One Kiss (8 page)

No wonder he felt like his skull would split in half. Serenia had a lot to answer for. He could forgive capriciousness, but never an outright lie or a bargain broken.

“You’re lucky,” Ethel said. “It could’ve been worse.” She rose from her chair and walked to a door leading to another room, moving confidently despite her blindness. “Now that I know you’re well, I’m going to rest if you don’t mind. I’ve been up since the dawn, and I feel tired. It’s rather late.” Her brow wrinkled. “A bit after midnight, if I mark it right.”

“I’ve been unconscious for…what, twelve hours?”

“No. Four days,” Ethel said.

Four days! By all the gods.

“Thank you for your help. Good night, Mother,” Molly said.

“Thank you, Ethel,” Robert said.

“You’re welcome.” She disappeared into the other room.

Molly brought a small wooden bowl full of some kind of dark liquid. “You should drink some of this.”

“What’s that?”

“Herbal tonic. It’ll help you recover.”

He sniffed the bowl. It smelled like wet grass. “Are you a chemist as well as a seer?”

“Mother is a healer. She made it while you were out.”

“I owe her much.”

“Never mind that. Concentrate on getting better.” Molly spooned the liquid into his mouth.

He gagged at the bitter flavor. After suffering such a grave injury, a man deserved something sweeter.

“I know it tastes awful, but it’s good for you,” she cajoled. “Come now. Mother spent hours on this. You don’t want to appear ungrateful, do you?”

This too must be part of his curse. Or at least if he considered it so, he’d feel less resistant.

Better yet, consider it a punishment for ignoring Fairy Godmother.
You
insisted on a princess, and look what it has come to. Lying injured, dependent on a maid and her blind and aged mother.

With a sigh, he rose and moved slowly over to the bowl, unable even to hop. The movement made the room spin, but once it stopped he gulped down the disgusting brew. Done, he sighed again. “I have been an idiot.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“I’m not. I’m being honest with myself. I should have listened when Fairy Godmother said there weren’t any suitable princesses for me.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. But I kept demanding one, and eventually Fairy Godmother relented and said I could try Serenia if I truly
must
have a princess.” He groaned, closing his eyes, too ashamed to look at Molly. “Things have not turned out well.”

“Surely there are other princesses.”

“No. It’s too late. My father will reach his sixtieth year in…three days and retire to the country as our customs dictate.” Robert hung his head. “Though I’m his only legitimate heir, I cannot take the throne and rule in this form. The high lords would never accept me.”

“Have you asked them?”

“There has been no chance. I left court to find a princess as soon as the Wicked Witch cursed me.”

Molly nodded thoughtfully. “Well, if you wish, you can ask them yourself tomorrow.”

He raised his head. “That’s not possible either. It takes at least two days to travel to Lustrea.”

“There’s no need. The high lords are all here to celebrate Prince John’s engagement to Princess Serenia.”

It was a shock colder than a winter stream. “They’re
engaged?
”

“Not yet. He intends to ask her formally tomorrow in a lavish ceremony, but everyone knows the pact is all but sealed.”

“Sealed, is it?” Robert murmured.

No, the deed was not done yet. He wouldn’t allow it.

It was too late for him to claim the crown. He would never find a suitable princess in time. Nor did he want Serenia. Better to remain a frog than marry that horrid woman.

However, he refused to let his cousin marry her either, for a woman as crude and deceitful as she wasn’t qualified to be a queen any more than John deserved to be a king. Even if it was the last thing he did, Robert would stop their engagement.

Robert’s condition didn’t improve the next day. In point of fact, he felt fully as bad as he had the night before. But there was no time to lie around convalescing. John had to be prevented from marrying Serenia.

If John weren’t poised to rule Lustrea, Robert wouldn’t have cared that his cousin was going to tie himself to Serenia. But since he was, Robert cared very much.

“Should anything happen to me, Molly, you are to go to the fifth hill south of the sunrise and dig under the seventh pine you see as you climb to its peak,” he said, chewing on his breakfast—another piece of old cheese. Ethel was still resting in the other room. She must’ve overexerted herself during the four days he’d been unconscious. He wondered how often people brought her gravely injured frogs to heal.

“What am I to dig for?” Molly asked.

“My treasures. I buried them there. I promised you a thousand gold coins, and you have only half the amount. You may get the rest from there.” He paused. “In fact, should things not go well for me today, you are free to take everything.”

“Don’t say that.” Her hands suddenly started breaking her cheese into smaller pieces and brushed away invisible dust on the table. “Things may yet end well. The high lords might be more receptive than you expect.”

“I doubt it. I’m on my own in this.”

“I can help you.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Think of your mother, Molly. She’s old and frail. How would she survive without you? It’s likely that things are going to become worse for me, and I don’t want you to suffer because of my curse.”

She bit her lower lip and dropped her gaze.

Robert sighed and toyed with the rest of his cheese. His appetite had deserted him. He’d have liked to blame it on his injuries, but that wasn’t true at all.

He was going to miss Molly.

This wasn’t how he’d envisioned things would turn out for him. He was supposed to be deliriously happy, not torn.

He wished things could be different. He wished he weren’t a frog. He wished the curse didn’t limit his choice of women.

He wished he were just a normal man. Then he would’ve been able to lead a happy and simple life with Molly.

But he was a prince of the blood, and must needs answer the demands of duty. The only small consolation was that Molly would be able to live the rest of her life in material comfort with her mother. He had treasures enough that she could hire squads of burly porcupines to keep her safe from avaricious and ungrateful neighbors.

After a rather glum breakfast, Molly checked up on her mother, then returned to the table with the familiar handkerchief he’d thrown away. “The prince and princess think you dead, and may deny they know you when you appear at court. You may find some use for this.”

“Clever girl. But I fear I’m allergic to Serenia’s perfume.”

“I suspected as much. The cloth has been washed, so it should be all right now.”

She wrapped it in another handkerchief—this one plain green cotton—and tied it loosely around his neck. Her fingers brushed his throat, and he suppressed an involuntary shiver and tried to ignore the tingling of his skin. Just nerves, he told himself. The outer cover hid the pink, giving him some measure of camouflage.

Then she carried him to the palace and to the main ceremonial hall, where the engagement would take place.

It seemed like the half the world had gathered under the high domed ceiling. The crowd, resplendent in silk and satin, made a wide circle around the center where the royal thrones sat to the side. Everyone was packed tighter than a new box of matches, though no one dared to tread upon the six-foot-wide pink carpet that extended from the arched doorway to the thrones. Two other chairs, smaller but no less ornate than the thrones, had been placed alongside. Serenia’s parents occupied the royal seats, while the princess and John had taken the chairs. A group of porcupines stood guard over the royals. In high demand ever since the trolls had gone on strike, the rodents must’ve cost the king some pretty coins.

“Are you going to be all right?” Molly whispered.

“Yes,” Robert said.

“You aren’t dizzy or anything?”

“Fit as the proverbial fiddle,” he lied.

She hesitated, then smiled, her trembling lips pressed tight. “I wish you luck, Robert of Lustrea.”

“And I thank you for your help, Molly, daughter of Ethel.”

She hesitated, then nodded once, quickly, and went to Serenia’s side to attend her. He followed, hopping carefully through a forest of skirts and trousers and boots to be closer to her. But he stayed well back from the edge of the crowd. He didn’t want Serenia or John to notice him until the time was right, and his natural camouflage worked against him in this setting.

“So now you can return to work?” he heard the princess ask immediately.

Not even a hello first.

“I am…quite recovered.” While it was no credit upon Molly, it obviously took little in the way of verbal trickery to mislead her princess.

“Good. We can’t have you out with the flu when there’s so much going on. Jenny’s simply not as good with my hair as you are,” Serenia said.

“No need to worry, Your Royal Highness. You look stunning today. It must be love,” Molly said.

While Serenia preened, Molly flicked her gaze Robert’s way, as if she could tell exactly where he was. The grim set of her mouth bothered him. She was unhappy with his refusal to accept her help, but knew it to be for the best. She had a mother who depended upon her. Whatever he did here wouldn’t affect her so long as she remained silent about her role in the whole affair. He didn’t want her hurt.

Robert made his way among the crowd. No one noticed a lone frog hopping around their feet. Everyone was focused on the golden royal couple rising and stepping into the center of the hall—John and Serenia. He shone like a peacock, resplendent in indigo silk with red and gold trim. Serenia complemented him perfectly with her halo of blonde hair, pink silk and satin.

The high lords from both kingdoms surrounded them in a tighter circle—Robert recognized many from Lustrea—while Serenia’s parents sat on their thrones, overlooking everyone.

John went down on one knee and, with a dramatic flourish, produced a ring with a diamond the size of a quail’s egg. People gasped, and Robert could feel his eyes popping out more than usual.

How on Earth was Serenia supposed to wear that monstrosity?

John said, “Serenia, my love, my joy, will you make me the happiest prince in the world by accepting my hand in marriage?”

The hall, quiet to begin with, became completely silent.

Serenia gazed steadily at the diamond, her eyes bright. “Yes, John,” she murmured. “I will.”

She raised her hand to John; he dutifully placed the ring upon her finger. A joyous tune from the orchestra in the back swelled throughout the hall. On cue, she waved at the crowd with her left hand, her eyes still fastened upon the enormous gem. Her dimples indented both cheeks as she beamed at the ring.

Robert shook his head at the spectacle. How could he have ever thought her smile charming? It was about as lovely as the vapid expression on a blank-eyed bust…and one sculpted by a common artist at that.

Yet everyone cheered, apparently entranced by her beauty. He snorted. When time made her old and cruel and ravaged her face with lines, would people still find her radiant?

Almost out of habit, he searched for Molly, but couldn’t find her. He frowned. Where could she have gone? Had John ordered his men to take her, now that he was about to get everything he wanted?

No. She was too resourceful and intelligent, and she was well aware of John’s ill will. Perhaps she’d slipped away to take the rest of her money and run away with her mother. None would miss a maid in the chaos of the ceremony and the feasts to follow.

A poet in crisp white satin stepped up and said, “Princess Serenia, most stunning, most amazing, sweetest and most honorable—”

Robert seized the moment. “Don’t be outlandish. She may be the most stunning, but she is definitely not honorable.”

The music went into disarray and then died. There was again complete silence, not even a whisper in the hall. It was so quiet, Robert could hear his own heart beat.

The poet looked around and sputtered. “Wh-who dares—”

“It is I!” Robert leapt into the center of the hall, revealing himself to all. “Fair though she may be, Princess Serenia is anything but honorable. She broke a sworn vow to me five days ago, and further, attempted to murder me to cover up her crime!”

“I did not!” Serenia cried, crimson spots on her cheeks. “How dare you!”

“Really? Then tell us all. Did you accept a matched set of three golden orbs from me?”

“Most certainly not.”

“Are you denying that you traded this handkerchief for one of them?” Robert ripped the handkerchief from around his neck and tossed it on the floor.

Serenia stared at it for a moment, then recovered herself. “If there were three golden orbs, how is it you only have one item, frog?”

“Conversation was exchanged for the first. Of course, you and I both know you didn’t say much.”

“It’s not my fault you talk about boring things!” Serenia said. “Who cares about politics?”

“Precisely. That’s what princes are for,” John added in support.

“As for the handkerchief, it is now clear that you stole it…to frame me!” Serenia said, pointing a finger dramatically.

Robert rolled his eyes. Couldn’t she tell that she’d given herself away already?

John smiled coolly. “I believe my fiancée is correct. You are a thieving frog.”

“Quiet, John. It’d serve you right to marry such an abominable woman, but I shall spare you that fate.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Serenia said triumphantly. “You have but one item, yet claim that you gave three. So obviously it is you who has no honor.”

“A kiss was the price for the third ball, but you took the ball and kicked me so hard I hit my head and nearly died.” Robert glared at her. “This, after vowing
on your honor
to bestow the kiss.”

One of the high lords from Lustrea stared at Robert. “It is most mystifying. You sound just like Prince Robert, yet you are clearly a frog.”