Oh! Uhm, hi there. I didn't see you! Please don't shoot me! I know swans make excellent trophies! But I'm not really a swan!

I see the doubt on your face, but hear me out! I know I look exactly like one. White feathers, beak, whole nine yards, right! But look into my eyes. See my intelligence!

Oh, look, the moon is rising! You'll see now! I know, I know it's scary, but just wait! You'll see what I mean!

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You do as requested, and sit back. The swirling magic startles you, but you become even more aware that the little swan has no control over that magic, even as the swan seems to fly up into the swirling vortex.

It fades away and suddenly there is a shy, awkward little stallion standing before you. He Tilts his head, a whole mass of wild curls falling into his vision but you spot the dark eyes that seem black, "See. Not a real swan. I just look like one during the day." You don't answer and instead look at the stallion a little closer.

He is shockingly small, barely closing in at 14 hands even, and he seems a mass of nervous energy as he constantly shifts his weight. It draws your attention to the ground, at the dark hooves surrounded by a light density of black feathering. That black caps all the way up to his knees, much like the black webbed feet of a Swan stands out. You realize he shares a lot of other similarities with the swan as well.

At his knees is a sharp transition into white fur that covers him all the way to his face. It's the same rich white of his wild, curly mane and tail, of those delicate feathered wings, as well as the feathers that dwell upon his rump. His face marks a different story as that onyx re-emerges with an almost bald like face pattern, and dark rimming the cat eyes out around his eyes. His smile is youthful and shy as be ducks his head. The slight motions draws your attention to his neck, where you see a bright blue ribbon tied around his neck, almost obscuring the small pendant charm hanging from it, a small locket, startling silver against his white fur with an engraving of a small lily on it.

He's right. He's no swan.

Er, hi, yes, you're back then? Well come, sit down. Do you want some tea? We have a few hours until sunrise, so I can chat with you for a bit! What would you like to know?

O-oh, about me? Eh, yikes. Not the answer I was hoping for, but alright. Well my name is Odile, spelt O-d-i-l-e, and pronounced like Oh-Dell. Uhm, anyway, right, about me. I'm a rather awkward and anxious individual. I can easily become flustered. Someone very important once said I was a walking trouble magnet that needed to be always protected.

Uhm, oh, who said that . . . Just someone I grew up with. Uhm, back to the other stuff. What was I saying? I can be a little forgetful, sorry. My mind can get easily side tracked, haha. I'm prone to getting lost too! Oh, that's probably not something I should be proud of, huh? Well father used to tell me, well, before he . . . Uh, anyway, he'd say that unless you get lost, you'd never find or see anything new.

Oh, dad? He isn't here anymore. Uhm, when I was . . . . Forcibly invited to go along with an enemy of the kingdom . . . Father didn't . . . Make it. Someone looking for me? No . . . Probably not. He . . . Doesn't actually care about me. Probably glad I disappeared. . . .

He could have done so much better than me anyway. An accident waiting to happen, who can't go ten minutes with out getting lost. I'm always running late, always second guessing everything I do. I'm a royal fuck up, even before the feathered by dawn thing. He is better off with out me.

Me, what do I want? Him happy of course. As long as he, and everyone else is happy . . . I don't mind staying disappeared as a swan. I'll be okay.

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Odile is a very gentle and soft individual, who has a very low opinion of himself. In a way he has come to enjoy hiding behind the guise of a mere Swan. More than that, he is an individual who hides his own strengths even from himself.

Odile is self destructive, attacks himself viciously, and yet selflessly gives his all to others. He is also kind, forgiving and soft. He never speaks put against anyone, and always puts his heart put for others to read.

This makes him extremely susceptible to manipulations as he tends to not think about what others really want from him, and instead believes fully with out hesitations.

However, when backed into a corner, Odile will rise to the occasion. When he sees no other way out, he will lunge forward, defending and attacking until he sees a way out, to which he will run away.

And above all else is a stallion who believes in fairy tales, that love concurs all, and happily ever afters exists. And if he looks hard enough, he hopes to see his coming back, apologizing for taking so long to find him, and saying all those reasons why they should really marry.

How did all this start? Oh, hahaha! I wasn't always a swan. No, this is a newer development. Uhm, I grew up as the heir to a kingdom. I was a frail little thing, and father was already so old when I was birthed. They say I was a miracle granting the kingdom a future.

The first time I supposedly met the stallion that would change my life was when I was a few weeks old it's where I got the pendant I wear around my neck. A gift from him when I was presented.

Our parents would decide then and there we would one day wed and join our kingdoms. We wouldn't meet again for a few months, and it would be then I'd start to learn about the stallion I was expected to spend my life with. Our first meeting did not go as planned, I am sure.

I remember hiding behind father, determined not to be seen. It wasn't hard, father was a large being. I inherited mama's small stature I'm told. Regardless. There I remained, practically shaking, while this stranger was glaring at me from where he stood next to his mother. He snorted when I awkwardly greeted him before ignoring everyone and walking away. I was mortified, embarrassed, and yet amazed. That he had the courage to do so. In a way I'd say the hero worship started at this point.

Over the next few years we were forced to share company every spring and fall. In the beginning I was foolish, chasing after him and other colts, asking to play with them and trying to keep up. In return I was the subject of pranks. It was horrible . So in the second year I spent more time avoiding him than trying to encourage us to spend time together.

Of course I was always getting into trouble one way or another. Run into bandits, getting chased by a wild cat, even getting lost in town. Somehow, every time I thought that would be it, he'd show up, complaining about how pathetic I was.

Our second year was much the same. But spring of our third year. Something changed. He stopped glaring at me. He'd bring me tea in the library when I was absorbed in a fairy tale.. escorted me too and from the places I visited. It was then my hero worshipped changed. I'd always fancied him. He was a handsome colt that grew up well . . . But now I began to fall hard and fast. Come the next fall, he seemed to agree when suddenly at a ball held by our parents for my birthday, he declared we should plan the wedding.

I was shocked, which is probably why I had the courage to stop the celebrating, asking him why. I will never forget the way he looked so confused, his response broke my heart "Because we are expected to wed?" So of course I asked why else, if our parents decision was the only reason he agreed to it. I was already walking out of my own birthday ball as his response of "what other reason is there?" Echoed in my head.

We left to return home the next day, and the good bye was as awkward and cold as the very first meeting, and I left my heart behind, with him . . . It was while we were heading home that our caravan was attacked. It happened so fast i dont remember much. I remember out carriage being blown apart. I hit the ground even as father tried to stand protectively in front of him. He was shouting at some magician further ahead, I don't remember what they said. Just the blast of magic. It hit father in the chest. I didn't even get a chance to check on father as I felt the magic engulf me. I barely had a time to get used to my new shape before I was slammed into a cage. The sudden movements was too much as my head banged against the bars. I blacked out.

The next few seasons I learned what had happened. Father dying, the magicians evil plan to make fathers kingdom his own. But to hear how no one was looking for me, no one cared hurt . . . To learn he really didn't care. He was probably glad to be out of an arranged bonding with me.

I soon learned how the magic worked. Every time the sun rose. I'd turn into a swan. Every time it set, as long as I was on a body of water, I would return to my normal shape. The magician tried telling me it was only his lake, but over months of experimenting, I found the truth for myself. It was the freedom I needed. And it was a random day that I flew away. When the magician came that night, I would not be there.

There were many days, weeks where I couldn't find water to change my shape, stuck as a swan, but I made my escape, soon arriving to a new world, hoping in a place at alive with magic, perhaps I'd find a cure here. A new home. Until then, there is a new swan here.