Once Upon a Kiss

by Nora Roberts

  The swan boat lurched up onto the shore and she staggered out, into Michael’s arms.

  “Kate! My God, I’ve been so worried!”

  “How did you find me?”

  “The young sot left his feathered cap and sword behind when he abducted you. By God, I’ve had enough of this. I’ll seal the entrance up with concrete.”

  They ran up through the dark tunnel with Michael almost carrying her part of the way. Footsteps sounded behind them.

  When they reached the opening, he thrust her through and turned to face his adversary. But it wasn’t the prince following them. It was a woman in a gown studded with jewels and a fine gold crown on her fair brow.

  “Honoria!” Michael exclaimed. “You cannot come out past the entrance. You know what will happen to you if you do.”

  The frog queen sighed. “I do. But I must see the stars one more time.”

  “No!” Another shape hurled itself at the queen. “You must not, your majesty!”

  “Dear, dear little Sophie. Don’t be concerned. I know just how far it is safe.”

  Kate looked past the queen and saw familiar faces. One belonged to Miss Golunka, who looked stunning in a gown of green shot with gold, and a crown of diamonds in her hair. The other was Mr. Plunkett, in white tie and tails.

  The prince rushed up to Sophie. “That was very brave of you, Sophie. And very foolish.” He slipped his arm around her waist. “You’re a remarkable creature.”

  “Yes,” she said, with a wink to Kate. “I am.”

  Then the prince swept Sophie into his arms and kissed her.

  The queen stepped forward, blocking Kate’s view of the cavern, and stopped just at the very point where the worlds of Above and Below met.

  “It’s the Summer Solstice,” she announced, and smiled at the scintillating points of light framed by the cavern’s mouth.

  “Good-bye,” she said to to the stars. “For now.”

  She turned to Kate, hovering nearby. “You must forgive my son. He’s a gentle man, but this is spring, you know. And given that he’s half human, the urge to see your world was too strong. But he’s all right now that he’s back where he belongs.”

  A wave of her hand and the air twinkled with a million counterfeit stars.

  “And so will you two be.”

  Kate and Michael found themselves outside the barrow in the fragrant summer night. Neither knew why they were there or how they’d gotten there.

  “The last thing I remember,” Kate said, “we were making love.”

  Michael pulled her into his arms. “You know what they say about memory. Go back to what you were doing just before and maybe it will come back to you.”

  And they did.

  Epilogue

  …and the prince stood waiting at the altar for his bride, his heart filled with love. The music began and the Princess Sophie floated up the aisle, her white veil strewn with pearls and diamonds. He’d always loved her, but he hadn’t known it, until she’d endangered her life out of concern for the queen.

  She was a true princess in every meaning of the word. When they exchanged their wedding vows before the congregation, there were tears of joy in every eye.

  “To think you were here all along and I never noticed you until that fateful night,” the prince said to his bride.

  “Well,” Sophie said, with a smile, “you had other things on your mind. And I have to admit that I was quite busy myself.”

  “But you always knew I was the one for you.”

  “Oh, yes. I always knew…”

  “And so,” Kate said, “they lived happily ever after.” She leaned down and kissed her twin daughters. “Why, Honoria is already asleep! Good night, Trixie.”

  “Good night, Mummy.” Trixie settled her fair head back on the pillow. “Mummy? Did Sophie and the prince really live happily ever after?”

  “Of course. Just like your father and I.”

  “I’m glad. Princess Sophie was very brave to go Above to guard the prince and see that he returned home safely.”

  “Yes, she was.” Although Kate suspected that part of Sophie’s plan was to make sure the prince didn’t bring back a human bride.

  Michael came into the bedroom. “What a lovely picture the three of you make.” He smiled down at his wife and daughters. “And soon to be four. Did you like Mummy’s new story, darling?”

  The little girl smiled. “Oh, yes. It was a splendid adventure.”

  Kate turned out the light, and they tiptoed to the door. “Sweet dreams.”

  Out in the hall Michael tipped her face up for a kiss. “It was a splendid adventure, wasn’t it?”

  “This is an even better one,” she told him.

  They’d decided to make their permanent home at Frogsmere, and Michael’s investments had paid off the estate taxes with enough left over for a comfortable life and their joint charity projects. Kate’s writing career was booming, and his consulting firm was a smashing success.

  They linked arms and walked downstairs. The drawing room windows of Frogsmere were open to the cool autumn air. With the leaves off the trees they could just make out the lights of King’s Meadow Convalescent Center blazing in the distance.

  “I wish Agatha Culpepper could have lived to see it,” he told her. “She was the one who first put the idea into my head. Sometimes our life seems like a fairy tale.”

  Kate smiled. “I’m glad it’s not.”

  “Confess. Aren’t you ever sorry that I’m not a prince?”

  “You are to me.”

  He took her in his arms and they kissed in the blue light of evening.

  Soft sounds drifted through the open window:

  Chirr-chirr.

  Ritchie-ritchie-ritchie.

  Golunka-Golunka.

  Plunkett.

  "Remind me to pour a little more concrete over the end of the barrow tomorrow," Michael said.

  And he kissed her again.