“None whatsoever.”
She grinned and held out her arm.
“Then let’s go find a sea monster.”
Stefan tried not to glare at the King of Montaigne as they walked to the harbor. He couldn’t help it though. Stefan usually liked people, but everything about King Gustave annoyed him.
The way he smiled at Carina with those perfect teeth. The way he held her hand to help her down the stairs. The way his fingers weren’t webbed, so he actually could hold Carina’s hand.
Jealous.
The word popped into Stefan’s head and wouldn’t leave. He gulped.
Was he jealous? What was there to be jealous about? King Gustave’s life wasn’t that great. He was responsible for ruling an entire kingdom. His parents were dead, and that pushy marquis was trying to force him to propose to a girl he didn’t love.
And he was probably hiding a weird chin under that beard.
Gustave tripped on a rock in the path. Carina laughed and caught his arm to keep him from falling. Stefan clung to her neck so the sudden motion wouldn’t throw him off.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
Stefan opened his mouth to answer, but Carina wasn’t talking to him. She smiled at King Gustave. Her bright, blue eyes sparkled.
Blast it all. He was jealous.
What did Carina like about the king? His title? His willingness to help her? His blasted beard?
Stefan had volunteered to help her first. And he had a royal title if she cared about that. He could probably grow a beard if it mattered that much to her.
If only Carina could see him as human.
He glowered at King Gustave the rest of the walk. Carina tried to draw Stefan into the conversation, but he merely croaked at her.
She sighed.
“I know you’re worried about your friend, but we’ll find him. We’ll make sure they’ve sent a search party.”
Stefan croaked again. He felt petty for worrying about his relationship with Carina when Heinrich’s life was in danger. Of course, his friend should take priority.
He stared at the water as they walked. The sea glittered, beautiful but empty. If Heinrich and the Seawolfe were still above the waves, they were well beyond the horizon.
They reached the harbor, and sailors stared as they walked along the dock. Stefan supposed they were worth looking at. Carina still wore her pink, frilly gown. King Gustave wore a crown.
They weren’t exactly blending in.
King Gustave turned to face Carina, but his eyes darted down to Stefan.
“Could you investigate the water while we speak to the harbor master? See if the monster left any proof behind?”
“Like what? A giant suction cup?”
King Gustave shrugged.
“Maybe.”
Stefan started to refuse, but Carina’s gaze stopped him. She looked hopeful at the mention of proof. That was their only chance to convince her father.
And Stefan was the only one who could look underwater.
He swallowed and reminded himself not to be petty. There was no reason to worry about Carina and Gustave spending time alone. He should help however he could.
And since he was a frog, that meant swimming.
“Fine,” he said. “Meet me at the inn at the end of the wharf when you’re done. You know the one?”
Carina nodded. Stefan hopped off her shoulder, slid down her skirt, and dove off the dock.
The bright day darkened as he plunged into the water.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
Stefan tried to stop, but the momentum from the dive carried him straight into Kathelin’s arms.
The mermaid grabbed him with both hands and dragged him deeper. He wriggled and kicked, but it did no good. Kathelin swam down until the light faded. Her skin glowed slightly. Just enough for Stefan to see her not-quite-human face.
“Where’s Heinrich?” he said.
Kathelin shook her head.
“I am sorry about that. He is alive as far as I know.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“Prince Stefan, I’m sorry about your friend. The kraken are getting harder to control. I’ve done my best, but I can’t guarantee his safety for long.”
Stefan stopped squirming.
“The kraken?”
“The sea monsters. They’re kraken. Haven’t you heard of them before?”
He shook his head. It was hard to make the motion with Kathelin’s hands around him, but she seemed to understand.
“You have your dark creatures on land. Goblins and such. We have ours.”
“What do you want?”
She glanced over her shoulder. As if she was afraid someone was watching.
“I want your help.”
Stefan tried to laugh. It came out as a croak.
“Why would I help you after everything you’ve done?”
“And what have I done, exactly? Saved your life? Held the kraken back as much as possible? Done my best to ensure Heinrich’s safety?”
“You cursed me.”
“I saved you. In case you don’t remember, Althea wanted to drown you. Now listen carefully. They would strangle me if they knew I was turning to humans for help.”
In spite of himself, Stefan listened.
“Something has changed,” Kathelin said. “Our enchantments are usually enough to keep the kraken asleep, but they’re waking up. They’ve started taking ships. Destroying mermaid villages. Our magic isn’t enough to stop them. We need help.”
He did manage a laugh this time.
“Good luck with that. Most humans don’t believe in magic or mermaids. They certainly don’t know how to subdue a sea monster.”
“They don’t need to. We don’t need your help to stop the kraken, just some magic from land. Althea and Leander want to take what we need by force, but I think we could compromise. Work together.”
Stefan blinked at her.
“Cursing and kidnapping is your idea of teamwork?”
A faint roar echoed through the water and rattled in Stefan’s bones. Kathelin frowned.
“I have to get back to the others. Have your lady meet me at the southern harbor this afternoon.”
“My lady?”
Kathelin winked at him, pushed him towards the surface, and disappeared into the ocean depths.
34
Carina watched the frog disappear beneath the waves.
“Will he be alright?” she asked Gustave. “What if the sea monster is still there?”
“He should be small enough to escape notice. Is that the harbor master’s cabin?”
He gestured across the dock, and Carina nodded. She knew the layout of this harbor better than most of the sailors.
“So,” she said as they walked. “You think the frog has been transformed?”
“Yes. I haven’t read of enchantments that give intelligence to animals, but there are several documented cases of humans transforming into animals.”
“So you think he’s human?”
“What did you think he was?”
What indeed? She should have thought harder about that particular piece of the puzzle. Carina fought back a blush. Whoever the frog was, he had slept in her bed and seen her undress. It was most improper.
No, she remembered. He had turned his back when she changed. And sneaked out of her room as soon as she fell asleep. A gentleman, then?
Or a spy?
She sighed.
“You think the curse prevents him from telling anything about himself? His true identity?”
Gustave nodded.
“All curses can be broken, but discussing how to break them is often forbidden under the terms of the curse.”
Carina pursed her lips.
“That isn’t confusing at all. Blasted magic. How are curses typically broken?”
They had reached the harbor master’s quarters, but Carina didn’t go in. She turned to Gustave, willing him to have the answers.
He shrugged.
; “There are as many ways to break curses are there are curses themselves.”
“Are you being vague on purpose? What’s the most common way?”
“Princess, I wish I had the answers. I only know what I’ve read in a few books.”
He walked past her and opened the door. The harbor master stared at them as they entered.
“Um, can I help Your Highnesses?”
Carina shook away thoughts of curses and smiled at him.
“We heard a ship went missing last night, and we wanted to see if it has been found.”
The man blinked at her.
“I’ve had no reports of a missing ship.”
“The Seawolfe was pulled to sea by a monster last night,” Gustave said. “The captain’s name is Gruff.”
The harbor master studied them for a moment. Then he laughed.
“Some sailor has been feeding Your Highnesses a tall tale. Yes, Gruff left port before he was scheduled to do so. He’ll owe a fine for that next time he docks here, but I doubt a sea monster was the cause.”
Carina and Gustave shared a look.
“So you haven’t sent anyone to rescue him?” she asked.
“Why would we? He’s an independent merchant, not a navy ship. And there’s no evidence of foul play. Just a few drunken sailors telling tall tales from a night on the town.”
Carina took a deep breath. Trying to stay calm. Trying to-
Gustave took her arm, and she realized she was clenching her fists.
“Let’s go,” he whispered.
“But they-”
“Have work to do.”
He pulled Carina from the cabin and down the dock.
“We can’t just leave,” she protested. “What about the Seawolfe? The crew?”
“The harbor master is taking orders from the castle. It isn’t his fault.”
“We can’t leave them out there.”
If they were still alive. Carina winced at the thought.
“We won’t. Come with me.”
Gustave led her to a sleek ship flying Montaigne’s flag. Silver letters on the side read Delphinette. She followed him up the gangplank.
“Captain, are you here?” Gustave called.
A man wearing a large hat with an enormous plume came out of the captain’s cabin and bowed. He smiled broadly at Carina.
“Your Majesty should have told me to expect company. I would have polished the deck myself to make sure it was fit for such a lovely lady to walk on.”
He took Carina’s hand and kissed it. She giggled in spite of herself. The oversized hat made him look like some kind of mushroom. Gustave rolled his eyes.
“Princess Carina, meet Captain Whist.”
Carina retrieved her hand and curtsied.
“A pleasure to meet you, Captain.”
He bowed again.
“The pleasure is mine. What can I do for you, my lady?”
Carina looked to Gustave. He cleared his throat.
“I have a mission for you, Captain. But it will be dangerous. I want this to be a volunteer mission only.”
The captain’s dark eyes sparkled.
“Danger? Excellent. There’s no better way to prove yourself to a lady than risking danger.”
He winked at Carina. She raised an eyebrow, and Gustave sighed.
“Ignore him,” he said. “He’s clearly spent too much time at sea. Captain, a ship disappeared from the harbor last night. The same circumstances as the Royal Blaze in Montaigne.”
Captain Whist’s smile faltered.
“So the monster has moved?”
“Or there may be more than one. I saw it, Captain. I saw it take the ship.”
“We saw giant tentacles,” Carina said. “They wrapped around the Seawolfe and pulled it away.”
“Kraken,” Captain Whist muttered.
“What?” Carina said.
“Sounds like a kraken. You want me to search for the missing ship? Is that it?”
Gustave nodded.
“I sailed here with the Seawolfe, and a friend of ours was on board when it was taken. Beyond that, we are working together to solve the mystery of the disappearing ships, and it would be helpful to know where the ships go when they vanish. You can watch for the Royal Blaze and any other ships in distress while you’re out there. This can’t be allowed to continue.”
“Indeed, it cannot. Give me an hour to prepare and ask for volunteers. I know most of the crew will want to come. If there’s a ship in distress out there, we’ll find it.”
Carina smiled at him. A genuine smile this time.
“Thank you,” she said. “That’s very brave.”
Captain Whist shook his head. His giant hat swished back and forth.
“It is what is right, Princess. And a sailor of Montaigne never backs away from an adventure. Those from Santelle aren’t the only brave souls on the ocean. Please excuse me. I have preparations to make.”
He bowed and hurried to his cabin. Gustave offered his arm to Carina, and they walked back to the dock.
“I hope you don’t mind having me as a guest for a few more days. I’ve just sent away my ride home.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. My parents might faint from the excitement of an extended visit.”
Gustave frowned.
“Yes, that. They are determined. Do you have a plan for avoiding our engagement?”
“I could punch you in the nose.”
“What?”
He pulled away, and she winked at him.
“The princesses of Santelle are known for their tempers. I’m sure if you said something insulting enough, I could get angry and punch you.”
Gustave rubbed his nose.
“Wouldn’t that be bad for international relations?”
“Only if you take offense.”
35
Stefan waited for a moment to make sure Kathelin was gone, then he did a quick sweep of the harbor. As he expected, the kraken had not left any evidence. He swam between ships, dodging ropes and anchors.
The harbor was a completely different world beneath the surface. Ships cast long shadows while sunbeams danced between them. The water dulled noise and blurred motion, making it seem that time had slowed.
It was beautiful in a strange way. Stefan gave up looking for clues and swam beside the dock. He climbed a rope dangling in the water and made his way to the inn.
He halfway expected to find Heinrich in his room. He could picture it. The tailor would pull him in from the window and scream “Your Highness!” so loudly that everyone in Santelle would know his secret.
And Stefan would shush him. Remind him that Heinrich’s life was at stake.
Stefan wasn’t sure frogs could cry, but he blinked back something that felt an awful lot like tears. Heinrich had been ready to give his life to break Stefan’s curse. He would have done it without a second thought.
The frog prince pressed his mouth together, wishing he had teeth to grind. He would rescue Heinrich. He had to! He just needed-
Needed what, exactly?
Stefan took a deep breath and hopped onto the window sill. The room was dark. The covers on the bed were smooth, and everything was in its place. No one flung open the shutters. No one called out to him.
Because Heinrich was gone. Kidnapped by a monster.
“Was there a reason you wanted to meet here?” Carina said.
Stefan jumped. He hadn’t heard her approach.
“A rescue ship is on its way,” King Gustave said. “I’ve got my best men searching for your friend.”
“This was his room.”
Stefan gestured to the dark window. Carina pulled it open. Before he could protest, she picked him up and climbed inside. Her frilly dress barely fit through the opening.
He jumped onto the bed and searched for anything that might be helpful. The trunk was gone. Heinrich must have brought his supplies to the ship to work on Gruff’s jacket. The only sign someone had been here was a piece of folded blue fa
bric on a table.
Gustave climbed through the window and picked up the fabric. He held it towards Stefan.
“What’s this?”
“Fabric. My friend is a tailor.”
Carina raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you know a tailor?”
“I ordered a suit from him.”
Carina took the blue fabric from Gustave and unfolded it. She held the tiny jacket and trousers up for everyone to see.
“How charming,” she said. “He was making doll clothes.”
Stefan cleared his throat.
“I believe that is for me.”
Carina turned from the cloth to Stefan. She smirked.
“You really did order a suit.”
“No need to look surprised. I’m a very sophisticated frog.”
Gustave took the fabric from Carina and slipped it into his pocket.
“That’s mine!” Stefan said.
“Would you like to carry it back to the castle?”
Stefan glared at him. Stupid king with his stupid pockets.
“We should go,” Carina said. “It won’t do our cause any good if we’re discovered alone in a bedroom. Besides, it will be time for lunch soon.”
King Gustave paled at the realization that he was in a bedroom with the woman he was supposed to be proposing to. Stefan smirked. Served him right.
But they really should leave.
Stefan jumped out the window and waited while Gustave and Carina climbed out. Carina took a moment to smooth her gown. Stefan hopped onto her shoulder, and they walked back to the castle.
Franco stood at the gate. He held a large basket. Carina nodded at him and tried to walk past, but guards blocked her way.
“What is the meaning of this, Franco?” she demanded.
He held the basket towards her.
“Princess Carina, given what happened at breakfast, your father thought it would be best for you and King Gustave to take your meal away from the family.”
He glared at Stefan. The prince stuck his tongue out at the steward.
“Away from the family?” Carina said.
“King Giuseppe is taking lunch with the council. They had more business to discuss than originally planned. He sends his apologies to King Gustave, but he will not be able to meet with him after lunch. The marquis said King Gustave would understand.”
The Frog Prince (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 2) Page 17
