The Frog Prince's Hair-Raising Predicament [A Tail Like No Other: Book Three] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Read online

  Slowly, hesitantly, he picked me up and stared at my now frog-like face. “Is that you?”

  “Yes,” I replied. On impulse, I added, “It’s a good thing that I know that you can actually be surprised by something. I was starting to think you only had a single expression.”

  My comment did its job in that it returned a semblance of normality to our peculiar exchange. Leonard started to recover, although he still seemed pale and far from his usually calm self. “What happened, Medwin?” he inquired.

  Before I could reply, my mother and father entered the gardens. If I’d been able to, I would have winced. I didn’t look forward to my mother’s reaction at my new predicament.

  “Leonard, where’s Medwin?” she asked. “I heard there was a magic attack on the palace.”

  She frowned when she saw me in Leonard’s arms. “What in the world are doing with that frog? Now is not the time to get a pet, or whatever in the world you’re thinking.”

  I simply couldn’t entertain the idea of Leonard having a frog pet at all. True enough, he owned hunting dogs, and he seemed affectionate of them, but that really was very different from what my mother suggested. Then again, for her, no other explanation would be suitable. After all, she couldn’t possibly imagine I was the frog in question.

  Leonard didn’t immediately answer her inquiry. Perhaps he feared her reaction as well. Sadly, the truth needed to be revealed. “It’s me, Mother,” I said. “I’m the frog.”

  Silence fell over the gardens as my mother stared at me. I stared back, unsure of what else to do or say. For all I knew, she’d reject my current self.

  As it turned out, my fears proved to be completely unjustified. She ran toward Leonard and snatched me out of his arms, sobbing as she held me tightly to her chest. “Oh, Medwin. My poor baby. What happened to you? How did you get like this?”

  I would have loved to explain, especially since I felt ashamed for having doubted her love for me even for a second. Sadly, in her zeal, my mother was crushing me against her ample bosom. As frogs stood, I actually seemed pretty big, but my mother was the epitome of an Arthurian woman, and she appeared to have forgotten her own strength. Mercifully, Leonard intervened before she could accidentally kill me. “Mother, I think you’re squashing him.”

  My mother gasped, and, seconds later, I could breathe again. When my dizziness began to fade, I found myself still cradled in her arms, this time far more carefully. She held me close, but gently, as she would have a newborn. The tears in her eyes were like a dagger to my chest.

  “Was it…Was it Rapunzel?”

  She seemed hesitant to blame my current condition on Rapunzel, something which I appreciated a great deal. “Rapunzel’s father suddenly showed up,” I explained. “He wasn’t satisfied with my love for Rapunzel, so he turned me into a frog and took Rapunzel away.”

  To my own surprise, I sounded far calmer than I felt. My father, however, was anything but calm. As a rule, he had a serene temper, which helped him be a fair and loved king, but when someone crossed him, he was a terrible foe. “We’ll hunt him down and destroy him.” He snarled. “He’ll regret the day he messed with the Arthurian royal family.”

  I leapt out of my mother’s arms and toward my father. Looking up at him, I said, “No. We can’t do that. I have to handle this on my own, or else I’ll lose Rapunzel forever.”

  “Medwin, you can’t be serious,” my father said. “What can you possibly do in your condition?”

  He had a point, but that didn’t change my decision. My shape-shifted state wasn’t even the problem. Since a few weeks ago, when Rapunzel and I had first made love, he had become my full priority. Everything else had fallen into the background. Oh, we’d looked into learning more about magic, but half the time, we fell into each other’s arms before we could reach any conclusion. Today, I’d paid the price for it.

  Now, even if every second away from Rapunzel hurt so much I felt I couldn’t breathe, I needed to be rational again. I needed to push my emotions aside and focus on becoming the man Lord Rumpel Stiltskin wanted me to be.

  It wasn’t that I craved the warlock’s approval, but he’d been right about one thing. I’d been helpless to keep him from taking Rapunzel from me, which meant that I couldn’t take him back, even if I tried.

  In fact, I very much doubted the entire Arthurian army could stand against the damn warlock, but that was a moot point, since, in the end, I had to do this. No one else would be able to help.

  “You can’t fight this man through physical strength,” I answered. “He sent Kirril to a whole different world, and he broke through the palace defenses with no problems whatsoever. This is a matter that has to be settled between him and me, and I will do it.”

  I started to stalk away for an extra dramatic exit, but since I couldn’t really walk, I ended up just leaping toward the palace with an occasional involuntary “ribbit.” It was really kind of embarrassing, and not at all convincing. Therefore, I was thankful when my brother picked me up again.

  “I don’t know anything about magic,” he said, “but if there’s anyone who can do this in the whole of Arthuria, it’s you. I will help you if I can.”

  My mother wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “We all will.”

  I appreciated their words, even if I suspected my mother was only choosing her battles and would eventually try to convince be to back out of my plan. However, I had no intention to give up, so I added, “If you want to help, you must promise that you won’t send armed troops into Merlinia. Not only would it sabotage my chances to get Rapunzel back, but it might even be dangerous for Kirril and his mate.”

  No one spoke, obviously realizing I was right. The last time my father had attempted a mass attack on Merlinia, we’d almost started a war with the dragons. Now that Kirril lived there, it was all the more important to keep at least a tentative truce between the two lands.

  “Then what will you have us do, Medwin?” my father asked. “Just wait here twiddling our thumbs?”

  “We should at least message Kirril’s Merlinian friends,” Leonard suggested. “I’m pretty sure they could provide information on shape-shifting curses.”

  “That’s a good idea,” my mother said, perking up instantly. “I’ll send a rider to catch up with their carriage. They can’t have gotten far.”

  I watched her go with a silent sigh. I kind of suspected any attempt to find the carriage of the Merlinians would prove to be pointless. Their lives and their logic didn’t work like those of Arthurians, and I had no time to wait.

  “Leonard, could you drop me at the library?” I asked my brother. “I have some studying to do.”

  The warlock had been correct about one other thing. I wasn’t like other Arthurians, and this time around, it would be a huge advantage.

  * * * *

  One month later

  “Do you have everything?” My mother fussed as she strapped me to Magda’s back. “Do you need to check again?”

  If I’d been able to, I’d have smiled at her. As it was, I nodded, in my frog-like manner, of course. “I’ll be fine, Mother,” I told her. “We’ve checked every detail over and over. I’m ready.”

  In fact, I was more than ready. I’d spent hours on end poring over books on magic, remembering what little Rapunzel had told me about his abilities and trying to figure out a way to defeat the warlock. I didn’t really have such powers, so it should have been a waste of time to even make the attempt. However, the spell on me was actually a source of magic, and my bond with Rapunzel remained in place. I hadn’t been able to actually contact him, but that connection still guided my way. I didn’t know if the plan I had come up with would work, but I simply couldn’t wait any longer.

  Obviously, my mother realized that, because she didn’t try to convince me to stay. “Be careful, Medwin,” she said. “Make sure to visit your brother and ask for his advice.”

  “I will. I’ll give him your letter, too.”

  “Good luck, son,” my fat
her offered. “I wish we could have done more for you.”

  “You honor me, Your Majesty,” I said formally. “And you’ve already done more than enough.”

  It was quite true. In the time I’d spent poring over my books, my family had enlisted the best Arthurian blacksmiths to create a special armor for me. It might have seemed a fool’s errand, but in the end, after much effort, I’d been presented with an excellent result.

  Because of my frail body, I couldn’t wear heavy plate armor, and it wouldn’t have been practical for the road anyway. Therefore, the blacksmiths had created a chainmail suit, painstakingly weaving together a coif, a shirt, and a pair of leggings. Naturally, they were adapted to both my size and my specific dimensions and abilities as an amphibian. After all, a suit of armor would be useless if it kept me from leaping around. It hadn’t been easy, but fortunately, I was a larger than average frog, which allowed me to use the provided garb.

  Underneath the chainmail, I wore a padded gambeson that would keep the metal from chaffing me. I even had a sheath with a small sword, strapped to my froggy waist.

  Finally, the blacksmiths, in cooperation with the stable hands, had made me a special saddle that worked more as like a nest of sorts. Because of my size, I could be easily thrown off any horse, so they’d adapted the saddle to add more straps and a pair of reins that I could actually use.

  More importantly, my parents had respected my choice and hadn’t sent any troops into Merlinia. I was thankful to them for all their support, and I could only hope I wouldn’t disappoint them.

  My mother nodded and finally moved out of the way, joining my father outside the stables. I realized it was very hard for her to watch me go. In spite of me being the middle son, I’d always been her baby, the one she worried about most. However, she was an Arthurian mother, and she understood the necessity of battle.

  Leonard mounted his own steed and silently nodded. At last, I took the reins and ushered Magda to a light trot. Together with my brother and a group of guards, I rode out of the palace courtyard, leaving my home behind.

  We unavoidably had to go through the streets of Camelot so that we could leave the city, which was a little bothersome because of the way people stared at me. By now, everyone knew about my predicament, but that didn’t change the fact that they were also getting a little wary. First, the youngest son of the Arthurian royal family mated a dragon and left Arthuria altogether. Now, the middle one fell in love with a Merlinian and got turned into a frog. Tongues were wagging like crazy on the real strength of Arthurian royals. Fortunately, Leonard and my father were controlling the matter, but I still hated the entire situation.

  Indeed, even if we left at a very early hour, we still ran into a great deal of Arthurian citizens. Naturally, they all greeted Leonard with enthusiasm, but they just stared at me in confusion and pity.

  Oddly, I didn’t really care. I was relieved when we left the city, but just because it was one step closer to Rapunzel. Once we were on the main road, we started riding a little faster. Although it wasn’t easy for me, I managed. The special saddle helped, and Magda was always careful not to jostle me too much.

  At one point, I got used to it and I actually engaged Leonard in conversation. “Take care of Mother,” I told him. “I know she’s trying to put up a brave front, but she’s going to need you.”

  “I know, Medwin,” Leonard replied. “But don’t worry about us right now. Just think about what you’re going to do when you reach Merlinia. Do you really think this plan of yours is going to work?”

  “It has to,” I replied. “I won’t accept anything else.”

  Leonard released a soft, sad chuckle. “You always were the most determined of the three of us.”

  “Kirril said something similar before he left,” I replied. “I don’t like it too much. It sounds like a good-bye.”

  “Maybe it is,” Leonard told me. “But the truth is, I have faith in you, brother. This is your journey, and I’m sure that at the end, you’ll return to us with your Rapunzel.”

  It was too soon to tell what would happen, and I couldn’t make too many promises. Still, I appreciated his trust and encouragement. “I will,” I told him. “Soon.”

  That night, we stopped at an inn to get some rest. Even if he couldn’t join me in my quest, Leonard had insisted to see me off to the river Dozmary, the natural barrier between Arthuria and Merlinia. It was quite far from Camelot, and we hadn’t even done that when Kirril had gone. This showed the exact extent of my family’s concern for me.

  The next day, we left at dawn once more. We made good time, and at noon, we reached the river. Beyond it lay the Merlinian shores, and further into the distance, Rapunzel.

  I’d have liked to dismount and hug Leonard, but that would have been difficult for more than one reason. Leonard, however, did leave his horse. He came to my side and patted my shoulder—or what should have been my shoulder—gently. “Be careful, all right, Medwin?”

  “I will,” I promised. “Thank you.”

  The palace guards we’d brought with us saluted me. I acknowledged them with a brief nod and a far less dignified croak and then, guided Magda onward.

  We crossed the river and rode into Merlinia without looking back. “How far is it?” I asked the mare.

  “Oh, it’s a pretty long way,” Magda replied. “The first time we came here, it took Kirril and me a week to find Dineiro, and we only traveled to Lord Stiltskin’s lands after that. Merlinia is a complicated place. For all we know, it might take us even longer.”

  I knew that, but it was still hard for me to hear it. I settled in for a long ride, deciding to continue with it until both Magda and I could no longer take a single step forward. And then, something inexplicable happened. A bright light flashed in front of me, making my frog eyes hurt. When I could see again, I found myself facing a beautiful path glowing in all the colors of the rainbow. The Rainbow Brick Road.

  “Prince Medwin, we could be in luck,” Magda exclaimed. “This has happened before, exactly when Kirril first met Dineiro.”

  “Perhaps it will lead me to Rapunzel,” I said as I guided Magda onto the path.

  As we rode, I held my breath, scanning the horizon for any sign of a tower like the one I’d seen in Rapunzel’s memories. The chances of me finding it during daytime were slim, if Magda was to be believed, but I had to try.

  The more we advanced, the denser the forest became, and it grew increasingly hard for me to see past it. After all, I was only a small frog, and the Merlinian vegetation almost appeared to be designed to thwart my senses. Much to my surprise, I thought I could hear chuckles coming from the greenery, but when I stole glances in the direction of the sound, no one was there. I could only surmise this must be the famous Laughing Forest where Kirril had met his mate.

  That was actually quite encouraging, so Magda and I persevered. I didn’t really expect immediate results, and was surprised when a flash of purple entered my vision. Magda released a startled equine snort and headed in the direction it had come from.

  A tiny dragon head peeked out from the bushes. “Magda?” the creature asked. “Is that you?”

  “Hello,” my mare replied. “What are you doing here, Dineiro?”

  “Oh, I was actually looking for Kirril,” the dragon answered, fully emerging from the bushes. “But most importantly, that’s my line. Why did you come here all alone?”

  I realized that, from his angle, the dragon couldn’t see me. “She’s not alone,” I piped up.

  Dineiro let out a startled little squeak. He peered closer to Magda, and his eyes widened when he spotted me. “Prince…Medwin?” he asked hesitantly.

  “Greetings, Dineiro,” I said calmly. “It’s very nice to see you again.”

  The dragon finally shape-shifted into his human form and ran to my side, completely oblivious to his nakedness. “Oh, Goddess…What happened? Were you cursed?”

  “By Lord Rumpel Stiltskin,” I said, confirming his guess. “He also took Ra
punzel. I’ve come to get him back.”

  “But…how? When?” Dineiro’s lower lip trembled, his eyes filling with tears. “This is terrible.”

  “Don’t be upset,” Magda said quickly. “It’s not good for your baby.”

  Now that Magda mentioned it, Dineiro did need to avoid any sort of stress. I didn’t know much—or rather, anything—about dragon pregnancies, but I could only guess that some things were the same indifferently of the species.

  Dineiro quickly wiped his eyes. “You’re right, of course. You must excuse me for the outburst. I’m all over the place these days. Please, won’t you come to our home? I know you’re in a hurry, but at the very least, you should see Kirril. Not to mention that you can’t find your way to Lord Stiltskin’s domain until nightfall.”

  That was pretty much what Magda had told me back in Camelot as we’d been getting ready for the journey. “I’d be honored if you would have me as your guest,” I replied. “Perhaps you could explain exactly how this secondary realm works. But where is Kirril?”

  “Oh, he’s been spending some time with my parents lately,” Dineiro answered as he started to guide Magda and me through the undergrowth. “Since we moved here, he’s very keen on having to provide for me and our future hatchling, so he insisted on learning everything there is to know about Merlinia.” He shot me a sheepish look. “He tries not to be away a lot, but I still miss him.”

  I could understand that, perhaps more than anyone else. In fact, the extent of Dineiro’s separation from my brother couldn’t at all compare to my problem with Rapunzel. Perhaps Dineiro realized this, because he quickly added, “Either way, he’s very worried about you. He’ll meet us at the house. Tell me. What exactly happened?”

  As we walked, I started to relate the tale of my ordeal to the dragon. Dineiro occasionally made anguished noises, and more than once, I was tempted to stop, or at least temper my frustration out of concern for him. He nevertheless assured me that I shouldn’t worry about him, since, apparently, dragon pregnancies weren’t that frail.