The Swan Princess

Chapter 7: Break the Ice

"When were you planning on telling me that you're a swan?" Emilia accuses.

"I figured you would see for yourself, eventually," I answer, folding clothes.

Both of us are alone in one of the many, drafty laundry rooms of the castle. The sun shines through the dusty window, illuminating the dust specs that float through the air. Unlike the chaos of last night, the task at hand is quaint. Relaxing. Cozy, even, until Emilia stormed in like she'd seen a ghost, and I was responsible for it.

"It's not like I wanted to be one anyway," I mutter.

"Either way, it's up to you to keep up this illusion now," Emilia remarks. "Everybody recognizes my face as a servant here, so I can't keep pretending to be Hae-won anymore. Nobody knows that Princess Insun is really you, though, so that's on you to figure out."

"I know," I concede. "I need to find a way to continue Prince Sieg's interest in Princess Insun without anyone in the castle making the connection that it's really me. A common servant, a laundry folder, a hopeless dreamer..."

"And then what?" Emilia interrupts. "He loves you, the curse is broken. Are you just going to casually move into this house from servant's quarters to princess quarters? What happens in the aftermath?"

"I'll figure it out," I assure her, though mostly, myself. She's right, though. Even if jester-boy Siegfried didn't recognize me as a servant from the way up to the castle, my plan has too many holes in it. I have no idea how to pull this off, really. I'm in too deep now, though, so I have to keep going.

"How do I get into the castle library?" I ask Emilia instead.

Several hours later, my folding for the day is done, and I'm sneaking around the upper floors of the castle. If there's anywhere I can find more information about the curse, it would have to be among the ancient books stored in the Grand Library. The sun is beginning to set, and the fires light up the sconces on the walk, casting shadows down the darkened halls.

When I arrive, I'm stunned by the grandeur. Large, oak doors frame the library entrance, and I quietly slip inside past them. The library is filled with lush, velvet carpets, dark wood furniture, and most importantly, rows upon rows of books.

Moving towards the shelves, I scan the covers of the books. I pass by the fantasy, the romance (regretfully), and the nonfiction section until I reach the section about witches. 

It's quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

So when I hear the "click!" of something dropping, I gasp.

"Sorry, peasant," my favorite and least favorite voice continued, "but I have to wonder, are you a witch?"

"What?" I exclaim in shock, turning around to face Prince Sieg.

"Well, you are in the witches section of this library," he draws out, "despite me having last seen you out in the woods, where I imagine most witches would be."

Unbelievable, this man.

"Your highness," I begin, avoiding eye contact as I drop into a curtsy, "I have recently been hired to this estate."

"You avoided the witches question." His smirk returns when I finally make eye contact with him.

It's only then that I notice what he's wearing. Instead of the usual royal finery, he's in loose brown breeches and a plain white top. It's unfair, that he looks so handsome even without the crown on his head. 

"For someone who looks down on peasants, you sure did dress like one today," I dare, willing to try my luck. I need him to love Princess Insun, not this random servant. Although, it would make my plan more difficult if I got fired.

"I could dress down to nothing, if that is what you prefer," he answers nonchalantly, doing the infuriating lean against the wall thing again. "But since you are, in fact, a peasant, I don't really need to take your wishes into consideration."

Maybe he's not the one, after all. It might be impossible to get this man to love me as much as he seems to love himself.

Then, he moves closer. I'm standing next to the wall, and he moves closer, nearly backing me into the bookshelf. I start to move away, but he puts a firm hand on my shoulder, holding me in place.

"What are you doing?" I demand.

"Quit fidgeting," he says. He leans over. Our chests brush briefly when he reaches above me to grab a book from a shelf above my head. His hand is still on my shoulder, and when he moves back, I can feel his warm exhale on my hair.

"What was that?" I ask, a little nervous, a lot dazed. Why does this man do this to me?

"Unlike you-" he says pointedly, "I actually did have a reason for being here today."

"Which is?" I barely manage to stutter out.

He holds up the book for me to see. A History of Witches and Curses.

"Was this what you were looking for?"

"No," I reply, even though it was.

"Then what were you looking for?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"I was just looking at the books."

"Looking at, and not reading?"

"I can't read," I lie. I have no idea where to end this conversation, but I'm worried that it seems like he's almost - flirting with me? I can't do this right now, not when I'm supposed to be seducing him as Princess Insun.

"Hmm," he ponders. "Why do I sense like that's a lie?" He runs his fingers through his tousled brown hair, as if he's in deep thought and concentration.

"I suppose that's why you never accepted my invitation to the ball," he surmises, looking back at me. The smirk is back. Why is this man so entertained with this?

"I don't know what you're talking about, Your Highness."

"No?"

"I'm just a peasant, as you said," I conclude. "May I be excused?"

"No, I have a task for you first, servant."

Oh, so I'm 'servant' now?

"At your service, Your Highness," I respond, holding myself back. I need to restrain myself and get out of here. Also, I need a plan in general, now that he's seen my face and not Princess Insun's, yet I have to convince him that we are two separate people. He hasn't seen Princess Insun's face though. Maybe I can wear another mask or a veil?

As I plot my next move, the prince moves to another bookshelf. I follow him, continuing to think. Maybe I can say that Princess Insun has fallen ill? That can buy me some time, at least. What a disaster. I have no idea how to pull this off.

He pulls down a different book, one that's a dusty rose, with gold and white lettering.

Expectations and Excesses: The Roles of Queens of Svenia in Past, Present, and Future

He holds it out to me. In that charming, arrogant voice, he states:

"Deliver this as my gift to Princess Insun."