My entry for RSD 3. Prompts: a chance meeting and another meeting years later. Pics used for location 1 and 3, couple pic 6. Word count 2,227

Odette
~

"You thought to get rid of me?" howled the sorceress. "To come after me and my kin?"

Screams of pain and suffering echoed through the castle that was now drenched in blood, but she ignored it all as she stared at the king before her. Fire burned in her eyes for revenge while hurt of betrayal was hidden behind the anger she held for him.

"I've saved you!" she screeched. "I gave you power, protected your people!"

"And now your time has come to an end," King Alden spoke calmly, despite that his kingdom was under fire. "It's a new era, times are changing." He stood up from his throne, sword in hand, and lunged towards her. "It's time for mankind to rise above and eradicate magic from the world!"

Larissa vanished before the sword could come into contact with her and reappeared behind him. "Strong words for a man who needed a woman to defend him," she whispered into his ear before stabbing him with her dagger.

He crumbled to the floor as the blade left his body. She left him there, bleeding out on the hard stone floor, as she went over to the bassinet that stood beside the throne. The blue-eyed baby looked at her with a smile, swaddled in blankets; wrapped in love and protection.

"She's a baby; she's innocent!" King Alden rasped out in urgency. "Larissa, don't!" he commanded, fear and anger roared in his voice.

Her eyes turned black as she glared at the fallen king, lying in his own blood; blood that stained her hands. "It's already done," she said without any emotion as she looked back at the little girl, placing her hand on her head. "From this day forth you will be cursed. Only finding true love will save you."

Black energy shot out of her hand, rising out and upwards into the sky, as she let out a piercing scream. Using dark power always came with a price, and she was more than willing to pay it.

"No!" King Alden spoke out in defeat. He was dying, everyone around him was already dead, and there was nothing he could do. "What have I done?"

She glared down at him. "You unleashed the monster you thought I was." She looked back at the helpless baby. "Little, sweet, Odette. There's a catch; the one who can save you shares your fate." Once the words left her lips, Larissa fell to the ground, and with her last breath she watched the king die. "That was for Erinna," she spoke softly.

~

"Odette, can't you go faster?"

"If you're in such a hurry, why don't you just hop off?"

"You know I can't swim!"

"A frog that can talk but can't swim? Really, what has the world gone to?"

She shook her head, enjoying the warmth of the sun as the rays beamed through the canopy of trees that hung over the water. It was always so peaceful, tranquil, and she couldn't imagine life any other way. She was in no rush to go anywhere and could laze around all day.

"Says the talking swan!" he piped back. "Besides whoever heard of a swan with a name?"

"And you've talked to many swans?"

"Well... no," he said, not liking the way the conversation was turning.

"Then how do you know they don't have names?"

He shrugged his shoulders, as much as a frog could shrug shoulders, and caught a fly with his tongue. "We need to get you mated."

"Please, I'm quite happy as is."

"Suit yourself," he ribbit, "I'm off to the misses now." He hopped off as soon as he was near enough to land.

"And which one might this be?"

"You tease, Odette, but just wait one day. You'll find yourself mated!" He bounced away after having the last say.

She ignored his nonsense. Things were simple, easy, why would she want that to change? She continued along the banks, drifting with the currents. She watched the way the water rippled along the surface as the wind gently caressed it. She didn't need to be mated. There was more than enough love in the nature that surrounded her.

Living in the moment, she didn't notice how far she had gone until she heard splashing. A male swan was nearby and had seen her. Odette watched his display and couldn't help the pull she felt towards him; he was graceful and elegant.

She was drawn to him like nothing she had ever been drawn to before, as if her life would end without him and the stars would parish in the night sky. He was the sun, the light, that drove the darkness away. Lost in a sort of trance, she found herself kissing him before she had come to her senses. And the exact moment their bills met a crack was heard throughout the forest while blinding light flashed under the alcove of trees they were at.

The kiss was all but forgotten while fear put her in a frenzy. Odette shielded her eyes the best she could as she tried to flee. But there was no escape as she felt a heavy weight lifted off of her, like a cloak. She was finally able to fully stretch her limbs as tentacles of light wrapped around her body, cocooning her in a blanket of warmth, as she was lifted out of the water and on land.

Upon standing, she found herself unsteady, but she could see again. She blinked, trying to adjust her sight, and right away knew something wasn't right. Staring down in the water's reflection she saw herself.

"No!" she said to herself in disbelief as tears brimmed in her eyes. "This isn't right." Horror and fear coarse through her. "This is wrong!" she cried out, collapsing to the ground and huddling in on herself. "This is wrong," she sputtered out again.

There was a clearing of a throat and Odette jumped. She wasn't expecting to hear a noise. So caught up in her own problem she had forgotten the swan she had kissed.

"Sorry."

She looked up at the man, though she made a habit to avoid humans, she knew what to make of him. "It's you, isn't it?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. She could feel it inside of her.

"Yes..." He gazed deep into her blue eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked as he wiped the wetness under her eyes.

She flinched away as she spoke, "I'm ugly! Look at me!"

"But you're beautiful," he whispered in awe, reaching out to gently touch her again.

"No!" She pulled away, thinking about the last time they touched and what had happened. "Don't touch me." She saw the hurt look, but tried not to let it bother her. "This isn't right." She gestured at her body.

He wasn't bothered by her outburst. He himself didn't know what had happened, and wanting to give her comfort, he sat beside her. Hesitantly, he put an arm around her. "Don't be sad."

"But it's wrong. I shouldn't be like this," she said softly, leaning into him. "I want to change back."

"I don't know what happened... Or if we can change back." He paused, trying to find the right words to say. "But change is part of nature. Flowers bloom, die, and are reborn. You've been reborn."

"You're calling me a flower?" she asked, staring into his hazel eyes.

"Only the most beautiful, rarest, of them," he said, tucking her loose auburn hair behind her ear.

"You're very calm for a swan that's been turned into a man," Odette stated, trying to hide the fact that she thought her heart had just skipped a beat and wondering why he wasn't freaking out like her.

"I'm in good company," he said with a grin.

She felt her face warming. Was she blushing? How could she do that in a time like this?

"Now that's better," he said as his fingers glided up and down her bare arm.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

Odette looked down. Maybe it was just her own body that was reacting this way and he hadn't done anything? She started to feel shame at herself as her eyes began to water.

"Don't cry."

Fingers lifted her chin up, his fingers, and was met with his face as their lips met again. She thought about backing away, after what had just happened she shouldn't be doing this should she? None of this made sense. But as his lips began to move, seeking out and exploring her mouth while his fingers started to roam, she decided, for now, to just give in. There was no need to fight what was pure and natural. They didn't need guidance on what to do, of how things worked in their new bodies; it was instinct.

She felt the warmth of his breath on her skin, the smooth flesh of his lips, and the wetness of his mouth as he moved down her body, making her shiver in pleasure.

"Beautiful," he said, looking at her, before kissing her thigh.

She couldn't help the moan that escaped or the way her hips had bucked. And thought that he was enjoying himself a little too much as she saw his grin.

"Please," she whimpered, "More."

"Please, Derek," he said as he worked his way back up the inner part of her other leg, teasing her with his tongue the nearer he got to her thigh. "Say please, Derek."

He found her center, and Odette arched her back. "Please, Derek," she breathlessly moaned, her heart pounding. He gave into her demand, tasting her as her toes curled and wanting to fill the yearning that was building inside him. Needing to hold on to something, to keep herself from being lost as she was swept away in feeling, Odette grabbed a hold of his dark hair while her eyes closed.

Shaky and sweaty, he'd stopped, rearranged himself to stare into her eyes. "What's your name, beautiful?"

"Odette."

He kissed her lips softly, then, all thoughts ended as he entered her core. Limbs and bodies tangled into one as they found a rhythm of their own.

~
"Odette, is that you?"

Odette lifted her head off of Derek's chest. He had drifted asleep some time ago and she had enjoyed listening to the beating of his heart. It was comforting as was being in his arms. She could imagine sleeping in them forever, being by his side.

"Canton?"

"Well how many other talking frogs do you know?" he asked as he hopped in front of her.

"What do you want?" she asked, not wanting to wake Derek up.

"I know how you can change back into a swan," he said. "You do want to go change back, don't you?"

"Yes!"

She was so happy; she couldn't believe she could go back! Derek would be thrilled, wouldn't he?

"Quick! We have to go now."

She was about to wake Derek when the frog told her not to. So she got up, leaving Derek behind, not aware of how the frog's eyes turned pitch black. Thinking of how she was going to surprise Derek.

~

"Derek?" Odette asked, disbelieving it to be true. It had been five years since she had last seen him.

"Odette," he said in shock as he looked down at her on the bench.

Odette felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach at the sound of his voice. "Hi," she said, smiling.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," he said as he sat beside her. "What happened?"

She knew, although he didn't say it, that he wanted to know why she had left him. She scooted over and stared into his eyes; those hazel eyes that had haunted her dreams many a night.

"I was tricked by the sorcerers... By the time I was able to get free you had already gone."

"I went looking for you. I spent years searching for you!"

Her heart ached upon hearing his declaration. If only she had stayed with him, but she couldn't change the past.

"I'm sorry," she stated as she brought her hand up to his face, needing to feel that he was real and hoping he could feel how sorry she was in that touch.

He reached for the hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back. "You're still as beautiful as I had remembered. Even better than what my dreams could ever come up with. He reached down, plucking a flower, and handed it to her. "It can never compare to the light you bring to the world."

She blushed, glad that the trees of the forest blocked out most of the sun.

"Derek, there's something you should know." She gestured to the surrounding forest around them. "This, all of this, is mine. I'm betrothed, I'm to be married."

"I know, Princess," he said as he reached out for her. "I've been traveling and word gets around. I just didn't think I would have the chance to see you up close."

"Then why have you come?" she questioned, a little puzzled.

"Because five years is a long time, because I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and because... the day isn't over yet," he leaned in and kissed her deep and passionately, pouring five years of longing and wanting into it.