Secret Love at the Swan Lake (S.P. This member did actually even read the libretto Flo did sent the members) – Part 1 (Act 1 and 2)
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, a humble and kind peasant girl called Marthe lived in a village. This village was nearby to the queen`s castle. The queen had only one heir, handsome and young prince Siegfried. Siegfried would always try to escape from rules and duties to join the peasants. And each year, at the harvest festival, he used to dance with Marthe. Marthe would blush, as she was in love with the prince, whenever he would visit the festival with his best friend Benno. But this time, everything would be different.
Marthe was very excited. It was the prince's 21th birthday and all the villagers would throw a splendid party for the prince. Her father had also prepared a special birthday present for Siegfried: a crossbow – because the prince loved to go hunting. When he and the other villagers were preparing vine with cups and barrels, Marthe put on her beautiful green festival dress. "Aw, the prince will fall in love for sure with you!" her friends Emma and Lise gushed over Marthe's look. Marthe smiled and put her wreath made of daisies on her brown hair.
Together with her friends, they waited for the prince's arrival. He was accompanied by Benno von Sommerstein and his old,jolly tutor Wolfgang. It was a beautiful summer afternoon and the prince was highly welcomed. He treated his subjects on equal terms, and apparently also the girls. He gave each peasant girl a bonnet, he rejoiced about the crossbow and then he declared: "It's time for a waltz!". When the peasants danced, also Marthe found herself dancing with the prince. She felt his heartbeat, when they were following the joyful rhythm of music. Yet,although the prince smiled and smiled, this smile didn't came from the gaze of her eyes, but rather from the garlands and the festivities. When the music stopped, suddenly Benno rushed to Siegfried and whispered something.
"Alas, my mother is coming!" the prince cried and ordered the villagers to hide the vine bottles. The queen entered with her entourage the village and embraced her son.
"Siegfried, I see you are enjoying yourself. But now you're grown-up and will be soon king. After your father's death, I ruled the kingdom alone. Look at the noble statue of our ancestor here – I wish you to be as heroic and knightly, and not just a peasants' merrymaker. It's time to choose a bride and settle down. Tomorrow I will throw a ball with all eligible noblewomen of the kingdom and the most beautiful princesses from aristocratic monarchies. You have to choose one as your bride." The queen said and left with her maidens.
All girls in the village stood there, listening carefully to this message. The prince stared after his mother, then he laughed and said: "Let's celebrate my last day in freedom! Why did the music stop?"
While Benno was surrounded by Emma and Lise, Marthe was asked to dance by Siegfried again. His blue eyes were sorrowful, and he didn't say anything. "What a beautiful day." Marthe started the conversation. "It is indeed. I love to be here. It's so much better than being caged in the palace." The prince sighed.
"But it isn't lonely with a girl you love." Mathe said.
"My heart is like a bird, it's free and doesn't know love yet. I don't want to marry by now." The prince said, and Mathe was upset. Siegfried had admitted that he didn't feel anything for her!
Suddenly, they were stopped by loud laughter. Wolfgang had drunk too much and tried to dance with Lise and Emma. When he was finally staggering and falling down, the prince rushed to the rescue. Anyway, the party was over.
The prince called Benno and his friends: "Let's go for a hunt! I want to make use of my crossbow and celebrate the last day in freedom." "But you'd rather prepare for tomorrow." Benno hesitated. "No way", the prince brushed through his blond hair, "look at those beautiful swans in the evening sky!" Together with Benno and some other hunters, the prince went to the horses and set off for hunt. Marthe stayed behind, together with her father, who said: "Do not desire too much, daughter, and always remember that a noble heart doesn't need a crown. It matters, what's behind our skin, and not the glittering and golden surface."
The next morning, after a kind of sleepless night, Marthe heard the doorbell ringing. Marthe put on a coat and opened the door. To her surprise, it was Benno von Sommerstern. "My lord…" Marthe gasped. He bowed and asked to talk with her. She led him to the kitchen table.
"I have to tell you about the hunt last night. The prince and me were following the swans in a forest and found them at a lake, at an eerie, ruin, like a chapel. Suddenly, a swan with a crown appeared and changed into a beautiful woman with a white dress – and this crown. She asked us why we were hunting her – and she told us that she was indeed the swan."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Marthe, but Benno laughed and narrated: "The prince did say the same, but the girl told him that she was actually a good fairy. Her mother had been also a good fairy and married a knight, against the will of her father. The knight did destroy his wife and remarried a witch. This stepmother is now threatening Odetta – that's the swan princess – in the disguise of an owl and only a vow of true love would release Odetta from the stepmother's clutches. By then, she is protected by the crown and allowed by her grandfather to fly in swan shape, together with her friends. This grandfather did weap so many tears that this lake was created."
"That's complicated. So, this maiden is in swan shape and only the prince's pledge of love could rescue her?" Marhe summed up.
"Exactly. Then other swan maidens came out of the chapel and started dancing. I found myself dragged by two swan maidens, and also four cygnets were dancing at the lake."
"Lovely."
"No, it isn't. The prince declared his love for Odetta…"
"Indeed NOT lovely."
"but she didn't believe him and laughed about him. He invited her to the ball tomorrow night, but she told him that he had to pass a test and had to fear the stepmother's magic. And that's the problem! This simple ball tomorrow will be crushed by some magical beings! I did see indeed a big, gloomy, howling owl, flying across the Swan Lake. I'm really afraid that there will be magic used and our kingdom could be threatened."
"And what's now the point?" asked Marthe,who wasn't pleased that the prince would have found love in a swan! She felt very jealous, although she would never want to harm anyone.
"Please, come and save the kingdom. Better he'll marry you than any swan and the kingdom is saved. Go to the ball and persuade the prince he's better with a real woman!"
"I'm not invited, I have no dress and nobody to introduce me."
"Don't worry. I will order the queen's tailor to make a stunning green dress for you and I will introduce you as the daughter of the ambassador of Naples. You don't have to do anything bad. Just dance, enjoy yourself and show your beauty."
"You think I'm beautiful?" Marthe whispered.
"I did say so. Let's go." insisted Benno and pretended to have to hurry now…
As I did write longer as I expected, this is only the half of the story.
So, there will come the second part.
But perhaps you can guess by now who has written this story!
This story is based on my plans to stage Swan Lake. It's close to the original libretto. I made the "First peasant girl" who is in fact dancing the so-called Black Swan Pas de deux with the prince originally in the first act, the main character and narrator. The little narration her with Benno in the ending is my invention to connect the plot. Perhaps you are guessing a twist, but let's see what is happening!