Fractured Fairytale: Ch 7 - The Swan Princess, Part 3

Responses to comments:

Eliana Ar: Thank you very much glad you're into the story

Justine.A: Hmm I'll check the comments thing and thanks I do enjoy writing when there's drunks involved, just makes the whole scene that touch more chaotic.

JBieber Lover: As always draw your own conclusions and then see if they're right, you never know you could be right.

The Swan Princess part 3...

They arrived at the Palace the next afternoon. Queen Georgia welcomed them with open arms and led them to the library where Derek was. Prince Derek flung a book over his shoulder. It landed on top of a pile in the other corner. "Derek you have visitors" the Queen said. He looked up.
"Can I help you?" he asked once his mother had left.
"Apparently we can help you."
"You can teach me about love" he said excited. Arthur and Gwen glanced at each other.
"Well, I suppose in a way" Arthur said. Gwen hit him.
"What he means is love is not something that can be taught, when you're in love you just know."

Prince Derek considered this. "What does love feel like?" he asked.
"It's different for everyone." Gwen replied. Derek shrugged.
"I just need to know what to say to Odette to convince her to marry me." Gwen scowled at him. "How would you describe what love feels like?" Gwen ground her teeth.

"I can't describe it. If you want to be able to answer Odette's question you have to come up with the answer, we can't tell you. There must be something besides the way she looked that you liked." Derek thought for a moment and snapped his fingers.
"I like when she sat in the sunlight so I could see her beauty more clearly." Arthur and Gwen both shook their heads, it was going to be a long day.

That night Gwen and Arthur were led up to their rooms tired and frustrated. They had spent the whole day trying to help Prince Derek think of Odette as something more than a beautiful woman. Arthur had tried explaining the importance of personality and Gwen had told him of Odette's point of view, but to no avail. It was like he couldn't see her as more than a statue.

"We'll try again tomorrow, if that doesn't work we'll move on, I think this is something he needs to learn on his own, we can only hope we have done him some good." Gwen said, Arthur nodded. He took a step closer to Gwen. "We forgot to tell him one thing" he said.
"What?" Gwen asked. Arthur wrapped an arm around her and kissed her. Gwen was in shock but she felt herself kiss him back. He let go of her quickly. "Love is impulsive" he said and left the room closing the door quietly behind him.

Gwen stepped back until she hit the wall. She raised a hand to her lips, and smiled. She spun around the room. She felt light as a bird. She fell onto the bed and felt like everything was suddenly going her way.

The next morning it was evident Prince Derek was not going to understand what he did wrong from them so they left. Neither of them mentioned the kiss. Arthur was his almost usual self. Gwen figured that he was trying to figure everything out so she didn't mention it. She talked to him like normal. They told each other childhood stories. She let Arthur talk the most, he had many amusing stories of his childhood and training as a knight. He spoke often of his friends Trent and Brett who were apparently fond of practical jokes.

They left the main path and let the horses walk where they wanted. They seemed to have a destination in mind. It was almost sunset when they emerged from trees and to a beautiful lake by a ruined castle. Arthur didn't like the look of it so they hid among the trees and watched. A single swan came into view as the sun begun to set. The Swan walked onto land. It waited there as the sunset over the trees. And she transformed. She turned from a beautiful swan into a woman. Arthur went to move forward but Gwen stopped him. "Let me" she said.

Gwen approached the woman. She turned and saw Gwen. She smiled. "I have never had a visitor before" she said.
"Are you Odette?" Gwen asked. The girl nodded sadly.
"I am sorry but you cannot stay for long the magician will be along soon, and I would hate for you to be put under a spell as well."

"If he did Arthur would, deal with him" Odette smiled.
"I'm waiting for Derek to deal with him. When he finally realizes there is more than just looks." Odette sighed. "Do you think he will?"
"I hope so, for your sake. You deserve someone to love you." Gwen replied. There was the sound of footsteps. "You must go" Odette said quickly "And thank you" Gwen dived into the bushes, she and Arthur slipped away.

At the next town they sent a cryptic message to Prince Derek to tell him where she was. That night when they were making camp Arthur said "Gwen" she looked up at him
"Yes?" Gwen asked.
"I want you to know, I am very, fond of you but my duty is to Princess Guinevere" Then he went to get more firewood. Gwen got the impression he didn't want to talk further on the subject. "And they say women are complicated" she muttered after him.

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Comments as always are appreciated.