𝐌𝐋𝐁𝐁: 𝐀 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥

𝟲 - 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲

Odette's POV.

She was more than glad that she survived, especially getting help from the Moniyan Princess herself. She didn't know who her allies were, but it was time for her to make new friends than sitting still in her swan castle all day. It was ruined already anyway. Some parts of it were completely broken, but some are still standing--well, barely.

She went back inside to observe how many rooms remained, which was most likely broken. To her surprise, a lot of them were still in decent condition. That's odd, she thought. Knowing Alice, she would destroy everything mercilessly. It was still a traumatic tragedy for her nonetheless, but if Alice truly wanted her dead, she could have done it so easily. No matter how hurt she was in this very moment, Odette knew this was only the beginning.

"Odette?" Silvanna called from behind. "You can't possibly stay here."

Odette was silent, hesitating to speak her next words. Half of her heart told her to stay. It was her home, regardless of how ruined it was. The other half told her to move away and stay in Moniyan, where she could have better days for the rest of her life. But who was she to stay there? She had a castle, she had her own region, and most importantly, she had her swans. Nobody would take care of them if she left.

"I can't leave," she simply said in response.

"Why not?" she asked back, following her tracks inside the swan castle. "It's, well, not quite a comfortable place to stay anymore."

"Oh, but it is to me," Odette admitted as she turned to face the princess, her voice soft and gentle. "A castle isn't just a building. It needs company to fulfill its beauty and strength and everything in between. I am loyal to mine, as you are loyal to yours."

Silvanna gave her a heartwarming smile. "You are as pure as you look, Lady Odette. Don't ever change."

"As are you, Your Highness," Odette complimented back. She accepted her sincere words, as a little grin formed on her face.

"Are you sure about this?" Silvanna reassured. "If anything happened again, you are more than welcome to stay in my castle."

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" Odette said. "It's my castle, I am responsible to take care of it no matter how broken it may seem."

"Then I shall see you soon," Silvanna replied. "May the Lord of Light be with you, Princess Odette."

"I appreciate your prayers," Odette thanked. "And I'm happy to meet your friends!" she smiled delightfully, giving them full attention and a small little wave for them to know she was a friend.

A short, orange-haired woman in a high ponytail smiled back in response. "I love your swans, Princess Odette," she said.

"Why, thank you!" Odette exclaimed. "They truly are majestic, are they not?"

"No doubts."

"We should be training by now," the princess interjected. "And we need to figure out a plan. If Alice is starting her voyage to our lands, it is up to us to defeat her." Her face was stern. She was born a heroine. However, Odette realized something odd that the princess might not notice.

"Your Highness," she started. "Don't you think it's strange that you did not have a single clue about this attack? I believe you received my letter, yes?"

"My friend Fanny did, actually," she admitted. "I knew it from my prophecy's visions, but there was indeed no sign of any abyssal demons. Everything seemed to be alright back in the empire. I'm sorry we came late."

Odette wanted to speak, but even she was mystified.

She observed Silvanna, who was walking around Azure Lake, trying to figure something out about this peculiar situation. She seemed to discover something when she touched the air, her fingers were covered in blood red dust.