Swan Obsession

A week passed before he came to her again. The moon once again was high in the sky, and shimmering upon the lake. It was as he had said; she could only transform in his presence, and so for the entire week, she learned what it was to be a swan. Curiously, it felt as natural as being human, and she found that she dearly loved to fly. The woods that surrounded Rothbart's castle were so dark and forbidding, scraggly old trees that alternately looked near death, or alive and ready to grasp at you with out reached branches. It was a pleasure to be able to fly above the trees, and to be one with the infinite blue sky, as the sun kissed her silken white wings. From above, she was able to gain a better grasp of Rothbart's kingdom. His castle, as she knew, stood atop the mountain, and from above, it looked particularly dilapidated, for she could see piles of black rubble, from where the stones had crumbled and fallen. Still, dark spires pierced the sky, and magnificent arches reached up towards the heavens. The mysterious castle was certainly a remarkable image to behold.

A mist of water and flowery fragrance surrounded her as she felt herself transform back into a human. She felt naked without the layer of feathers that she wore for the past week. Looking down at herself, she realized that indeed, she was naked, and turned her back to Rothbart, who was appraising her curvy form. Odette chose to ignore the wetness that she felt between her legs, as she coldly asked him what he wanted from her.

"Don't you want to know," he began, "how to break the spell?" It was the bait she needed. She turned to look at him, forgetting her lack of clothing.

"Magic has a funny way of working. True love will break the spell of course." She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"A true love's kiss, you mean?" She asked. He shook his head and grinned hungrily, which sent a bolt of heat to her loins.

As though reciting lines from a spell book, he said "You must give your entire self to the man you love, and he must make a vow of everlasting love and prove it to the world."

"Give myself...?" Odette looked at him incredulously.

His voice husky and thick with desire, he said "You must let him penetrate you; take you wholly." Odette paled, and turned away. Penetrated? By her true love? In despair, she thought that no one even loved her... Her thoughts momentarily turned to Derek, but in disgust, she shoved her thoughts aside. There was no way he was looking for her. Rothbart certainly didn't love her, she thought bitterly. He was only using her for her land.

"What happens..." Odette began, "If I give myself to the wrong man?" Rothbart shrugged nonchalantly.

"I suppose... you die." Odette paled. He reached out a hand towards her, but angrily, Odette spurned him, and refused to leave the lake, though the water felt cold on her skin, whereas it never bothered her in her feathers.

"Have it your way then," Rothbart said, and there was once again that hard edge in his voice. When she turned around, he was gone, and she felt the mist of water engulf her once again as she transformed back into the familiar form of a swan.