next to the priest.
The priest took one of the crowns with the utmost care in his hands, just to place it - in the most ceremonial way possible - on Rothbart´s head. The same he did with Odette.
He made a cross sign and sent the servants away.
Raising his arms, he held his hands adjuring over Rothbart´s and Odette´s head.
"Now with the two of you crowned : I now officially declare Queen Odette - yore Princess Odette - to be the wife of our new king - King Rothbart !"
With a wink in the eye, he added.
"You may now kiss your bride."
And that Rothbart did;..and how !
Her heart stopped for a moment as she suddenly felt his lips on hers. Involuntarily her eyes shut close. Though her mind fought against it, she reluctantly wondered how it could be possible that the lips of a man - whose heart without doubt must be out of stone - were so soft. Before she came down to notice that his beard tickled - the kiss was over, and her eyes snapped open.
Instead of loud cheers, the pair was greeted with careful hand clapping.
But Rothbart didn´t mind.
He was cheerful enough to fill the whole church and a part of the street outside. Hooking into his new wife he did a few proud, big steps down the church floor and pushed open the gates to let the world examine its new king.
The people outside seemed to be more light-hearted - or maybe just a little bit stupid -about the whole situation :
They greeted their new King and Queen with frolicsome waves and cries of joy.
The nation simply was happy that things finally went the way they normally did. The long time without a king had made the peasants nervous and now they were more than relieved, still unknowing what they were going to endure in the next past months...
Note: I DON´T WANT FLAMES !!...but I DO want reviews and a beta reader ;)