The Frog Prince

by A. G. Marshall

  Maybe she could write to Lina. Her friend might have some suggestions for breaking curses.

  The frog tipped a salt shaker onto Gustave’s plate. Carina bit back a laugh. Her father glared at her, making not-so-subtle gestures that she should get rid of the frog.

  “Oh dear, Gusty. Your cake is ruined! Should I send Sir Froggums away?”

  She said it loud enough for her father to hear. Gustave considered the question.

  “No, Carina. If he makes you happy, then he should stay. Besides, unpredictability does a lot to liven up a party.”

  Her father, mother, and the dukes glared across the table. But what could they do? Gustave was their guest, and he said the frog stayed.

  Finally, the dinner ended. King Giuseppe stood and addressed the table.

  “Honored citizens of Santelle and noble guests, welcome. We are so pleased to hold this gala and celebrate the visit of our neighboring monarch, the King of Montaigne!”

  Gustave bowed to the King of Santelle. The dinner had left him disheveled. His purple tunic was wrinkled and stained. His crown was crooked. King Giuseppe ignored his appearance and beamed at him.

  “We are pleased to have this opportunity to spend time with our neighbors. In fact, Princess Carina had the privilege of spending the afternoon with King Gustave. Perhaps one of you would like to say a few words?”

  He shot a meaningful look at Carina. She frowned and shook her head. Gustave did the same. King Giuseppe glared at them but recovered his composure.

  “Please allow the servants a moment to clear the ship, and we will have dancing.”

  Gustave pulled Carina’s chair out and offered his arm. She walked with him to the edge of the ship and stared into the water.

  “Do you think they believed it?” he whispered.

  “Judging by the way my father was glaring at me, I think they did.”

  Gustave smiled.

  “Good. I don’t want to go through a dinner like that ever again.”

  The frog hopped from Carina’s shoulder and sat facing them on the ship’s rail.

  “I thought it went well.”

  “You were brilliant!”

  He bowed.

  “Always happy to help. A few disastrous dances, and we can call this evening a success.”

  Gustave frowned.

  “How disastrous?”

  “Do you want to get engaged or not?”

  Gustave sighed and stared out at the water.

  “I am sorry for all this,” he said. “I’m a king. I should be able to control my advisers. I meant to help, but I’ve caused you nothing but trouble.”

  Carina kept her face angry for anyone watching, but her tone was gentle.

  “You have helped. They can’t force us to get married if you don’t ask. And if we can find a missing ship or save them from the danger, it may be easier to avoid engagement than you think.”

  “What do you mean?” Gustave asked.

  Carina leaned against the railing and let her arm rest against the frog.

  “My mother promised that I wouldn’t have to marry you if I proved my worth to Santelle. Her word is legally binding. I thought discovering the person who broke into the treasury or the cause of the missing ships would be enough, but apparently we’ll need more.”

  Before either the king or the frog could reply, a trumpet blasted. The people milling around the ship moved to the deck to dance.

  Gustave picked up the frog and set him on his shoulder.

  “I don’t mind his sitting on me,” Carina said.

  “Yes, but this way you can dance with him.”

  He shared a knowing look with the frog, who nodded back at him.

  Carina took Gustave’s hand, and he led her to the dance floor. The King of Montaigne was an excellent dancer. They twirled across the ship as they had many times before.

  Except this time was different. He didn’t speak. He mostly ignored her. She wondered why until he nudged the frog.

  Had they made some sort of agreement? Was he trying to help the frog win her affections?

  Carina smiled. That was quite cute.

  The frog crawled onto Gustave’s chest and tucked himself into the king’s tunic so he was eye level with Carina.

  “My lady,” he said.

  Carina grinned.

  “You dance quite well, sir frog.”

  “Thank you. My valet is indispensable in the matter.”

  Gustave flinched at being called a valet but continued to dance.

  “What will you do when we find your friend?” Carina said. “Will you stay in Santelle?”

  She purposely said when, not if. They would solve this. She had to believe that.

  The frog swallowed.

  “I’d like to stay with you, but that depends.”

  “On what?”

  He hesitated. Clearly, he wanted to say something. Wanted to say everything.

  In the end, he shook his head.

  “A lot,” he said. “It depends on a lot.”

  On the curse, Carina suspected. The next time she saw Lina, she would insist that her friend teach her magic. This helplessness was infuriating.

  “You’re always welcome at the castle,” Carina said. “I would be glad to have you stay with me.”

  She almost forgot she was dancing with Gustave. If she closed her eyes, it was easy to imagine the frog was human. That she had found a way to break the curse.

  Who would she see when that happened? Was she wrong in thinking he was one of the Aeonian princes?

  He knew table manners too well to be a commoner, she decided. He knew the serving order for formal dining. He had hopped aside before the servants placed new dishes, anticipating their motions.

  He could be a waiter in Aeonia, but Lina hadn’t been in the castle long enough to befriend waiters. She was too studious. She’d be studying magic rather than chatting with servants.

  A noble, then. And not one of the kings since they all left Aeonia after the Princess Test. The only king who had been friendly to Lina currently had his hand around Carina’s waist.

  She returned to her original theory: the frog was an Aeonian prince. If she guessed that right, she had narrowed it down to six men. Five if she removed Alaric.

  And if the rest of her thinking was correct, she could narrow it down to one.

  Prince Stefan. But Carina couldn’t ask the frog if she was right. The curse had nearly killed him when she guessed his friend was a mermaid. She suspected it would be worse if she knew his identity. She had to solve this without his help.

  How could she break the curse?

  44

  Stefan watched Carina. She kept her eyes closed and looked deep in thought. Her lips twitched into a smile.

  So much for his plan to woo her. She seemed to be enjoying herself, but she wasn’t looking at him or talking to him. The King of Montaigne must be a remarkable dancer.

  Stefan caught a glimpse of King Giuseppe and Marquis Corbeau as Gustave whirled past them.

  They looked pleased. Entirely too pleased. Carina’s smile was undoing an entire dinner’s worth of work.

  “You look too happy,” he said. “Your father thinks Gustave has won you over.”

  Carina blinked and squinted at him.

  “I know I’m handsome in my suit,” he said. “But everyone will think you’re studying Gustave’s chest.”

  She chuckled.

  “Well, that’s the opposite of what we want. Let’s take a break.”

  Gustave led her to the edge of the ship, and Stefan hopped onto Carina’s shoulder. She leaned against the rail and stared out at the ocean.

  “What now?” she said.

  Stefan kept his eyes on the horizon. The water disappeared into an empty void with stars above it. Heinrich was out there somewhere, but what could he do?

  “Hopefully Captain Whist will find something useful.”

  “I hate relying on others for information. And I hate feeling useless.”

  C
arina turned away from the water. Stefan followed her gaze and studied the harbor. It looked peaceful. Sailors and vendors meandered through the streets. It was late, so the crowd had thinned. Some of them gawked at the gala, but most ignored the spectacle and focused on their work.

  Stefan swallowed. One man made no pretense of working. He stood in the middle of the street, and everyone stepped aside to avoid him.

  He wore a dark cloak with the hood pulled over his face, but his yellow eyes peered out from the shadows.

  Leander. What was he doing here?

  “Carina,” Stefan whispered.

  “I see him. It’s a shame I haven’t sewn weapons into this dress yet. What should we do?”

  Gustave leaned forward.

  “Maybe Kathelin sent him to meet with us. They seem to be working together.”

  “Or maybe she decided to kidnap me after all.”

  “We should get everyone back to the castle,” Stefan said. “Leander is dangerous.

  “They won’t listen to us. If we hurry, maybe we can catch him before he causes any trouble.”

  Stefan looked around the ship. Most of the gala guests were dancing. The dukes had joined King Giuseppe and Marquis Corbeau on the opposite corner of the deck. They all watched Carina and Gustave with interest.

  He sighed.

  “I don’t think anyone will stop you and Gustave from spending time alone.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Carina hurried to the gangplank, pulling Gustave behind her. As Stefan had predicted, no one tried to stop them. Princess Serafina glared as they passed, but she said nothing.

  He looked back at the ship in time to see Queen Cosima and King Giuseppe share a triumphant glance.

  “Where did he go?” Carina whispered.

  Stefan turned his attention to the docks. Leander had disappeared.

  “He can’t have gone far,” Gustave said. “Let’s search the harbor.”

  Passing sailors gaped at their crowns and formal clothes. Carina smiled at them, but few smiled back. Stefan jumped off her shoulder. He ducked into alleyways and checked behind barrels. Carina searched near the water, checking the other ships. Gustave asked everyone if they had seen the stranger.

  Stefan gave up the search after a few minutes and hopped across the harbor to rejoin Carina. She picked him up and placed him on her shoulder.

  “Why would he hide if he wanted to talk?” Carina said.

  “There!”

  Stefan pointed across the harbor. They had traveled the length of the dock and now stood on the far end. Leander stood at the gangplank of the Onslaught. Guards crossed their spears to keep him from passing, but he merely smiled and raised his arms.

  “No!” Carina screamed.

  The sound distracted Leander, but only for a moment. He opened his mouth, and a fierce roar reverberated through the water.

  Carina ran towards the ship.

  “Carina, wait!”

  Gustave caught her hand and pulled her back. Stefan clung to her neck to keep from falling.

  “Get off the ship!” he shouted.

  His voice was lost in the eerie song that filled the air and water.

  Serafina rushed to the edge of the ship to investigate. She said something to the guards, but Stefan was too far away to hear it.

  “Serafina, run!”

  Carina shook loose of Gustave and dashed across the dock. Gustave followed.

  “Marquis Corbeau!” he screamed. “Get off the ship now!”

  The wailing intensified. A giant tentacle shot out of the water and wrapped around the Onslaught. Serafina dove over the edge, but a tentacle grabbed her before she hit the water. It wrapped around her waist and dangled her over the deck. She punched and kicked, but it did no good.

  “No! Leave her alone!”

  Carina ran faster. Stefan kicked her shoulder and tried to get her attention.

  “Carina, stop! There’s nothing you can do!”

  Leander grinned at them and stepped off the dock. A tentacle caught him and set him on the Onslaught. More tentacles swarmed the ship and pulled it out to sea.

  Carina stopped running. She gasped for breath as the kraken pulled the Onslaught farther and farther from the shore. The lanterns in the rigging twinkled until a dense fog swallowed their light.

  45

  “We need a ship! We have to follow them!”

  Carina shook Gustave’s arm as if that would help.

  “The Delphinette hasn’t returned yet. That’s the only ship I can command.”

  She glared at him. It wasn’t his fault his ship was gone. She had been happy to send it to search for the frog’s friend.

  Blast.

  Carina took a deep breath and tried to focus her thoughts. It wasn’t easy. The people who had witnessed the attack screamed and ran away from the water. The harbor’s alarm bells echoed through the night. The castle’s alarms joined them.

  Guards would be here soon. Guards with no one to command them.

  Carina swallowed. Her whole family had been on that ship. Her parents. Her siblings. Even Franco and the dukes. Anyone with authority was gone.

  She was the only one left on shore. If she was in the navy, she would automatically be in command.

  But she wasn’t. She doubted anyone would listen to her.

  Carina patted her curls back into place. She had to try.

  “We need to follow them,” she said. “We’ll find a ship willing to take us. If we get something small, I can sail it myself.”

  Gustave stared at her.

  “You want to chase a kraken? Fight it in ship small enough to be sailed by one person?”

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  The frog hopped onto Gustave’s shoulder and pointed to the castle.

  “The Kraken Heart,” he said. “Kathelin said it could control the monsters.”

  Carina grinned at him.

  “You’re brilliant! We can force the kraken to return the Onslaught.”

  The frog grinned back at her. Gustave rubbed his forehead.

  “Do either of you know how to use enchanted gems?”

  “Lina spoke to hers,” Carina said. “Your ring is the same, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but you have to know the right words. And some gems only work for certain people.”

  “So we’ll figure it out. Unless you have a better idea.”

  Gustave frowned and shook his head. Carina turned her attention to a guard running towards them. She waved, and he approached her and saluted.

  “The Onslaught was taken by a sea monster,” she said. “The rest of my family was on board.”

  He nodded.

  “That’s what I heard. Duke Enrico is the highest ranking member of the navy left on land.”

  “He wasn’t on the ship?”

  Now that Carina thought back, she didn’t remember seeing him at the gala. Why hadn’t he attended?

  “No, Princess. He is working in the treasury. I sent a message to him asking for orders.”

  “I’ll give you orders. Mobilize every ship available. Pursue the Onslaught and rescue my family.”

  “I’m sorry, Princess. The orders have to come from a naval commander. We’ll join Duke Enrico in council as soon as he is ready.”

  Carina hadn’t expected him to listen to her, but it was annoying that he didn’t even consider it. Especially when pursuing the Onslaught was the right thing to do.

  “You’re wasting time,” she said. “The royal family is in danger.”

  Gustave stepped up to the guard.

  “She’s a princess. Her order should be good enough for you.”

  The guard reached for his sword. Carina pulled Gustave away.

  “It’s no use. Taking commands from an unauthorized person is treason. He won’t risk it.”

  “So we go get the sapphire?” the frog whispered in her ear.

  “And Duke Enrico if we hurry. Maybe he’ll listen to us.”

  Carina turned towards the castl
e, but a roar shook the ground and brought her attention back to the ocean. She gasped.

  Something burst out of the water. Something far taller than any ship in the harbor. Water ran off its smooth purple skin, catching the moonlight and making the night sky sparkle with more than stars.

  “What is that?” the frog croaked.

  Carina’s first thought was squid. She’d seen them in fishermen’s nets before, and this creature looked something like them. It had the same elongated head. The same flat, black eyes. The same tentacles waving in the water.

  But squid were small enough to hold in your hand. This creature could destroy ships.

  “Unbelievable,” Gustave whispered. “Is that a kraken?”

  “Who cares what it is? It’s getting closer,” the frog said.

  Carina blinked. Yes, the creature, the kraken, was coming closer. Blast it all.

  “Give me the Kraken Heart.”

  The voice echoed through the water. It sounded as if the entire ocean was demanding the enchanted sapphire.

  “It can speak?” Carina said.

  The frog shook his head.

  “That isn’t the kraken. Look at its left tentacles.”

  Carina squinted. She could just make out a shining figure perched on a tentacle. The mermaid looked like a bright silver speck. She was smaller than the creature’s eye. Much smaller.

  “Give me the Kraken Heart if you want your king to live.”

  “So Kathelin betrayed us,” Gustave said.

  Carina swallowed.

  “I’m not sure that’s Kathelin. We need to find the duke.”

  A tentacle grabbed a ship from the dock and smashed it against the water. Alarm bells continued to ring as people poured from buildings and ran inland. Carina grabbed Gustave’s hand and pulled him away from shore.

  “We need to leave now.”

  Gustave nodded and ran towards the castle. Carina released his hand and followed. The frog clung to her neck as she dodged through the streets. Everyone in the harbor ran with her, but the crowd thinned as she climbed the hill to the castle.

  More crashing and screaming came from behind her, but Carina didn’t let herself turn around. She had to keep running.

  “More tentacles,” the frog said. “They’re attacking the harbor.”