Odette caught up with Alex as she was going home for the night.

Hearing the footsteps Alex turned around, standing straight up as she strained to see who was following her.

"Alex?" a voice called through the darkness.

Recognizing it as Odette's, Alex calmed herself. "Ma'am?"

"You don't have to call me that," Odette said as she caught up.

Taken aback by Odette's friendliness, but not wanting to be rude, Alex inclined her head a little as Odette reached her. "Did you need something?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you how well you did at the talent show."

"Thank you."

Alex was sure this wasn't the only thing Odette wanted to say, otherwise she would have waited for the next day, and the next time they happened upon each other. No one, especially a queen, would bother chasing Alex in the dark just to tell her she did a good job, or so Alex thought.

"And I wanted to ask you a question, if that's alright."

"Ask me anything."

"Well, I was wondering," Odette began slowly, "if you knew there is a story behind the song you sang."

"Yes. I know the story very well, in fact."

Odette let her hopes get up. Her eyes brightened as she asked her next question. "And where did you hear it?"

Alex frowned a little, disappointed with herself once again. "I honestly don't remember."

Odette nodded. "I know the story too. I told it to my children when they were small."

"With all due respect, ma'am, why are you telling me this?"

"Because that song and that story have never left my family. We're the only ones who know it."

"And you're wondering how I know them, right?"

"Yes, but I think I know why. Alex, you're my daughter."

Alex's eyes widened. "What? No way! It's impossible. It's not true… it's…"

She was shocked and confused. She had been alone most of her life, although she was surrounded by other people. She never felt she fit in with the others. Everyone she knew was sure she didn't belong at the orphanage. Father Clarence wholeheartedly believed she was loved by someone, and whoever it was still loved her.

"Alex, there is evidence; the song, the story, the familiarity. You look just like me, but with your father's hair."

"But it just doesn't make any sense! If I'm yours, and you're mine, where have I been? Why don't I recognize you?"

"You did. Remember?"

"I know, but I didn't recognize you as my mother."

"But you recognized me. You knew that I was a part of a life you couldn't remember."

Alex started to cry a little, a mix of frustration and disappointment. "But why can't I remember?"

"I don't know," Odette admitted.

Honestly, Alex wanted to tell Odette that she believed her, but she just couldn't. To Alex, there was not yet enough proof. She wished so desperately that she could remember her life before the orphanage. Anything would do. But there was nothing. She had no idea where she was from and who she belonged to. For the first time in her life, she felt hindered by her lack of memory, and it hurt.

She leaned against a nearby tree, lowered her head, and closed her eyes.

"I suppose it would make sense," Alex whispered.

"What?"

"When I was a kid, I used to be kind of the leader amongst my friends. They pretty much did whatever I asked of them. Then Father Clarence, the man who pretty much raised me, said I didn't belong in an orphanage. I was destined for greatness. I didn't understand when he told me, but I think he knew, but couldn't prove it. He wanted better for me because he knew…"

"Alex, do you trust me?"

Alex looked back up at Odette, a little startled by her candid question, and smiled a little. "Yes."

"Good. I promise, I'll help you find your family, even if it's not mine, but, Alex, I'm more than sure that you're my daughter. You belong with us."

Alex cast her head uncomfortably away from Odette's loving and hopeful gaze. "You seem so certain, even when I'm not. And it's not that I don't want to believe; it's just that I don't want to be what I'm not." She turned back to Odette and met her with two serious eyes that matched Odette's. "I don't want to disappoint you. But if you believe, then I will too. I'll try, for you."

Although the words sounded confident, Alex was not. She still was unsure about all this, and she didn't want to come so far to be wrong. What if she was? It would be heart breaking. But being something she wasn't was, to her, a lot worse than being alone.

Odette smiled, gladdened. She was even more pleased when Alex seemed to have dropped the front she had been holding up since they began talking. Alex smiled, a mirror image of Odette's, but more reserved, held back. How could she not be her daughter?

"And I'll help you remember, and so will the rest of the family. Come, I'll introduce you to the others. Your father has been excited to see you since you sang on stage."

Alex obliged, silently letting Odette lead the way to the castle. She stared ponderously at the woman ahead of her. Something in her mind clicked, reminding her for a brief instant of Odette's blonde hair… It was familiar. She immediately knew that her mother, whether it was Odette or not, was blonde.

Moving a little faster to catch up to Odette's side, Alex voiced a question she had been wondering about for years. "What happened to me?"

Alex felt a little pang of guilt when Odette's expression became one of sadness and loss. "Well, it's a long story. Do you remember a villainess called Zelda."

Alex thought on it a moment. "Vaguely. I remember that she was the one who stole the notes and held the princessfor ransom, the ransom being the missing section of the notes that the prince tore off. Then, when she got the missing piece, she tried to kill the princess with a fireball, but the prince beat Zelda just after the fireball hit her. When the prince finally burned the notes, the princess came back."

It saddened Odette to know that Alex wasn't able to remember enough of her past to realize that the princess was her and the prince was Derek. There must have been a lot missing, more than Odette thought at first. Helping Alex remember was going to be harder than she thought it would be.

"And so did Zelda," Odette added quietly, regretting what happened to Alex.

Alex frowned, unable to concentrate because of the sudden pain in her head. It was the familiar pain that occurred when she started to remember or even think of things from her past, like someone was hitting her in the head with a hammer. She rubbed her forehead, stopping in her place.

Concerned, Odette turned around and waited. "Is there something wrong?"

"Just a headache. It usually happens when I start investigating my past."

"Does this happen a lot?"

"No, not really. The last time happened when… when I dreamed of swans." Alex moved her hand. "That's why I came here. I thought the swans were important somehow. What better place for swans than Swan Lake?" She gasped, her head hurting even more.

"Alex!" Odette called, concerned.

"The sooner we get there, the better. This should be over with in an hour. I'll be alright." She caught up to Odette. "Seeing you now, if you really are my mother… it's strange."

"Yes, it is. We've waited a long time to see each other, haven't we?"

"You've probably waited longer," Alex said guiltily.

"How so?"

"Because I gave up. I made myself immune to the idea of ever seeing my mother again. One day, I finally decided I was never going to see my family again. I just gave up."

Odette didn't know what to say to this, so she was glad when they reached the castle's entrance. "We're here. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Alex and Odette entered the foyer of the castle, where four people waited patiently for them. When the door opened, every eye that was cast to the ground in anticipation flew to Alex, excited to see her up close. The walked over to meet her. Alex, although nervous, was very happy to see such friendly faces.

"Alex, do you remember them?" Odette asked.

"Yes, but only vaguely, like faces from a dream."

What Alex didn't say was that she could remember only small things about each of there faces, like Derek's eyes and Eli's smile. Joan was much more difficult to recognize, as the last time they had seen each other was when Joan was just about two months old. Even Odette's face was just barely familiar, recognizable by only the blonde hair.

Derek stepped forward. "Alex, I'm your father."

Eli and Joan followed. Odette introduced them. "Alex, this is your younger brother, Eli, and your younger sister, Joan."

Lastly, Matthew stepped forward.

"I remember you," Alex said, smiling. "It's wonderful to see you all again. I wish I could remember better."

"We'll help you with that," Matthew volunteered, looking deeply into her eyes, seeing something he had never seen in another girl. He pulled his gaze away, afraid he was making her uncomfortable.

Remembering that Alex had a headache, Odette smiled at her. "Alex, why don't you rest for a while? I'll have someone show you to your room."

"Okay. Oh, I was staying at an inn in town. I should let the keeper know where I am. He's a good friend of mine, and I wouldn't want him to worry."

"We'll send a message," Derek assured her. "You rest."

Alex nodded and was led upstairs by a maid who was walking nearby when Odette suggested Alex retired for the night.

As she walked down the halls, Alex could feel a strange sense of familiarity and confusion. She knew she had been there before, but when? And, more importantly, was it true?

When she reached her room, she was left alone for a few minutes while the maid went to fetch a nightgown and a dress for the next day as well as other supplies. When the maid came back with the things, Alex thanked her. The maid was out the door and down the hall before Alex had time to think about getting into the huge bed that awaited her.

Alex slid into the bed, feeling drained from her headache.

There, she fell into a deep, yet somewhat pained, sleep.