Читать книгу Swan Lake. Dragon Empire - Natalie Yacobson - Страница 3

Cliffs stretched far beyond the sea, like the wings of a white swan, but they were not part of wildlife, they breathed and whispered in the night, no one dared to climb them, no one dared to come closer to their spreading shadow, they became part of the cursed land and deserted the beauty of the dead splendor of darkness.

They said that at night witches and sorcerers gather there, and the devil himself visits them, that they rage and scream until morning and kill anyone who enters their dark domain. No one knew another, more beautiful legend that the devil himself of these rocks and the dark sea was once a man, like everyone else, but this was the secret of his love.

The night was deaf and dark, even the dim light of the moon in the distant gloomy skies could not dispel the darkness. Here he was too weak and helpless to illuminate the possessions of evil forces, and not far from the rocks, there was a beautiful palace, but its beauty was too weak to attract people in comparison with the devilish legends about the eternal heaps of rocks and swan lakes beyond the borders of the kingdom.

Everyone knew that the legends tell the truth, and they have no reason to lie. Everything was true: witches, demons, beautiful captives of evil, the very girls turned into swans by the black demon of darkness, all heard the sad songs that were heard at night. There, far beyond the rocks, the hostages of darkness at night took on their real appearance and sang and danced all night, but no one dared to approach them, to the beauties who were so careless that they went to the rocks, and then the devil’s revenge found them. No one knew why he was taking revenge on this world and all those girls in whom at least a drop of deceptive and enchanting beauty was preserved.

A piercing wind blew and carried the dry leaves from place to place like a round dance of night shadows. Odette shrank from the cold, she didn’t know how she got here. What ghost brought her into this enchanted world? The only thing she remembered was the tale of her maids of her beautiful mother and the spirit of evil that killed her. Everyone tried to hide this story from the little princess, but still one day she heard it, and she remained an eternal imprint of horror in her heart.

The rocks filled everything around them with a blue-bluish color, he was beautiful and cold, like the endless kiss of the wind, only the wind flew into these gloomy possessions, until Odette herself stepped here.

She was wearing a light, light dress, but even it was luxurious, like a princess’s outfit, her long wavy hair fell in a light cover over her shoulders, her face was beautiful, she herself was a worthy daughter of Diana. Although no one dared to pronounce this name since the moment of death of the graceful queen.

Odette did not want to seek adventure at all, but some evil fate drew her here along with him, some voice called her, breaking through the veil of her dreams.

Suddenly, a shadow flickered around the bend in the maze of rocks, and Odette froze in place, as if a ghost was showing her the way. She did not think long and decided to go to the call.

As soon as she moved forward, a black bird flew right over her head, it was a gloomy eagle, but what he did here, it was the first bird that flew to the witch’s rocks and how unusual it was, how bold was the look of shining eyes, as if they were full of human hatred and mysterious pain.

Odette turned her head, wanting to follow the bird’s flight. Suddenly, in the distance, there was a sound like a quiet, ominous laugh. There was something dark and triumphant about it. Fear seized Odette, but she slowly moved forward. Her journey was long and dangerous. Some kind of indistinct burning flame blew into her face and burned her eyes so that she involuntarily closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she saw what was behind the bend of the rock.

The rocks were a real labyrinth, it was impossible to predict what was hidden behind the next turn, and there could be any danger, although even the robbers did not look here, because they were also people who were afraid of ghosts, only witches gathered here at night, and Odette believed in this legend, like everyone who lived in the country.

She plucked up the courage to bend over to see what was happening there, beyond the rock, and saw a burning bonfire, a huge cauldron with some kind of scalding brew, and three figures standing around it.

They were dark, almost indistinguishable, but Odette could see their dirty black robes and long hair falling almost to the ground, and the gnarled nails on their bony hands, barely covered with dark skin like ash from a fire.

Odette pressed herself against the rock and looked closely, their faces lit up by the glare of fire, and the terrible deformities of the three witches were barely discernible in them. It was difficult to describe their ugliness, but besides that, each of them had their own terrible flaw, and Odette shuddered when faced with it. Her eyes darted from one witch to another, each of them turned out to be even more unpleasant than the last.

The first had one eye missing on her swarthy face, but not in the same way as in people, as if it shouldn’t have been on her face at all by nature. Dirty skin had grown there, as if from birth, the second eye was mobile and vicious, like some ominous light of a cursed swamp, it sparkled and shimmered with its red, almost bloody fire and burned brighter than the flame of a fire.

Her long hand reached out to her friend, the next witch. The one was much worse than the first. Both eyes were missing on her face, but they were not gouged out – such was the eerie nature of the creation of the night. She seemed to see everything without eyes. She did not need them to have her evil power over the world and to frighten all people. Her face expressed too much. Large nostrils felt everything around them and slowly inhaled the rotten smoke of the fire, scarlet lips were thicker than those of a common man, and yellow, huge and rather rare teeth peeped out from under them.

Odette looked at the third witch, her face was as disgusting as her two sisters, there was no mouth on her face, it was overgrown with smooth and gray skin, there was no nose either, only two small specks shone in the place where he should was to be located. But she spoke, like everyone else, and her voice was raspy and disgusting, it sounded like the sound of a flowing water or the sound of a falling tree, although it was not clear how she could speak without lips, probably it was another mystery of witchcraft…

The hair of the witches was prohibitively long, they were stuck with mud and dirt, and they themselves were of a resinous color and curled at the ends like snakes, but the fire did not touch them, although they fluttered next to the flame, as if it were an unspoken agreement of witchcraft and lords of bitter fires. Suddenly Odette thought that she knew what the mistress of all this nightmare looked like and that her hair was red like fire.

Odette watched the three witches for a long time and did not even notice how they began to talk among themselves. Their voices rang out in the valley between the rocks. It seemed that the fire itself flames in time with them and merges with their even more burning flame.

«Today is that night,» one of them hissed, «a sacred night, and we must meet her with a new victim, I hope you have lured someone to the rock today.»

«Yes, our new victim will come soon, we have completely bewitched her,» the second remarked mockingly.

«I hope she’s attractive?» croaked the impassible witch, although it was not clear where her voice was coming from; from the depths of her grim figure or hell itself.

«Of course,» the second answered her, «it is such a pleasure to kill beautiful and young.»

She smiled longingly in anticipation of diabolical delight, which made her face even more terrible and disgusting. Odette clung to the rock in horror to see if they were talking about her. They lured her to a rock and now wanted to kill her. She wanted to run away from here as soon as possible, but her legs did not obey her, they were completely numb, as if in a dream, and she could neither walk nor run, she seemed to be rooted to a rock.

«You remember what happened on the same night many years ago,» meanwhile the witch said.

«Yes,» her friend responded, and a fiery eye flashed with a wild light, «exactly so many years ago the beautiful queen died, she should have gotten to us, but this scoundrel took her soul from us.»

«It’s right that the mistress killed her. Diana was just an angel of strife, so many lovers suffered because of her, she ruined her beloved king and she herself had to die.»

«She was too young, but it is the souls of the young that give immortality.»

«Her daughter is to be queen tonight, but we’ll intervene, don’t we?»

They all laughed deafeningly, their laughter filled the entire space between the rocks..

«And Rothbert’s daughter,» meanwhile, they said, «she must also be with us.

«He himself will consecrate her, besides, it is better not to have anything to do with him, because he can destroy us all, and then we will cease to exist.»

«No,» said the other, «this will never happen, at least as long as our mistress is alive, we are under her dark protection.»

«Odile is a real beauty, but her soul is dark, and woe to those who fall in love with the curls of her dazzling black hair.»

«Yes, such a person died, because she is the daughter of the king of darkness, but when will she join us.»

«I would like to kill her,» the one-eyed witch remarked with hatred and fury, «a girl of such beauty has nothing to do in this world, let her live with angels, not with people.»

«But she is… a dark angel, and she is Diana’s daughter, although she has forgotten her mother, she has the beauty of a dead queen and the evil heart of her father, her hair curls like snakes of death, that will be fun when the young prince gets to us from- for the love of her.»

The witch went up to the fire and threw something that looked like white powder at it, which made the fire burst into a black flame, and the same black smoke went from it, along with the stench of death, which made Odette sick.

«Let it be so,» said the witch, and together they all repeated this short but deadly phrase of the devil’s spell, and black fire reflected on their faces, and they all seemed even more nightmarish in its reflections.

«And Odette,» one of them said, and the little princess shuddered, «she has a pure heart. How can we get her?»

«Do not be afraid,» one of the witches assured her, «our mistress has come up with an original way of terrible revenge, Odette will regret that she was born at all, this will be her curse.»

Odette felt that she was losing her feelings, but nevertheless with an effort she managed to pull herself together, she did not have to utter a word, otherwise she was waiting for death, and not only death, but also the eternal damnation of her soul.

The witches laughed with a vicious, disgusting laugh, which immediately spread over all the rocks.

«It’s time,» one of them whispered, and her face twisted in a devilish grin, «I know she will be here soon.»

And then in the hands of one witch Odette saw a small child, he was crying and screaming, and at that moment, when the light of the fire fell on him, a dagger flashed in the hand of another witch. It slowly but steadily approached the heart of the child, it was a terrible bewitching sight, and Odette could not resist.

«No,» she shouted, jumping out from behind the rock, and immediately the fire burst into a bright column of her flame, burning everything around her, but without touching the three devilish figures.

The witches froze in amazement, but then their faces were distorted by ominous grins, and on the claws of one of them bright human blood was already shining. The fire swelled with extraordinary force, and now, as if those silhouettes of witches were not here at all, they disappeared somewhere and the child along with them, but Odette was ready to swear that a minute ago she saw them and almost witnessed a nightmarish ritual…

Now everything around was calm, but Odette clearly saw that she was standing on a rock, and in front of her in a rocky hollow a bright fire was burning, its flame warmed with its hot gusts, it was so pleasant in the cold of the witch’s night, but at the same time, how- then mysterious and mysterious.

There was a huge cauldron next to the fire, from which from time to time small streams of smoke burst out and disappeared into the crimson darkness of the fire. What was in it, some kind of witch’s brew, and in fact, before her eyes, the witchcraft almost killed a living child. Odette could not believe what had happened to her, but it was true, a minute ago she saw all this and could not take her eyes off the witchcraft rite.

Odette slowly approached the fire, now a pleasant warmth and a kind of comfort unknown here emanated from him, his flame blazed slowly and hotly, his scarlet tongues caressed the hot air around the fire and suddenly, in this darkness, some unknown, but ominous voice called:

«Odette, Odette, Odette!»

Odette turned, but there was nothing but the rapid beating of her own heart.

Suddenly the fire burst into a blue flame, and no more heat emanated from it, it turned cold like ice or snow, and pale blue like night clouds. Odette could not understand what had happened, just a moment ago everything here was calm and quiet, and now some ominous spirit crept here and did not give any more peace to this, perhaps, accursed place.

Something said to her «Come to the cauldron», some voice pushed her, but fear was stronger, it could only be overcome by excessive curiosity, and it always appeared in the soul at the most dangerous and inappropriate moment.

Odette walked slowly over and carefully peered over the edge of the cauldron. A strange green brew mixed with something dark crimson resembling blood was boiling and seething in him.

Odette wanted to recoil in horror, but suddenly there, in the green mess, a head with long messy hair appeared, and the hand of the ugly witch grabbed Odette by the clothes. She tried to escape with a scream, but nothing worked, the green hand held her tightly to the dress and did not want to let go for a moment, it seemed that the end of the young princess was coming, but something terrible awaited her, in front of the cauldron next to her appeared disfigured with scars and burns face of a red-haired witch.

«The time has come, beauty,» she hissed, and her angry laugh flooded everything around, not allowing a single drop of silence to take possession of this place, and here, in horror, the princess woke up, the dream was too much like reality.

The full moon was shining over the beautiful royal palace, its walls and Gothic windows were flooded with sparkling, silvery light, as in a charming fairy tale, but it was the fairy tale of the night itself, and it did not let go of anyone from her magical embrace.

The palace was both huge and rich, it was not more beautiful to find it in the whole world, but many years ago the one to which it now belonged was subjected to a curse.

A huge lake overflowed in front of the palace, its dark cold waters glittered in imitation of the moon, and it was reflected with pleasure in them, not allowing the night darkness to fully embrace itself, there was only one thing missing: swans that had fallen asleep at night, but the darkness had its plans.

The deep night covered everything around, but they did not sleep in the palace. In the huge windows of the throne room, a bright light burned and dispelled the darkness around its possessions. The moon was reflected in the waters of the lake, making them beautiful and mysterious.

The fairy tale of the night began here, by the transparent lake, and continued in the royal palace, and it was magically beautiful, like the witchcraft of nature itself.

The palace was magnificent. Previously, Diana was its mistress, but now another beautiful princess overshadowed her fabulous beauty and shone with her charm in the castle at night by the swan lakes that spilled far, far, beyond this embraced dark night of the country.

Today all gentlemen and noble ladies have gathered in the throne room. Fulfilling the last will of her parents, the young princess had to get married and take the crown of the mistress of this country. All the noble nobles who had gathered here regretted this in advance, the little princess was so beautiful that it was simply impossible not to fall in love with her.

She stood at the throne, in a lush ball gown, its folds rustling in the gloomy silence. Odette was a ray of light even in this night and sparkled with her unique beauty. It would be difficult to find a girl more beautiful than she, and Richard knew this, knew that his love had become his curse.

There were so many girls in the world, both accessible and sympathetic, and he, as if in a terrible dream, doomed himself to eternal torment, fell in love with a young princess and could not forget his love. All will be lost tonight. She will marry another, and he will never have hope. He was afraid and could not confess his love to her.

Now anxiety and fear were fighting in him, if he did not have the courage, he would remain unhappy for his whole life. Yes, besides, Odette herself did not want to get married, she did not know her fiancé and was still quite a child, but he loved her as much as he could only love the one who was called the best knight in the world.

He fought duels, won wars, fought like the noblest of all, and now he was overtaken by a mad infatuation with the one that was supposed to go to the royal throne, not him. Richard looked at Odette’s sweet face, how he loved her, even so cold and unapproachable to human feelings, but only she was his love, beautiful as a white swan and cold as dispassion itself.

No one should have known what was in the heart of the invincible knight, that he was suffering from a criminal love for the one who was to become his queen in the future. He looked at her delicate features and swore to himself that he would never yield her to any prince, not to one of the most powerful king in the world, no, he would fight for his love.

Richard squeezed Odette’s hand, and she gave him a sad look. Since her parents died, he has been her only and most faithful friend in the world. She was attached to him much more than to some prince, whom she had never even seen in her life.

A knight in luxurious robes entered the hall with a quick gait, Odette recognized him, this was the most noble and wealthy lord from the retinue of her unknown groom. He bowed politely, But Richard looked at him full of hatred and smiled slyly, he was not going to give up his happiness to the first person he met, even if it was the prince of the richest country.

`` It’s time to start, «» he said dryly, `` where is His Highness now, or has he forgotten about his own wedding, but I swear I will do everything to prevent it from happening, «» he boldly declared right in the face of his enemy, who, however, was afraid to answer him, because all the kingdoms knew the valor and courage of Richard.

«Oh, I’m sure he…» the lord drawled, but he himself did not know what to say, «I’m sure that His Highness is now delayed due to the fact that he sat for too long surrounded by his books.»

This lie succeeded, and the lord sighed with relief, but to be honest, he himself did not know where Prince Etienne was spending his time. He has already sent his people, a whole convoy, to search for his unlucky and windy master.

In the tavern, noise and commotion reigned, one could hardly find a noisier place, and although this did not befit his royal person and upset his mother, Etienne was sitting at one of the tables, next to the wine, of course, the lord could call any place a library. but now Etienne himself did not know where he was. Some kind of drunken brawl, in which both sides were crippled and bruised, several bottles of wine and the coquetry of those who were called the most accessible girls, and Etienne even forgot that he was a prince, how could he remember about his own wedding.

«Etienne,» ran up to him his faithful friend Fritz, who often covered him before the wrath of the queen and even the late father, «Etienne, I beg you, let’s go from here.»

The prince only grabbed his head with his hand. The wine he had drunk made itself felt, and he became completely drunk, and, moreover, he was again drawn into a fight. It was full of those whom he considered his enemies.. The prince proved his bravery in a rather unusual way, fighting with drunks, playing and drinking. Unfortunately for the parents, their handsome son only did what he dragged around the taverns, drank, swore and played. But it was worth noting that this required more courage than even entering the battlefield.

«Hey, you,» Etienne shouted to one of the drunken, tall and powerful pub-goers. As Fritz did not try to restrain him, he threw himself into a fight and almost killed his rival. The latter’s friends arrived in time. Etienne received several cuts and countless blows before being thrown out of the tavern with a friend. Everyone was comforted in their own way, and Fritz prayed to God that no one would find out where they were that night. He dragged the prince past other drunks, with whom Etienne immediately tried to start a fight. He still managed to pull his friend out of danger, but even the fresh air could not sober the intoxicated head of his young comrade, about whom, however, one could say that he was the bravest prince of all who came before him.

He did not even remember about any princess and the wedding. The girls didn’t bother him. Their beauty did not evoke hot feelings in him, which, however, woke up in him during fights and drunken skirmishes. His mother, the queen, tried many times to re-educate her very handsome and even more unlucky son, but all this ended in complete failure, and Etienne returned to dice and fights with strangers.

But today everything should have been different, it had not yet struck midnight when the knights from the king’s personal guard broke into the roadside tavern, was it worth describing the commotion they caused among drunks and ladies of easy virtue, although they were looking for only one person in this place but he was the hardest to find.

The head of the guard, inwardly, mercilessly cursed the fate that had brought him to such a place, but he was a determined person and was going to carry out everything to the end, although it turned out to be even more difficult than he had expected.

Their task was to get the young prince out of the pub and bring him to his own wedding, while not allowing him to get drunk or fall asleep, the queen has long tried by all means to do this, but, in the end, more experienced people had to be brought in here. who, however, were themselves a little afraid. After all, who did not know how well their crown prince could fight for his life.

If his father remained alive, who could always bring him to his senses, but, alas, he died, and there was no one to watch over his unlucky son. No firm hand could any longer hold back the frantic impulses of his young heart. It would seem that such a handsome man as he could not behave in this way. The prince was beautiful, all the girls admitted it, but he didn’t care about them. He did not even want to know about some kind of princess Odette, who was chosen for him as his bride, he did not care about her. He did not yet know that she, too, remained indifferent to this choice made by others for her.

Soon the tavern was in complete disorder, but the knights could not find out from anyone where Prince Etienne was, finally, they found him in one of the rooms in a hangover, he was fast asleep, and a girl was sitting next to him. As always, the prince was handsome, but in a state in which the queen was better off not seeing him.

While the knights were figuring out what to do, their leader was barely able to wake the prince.

«Congratulations, your highness,» he said as politely as possible.

But Etienne could hardly understand his words, he slightly raised himself, quickly glancing around everything around him and vaguely realizing where he was.

«With what?» he could barely say.

«With the fact that the date of the royal wedding has already been appointed. A worthy bride has been found for you.»

Well, he no longer had salvation, he was waiting for a marriage to an unloved girl and eternal torment, he could never find that beautiful princess he dreamed of. She did not exist in this world, and he will forever remain alone, and now, God knows what fate is preparing for him, probably someone even more ugly than those he has already seen. It was early for him to marry, he understood this, and Fritz, who had also already been taken, as politely as possible under escort, looked at him with regret. He sympathized with his best friend, with whom he spent so many anxious nights in different taverns. Etienne could barely recover from grief, but there was nothing to do, and he involuntarily got out of bed, it was time to go to his unchanging and bitter fate.

And in the chambers of the palace everyone waited for midnight, the very time when Odette would become their queen. Why the coronation was scheduled for midnight, no one knew, it remained a mystery even to Richard. He looked at Odette with despondency, and his gaze became more and more sad every minute, the time was approaching when he would lose her forever, but he decided on madness.

«Why,» Odette quietly whispered to her friend so that others would not hear, «why should I ruin my life, Richard.»

And at that moment he made up his mind.

«Odette,» he said quietly, «listen to me, Odette, you want to stay with me.»

«With you,» she looked at him full of sorrow. Of course, she wanted to stay with her friend. Better he than some prince she had never seen.

«Then run with me,» burst out from him, «we will run away together, and no one can find us, everyone knows that there is a curse on the throne of this country, and it will not let you go, and if you leave with me, then I will save you from it.»

«Yes,» Odette whispered into Richard’s pleading face, «yes, I will run away with you.»

Odette squeezed Richard’s hand in a friendly shake, or maybe it was a shake of love that suddenly flared up with a bright fire in the darkness of the witchcraft and cold night over the beautiful, but damned royal palace.

The time had come, only a few minutes remained before the fatal midnight, at midnight the young princess was supposed to become the queen of a huge country, although her heart did not want this, she felt a threat to her life in the future, and it was a strange disturbing feeling.

«You won’t forget your words, Odette,» Richard asked her anxiously and excitedly.

«No,» she whispered softly to him and involuntarily looked away.

The crown was already shining on her head, and she was about to sit on the throne, but suddenly a scarlet arrow pierced directly into the royal arms in front of her. The knights grabbed their swords, but they were powerless against witchcraft, blood dripping from the poisonous tip of the deadly weapon. Diana would have recognized this arrow if she were alive, she saw her in a golden goblet with poisoned blood, but Odette has not yet faced the power of black magic.

A strong gust of wind burst into the hall, it swept away and blew away everything in its path and tore in different directions the clothes and hair of those present. The throne room was filled with a dull howl of the wind and whispering voices, but no one could catch a single word in their dull, monotonous whispering. They called some kind of curse on the palace. They whispered and screamed, but it was not clear where they were coming from or what they were looking for in the royal chambers. They were strange cutting sounds, piercing right through the ears. Those who stood in the hall seemed to find themselves in a dark hell blazing with blue fire and ash.

But then the smoke cleared, and everyone saw the grim figure of the woman, she was dressed in a long blue cloak with a hood that almost completely covered her face from prying eyes. She stood calmly, as if waiting for the moment when horror paralyzed everyone who saw her, completely, but then long hands with black claws lowered the black hood, and Odette saw the ugly face of the red-haired witch.

«The hour of reckoning has come, princess,» the witch hissed angrily, «I have come for you.»

Odette looked anxiously at Richard, but everything was useless, all the knights were paralyzed with horror, although they were brave in battles, but the gaze of the red-haired witch brought them all to death.

Meanwhile, the red-haired witch slowly moved towards the throne and towards the frightened princess.

«Your mother has betrayed both us and her love,» his burned lips pursed, «now the hour of your death has struck, there will be no mercy, Princess Odette.»

The witch walked slowly, but without pausing for a moment. Her eyes threw lightning, they killed at first sight into their bloody depths. They made the heart of a common man tremble with horror, and Odette did not know how to escape from them, from whom to ask for help, and who could help her now, she was trapped, from which there was no way out.

When the witch’s hand almost touched her, Richard, as if waking up from some numbness that suddenly seized him, he could not understand what was wrong with him, he seemed to be mesmerized, but now he has become the same again. He stepped forward, blocking Odette from the witch, not letting the terrible creature come to the princess.

The witch did not expect such an act. A vicious hiss escaped from her black chest. She raged, but this could no longer help her, Richard was going to either win or die.

«Move away,» she hissed, «the princess belongs to me, and there’s nothing you can do.»

«No,» he answered firmly and clearly, looking into her bloody eyes with unshakable dignity, and the witch realized that he would rather die than give in to her.

«Brave knight,» she burst out, «dark battle prince, you’re really just an unfortunate lover, right?» she asked so that everyone could hear her words, but Richard was silent. He had nothing to say or answer to this, the witch was speaking the truth, and how bitter this truth was.

Odette stood behind him, but even at such a distance, she was terribly frightened by the eyes of the creature who came from the world of darkness to take her soul and life, was it really all true, and not a dream. Why was Richard silent, why he could not answer her a word, were her words really bitter and undeniable truth.

The witch with an insidious grin looked into Richard’s bold eyes, she laughed, she rejoiced, she felt her victory over human love and triumphed. She knew what lie or truth she had to tell in order to destroy and frighten to death a common man.

«Do not you understand?» she chuckled. «The princess is dressed, she is not available to an ordinary person, one look at her, and your heart is already broken, and I want to make sure that no one else suffers because of her beauty, I want to take her with me to the world of death.»

«Never,» Richard answered with a selfless gleam in his eyes, nothing frightened him.

«Well, well,» the insidious voice sounded in the silence, «be it your way, dark knight, if I don’t take her with me, then someone else will come in handy.»

For a minute she stood, grinning so smugly and viciously that the laughter was breathtaking, and then something bright and dazzling flashed in her hand, and she threw a pinch of gold dust in Richard’s face, which immediately flew in different directions and gilded the stuffy air of the throne room.

Immediately a long hand reached out to the princess, but Odette dodged and ran away across the marble floor of the hall, but in front of her, as if out of the ground, a red-haired witch rose again, as if she knew how to move in space easily and imperceptibly, like a ghost.

Odette did not know what to do or where to run, the ghost of the witch would find her everywhere. The witch looked around Odette’s white dress, with the same envy and mockery she noted her wondrous beauty.

«Beautiful as a princess, sweet as a swan,» she hissed right in Odette’s face, «you will be a princess – a swan, and it will be your eternal damnation.»

She threw lightning with her eyes, and a huge window swung open, a storm shone behind it, so dark and hopeless, violent and rebellious, like the heart of a black swan, and a white swan flew through the window with a lightning strike. It was beautiful and snow-white, like a snowy winter, it was charming and gentle.

Odette had never seen such a beautiful bird, but a trickle of blood shone on the swan’s right wing, it was wounded. Who could injure such a beautiful bird, some soulless person or the king of the dark land himself, Rothbert. Odette had a glimpse of him, that he turns the girls he liked into swans and settles them on the lakes in his country near his gloomy castle.

Odette did not know if it was true or just a legend, but she felt that there was something special about this swan, its eyes were almost human eyes of a young beauty, they were the eyes of a young girl, not a white swan.

«Look,» the witch whispered, «look and enjoy the spectacle, this is your future fate.»

Odette glanced at the snow-white swan, it circled almost exhausted under the ceiling of the throne room. After all, it was injured and, for sure, in pain, and so it fell. A few minutes later, the entire body of the swan was engulfed in a bright golden glow, similar to the pollen in a witch’s hand.

The princess recoiled, but she could not help but see how the swan’s body began to grow, turning into a human silhouette, it grew with incredible speed, and in front of Odette on the floor was no longer a dead swan, but a beautiful young girl in a light dress. Her blond hair scattered over the cold marble, her eyes were tightly closed, as if in an eternal dream, her lips in the moment of their death tried to whisper, probably, the name of the one whom she loved during her life, this was another victim of witchcraft.

The witch laughed, and her laughter echoed through the hall, she showed Odette her future destiny, and the princess stood in disbelief in herself and her eyes.

Suddenly, steps were heard outside the door, rapid and loud, and the witch touched Odette’s eyes with her hand, plunging the princess into a witch’s sleep.

«Sleep, dear Odette,» she whispered ominously, «your prince does not know and will not be able to save you.

Etienne was not at all happy about the forced journey, but nevertheless he submitted to fate and, reluctantly, to amuse the convoy sent to him by the queen, went to the palace.

He stood for a long time under the gates of the palace before deciding to jump off his horse. Suddenly a strange voice said:

«Prince Etienne, Prince Etienne!»

Who could call him by name where he first appeared. In none of the taverns, no one except Fritz knew his name.

It seemed to him that in the distance, behind the trees, a wave of someone’s hair, red as fire, flashed. Hallucination or not. He approached the blue lake, not knowing why, perhaps, in order to recover at least a little before his own wedding, it is good that his mother, the queen, did not see the young prince in such a state.

He looked into the water, it was transparent and clean, and water lilies with lilies quietly slept in it. Who had the idea of having a wedding and coronation at midnight?

Strange, no one was guarding the palace tonight, no one was on duty, and not a single guard was to be seen.

Etienne entered the folding doors and found himself in a dark, huge room, where, as well as outside, there was no one. The heavy door slammed shut behind him, as if leaving him a prisoner of the palace. Suddenly all the candles around flared up, Etienne stood illuminated by their glow and could not understand what was happening. A minute ago, complete darkness reigned in the hall, and now a bright light flooded the walls and furniture around it, but it was some kind of strange light, it seemed bright, and at the same time, the whole hall remained in some strange and even creepy for human eyes in the semi-darkness.

Etienne stood in one place and did not dare to step forward, some incomprehensible fear kept him on the threshold, as if some magic circle was inscribed here, protecting him from witchcraft and death..

Even from his place, Etienne could see all the wonderful decoration of the room, even more beautiful than that in his palace. Each piece was selected with such taste and combined with the entire environment around it, giving the hall a mysterious mystical shine.

It was the most beautiful and mysterious place that Etienne had ever seen during his short and, as his friends would say, dissolute life, but full of duels and fights. Everything here was so beautiful in the gloomy semi-darkness, even candles burning with a bright, hot flame could not dispel it, and there were many of them here, in exquisite candelabra with figures of fairies and goddesses, in golden candlesticks and even on the walls.

Suddenly, an invisible hand took a goblet of wine from a small table, it flew up right in front of Etienne’s eyes and toppled down in the air so that all the wine in a thin stream, slowly, like blood, flowed onto the floor.

The same invisible hand raised a sword in the air, which it easily tore from the wall, and directed it straight into the heart of the young prince, but Etienne managed to draw his sword from its sheath and repel the first deadly blow. One blow fell on him after another. But Etienne seized the moment and thrust his sword into the body of the enemy. He did not know where his blade had hit, but at the same moment blood flowed from the void, the bright crimson blood of the magic knight who fought with Etienne, God knows why.

A strong hand clung to Etienne’s shoulder, blood flowed down it, and the features of a man began to appear in the darkness. Finally, before Etienne stood a knight in dark armor.

«Odette will never love you, only I am her real fiancé,» he hissed through his teeth..

Then his hand began to weaken, and finally released Etienne’s shoulder from its steel grip, and the knight himself began to slowly dissolve into the darkness.

For some reason, Etienne was in pain. It seemed to him that he fell in love with his own bride, which was in fact the love of a completely different person, or even not a person, but the devil.

A sharp gust of wind, and another door opened in front of Etienne. He entered the open doors and froze in place. In front of the throne, on the marble floor, lay a young girl of amazing beauty.

She was wearing a white ball gown, blonde hair scattered on the floor, and a crown shone on her head – the symbol of the queen of this country, but her face was pale as chalk, was she really dead. Etienne had no doubt it was Odette, but she fell asleep forever. The prince touched her lips with a light, short kiss. He fell in love with a sleeping beauty, a white swan wearing a royal crown.

Her heart did not beat, she slept in a witch’s dream, and it was not in his power to awaken her to life. Suddenly, he accidentally knocked over a goblet with a scarlet, blood-like wine standing next to it, and as soon as it spread on the floor, the beauty opened her eyes.

«Odette,» he whispered, grabbing her cold hand, «aren’t you Odette?»

«Yes,» she answered barely audibly, «who are you?»

«I am the one who crossed the entire witchcraft world to find you,» Etienne replied, squeezing her hand, but Odette involuntarily recoiled.

«Go away,» she said, «save your life, the witch will return soon.»

«No way in the world, I will not leave you,» said the prince, but Odette involuntarily remembered the fierce eyes of the red witch.

«Promise,» she said, «if we have to part now, you will not believe the day when they tell you that I love another.»

«On such a day, my heart will be broken, because I love you,» he admitted honestly, «tell me that you love me too, tell Odette,» he begged. Suddenly, the wine that spread across the floor took on not a scarlet, but a crimson hue, and the smoke went from it. Immediately the light in the hall faded, the wind burst into the hall, and the figure of a red-haired witch appeared in the clouds of smoke.

«You want to stay together, but you are doomed to be forever apart,» she said mockingly. «If you resist my curse, then death awaits both of you.»

Etienne grabbed Odette by the hand and rushed away with her, they ran to the stairs, and then for a moment Etienne stopped.

«You heard?» Odette asked, «we cannot stay together.»

«It’s all nonsense,» he replied, trying not to show his fear, «I will never part with you.»

|If you stay here, they will kill you, not ghosts, but my knights, everyone is against you and me, but if we meet in a few years, then we can find our happiness.»

«For several years,» he blurted out, «I cannot stand such a period.»

«You have to,» she said. «I will never forget about you.»

«Me too,» Etienne vowed, «I will love you forever.»

Lightning flashed outside the palace windows, and its flash severed their hands. Etienne’s arm had a deep wound from the fiery touch, but he held back a cry of pain. The red-haired witch stood before him again.

«Where is Odette?» Etienne whispered, but she only laughed deafeningly in response.

«Where is Odette?» he repeated, but more clearly and demanding.

«You will never see Odette again,» the witch cried viciously and triumphantly.

«Although,» the witch hissed and thought for a few minutes,

«maybe someday you will see her, but she will already love another, more worthy in our kingdom of evil than you, but it would be foolish to let you out of here just like that.»

Something rushed at him right out of the dark and knocked him to the floor

Sharp claws began to rip at his clothing, blood gushing from his arms and shoulders.

Etienne managed to break free and light the fire. The fire for a moment blinded the monster that attacked him, and Etienne quickly ran out of the palace.

Fritz ran up to Etienne.

«God, what’s wrong with you?» he exclaimed.

«Oh, you probably got into a fight with the royal guards,» his friend finally realized, «but, well, I’m not surprised, you never wanted to marry.»

«I came to save you,» Fritz said proudly, «I tried to tell Her Majesty that this marriage…»

«I don’t care anymore,» Etienne interrupted him, «I will marry Odette.»

Fritz could not recover from surprise.

«What are you saying?» burst out from him.

«I love Odette,» Etienne repeated, «as soon as I reach the age of majority according to the laws of our country, I myself will ask for her hand in anyone, even the devil himself.»

If at first Fritz was surprised, now he considered his prince to be simply insane.

«Etienne, what happened in the palace,» he could only utter.

Etienne paid no attention to him. He knew what he would do: for these few years he would learn to fence like a real knight, fight in wars, travel. He will become such that Odette can love him and be proud of him as his fiancé.

«I promise you, Fritz, I will be worthy of her,» Etienne promised from the bottom of his heart, «I will give my life, if only she could love me, I swear to you.»

He threw one last long look at the palace, almost not paying attention to the surprised Fritz, who could not believe what the prince spoke so ardently and passionately.

Years will pass, they will both grow up, but Etienne will find his love again, it will be eternal, but he did not know only one thing that witchcraft would not sleep either, but would make his life unbearable until love breaks the evil spell.