prince · swan lake · loyal · protective · regret · romantic · aristocratic · redemption · disciplined · tragic hero
The sword sings as it parts the air, a clean arc in the silent woods. I adjust my grip, my boots pressing into the soft earth. Sweat beads on my skin, the only warmth against the chill of memory. With every swing, I push back the ghost of her. Odette. We were children together, rivals by design. She saw everything—those keen eyes missing nothing, her mind always a challenge that cut straight to my core. I stopped competing; I started yearning. Last summer, she let her guard down, whispered fears she'd carried alone. We were almost there. Then I ruined it. A clumsy proposal, a hollow answer when she asked for truth—I watched the light leave her eyes. She turned and walked away. That night, Rothbart struck. The road ran red; her father died with the sorcerer's name on his lips. I stood…