Frogs and Princes

by Holly Hook

  The sun got brighter and Shorty and I stepped out of the forest.

  We stood in a vast, vast field filled with yellow dandelions. It sloped uphill and turned into a huge village—no, town—farther up. The houses here were brick and wood and reminded me of some old European town. Food smells wafted down on the breeze. People walked around tents in an open square, dressed in every color I could imagine. Canopies in green and yellow and blue and white gathered together. A market. My stomach rumbled. It had been hours since we'd eaten breakfast.

  "I had no idea this was here," I said.

  "Neither did I," Shorty said. "I never got out much. And when I did, it was with my grandmother. Trust me, that wasn't something I enjoyed."

  "We shouldn't linger here long," I said. This seemed to be a town of hundreds. The buildings and homes spread out over rolling hills. I caught glimpses of horses. Carts. Even carriages meant for the upper classes.

  Alric was way too close to these people. To this town. It was the first thought hit me. This place was a busy economic hub in Fable. It wasn't all quaint villages after all in this world. Fable was just as varied as the other world.

  And beyond the town, right on the crest of the tallest hill, was a castle.

  It was even larger than the abandoned one we'd come through the portal next to. This castle was all towers and blue and white and beautiful.

  Home, Lawrence thought.

  It was all so awesome looking I forgot what all of this could mean for me for a second. But then it all came crashing back. Lawrence had me where he wanted me. This was where he wanted to have his curse removed. Then I'd already be here. There were knights around his castle. I knew what he was trying to tell me: that I had better not try to escape this place once I was inside.

  Franco could stay lost forever.

  Shorty stood there for a long time, taking it all in. Then he checked the forest behind us. "Come on," he said. "Alric could come this way. He'd love to get a hold of Mary. He's been talking about it for years. We'd better find her, figure out a loophole in this story, and get right back out of here. We don't want to lead him to her."

  "Right," I said about as loud as I could. "We find her and get out of here."

  I waited for Lawrence's reaction, but it never came. He remained still on Shorty's shoulder and watched the distant people.

  We walked uphill, and I got tired and out of breath doing so. I kicked at dandelions and the air filled with their smell. The sun grew hot, and we went over a wooden bridge that arched over a creek. I watched the water below for any sign of the nix, but she wasn't here. Neither was Alric's reflection. He wasn't at his magic mirror. There was no need to fear the water right now.

  And he wouldn't show us a secret way into the castle or anything.

  We reached the border of town and weaved through several sheep that were grazing in the field. The grass was much shorter here, and we weren't far from the market. Already some children had stopped to stare at us. I waved.

  A little girl in a green dress waved back, then ran back into the throng of the market.

  I glanced down at my jeans. I wanted to ask Shorty to change them to something else, but he was uncomfortable enough. Doing magic in front of people might be a bad idea. He was a guy with a frog on one shoulder and a magic wand stuffed into one pocket. Already one of the little boys was backing away from him.

  "We had better not linger here," Shorty said. "I don't think these people like magic users." He moved his shirt over the magic wand, hiding it. But it still wouldn't hide Lawrence. "You," he said. "Get back under the shoulder of my shirt."

  No, Lawrence said. You will not tell me what to do, you commoner.

  "Then I'll tell you," I said. "Hide. We don't need people staring at us and stopping us."

  At last, Lawrence crawled under Shorty's shirt again. Shorty grimaced, but didn't complain. It was better than drawing more stares than we had to.

  The ground was made of brick inside the market. This was a wealthier part of Fable and was no doubt more wealthy than the kingdom my father had left behind.

  I could see why Lawrence had his entitled attitude.

  We walked through the market. The people here walked around and chattered and most of the adults gave us stares. The woman stared with disapproval at my torn jeans. One older lady in a blue dress and bonnet shook her head and turned away. Younger women walked past like we carried some kind of disease. They held their baskets close and then giggled once we'd left them behind. We were the weirdos here. These people might have even seen travelers from the other world and the old guy back at the village could be right we always brought trouble. A good part of the forest back there was burned because of me. If anyone else was there at the time—

  I didn't want to think about it.

  We passed a tent where a man was cooking slabs of meat and I walked past, stomach rumbling. The castle drew closer, and it appeared taller than ever. The crowd got thicker. These people parted for us. Mothers pulled their children close to them. Men ushered their wives out of the way. Yes. We meant trouble.

  "What are they doing here?"

  "Refugees."

  "Alric might follow. We must return home."

  I picked up my pace, pretending I couldn't hear them. At last we broke from the crowd and the brick road headed upwards. I could breathe again. We weren't wanted here. It only made me want to get out of here ever faster.

  The castle drew closer and Lawrence remained quiet. "That was fun," Shorty said. He even flashed his big annoying grin. "Just kidding."

  "I know," I said. But I was glad to see it. It reminded me of home. Of normal things even if Shorty was far from normal.

  We huffed and puffed up the hill and past houses with thick wooden trim and lanterns hanging over their doors. An old woman stared down at us from a balcony. This reminded me of the town where Cinderella took place. It could be the same one and Cinderella ran away because Lawrence was a jerk. It could be why he was bitter.

  No. It couldn't be. That story would have fallen and this area would have turned dark.

  The castle was much bigger than the other one we'd explored. Its towers reached for the sky. "Kind of reminds you of that one in Shrek," I told Shorty.

  "Which is?" he asked.

  "A movie. We'll watch it if we get back to the regular world. There's a character a lot like Lawrence in it."

  "Sounds good," Shorty said. He stared at me as if I'd said we should try flapping our arms and going to the moon.

  Then I realized.

  I was asking Shorty to spend time with me once we were out of here.

  And I wanted that.

  He perked up more and walked faster. "We free Franco before we can even think of movies," he said. "Haven't gotten to watch any yet but they look interesting."

  "Where did you stay all day when you weren't in school?" I asked him.

  "Just...around."

  "You mean you were homeless?" Alric had left Shorty without a place to sleep after sending him on his mission.

  "I suppose so. At least the school had a shower I could use, so I never stunk. I hung out in the park a lot, waiting for Lawrence to show up. I had to steal clothes from a few stores. It was a skill I learned from my grandmother. And no, I didn't use magic."

  "Alric wouldn't even send you clean clothes?"

  "Nope." His good mood was fading. "It doesn't matter now. I hope I never see him again unless it's to kill him and get my mother out of that box. Wherever that is. He doesn't have her in the castle. I've checked everywhere."

  The hill leveled out and we could walk without dying now. We were on the main street of this town and the road widened ahead. Merchants pushed carts of fresh produce up and down. I could see the entrance of Lawrence's castle. Trees trimmed in the shape of foxes lined the path to it, which split to go around a bubbling fountain with a fox statue in the middle. I spotted a pair of knights standing guard by the giant doors.

  Lawrence crawled out again. His eyes lit at th
e sight of the castle. I haven't seen this in years.

  I wondered if we could dump him here after we spoke to Mary, but I wouldn't say that out loud. He'd come up with some way to make us keep him. And we still needed to get Franco out. If we could do that without Lawrence, all the better.

  I couldn't agree to his terms. This wasn't the place for me. I belonged back in the other world.

  Shorty took the wand out of his pocket and then put it back again. He frowned. "I don't want to do this." The knights stood by the door, oblivious with their visors down.

  It is not a good idea, Lawrence said. My mother is not keen on magic. If she finds out, she may have you hanged.

  "Shorty, there might be another way around," I said.

  He nodded and pocketed the wand again. "We can't risk the gallows. Fable might look pretty, but even in the lighter parts the death penalty exists. People get hanged for stealing sometimes."

  Lawrence shifted. Satisfaction filled his eyes. Shorty noticed.

  "That's harsh," I said. Dread gathered in the pit of my stomach. I knew what Lawrence was thinking. As soon as he got his curse removed, he would tell everyone that Shorty could use magic—and worse. If people knew who his father was, he'd be meeting the noose for sure.

  I eyed the castle. There was no way to go around without the knights noticing. "Is there such a thing as a spell that can make people forget what they've seen?" I hated that I had to ask, but two kingdoms hinged on this.

  Shorty scratched his head. "There is. I saw my grandmother make a farmer forget that she turned one of his sheep into a wolf. I might do it. It'll be safer than making the knights fall asleep."

  "Might?" I asked.

  The gallows, Lawrence thought.

  "Shut up," I said. I wanted to defend Shorty. I stormed towards his shoulder and picked Lawrence up. His body was as slimy as his personality. "I'll carry you. And you will not breathe a word about Shorty or I'll make sure you never get out of that skin. I'll break that wand if I have to."

  Lawrence struggled in my grip. Shorty's shoulder sagged with relief. I nodded to him as I put Lawrence on my shoulder. I hated the feel of him there. It was like having a demon next to my ear. "We'll figure out another way to get past those knights. If we can. Don't put yourself in danger." I checked to make sure no one else was on the street near us. A man swept the space in front of a bakery, but no one else was out. "We can find a way around the castle grounds. I'm sure there's one." I searched.

  For the first time, I noticed the Fox Castle had a huge stone wall around it. The only way into the grounds seemed to be forward. Huge gardens full of flowers and apple trees took up the spaces between the giant castle and the walls. A river even ran through a garden and flowed downhill to drain out of a tiny grate. There was no getting in there.

  The only way is forward, Lawrence said. The only safe way is to change me back and have me speak with the knights. Anything else will land you in the dungeon.

  Sweat broke out on Shorty's forehead. He was nervous. No. Terrified.

  "Shorty, don't think about it," I said.

  But Shorty fished for the wand again and grimaced. "I hate the way this feels," he said, and pointed the wand at the knights.

  "No," I said, reaching for him. But Shorty stepped out of my way and kept the wand pointed.

  The knights noticed nothing at first. But then the knight on the left gestured to the one on the right and pointed at us. We were the object of discussion. Shorty stood there, pointing the wand. "I feel like an idiot," he said. "Um, what was that word? Schlafen!"

  The sensation of cold magic exploded around us for a second and then the knights faced each other and slumped against the castle. It was working.

  "Sleep?" I asked. "Was that some magic word for sleep? I hope so."

  "Sleep," Shorty said. "I forgot the one that wipes memories. We'd better get through and get out before they wake up. It depends on the person how long they stay out, and knights won't be in dreamland for long. They're too fit."

  You will die, Lawrence thought.

  We broke into a run, bolting up the path and past the fox trees. The water gurgled in the fountain as if urging us to hurry. "I don't think we should do the front door," I said.

  "We won't," Shorty said. "Around the castle. There must be another way inside. It would be stupid to have a castle with only one exit."

  We veered away from the front entrance and the knights remained still. The sun shined off their armor. The grass here seemed almost trimmed. Neat. The castle towered overhead, and the windows were high and made of blue and white stained glass. The whole thing was imposing. There had to be another door. An entrance for servants or people bringing in supplies. I searched around, but found only a cellar door in the ground ahead.

  Shorty spotted it at the same time. "There," he breathed.

  We slowed, and he pulled at it, but it refused to budge.

  This is a bad idea, Lawrence thought. You should go through the front door.

  "And into a trap?" Shorty asked.

  "Must have some expensive wine in there," I said. "They want no one stealing it. I'm sure they have another knight in there, guarding it."

  Shorty pulled out the wand again and thought for a minute. I searched the grounds to make sure no one was coming. I spotted no one in the garden except for a woman with a basket of apples very far away and she had her back turned. Lawrence shifted on my shoulder. He felt gross.

  The front door, he thought. You must go through the front.

  "You want us to go that way so we get caught," I said. I lifted my foot and kicked at the cellar door.

  It rattled, making a loud noise.

  "No," Shorty said. "Not that way. They'll hear."

  Then he raised the wand and uttered another word, one I couldn't make out, under his breath. The lock clicked, and the doors opened by themselves, moving outward as if some breeze from below had opened them. I backed up. The sight was strange.

  "Wow," I said. "I'm glad we stole this wand."

  If Shorty was ashamed, he didn't show it. "In," he said.

  We stood before a passage leading into the ground, a slope going into darkness. Shorty took the first step in and I followed, closing the cellar doors behind us. A lock hung broken from a chain and it about hit me in the face. I dodged it and hoped it would hit Lawrence instead, but no such luck.

  We can't go this way, he thought.

  "Since when are we supposed to believe you?" I asked.

  I am telling the truth. This way leads to the knights' dining hall.

  "Bull," Shorty said. "He's trying to lead us into a trap."

  We reached the end of the dark passage. A single lantern hung from the ceiling and cast a yellow glow on rows and rows of wine bottles. There wasn't even a cobweb down here. The Queen must have servants come down here and dust every day. Clean hay stacked around the shelves and the whole place smelled of grapes. This was a treasure trove down here even though I'd never had wine.

  "Nice," Shorty said. He grinned and pretended to reach for a random bottle, then let his hand flop to his side. "I've only had wine a few times."

  "You've had wine?" I asked.

  "In Fable, there's no age limit. It's just a part of meals here."

  You are not listening. I can't believe your feeble minds.

  "Shut up," I told him. "Just...shut up."

  Shorty turned away. "This leads back up," he said.

  He was right. A second lantern hung by another passage that went uphill. We followed it and the air grew less musty. The scent of straw and grapes vanished, and I kept my hand on the gray brick wall, pulling myself up. The light grew stronger, and we approached an archway where sun shone through.

  Stop now, Lawrence thought.

  Shorty and I burst through the archway.

  And stopped.

  Before us, a huge space spread out, lined with wooden tables. Light streamed in through tall windows, some of it colored blue from the stained glass. Silverware clanked. Quiet
talk turned to silence as we stood there.

  The room was packed with knights.

  Not just a dozen, but almost a hundred of them. Helmets off and hair flattened to their heads, men ranging from late teens to late middle age all stopped their meals and turned their gazes on us.

  Lawrence went to crawl under my shirt, but I held it down and stopped him.

  I told you, he said.

  And in his thoughts was an air of satisfaction.

  Chapter Eleven

  "You told us to go through the front door because you knew we wouldn't listen to you," I said to Lawrence.

  Lawrence hopped down off my shoulder, onto my lap, and then down onto the floor of the dungeon. I didn't get why. Moss coated it and it was almost as damp as the swamp Shorty and I had fled. And it stunk like mildew and moisture. All we had was a little window near the ceiling. This was even worse than the witch's prison cell. All I had was the straw to sit on.

  Maybe he jumped off to escape my anger. I'd go with that.

  Shorty stood up against the wall which wasn't much better. The knights had escorted us to the lowest level of the castle, held open a huge wooden door for us, and shut us in here. At least they had been professional about it.

  But none of them answered our questions or let us go to see Mary. Shorty and I even asked and mentioned that Alric was in the area, but all we'd done is make them more suspicious. Lawrence had said nothing to the knights. I knew where this was going, too.

  Kill me, and you will both die. I will tell everyone who you are.

  He sounded so sinister that I couldn't help but balk. Lawrence was evil, plain and simple.

  Shorty peeled himself from the wall. "What demand do you have now? Turn you back so you can tell the knights to let us out of here?"

  Precisely.

  My stomach tied into a knot and I searched around the dungeon for a way out, any way. "Shorty," I said. "You can open the door with the wand. We can still escape from here." Why hadn't he thought of that by now?

  Shorty shook his head and turned out his pockets. "They took the wand. It's gone."

  "What?" I exploded.