princess is a swan,» Etienne answered, not understanding what he was saying, «I love the girl – the swan, I love the princess Odette.»
The queen was about to faint.
«This is what communication with hermit sorcerers brings to,» she concluded.
«Think,» the queen has already begged, «today is your coming of age, today you must prepare to become king and choose your queen, Rosalyn would be so suitable for this role.»
«Never,» Etienne burst out, and his face flushed with anger.
«I’ll only marry Odette,» he shouted as he left the room. The queen brought her thin, graceful hand to her forehead, well, what a trouble she has with her sons.
Etienne decided to go in search of Odette. He entered his room only to take his cloak and sword. Rosalyn suddenly appeared next to him. Her hair was loose and the collar of her dress was unbuttoned. A long, curved scar in the shape of a five-pointed star glittered on one of the exposed shoulders.
«God,» Etienne whispered, looking at the scar, «what is this?»
«The kiss of hell,» she replied in a dream.
«Then…» Etienne began, but she stopped him.
«You are leaving,» she asked, and her lips lit up a faint smile, «believe me, you would be much better off staying here.»
«Why?»
«The curse of a rejected bride can be the worst,» she said.
«I don’t understand,» said Etienne.
«There are forces in the world that a mortal cannot compete with.»
«How do you know?» Etienne asked.
«Trust me, I know the king of evil. Don’t leave,» she whispered.
«I must leave,» Etienne answered resolutely, and, grabbing his cloak and sword, ran out of the room.
«Well, let it be so,» she shouted after him with malice and rage, «remember my curse, you will never find the one you love, and she can never become your bride because she is cursed, she is a princess – a swan…»
Well at the end of the world
Etienne drove for a long time through the forest, he was heading to the place where legends about damned beauties are born, to the swan lakes. By evening, he got lost and was only glad to see a small tavern behind the trees, in a clearing.
The prince entered the tavern and sat down at one of the empty tables. A servant immediately approached him with a jug of wine. Pouring wine into a glass, she whispered:
«If you want to save your life, leave here!»
«I don’t understand,» he burst out, but she hurriedly moved away from the prince, the owner himself was approaching him.
«Welcome to our land,» he greeted Etienne. «Are you a traveler?»
«Yes,» Etienne confirmed, «I’m just lost and can’t find my way, I’m here by accident.»
«Maybe you are looking for something, no one just wanders here. The whole world knows the bad reputation of this place.»
«No,» Etienne assured him, «in my country they don’t know anything about this place.»
«Your country?» the owner grinned, «you want to say that you are the prince of some country.
«No,» Etienne hastily lied, «no, that you, I’m just a poor traveler,» he assured him, and at the same moment he thought what his friends, mother and brother would say if they knew about his adventure.
«Well,» said his involuntary interlocutor, «you disappointed me.»
«Believe me, I didn’t want that,» Etienne turned away from him and was about to end the conversation, but the innkeeper did not want to leave him, as if he was trying to get something from the young prince.
«You are from afar,» he asked.
«I can’t say,» said Etienne, «this place is probably far from my country, but I don’t even know where I am and what kind of tavern it is.»
«Trust me,» the owner assured him, «this is the best tavern in the whole world.»
«The best?» Etienne chuckled.
«Yes, here you can find not only wine, food and snacks, but also everything that the human heart wants.»
«And what is it?»
«Otherworldly forces,» the owner whispered to him so that no one else could hear.
«Are you laughing?» Etienne burst out, but the owner only shook his head mysteriously.
«Whatever you want will be here, no matter you are a prince or a simple wanderer, the dark forces help everyone without a choice, just call them. You know about the castle of the witch’s roses or about its master.»
Etienne shook his head, but he began to suspect that something was wrong.
«What are you trying to say?» Etienne burst out, and the owner moved a little away from him.
«That you are finished, Prince Etienne,» he said, smiling slyly, like a snake.
This smile pissed off Etienne, how the owner of the tavern at the end of the world could know about the prince of another kingdom. There is not much time left for blurring. At the same moment, knights in black burst into the tavern, the black knights of the king of evil, and there were many of them.
«Here it is,» shouted their head, «death to Prince Etienne!»
Etienne drew his sword, the first blow he put down one of the black knights, but there were too many of them. Etienne retreated and suddenly faced another enemy. He put his sword to the stranger’s chest. Suddenly, the helmet that covered his head fell off, and waves of dazzling blond hair fell over his shoulders, so beautiful it was hard to believe. Miraculously, Odette stood in front of him in the clothes of a young man.
«Odette!» not believing himself, he whispered.
«Etienne!» burst out from her.
«I’ve been looking for you all over the world,» he said, forgetting about the battle and danger.
«I was looking for you,» she replied.
Etienne and Odette retreated before the onslaught of the black knights. Odette pressed herself against the wall, and suddenly something crunched in her, and Odette found herself on a dark staircase leading down somewhere. The door slammed shut behind them.
«Is it a trap again,» Etienne whispered.
«This is our salvation,» Odette said, grabbing his arm. The staircase was lit by rare torches. There was only one thing left for them, to go down. There was no turning back and could not be,
