Act I! Not much happens in this act, though, so the chapter is kind of short... Also, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Act I: The Castle Gardens and the Forest

Prince Ivan wandered through the garden of his home, his friend Toris following behind him. It was the day of his birthday. He was coming of age, meaning that he would be inheriting the kingdom. His father had passed away when he was a child, leaving the kingdom to be run by his mother until he reached adulthood.

Toris led him toward the sound of music, where Ivan was greeted by the rest of his friends, who were holding a celebration for him. They knew that there would be a celebration for the whole kingdom but this one was special. This one was just for Prince Ivan and his friends.

The party lasted well into the evening, with much dancing and drinking. Many of the girls danced with him in hopes that he would choose them for his former bride and while they were all very beautiful, he did not love any of them.

It was then that his mother, with her attendants trailing behind her, came into the garden and when she spotted her son, she marched over to him. It was obvious to her that he had not chosen any of the young women here as his bride.

"Ivan, son, tomorrow, I will hold a ball in honor of you coming of age. You will be ruling the kingdom now and need a wife by your side. At the ball, you will choose a wife."

Prince Ivan frowned at his mother. "But mother, what if I do not love any of the women at the ball tomorrow?"

The Queen stared at him for a moment before laughing. "You are a prince. You marry for necessity, not love." With that, she turned and left the garden, her attendants following behind her.

After the Queen left, the party started to end. It was clear that Prince Ivan was upset that he could not choose a bride based on love.

"Toris, my good friend, would you like to come hunting with me? I need to be away from the palace." The prince looked to his dear friend, who smiled and nodded. Toris understood that while the prince was strong and a capable warrior, he was a romantic at heart. It was sad, though, that the prince could be rather intimidating, causing many people to fear getting too close to him. He just hoped that Prince Ivan would find someone to love who returned those feelings.

The two friends set out for the woods near the palace, hoping to get Prince Ivan's mind off of the upcoming ball.

XX

After a few hours, the two stopped beside a lake to rest before returning to the castle. Toris made himself comfortable against a tree and was soon asleep but Prince Ivan was too upset about having to choose a bride the next night. What if he did not find a young woman that he loved? He knew that he had to rule the kingdom with a bride by his side but he wanted to love the woman he would wed.

Prince Ivan sighed and sat on a rock, looking out over the lake. The moon was rising slowly and it bathed the lake in light. With the new light, he was able to look out on the lake and see what he had overlooked before.

Gliding toward the shore was a flock of swans.