Frogs and Princes Page 13

  Even Lawrence turned to face Shorty. You idiot. Why did you not hide it better?

  "I don't know when they took it. Maybe one of them used to be a pickpocket. The knights must have suspected it's a weapon. Soon they'll hear about their friends outside who got knocked out. They'll remember it was us and then they'll come back to take us to the gallows. I can't be changing anyone back right now."

  A mixture of panic and relief coursed through me. I was safe from Lawrence for a little while longer but not safe in every other way. These people would hang us for sure. They must think we were with Alric and the knights were discussing us right now. They might have even gone to the Queen and interrupted her meeting with Mary. I faced Lawrence and leaned down, glaring at him. He had lost his power over us for now. "Look," I said. "You need to tell the knights who you are so they let us out of here. And then you will tell them we need to see this Mary. She will know how your curse gets removed. Shorty here isn't even sure he can change someone back from something like this. He doesn't know every spell and has never practiced, anyway."

  Behind Lawrence, Shorty nodded. "It shocked me that I could hold fire back. You know, frog prince, the one that would have killed you otherwise?"

  "And he doesn't want to deal with you as a human," I added. "When the knights come back, you will tell them we're not with Alric and that we need to see Mary. It's for your sake just as much as ours." I prayed that Mary would see what a jerk Lawrence was and help us—and me—not have to be slaves to this story. And above all, help these two kingdoms avoid darkness.

  She had the book of fairy tales.

  Lawrence gulped. At least, he made a gulping sound in his thoughts. Yes. I will.

  Shorty and I remained there for a while, watching the sun through the tiny prison window get longer across the floor and more golden-orange. Evening was approaching, and I was wondering if we'd be here all night when loud footsteps approached from outside the cell.

  A key turned in a lock and I tensed. Shorty brushed himself off to look presentable. It was hopeless. I still smelled like a swamp and so did Shorty. I still wore my ripped jeans.

  For the first time, I wished I had a dress.

  The door swung open.

  Lawrence hopped towards the door and the two knights stopped in the doorway, staring at him. Sirs, he thought.

  The one knight, a younger guy with a trimmed beard, faced the other who lifted his visor and squinted.

  Sirs, Lawrence repeated. I am Prince Lawrence of the Fox Kingdom, returned to claim my rightful throne and free myself from my curse.

  "Listen to him," I said. At least he was cooperating so far.

  "The frog. Is talking," said the younger knight. He leaned on his sword. "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

  "It can't be," the older one said. "Prince Lawrence vanished over twenty years ago. He's presumed dead."

  I got cursed, he continued. Now, take me to the Queen so we can discuss a way to remove the curse that these two have placed on me. That is an order.

  "These two?" I asked. "We never cursed him!"

  Shorty lunged for Lawrence, then stopped as the older knight stepped between him and Lawrence. I let my mouth fall open. I should have seen it coming.

  Now, Lawrence demanded. Have you two forgotten how to do your duties?

  "Maybe this is Lawrence," the older man said. "It sounds like him."

  "We didn't do a thing to hurt him," I said. "I found Lawrence in a pond and he told me some witch was the one who did it. I had to bring him here so someone could remove it for him. We need to talk to Mary."

  "Back, girl," the younger knight said, tightening his grip on the sword. "Remain against the wall. We will take you before the Queen so we can discuss the matter further."

  I felt ready to throw up even though my stomach was empty. Lawrence had betrayed us after we'd saved his life. After Shorty had decided not to kill him. After we had risked our necks to bring him here.

  Pick me up and take me to the Queen. Do not leave me on this floor. It is not the way to treat a prince.

  The older knight leaned down to pick him up. "This is him," he said. "It must be." He didn't sound too overjoyed about it.

  "Do you want to let him treat you like that?" I asked. "He's been a jerk the entire trip here. And do you think we would have brought him back to his home if we were the ones who cursed him?"

  The older knight kept Lawrence in both hands and straightened up. "He is our crown prince," he said with great care. "We must treat him like one."

  "You were around when he was still human, weren't you?" I asked. "I'm sure he was a great boss. Awesome, flexible working hours and lots of paid time off. Not to mention, holidays."

  The knights looked at me funny. I was scrambling. The older knight was the closest one to our side out of the two. I wished Shorty would come up with something, but he had paled beyond belief. We could head for the gallows. Shorty would go before I did. I might survive, but I'd also suffer a horrible fate.

  "Out. Both of you," the younger knight demanded. "We will straighten all of this out soon."

  The younger knight got behind Shorty and I and we had to walk behind the older one, who still held the frog prince. His sword hung from his belt as he kept his hands out, balancing him. The two knights led us down the basement hallway, which was lined with lots of wooden doors and flickering, sad torches. All the other cell doors remained shut and the smell of moisture and mildew intensified. No windows let in light or fresh air in the corridor. A small furry thing that might have been a rat darted behind a barrel.

  I said nothing. I grabbed Shorty's hand and squeezed it.

  Lawrence had us right where he wanted us. On his turf. Trapped.

  We'd done everything to avoid his trap and try to save Franco, but none of it had done any good.

  We might even die today.

  The knights took us up spiral stairs, and we emerged on the main floor of the castle. We stood behind the kitchens and the knights led us through a narrow corridor. A woman in an apron dodged out of the way and stared after us as we passed.

  Another flight of stairs followed and another. My stomach cramped with nerves. The brick grew brighter as we climbed into better parts of the castle. Lawrence said nothing. A chill rushed over me as a breeze blew through the stairwell and we walked past a narrow, stained glass window with a blue fox design. It would have felt good if it wasn't for the impending danger.

  The Queen.

  If she was like most mothers, she would believe her son over us.

  And at last, we arrived at a set of double doors even more grandiose than the ones back in the other castle. The older knight lifted one hand and knocked, keeping Lawrence balanced in the other.

  "Our story," I reminded Lawrence. "I have to live happily ever after."

  Lawrence said nothing. I squeezed Shorty's hand a little harder.

  I liked the guy.

  And Lawrence had seen that.

  The knight knocked again, keeping Lawrence balanced in one hand.

  "Enter," an old woman said from inside.

  The older knight pushed open the door onto a very large room and went into a bow. "Queen Annabella," he said. "We have brought the prisoners. And a frog who claims to be your son."

  We entered a huge chamber with blue and white tiles and huge stained glass windows that looked out on the path Shorty and I had run up hours before. The chamber had a glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling and velvet blue curtains hanging from the windows. It was warm in here but breezy even though I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I felt like we were in a ballroom, but right now it looked like a war room.

  A long table sat in the middle and several people sat around it. Knights, all of them older than the ones who escorted us. Three women sat at the table. A woman in a blue dress and crown sat at the end and she was old, in her seventies. She had a round face and a figure that matched. Queen Annabella. Lawrence's mother. It had to be.

  A middle-
aged woman in a smaller crown sat on her left, dressed in green and silver, and another old woman in a simple black dress and apron sat on the right. She turned in her chair to face us.

  And on the table with them were maps. Lots and lots of maps and scrolls. And a large, leather-bound book with gold leaf.

  And on top of a small pile of maps sat Shorty's wand. They'd confiscated it and might have been trying to make sense of it before we arrived.

  The older knight moved aside to show us standing there. I wanted to pull Shorty out of the room and make a run for it. But the old woman in the apron had to be Mary. The other woman, another queen or princess. She had a long, pointed face and graying blond hair. Something about her seemed familiar, but I couldn't place why.

  Mary was here. We might have a chance. She'd know the story.

  It was the only thing keeping me from running out of there with Shorty. That, and the knight standing in the doorway.

  Queen Annabella stood and took a step towards us. "The two of you broke into my castle. Why?" She spoke with patience, but underneath it was stress.

  "We have Lawrence. Your son," I explained to her. "He's not dead. He got cursed to be a frog, and we brought him back here looking for a cure. We were hoping Mary could help us with that."

  The Queen stepped closer. She wore a crown encrusted with blue jewels and she had a limp like one of her legs was paining her. She wouldn't be holding onto rule for much longer. Or life. "My son? He vanished so long ago." Her expression softened. "If you know anything of him, please, tell me."

  Behind her, the other queen shifted in her chair.

  The older knight held up the frog prince and Queen Annabella stepped back, grimacing.

  This young man cursed me, Lawrence thought. Don't listen to their lies.

  Queen Annabella screamed and jumped back, then grabbed at her aching leg.

  Mother, he thought.

  "We didn't curse him!" I shouted. "The wand—we stole it from a witch who attacked us. It might have been the one who cursed Lawrence here for all we know. How could we have cursed him if we weren't around at the time he vanished? I mean, look at us. We're younger than he is!"

  Annabella breathed fast, slapping her hand on her chest. The young knight rushed over to help hold her up. "Breathe," he instructed. "Do you need us to summon a nurse?"

  The Queen took another breath and straightened up. "I will be fine," she said. She drew closer to the frog in the other knight's outstretched hand. "Lawrence? Is that you?"

  Yes. I have returned, dear mother. You have the wand, do you not?

  He sounded so pleasant now I wanted to throw up. He had two faces, one for Mom and the other for everyone else. I could see how this worked all these years.

  "My dear son!" she said, scooping him up in both hands. "My precious, dear son. My angel. What has happened to you? Who has done this to you?"

  Shorty looked at me and pretended to barf.

  These two, Lawrence thought. The boy. He is the son of the evil wizard. He even admitted it. This young man is full of dark magic.

  Queen Annabella faced Shorty and her gaze hardened. Fear glistened in her eyes. Shorty backed away and the older knight drew closer, hand on his hilt. All the color drained from his face. "I am not," he said. "I hate Alric. He attacked us in the woods and tried to kill us with a wall of fire. If you need proof of that, send someone towards Mary's village and they'll see the destruction starting at that big dark spot. It's there. And I didn't do it."

  "We almost died. Shorty saved us," I said. "He's not dark. I know he's not!"

  I realized my mistake too late.

  The other queen rose from her chair. "Shorty used this wand." She held it up. I hadn't noticed it on the table. "The guards at the front gates told us so. That means he has magical blood."

  "He saved us!" I shouted. Panic was taking over. "He saved your son. He's not evil. And he didn't curse Lawrence. Some witch did that about twenty years ago. That's what Lawrence told me. Shorty wasn't even born yet!"

  The other queen brandished the wand. "This is full of dark magic," she said. "I can feel it. Even Mary could feel it."

  Mary rose. She was quick for an old lady. She turned towards us.

  And her wrinkled face was friendly. "Is this true? There is nothing in the stories about Alric having a son."

  Queen Annabella faced Shorty. "Is this true you are a son of a wizard?"

  He gulped. "No. I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know either of my parents. If I met Alric I'd kill him."

  The other queen walked around the table and stopped next to Annabella. She stared very hard at Shorty. Lawrence shifted.

  Shorty is the son of Alric, he said. He is dark and will turn against us to please his father. He tried to kill me before this girl saved my life in the other world.

  "That's not true," I said.

  Queen Annabella let out a gasp and I knew it was all over.

  She stared at Shorty for a long, long time.

  "He is," she managed at last. "He looks just like Alric."

  "Leave him alone," I begged. "Shorty never wanted to kill Lawrence. He hates his father." It was out now. I was free to speak.

  Lawrence turned. He will hang at dawn. I decree it.

  "No!" I shouted, lunging for him.

  The knights tried to move, but I was too fast. I grabbed Lawrence off the Queen's outstretched hands and squeezed. Rage had taken over. I would never be his. He would have no one.

  "Stop!" Mary shouted. "The story. Don't hurt—"

  I tossed Lawrence as hard as I could at the wall.

  He flew and Annabella screamed. Mary rushed forward, but it was too late. One knight seized my arm and pulled me back. I hit armor and I let out a breath.

  The green ball that was Lawrence crashed into the wall with a sickening thud.

  And the frog's body landed on the ground in a green, crumpled heap.

  And remained still.

  Silence fell.

  I had killed him.

  I had killed the frog prince right in front of his mother.

  Annabella screamed again and rushed for him. She hyperventilated and leaned down, tears rolling down her aged face. No one spoke. Everyone was too shocked to move.

  Then Annabella glared at me. There was so much hatred in her eyes I drew back.

  "You killed him," she shouted. "You killed my only son!"

  "I..." I started. A small, tiny voice in my mind screamed that I'd be joining Shorty at the gallows.

  The frog on the floor smoked and crumbled.

  The smoke rose higher and higher and made Annabella cough. It grew thicker, exploding out of the tiny body and taking up more space. The smoke took on an awful green hue. The knight pulled me away from it. Something was happening, and it wasn't what we expected.

  Mary walked over and looked at me with sad eyes.

  And then the green smoke fell and spread out on the floor.

  A man stood where it had billowed a second before.

  The guy stood tall, wearing blue and white bands over his shirt with more gold buttons than an accomplished Girl Scout. He had the same round face as his mother and an upturned nose he had even after his humiliating twenty years as a frog. Lawrence appeared around nineteen, maybe twenty. He hadn't aged a day during the enchantment.

  Lawrence checked out his clothes, rubbing his hands over his buttons as if he couldn't believe they were there.

  I backed away into the knight.

  I had freed the frog prince and not how I thought.

  And doomed myself.

  Chapter Twelve

  Annabella screamed again, this time with joy.

  "My darling son!" she said, wrapping her arms around him. "You're not a day older than you were when I saw you last!"

  Lawrence split a huge grin and returned the hug. "Dear mother," he said. "I'm glad to be home."

  "And just in time!" she said. Her tone grew more serious. "I am aging and you will need to take the throne soon."r />
  Mary appeared next to me. "Let this girl go," she told the knight. "Please."

  The knight loosened his grip on my arm. Mary had clout here. I broke away and shot Shorty a look of horror. We could still make it to the door if we ran, but the young knight had moved over to guard it.

  Mary faced me and spoke with a low voice. "The way to free the frog prince was to kill his frog form, not with a kiss. I feared this would happen. You need to escape."

  Lawrence and his mother broke their hug.

  And then Lawrence faced me. And grinned.

  It wasn't a nice grin, either. It was more like an, I pulled you over grin.

  Mary stepped in front of me. She didn't like this Lawrence very much. Even if she'd come from the regular world, it was clear she'd been here a while. I wondered what she'd heard. What she remembered. Maybe this was why they called her the wise woman.

  I had another ally here.

  "You're a disgusting man," Mary told Lawrence. "You deserved to be frog and still deserve to be a frog."

  Annabella frowned at her. "Do not speak that way about my son. Do you want to wear out your welcome here? We can always keep your book and send you on your way. This is the way the story goes. You know that. A princess frees the frog prince and then they marry. Only a princess can free him. This girl must be one even if she does not look the part."

  Mary didn't seem fazed. "Ignorance is bliss. Your son is not what you believe."

  The smile dropped off Lawrence's face and he peeled himself from the wall. His mother stood there and her jaw fell open. She hadn't been expecting something like this to come out of Mary's mouth.

  "I've heard things," Mary continued, facing him. "Terrible things."

  Lawrence spoke. "You're no one. You're just a woman with a book. I am Crown Prince Lawrence of the Fox Kingdom, and Candice is mine. We will wed at dawn."

  "No, we won't," I said. My words came out weak and fell to the floor. Knights surrounded us. Lawrence and Annabella had the ultimate say here. Mary was just the woman with the book.

  "What about Candice's choice?" Mary asked. "I know the kingdom must stay protected from falling into darkness. I know how dangerous Alric is. But there are always ways around to make it work. Let me consult the book." She gestured to the leather one lying on the table.