The Frog Prince

by A. G. Marshall

  He turned away from them and studied Carina. She was still eating the bread, and she still looked angry at him.

  Well, she shouldn’t have broken her promise. His curse was not her family’s dinner entertainment. Something in the back of his mind reminded him that he was supposed to be charming Carina. That he needed her to kiss him.

  He pushed the thought away. At the moment, he’d rather be a frog than kiss the spoiled princess.

  Stefan surveyed the table again. He’d heard stories about the royal family of Santelle. Not good stories. Carina seemed to be an exception, but Alaric considered the rest of them to be ruthless.

  What would they do if they knew he could talk? At the least, they would be suspicious. They might demand an explanation. A talking frog wasn’t an everyday occurrence.

  And when he wouldn’t answer their questions?

  Stefan swallowed. Serafina’s gaze said she’d rather rip his legs off than let him sit there a moment longer.

  What had he gotten himself into?

  By the time the meal ended, Stefan was all too glad to hop into Carina’s outstretched hands. The hostile stares from Serafina and Queen Cosima were unsettling.

  The rest of the royal family left the room. Stefan gulped as the door slammed behind them. Carina followed her father to an alcove in the corner.

  “What is the meaning of this?” the king demanded. “You’re supposed to stay quiet, not draw attention to yourself by bringing frogs to the dinner table!”

  “I know, Father. But I’ve found proof of magic in Santelle!”

  The king raised an eyebrow.

  “Indeed. And where is this proof?”

  Carina held Stefan out in front of her.

  “Carina, I am not in the mood for games.”

  She nudged Stefan.

  “Go on. Tell him.”

  Stefan stared into King Giuseppe’s face. Tell him. Prove magic exists in Santelle.

  Would that violate the terms of the curse? It was possible. He couldn’t risk Heinrich’s life to satisfy Carina’s whims.

  He took a deep breath and croaked as loud as he could.

  Carina gasped.

  “You ungrateful wretch! I gave you dinner just like I promised!”

  “Carina, control yourself.”

  “Father, I swear this frog can talk. He’s magic.”

  King Giuseppe raised his other eyebrow. Carina turned Stefan around so he was facing her.

  “Please,” she said. “Please, talk to him!”

  She looked ready to cry. Stefan sighed. He was supposed to be charming her, not making her look like an idiot in front of her father.

  But he couldn’t risk Heinrich’s life for her, and he was still annoyed that she had forgotten her promise so quickly. He shook his head. Carina caught the gesture and glared at him.

  Her father’s face hardened.

  “Carina, I understand you’re upset about your reassignment, but this behavior is unacceptable.”

  Reassignment? Stefan studied Carina’s face for a clue, but she gave nothing away.

  “Yes, Father, but I swear this frog is important. Please let me keep him in the castle.”

  “Carina, this is no time for pranks.”

  “It isn’t a prank. Please, Father?”

  The desperation in her voice nearly convinced Stefan to speak. Something was happening here. He didn’t understand what exactly, but Santelle’s royal family had issues.

  The king sighed and rubbed his forehead.

  “Carina, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been incompetent since you returned from Aeonia.”

  “I’m sorry, Father. But this frog can help my mission. I swear.”

  The King of Santelle met his daughter’s gaze.

  “You may keep the frog until the King of Montaigne arrives. But if it causes any trouble, I will get rid of it myself. Do you understand?”

  She nodded.

  “You are dismissed. And you will not attend dinner or breakfast. Do you understand me?”

  Carina nodded again and left the dining room. Stefan squirmed in her hands, but she held him tight until she reached an empty room and slammed the door behind her. She set him on a desk and crossed her arms.

  “You’d better have an excellent reason for refusing to speak to my father.”

  “You’d better have an excellent reason for leaving me in the garden.”

  She gritted her teeth.

  “I’m sorry I left you behind. I have a lot going on right now.”

  Stefan nodded.

  “Apology accepted.”

  “So you’ll speak to my father?”

  “No. I’ll talk when I want to talk. I’m not a trained puppy to do tricks for your amusement.”

  “You are insufferable!”

  “Why does it matter so much? What are you trying to prove?”

  She glared at him.

  “That is none of your business.”

  This wasn’t going well at all. So much for charming her.

  Carina’s face changed from angry to playful. She smiled at Stefan.

  “Please? It would mean a lot to me if you spoke to my father. Just a few words.”

  She fluttered her eyelashes and clasped her hands in front of her heart. Stefan rolled his eyes.

  “You really think that’s going to work on me?”

  Her expression snapped back to anger.

  “Fine. Talking to multiple people at once is too difficult for you. Silly me for thinking otherwise.”

  “You’re a grown princess who still plays with toys. I’m not sure you have room to judge me.”

  Carina’s eyes flashed. She pulled the golden ball from her pocket and tossed it into the air.

  “Who are you? Where did you come from?”

  Stefan clamped his mouth shut.

  “What were you doing in the garden?”

  He croaked and stuck out his tongue.

  “Fine. Be that way.”

  Carina pushed the ball into her pocket and rummaged around a shelf. She pulled out a birdcage and stuffed Stefan into it. He croaked in protest.

  “What are you doing? We made a deal! I’m your companion!”

  “You can keep me company from inside a cage until you agree to talk to my father.”

  Stefan sank into the bottom of the cage. So much for charming her. This wasn’t going well at all.

  19

  Blasted frog! Carina carried him to the library, swinging the birdcage as she went. He looked a little sick by the time she slammed the cage onto a table. Good. He deserved it.

  “Talk to my father, and I’ll let you out,” she said.

  “I’m sorry. I wish I could.”

  The frog didn’t look sorry. It was probably the motion sickness talking. Carina shook her head. She didn’t have time to argue with an amphibian.

  She surveyed the library. No one else was there. Good. Carina searched the shelves for anything that might be useful in solving the mysteries that surrounded her. Unfortunately, the library had more books about military strategy than magic and monsters.

  “Why does everyone think research will solve their problems?” the frog muttered.

  Carina ignored him and pulled a few books from the shelf. Maybe she would get lucky and find something useful.

  “What did your father mean you’re being reassigned?” the frog asked.

  She nearly dropped her pile of books.

  “He didn’t say that.”

  “He said you’re upset about your reassignment. What does that mean?”

  “Nothing. You’re imagining things.”

  Carina glared at the frog. Blast it all! She’d have to be more careful. He could listen as well as talk.

  “But it has made you upset, hasn’t it?”

  “I am not in the mood for a heart to heart with a frog.”

  He bobbed his shoulders up and down. Was he shrugging?

  “Suit yourself. But I’m much more interesting than those books. And I’m not going any
where.”

  He leaned back against the bars of the cage. He looked like a sailor lounging on the docks after his shift. Carina smiled at him and pulled out her golden ball.

  “Where did you come from? Are you from Santelle?”

  The frog clamped his mouth shut.

  Blasted creature. He wouldn’t even give her proof through the golden ball.

  Carina turned her attention back to the books. She’d found one about the treasures of Santelle and one about sea monsters. It was a start.

  She opened the first book and searched for information about the enchanted sapphire. The volume cataloged many of the items in the treasury and offered a history of how Santelle had acquired them.

  It might have been interesting under different circumstances, but only one gem mattered to her right now. She didn’t care about rings and scepters won in battles long ago. Carina gave up on reading each page and flipped through the book searching for a section on loose gems.

  There wasn’t one.

  “Are you trying to pick out a new crown?” the frog asked.

  “No.”

  “Just browsing? Let me out, and I can help you look.”

  “I’m not looking for new jewelry.”

  Carina shoved the book aside and picked up the one about sea monsters. It had brightly colored illustrations, and she studied the drawings. Would any of these creatures be strong enough to damage a ship?

  The author had included vivid descriptions of each monster and records of the sailors who claimed to have seen them.

  Each entry ended with the same disclaimer. Sighting unconfirmed. No evidence found.

  “Blast!”

  She slammed the book shut. For once, she was out of her depth. She knew nothing about magic and less about monsters. She needed to understand both to prevent her marriage to the King of Montaigne.

  The frog croaked. Carina turned to him. He was a good swimmer. Maybe he had spent time in the ocean.

  “What do you know about sea monsters?” she asked.

  He hesitated.

  “Nothing.”

  Carina’s eyes narrowed.

  “You’re lying. What do you know? Are they real?”

  “Why does it matter?”

  “It just does. It would make my life a lot easier if I could prove there were magical creatures in the water.”

  The frog stayed silent for a few minutes. Just when Carina gave up and turned away, he spoke.

  “I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of monsters, aquatic or otherwise.”

  Carina blinked.

  “What?”

  “I can’t say if they’re real or not.”

  Then he winked at her and nodded. She stared at him.

  “Are you trying to tell me sea monsters are real?”

  “Of course not. How would I know that?”

  He winked and nodded again.

  Carina’s pulse quickened. He was definitely trying to tell her something!

  “You don’t have to be cryptic,” she said. “Just tell me what you know. We’re the only ones here.”

  “It isn’t that easy.”

  “Why not?”

  Carina leaned closer to the cage. The frog met her gaze and said nothing. Her eyes narrowed.

  “You’re very difficult. You know that?”

  “You’re not the first to say so. Why are you so interested in sea monsters?”

  Now Carina hesitated. The frog laughed.

  “Just tell me what you know. We’re the only ones here.”

  Carina glared. She couldn’t trust this strange amphibian, but maybe he would loosen up if she told him a little. Maybe he would let something slip.

  “One of our ships crashed into something in the middle of the ocean. The water there should be too deep for rocks to reach the surface. I think it might have been some kind of monster.”

  The frog nodded.

  “The Vanquisher, right?”

  “How do you know about it?”

  “I hear things. What exactly happened to it?”

  Carina hesitated, but the ship wasn’t hidden. Hundreds of people must know about the crash by now. Gossip spread through the docks quicker than it did through the castle.

  “They were sailing home and got caught in a thick fog. The captain ordered them to drop anchor until it cleared. Before they could, they crashed into something. It scraped the entire starboard side of the ship. They almost sank.”

  The frog scratched his head.

  “That does sound suspicious.”

  “You don’t have any ideas what could have happened? What might have caused it?”

  “No. Certainly not.”

  Then he winked at her again.

  “You’re insufferable.”

  Carina gave up on getting information from the frog and searched the library for the rest of the afternoon. She found nothing about magic or monsters.

  20

  “What do frogs eat?”

  Stefan surveyed the shelves of food.

  “We’re stealing from the kitchen?”

  “I’m being sent to bed without supper, remember? As a punishment for bringing you to the table.”

  She didn’t sound angry anymore. Stefan took that as a good sign. He had done his best to appease her that afternoon. He had given her as much information as he dared.

  While she was far from being charmed, she no longer looked like she might strangle him at any moment. Stefan had limited experience wooing women, but the move from hostility to indifference felt like progress.

  Now, what did he want to eat? Normally, if he were going to the trouble of raiding the pantry, he would steal an entire cake. But that didn’t sound appetizing at the moment. And he refused to acknowledge the instincts pulling him towards the flies buzzing around the trash bin.

  “Is there any fish?”

  Carina rummaged through the pantry until she found a piece of smoked fish. She added a loaf of bread and jar of water to her basket.

  “How did you know the kitchen would be empty right now?”

  “I know the castle schedule very well.”

  Apparently, she did. They didn’t pass anyone on their way back to her room.

  Carina set the cage on her bed and crumbled some fish for Stefan. She poured water into a small bowl and placed it in his cage.

  Stefan studied her room as he ate. It was overwhelmingly pink and frilly. Anything that could be covered with lace was. It looked like someone had translated Carina’s clothing style into an entire room.

  “Nice place,” he croaked between bites.

  “Would you believe this is the pinkest room in the castle? It took a lot of persuading to get the designer to make it this way.”

  He laughed.

  “You’re not what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  “Someone dull.”

  She sighed.

  “You’re not the only one. Why are you here, frog? What do you want?”

  Stefan waited for her to pull the golden ball out of her pocket, but she didn’t. She had been playing with it all afternoon. Tossing it up and down while she asked him questions he couldn’t answer.

  Maybe her arm was tired.

  Her tears that morning made more sense now that Stefan had spent a day with her. Strange as it was, she truly was attached to that ball.

  “I told you. I want to eat from your plate and sleep on your pillow.”

  Carina glanced at the pink lace pillows that covered her bed. She chewed her food thoughtfully, waiting to speak again until she finished her meal.

  “That’s really what I agreed to?”

  “You mean to say you took my deal and shook my hand without listening to me?”

  “I was distraught. Well, I suppose I have no choice but to honor the agreement.”

  She stood and walked behind a screen. Stefan gulped as fabric rustled and she draped her pink dress over the wood. He hadn’t considered that it might be awkward to sleep in her room. Wha
t did women wear to bed?

  He bit back a sigh of relief when Carina reappeared a few moments later. Her nightgown was embellished with rows of ruffles and covered her enough to be decent.

  “Are you well?”

  “Perfectly.”

  His voice broke, but it just sounded like a croak.

  Carina pulled pins from her hair and set them on a table beside her bed. Her golden curls cascaded down her back.

  Stefan swallowed. The moment felt intimate. He was in an unmarried girl’s room, and she had just changed into her nightgown and taken her hair down. If he were a human, this would be scandalous.

  But he was a frog. And he needed to win enough of this girl’s affection to earn a kiss.

  Carina moved his cage to one of her pillows and slipped under the covers. She gazed into his eyes.

  “Tell me who you are. What do you want?”

  “To be near you, princess.”

  “Why?”

  Stefan’s heart pounded. Her lips were less than a hop away. He was so close to freedom. So close to saving Heinrich.

  He just needed to say the right thing. Do the right thing. Convince her to move a little closer.

  “Why do you want to be near me?” Carina asked.

  Because his life depended on it.

  “I heard reports of your charms and wanted to see them for myself.”

  “I’m sure whatever reports you’ve heard weren’t of my charms. The people of Santelle don’t think much of me.”

  “Perhaps I haven’t been talking to people. The seagulls speak very highly of you.”

  “The seagulls?”

  She pulled her head back and blinked at him. Stefan stayed still, but his heart beat faster. He had ruined the moment like the idiot he was.

  “Alaric?” she whispered.

  Stefan croaked in surprise.

  “Who?”

  “Prince Alaric of Aeonia. I spoke with him about seagulls once. Do you know him?”

  Are you him? The unspoken question hung in the air.

  “Nope. Never been to Aeonia.”

  She rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Stefan tried not to stare at her lips and failed. They were further away than ever now. Carina sighed.

  “Too bad you’re not Alaric. I could use a friend right now.”