By: Emily Ao

Once upon a time, in A Land Far, Far Away, there lived a king. The elderly king was very kind and caring, and he led the kingdom justly. He made sure not one of his people was starving and that every family had enough clothes and shelter to support themselves. Flowers were present, no matter the season. The queen had died a long time ago, so long ago that the mere memory of her had faded from most of the people’s minds. The only shred of her left behind was her son. Just like his mother, he had dark brown hair and eyes that gleamed in the sun. The young prince was known for doing generous deeds, as he only spoke of those things. However, no one knew of the cruel, devious crimes he committed behind everyone’s backs. However, the young prince desired more than just fame; he also wanted the throne. Although the king was old, he was in perfect condition. The king did not look like he would pass any time soon, and after a while, the prince had enough of waiting for his father’s death. Taking matters into his own hands, he poisoned his father and claimed the throne as his own.

Years passed, and the prince, now the king, did not think much of his past. The king was soon introduced to a beautiful maiden from Another Land Far, Far Away. People from all over the lands spoke of her, and she was said to be the most beautiful woman on Earth, blessed by the gods themselves. The stars and the moon beamed in her eyes whenever she smiled, and her hair was as black as a raven’s wing. Such an ethereal maiden charmed the king greatly; too soon, they fell in love and got married. The queen shortly became impregnated. Unfortunately, this also brought a disease upon her, and she fell very ill. The king desperately remembered a substance called the Elixir of Life that not only healed the sickest of the sick but also granted eternal youth to the drinker. Years back, before he stabbed an old hag on the street, she had spoken of the elixir. She told him that it lay deep within a dark lake in the woods before she died a gruesome death. At that moment, the then-prince had not given it a second thought, but now he sought it desperately for his family. The king gravely sent out many henchmen to look for this elixir, but none ever returned to the castle. As his wife neared the edge of eternal sleep, he decided to venture for it on his own.

Not long into his journey, the king stumbled upon the dark lake the hag had spoken of. Dark, droopy willows bordered it, and the water was as dark as the night. Floating patches of seagrass covered its surface. He glanced around and noticed stepping stones leading into the dark abyss of water. This should be easy, he thought hastily. But the moment the king set foot on the first stepping stone, the second disappeared, along with those after it. The king stood in dismay as a swan appeared in front of him where the stone should have been.

“What brings you here, young soul?” The swan sang aloud.

“My wife, the queen, is very ill with a child. I seek the Elixir of Life for my family,” the king said.

“Oh! Young master, we have heard so much about you! The people always speak of your kindness. Such a caring soul deserves a lot. Let me reward you with this.” The swan ruffled its feathers and handed a single torn toddler’s shoe to the king. It looked oddly familiar.

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The swan disappeared, and the stepping stone from before reappeared. The king hesitantly stepped ahead, stuffing the useless shoe into his robes.

“Ahoy, young lad! I have heard so much about you! The one generous one everyone speaks of,” a second swan crooned and swooped down from above. The king steps back, startled. This swan, too, ruffles its feathers and leaves a gift. This time, it is a sapphire brooch lined with gold trim. Its edges were slightly chipped, but the original sheen was still present in the heart of the stone. It, too, looked strangely familiar.

This went on for a while. By the time the king passed the sixth swan, he had received a rusting lady’s hairpin, a young child’s sock, a gold band, and an infant’s pacifier, along with the torn shoe and brooch he had received at the beginning. All the items seemed to be attached to memories in the king’s mind, but he could not quite grasp the idea. On second thought, the gold band looked like something his father used to wear.

The king stepped forward onto the last stone. A seventh and final swan sitting on a stone slab appeared before him. A small vial of crystal-like liquid was behind it. Even in the darkness, its radiance could be felt through the waves.

“Good day! What brings you here?” The last swan questioned curiously. The king sighed in annoyance, patience running thin.

“My family needs the Elixir of Life,” he said.

“Do you think you deserve this elixir? Many have come to seek it and failed. What makes you any different?”

“I am the king of this kingdom. I make sure my people are living in happiness; hunger and shelter are things that shall never cross their minds,” the king declared proudly. The swan was taken aback.

“Oh! Is that so? You are truly different.” The king beamed. “You must have faltered at least once! I have never seen such a pure soul,” the swan added.

“No, not once have I done such a thing,” the king says.

“Very well.” The swan ruffled its feathers and the gold band fell out of the king’s robes.

“Oh! My favorite gold band. I was wondering where it went!” The swan exclaimed.

The king, confused, looked wonderingly at the creature, which was now fumbling forward to retrieve the fallen band. It slipped it onto one of its feathers and diverted its attention back to the king.

“Young sir, you must not be speaking the truth,” the swan proclaimed. The king, enraged and losing patience, snarled.

“Give me the elixir! Who are you to tell the king himself that he is lying?”

The swan stared dumbfoundedly at the king and bowed its head.

“You are not a truthful soul. They speak of your marvelous doings but they do not know what is behind the mask. You are nothing but a fraud,” the swan said sadly.

With another ruffle of its feathers, it let out a cry so loud that it was audible overseas. The six other swans appeared next to it. With one last ruffle, the swans took their true form. The king stared at the seven figures that hovered in front of him. Never again had he thought he would see these people. The torn shoe, the rusting hairpin. The toddler he had snatched from a young woman and thrown into the river, the young maiden he had tortured mercilessly.

“Father, please,” he begged regretfully.

“Son, your soul is as black as coal. You seek the Elixir of Life. Eternal life, you say?”

With that, a wave engulfed the king. Another patch of seagrass floated to the surface.