Chapter seven: Odile Escapes

Odile stood at her window, looking at the stars and the moon. There were bars at the window, but they were not necessary. Her window was high above a river. If she tried to escape, she would almost certainly fall into the water and die.

Her bird, Patrice, chirped behind her. She turned to look at the bird.

“Oh Patrice, I understand you. I am in a cage, too. But you must want to get out. I’m sorry I never thought of it. I have kept you locked up just like Rocford has kept me locked up. Because you are my only friend in this world, I wanted you to stay. But you must be free to fly.”

Odile took the bird cage to the window. She opened its small door.

“Fly away, Patrice, and be free! Find another bird to love. It is the only thing worth living for.”

The bird flew from its cage, through the bars on the window, into the night. Odile closed her eyes. She imagined that she was Patrice flying over the forest and lake. She flew into the garden of the palace, she landed on a palace wall and looked into a large window at the ball. Beautiful women in beautiful dresses were dancing with handsome men.

She saw the prince with his mother and the cake with the eighteen candles. Then, Odet entered the room dressed as her. When she opened her eyes, she found to her amazement that she was outside the palace window. When she had set the bird free, she had also set herself free. Because she believed with all her heart in love and freedom, everything that she imagined came true.

The wizard knew that Odile hated him, and it made him angry. He wanted to make her love him, so he decided to have a ball for her. Using his magic, he made a large room full of people dancing. He changed himself into a young man again, the same young man he was when he had taken Odile from her parents.

He went to her room with flowers. He knocked on her door.

“Odile, I have a surprise for you.”

There was no answer. He couldn’t even hear the bird.

“Odile, it’s me, Rocford. I’ve decided to take you to a ball.”

When there was no answer and he heard nothing, he became angry. He made the door disappear. His anger turned him back into the old, evil man that he was. He saw the bird cage on the floor. The room was empty. Roaring with anger, he turned himself into an owl and flew from the castle towards the palace.