The Unlucky Prince: A Frog Prince Retelling by Deborah Grace White

Author:Deborah Grace White [White, Deborah Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781925898781
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Published: 2023-09-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Violet entered the dining hall at a distracted stroll, her mind on her conversation with Basil. She’d set the wheels of her plan in motion. It wouldn’t be easy to turn back now. Not that she intended to.

Many of the family had eaten and were getting ready to leave, but as Basil had said, the food was still laid out. It wasn’t until Violet sank into a chair and felt something bulge in her pocket that she remembered the poor frog. She hesitated, then felt it squirm into a better position and let herself relax. It had been fine thus far, surely it wouldn’t make much difference if she ate first. It wasn’t as though it had been trying to fight free of her pocket.

Violet was barely aware of what food she put in her mouth, her thoughts too consumed with the idea of a future with Yannick. She couldn’t deny that her heart was heavy. But that was understandable given her recent disappointment regarding Ari. She had no real reason to look on Yannick with anything less than respect. Surely they could build a stable life together, even if not a very exciting one.

Once she’d shoveled down some lunch, Violet made straight for the gardens on the non-ocean side of the castle. She knew there was a large pond there, and it seemed the best place to deposit the frog. She didn’t spend much time in the garden, preferring the ocean views and the sand beneath her feet, but she knew it was a favorite haunt of Wren’s. She’d have to ask her sister-in-law if she’d seen many frogs roaming the area.

When Violet reached the pond, however, she encountered a problem. Apparently, the frog had no interest in being dumped back into the water. It came out of her pocket without protest, but when she tried to release it, it clung to her desperately. Any time she managed to get her hand free, it only leaped back onto her skirts, attempting to clamber back into her pocket.

“No, you’re free!” she told it, exasperated. “I’m releasing you back to your home. Silly creature, do you want to live in a pocket? This is where you belong!”

Unsurprisingly, the frog was deaf to her words. It continued its determined attempts to remain attached to her person. Violet tried to repel it, but there was only so much she could do while still being gentle enough not to hurt it.

“Come on, frog,” she said pleadingly. “This is a very nice pond in a very nice garden. There are lots of bugs for you to eat, trees to shield you from the sun, nice water to paddle in…this garden even has a secret tunnel over there.” She gestured vaguely. “It’s fit for royalty, come on! How picky a frog are you?”

Still the frog made no move toward the water, just staring unblinkingly up at her.

She rocked back on her heels, frowning down at the amphibian which was now sitting calmly on her lap. Surely this wasn’t normal behavior for a frog.

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