Disclaimer: Swan Lake, all characters, places, and related terms are not mine; they belong to whoever owns the rights to it. Part of the plot is mine.
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Deception's End
Siegfried excitedly rushed to where his mother sat on her throne. He helped her rise and kissed her hand respectfully. The queen watched him with expectant eyes.
"I have made my choice," he said – causing his mother's eyes to light up with relief and delight – and motioned across the great ballroom to Princess Odette, Queen of the Swans, and his beloved. Dressed completely in black, except for the small golden crown resting atop her long silvery blond hair, she listened to her escort whisper in her ear. The young prince felt a swell of envy rise in him and, taking note of his mother's pleased, approving nod, hurried across the room to claim his bride. All the guests marked his progress.
Siegfried had been at first surprised and puzzled when the tall nobleman had introduced Odette as his daughter Odile. And her appearance was different: black instead of white, her face glowing in the light created by the touches of moonlight, an air of pride hung about her rather than despair. But his confusion had passed in a moment when he had met her eyes which gazed upon him with a light of recognition; she was the same Swan Queen who stole his heart the previous night. She must have felt the need not to reveal her true identity. And yet, something about her seemed different…though he was quite entranced by this new side of her.
The man turned his unusually large, round eyes on the approaching Siegfried and stepped back from Odile. Dark lovely eyes under long lashes raised and centered on the prince. For a heartbeat, Odile's eyes seemed to flash like two hard, cold stones; then, when Siegfried blinked, they were soft, deep eyes filled with trust, hope of deliverance, and newborn love that watched him – those same eyes and emotions from the night before; what remained of his doubts and wonderings vanished, and he now walked with a confident step and clear eyes.
With a respectful nod to the nobleman, Siegfried, trembling with excitement, took Odile's hand and led her to his mother as his chosen bride. The young people pledged their love for each other before all present, and the queen readily gave her blessing to the match. Yet before she could join their hands, the nobleman pulled Siegfried aside.
"Do you truly love her?" he questioned, watching Siegfried through narrowed slits.
"With all my heart," replied the lovesick prince.
"Have you ever loved another?"
Siegfried hesitated for a moment, dazed by the question; he shook his head slightly to clear his head and then quickly answered. "Never!" he protested. "Nor could I; it is only Odile I desire."
The prince's gaze fell to the ground. He did not see the slow, almost gleeful, smile touch the nobleman's sharp, dark features. "Then swear! Swear that you will love her and no other woman!" came the demand in a strange whisper.
Siegfried frowned; those words sounded strangely familiar…. He turned toward the Swan Queen. She had been watching the conversation between the two men. The passionate adoration in her eyes mirrored the emotions in his eyes. Slowly, gracefully, she brushed her cheek against her shoulder, just as she'd done at the lake, while holding his gaze. His head cleared. Of course he had heard those words before! When he had been told of the swan maidens' unhappy tale and they would be set free by a vow of undying love for their queen.
Solemnly, Siegfried made a vow of everlasting love to Odile. It seemed when the words left his lips, the room darkened for a moment, or maybe the guests' eyes were playing tricks on them. The nobleman smiled, satisfied. It was he who joined the young people's hands. He was the only one to take note of a slight commotion at one of the large windows. He made a sign to Odile, who then touched Siegfried's lips with her soft, cold ones.
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The room was lighted by only a few candles and nearly empty. Hardly a sound was uttered in the silence.
Each breath was harder than the last to grasp for the king. His time was drawing closer to an end. But he did not dread it. His reign had been long; he had seen the kingdom through years of war, famine, drought, and peace. He was loved deeply by his subjects. And he had had his queen by his side always. The Black Swan, she was called affectionately by the people. She and her husband had only one child, a son, whom they had been blessed with in their old age and was barely three years old.
Now the queen sat silently by the king's deathbed. Concealed in the deep shadows behind her chair was a figure who watched all with strange yellow eyes. A veil of mourning covered the woman's face. Yet she wept not.
"My queen," rasped the dying man.
"Hush, my Lord, do not use up what strength you have left," she said in a soothing tone. Out of the darkness she produced a silver cup engraved with serpents wound around each other, with small emeralds that flashed in their eyes. Inside was a dark red liquid. Odile helped Siegfried rise a little from his bed, and he took the drink. Then gently she assisted him in settling back down. He coughed a little, closed his eyes, and fell into dreaming.
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The young prince rushed through the forest, the way now burned into his memory. Swiftly his feet carried him to that great lake. Wandering barefoot along the damp shore were the swan maidens with lowered heads and crystal tears in their eyes. The prince hardly paid any heed to them, searching among them instead for their queen. But he could not find her.
"Where is your queen?" he questioned the sorrowful maidens.
"She is not here," they answered in one voice.
"Odile!"
They all shuddered. "Do not say that name, Prince! It is the Black Swan, not our queen, whom you seek. Do not look for her here. She sits at her father's feet." And they directed his gaze toward the crumpled structure of a castle some distance away encircled by the mist.
"But she must –" he objected.
"Only the Swan Queen and her followers reside here."
Suddenly the wind picked up, and the girls cowered in fear.
"Come, my beauties, my flock, it is time for you to return," commanded a great hooting voice.
The swan maidens obeyed and slowly drew towards the waters. One by one they entered, reappearing through the mist as swans. The prince suddenly noticed one of them wearing a crown and called to them. He received no response to the several names he shouted out. But before entering the lake, the Swan Queen turned one final glance on him; a glance full of the utmost betrayal and despair that the prince could only stare back at her in amazement, and words died on his tongue. Then she turned away at an owl's hoot and entered the water.
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The king's eyes flew open and darted about the dark room; his heart beat painfully in his chest. His eyes fell on the queen, who sat very still in her chair. He observed silently, wondering, for a long moment.
"What troubles you?" her cool low voice reached out to him from the dark.
He remained silent and then spoke:
"I desire…desire to look upon your face a final time before my time comes," he requested. Sweat formed on his brow.
There was a short silence, and then the veil was lifted. The king gasped in horror and could only stare in silence. The richly dressed figure in the chair was boney, her teeth decaying, her hair black and wild, her eyes red. Gone was the aged face of his beloved.
"Who are you?" he demanded hoarsely.
The woman laughed. "Dear Siegfried, do you not know me? I am Odile."
His eyes widened in understanding, and it was like fish scales fell from them. He saw the truth now. Odile was indeed not Odette; he had pledged his undying love to Odile, betraying the real Swan Queen. How had he let himself be so easily tricked? Odette had warned him against being deceived.
"Odette," the name passed as a tiny sorrowful breath from his lips.
Odile's laughter rang out once more. "Ah, your Swan Queen, is the same as before you ever found her; a swan by day and herself by night. The spell can now never be broken."
"She is mine," claimed a new voice.
Odile turned in her chair and smiled up at man who stepped forth from the shadows. It was the nobleman from the ball years ago, though he had not aged a day. But before the king's eyes the face changed along with the clothes. Before him now stood the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart, clad in his owl-like shape, whom he had encountered that night by the lake as a young man.
"No," he gasped in horror.
"The kingdom is ours," Von Rothbart exclaimed.
Both he and his daughter smiled triumphantly down on the ever-weakening king. Siegfried closed his eyes, wanting to escape the evil laughter that surrounded him. He wanted to weep, wanted to go back and take a different road. How could he have lived in a lie for so long? And Odette –
"Go, Siegfried," Von Rothbart's voice interrupted his thoughts, "your time is almost here. You can only imagine what might have been." There was more laughter. "You cannot go back," he whispered in the king's ear.
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A thick mist covered the area. The young prince peered about searchingly. Suddenly, before him appeared the Swan Queen. She allowed him to embrace her but then quickly pulled away.
"I cannot stay."
"Why?" cried the young prince.
She looked at him sadly. "You chose your path and have followed it to its end. I was not part of your path. We shall never meet again. Yet be at peace, Prince Siegfried. You will soon forget your sorrows and unfulfilled dreams."
She vanished, and he fell into darkness.
---
A doctor was ordered in. It did not take long for the man to inform the queen her husband was dead; her young son was now king. It was only when the man departed and Von Rothbart showed himself that Odile put away her mask of sorrow, and laughed joyfully.
Outside a flock of swans flew by; their leader wore a crown and led the others as they circled, crying mournfully.
THE END