Rodgers led Derek and Odette to the front door of their castle. He opened the door with a smile and ushered the Prince and Princess in. Derek and Odette were overwhelmed with "surprise!" coming from every corner of the ballroom. Odette smiled as they were "surprised" and turned her head to look at Derek's reaction. Derek had his mouth hanging open wide. He had no idea what he just walked into. His mother came flying towards her sun.

"Happy Anniversary you two! I decided to throw you a surprise ball! It has been a while sine we've had a ball…"

"Mother, you held a ball last month." Derek interrupted.

"Darling, that's far too long to go without a ball!"

"Uberta, what your son means is that he is so thankful for your kind surprise." Odette responded. She could tell Derek was going to say something stupid that he would regret later so she intervened.

"Yes, Odette is right. Thank you Mother for your…generosity," He looked at Odette to see if he had said the right thing. She nodded approvingly and they continued to walk down the stairs. Derek turned to Bromley.

"So you were assigned with keeping us occupied while they set this up weren't you Brom? That's why you tried to use a bow and arrow properly?" Derek looked at his best friend with a knowing smile.

"Well…yeah… the bow and arrow was all my idea," Bromley replied while putting his hand nervously behind his neck.

"Of course it was. Who else could come up with that genius idea?" Rodgers replied sarcastically.

"Rodgers start up the band and lets get this thing started!" shouted Uberta happily.

Rodgers went to his orchestra and began to paly Derek and Odette's song.

"Princess, I believe this is our song. Would you like to dance?" Derek held out his hand to his wife.

"Why yes I would Prince Derek," replied Odette as she took her husband's hand and he led them to the ballroom floor. They danced to their song as they had done every year on their anniversary. Of course they usually didn't have a huge crowd dancing with them. The song was coming to an end and Derek placed his hand behind Odette's head and went in to kiss her.

Before he could reach her lips the doors and windows flew open. The lights went out and the wind came howling in. Derek thought to himself that this was just too familiar. He stepped out in front of Odette to protect her. He didn't know who or what was going to come through those doors.

"No more mister nice guy…" someone began to sing. Odette had heard that voice before, but it couldn't be because that voice was dead. A cloaked figure walked down the stairs and onto the ballroom floor.

"Who are you?" asked Derek with an angered voice.

"Why Derek, you don't remember me?" asked the voice cunningly.

"I can't see you under that cloak. How about you take it off and remind me," replied Derek. Odette squeezed Derek's shoulders tightly.

"Alright, if you insist." The cloaked figure took off his hood and Odette's stomach clenched tightly.

"No," she whispered, "it can't be you. You're dead."

"Miss me Princess? Didn't think Rothbart could fool you?" Rothbart looked straight at Odette and grinned.

"How are you alive? The arrow went right through you," Derek asked.

"You did indeed injure me greatly that night, but you did not kill me."

"But you let Odette live because I defeated you. That was our deal!"

"I knew I was too injured to continue fighting you when you hit me with that arrow, so I let you believe I was dead. I had to let Odette live or you would have thought I was still alive. It worked didn't it? You believed me to be dead until now. I have spent the last 3 years regaining my strength and mastering the forbidden arts once again."

"If you're looking for the forbidden arts, I'm afraid you're too late. I destroyed your notes and everything that belonged to you."

"Dear boy, do you think I needed those notes to create the powers to create, to change, and to destroy? I wrote those notes and I memorized my work! I have already mastered the forbidden arts again."

"Then why are you here? You will not get to Odette! Do you hear me!?" Derek held on tighter to Odette.

"I want to improve upon my powers. I want to make myself even better. I wish to live forever."

"No one can live forever. It's impossible."

"Not with magic. I can create the power to live forever and never be harmed. I have all the ingredients I need…except one."

"What is the last ingredient?" Derek asked, interested in what Rothbart needed to complete the power to live forever.

"That is why I have come to talk to your lovely wife." Before Derek could react, Rothbart waved his hand and Derek flew to the other side of the ballroom.

"Odette!" Derek yelled and Rothbart created a ring of fire to separate the rest of the room.

"Odette!" Derek yelled again, but he was unable to get through the fire.

"What do you want from me? I already told you I would never be yours. Besides you're a little too late if you want to marry me," said Odette. She didn't know what Rothbart wanted from her. She had nothing to give him.

"I am not interested in your father's kingdom anymore. When I have the power to live forever I can rule the whole world by taking over every single kingdom. No one will be able to defeat me."
"And you need something from me?" Odette was nervous to know what he was going to do to her.

"I need the product of true love my dear Princess. You and Prince Derek do indeed have true love…"

"I don't understand. What is the product of true love?" Odette didn't understand what Rothbart wanted from her.

"What I need from you, Odette… is your child."

"Well I hate to disappoint you Rothbart, but as you can see Derek and I don't have a child."

"Your child hasn't made its appearance yet, but it will…in about 9 months."

"What?" Odette didn't know how to respond. Was Rothbart telling her she was pregnant?

"My magic tells me that you have a child on the way dear Princess and I intend on using your child's heart to complete the spell to create the power to live forever."

"You… you monster! You will never lay a finger on our baby!" Odette put her hand to her stomach as if she was protecting her child.

"I figured you'd react this way. So I am putting a spell on you Princess. If you leave this place and go out past Swan Lake, you will turn back into a swan. If you turn into a Swan, your child will die. I will return in 9 months to come for the child and we'll see if you're a human or a swan." Rothbart turned away from Odette and began to walk out of the castle.

"You can't do this!" Odette yelled, but Rothbart wasn't turning around. Odette fell on her knees and began to cry. How was this happening to her again? As soon as Rothbart left the castle, the lights came back on, the fire disappeared, and the doors and windows closed again.

Derek ran to Odette. He got down on his knees to see if she was all right.

"Odette! What did he do to you?"

Odette couldn't stop crying. She and Derek had been trying to have a child for a very long time. Now her child's life was in danger.

"Odette, please tell me," Derek pleaded. He couldn't bear to see Odette as upset as she was.

"Derek, he wants our child's heart."

"What? We don't have a child. He can't possibly …" Derek looked at Odette and saw that her hand was on her stomach. She couldn't possibly be pregnant? Could she?

"We're having a baby Derek. We're finally going to have a baby and this happens…" Odette began to cry even harder in Derek's arms.

"Rodger's help me take Odette to our room. Mother could you…" Derek gestured at the people around them.

Rodger came to help Derek get Odette upstairs. Queen Uberta calmed the guests and ushered them outside. Derek put Odette in their bed.

"Thanks Rodgers." Rodgers left and Derek lay beside Odette. Odette was still crying.

"I won't let him get our child Odette. He won't lay a finger on our child," Derek was trying to comfort Odette.

"He's more powerful than ever. You're a great fighter, but you don't have a chance against his magic."

"Odette…"

"He said if I go past Swan Lake I will turn back into a swan and our child will die."

"Well then we won't let that happen. I will protect you and our child. I won't let anything happen Odette." Derek kissed her forehead and Odette began to fall asleep. She was scared for her child's life and her own.