The Swan Princess

Chapter 11: A Blessing and a Curse

New plan: ditch the Prince, seduce the Knight.

"A date with Odette?" Lukas asks. I can practically feel his brows raising.

"I think you would like her. She's nothing like that haughty prince you serve. She's actually down-to-earth and very sweet."

Lukas' tone goes up in pitch. "Down-to-earth? Haughty?"

Okay, now to escape this situation.

"First of all, I think the Prince is most often described as handsome. Second—"

"Sorry to interrupt, but could you maybe do me a favor?" I sniffle for dramatic effect. "Could you send for my servant Hae-won? She was with her friend Emilia last, I think. I'd like for someone to fix my hair and makeup before I go back out. I look like a mess."

He hesitates. "All right," he says after what must have been a long deliberation on his part. "I'll retrieve her."

"Thank you," I sniffle, "You're a good friend, Lukas."

"I suppose," he answers with a resigned sigh. "We'll talk about this more later, though."

With that, he strides out. I hear the gentle thump on the tapestry as it lands back on the wall after he leaves. I wait a good minute to be sure he's gone. Then another. And another, for good measure. Until I'm satisfied he's gone, and then I poke my head out.

Glancing from side to side, I discern that the hallway is empty. Good. I'll just walk to the servant's quarters, find Emilia before Lukas does, and accept his request to freshen up Princess Insun. I'll graciously accept his date request too, of course.

...

As I walk the familiar halls, I feel that something is wrong. I feel like I'm being watched. Considering I haven't done anything wrong within these walls (yet) I start to grow uneasy.

I hear footsteps behind me and turn around, but nobody is there. The hallway is empty, but that's not unusual. At this time of day, most of the serving class is dispersed throughout the castle, carrying out miscellaneous tasks here and there.

So I keep going, ignoring the leering emptiness and unnerving quiet. I hear the steps of my footsteps clearly. The thump-thump-thump of my feet keeps my thoughts calm and steady, until I hear raucous laughter coming from an intersection to my left.

That's the kind of laughter that can only from a group of loud, rowdy men. I hasten my steps.

Walking as fast as I can to where I'm supposed to meet Anna. I look back around once more. One of the tapestries is askew. I can't see who did it, though.

Despite seeing nothing, I wrap my arms around myself and hurry. Servants aren't exactly known for being treated well by the upper class, and I wouldn't even know what to do if I was in danger. Besides stabbing someone with a sewing needle, I would be useless in a fight.

Margo warned me about how the nobility treat the serving women of the castle. That in groups with women, they act like gentlemen, and always answer their requests with 'please' and 'thank you.' But when it's just men alone in the hallways with women, everything changes.

"Beware of the men that play mind games," Margo had foretold, "And especially those who follow you, after selecting you as prey."

She had paused then to look at me with a stern expression. "The young ladies coming into the castle this week brought with them brothers, fathers, and all sorts of trouble. Men can get increasingly more aggressive when rejected, which is when you are in true danger..."

Her voice trails off in my head as I recall our easier conversation. At some point in the past, I thought I might want to ask my mom to teach me how to fight without using magic. But then one thing led to another, the war started, and I lost my chance.