The Frog Prince

by A. G. Marshall

  Kathelin shook her head.

  “I’m afraid that isn’t possible without the sapphire. Althea and Leander have much stronger magic than I do, and they want to take the gem by force.”

  “And your plan is to ask for it?” Serafina asked.

  “Naturally. I’ve heard that humans are reasonable creatures. I thought you would be happy to trade something that is no use to you for the return of your ships and safety of your land.”

  Stefan studied the mermaid’s face. Her views were oversimplified, but they did make sense in a way.

  Kathelin noticed his gaze and smiled at him. He fought the urge to hop back to Carina.

  “The sapphire is our greatest treasure,” Serafina said. “We can’t just give it away.”

  “Would you prefer the seas to be unsafe? Only three kraken are awake now, but more are stirring. We need the Kraken Heart to subdue them.”

  “How many are there?” Serafina asked.

  “Hundreds.”

  Stefan shuddered. One kraken had smashed ships, destroyed a harbor, and attacked a castle. How much chaos would hundreds cause?

  “This argument is pointless,” Serafina said. “We don’t have access to the Kraken Heart, and we don’t have the authority to negotiate.”

  Carina swallowed and glanced at Stefan. He understood the look. They had the Kraken Heart. They could give it to Kathelin right now if they wanted.

  But would that save them? Or would it give the mermaids the power they needed to control the ocean?

  “Would you trade it if you could?” Carina asked Serafina. “If you were queen right now, what would you do?”

  Serafina considered the question.

  “If there was a mermaid I knew I could trust, I would give her the gem.”

  Carina nodded.

  “I thought as much. Kathelin, can you control the currents enough to send Serafina and Gustave back to shore?”

  The mermaid smiled.

  “Of course, but why would you want to do that?”

  Carina met her sister’s gaze again and held it.

  “The people of Santelle are in chaos. The military can’t function. They need someone on shore with authority from both the royal family and the navy. They need someone to take control.”

  Serafina nodded.

  “And King Gustave?” she asked.

  Stefan had forgotten the King of Montaigne was in their boat. Gustave sat upright on his seat, but just barely. He swayed with the waves, and his eyes were half closed.

  “He’s injured,” Carina said. “I think he would be safer back on the shore. Especially if he has someone to help him.”

  “You don’t want to come with us?”

  “No. Someone needs to tell father about the attack on the castle. The frog and I can do that.”

  Stefan sat up straighter, pleased to be Carina’s chosen partner.

  “I don’t think we should try to move King Gustave,” Serafina said. “It would be easier for us to switch boats.”

  “Agreed.”

  Kathelin held the boats still while Carina and Serafina switched. They climbed slowly, struggling to keep balance even with the mermaid’s help. Stefan hopped onto Carina’s lap once she settled into the lifeboat.

  “I want to hear more about that frog when all this is over,” Serafina said.

  “I look forward to talking to you,” Stefan said.

  As long as Carina was there. He didn’t want to face the heir to Santelle’s throne on his own. She was intimidating.

  Serafina saluted them and gathered her oars.

  “No need for that,” Kathelin said.

  She hummed a tune, and the boat drifted out of sight.

  “Can you take us to the Onslaught?” Carina asked.

  Kathelin nodded.

  “Of course. I’ll come with you. Perhaps your father will be willing to discuss the trade.”

  “He doesn’t have anything better to do right now,” Stefan said.

  Carina raised an eyebrow at him.

  “It isn’t funny.”

  “Of course not,” Stefan said. “There’s nothing funny about a stubborn man being kidnapped by the monsters he refused to believe in even when we had proof.”

  Carina shook her head and stared into the mist. Stefan followed her gaze. It was difficult to judge their speed as Kathelin pulled the boat through the water. The loose strands of Carina’s hair rustled in a breeze, but that was the only sign of movement. The mist swallowed everything else.

  “Leander is still on the ship,” Kathelin said. “We’ll have to be careful.”

  “Get me as close as you can,” Carina said. “I’ll take it from there.”

  55

  “Do you have a plan?” Kathelin asked. “We’re very near the Onslaught.”

  Carina pushed a damp curl away from her face. The mist had soaked through her clothes, and the night breeze made her shiver. She heard voices in the distance, but maybe that was wishful thinking.

  “I need to speak to my father.”

  She needed to give him the gem and explain the situation. Surely he would believe her now. He was the king. He would make this right.

  The alternative was unthinkable.

  “Leander will be watching,” Kathelin said. “It won’t be easy to approach the ship undetected.”

  The frog shifted on Carina’s lap.

  “I can do it.”

  “What?”

  “I can sneak onto the ship and speak to your father.”

  He glanced at her pocket. Carina caught the unspoken message. The frog could tell her father that she had the Kraken Heart. He could bring back orders if the king decided to make the trade.

  “I don’t want to put you in danger,” Carina said.

  “We’re all in danger right now. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  “Stay quiet,” Kathelin said. “I’ll take you as close to the ship as I can. We’re low enough to blend into the mist.”

  Carina slipped a hand into her pocket and traced the fabric around the sapphire. Maybe she should have told Serafina she had the gem. The heir to Santelle’s throne could claim emergency authority and trade the sapphire.

  If they could trust Kathelin. Carina still wasn’t sure about that.

  And she didn’t want to get Serafina in trouble again. The crown princess had authority to negotiate, but their father wouldn’t be happy if she did it without his consent.

  Well, Carina was here now. She would do whatever it took to rescue her family. The Onslaught slowly came into view as they drifted towards it. The lanterns in the rigging lit the mist with a ghostly glow. The people looked like shadows haunting the ship.

  They seemed to have freedom to move as they pleased, but no one tried to leave. They stayed far away from the kraken tentacles wrapped around the deck.

  Carina smiled in spite of everything. All of Santelle’s highest ranking officers were on that ship, but only Serafina had escaped. Her sister would do well as queen.

  The frog tapped her leg.

  “Is that your father?”

  Carina squinted at the figure at the edge of the deck. The man stood tall and stared into the fog. Several people hovered just behind him, giving him space but ready to come if called.

  “Yes, that’s him.”

  Kathelin cleared her throat.

  “If I stay here too long, Leander will notice me. I’ll hold your boat near the ship, but I need to back away.”

  Carina nodded at her. The mermaid waved goodbye and ducked beneath the waves.

  “I should go now,” the frog said.

  He didn’t look excited about swimming through kraken infested waters to speak with a king who had threatened to kill him. Carina couldn’t blame him for that.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  The frog nodded.

  “I wish I was strong enough to deliver it to him.”

  “It’s too risky. We can’t let Leander find it.”

  The frog hopped off her lap and pe
rched on the edge of the boat. Carina spoke in a rush before he dove into the water.

  “Do you think we can trust her?”

  “Kathelin?”

  Carina nodded. The frog scratched his head.

  “I don’t trust her, but she’s better than Leander and Althea. I- I think she saved my life. She’s trying to help in her own way.”

  Carina raised an eyebrow.

  “You think she saved your life. You aren’t sure?”

  He met her gaze, and his round yellow eyes held surprising depth.

  Well, maybe not so surprising if he was human.

  “I don’t dare say any more,” he said. “But I think she helped the only way she knew how. If we run out of options, she might be our best chance.”

  Carina pushed back panic as the frog jumped off the boat and disappeared into the ocean. She stared at the waves and tried to work out a solution to their problems. Her thoughts kept coming back to Kathelin.

  The frog’s opinion of the mermaid seemed accurate. Kathelin had multiple opportunities to harm them, but she had helped them instead. She had earned some level of trust. But how much? Could she be trusted with the Kraken Heart?

  That wasn’t Carina’s decision to make. She had no authority to act either way.

  Carina wrapped her hand around the gem and resisted the urge to pull it out and speak to it. She hadn’t had any luck guessing the magic words before, and it would be risky to try now.

  Movement on the deck caught her eye. Had the frog made it to the ship? It wasn’t a long swim. Now her father just needed to listen.

  But the figure pacing the ship wasn’t her father. The man turned, and Carina squeezed the sapphire as yellow eyes flashed in her direction.

  Leander. Had he seen her?

  A distant roar echoed through the ocean. It shook the water, and Carina gripped the sides of the boat to catch her balance.

  “Your time is up, humans,” Althea’s voice thundered through the sea. “Your king dies now.”

  Ominous creaks drifted through the fog. The kraken’s tentacles tightened around the ship, and boards on the Onslaught began to crack. Carina leaned forward.

  “Stop!”

  Leander’s yellow eyes locked onto her. He opened his mouth and let out that eerie scream. More tentacles leaped out of the water and wrapped around the Onslaught. One swiped the mast away as if it were a twig.

  Carina’s stomach churned. The frog was in that water. Her family was on that ship. She stood and waved her arms.

  “Stop this!”

  Leander dove off the ship and disappeared beneath the waves. The kraken tentacles squeezed tighter and crushed the wood. Carina picked up her oars and rowed towards the Onslaught. She had to do something. The mist thickened, and she lost sight of the ship.

  A hand grabbed the side of her boat. Yellow eyes glowed beneath her. Carina screamed and swung her oar.

  The hand pulled down and capsized the boat. Carina tumbled into the ocean.

  She gasped for air and got salt water instead. Her dress tangled around her legs and weighed her down. She clung to the oar to stay afloat.

  “That piece of wood won’t save you.”

  Leander floated in the water beside her. His dark cloak was gone, and shoulder length black hair floated around his face. His yellow eyes cut through the mist. Carina stared at him.

  “You can speak?”

  “You’ve caused me a lot of trouble, human.”

  The yellow glow brightened and lit the mist around Leander. When it faded, scales covered his skin. His eyes were hazel now, and their glow had dimmed. A dark green tail flicked the water where his legs had been. Carina gasped.

  “You’re a mermaid?”

  “Merman. I transformed to capture you, but you had to be difficult.”

  “How did you turn into a human?”

  Leander laughed.

  “You’re asking about my magic? You have other things to worry about.”

  He lunged for her. Carina swung the oar at him. It hit the side of his face, but he grabbed it with both hands and snapped it in half. Then he wrapped his arms around Carina’s waist and pulled her under the water.

  Carina gasped for air before they submerged. She thrashed, but the merman held her tight. Light from the Onslaught twinkled above her, growing dimmer and dimmer as Leander pulled her into the ocean.

  “Welcome to my kingdom, Princess.”

  His voice made her skin crawl. Carina planted her hands against his chest and pushed, but his arms were too strong. Her lungs burned. She couldn’t hold her breath much longer.

  She closed her eyes as her head spun and her ears popped. Panic built in her chest, and she pushed it away. She had felt this before. Years ago, when she had been pushed into the stormy ocean for the military exam. She couldn’t give in. Carina kicked the merman, but her skirt wrapped around her legs and slowed the movement.

  “Just breathe,” Leander said. “Why fight it?”

  He stroked her cheek. Carina snorted and regretted it immediately. Bubbles burst from her nose, and the ache in her lungs grew worse.

  “Oof!”

  Leander grunted. Carina opened her eyes and squinted into the darkness. Something small and green had attached itself to the merman’s head. It punched Leander’s eyes.

  The frog.

  Carina smiled, and a few more bubbles escaped her mouth. She clamped her hands over her lips to keep the air from escaping. Darks spots blurred her vision. She needed to breathe.

  “Get off me!”

  Leander let go of Carina to push the frog away. The frog dodged behind his head, distracting the merman while Carina swam. Her legs were still tangled in the skirt, but she kicked as hard as she could. The Onslaught’s light twinkled in the distance, just out of reach.

  56

  Stefan swam around the merman’s face, dodging his hands. When he came around the third time, he dove towards Leander’s eyes and punched them as hard as he could.

  “Get. Off.”

  The merman clawed at Stefan, but the frog’s skin was too slippery to grip. Stefan climbed up Leander’s face and buried himself in his hair. Leander pulled at the tangled mass, but he still couldn’t get a grip on the frog.

  Stefan glanced towards the surface. Carina’s swimming form created a silhouette against the lights from the Onslaught. Leander noticed her and growled.

  “Leave her alone,” Stefan said.

  He spun off the top of Leander’s head and poked him in the eyes again.

  “Ugh!”

  Stefan jumped away just in time, and Leander hit himself in the face. Stefan smirked. Finally, his frog body was useful.

  “You won’t save her.”

  Leander flicked his tail and swam towards Carina. Stefan grabbed his hair as he passed. Leander stopped, and Stefan used the hair as a slingshot to gain momentum.

  “Carina!”

  The princess had reached the surface, but she didn’t look good. Her eyes drooped, and she was limp in the water. Stefan pushed half an oar to her, and she rested her head against it.

  “The Onslaught,” she whispered. “The kraken.”

  Stefan looked at the ship. The tentacles were buried deep in the wood. The Onslaught couldn’t take much more.

  Leander surfaced a few feet away from them.

  “Worried about your friends? I suppose I should finish with them before I take care of you.”

  He opened his mouth, and his unearthly scream filled the water. The kraken tentacles thrashed and tightened around the boat. A figure ran to the edge and screamed. Carina flinched.

  “Adria?”

  The young princess looked down.

  “Carina? Help! They’re destroying the ship!”

  “You can’t save them,” Leander said.

  Stefan and Carina shared a look.

  “There is one way,” he whispered.

  She nodded.

  “Can we trust her?”

  Stefan glanced at Leander, then back to Carina
.

  “Yes,” he said. “We should trust her.”

  “Kathelin!”

  Carina’s voice was a whimper compared to Leander’s screams.

  “Kathelin, we need you!”

  Stefan joined her pleas. He didn’t see Kathelin, but a gentle current tugged at them. They drifted away from Leander and the Onslaught. Adria’s screams faded into the mist.

  “I can’t hide you for long. He’ll find us.”

  Kathelin’s blue eyes appeared in the fog and held Stefan’s gaze. For once, the mermaid didn’t seem amused.

  “Help them,” Carina said.

  She clung to the oar with one hand as she untangled her skirt with the other. After a few moments of struggling, she pulled a lump of fabric from her pocket. Stefan grabbed it and helped Carina unwrap the Kraken Heart.

  A pulsing blue glow filled the mist. Carina placed the sapphire in Kathelin’s outstretched hand without hesitation.

  The mermaid’s eyes went wide with wonder.

  “It is more beautiful than I imagined.”

  A loud crack echoed through the fog.

  “Save them!” Carina screamed.

  Kathelin blinked a few times, shaking off the gem’s trance.

  “Of course. But first, a sign of goodwill.”

  She pulled a seashell from the air and placed it in Carina’s palm. Then she held the gem up to her lips.

  “Teuthida somnum statim!”

  Kathelin spoke with authority, and the entire ocean shuddered with her words. The sounds of creaking wood stopped. Stefan climbed onto the oar and leaned against Carina. Whatever happened next, they would face it together.

  “Kathelin, what have you done?”

  Althea’s voice echoed through the water, but it had weakened.

  “Teuthida revertere statim!”

  “Kathelin, stop this at once!”

  The mermaid smiled and winked at Carina. She seemed to be back in good spirits. Before Stefan could ask if it had worked, Kathelin dove under the waves.

  The sapphire’s pulsing blue light faded into the ocean depths, leaving Carina and Stefan alone in the water.

  Stefan listened, but he heard nothing. No screams. No cracking wood. Carina sighed.

  “I hope that worked.”