Stefan listened, but he heard nothing. No screams. No cracking wood. Carina sighed.
“I hope that worked.”
Stefan flinched as something appeared in the mist, but it was just the rowboat drifting towards them.
“Come on,” he said. “You need to get out of the water.”
Carina eyed the boat.
“I’m not sure I can.”
“I’ll help you.”
She stared at him, a hint of a twinkle in her tired eyes.
“How exactly do you plan to do that?”
Stefan sat up straighter and puffed out his chest. Heinrich’s suit stretched with him, emphasizing the gesture.
“If I can save you from a merman, my lady, I can get you into a boat.”
Carina chuckled.
“You were a marvelous bodyguard. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
She sounded half asleep. Stefan crawled across the oar and tapped her face.
“Stay with me, Carina. Just reach your hand up and pull yourself in.”
Carina glared at him.
“Is that all? Well, isn’t that easy?”
But she did as he asked. She grabbed the edge and pulled. The boat tipped towards her. Stefan climbed to the other side, trying to counterbalance.
Carina grunted and kicked her legs. She flopped over the side and collapsed into the boat. Stefan smiled down at her.
“Well done, my lady.”
She grinned back.
“The same to you, Sir Frog. The same to you.”
Stefan kept watch as she drifted off to sleep. The ocean rocked them gently, and the night was silent. The mist cleared, revealing a sky full of stars and an endless dark sea. After a few hours, Stefan hopped to the bottom of the boat and fell asleep by Carina’s side.
57
Carina awoke to the sun in her face and the boat gently rocking.
“Ugh.”
She pushed herself upright. The frog hopped onto her lap.
“Good morning.”
“It’s not that great. Where are we?”
The frog cleared his throat.
“Yes, about that. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
Carina glared at him and pulled herself onto the seat. The ocean stretched as far as she could see in all directions.
“Oh.”
The frog hopped beside her.
“I’ve been watching for ships. There aren’t any.”
Carina ran her fingers through her hair. At least, she tried. Last night’s adventures had tangled her curls.
The frog smirked.
“What?”
“You look nice.”
Carina narrowed her eyes at him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I like your new style.”
Carina leaned over the boat’s edge and looked at her reflection. She snickered. Her curls had abandoned the formal hairstyle and stuck out in every way imaginable. She smiled at the frog and patted her head
“This is the latest fashion in Montaigne. It took hours.”
“I’ve always liked hair with a mind of its own.”
Carina’s laugh turned into a cough. She looked at bottom of the boat with a grim expression.
“I don’t suppose there’s any water to drink?”
The frog shook his head.
“No food either. Or shelter. Or oars. I’m sorry, Carina. We’re stranded.”
She tried to smile, but the expression wouldn’t quite come.
“Maybe Kathelin will come back. Or Gustave will use his ring to find us.”
“Maybe.”
The frog sounded as hopeful as she felt. Which was not very hopeful.
Carina tore a strip of fabric from her dress and tied her hair back with it. She sighed as she studied the ruins of her outfit.
“At least I didn’t take the time to embellish this one.”
“Why do you make your own clothes?”
“The tailors at the castle don’t appreciate my style. I have to finish the gowns myself to get the look right.”
He surveyed the ruined fabric.
“That is a shame. If we find Heinrich, I’m sure he’d be happy to make a new dress for you.”
Carina brightened a little.
“Do you think so? That sounds fun. He did a great job with your suit.”
The frog sighed and looked at the ocean. It was still empty.
“Maybe I can push the boat back to shore. Help me out of this suit. I swim better without it.”
Carina raised an eyebrow.
“You want me to undress you?”
He glared at her.
“I’m a frog. It doesn’t count.”
She shook her head.
“We can’t even see land. You might push us farther out to sea. It would be better to save your strength.”
“So we sit here and float?”
Carina crossed her arms.
“Of course not! We’re waiting for a rescue. Gustave will remember to use his magic ring eventually.”
“Great. Gustave to the rescue again.”
He slumped against the seat. Carina giggled.
“What?”
“You look funny when you pout.”
“I’m not pouting. I’m thinking.”
“Why don’t you like Gustave?”
He sighed.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Carina watched him. He looked dejected. Why was he so upset? They had saved the day. They had stopped the mermaids and kraken. What could still be wrong?
Other than being stranded in the middle of the ocean. And that he was still a frog.
She frowned. The frog had saved her, but she still hadn’t broken his curse.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“That I haven’t broken your curse yet. I want to, and I know you’ve been transformed. I just don’t know how to change you back. I should have bargained more with Kathelin when I gave her the gem.”
“We were busy at the time. I thought you were marvelous.”
She shook her head.
“I will find a way. I know you can’t tell me how, but I’ll figure it out.”
He stared at her, suddenly interested in the lower half of her face.
Carina rubbed her chin. Did she have something on her cheek? No, she didn’t think so.
The frog shrugged.
“I’m sure you will. And just so you know, you’ve been wonderful. I wouldn’t trade these days with you for anything.”
Carina smirked.
“Not hair? Or fingers? Or normal sized legs?”
“Don’t tempt me. But who needs legs when they can ride around on your shoulder?”
“You’re one of a kind.”
“Because of my radiant personality? Or because I’m a talking frog?”
“Well, it certainly isn’t because of your humility.”
He snorted.
“Who wants a humble talking frog? How boring would that be? I know I’m special. I’m not afraid to admit it.”
Carina giggled and lifted the frog onto her outstretched palm.
“Who indeed? Thank you for cheering me up. For everything.”
He stared at her with an intensity Carina didn’t understand. Did he want to kiss her? If he was a human, she would kiss him without hesitation.
But he was a frog.
A frog that had been human. And he would be human again if she had anything to say about it.
Was it weird to kiss him while he was a frog? The intensity in his stare said he didn’t mind.
Carina swallowed her hesitation. Yes, it was weird. But nothing about her relationship with this frog had been normal. Why would their first kiss be any different?
She balanced the frog in her hands and lowered her lips towards his.
58
Stefan’s heart beat faster. He tried to stay calm, but Carina’s mouth was inches from his face and getting closer. This was it.
She was going to kiss him. She was going to break the curse.
He tilted his chin up, ready to meet her lips with his own.
“Ahoy!” someone called.
Carina lifted her head when she heard the voice. Stefan croaked with disappointment.
“Is someone there?” she said.
“Behind you,” Stefan said.
He tried to sound excited about the ship on the horizon, but he couldn’t quite manage it. She had been so close!
Carina set Stefan on the bench and waved her arms.
“Over here! We’re here!”
The ship turned towards them. It sailed faster than Stefan thought should be possible. Was Kathelin controlling the currents again?
Why couldn’t she have waited a few more minutes?
“We’re saved,” Carina said.
Stefan gave her a halfhearted smile. Obviously, he wanted to be rescued, but couldn’t they break the curse first?
Carina narrowed her eyes.
“Is everything alright?”
“Great.”
Stefan watched as the ship grew larger. He hopped onto Carina’s shoulder as the letters on its side came into view.
“That’s the Seawolfe! Heinrich is on that ship!”
“Really?”
Stefan couldn’t help himself. He jumped out of the rowboat and pushed it towards the ship. Carina leaned over the edge and smiled at him.
“I told you we’d find him!”
“Indeed, you did, my lady.”
Stefan grew tired of swimming before they reached the Seawolfe. He jumped back into the boat and fidgeted on the seat. Carina grinned at his enthusiasm.
“Rowboat, ahoy!” someone screamed as the ship came alongside.
Stefan looked up and waved at Timon. The sailor stood next to Gruff and pointed to the boat.
“Well blow my barnacles,” Gruff said. “There really is a rowboat. Lower a rope for the lady!”
Crewmen ran for a rope while Gruff and Timon watched.
“Maybe now you’ll believe my reports,” Timon said. “I’m an excellent lookout.”
Gruff snorted.
“Not likely. You’re always seeing things. Mermaids. Sea monsters.”
“Don’t try to deny those exist! You saw them yourself. Everyone saw them!”
Someone threw a rope at the rowboat. Carina put Stefan on her shoulder and grabbed it.
“Ahoy!” she shouted. “Permission to come aboard?”
“Permission granted, miss. Hold tight, and my lads will pull you up.”
Carina smiled at Stefan as they edged up the side of the ship. He smiled back, but his heart wasn’t in it. She had been so close to kissing him. Who knew when such a moment would come again?
59
Carina kept her face to the wind as they sailed. She felt much better after drinking the water the sailors provided. She even managed to choke down a little hardtack.
It was disgusting. How did sailors eat it for months at sea? Maybe all she had missed in the navy was bad food.
She shook her head. Now was not the time to think about that. She leaned against the railing and studied the horizon. The ship was making good time. They would be in Santelle by midday. Carina could already see the harbor. Could see the damage the kraken had caused.
It would take time to rebuild. Another project for Duke Enrico to oversee.
If he had survived the attack in the treasury.
Streams of ships sailed towards the harbor. Some limped along, barely floating after their encounters with the kraken. Some, like the vessel she stood on now, sailed at full speed.
They drifted past the Royal Blaze. Carina waved at the crew, and they waved back. The woman and her little girl could welcome them home after all.
Carina turned to make a comment to the frog, but he wasn’t there. He had been with Heinrich, his tailor friend, since their rescue.
She sighed. He had pretended to be fine with her not breaking the curse, but was he secretly upset? Was he avoiding her?
She crossed the ship, ducking behind barrels to avoid sailors. She found the frog sitting on a table beside his friend.
Carina couldn’t pass up the opportunity. She crept behind the nearest barrel to eavesdrop on their conversation. Out of habit, she reached for her golden ball.
Her pocket was empty except for the small seashell from Kathelin. Carina swallowed. Her father wouldn’t be happy to learn the communication charm was on the ocean floor.
He wouldn’t be happy about anything she had done yesterday. She fought back a wave of panic. She had an idea how her next conversation with her father would go, and it wasn’t good.
“I told you, it doesn’t count as naked when I’m a frog!”
The frog ended his statement with a loud croak. Carina smirked.
The tailor shook his head and kept repairing a tear in the frog’s suit. He worked slowly since the frog still wore it.
“Proper clothes will make her think of you as a gentleman, Your Highness.”
“I told you not to call me that, Heinrich!”
Carina bit back a squeal of triumph. She was right! The frog was a prince.
If the rest of her guesses were correct, he was one of the Aeonian princes. Was she right? Was he Stefan?
She wished she had paid more attention to the servants in Aeonia. Prince Alaric’s tailor was named Bastien, but she didn’t remember anyone named Heinrich. Was he new?
“Hold still so I don’t poke you.”
The frog eyed the needle as Heinrich sewed.
“It doesn’t matter what she thinks of me,” the frog said. “As soon as I’m sure she’s safe, we’ll follow your plan.”
The tailor’s needle paused mid-stitch.
“Your- Sir, are you sure?”
The frog nodded.
“I can’t ask you to sacrifice any more for me, Heinrich. It makes sense to go back to Aeonia.”
Carina frowned. The frog couldn’t leave now. She still needed to break the curse.
“All hands on deck!” the captain’s voice boomed. “We’re coming into port! It will be a tight fit!”
Sailors bustled around the Seawolfe. The tailor joined them. Carina glanced around the ship. They were short-handed.
Luckily, she knew how to sail. Not that she had much experience, but she could help.
Carina plucked the frog off the table as she passed and set him on her shoulder.
“Your tailor repaired the suit?” she asked.
“He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“You’re lucky to have such a good friend. Why don’t you invite him to live in the castle with us? You’ll need more clothes if you want to be a gentleman frog. And I could hire him to make dresses for me.”
She made the offer casually, but her heart thumped. Would a job for his friend be enough to keep the frog in Santelle?
“He needs my help, Carina. I’d rather stay near you, but my life isn’t the only one affected. I can’t risk his safety.”
“You don’t think I can break the curse.”
“I know you could eventually. But someone else might be able to do it sooner.”
Carina’s words froze in her throat. Someone else. What an idiot she was. Of course, there was someone else! A prince as outgoing as the frog might have any number of girls lined up to break the curse. He might have admirers in multiple kingdoms.
Well, too bad for them. She wasn’t letting him go that easily.
The frog noticed her frown, and his face grew serious.
“You could come with me.”
Carina blinked at him. Just like that, there was an answer. She could hide on the Seawolfe. Sail with the frog. Avoid the consequences of her actions.
Tears pooled in her eyes as she shook her head.
“I can’t leave my family right now. I need to tell them about the mermaids and kraken. About the jewel. They need me.”
“And after that?”
After that? She’d be lucky if she wa
sn’t in prison. Carina tried to smile, but she knew it wasn’t convincing.
“After that, who can say?”
“Lass, are ye strong enough to drop the anchor?”
Carina looked up. Captain Gruff stood across the deck steering the ship to shore.
“Yes, sir.”
Carina hurried across the deck and lowered the anchor. It sank into the water and disappeared.
“We’ll be in port at least a day,” Gruff said. “All hands on deck to repair and restock. Timon, you search the town for any of our crew members still interested in sailing.”
Gruff kept giving orders. Carina straightened and turned to the harbor.
It was ruined. The buildings were flattened. Ships that had been in port now floated in pieces.
The castle wasn’t much better. The kraken had pummeled several towers into rubble.
Her father would be furious. He should be back in the castle by now. The Onslaught had already docked. It looked battle weary, and the broken mast hung over the deck and into the water. The Delphinette was docked beside it. Gustave’s ship was one of the few undamaged vessels in the harbor.
Carina lifted the frog to eye level.
“Father will be angry, and he already doesn’t like you. Maybe it would be best if you stayed with your friend.”
She didn’t want to leave him, but shouldn’t his safety be more important than keeping him close?
The frog hopped onto her shoulder.
“I’m not leaving you to face him alone.”
Carina sighed. Of course, he would be stubborn about this.
“You have to promise to stay in my pocket if things get bad.”
“I make no promises.”
“Please.”
He studied her face.
“Fine. But you have to promise to run if necessary. You can come to Aeonia with me. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Deal.”
Timon dropped the gangplank. Carina ran across the ship and curtsied to the captain.
“Captain Gruff, is it?”
The burly sailor nodded.
“At yer service, miss.”
“Thank you for rescuing me. I want to restock your ship as thanks.”
The captain blinked.
“That’s not necessary, miss. We have nearly enough supplies to set sail, and I’m happy to help as I can.”
Carina shook her head. Her golden curls bounced.
The Frog Prince (Fairy Tale Adventures Book 2) Page 27
