“Why?”
Stefan studied her face. He understood the military was important to Santelle, but why would a father put his daughter through this?
“There was a traitor in the Navy. Someone with a high rank. No one knew who. No one knew how. But information kept leaking to our enemies. They knew our every move. Father’s spies were split. Half blamed one man. Half blamed the other.”
“Half of the spies were working with the traitor.”
Carina nodded.
“Father needed someone he knew he could trust. Someone that none of the spies would suspect.”
“And there you were.”
“There I was. The golden ball had been in the treasury for years, but our scholars had only recently discovered how it worked. I walked everywhere. Talked to everyone. I played with the ball the entire time. No one suspected me.”
“And you found the man?”
Carina stared into the pond.
“He and the spies who sided with him were convicted of treason and executed.”
Stefan swallowed.
“Carina, I’m so sorry.”
She shook her head.
“I thought that would be the end of it. Serafina had already started military training. I wanted to join her class, but I wasn’t allowed. I was trained in secret. I had to lie to her. To everyone. Every time I was given a new mission, I thought it would be the last.”
“You were sent to the Princess Tests to gather information?”
She nodded.
“I was always given a list of girls to befriend. It was Eirwyn at the latest one. Her father has been acting suspiciously.”
Stefan snorted.
“Gaveron is always up to something.”
“I suppose none of that matters now. I’ve been given my final assignment, but it will last my entire life. You can’t tell Gustave any of this.”
“You can’t marry Gustave.”
She smiled at the disgust in his tone.
“I may not have a choice. Why don’t you like him?”
“I’ve never liked men with beards.”
She laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Is that all?”
“And his teeth annoy me.”
She snorted.
“You don’t like his teeth?”
Stefan sighed. It would be impossible to explain teeth envy to someone who had never experienced life as a frog. Not to mention it would violate the terms of the curse.
“He isn’t so bad apart from all that,” Stefan admitted. “But don’t marry him. Please.”
He couldn’t stand the thought of it.
Carina sighed.
“No matter how much my father threatens, I may not be able to. Gustave seems determined to avoid matrimony.”
“Well, that’s something to be grateful for.”
She studied him.
“Thank you. For everything. You’re the first person who has ever tried to help me. The first who ever took the time to understand.”
Stefan stood and bowed to her.
“It is my pleasure, Your Highness.”
“I don’t suppose you could tell me your name?” Carina asked.
He shook his head.
“No. I don’t suppose I could.”
40
“Princess Carina?”
Stefan croaked. Blasted king. He was having a moment with Carina. Of course, King Gustave would ruin it.
“We’re by the pond,” Carina said.
King Gustave frowned when he saw her tear-stained face.
“It didn’t go well?”
She shook her head.
“He doesn’t believe me. Has he agreed to meet with you?”
Gustave sighed.
“I met briefly with him after you did. I told him about the ship missing from Montaigne’s harbor, but the marquis interrupted us before I could say more. It seems everyone will spend the afternoon preparing for a gala.”
Carina nodded.
“Yes, I’ll have to start getting ready soon. I’m sorry, Gustave. I thought he would believe me. I thought-”
Gustave placed a hand on her shoulder.
“We’ve done everything we can. We’ll continue our investigation tomorrow.”
Stefan watched Carina’s face. Would she tell Gustave what her father had said? That, more than ever, she was supposed to convince him to propose?
Carina caught his gaze and shook her head. Stefan smiled. Apparently, she didn’t trust Gustave with everything.
“I’ll see you tonight for the gala, then,” Carina said. “I’d better get ready.”
Gustave took her hand and helped her stand.
“Would you permit me to borrow the frog for the afternoon?” he asked.
“No,” Stefan said.
Carina blinked in surprise.
“Why?”
“You’ll spend the rest of the afternoon getting ready for the gala. Won’t you find that easier without a frog sitting on your shoulder?”
“I’m not a bother,” Stefan said.
He puffed out his chest. Other frogs probably would have found it intimidating. Gustave simply smirked.
“Plus, I have something I’d like to discuss with sir frog,” Gustave said. “Something important.”
Carina’s face was tense, but she gently plucked Stefan off her shoulder and set him in Gustave’s hands.
“I suppose that would be alright, then. I’ll see you tonight?”
“I’d rather go with you,” Stefan grumbled.
“You’ll be safer with him for the afternoon,” Carina said. “And he knows more about magic than I do. Maybe he can help you.”
She smiled sadly at Stefan and hurried out of the garden. He tried to kick loose, but Gustave’s hands were unyielding. Stefan fought back the urge to cry out to her. He had no doubt Carina could beat the stuffy king in a fight, but he didn’t want to seem helpless.
King Gustave held Stefan up to his face.
“For goodness sakes, stop squirming. I mean you no harm.”
“Then let me go back to Carina.”
Gustave raised an eyebrow.
“You want to stay with her while she tries on dresses all afternoon? A gentleman gives a lady privacy.”
Stefan caught the meaning. If frogs could have blushed, he would have.
“She changes clothes behind a screen,” he said. “Or I turn my back. I’ve done nothing dishonorable.”
“Good.”
Gustave walked to his room. It was about the same size as Carina’s, but it lacked the decorations. He pulled folded blue cloth from his pocket. Stefan bristled.
“That’s my suit!”
“There’s no need to be angry, frog. I’m trying to help you. I assume your curse has something to do with Carina? That you need her to help break it?”
Stefan said nothing. Gustave nodded.
“I thought as much. Would it help if she thought of you as more human than frog?”
Again, Stefan said nothing. Gustave ran his hands through his hair. It remained perfectly smooth. Stefan glared at it. His would have spiked up like a porcupine by now.
He would give anything to have his unruly hair back. To have his hands back.
Instead, he was stuck as a frog and relying on a bearded king for help.
Gustave held the suit out.
“I’ll help you put this on. Both the King of Santelle and Marquis Corbeau will expect me to spend a lot of time with Carina at the gala. We might as well use that to your advantage.”
“They expect you to propose to her. To turn the gala into an engagement party.”
He was trying to shock the king. Needle at him the only way he could. But Gustave only nodded.
“I know.”
“You know?”
Gustave shrugged.
“I’m sure Marquis Corbeau told King Giuseppe that I would be thrilled to have Carina. They have every reason to think I’ll propose.”
The sad note in Gustave’s voice annoyed Stefan
.
“You don’t have to sound so depressed about it. You’d be lucky to have Carina.”
He regretted the words as soon as he’d said them. Blast it all, he didn’t want Gustave to be interested in Carina!
Gustave looked at him, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“I’ve known Carina since we were young. I’m well aware of how special she is. But I don’t want to marry anyone right now. I have my own quest, and romance would get in the way.”
He gestured for Stefan to hop onto the table. The frog prince did so, and Gustave opened the tiny jacket so Stefan could slide his legs through.
“Does this quest involve magic?” Stefan asked.
Gustave considered him for a moment. Then he nodded.
“Everyone else thinks I’m crazy. Why not one more? My father is still alive. I want to find him.”
Stefan blinked. He vaguely remembered hearing reports that the King of Montaigne had perished in a shipwreck. It was the sort of international news that a prince should care about, but he really didn’t. He hadn’t considered that the missing king was someone’s father.
Gustave mistook Stefan’s silence for disbelief.
“Everyone tells me to move on. They say I’m stalling because I’m afraid to rule. But I’m not. I know I could be a good king. If something happened to me, I know Collette would be a good queen. But it isn’t right to leave my father stranded.”
Stefan tried to remember when he had heard the news.
“It has been months?” he said hesitantly.
“Almost a year.”
Stefan stepped into the blue trousers the King of Montaigne held open for him. Gustave fastened the tiny buttons on the jacket, his eyes squinted with concentration.
“There’s been no sign of him. None that anyone will believe. Until Lina appeared, no one gave magic much thought. Even now, they doubt if they don’t have proof right in front of them. You and I know how wrong they are.”
Stefan nodded. He of all people understood how dangerous magic could be.
Gustave held his hand up. The magic ruby in his ring glittered in the sunlight.
“My father only showed me one spell before he left. A tracking spell.”
Stefan blinked.
“Couldn’t you use it to track the ships that have gone missing?”
“Yes, I suppose I could use it for some of them. Find Gruff.”
The ring flashed red and pointed towards the harbor. Gustave’s face relaxed.
“They’re alive then. At least, Gruff is.”
Stefan swallowed.
“You’re sure?”
“I can only search for people I’ve met, and the enchantment only finds people who are alive. For example, if I try to find my grandfather-”
He raised the ring to his mouth.
“Find King Alphonse.”
Nothing happened.
Stefan inhaled as he caught the king’s meaning. His suit jacket expanded with his chest. Gustave smiled.
“That is some clever pleating. Your tailor did well.”
Stefan released the air, and his chest deflated. Of course, Heinrich did well! He felt a stab of worry for the tailor. Gruff was alive, but was Heinrich? King Gustave didn’t know the tailor, so he couldn’t track him.
“The ring has never been wrong,” Gustave said. “When news came that my father’s ship had vanished, I tried to track him. I’ve been trying ever since.”
He raised the ring to his lips again.
“Find King Francois.”
The ruby glowed red and pointed towards the sea.
41
Carina entered the hair salon with a cheery smile. No matter how she felt, she couldn’t show that anything was wrong. As far as the servants knew, she was about to become engaged to the love of her life.
It was easier to pretend here. Korene, the hairdresser, liked the elaborate hairstyles Carina requested. They were a nice variety from the tight military braids most of the nobles wore.
Her smile faltered when she saw Serafina already in the room. Carina felt a stab of guilt when she looked at her sister. The blank space where the gold admiral’s bar had been was a painful reminder of their last conversation.
“Carina, welcome!” Korene said “I’ve got new fashion scrolls I think you’ll like! Let me fetch them for you.”
The hairdresser bustled out of the room. Carina sat in front of her sister.
“Serafina-”
“Don’t.”
Serafina’s tone was clipped and sharp. She sounded just like their mother trying to stay calm.
“Another ship disappeared.”
As Carina expected, that caught her sister’s interest. Serafina pursed her lips together but didn’t stop her from speaking.
“It was a merchant ship,” Carina continued. “The Seawolfe.”
Serafina sighed.
“Ships change their plans sometimes, Carina. Merchants are unpredictable.”
Carina hesitated. The last thing she needed was to make her father angry. He had specifically ordered her not to speak to anyone. Not to collaborate.
Carina looked around the room. No one would hear them. She had to try.
She leaned close to her sister.
“Father told me not to speak to you, so don’t say a word about this. I saw a monster pull the ship out to sea last night. And I met a mermaid this afternoon.”
Serafina fought to keep her expression neutral, but a strange mix of contempt and curiosity played across her face.
“You’re making that up. I can’t take your lies anymore, Carina. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Then just listen. You don’t have to say a word.”
Serafina raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Carina took that as encouragement and continued.
“According to the mermaid, there are dark creatures in the water called kraken, and they’re getting restless. We could all be in danger. She wants to meet with father, but of course he refused. She wants the enchanted sapphire.”
Serafina stared at her sister.
“Carina, this is nonsense. This is treason!”
“If you don’t believe me about the mermaid, at least investigate the Seawolfe. You can verify that it is missing from the harbor.”
“You can’t expect me to believe you saw a kraken. You weren’t even at the docks last night.”
“How do you know?”
“The gates are locked. They wouldn’t let you through. The guards would report you to father if you tried to sneak out.”
“They can’t report what they don’t see. I climbed aboard the Onslaught. I can climb a wall.”
Carina knew she was saying too much, but she needed someone to believe her. If anyone might take her seriously, it was Serafina.
Her sister sighed.
“Even if you could sneak out of the castle and down to the docks, I can’t believe you were the only one who noticed a kraken pulling a ship out of the harbor.”
“I wasn’t. The King of Montaigne can confirm my story. And a few sailors saw it, but everyone thinks they were drunk.”
Serafina rolled her eyes.
“Carina, at least try to be convincing. King Gustave only arrived this morning.”
“His ship arrived this morning. He arrived yesterday on the Seawolfe. Ask him about it. He’ll tell you.”
Serafina rubbed her forehead.
“If this is some sort of prank, it isn’t funny. Montaigne may not have a strong military, but I would like to stay on good terms with them.”
“I’m telling you the truth. A kraken pulled a ship out of the harbor last night. I met a mermaid this afternoon, and she said things could get much worse. She offered to help in exchange for the sapphire. King Gustave was there. If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe him.”
“Carina-”
The door burst open as Korene returned with an armful of scrolls. She tossed them onto Carina’s lap.
“There’s some delicious styles in ther
e,” she said. “Do you know what you’re wearing yet? We’ll want to coordinate with your dress. And choose something that will hold up well in the wind. They’re having the gala on a ship.”
Carina almost dropped the scrolls.
“A ship? Not in the ballroom?”
“Father wants to show off our navy,” Serafina said. “And why not, since the Onslaught is in port?”
“I’ve just told you why not. Don’t you think that’s risky?”
Serafina shrugged, and Carina’s head dropped. Her sister didn’t believe her. She knew the story sounded crazy, but a ship really was missing. That at least was provable. Serafina wasn’t even willing to try.
Korene misunderstood the stricken expression on Carina’s face.
“Don’t worry, princess. There are plenty of attractive hairstyles that can withstand a breeze. I’d try them on your sister if she’d let me.”
The hairdresser eyed Serafina’s dark locks. The princess shook her head.
“A military braid,” she said. “You can do the dress version, but nothing more. I’d do it myself, but this is faster. At least, it was supposed to be.”
She glared at Carina.
“Sorry I interrupted,” Carina said.
“Nonsense,” Korene said. “We’re glad to have you. I could do this braid in my sleep.”
She twisted Serafina’s hair around her head with expert hands. Carina turned her attention back to the scrolls.
At least, she tried. There were limited hairstyles that would hold up to the sea wind, and she didn’t really care what she looked like tonight.
She should have thought about kraken or mermaids. Or the sapphire. Or that her father expected Gustave to propose at the gala.
Instead, she thought of the frog. Had it really only been a few days since they met? He had become a constant presence in her life, always ready to cheer her up and help solve her problems.
Who was he? Carina thought back to their conversations. A few clues stood out.
He knew Lina. He had tried to cover his mistake, but Carina suspected he knew Lina well. The offhand comment wasn’t one you would make about a stranger or casual acquaintance.
He knew Lina, and he knew about the seagull conversation with Alaric.
Both of those clues implied he had been at the Princess Test. He could have hidden in the castle and observed the test, but Gustave seemed sure that the frog was an enchanted human.
The Frog Prince Page 20