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 2

Rothbart grabbed a potion and threw it across the room in his lair in fury. It shattered into pieces and the potion splattered all over the floor. He was infuriated at his failure to kidnap Odette.

"This cannot be happening! I can't believe she wasn't with her weakling father!" Rothbart yelled angrily. "That means she's still with that pathetic excuse for a prince. She could accept his marriage proposal at any moment now!" In a fit of rage, he summoned two huge fireballs in his hands and flung them in different directions, not caring what they hit. "How am I supposed to legally obtain the kingdom now?"

Rothbart continued firing random objects in different directions during his emotional outburst. A moment later, a thought then came to Rothbart's mind. He composed himself as he furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation.

"There hasn't been an announcement on their engagement yet," he said as he smiled evilly. "Maybe there's still hope that I can obtain the kingdom legally after all."

Rothbart chuckled devilishly as he thought about what he should do next. "Now all I need is to come up with a plan."

He summoned his assistant, Bridget, to discuss the plan he had for finally having the kingdom as his own. Upon revealing the plan he had, Rothbart and Bridget left his lair to put the plan into action.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Odette and Derek stood next to each other at King William's funeral. The residents of both their kingdoms were also there to honor the late king.

It was a cloudy day. There was no wind or rain with the cloud cover.

Both Odette and Derek had mournful looks on their faces. She also saw how ashamed Derek felt at being unable to save her father. Odette didn't blame Derek. He was a man with only good intentions.

The princess recalled all the wonderful memories she had of her father. How he was always there for her, whether she was happy or feeling under the weather. Even with all his royal duties, King William would always make time to spend with Odette. She was far more important to him than anything else, as she was the only family he had left after the death of his wife. King William would have fun with her, such as playing with her, and she recalled when he was amused at her attempts to use a sword when she was a kid. Odette had insisted, however, that learning how to use a sword would prove useful when she was older. That way she could protect herself.

She remembered when her father told her about how her mother had died while giving birth to her. Odette realized that her father wanted to wait to tell her about her mother until she was old enough to understand. She was sad about it at first, but eventually came to realize that death is a part of life. Derek had gone through the same thing when he was little. He'd lost his father when he was a little kid, and it saddened him as when Uberta told him about it.

A thought came to her mind. King William's captain has mentioned something about a "Great Animal." Odette didn't know what that meant, but whoever was responsible for her father's death, she hoped they were brought to justice.

As everyone listened to the priest talk about how great a king William truly was, Odette was thinking of the memories she had with her father. With how old King William was when she was born, Odette at one point didn't think he would live long enough to see her become an adult.

She remembered how prosperous the kingdom was under King William's leadership. He always had a solution to every problem that took place in the kingdom, and everyone was happy under his reign.

Odette was saddened that her father's reign had to end the way it did. She felt that the kingdom wouldn't be the same without her father.

Derek noticed Odette thinking about something. "Are you alright, Odette?"

Odette turned to him with a mournful look on her face. "I was thinking about how the kingdom thrived while my father was their leader. Now that he's gone, I fear that the kingdom won't be as prosperous as it was during his reign."

"Your father was a great king. If only I could've done something to prevent his death," Derek stated remorsefully.

"It's not your fault, Derek. Whatever this "Great Animal" is, it's to blame for my father's death," Odette said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find out who's responsible, and once we do, we'll make sure they're brought to justice for what they did to your father," Derek said determinedly before adding, "After the mourning period has passed."

"I was just beginning to think the same thing. It'll most likely take a while to recover from the tragedy," Odette replied sadly.

Derek nodded in understanding. "It took years for my mother and I to overcome the death of my own father. Even now, we're still saddened by his passing."

"I know how you feel. My mother died giving birth to me. I don't have any memory of her," Odette responded.

Derek took one of her hands in his. "I promise that everything will get better, Odette. No matter what happens, I won't let anything happen to you."

Odette had to smile at that. She appreciated how protective of her Derek was.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Over the next three days, Odette would have frequent nightmares that prevented her from sleeping well. Despite Derek's best efforts to comfort her, the bad dreams just didn't seem to go away.

Four days after King William's funeral, Odette kept tossing and turning in her bed as she was sleeping through a nightmare.

She was wandering around in the forest outside the kingdom. Everything seemed normal, until she saw something huge and creepy in the distance. Before Odette could do or say anything, the object lunged at her, and in a flash, a huge claw snatched her around the waist and lifted her up into the air.

Odette woke up and screamed. Breathing heavily, she gazed at her surroundings. She saw that she was in her bedroom in Uberta's castle. Odette looked around to see if that creature from her nightmare was anywhere in sight. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that the creature was nowhere to be found.

Odette jumped a little bit when Derek came into her room. "Odette! I heard you scream. Are you okay?"

The princess turned to face Derek. She could see his eyes filled with concern.

"Yes, I'm alright. It was just another nightmare," Odette replied.

"Those nightmares just won't leave you alone, now, will they?" Derek replied, feeling horrible for what Odette has been going through the last few days.

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"They'll go away eventually," Odette responded.

Derek was not convinced, however. He then thought of something. "Would you like for me to stay with you for a little bit?"

"That would be great. Thank you," Odette said gratefully as Derek sat beside her.

The prince could see how much pain Odette had been in since the day her father died. He reached out and brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

Derek glanced outside the window. It was a calm, clear night. Much different than the terrible night when King William died.

"Hey Odette? There's something I wanted to tell you," Derek said.

"What is it, Derek?" Odette inquired.

"I made a promise a few days back, and I have every intention of keeping that promise," Derek stated.

"Was it the promise we made about accepting me for more than just my beauty?" Odette wondered.

"Precisely. I may have first noticed your beauty, but your good heart is what makes you stand out. You're always kind and respectful to everyone. That is what I admire most about you," Derek explained.

Odette smiled. "Thank you, Derek. You're so sweet."

"I try," Derek replied with a grin. It faded after a moment though. "I completely understand that now's not the time to think about getting married. We'll only marry when you're ready."

"When do you think we'll be ready for marriage?" Odette asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I honestly don't know. At the moment, you're hurting a lot. Plus, I feel like we don't know each other well enough just yet. I can assure you that we'll take our time. Only when you're feeling better will I even think about such a thing. I also understand that it'll take a while for you to feel better," Derek elaborated.

Odette smiled before she realized they had forgotten something. "Wait a second! What about your mother?"

Derek sighed. "My mother won't be happy to know about us waiting to get married. I'll have some explaining to do."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Derek was correct about his mother not liking what he said about postponing the marriage. Odette and Derek had told Uberta the following morning about their plans to delay getting married.

"Mother, I hope you understand that this is for the best. Not only would I like to give Odette time to heal from losing her father, but I'd also like for her and I to know each other better," Derek explained.

"You can't be serious, Derek!" Uberta exclaimed in shock.

"Mother please. Odette and I are not even close to being ready for marriage!" Derek pleaded, trying to reason with Uberta.

Uberta then gave her son a pleading look. How was Derek going to get out of this?

Derek thought of something, and then he figured out a perfect plan. "If you let Odette and I take our time getting to know each other, it'll give you more time to plan the wedding."

Uberta raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"With more time, you can make the wedding even better and make sure not to miss even the smallest of details," Derek elaborated.

Realizing what her son meant, Uberta smiled and hugged him tightly. "I appreciate that, Derek. Thank you!"

"You're welcome, mother," Derek responded. As he felt his mother release him, Derek realized that he had forgotten something. "Mother? When Odette and I do get married, there is something that I'd like you to do."

"Of course, Derek! What is it?" Uberta wondered.

"I don't want any beauty pageants at the wedding," Derek requested.

Uberta gave him an odd look. "I would never have any of those at my own son's wedding. Weddings are supposed to be all about the bride and the groom. Beauty pageants would steal the stoplight from you and Odette. I certainly wouldn't like for that to happen to either of you!" She then gave them a smirk. "Whenever the wedding takes place, I'll make sure it's a big event."

After Uberta left Odette and Derek alone to plan the future wedding, the couple didn't move for a moment.

Derek remembered that his mother had a habit for having huge parties for special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays. He remembered when he and Odette were forced into going to those events together when they were children. Regardless, Derek loved his mother for who she was, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Derek then thought of how long it would be until he and Odette got married. He didn't wish to rush anything with her. The last thing he wanted to do was propose to her too early and regret it later on. After what he had done the first time, he wanted to take it slow and approach the whole thing differently.

Odette saw that something was on Derek's mind. "Is everything alright, Derek?"

Derek turned to her and nodded. "I was just thinking of how my mother likes to go big with parties and how long it'll be before we get married."

"How long do you think it'll be until the wedding?" Odette wondered.

Derek sighed. "I'm in no hurry for the marriage. If it takes years for us to be ready for that, then so be it. The last thing I'd want to do is make you uncomfortable. I still feel bad about what happened when I asked you to marry me the first time."

"Derek, it's okay. I'm proud of you for taking full responsibility for your actions. At least you won't make the same mistakes again, right?" Odette stated.

Derek shook his head. "No, I won't. To reiterate, we won't rush getting married. I also understand that you still need time to get better. We can take all the time you need."

Odette smiled. "Thank you, Derek. I actually do feel better now."

"Already? What makes you say that?" Derek asked.

"The fact that you were willing to stay by my side last night to make sure that I had someone to comfort me while I was under the weather," Odette said gratefully.

"Of course. After everything you've been through, I wanted to make sure that you knew that you have my support no matter what," Derek replied.

"Thank you, Derek," Odette said, smiling.

"You're welcome," Derek replied with a nod. "I think I'm gonna hit the library now. We need to figure out who or what the 'Great Animal' is."

Odette nodded in understanding. "I think I'll get some fresh air while you're at it."

Derek nodded with a grin. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know."

"Will do," Odette responded as they went their separate ways. She understood why Derek wanted to find out more about the "Great Animal." Odette had a feeling that since it attacked her father, there was a good chance it might be after her as well.

Odette wandered around the hallways. She greeted anyone she encountered. It made her feel good that Derek would support her through anything. While they weren't even engaged yet, Odette wouldn't be surprised if Derek did propose to her sometime in the near future.

Odette smiled at the thought of marrying Derek. They might not have been the best of friends when they were younger, but as they got older, they let their animosity towards each other diminish. She was still astonished that they fell in love with each other even after everything they went through as children. Nevertheless, she was looking forward to a future with Derek.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Odette went to the castle gardens for some fresh air. She sat on a bench and observed the scene before her. There were assorted flowers of many types, as well as fruits and vegetables. She saw some birds in the trees and saw a couple of squirrels running up another tree after each other.

Odette smiled as she began to imagine what kind of life she and Derek would have together. She imagined them living happy lives together and having children of their own. Odette sighed happily at the thought of having Derek for her future husband.

Odette was snapped form her thoughts when she heard a voice behind her, "Excuse me, Princess?"

She looked up to see her father's captain on crutches, a cast on his left leg. He had not fully recovered from his injury yet. Based on the nature of it, his injury would take some time to heal. "Captain Patrick! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were right behind me."

"It's alright, Your Highness. I'm sorry for coming up and startling you," Captain Patrick said apologetically. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling much better now. Thank you for asking," Odette replied. While she had known Captain Patrick for many years, it was not until that moment that she really spoke with him. "How's your leg?" she asked.

"I have a badly sprained ankle, but the good news is there aren't any broken bones," Captain Patrick responded. "The ankle is healing. It'll most likely be a little while before I'm back to full strength, but I'll heal eventually."

Odette beamed. "I'm glad to hear that you're getting better."

Captain Patrick smiled before he cleared his throat, "There's something I need to talk to you about."

Odette nodded. "Of course, Captain. What can I do for you?"

The captain's smile gave way to a remorseful look. "I'm very sorry that I was unable to save your father. Not matter what I tried to do, I failed to protect him. I let both of you down."

Patrick's words surprised Odette a little bit. However, she smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did what you could, Captain. It's not your fault that my father died. Whoever attacked you and my father is to blame."

Patrick nodded, but the ashamed look on his face remained. "Yes. Your father told me to go tell you what happened. I wish I hadn't left him. If I didn't leave the scene, I feel like he'd still be alive. I practically abandoned him."

"Captain, it's alright. Really," Odette assured. "My father wanted you to make sure that nothing had happened to me.

Patrick smiled gratefully at the princess's words. "Thank you, Princess." His smile faded after a moment. "However, that's not all I have to tell you."

"What is it, Captain?" Odette inquired.

"I know that Prince Derek is doing research on the Great Animal. Something tells me that we haven't seen the last of it," Captain Patrick explained.

"I feel that way too," Odette replied in agreement. "Derek really wants to make sure it doesn't come after me. What I don't understand is why it would try to get to me."

Captain Patrick paused for a moment. It would not be easy for Odette to hear, but it was something she would have to know. "I think I know why it would come after you."

Odette's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"