A/N: Hopefully you guys liked the last chapter. Here's where we see why Rothbart is back. Tell me what you all think.

Chapter 10

The moment Rothbart removed his hood, Odette glared at him with intent to kill.

"Rothbart!" she shouted. She leaned over to Jacob, who was to her right, and grabbed his sword, pulling it from his scabbard. Odette took the sword and motion her horse forward into a full charge. Jacob was caught off guard by her actions and was too late to stop her. Odette raised the sword above her as she rode towards her target. Just as she was in range, she swung her blade down.

"Shit!" Rothbart shouted as he managed to dodge the attack, almost falling of his horse. Odette rode passed him before she brought her horse back around for another attack.

"Odette stop this!" Jacob called out to her but she ignored him. Odette raised her sword again as Rothbart straightened himself out and tried to turn his horse away. But he saw the blade coming at him as he dodged again, this time falling off the horse. Odette missed again and motioned her horse around again. The crowd behind them began to gasp in shock, not understanding what was happening.

Rothbart picked himself off the ground just in time to move out of the way of Odette's horse. He rolled on the ground before standing back up.

"Odette please!" he called out. "I'm not here to fight." Odette didn't listen to him as she started swinging her sword at him in a barrage of attacks. Rothbart tried his best to avoid the blade at all time.

"Odette -Whoa! - Please listen to me- Ah! - I'm not here to cause trouble."

"Why Should I listen to anything you have to say?!" Odette swung her sword again and again, trying her hardest to hit her target. Rothbart continued to evade Odette's attacks, pleading her to listen. Jacob watched on as he heard Odette's animal friends were cheering her on, except Whizzer, who was looking quiet confused. He looked over at Uberta as well the serious look on her face, as though she wanted Rothbart dead just as much as Odette did. He then decided that enough was enough and motioned his horse towards the conflict ahead.

Rothbart had just managed to avoid another blow for Odette and rolled away on the ground a good distance away. Odette rode forward a couple feet or so before turning her horse back around and charging forward. Rothbart stood ready to avoid a fatal blow from a very angry Odette. Odette rode forward reading for one final attack to strike down her enemy once and for all. But just before she could reach her target, Jacob stopped her.

"That's enough Odette!" he said as he rode his horse between her and Rothbart. Said enchanter gave a sigh of relief as he relaxed a bit. Odette, on the other hand, was surprised and outraged at Jacob's attempt to protect the Evil Enchanter.

"What are you doing?!" she shouted. "He's the Evil Enchanter! All he's ever done was cause harm to others! He had me turned into a swan and kept me prisoner for months! He is also the one who killed my father!" Jacob stared at Odette with a serious look, thinking of what Odette had just said. He looked behind him at Rothbart, still keeping the same look. A moment passed before he looked back at Odette.

"I know," he said. "And that's why you shouldn't kill him." Odette was shocked by the reply she had received.

"What are you talking about?!" She glared angrily at Jacob. "That's exactly why I should kill him! He took the only one left of my family away from me!" Jacob then gave Odette a sympathetic look.

"I understand that, Odette," he said calmly. "But… But that was part of the plan." The moment he said those words he regretted them. Odette sat on her horse, mortified by what she had just heard.

"Wha-what do you mean?" she said just above a whisper. Jacob waved for Phillip and Joshua to come forward. Once they reach them Jacob spoke.

"Take these people to the castle and have some of our men find them suitable homes for them in the villages, build some if they have to. But first see how many of them would like to join our army."

"Yes sir!" they said in unison, and went to fulfill their orders. They gathered everyone to them and began their walk towards the castle, walking around the group as they passed. Jacob then looked at Odette, who looked very distraught.

"We will go back to the castle and meet with Derek in the infirmary. There all of your questions will be answered." Odette then became very upset.

"NO!" she shouted. "I want answers NOW! And I don't want him in my castle!" Jacob tried to calm her down.

"Odette, I promise you that when we are back inside the castle, everything will be reviled to you, okay?" he reached over and grabbed Odette's hand gently. "I promise."

Odette thought about this for a moment. She really didn't want Rothbart in their castle. She really didn't want him near her. Most of her body told her to ignore Jacob and just kill Rothbart right then and there. But there was a small part of her that told her to listen to Jacob and bring him inside, mainly to get some answers. She looked from Jacob to Rothbart and back and made her decision.

"Fine." She looked over at Rothbart. "But after this I want you out of my kingdom for good." She then quickly turned her horse around and rode off towards her castle. Jacob watched on as the distance between them grew longer. Jacob then looked towards Uberta, who had a very stern look. She shook her head before turning her horse around and followed Odette. He even glanced down at Odette's animal friends, who also were giving him disapproving looks before turning away. Jacob sighed before looking behind him at a nervous Rothbart.

"Looks like we've got some explaining to do huh?" he chuckled, tried to lighten the mood. Rothbart let out a chuckle of his own.

"Yeah," he replied, "a LOT of explaining."

A few minutes later, Odette and Uberta were walking down the hall together toward the infirmary. But before they entered they stopped just outside the door. Odette leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor as she buried her face in her hands. Uberta looked on at Odette and decided to sit down next to her on her left. A moment of silence passed before Odette finally decided to speak.

"What is Jacob thinking of letting Rothbart into the castle?" he hissed. "And what plan is he talking about that had my father killed?" Uberta placed a hand on her daughter-in-law's shoulder.

"I'm sure Jacob didn't mean it like that," she said, trying t reassure her. "I highly doubt that Jacob would have anything to do with that monster." Odette looked up at Uberta.

"But you heard Jacob. He said that it was part of the plan. Did he have something to do with my father's death?" Odette was starting to become fearful that that might be the case. Had she trusted a murder this whole time? Had she let in the man who was really the one who plotted to kill her father? All these questions were beginning to scare her. She then felt two arms wrap around her in a gentle hug.

"I'm sure Jacob didn't mean it like that. And I'm also sure that Jacob has a reasonable explanation for what going on." Odette, although feeling unsure, smiled at her before looking down at her hands.

I hope your right.

The sound of someone walking down the hall could be heard and both Uberta and Odette stood up before heading into the infirmary. There they saw Derek talking to Bromley, who was finally awake, about what had happened last night. But the conversation stopped when Derek saw Odette his mother entered the room. Derek smiled at them until he noticed the grim looks on their faces.

"Odette? Mother?" he asked. "What's the matter? What's going on?" Odette and Uberta were about to answer when they heard footsteps in the doorway. They turned around to see that it was only Phillip and Joshua.

Must have gotten the work done already, Odette thought to herself. She then looked behind them to see her animal friends coming in too. She smiled at them as them walked over and stood next to her.

Both Phillip and Joshua walked into the room and passed Odette and the queen. They had made their way over to Derek and stopped on both sides of the bed. Derek glanced over at Bromley and both shrugged in question. Derek glanced up at the General and Captain.

"What's going on guys?"

"Just a precaution," came a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned towards the source to see Jacob standing there. Odette immediately frowned at him. Derek raised an eyebrow and looked at Jacob with confusion.

"A precaution for what?" Jacob looked at the ground for a moment before stepping aside, giving room for one more guest. The moment he stepped into the room, Bromley yelped and hid under the covers while Derek's anger took control.

"Rothbart!" He began to climb out of bed only to be pushed down by Philip and Joshua. Derek struggled against them as hard as he could, even though his body was screaming at him. Philip and Joshua tried their best to keep Derek down so he wouldn't cause anymore damage to his body, although the struggle itself may do just that. Jacob stepped closer to the struggling prince.

"Derek, please calm down," he pleaded but Derek wasn't listening.

"What is he doing here?!" Derek shouted. "I killed you! You should be dead!" Rothbart looked at the floor and sighed before replies.

"I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not."

"Well don't worry, you will be soon." Derek continued to struggle against Phillip and Joshua even more, causing more problems. It was then that Rothbart made a decision, one that he might regret. He quickly raised his right hand and casted a spell on Derek. The next thing the young prince knew was that his body began to feel heavy and he couldn't move anything from the below the neck. He continued to struggle but still couldn't move. Odette, upon seeing this, began to advance on Rothbart only to be stopped by Jacob as he wrapped his arms around her while grabbing both her wrists.

"What did you do to him?!" she shouted. Rothbart glanced at her before returning to Derek.

"I casted a spell on him so he wouldn't harm his body anymore than he should." It was then that another noise was heard in the doorway. Everyone turned to see Bridget walking in the room with a jar of what seemed to look like medicine.

"Okay Prince, Prince," she said. "Bridget make you all bet—" she then spotted Rothbart, who still had his hand up and was still glowing from the spell.

"AHH!" she screamed. "Rothbart!" she then dropped the jar and ran over to him and started punching and kicking him.

"Rothbart bad man!" she shouted. "Leave 'Prince Prince' alone!" Rothbart tried to calm the little old woman down.

"Bridget, please calm down," he pleaded. "I'm not here to hurt anyone." Bridget then stopped her attack and looked up at the enchanter.

"Rothbart not here to hurt?" Said enchanter smiled down at her.

"No," he said gently, "I'm only trying to make sure the prince doesn't hurt himself any further."

"Since when do you care what happens to him?!" Odette hissed. Upon hearing that, Rothbart slowly turned around to face the upset princess completely.

"Believe it or not Odette, but I do care about what happens to the both of you." Odette was taken by surprise with that statement. That was something she didn't expect. But she shook head at this and glared at Rothbart once again.

"After all the pain you had caused?! How could you possibly care about us?!" Rothbart only closed his eyes and sighed.

"Because all the pain I caused, everything I have done, was only to protect you," he replied. "Especially you." Odette stopped struggling for a moment, but the anger in her face never faded. She continued to glare at him.

"Why?" she asked him sternly. "Why would you care what happens to me?!" Rothbart took a deep breath before looking Odette straight in her eyes.

"Because I'm your godfather." The moment he said that, Odette's eyes widen. It took quite a while for Odette to process this, and even then she didn't believe it. She was completely unsure how to react to this. She then narrowed her eyes at him.

"Liar!" She hissed. "No way in Hell could you possibly be my godfather!"

"Odette," Jacob tried to reason, "please calm down."

"No," she shouted. "He kills my father, keeps me prisoner, and now he claims that he's my godfather?! What kind of sick joke is that?!" Jacob stepped closer to Odette.

"Odette," he said calmly, "I know that this doesn't look good, but if you would just…"

"And you!" she interrupted, pointing a finger at him. "You had something to do with my father's death, didn't you?! You helped kill him!" Jacob narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Your father died protecting you!" he said in a stern tone. His face then softened. "But I promise you that I had nothing to do with his death. And it wasn't Rothbart's fault."

"Not his fault?!" Odette said outraged. "How is it not his fault?! He killed my father so that he could take his kingdom! He destroyed what was left of my family!"

"No I didn't," Rothbart said calmly. "That is the work of Sargon." Odette shot him a look filled with so much hate.

"Sargon didn't kill my father!" Rothbart sighed.

"No," he replied. "But he is what led to that." Odette looked questioningly at the enchanter, although still kept her glare.

"What are you talking about?" Uberta stepped closer to Odette.

"Don't listen to him dear," she said in a stern tone. "There's nothing he can say that will change anything." Rothbart looked towards the ground for a moment before speaking.

"I know that you all have plenty of reason to hate me," he said, "and I don't blame you, especially you, Odette. I caused you the most pain after I killed your father. But believe me when I say that I never wanted to kill him."

"Then why did you?!" Odette hissed. Rothbart took a deep breath before answering.

"Because he asked me to." Odette's eyes widened slightly after hearing that.

"He what?" she said softly. Uberta stepped in.

"Lies!" she shouted. "Those are nothing but lies! William would never ask of such a thing. You are nothing but a liar Rothbart! You always were! " Rothbart looked down at the floor again.

"I honestly wish I was lying Uberta," he said. "I'd give anything to be lying right now." Everyone in the room looked at Rothbart, some with confusion and others sympathy, mainly Jacob and Philip. Odette spoke up.

"What happened?" she asked. Rothbart looked back up at her with sadness in his eyes.

"Long before you were born, back when your father was still young. Willy and I use to be best friends. We did a lot together. He even invited me to play with Jacob Uberta, Dmitri and him sometimes. But even though I was a peasant, he still treated me as his equally, no matter what happened. Our friendship even went into our adulthood. I had the opportunity to meet Sargon a few times, but I was happy that Willy was starting a family. I even introduced him to your mother Odette."

Odette was shocked to hear the last statement. Her face softened as she began to remember her mother, or at least what she heard about her. Even though she never met her mother, she heard stories of her beauty and kindness. She had even seen pictures of her. She had longed to meet her in real life though, and some night she would stay awake crying, wishing to see her mother at least once. As she thought of her past, her eyes began to water. She blinked her tears away and shook her head before facing Rothbart again.

"But then why did you betray him?" Odette asked, a little more calmly.

"Because he wanted power!" shouted Uberta, stepping closer and pointing a finger at him. "He wanted it so much that he went to the Forbidden Arts to get it!" Rothbart looked over at the queen.

"I never betrayed him," he said. "I only used the Forbidden Arts because I thought it would be the best way to protect his kingdom."

"But why?" Odette asked. Rothbart looked back at her.

"Because after your father had Sargon banished for using the Forbidden Arts, William had suspicions that he would return, and with greater power. He began to fell fearful that it may come true. So I took William aside and told him that I planned to study the Forbidden Arts. Of course he was against it at first, but after some convincing, he agreed to allow me to study, but only in secret. I had found a secret lair somewhere in his kingdom close by. I had even found an assistant to aid me in my studies." He gestured down to Bridget beside him. "I found her on the streets one day took her in and had her be my assistant. She was very loyal to me after that and did very well to help me with the Forbidden Arts.

"But then Sargon invaded the kingdom sooner than expected. At first we didn't know who it was, but I had my suspicions. But I was nowhere near ready. I still needed more time to work on developing my powers. Then William decided to lead his army into battle and I knew I had to work harder. I had to find a way to keep my best friend safe. Then your mother and I got word that both Jacob and Dmitri had come to assist in the counter attack. We were so relieved to hear this. I was able to continue my studies and feel confident that Willy was going to be alright. It took me all eight months, but I had finally completed my work, only to find out that William had won the war. I was very happy to hear this, until I heard that Dmitri had fallen. I immediately felt horrible. I was too late in my work. I couldn't save all my friends from the war.

"After Dmitri's funeral, Willy took me aside and told me that Sargon was the one leading the invasion, and that he escaped. Then when you were born and your mother passing away, we knew that he would be after you. I knew we had to do something to keep you safe. We both knew that he would be back again, so we started forming a plan. We knew he would return, but we didn't know when, or how. So many blanks had to be filled in. And that's when I decided to fill them in myself. I was going to become a spy to serve Sargon and give Willy any information I could. I told your father of my plan and, with some convincing, he agreed. So we began plotting a way for me to 'betray' the kingdom so he would have me banished. No buddy really knew of my friendship with your father so nobody would suspect it was a trick. It was perfect.

"A few days your christening, we planned for your father's soldiers to arrest me in my secret lair. They came in just as planned and destroyed my lair. Bridget, of course, was scared beyond belief because she didn't what was going on. I couldn't tell her anything because I wanted the burden to only be on my shoulders.

"Then after your father had me banished, it didn't take long for Sargon to find me. I had taken refuge in this very castle when he found me. We talked in private and he offered me a chance for revenge against William. I took the offer without hesitation and he left, promising to send word if he needed my services. After the meeting, I wrote a note to your father and sent it to him with my powers so that it wouldn't be tracked, and told him that the plan had worked. Then all I had to do was wait for my orders.

"Over the years, Sargon and made me do many things that I will regret for the rest of my life. Things I do not want to remember. Sometimes I felt like Sargon knew that I was a spy and felt like tormenting me. Or he wanted to see where my loyalties lie. But any information I received I immediately sent to your father. But I'm afraid the there wasn't much to send. Sargon really knew how to keep others out of the loop. Then he gave me orders that will haunt me for the rest of my life…" He looked straight at Odette. "… He ordered me to kill you and your father, to finally prove my loyalty." Odette looked into Rothbart eyes, searching for any lies. So far, to her, everything he said was the truth.

"I didn't want to do it; I tried to think of a way out of it. But nothing came to mind. I told William of what Sargon wanted me to do, and he told me to do it. To just kill him but find a way to protect you. I kept on saying no, but he told me if it meant protecting you, he would gladly die. Though hesitantly, I agreed to the plan. I told Sargon that I would kill him, but I asked for you to marry me, which he strangely agreed to." Odette finally decided to speak up.

"But why on earth would you think I would marry you?!" she asked loudly, wanting an answer quickly.

"I didn't, nor did I want to marry you. But I needed time to come up with a plan to keep you out of his reach. So when the time to assassinate William, I knew what I had to do. But then Sargon decided that he wanted to see me kill him personally. So I had to make it as believable as possible because he would be watching my every move. And to his sick sense of humor, he also wanted to give the assignation a little theme. So he decided to create the storm that happened that night. And when everything was in position, he gave me the order to attack.

"Once I did the deed, I took you away to swan lake as my prisoner and try to force you to marry me. I kept you like that so that you could be safe. Believe me Odette; I had full intention of you marrying Derek. But I needed a way to make it so Sargon wouldn't catch on and send his own minions after you. So then I thought of Derek, and how he would defeat me in battle. And I wanted to drive you further into his arms. All I wanted was for you to be safe."

"So that's What King William meant," Derek said. Rothbart looked behind him at Derek and grinned.

"Yes," he said. "That's what he really meant." Odette looked from Derek to Rothbart with a confused look.

"What?" she asked. "What did my father mean?" Derek looked over to his beloved wife.

"Before you dad died, he told me that it's not what it seemed. I always thought that he was talking about Rothbart's changing ability."

"That's actually what I wanted you to think," Rothbart chimed in. "It was part of my plan for you to rescue Odette from me and prove your love for her, especially after your little choice of words." Rothbart gave him a sly grin, causing him to look away in embarrassment.

"But you couldn't figure out what he meant," Rothbart continued, "so I gave you a push in the right direction." Derek looked back at Rothbart with a questioning look.

"What do you mean?"

"You found a book explaining shape shifting right?" Derek nodded. "That is actually one of my books. I studied it for while I was first using the Forbidden Arts to help me create my animal form, or are you've come to call it "The Great Animal". And while you were trying to figure out Willy's message, I placed it in your library where I was sure you would find it. That way it could lead you straight to Odette, where you could make the vow of everlasting love." Derek looked on at Rothbart for a few moments. He was starting to be impressed with Rothbart's ability to think things through, all the way down to their battle. Wait a minute… their battle?

"Hey!" Derek said sternly. "Are you telling me that you let me win when we had our battle?"

Uh oh, he had done it now. Rothbart chuckled nervously and looked around the room, refusing to make eye contact with the young prince.

"Um… No," he said, trying to sound convincing. "Of course not. You beat me fair and square." He cleared his throat on that last statement. Derek narrowed his eyes at him, clearly not buying it.

"You liar!" he shouted. "You let me win! I want a rematch!" The sound of deep laughing in the back could be heard throughout the room. Rothbart turned around to see that it was Jacob who was laughing.

"Busted Rothbart," he laughed. Rothbart glared at him for a moment before returning to the young prince, although not once making eye contact. He looked around the room until he spotted Bromley, who was peeking out from under the covers.

"But you had your friend over there assist you," he said quickly. "I wasn't counting on that." Bromley suddenly perked up at being mentioned as being a part of defeating the enchanter.

"But you could have done something to avoid the arrow couldn't you?" Derek tried to struggle, trying to move his still frozen body. Rothbart was somewhat glad he didn't take the spell off him yet. "Just wait until my body is all healed." Jacob decided to walk over to the upset prince and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Derek," he said while still chuckling. "There's nothing wrong with what he did. After all, he did bring you and Odette together. You owe him for that at least." Derek started to calm down a little, but still had a stern look.

"Yeah fine, whatever," he said with a huff. Rothbart then had an idea and decided to lighten the boy's spirits up.

"Tell you what Derek," he said. "When you're finally up and about, we can have as many battles as you want until you finally beat me." Derek looked over at him and gave a sly grin.

"What makes you think I won't win the next time we fight?" Rothbart chuckled a bit.

"I have many years of experience in wars and have my fair share of combat. I was a lieutenant in Sargon's army four eighteen years remember? Not that I'm proud of that." Derek still kept his grin.

"And I have been training harder to keep my kingdom safe when necessary. I think I can take you." Rothbart laughed heartedly.

"We'll see little prince." He then looked over at Bromley and gave a devilish grin. "And what about you? Feel like going a few rounds with me?" Rothbart could see the round boy start to shake a little. He gulped before speaking.

"A-a-as m-much as I would l-like t-to show off w-what I have," he stuttered. "I-I'm afraid my schedule wouldn't allow me to participate."

"What schedule?" Derek asked with a smirk. Bromley began to sweat as he tried to come up with an excuse.

"W-well I… um…" his mind was blank. Bromley couldn't think of anything to say.

"Surely someone who is willing to fire an arrow at the Dark Lord would have no trouble making time to spare with someone like Rothbart," Jacob chimed in with a grin of his own.

"Yeah," said Phillip. "Someone a brave as you would have no trouble facing against such odds." Joshua nodded in agreement.

"W-w-well-well…I-I-I—" Bromley couldn't form any words as all the guys in the room stared at him. Then suddenly they all burst out into a heartfelt laughter as Bromley sat on his bed sweating nervously and red with embarrassment.

"Relax Bromley," laughed Derek. "We're just messing around with you." Bromley chuckled nervously before slinking back under the covers and sighing with relief as everyone laughed again. Derek then looked back at Rothbart.

"You think you could remove the spell off me now?" he asked. "This is a pretty uncomfortable position." Rothbart chuckled before raising his hand and released the spell. Derek gave a big sigh of relief after gaining control of his body again.

Rothbart smiled before looking behind him at Odette, who had been quiet for the most part. She had her head facing down slightly, as if she was thinking. Rothbart turned around to face her completely.

"Is everything alright Princess?" Although he felt stupid for asking it, he felt that it would be something to get her talking. Odette was silent for a while before looking up at the Enchanter with a confused look.

"I'm just having a hard time understanding this," she explained. "All the stories I heard of you said that you were a horrible beast. People spoke of you as a plague on earth. You kept me prisoner as a swan for months. And now you're here, telling me that you were only playing that role… to protect me. You did so much, all to protect me. It's just so much to take in." Rothbart stepped closer to Odette and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I understand Odette," he said. "It's a lot for anyone to take in. Especially when you just found out that you have an older brother who turns out to be a Dark Lord." Odette raised her head at that statement.

"How did you know I just found out about him?" Rothbart shrugged.

"Jacob told me on the way up here," he said plainly. Odette looked passed him to glance at Jacob.

"And how long have you been a part of this scheme?" she asked. He

"Since he first told William about his plan," he said. "I was listening in on their conversation, but Rothbart always knew when I was eavesdropping, so he told me everything as well. All the way up until he disappeared after Derek defeated him."

"And I had hoped to stay that way until I heard Uberta's kingdom was attacked," Rothbart said. Odette raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked.

"To make things easier on you. I wanted you to live your life to its fullest and be happy. But then Clavius and Zelda came into the picture and caused a lot of trouble."

"How did you know them anyway?" Rothbart paused for a moment.

"Clavius was an old friend of mine. I've known him for a long time. He was a good lad, but he hated being stuck at the bottom. So when I asked him to assist me with the Forbidden Arts, he thought to use it to gain power. When I found out about this, I told him to stop. He didn't take that too lightly, but I knew the Forbidden Arts was corrupting him. But his love of power grew too great, and when I tried to stop him, he just grew angrier and more power hungry. I had to force him to leave before we could officially obtain the Forbidden arts. He kept saying I betrayed him, when it was actually he who betrayed me.

Now Zelda, on the other hand, was just a crazy old bat. She had heard of me after I tried to 'take over the kingdom' and set out to find me. Once she did, she offered her assistance in regaining my powers. And I needed all the help I could get. I didn't realize until later that she was crazy. She kept saying that I wanted you over her, when I barely mention you at all. She then said she wanted to be my queen, should we try to take over a kingdom. I just had to get rid of her. So I 'confirmed' her theory about wanting to marry you instead of her. And so she left, vowing for revenge."

"I always figured her for a crazy witch," chimed in Whizzer. Rothbart glanced over at the Yakey Bird.

"And if it wasn't for you she would still be alive today," he said with a grin. "Thank you for that." Whizzer shrugged in response.

"If you hadn't let me use your voice, I wouldn't have been much help." The other animals in the room looked from Whizzer to Rothbart and back.

"You know him?" asked Puffin. Whizzer nodded.

"He came to the cave during the fight with Zelda and helped in distracting her."

"All I said was 'hello Zelda'. You did the rest." Rothbart said.

"But it was you who came up with the idea in the first place." Odette watched as Rothbart and Whizzer continue to praise one another. This was extremely weird, to say the least. This was a whole new side of Rothbart that she had never in her whole life would have expect to see. It's as though he was a completely different person. And for some strange reason, a part of Odette was happy to see it and she began to smile.

"Rothbart?" Said enchanter turned to face her.

"Yes?" He was taken completely by surprise when the princess rushed to him and embraced him in a tight hug. For a quick moment, Rothbart just stood there. Then, upon realizing what is happening, he returned the embrace. Everyone in the room looked on as Odette and Rothbart shared this moment. They all looked happy and grateful towards them, all except Uberta, who still had her arms folded and held a slightly disapproving look.

Rothbart and Odette continued to embrace one another for another moment. Then suddenly Rothbart could hear the young princess sniffling in his chest. Rothbart then pulled away to look at her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked again. Odette nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm just glad that I know the truth now. I feel better knowing that everything you and my father did was to protect me." Rothbart raised his hand and wiped away a tear with his thumb.

"I'm glad that you know the truth as well," he said with a warm smile.

"And I have a question," she said. Rothbart tilted his head.

"What's that?"

"During the battle with Zelda, I had died. But then I was brought back to life somehow. Was it you that brought me back?" Rothbart smiled at her.

"As much as I would love to take the credit for that," he said, "it wasn't me that brought you back. That would be Derek." Everyone in the room looked at the prince. He stared back at them as he began to feel uncomfortable.

"I didn't do anything," he said. "All I did was destroy the Forbidden Arts."

"And you also wished for Odette to be brought back to you," Rothbart said as Derek gave him a look that said, how did you know? "I was there, you may not have seen me, but I was there. And when I heard that Odette didn't make it, I was just as devastated as you were. But then when you set the Forbidden Arts on fire, I thought you were going to blow us all to Oblivion."

"But then why did it bring Odette back?" Derek asked.

"The Forbidden Arts works mainly on emotion. You were angry at first, that's why I thought it would explode. But then you calmed and began speaking to Odette, the Forbidden Arts worked off your love towards her and brought her back to you. But it does come with a price."

"What's that?" Odette asked this time. Rothbart looked down towards the floor.

"The only way the Forbidden Arts can bring someone back… he hesitated, "…is if someone is sacrificed in their place." Everyone was silent for a few moments. Derek was the first to speak.

"Are you saying," he said, "that I sacrificed someone for Odette?"

"Not directly," Rothbart replied. "But don't worry, it's not as bad as it seems."

"How is sacrificing someone not as bad as it seems?!" Odette shouted.

"Because the person you sacrificed was Zelda," Jacob said. Odette and Derek both glanced at Jacob, then at one another before returning their gaze on him again.

"But Zelda was already dead when that happened," Derek said.

"Yes," Rothbart replied, "But she died at the very same time Odette had. So the Forbidden Arts used Zelda's spirit to bring Odette back. And that swan that you saw was Odette's spirit being resurrected." Odette looked behind Rothbart at Derek and smiled.

"I guess we should thank Zelda for her sacrifice," she said. Derek smiled back at her.

"I guess we should." Odette walked passed Rothbart to sit on the bed next to Derek. He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned into his embraces. She then looked over at Rothbart with a smile.

"And since you gave us this news," she said, "We have some news of our own." Rothbart raised an eyebrow at them before glancing at Jacob. Said king, who knew exactly what Odette was referring to, only smiled at him, which only confused Rothbart even more. He looked back at Odette and Derek.

"And what would that be?" he asked. Odette and Derek glanced at one another for a second; then Derek placed his arms around Odette till both his hands rested on her stomach before Odette placed her own hands on his. She then smiled up at Rothbart.

"I'm pregnant," she said happily. Rothbart's face slowly went from confused to extremely joyful. He looked from Jacob, to Phillip, to Joshua, who all smiled and nodded, before returning his gaze on Odette.

"No," he said with a wide smile. Odette nodded.

"Yes," she giggled. Rothbart couldn't help himself, he ran over to Odette and lifted her off the bed and began to spin her around, laughing joyfully all the while. A moment passed before he placed her back down on the floor.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "but I never thought I would be around to see this moment. This is truly wonderful news." Rothbart, against his better nature, began to dance around the room, happy to be accepted and that he gets to be a part of his goddaughter's family. Odette was happy to see her 'godfather' excited about the news as well as everyone else. But then her thoughts turned to the problem of this situation.

"It would be wonderful," she said, "if it weren't for one problem." Rothbart suddenly stopped dancing, standing on one foot.

"What's the problem?" he asked as he return to a normal standing position. Odette looked at him as her face slightly fell.

"What was Sargon's plan for coming here?" she asked. Rothbart began to feel uneasy.

"To steal your soul for immortality," he answered. "But I thought he just wanted to make a game out of it."

"That's what we thought too," said Jacob. Rothbart glanced at him.

"'Thought'?" he asked. Rothbart returned his gaze on Odette, who had tears in her eyes.

"Sargon decided he doesn't need my soul anymore," she said. Rothbart, after a few moments, suddenly realized what she was saying.

"No," he said again, only this time a lot more serious. Odette nodded again.

"Yes," she replied as she placed her hands on her stomach, something she felt like she had done a thousand times already. "Sargon wants my baby instead." The moment she said that, Rothbart grew angry.

"And he's not going to get it," he said strongly. He placed his hands on Odette's shoulders. "I will do everything I can, and more, to keep you and your family safe. Sargon won't get anywhere near this baby." Odette looked into his eyes and could see the determination in them. She smiled at him and nodded. Rothbart turned to look at Derek.

"You better get rested up," he stated, "because once you're all healed, you and I are going to do some hard training." Derek smiled at this.

"Looking forward to it," he said with confidence. Rothbart grinned.

"Don't expect it to be easy." He glanced over at Jacob and the two soldiers. "I'll be heading to the training fields to assist in building them. Give me a list of everyone here who is joining the army." Rothbart began to leave the room with Jacob, Philip and Joshua following behind.

"We are expecting Lord Rogers tomorrow with news about how many will be joing from around the villages," said Jacob as they were leaving the doorway. The sound of their voices could still be heard, but began to slowly fade. The only ones left in the infirmary were Odette, Derek, Uberta, Bromley, and their animal friends. Derek glanced over at Odette, who was walking towards him to sit next to him on the bed.

"Well this turned out to be an exciting day," he said. Odette giggled while nodding.

"Very unexpected too," she laughed. She then noticed Uberta walking over to the other side of Derek's bed.

"We should leave him and Bromley alone for a while so they can rest," she said. Odette nodded before giving her beloved husband a kiss.

"See you soon," she said sweetly.

"I'll be here," Derek joked. Odette playfully swatted his arm before she stood up from the bed. She then looked over at Bromley, who was peaking his head out of the covers.

"Get well soon Bromley," she said. Bromley nodded his head at her.

"Thank you princess," he said as he slunk back down under the covers to get some sleep. Odette smiled as she turned to head out the door with Uberta following close behind.

"Now Odette," Uberta began, "let's get started with the baby planning. I was thinking of having a cradle made with the finest jewels around the frame work. I was also thinking of having the jewels purple for a girl and sapphire for a boy, what do you think? Oh! And maybe have a large nursery that's filled with all kinds of gifts. Maybe we could also…" Derek rolled his eyes as he could still hear his mother's voice from a good distance down the hall. He then turned toward his animal companions at the foot of the bed.

"We will be staying her if you need anything sire," Puffin saluted.

"Good," said Jean-Bob as he walked over to another bed next to Derek's. he tried his best climb on top without too much trouble and laid down comfortably. "I'll want some food brought here in an hour. I'm thinking of having some French toast with a side of…"

"I was talking to Derek," Puffin said annoyed. He turned back toward the prince. "If you need anything just let us know." Derek nodded toward the black and white bird.

"Thank you Puffin," he said. "But I think I'll follow Bromley's lead and get some sleep." The other animals bowed their head and began to leave the room, but not without grabbing their little green friend along the way.

Derek rolled his eyes again as he chuckled before lowering himself in his bed to get some well-needed sleep. His last thought before drifting off was how much he was looking forward to be a dad.

Rothbart and Jacob were walking down the stairs of the ball room, discussing the plans for Swan Lake's new military force and how they were going to be trained and stationed. Philip and Joshua had gone elsewhere to handle other businesses concerning the refugees. Rothbart wanted to know exactly how many would be joining them and how well they will be prepared.

"I was thinking of training tan infantry unit to work with both spear and sword," Rothbart said. "That way, they can be trained to use the phalanx formation, but also uses a sword for close combat should it come down to that. I was also thinking a having the archers train with the infantry every three days so that they will be prepared in case they are caught in a skirmish." They had just reached the bottom of the stairs when he had finished and were now making their way towards the castle doors.

"Excellent Rothbart," Jacob complemented. "Working under Sargon's command has really made you a military man." Rothbart just waved the complement away.

"I really don't want to be reminded f what I had to do while working for him," he said with distain. "I have done a lot of things that would make most men sick to their stomachs."

"I understand," Jacob said. "But it did give you something that could be used to protect Odette and her child."

"That's the only benefit of it all." They were now at the doors and began to open them. They walked outside and began to make their way towards the training fields. They had walked a good fifteen minutes from the castle and were now completely alone. Now was the perfect time to discuss what had been on Jacob's mind for quite some time.

"Rothbart?" he said as the enchanter glanced in his direction.

"Yes?" Jacob took a more serious tone.

"Have you heard from her yet?" Rothbart stopped in his tracks but kept his gaze ahead. A moment of silence had passed before Rothbart spoke.

"Yes I have," he said quietly. "She asked for me a few months ago."

"And what did she say?" Jacob asked. Rothbart looked at the ground for a moment, trying to remember what she had told him. About a minute passed before Rothbart looked up at Jacob.

"She said that Odette's time will soon come," he said. "That on the longest day of the year of the Swan, the reign of Darkness will end…or begin."

"But that's two years from now!" Jacob said. "How is she going to be prepared in that time? And with a child no less?" Rothbart sighed as he looked towards the sky.

"We will just have to try our best to prepare her for it," he said, with a hint of sadness. Jacob sighed this time.

"She won't use it you know," he said. "She will be completely against the idea of it."

"I know," Rothbart replied. "But she will have to if she is to defeat her brother."

"But how will she learn both of them AND keep her family together?" Jacob really didn't like this plan.

"She is the chosen one," Rothbart said. "Her path was never going to be easy. But we must be there for her, she will need us. And She will need Derek most of all. His love for her is what keeps her strong. But this will be a fight that she will have to do alone."

"Derek will try to take her place," Jacob said. "You know that right?" Rothbart nodded.

"And we must keep him from doing so. Odette is the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord. No one else will be able to do it." Jacob sighed once again.

"I just hope she can handle this all on her own."

"She won't," Rothbart said. Jacob looked questioningly at him as Rothbart gave him smile. "She has a kind uncle and a new godfather to help guide her. She can do this Jacob." he looked at the sky once more.

"She has to." And with that, Jacob and Rothbart continued their walk towards the training fields, silently praying that the future will be saved.

A/N: How was that? I hope you guys loved how I brought Rothbart back, and on the side of good. This chapter was inspired by a story I read a while back called "The Forbidden Tale" by Alyssa. It is a really good story. Some ideas are similar but most ideas are my own. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. Reviews are always welcome and appreciated.