The Swan and the Starlight Crown
In the kingdom of Avalen, where silver rivers wound through emerald hills and the sky shimmered with eternal dawn, there lived a young maiden named Elara. She was the daughter of a humble candle maker, yet her beauty was whispered about even in the royal courts. Her eyes held the color of twilight, and her voice could calm restless spirits. Every evening she walked to the lake beyond the forest to light a lantern and set it upon the water, a ritual she said would guide lost souls home.
One night, as she placed her lantern on the surface, the still water rippled. From the heart of the lake rose a swan, pure white and crowned with a band of stars. It spoke in a voice that was neither of man nor beast. “Mortal child,” it said, “your light has reached the world beyond. I am Caelus, guardian of the sky’s mirror. You have called to me with kindness, and I have come.”
Elara trembled but did not flee. “Why would a spirit answer one such as me?” she asked.
“Because your heart shines brighter than any crown,” the swan replied. It spread its wings, and the air filled with silver feathers. “The king of this land seeks the Starlight Crown, an ancient relic that grants endless power. He will drain the lake and break the gate between worlds. Only one with a soul untainted by greed can protect it.”
Before Elara could answer, the sound of horses thundered through the woods. Soldiers bearing the royal crest surrounded her. Their captain, a young man with eyes like storm clouds, dismounted and drew his sword. “By order of the king, the relic of this lake belongs to the crown,” he declared.
Elara stepped before the swan. “You must not harm him. The lake is sacred.”
The captain hesitated. “You speak of it as if it breathes.”
“It does,” she said. “It remembers.”
Her courage unsettled him. He ordered his men to stand down and approached the swan. But as he did, the creature’s light dimmed, and the lake began to churn. The king himself had come, cloaked in black and hungry for power. He raised his staff and shouted, “The crown shall be mine!”
The waters split, revealing a glowing diadem resting upon a stone pedestal. The king reached for it, but the swan cried out, “If he takes it, the heavens will fall.” Elara rushed forward, seizing the crown before the king could touch it. The light blazed, blinding all. When it faded, she stood at the center of the lake, the crown upon her brow.
The king screamed as shadows swallowed him. The soldiers fled. Only the captain remained, staring at her in awe. “What have you done?” he whispered.
“I have bound myself to the lake,” she said softly. “The world will be safe, but I can never return.”
He stepped into the water, heedless of its chill. “Then I will stay with you.”
She shook her head. “Your place is in the living world. Remember me when you see the dawn. I will be there, watching.”
The light rose once more, and she was gone. The lake turned calm, its surface reflecting the stars above. The captain knelt in silence, holding a single white feather that drifted to his hands.
Years passed. The kingdom fell into peace. Each spring, the lake shimmered with soft light, and travelers spoke of a swan crowned with stars that glided across its surface. The captain, now an old man, returned to the water’s edge one final time. He lit a lantern and whispered, “Elara, my heart still remembers.”
The wind stirred. The reflection of the stars bent and shimmered, forming the faint outline of a woman smiling beneath a crown of light. The old man closed his eyes as a feather brushed his cheek. When morning came, two lanterns floated upon the lake, their flames burning side by side.
And on nights when the sky is clear, those who look into the waters of Avalen can see them still, the swan and the guardian of starlight, watching over the world that love once saved.
The End