As children, Prince Derek and Princess Odette are forced to spend their summers together by their widowed parents, who hope that the two will eventually fall in love and marry, so their two kingdoms will be united. As children and adolescents, Derek and Odette can't stand each other, but as young adults they begin to see each other in a different light and fall in love with each other. But one night things take a bad turn when Derek unintentionally offends Odette, who then refuses to marry him if he can't prove that he loves her for who she is and not just her beauty. Odette and her father are then attacked by Lord Rothbart, a vengeful sorcerer who was cast out of William's kingdom when he plotted against the king. In the form of a beast, Rothbart mortally wounds William, and kidnaps Odette then places her under a spell. Now it is up to Derek to rescue Odette by showing his undying love. But will he be in time?
Written by
Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
Plot Synopsis:
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King William rules a mighty and large kingdom, but he is sad until his daughter is born. He names her Odette. At a ceremony for his daughter, King William and Queen Uberta agree to unite their kingdoms through their children with the plan that they would spend every summer together with the hope of them falling in love and marrying. Unknown to both, the evil enchanter Rothbart looks on, unconcerned about the birth of the new princess. Back at his hideaway, he plots to overtake the kingdom by means of the Forbidden Arts. The night before he plans to strike, William's guards attack, and Rothbart's powers are plunged into darkness. Despite the calls for his death, the king decides to only banish him, but Rothbart swears he will return one day with his powers and take everything he loves.

Many fear the king was too kind, but over time, the threat is forgotten. The hopes turn instead to the following summer when Prince Derek and Odette would meet. King William brings Odette to Queen Uberta's castle where she spends the summer with Derek. The two children, knowing they are meant to one day wed, instantly harbor a dislike for each other. Each summer, they resent their time together, opting to prank the other constantly and never once get along. When both finally grow up to be young adults and meet again, Derek is struck by the discovery that Odette has grown from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan. Odette also realizes she is now charmed by the prince, and they are smitten with each other. Following a kiss at the ball that night, Derek announces for them to arrange the marriage with cheers from his mother, but Odette asks him to wait. When Derek tells her she is all he ever wanted because she is beautiful, she asks him "what else?" and wants to know if beauty is all that matters to him. Confused, Derek asks her, "What else is there?" Saddened by his response, Odette rejects the marriage and departs with her disappointed father. Derek watches her carriage leave, and Uberta exclaims about all the wasted years of planning.

On the road back to their kingdom, Rothbart returns and attacks the king's fleet. The wounded captain makes his way to Derek's castle, informing the prince of the attack. Fearful of Odette's fate, Derek races off to find the overturned carriage and mortally wounded king. With his last breaths, William tells Derek that Odette is gone after a great animal attacked them -- that it's "not what it seems." Derek cries out for the loss of Odette, not knowing if she is alive or dead.

Back at an abandoned castle that is revealed to be Rothbart's new hideaway, Odette is shown to be a swan. Rothbart informs her that when the moonlight touches the lake each night, she will turn back into a princess. He also reveals that he still wishes to rule over William's kingdom, but he wants to do it legally as her husband so he doesn't have to fight to keep the kingdom. Odette refuses him, planning to escape, but he further reveals that no matter where she is, she will turn back into a swan once the moon sets.

After searching everywhere with no sign of Odette, Derek's kingdom believes she has perished, but Derek is determined to believe that the "Great Animal" has her and won't give her up without a fight. He practices daily to make sure he is ready for the battle. His counselor, Lord Rogers, helps Derek practice by pulling together the musicians and has them dress up as forest animals. Derek and his childhood friend, Bromley, are armed with arrows that have harmless, painted balls of cloth instead of tips on them. They use the fake animals for target practice, keeping score of whose color is painted the most on each animal. Derek wins with a hidden spot on the elusive "white rabbit." Lord Rogers then challenges him to a quick round of "Catch and Fire" to prove that Bromley is as courageous as he claims. Dressed in a suit of armor with an apple tied on top of his helmet, Bromley shoots a single arrow at Derek who stands at a distance away with his back turned. Timing it perfectly, Derek whips around, snatches the arrow from the air and perfectly shots the apple in half, demonstrating his perfect ability as an archer. He vows to find Odette no matter where she is.

Back at Swan Lake, Odette has made friends with a frog, Jean-Bob, and a tortoise named Speed. Jean-Bob believes he is a prince and that a kiss from a princess will turn him back into his human, prince form. He thinks he needs to cross an alligator-filled moat to retrieve flowers for Odette, and the brave feat will make her want to kiss him. He fails to do so after almost getting eaten, and Odette tells him he deserves a kiss for trying. He agrees, but she explains that because of her spell, she can only kiss the man she loves. The man must then declare a vow of everlasting love to the world, and her spell will be broken. She believes Derek is out there working on finding his way to her. Suddenly, an injured Irish Puffin bird flies through the trees and collapses. Odette pulls the arrow from his wing, and the bird wakes up, believing Odette to be the one who harmed him until he realizes she saved him. He feels indebted to her, introducing himself as Puffin (Lt. Puffin). Odette explains there isn't much he can do because she is under a spell, and just then, Rothbart appears, asking for her hand in marriage again. Odette turns him down, exclaiming that he asks her the same question every night and she gives him the same answer -- "I'll die first." The moon sets, however, and Odette turns back into a swan.

Back at the kingdom, Queen Uberta is planning a ball for the following night where princesses from across the lands will meet the eligible prince, hoping one of them will sway Derek away from his quest to find Odette. Meanwhile, Derek continues to research through books at the library, looking for answers to William's warning about the Great Animal not being what it seems. He finds a book that helps him deduce that the Great Animal is very likely to be a shapeshifter. He recruits Bromley to join him on a hunt in the woods after promising his mother he would be back in time for her ball.

Back at Swan Lake, Odette tells Puffin about her spell, and she and Puffin decide to retrieve the map from Rothbart's castle in order to find Derek and bring him back to the lake. After some trouble getting the map from Rothbart's hag sidekick, Bridget, Odette and Puffin are able to set out to Derek's castle. Along the way, they happen upon Derek and Bromley venturing through the woods. When Derek spots the swan, he believes it may be the Great Animal and attempts to shoot her with an arrow. Puffin pushes her away in time, and they fly towards Swan Lake with Derek in pursuit. Odette is able to land on the lake, and she transforms back into herself as Derek watches. Surprised but relieved to see her, he runs out to capture her in a loving reunion. Odette tells him about Rothbart and her spell, and Derek invites her to the ball the following night so he can declare his vow of everlasting love to the crowd and break her spell. At this moment, Rothbart starts calling out for Odette, and she forces Derek to depart before he discovers them. Unknown to Odette, Rothbart heard their entire exchange and tells her she won't make it to the ball because there will be "no moon" that night, much to her dismay and sorrow.

Fearful that despite her not being there, Derek will still make his vow, Rothbart turns Bridget into Odette and sends her the ball, plotting that Derek will make his vow to the wrong woman and the real Odette will die because of it. On the night of the ball, Rothbart imprisons Odette (in her swan form) in the castle dungeon along with Bromley whom he found lost in the woods. Bridget (as Odette) arrives at the ball late, but Derek immediately dances with her, happy to see Odette but unaware it is not her.

At Swan Lake, Puffin, Speed and Jean-Bob successfully free Odette and Bromley from the dungeon, and Odette flies off towards Derek's castle. Through the window, she is shocked to see her doppelganger and desperately tries to break inside, but it is too late. Derek makes his vow to the wrong Odette, and the real Odette immediately feels the consequences. Rothbart breaks into the castle, confronting Derek and revealing that he made his vow to the wrong woman. Derek spots Odette through the window as she weakly flies away. Realizing his mistake, he pursues Odette back to Swan Lake where he finds her transformed as a human again on the ground. As Derek holds her, Odette tells him she is weak but knows the vow he made was meant for her. She confesses her love to him before losing consciousness. Furious, Derek confronts Rothbart, demanding he not let her die. Rothbart challenges him to defeat him first, transforming into the Great Animal. As the battle ensues with Rothbart overpowering Derek and throwing him on the ground, Odette's animal friends are able to retrieve his bow from the lake and get it to him. Bromley also appears and shoots a single arrow at Derek who catches it in the air and fires it into the Great Animal's chest, killing him. Derek returns to Odette's side, fearful that despite his victory, she will not survive. Heartbroken, he declares his love to her, and Odette wakes up, having survived long enough for the spell to be lifted following Rothbart's death. Happily, they embrace.

Derek and Odette get married and unite their kingdoms with the young couple having restored Rothbart's castle and taken residence there. At the celebratory ball that night, Odette finally kisses Jean-Bob, and he believes he has turned into a prince when he sees a prince in the fountain water's reflection (when it's actually a real prince hovering over him). Derek pulls his bride onto a bridge overlooking Swan Lake. Odette asks him if he will love her until the day she dies, and Derek responds that he'll love her for much longer.

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