This fanfic was heavily inspired by What Else is There? by Autobot00001. Be sure to check it out!

I would like to thank Autobot00001 for beta reading and helping me improve!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Swan Princess. The Swan Princess is owned by Richard Rich.

Chapter 1

"We tried, Uberta. No one can say we didn't try," King William sighed before he turned to his daughter. "Say goodbye Odette."

"Goodbye," Odette sighed, her heart aching.

"Goodbye?" King William queried, hoping Odette would finish what she was saying.

"Prince Derek," the princess finished.

Uberta elbowed her son.

"Mother!" Derek snapped.

"Derek!" Queen Uberta retorted furiously.

"Goodbye princess," the prince said with a curt sigh.

Derek watched as Odette and William rode their horses away from the castle. He'd never marry Odette after what happened. She'd asked him if there was anything that mattered to him besides her beautiful looks. Derek felt that he should've taken a different approach to answering that question.

As he watched the two royals ride further away from the castle, Derek's eyes widened, and he saw Odette look back at him. Something inside of Derek was telling him to stop her before she was out of sight. If he did not want to risk never seeing Odette again, he needed to do something.

Fast!

"Odette!" Derek exclaimed as he ran to stop her from leaving. "Wait!"

The princess turned around and saw Derek running towards her. She stopped her horse and turned around.

King William noticed this and stopped his horse as well.

"What is it, Derek?" the princess wondered.

"There's something I need to tell you," Derek replied as he looked at Odette with remorse on his face. "I'm sorry about what happened last night."

Odette saw the sincerity in the prince's eyes. She got down from her horse and grasped its reins. "I forgive you Derek, but I can't love anyone who only sees me for my beauty."

"Which is why I owe you an explanation," Derek responded. "What I said last night wasn't what I really meant about you. You're beautiful, yes, but now that I think about it, I've realized something."

Odette raised an eyebrow. "What did you realize?"

"I've realized that there's a whole lot more than just good looks. Not only are you beautiful, Odette, but you also have a good heart, which is another thing I admire about you. While your beauty is the first thing I noticed about you, I now realize that your kindness is what made me fall for you. The way you treat everyone with compassion and with how caring of a person you are, I'm very thankful to have met you. Sure, we didn't exactly get along well as kids, but I've always had feelings for you. I just didn't realize it at the time," Derek explained.

Odette was speechless. Even after the way they treated each other as children, Derek still had feelings for her. On the outside, all she felt towards him was animosity. Now that she thought about it, perhaps deep down she herself had feelings for Derek.

Still, there was something the princess needed to know. "What about the marriage?" she inquired.

"If you're not ready to get married, then we can wait. Besides, I think it'd be better for us to get to know each other more first," Derek replied firmly. He did want to marry Odette, but he was in no rush to do so. Derek would propose to her when the time came.

"Are you asking me to stay?" Odette questioned.

"Yes please. I feel like we can get to know each other better if you stay. Please, Odette. I can't lose you," Derek begged.

The princess thought it over for a moment. She then nodded. "Okay. I'll stay. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything Odette," Derek responded sincerely.

"Promise me that you'll accept me for more than just my beauty," Odette pleaded.

The prince took her hand. "You have my word."

OoOoOoOoOoO

After Odette and Derek reached an understanding, King William walked to them.

Derek bowed respectfully. "King William, I discussed with Odette how we want to approach the whole marriage thing."

King William raised an eyebrow. "What did you say about it?"

"Odette and I agreed that she'd stay here, but we won't get married just yet. I'd like for us to take time to know each other more before we even think about the idea of marriage," Derek elaborated.

William nodded with approval. "I like that idea. Thank you for being honest with me, Derek. I hope you take care of Odette."

"I'll take good care of her. Once we're ready to get married, we'll immediately let you know," the prince said.

"Thank you, Derek," King William replied with a smile.

"Of course, King William," Derek responded, grinning.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Before King William left, he decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with his daughter.

"Are you sure you don't want to come home for even a couple of weeks, Odette?" William asked.

Odette nodded. "Yes, I'm sure father. I figured that while I'm here, I'd get to know Derek, as well as the rest of his family."

"Alright then," William replied. "Ever since you and Derek were children, I had hoped that you two would fall in love with each other one day. I was beginning to think that would never happen due to how much contempt you had towards each other. Now, everything is different. It seems like you two have let that animosity go and put all that stuff behind."

"I know this isn't easy, father," Odette sympathized, "but I promise that I'll visit you from time to time."

"Thank you, Odette. I cannot be happier to call you my daughter," William said with a teary smile as he and Odette embraced each other.

"I could not ask for a better father," the princess replied gratefully.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Once Odette and her father gave each other their proper farewells, King William climbed into the royal carriage and departed.

Derek walked up to the princess. "Your father is a good man."

"Yes, he is," Odette replied in agreement. "I feel bad about not going back with him."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Why's that?" Derek wondered.

"I'm the only family he has left after my mother died," Odette replied.

Derek nodded, feeling sympathy for the princess. "I know how you feel, losing someone close to you. My father died when I was a little kid. I can take solace knowing that my mother and I were able to say farewell to him. Still, we need to comfort each other over the tragedy, as we still think about it today."

"Derek, I'm very sorry," Odette grieved.

"It's okay, Odette. Death is a part of life," Derek replied, trying to reassure her.

Moments later, the wind started to pick up. Dark gray clouds were moving towards the kingdom. A flash of lightning appeared, followed by a clap of thunder.

"We should probably head back into the palace before we get rained on," Derek suggested.

Odette nodded. "Yes, we should." She then thought of something as they walked to the castle. "I hope the storm won't give my father any trouble."

OoOoOoOoOoO

A thunderstorm was raging outside the castle, with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. As Odette and Derek were relaxing in the castle foyer, Derek's best friend Bromley was with them, playing chess with the prince. Counselor Rogers was also with them.

Bromley was cheating during the game, but Derek didn't care. The prince was much more worried about how Odette was pacing around with apprehension.

"It's raining so hard out there," Odette observed.

Derek nodded in agreement as he stood next to her. "It sure is. I'm not sure I remember ever seeing it rain like this."

"Do you think my father's okay out there?" the princess trembled.

"I have no doubt that your father will be just fine. He has ten soldiers protecting him. They won't let anything happen to him," Derek assured.

"I hope you're right," Odette replied, still feeling worried.

"The storm will end eventually," Rogers pointed out.

"I know it will, but the storm isn't the only thing I'm worried about," Odette replied, doubt still in her mind.

Derek placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Everything will be okay, Odette."

"I hope so," Odette responded, unable to get her father out of her mind. She was concerned about what could happen to him in this kind of weather.

Uberta entered the foyer. "Derek, may I have a word with you?"

"Yes, Mother," Derek responded. Before he left, Derek gave Odette a reassuring look. The princess tried her best to smile.

"What about the chess game, Derek?" Bromley asked.

"Sorry. I almost forgot," Derek replied as he moved a piece. "Checkmate!"

"Wait, what?" Bromley wondered in bewilderment as he gazed down at the chessboard.

"What is it, Mother?" Derek asked once they were alone.

"I just wanted to commend you on your actions today," Uberta said with a smile.

"What's there to praise? My actions were unacceptable. Did you even see what I did earlier when I tried to arrange the marriage? I hurt Odette's feelings, mother," Derek asked with raised eyebrows.

"Not that. I'm happy that you had the courage to go after Odette and apologize to her for your actions. Now I can see why you care about her. When can we expect you two to get married?" Uberta inquired.

"Odette is an amazing woman," Derek replied, "but we're not ready to talk about marriage just yet," Derek replied.

"Why not?" Uberta asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I spoke with her earlier, and we agreed to take our time with getting married. Yes, I do want to marry her one day, but right now isn't the best time to be thinking about that. Odette and I would like to know each other first before we marry each other," Derek explained.

The Queen looked ready to pout. However, she nodded in understanding. "I get it. Your father and I didn't exactly know each other at first before we got married. After we spent some time together, we realized that we couldn't live without each other. I hope that you two will feel that way. Nothing would thrill me more than for you two to get married and unite our kingdoms."

"I promise that I'll propose to Odette when the time comes," Derek promised.

OoOoOoOoOoO

King William and his soldiers dashed through the forest as the heavy rain pelted down on them. The ground was muddy, and there were puddles scattered about everywhere they looked.

Without warning the carriage came to a halt. The sudden jerk made William open the door and look outside.

"Why are we stopped?" William asked, concerned that something terrible was about to happen.

The soldier who was directing the carriage remained silent and pointed ahead. William looked ahead and saw someone standing in the road.

It was a slender man who appeared to be in his late forties, with red eyes, fair skin, a half-bald head with orange-colored hair, and a big, orange mustache.

William's eyes widened as he identified the man.

At that moment, the man summoned a large, bright glowing ball in his hand. He razed it to the ground, and a blinding area of green light emerged before something massive and venomous appeared where the man stood. Once the light was gone, the creature lunged at William and his soldiers.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Odette and Derek were talking to each other. As they were conversing, Rogers and Bromley brought them hot tea and fruit salads.

"Here you are, Derek," Rogers said as he placed the tray in front of Derek and Bromley placed another in front of Odette.

"Thank you, Rogers," Derek stated, smiling.

"Anything for you, Derek. If you need anything, just let me know," Rogers replied with a nod of approval.

"Will do," the prince responded gratefully.

"Thank you, Bromley," Odette said.

"Of course! Hope you two enjoy it!" Bromley beamed as he and Rogers went to give Odette and Derek some time alone.

"Well, cheers," Derek said as he and Odette clinked their cups of tea together before they began to sip them.

"This tea is great," the princess said with a smile.

"I agree. The perfect drink to have during a thunderstorm," Derek replied with a nod and grin.

Odette nodded. "Now that we're here, do you think we should get to know each other better?"

"Certainly," Derek agreed. "Do you remember how you always kicked my behind in sword fighting when we were kids?"

Odette giggled. "Yes, I do. I'll admit that I never thought I could beat you when we did it for the first time."

"Still, I'm impressed by how skilled you are," Derek praised.

Before Odette could reply, the castle door flew open and a man in armor entered. He was dripping wet from the rain and wobbled a little bit before he collapsed to the floor, frightening everyone. Derek immediately ran over to the man and inspected his wounds. The prince instantly recognized him. "It's King William's Captain!" he yelled.

"What?!" Odette gasped as she raced to the captain's side. She and Derek attempted to help the man sit up. "Captain? Are you alright?!"

"Princess Odette…" the captain faintly responded.

"What happened Captain? Where is my father?!" Odette stuttered.

"We…we were attacked," the captain said with much effort. "A great…animal."

The captain then went unconscious. Odette's eyes widened in fear.

"Father!" she screamed as she attempted to leave the castle, but Derek stopped her.

"Odette, wait! You can't go out there. It is too dangerous!" Derek thundered.

"What about my father, Derek?!" Odette inquired worriedly.

"I'll go see what happened to King William. You stay here, where it's safe. I'd never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you," Derek said with concern in his eyes. He then turned to Rogers and Bromley.

"Guys. Please make sure Odette is safe while I'm gone," Derek requested.

"It shall be done, Derek. Nothing will happen to her," Rogers replied with a nod.

"She's in good hands," Bromley assured.

The prince was about to leave before Odette placed a hand on his shoulder. "Derek?"

"What is it, Odette?" Derek asked.

Derek could see the fear in Odette's eyes. "Please be careful," she said.

The prince nodded determinedly as he exited the castle door and sprinted towards the castle stables.

Derek leapt onto his horse, and then took off down the road. He rode into the forest as the heavy rain soaked them. Derek paid no mind that he was getting all wet. He needed to make sure that nothing happened to King William. The prince couldn't help but fear the worst though as he felt fear and sadness course through him.

Soon he found the wreckage of King William's demolished carriage. Derek got off his horse and began to search the area. He saw the bodies of King William's soldiers and pieces of metal and wood everywhere. There was no sign of who or what attacked them.

Derek then spotted King William resting against a log. He was mortally injured and didn't have enough strength to get up.

"King William!" Derek exclaimed as he rushed to King William's side.

"Derek," King William said after he opened his eyes.

"Who did this to you?" the prince asked worriedly.

"It came so fast," the king explained faintly. "A great animal!"

"Take it easy William," Derek said. "I'm gonna get you out of here. You'll be safe soon…"

"Listen to me, Derek," King William interrupted. "Where is Odette?"

"Odette is back at the castle. She's safe," Derek assured.

"Good," William responded with relief. "Listen to me, Derek! It's not what it seems!"

"What's not what it seems?" Derek asked.

William looked up at Derek, noticing that the prince had tears forming in his eyes. Tears were also forming in the king's eyes.

"I am so sorry about this, Derek. This is all my fault. All of this happened after a horrific mistake I made many years ago. I am afraid that you and Odette will pay the price as well. You two must prepare for anything that is to come!" William stated weakly.

"What mistake, King William?" Derek choked out.

King William took Derek's hand in his. "I fear that I am about to leave, so I need you to promise me something, Derek," King William explained.

"Anything, William," the prince said, his voice choking with emotion.

"Promise me that you will take care of my daughter and give her the happiness that she deserves. Please protect her no matter what happens," King William begged.

Derek nodded. "I promise."

King William gave a small smile before he closed his eyes and went limp.

"King William?" Derek wailed. "William!"

Derek was distraught as he knew that it was too late. King William was gone.

"I can't believe this…" Derek muttered with anguish as he hugged King William's body.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Derek returned to the castle with King William's body. If there was one thing the king deserved, it was a proper burial.

The prince dreaded having to tell Odette the tragic news, but he had to let her know about what happened.

Derek entered the castle door and saw Odette waiting for him.

"Derek! Thank goodness you're alright!" Odette rushed forward and hugged Derek with relief. The prince was surprised for a moment before he returned the hug.

Once the princess let go, she looked up at Derek. "My father?" she asked worriedly.

Derek remained silent. Odette saw the tears running down his face and the mournful look on his face.

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

That said it all to Odette. Her father was dead.

Odette began sobbing uncontrollably as reality set in. She threw herself at Derek. He wrapped his arms around the princess to comfort her. Derek then started to rock them back and forth with tears in his own eyes, drowning all their sorrows that swept them over.