One fast ride and several narrow escapes later, his sword shattered and his last arrow spent, Derek cursed his confounded arrogance in making such a claim. Next time a magical monster showed up, he decided, he'd bring as many soldiers as the castle could spare.

Rothbart's other form was huge. Bigger than the brown bears that sometimes stole livestock from the villages in the coldest winters. It was wickedly fast, had teeth that could crunch up a steel blade like it was made of straw, and – not to blame the late King William, who had been dying after all – but somehow he'd forgotten to mention that the Great Animal could fly.

That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was the other flying creatures that had joined the fight, interfering with Derek's aim because he was afraid to hit them – hence his last arrow spent.

One was a small black and white bird he could barely identify in the moonless night, let alone recognize as the puffin that had pecked him in the foot. The other was a swan. And since no ordinary birds would be this lacking in survival instinct, these had to be Odette and some ally of hers. Trust Odette to find allies anywhere, even in a ruined castle surrounded by wilderness. Trust Odette to go up against impossible odds in a fight for her freedom.

All those courtiers at the ball earlier this evening would have been shocked to see the elegant princess wielding beak and talon with such ferocity. Derek, who still had a scar from being knocked down the stairs when she was six and he was eight, was not in the least surprised.

But she was so much smaller than Rothbart, and had no magic to help her. And no matter how fast she was, how clever and how bold, his jaws were big enough to swallow her in one bite.

There – she'd torn another hole in of the creature's leathery wings. His flight was becoming erratic. It was slower now, easier to hit – if only Derek hadn't wasted his last arrow – but then those jaws opened and closed with a sickening snap, and this time, she wasn't quite fast enough.

White feathers scattered in the wind. A white blur came tumbling down toward the ground.

"No!" Derek screamed, running to where he'd seen her fall.

There was so much he had to tell her. He'd failed her so badly at their engagement ball; he couldn't fail her again. It couldn't end this way.

"Derek!"

The last voice he'd expected cut through the fog of his terror. It gave him the shock of a lifetime to see his best friend emerge dripping wet from the lake, still carrying a quiver of arrows from their hunting trip, clutching a bow and looking absolutely terrified.

"Derek, Catch-and-Fire!"

Derek understood at once.

Brom nocked an arrow, aimed – Derek could see him shaking, his lips moving in prayer, and knew for the first time what courage truly meant – and fired. Derek snatched the arrow out of the air. It burned his palm, but he barely felt it.

The Rothbart-creature, diving for Derek with outstretched claws, its mouth open in a shriek of rage, was the easiest target he ever shot.

It fell into the lake in an explosion of magical fire, and was gone.

Derek didn't have time to consider that he had just killed a man, however evil, and what that might mean. It would catch up to him later, but all he felt was a dull relief that the fight was over.

Now he could focus on the only thing that mattered in his universe right now.

"Derek, thank goodness! Are you hurt?" asked Brom, running up to him and catching him by the shoulders.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Fine. I mean, it was soaking wet in that tower and I'll probably catch the mother of all colds, but - "

"C'mon," Derek interrupted. "We have to find Odette."

They found her by the light of magic streaming away from her motionless figure. The white swan lying on the soft ground by the lake was suddenly a woman, her golden hair scattered on the grass, her white dress streaked with mud and blood.

Small animals were emerging from the reeds to gather around her: a turtle and a frog. The turtle carried something on its shell: the black and white bird who had been fighting alongside Odette earlier, and who must have been knocked out in the battle.

Derek fell to his knees. "Odette!"

"These guys saved us," Brom murmured, looking from Odette to the animals in quiet awe. "Must be something in the water. They brought me this bow … and that swan who pulled me out of the tower, that was her!"

Derek felt her pulse. It still beat, but her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving.

"Please say something," he said, holding her hand, hot tears falling from his eyes onto her pale skin. "Open your eyes … anything … just don't leave me. I never told you how much I love you … that smirk on your face when you beat me at cards, your wicked aim with a slingshot, the way you never gave up on me no matter how dumb I was … I love everything about you, always have … always will."

Her fingers twitched. She stirred.

It was the single happiest moment of his life so far.

"Derek?" she whispered, violet eyes slowly blinking open to focus on his face. "Took you … long enough … but I love you too."

On her face was the shadow of that same smile that had made his heart beat faster since they were teenagers: the smile of a woman who knew she had won. He knew beyond a doubt that she wasn't a shape-shifter this time.

"I'm here, Odette," he said, still crying and smiling unashamedly at the same time. "Rothbart's gone. We're alive. Are you … ?" He ran his hands over her to check her for injuries.

"My wing … I mean, my arm … it's broken."

"Reinforcements are on their way." Derek slowly helped her to sit up. "We'll get you to a doctor. Everything's gonna be okay."

"And the others?" Odette glanced around and spotted the animals, who were keeping a wary distance from the two human men, but whose attention never wavered from her. She gasped when she saw the bird lying across the turtle's shell. "Puffin!"

The bird raised its head and let out a faint squawk. Derek could have sworn that there was a note of triumph in it. The frog that was sitting next to the turtle hopped up and down, croaking at the top of its voice. Even the turtle raised its wrinkled head and made a quiet snuffling sound.

"Your friend can come with us," said Brom eagerly. "We'll have the falconer take a look at him. It's the least we can do."

"Thank you," said Odette, looking from one friend to another, her eyes shining. "Everyone … you saved me."

And then Brom, who had spent his whole life following Derek's example by insulting Odette in petty ways – slinging tomatoes at her, telling her no girls were allowed in the treehouse, trying to help Derek cheat at cards and failing – bowed his head in respect to his future Queen.

"Only because you saved us too," he said.

/

It was a strange but contented group that the team of soldiers (dispatched long before midnight by an anxious Queen Uberta) discovered when they came riding up to the lake. The surgeon who accompanied them snapped into action at once when he saw the bloodstained, exhausted young couple: Odette's arm was bound up immediately, the surgeon gave her a drink out of his leather flask, and several men helped to lift her onto Derek's horse so she could ride along with him.

The horses set off at their slowest walking pace, led by Derek, who was determined to give his injured warrior the smoothest ride possible. The turtle rode in Odette's lap, its head and all four legs withdrawn into its shell, with the puffin sleeping on top. The frog hopped from one perch to another – Derek's shoulder, the top of Odette's head – before settling down between the horse's ears, looking ridiculously smug, as if it believed the entire group was a victory parade in its own honor.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen," said Odette demurely, sitting in the circle of Derek's arm. "I'm afraid we didn't leave you any of the glory."

"That's just as well, ma'am," said the Captain, grinning as he rode next to them. "Glory's overrated, as long as you're safe and sound."

"Still flirting with the guards, are you?" Derek murmured into her ear.

"By the way, speaking of flirting," she retorted, "Who was that woman in black I saw you dancing with tonight? I was this close to smashing the window and pecking her eyes out, but I decided Rothbart came first."

Derek was absurdly gratified to find out he could make her jealous, even though he never planned on doing so again. "C'mon, it was just Bridget. She's not a bad old stick, really. Just misguided."

"Rothbart's Bridget?" Odette sniffed disdainfully, but then sighed. "Oh, I suppose you're right. I'd have gone very hungry as a swan if not for those bread crumbs she used to feed me."

A princess, grateful for bread crumbs. Derek privately resolved to bring her the freshest, warmest loaf from the castle kitchens for breakfast at their earliest convenience.

"Wait," said Odette suddenly, craning her neck to glance back at him with a searching frown. "You knew? But she looked just like me!"

"What?" He drew himself up in mock offense. "You think your beauty's all that matters to me? I'm shocked, Odette. Shocked."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, nestling even closer into his arms. "You're right … I should've trusted you."

"I'm only joking," he hurried to say. "But of course I knew. I've known you all my life."

"And will you stay with me?" she asked softly. "Can we stay together for the rest of our lives?"

Letting go of the reins for a moment, he pulled the heart locket with its engraved swan out of his pocket and fastened it around her neck, where it belonged. Whatever had inspired Rothbart to turn her into a swan, it suited her. Swans were the heraldic bird of Uberta's kingdom for many reasons, the least of which was their beauty. They were fierce, they were dignified, and they mated for life.

"Much longer than that," said Derek. "Much longer."