by Liz Dejesus
“Yuck,” she muttered as she made a face. Oh well. Something else to look forward to when she got home. A nice hot shower.
Another problem they faced was that there was no obvious way for them to sneak in. It also didn’t help matters that there were two guards standing by the portcullis, one on each side. Although, from where Bianca stood, they looked more like peasants that had been given swords. They didn’t even have decent armor. Rust stains spotted their chainmail.
“What do we do now? It’s not like I can blast my way inside. The whole point was to sneak in, get the slipper, and go home,” she whispered.
Terrance told them to stay where they were. “I’m going to look around and find a way inside.” He got up and walked away, leaving Bianca alone with the prince.
“It smells funny,” Ferdinand whispered.
“I know,” Bianca whispered back. She removed her glasses and used a corner of her shirt to wipe them clean. She massaged the bridge of her nose and then slipped her glasses back on.
“I’m hungry.”
“Your Highness, please be quiet,” she hissed.
“Oh, yes, my apologies.” He nodded.
Exactly sixty seconds passed before Prince Ferdinand asked yet another question. Bianca knew this because she counted.
“Bianca, do you think Ming likes me?”
“If I tell you, will you promise to be quiet?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“Then, yes, I think she likes you more than she knows.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Now, you promised you’d be quiet, so hush.”
“All right. Oh, one more thing.”
Bianca lost her patience and placed a firm hand over his mouth and shushed him. With her free hand, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled him close to her.
“If we get caught and lose the slipper because you couldn’t keep your royal mouth shut, I’m going to tell your mother,” she hissed into his ear.
Ferdinand’s blue eyes widened in fear.
“This isn’t a game. Do you understand?”
Ferdinand nodded.
“Good.” She released the death grip she had on him and sat down to wait for Terrance to return.
After a few minutes of agonizing silence, a shadow walked toward them, and her heart leapt to her throat as she stifled a cry.
“Bianca,” Terrance said softly.
She waved her hand in response. Prince Ferdinand opened his mouth to speak, but Bianca quickly covered his mouth. He whimpered in protest, but remained silent.
As soon as Bianca removed her hand from his lips, Prince Ferdinand said to Terrance, “She was being mean to me.”
“Hush,” Bianca said.
“See?” Prince Ferdinand pointed at Bianca and looked at Terrance, as if he expected him to do something about Bianca’s behavior.
Her response? She smacked the prince’s hand away and said, “I swear to God, I’m going to push you in this disgusting slimy moat water.”
“Will you both please stop? I found a way in,” Terrance whispered.
“Great,” Bianca said.
He held his index finger up and said, “But…”
“But? There’s a but? I don’t like buts.”
“You are not going to like it,” he warned.
“What? Why?”
“It’s big enough for us, but it’s how the frogs get inside the castle.”
“The frogs are in there?”
“Darling, they are everywhere.”
“Oh, eww.” Bianca hopped from foot to foot and shook her hands, as though warding off any potential frogs that might want to jump on her.
“Try not to think about it as you crawl through the hole in the wall,” Terrance suggested.
“Crawl?” She gave him a panicked look.
“Yes, crawl…through a hole…”
“…in the wall.”
“Yes.”
Bianca took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
“Okay, okay. I think I can do it.”
She closed her eyes and tried to visualize herself doing it, even though it grossed her out to no end.
Terrance chuckled, wiped a spot on her forehead clean with his thumb, and kissed her. He held her hand and quietly guided her to the entrance he’d discovered. Prince Ferdinand followed closely behind them.
“Here we are,” Terrance said softly.
Bianca got down on her hands and knees and took a peek inside the hole in the wall. It was definitely large enough for them to fit through one by one, but the floor was full of muddy water, slime, and frogs. Her mouth began to grow sour. Vomiting was the last thing she wanted to do, especially in front of her boyfriend. Bianca was positive she would die of embarrassment.
“I’m gonna be sick,” she whispered.
“Please don’t, because I’ll have to crawl over your sick, and I would really like to avoid that,” Ferdinand whispered.
She walked away for a moment and took several deep breaths of fresh air. And into the hole she went. She slipped a couple of times, but luckily didn’t fall face first into the muddy water. It was safe to say that her jeans were ruined for life. She was trying to decide whether she should just throw them away as soon as she got home or burn them.
At least they’re not my favorite pair. Those are safe at home.
Something tiny slipped over her hand and she gasped. It was a frog slowly making its way over her wrist. She closed her eyes and thought of reasons not to scream. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, it was crawling with toads and frogs. At least the gross part of her journey was almost finished.
The room she crawled into was a safe haven for frogs and other amphibians. There was a very small pond with lily pads and water lilies floating lazily on the surface. Moments later, Terrance rushed in, followed by Prince Ferdinand. It took them a while, but they managed to get inside the castle by sneaking through a storage room door left ajar.
“What is the deal with this woman?” Bianca asked as soon as she determined no one was around.
“She can communicate with frogs as well as other amphibians, which is why she is called the Frog Queen,” Ferdinand explained the obvious.
“Yeah, but isn’t she taking this a bit too far?” Bianca asked as she stepped over a multitude of frogs and toads.
“Maybe it’s not something she can control. Perhaps it’s something that occurred naturally,” Terrance said.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that maybe the frogs are naturally attracted to her.”
“Like attracts like?”
“Exactly,” Terrance replied.
“Not sure how I’d feel about that,” she muttered.
Terrance opened the door and looked out into the hallway. He stepped out and waved at them to follow. The halls were curiously, suspiciously, devoid of servants. Bianca touched the walls; she could feel the gentle hum of magic in them. Her hands came back slick with water. A spell made their surroundings wet.
“Shh. I think someone’s coming,” Terrance whispered.
It took her a moment to hear the sound of oncoming footsteps. Bianca looked around for a place to hide. Terrance grabbed her by the waist and pulled her inside one of the many rooms in the castle. Prince Ferdinand closed the door behind them, careful not to make a sound.
She parted her lips to ask a question, wanting to know from whom they had narrowly escaped. Terrance pressed his index finger against her lips and shook his head.
Ferdinand opened the door and peaked down the hallway.
While the prince wasn’t looking, Terrance seized the opportunity to sneak in a kiss. He placed his hand on the small of her back and drew her close against him. Bianca’s stomach did several flips as her boyfriend pressed his lips against hers. When Terrance pulled away, he gave her a mischievous grin and a playful wink. He grabbed her hand, and together, they ventured into the hallway once more.
After wandering around the castle aimlessly for what felt l
ike an eternity, they found their way into the throne room, emerging on the top balcony. They all hid behind a different column, and Bianca gazed down to the floor below. Her glasses slid down her nose, and she quickly adjusted them to watch the scene before them. A woman Bianca assumed to be the Frog Queen sat on the throne, talking to three other women. She couldn’t get a good look at Rebekah’s face because it was partially covered by a brown hood.
“Are you sure that the other slipper is in the other world?” the Frog Queen asked, her voice loud and commanding.
“I’m certain. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, Your Majesty. It is on display for filthy mortals to see. They don’t even know what it is. They are made to believe it is a replica,” one of the witches replied.
Rebekah frowned. “I find that hard to believe.”
“There is an impressive ward surrounding the building. That is proof enough that there are other valuable items hidden inside.”
“How do you know this?”
“As I mentioned before, Your Majesty, I was there recently.”
“How is that possible? I thought all paths to the other worlds were sealed shut.”
“I have my ways,” the witch replied.
Rebekah sneered. “Magic.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I know how you feel about my craft. But it is the only way to reverse the curse.”
“Oh…do you know? You know how I feel?” Rebekah said with feigned sweetness.
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” the witch said hurriedly.
“No, please, by all means continue. You were going to tell me all about what it’s like being me. How I can’t be out in the sun for too long because my skin will dry and crack. How I can only eat flies and other insects because when I try to eat human food, I’m sick to my stomach for days. My webbed feet can’t fit comfortably into a normal pair of shoes. I have no eyebrows and my skin is green!” Rebekah removed her hood and revealed her face. “Please, Blair, tell me more about what it is like being me!”
Rebekah’s throat puffed like a frog’s as she gasped for air. It took her several moments until she was able to calm down.
Bianca covered her lips to suppress the urge to gasp. It wasn’t a grotesque face, just surprising to see. Rebekah’s skin was light jade, and it looked smooth and dewy. The Frog Queen had no eyebrows, but she had long, chocolate-brown hair that cascaded in beautiful, perfect waves.
Wow. I would love to have hair like hers.
Rebekah had no nose, just tiny slits where a nose was supposed to be. Her eyes were dark blue and slightly bulged out of her sockets. When she blinked, Bianca noticed that there was a clear film of membrane that lingered for a moment. It was as if she were blinking twice.
Rebekah pulled the glass slipper out of her pocket. Bianca’s eyes zeroed in on it immediately.
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Blair said.
“Leave.” Rebekah waved her hand and put her hood over her head once more.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The three witches left the throne room. Rebekah sat on her throne, lovingly gazing at the slipper.
“What do we do now?” Bianca whispered.
“Three against one. I think we can take it from her,” Prince Ferdinand replied.
“True, but I don’t know where the other two witches are, and I don’t know if Rebekah knows magic,” Bianca said.
“The way she spoke about magic leads me to think that she has none,” Terrance said.
“Yeah, but how do you explain the wet walls and all these frogs in here? She has to know something.”
Bianca nibbled on her thumb for a moment and then said, “I have an idea, I think.”
“Let’s hear it,” Terrance whispered.
“The walls and floors are damp. I’m going out on a limb and assuming that the ceiling is the same way. This is a trick I learned with my mom while we were fighting Lenore in her castle. Mom froze the ceiling and created stalactites. She used them to attack Lenore.”
“Do you think it will work?” Ferdinand asked.
“I can always set random people on fire if it doesn’t work.”
“I’m not sure about this, Bianca,” the prince replied.
“Do you have a better idea?”
Prince Ferdinand opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and shook his head.
“Ter?”
“I’ll follow your lead,” he said.
“All right. Here goes nothin’.” Bianca placed her hands on the walls and quietly muttered an ice spell. A whoosh of cold ran through her arms and hands. Bits of frost traveled all the way up to the ceiling, and a burst of white expanded up above them. She watched in wonder as ice-blue stalactites formed. This was to be her back-up plan if Rebekah didn’t hand over the slipper, which she doubted would happen.“I believe you have something that belongs to me, Your Majesty,” Prince Ferdinand said.
Bianca and Terrance followed him down the stairs and stepped into the middle of the throne room.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the handsome prince and future king of Everafter. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Rebekah leaned back and relaxed into her throne.
“The slipper. We want it back,” Bianca said.
“I believe that is out of the question,” the Frog Queen replied.
She isn’t even going to try to deny that she has it.
Rebekah gave them the sweetest smile and then let out a series of loud croaks.
That can’t be good.
At the sounds of frogs climbing in through the windows, Rebekah laughed. The throne room was taken over by every type of amphibian imaginable. The sound of their croaks filled the room and caused walls to vibrate.
“Sorry froggies,” Bianca muttered. She created a shield around Terrance, Prince Ferdinand, and herself, then clapped her hands, releasing the stalactites from the ceiling.
Icicles rained from the ceiling and crushed dozens of frogs. Bianca tried to concentrate on keeping her shields up and not let the sight of frogs being squished make her squeamish. Rebekah cried and screamed as her little pets were killed before her eyes.
“What now?” Terrance asked.
“I don’t know,” Bianca replied.
“Seriously?” he shouted.
“I pulled this out of my ass at the last minute. I didn’t know she would call her army of frogs to attack us,” Bianca cried.
At that moment, the three witches that had been in the throne room earlier hurried in through the door. The shorter one that Rebekah yelled at was Blair. She had dark brown hair that was thinning and greasy and angry beady eyes that darted in every direction. The second witch was slightly taller than Blair, with frizzy blond hair and a wide nose.
The taller one was slender and had pock marks all over her face. She also had several dozen baby snakes slithering around her feet.
Elda. It has to be her.
Her skin was the exact opposite of Rebekah’s. Deathly pale and extremely dry. Her front top and bottom teeth had an overbite and were pushed forward. Bianca could only assume that her teeth were like that from so many years of having snakes and toads constantly crawling out of her mouth.
Bianca’s heart fell to her stomach. She had never been so completely terrified to be in someone’s presence in her life. Elda’s eyes fell on Bianca. Her hazel eyes were devoid of humanity. Elda’s gravely, cracked voice lent itself for commanding the snakes at her feet and any reptiles living within the castle walls. Somehow, she could get them to obey her every word.
Elda lifted her hands, as though getting ready to unleash a spell at Bianca and her friends, when Rebekah lowered Elda’s arms and shook her head.
“Leave them be,” she commanded.
Elda frowned at the Frog Queen, but reluctantly obeyed her.
Bianca was just as confused as Elda appeared. That wasn’t typical villain M.O.
Strange.
“Don’t hurt them, Elda. Let’s just leave. I would like to avoid bloodshed in my home,” Rebekah sa
id.
Blair chanted a spell that Bianca knew all too well. She called the door that led to Bianca’s world.
Damned traitorous door. Don’t let them through!
Elda stopped for a moment and looked back at Bianca. She flashed a wicked grin and vanished. Three witches and a strange queen were in her world, headed toward the museum. All Bianca could think about was her parents and Ming.
Fanny’s warning echoed in her mind.
She’ll never stop. No matter what you do.
“There’s too many frogs. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. We gotta go. Now,” Bianca said as she strained to keep the shield in place.
“As you wish. Stand behind me,” Terrance said.
Prince Ferdinand and Bianca did as he asked. Terrance snatched the prince’s sword, and armed with two blades, he sliced his way out the door. Snake and frog body parts flew in every direction. It took them a while, but Terrance had managed to hack and slash his way out of the throne room.
“Let’s get out of here.” Terrance grabbed Bianca’s hand and led her out of the castle, with the prince following closely beside them.
They returned to the horses and untied them.
“What exactly are we doing?” Bianca asked.
“They know the way back to the castle. You can’t expect us to leave them here to die and be eaten by vultures,” Prince Ferdinand said.
“Smart horses,” Bianca replied.
Terrance grabbed their bags and slapped each horse on the rear. All three stallions rode off into the swamp and kicked dirt off the ground.
Bianca turned to the prince. “Before I open the portal…are you sure you want to come with me?”
“And miss the opportunity to visit another world? That’s a rather silly question to ask,” Prince Ferdinand replied.
“So that’s a yes? I guess?”
The prince smirked and nodded.
Bianca turned to Terrance.
“You know that I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked me to,” he said.
