YM778.TV Chapter 40 Side : The Frog Knight And The Princess.
Side Chapter: The Frog Knight and the Princess.
This is for one of my readers who has requested this and I have been planning for a while!
Thank you for RiaGalathynius.
Enjoy!
3rd Person\'s POV
Once upon a time, there was a far away kingdom with three beautiful princesses. They were admired in all of [Devalion]. The name of the world to which they reside.
The first princess, Cecilia Goldheart.
The second princess, Rosarie von Goldheart.
And the third princess, Catherine Goldheart.
They were all to be admired by their people, the king and queen loved all their daughters. Taking great care on all of them especially their youngest, who was born mute so they had given her extra attention and care for the little princess.
But suddenly the Queen fell ill. Everyone in the kingdom searched for a medicine- Anything that can cure her. Whether it be magic, potions, or even natural remedies.
They have tried it all.
The King fell into a deep stress, worried about his sick Queen.
The three princesses did whatever they could to help. Emotionally, they have stuck together in all the troubles. The first princess decided that perhaps hope is lost for their mother and that they must be ready once she passes.
The second princess didn\'t agree with her and swore that the Queen, their mother would get well.
The first princess, envious of her sister\'s optimism, didn\'t want to live her life hoping for something and then get disappointed after things didn\'t go the way they wanted.
"Catherine, can you believe her! How can she just tell us to start getting ready for mother\'s funeral! Does she have no shame?!" (Rosarie) complained , raising her voice into the library where they currently took refuge from their father and elder sister.
Catherine, who was softly sniffing, her eyes a little puffy due to crying but she does her best to respond to her sister who was angry, \'She\'s not wrong you know. Even if we hope for mother to be saved there\'s a chance that-\' she will-
Catherine\'s stopped signing to her sister and begins to cry again. The pain of losing a mother was unbearable, she wanted to scream but no voice came out.
Rosarie, realizing she has been a neglectful older sister to her little one, sighed and hugged Catherine tightly, patting her back gently.
"I\'m sorry. I know there will be a way for my mother to be saved." (Rosarie) muttered under her breath, cursing.
Even if she was lying to herself, she refused to believe her mother would die out of a mere unknown sickness. "There has to be a way..."
That night, Catherine fell asleep to her sister\'s tight embrace. Rosarie carried Catherine to her room, placing her little sister to her fluffy bed and covering her carefully with a blanket.
The poor little one has been worried for days. The Queen is losing time.
There might be only a few weeks or months at best before she-
Rosarie shakes her head at the thoughts.
She came back to the library and searched frantically for books that would calm her mind, take her to another reality where troubles like these will never happen. The tale of romance and fantasy has always made her smile.
Perhaps it\'s a childish thinking, running away from the reality in front of her.
She has always been like that.
Thump! Thump!
"Ow!"
A book fell out on one of the shelves suddenly out of surprise, there wasn\'t anyone else in that library. Rosarie looked around frantically for anyone that might be pulling any tricks on her but her sisters are surely in bed right now.
Then again she knew none of her sisters would pull tricks as measly as making a book fall to her head.
Groaning, she picks it up reading the title of the book. "[Myths and Cures]."
Rosarie raised her eyebrows looking left and right. Keeping the book close to her, she quickly went to the furthest corner of the library. "Certainly, this is too good of an opportunity."
Perhaps this book holds answers for something that can cure her mother! With no hesitation, she quickly opened the book, skimming to the pages reading everything she could.
She burned the night, that day reading. Trying to find anything- something that could help her.
Her eyes were dreaded, awake, and dying. She was about to give up but as if on perfect timing the next page was about a very rare flower that can only be found on the top of the dwarf mountains. "[Crystalis Aiding Flower]. A flower that can heal any illnesses in the world. It grows only once in a century. Only those who are pure at heart can only take this flower."
It had a map, containing its usual location. It was unbelievable. Knowing there was no time she ripped the page of the map and then left it out in the open.
Knowing that the journey might be rough, she quickly packed all of the things she needed in her [Storage Ring]. However, she knew she can\'t take much or else it might consume a lot of Mana.
The princess was too stubborn, she took food that\'s worth two weeks of time. Some spare clothes, no dresses, boots, money, a sword that belonged to her father, and a dagger with a sheath, she hid under her dress.
She sat down at the table, and wrote a letter to her sisters that she will be gone to find a cure for their mother.
Tears dropped at the paper as Rosarie cried. She knew if she told anyone about this plan everyone would say it\'s too risky.
The kingdom is slowly running out of funds to hire adventurers and the kingdom\'s military were dwindling. She refused to let anyone else into this mess she\'s going to create.
"Dear family, I\'m going away to look for a cure. Don\'t find me, and Catherine please water the rose gardens while I\'m away. If not I\'m going to destroy your novel collections when I come back." (Rosarie) settles her quill at the side of the table as she sighs.
As if she\'ll put into the letter where she\'s going. She has seen a lot of people do this, when the whole point was running away wishing not to be found.
Hey, I\'m going to this place so don\'t follow me okay?
"Well that would be pointless." she muttered as she left her room and into Catherine\'s chambers.
She quietly slips the letter next to her bed table and smiles.
Rosarie stares at Catherine\'s puffy eyes from all that crying and sighs kissing her little sister\'s forehead. "I love you, I promise to come back as soon as I can with the cure."
It was a promise she would fulfill, she thought to herself as she escaped the castle early in the morning. Avoiding all the guards, dressed in commoner clothes. No one has suspected this woman would be a princess.
She bought a horse in the city and left. It wasn\'t a fast one but it was decent. Rosarie had no experience in riding a horse but she tried her best. The horse neighed as the two went on, into an adventure.
If she was being honest. This will be her first time, venturing on her own. With no guards, no rules, and no expectations.
She was excited but her firm grip on the reins reminded her the whole reason she\'s going to find a cure not travel. "Mother comes first, before everything else." (Rosarie)
Days passed under endless trotting of her horse, she didn\'t waste time but the horse was really tired. Rosarie frowned, feeling responsible for the horse, "I\'m sorry you\'ve been carrying me for days. There\'s a small village up front. Let\'s go there. for now."
Rosarie came down from the horse and walked into the village instead. The horse she bought was thankful for her being so considerate and walked alongside her.
Rosarie covered her face with a shawl as the villagers stared at the strange traveler.
She stopped at an inn where there were stables for rent. Rosarie rented one for her horse, and a room for herself. She gave the gold to the innkeeper as she listened into the gossips of the women in the room.
They looked anxious, worried about something. "Have you heard! Months ago there was a talking frog near the river that asks for a kiss every time a woman passes by!"
"I did! My older cousin was washing her laundry there, when she heard a mysterious voice. She thought there was someone else with her but it was a slimy, icky, frog!" the other woman replied.
A talking frog? Rosarie grew curious about the rumor but she shook her head off. It might just be a distraction to her mission instead. She went to her room, feeling tired from all those days trying her best to be subtle and leave no trace for the royal guards to follow.
The night went by smoothly as the morning came. Rosarie left to continue her journey.
Stretching her arms, she came to the conclusion that she had to quickly travel fast or else the guards might catch up to her in no time.
She pays for the rent to the innkeeper, nodding respectfully as she takes her horse back into the road.
The slow trotting of her horse was peaceful, she has never seen a forest up close, and she has never felt freedom to travel anywhere she liked since forever.
She followed the map, as if by coincidence they stopped on a river. "Hmm... isn\'t this the same river those girls gossiped about?" (Rosarie)
She carefully gets down the horse, pulling the reins as she stares down at the flowing river water looking at her reflection. "Hmm... maybe I need to clean myself."
Her reflection of disheveled hair, dirty clothes, and she stink of sweat.
Rosarie looks around the river, and then casts a spell, her fingers running over a circle motion, having a red magic circle with a bell symbol, "[Alarm]." she mutters as the whole river was now in her territory.
Any person who comes inside the river, will trigger the alarm and will alert her that someone is near. "Good, that should be safe enough." she lets her guard up, tying her horse momentarily into a tree.
She strips off slowly into her bathing clothes, taking off her shawl, dipping her feet slowly into the river water to test its temperature. Rosarie shivered at the realization that it was so cold.
Nonetheless that irked her into complete distraction. Forgetting about princess rules, it was time she had a bit of fun.
"Cannonball!" (Rosarie) ran into the water splashing it everywhere as she laughed on her own. Feeling the cool water on her skin, soothing her completely. The stress on her mind never left but it sure made it lighter and it was good.
Her silver hair was scattered into the water like beautiful strings, like works of art. She lazily sighed over the cold water of the rivers taking her in. "I wish... time stopped for a moment. I wish... mom can get better..."
Rosarie looks towards the sky as she makes one more wish, "I wish. I wasn\'t alone."
"I mean, if you give me a peck on the lips I can make that last wish come true."
Rosarie immediately stood up, looking around in confusion.
A voice? It also belonged to a woman.
She takes her sword out of her [Storage Ring], unsheathing it, gripping tightly. "No one tripped my alarm so how- where are you?" She frantically searched for the person but to no avail no one revealed themselves.
Rosarie asked once more again, her voice mixed with anger, growing impatiently. "I said. Where are you? Answer me."
"Right over here." the voice told her again but she looked left and right still nothing. "Down here, princess."
She looks down over to a small rock near her side finding a small creature resting her little slimy paw under her chin. "Finally, you noticed me." (Frog)
Rosarie was shocked. Who knew that the rumors were true, a talking frog in a river in all places?! She sighs, "A talking frog. How... peculiar for you to haven\'t been captured yet and been served on a platter."
Knowing that her life might not be in danger at least with a frog she takes back her sword to her storage ring compartment and crosses her arms, "So what do I owe the pleasure of gaining a visit from a talking... thing."
The frog scratches its back awkwardly as she laughs, "I have come to ask for a kiss. You might have already known by now due to the rumors about this." (Frog)
Rosarie nods, she thought it was just a silly rumor that\'s been passed down to kids in order for them to go home early but who knew it would be true. "A kiss. Why does a frog desire a kiss anyways?"
The frog hops on closer to the first princess and explains. "I am a knight from a far away kingdom that has been cursed by my own Aunt and only a true love\'s kiss from a fair maiden will bring me back to my true human form." (Frog)
Rosarie listened to the frog seriously and couldn\'t believe what she had heard. "So you were cursed and um... you need a kiss to get back into your true form."
Rosarie wanted to kill the frog then and there. Perhaps it was just utter hogwash to even think about kissing such a weird slimy creature.
The frog nods, smiling. "You are the first person who have even tried hearing me out so can you please-" (Frog)
Rosarie shook her head, slowly left the river and began to change her set of clothes. "Kissing a frog is not worth it. Who just kisses a frog just like that? Even if you tell me you\'re a prince. I\'m not desperate enough for something like that."
The frog sadly croaks, understanding her reasoning.
Rosarie noticed this and began to feel guilty for the frog but- she didn\'t want to lose her first kiss to a risk that they might be lying after all. She sighs, cursing her weak heart. "How about just a peck on the cheek, that\'s all I could give." (Rosarie)
She was truly a kind princess. If the narrator was in her place, I would never kiss such a slimy creature even if they would tell me they were rich as fuck.
The frog shook her head, at least thankful for the offer. "No, I would not trouble the fair maiden anymore." the frog answered sincerely as she wouldn\'t want to force anyone who didn\'t want to.
Rosarie sighs as she finally got clothed taking the map on her lap trying to figure out the shortcut to the place where she could pick the all ailment cure. "No... that might take me a lot of time... not there either."
She bites her finger in worry. The whole adventure might take her a lot longer than expected. Not to mention these are the dangerous parts where monsters would appear. "Oh are you going somewhere?" (Frog)
Rosarie almost forgot the talking frog and she answers, "Yes, I\'m looking for a specific flower for my mother. She\'s currently sick right now and I don\'t have much time. I need to find a shortcut soon."
Stressed she almost grips the map apart. "If you need a shortcut you have to cross the trench here and for you to get there safely take the Turenu forest instead. There would be really weak slimes instead there usually and no strong monsters roaming." (Frog)
The frog points with its webbed feet. "And then you\'ll reach this place in a week or so."
Rosarie looked at the frog in shock, taking in the information the frog gave her. Her mind was asking herself is it alright to trust a frog you just met? "You\'re quite familiar with this area."
The frog nods, "I have been patrolling in this area for years after all. I know on which places we could get there much more safer and its not on the map unfortunately."
Rosarie thinks for a moment, "Can you take me there? I promise to help you break the curse in any way I can when we get that cure."
The frog laughs at the really considerate girl in front of her, "No need for payment. My adoptive father told me to just help anyone in need. My curse is not going anywhere anyways, if you\'re on a time limit let\'s start moving."
The frog hops around with the new found companion she has, "What\'s your name actually miss?"
Rosarie packs up the map putting it on her storage ring then stares at the frog. "Hmm you can call me Rose. Ms. frog what\'s your name?"
The frog smiles teasingly as Rosarie unties her horse out of the tree, "My name. I can\'t say it unless I\'m broken from this curse. So just call me Ms. Frog until we break my curse."
Rosarie feels weird relying on a frog for directions but somehow she has no time, if the frog lies and leads her astray. She\'ll have to kill the frog for wasting her time.
"Here... Ms. Frog. Get on the horse with me." (Rosarie) offers her hand for the little frog to hop on.
The frog surprised but still thankful hopped on her hand carefully as Rosarie put her in the front taking off a little scarf for her to take a seat on. It was particularly a little cold as well, Rosarie wrapped the scarf around the little frog. "For you to not get cold, Ms. Frog."
The frog couldn\'t reply as she just nestled into the warmth and comfort of the scarf. After all this time being cursed as a slimy creature no one has given her this much kindness. "Thank you." she whispered but Rosarie couldn\'t hear it because her mind was occupied with worry.
Rosarie leads the horse back on track as she has now found a new companion to travel with.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Rosarie takes her water canteen with her drinking some of it before offering some for the little frog. The frog opens her mouth as a fly passes by- she immediately gets distracted and eats the fly.
"Ugh ew! Not again!" (Frog) takes her webbed feet and starts cleaning her tongue.
Rosarie laughs at the reaction of the frog like it was certainly disgusted but it was hilarious to watch. "You just ate a fly!"
"It\'s disgusting! How I wish I was free of this curse!" (Frog) yelled as she continued to clean her tongue. Rosarie feels lighter these days now that she has a little companion to talk to and has been having more fun than she expected.
"Hey there\'s another fly!" (Rosarie) points at the fly as the little frog hides from it.
"Oh hell no! I am not eating another one!" (Frog) hides behind Rosarie as it passes them. The frog sighs in relief as she looks at the girl, "You\'re horrible, Rose!"
Rosarie continued to laugh holding her stomach, "I know! It\'s so fun being horrible! I never get to do this with anyone back home!"
The two argued a lot for fun. Feeling more closer, they talked more about their current lives now and found things they both loved like books, the same writer, and food. Oh boy, especially food, the frog couldn\'t stop talking about how much she loved food.
They reached the first obstacles faster than expected. "It has hardly been three days but oh! I-I can\'t believe we\'re halfway close to it."
The frog puffs her chest proudly, "I know right? However, if you took a military horse at full speed you would\'ve gotten here faster."
Rosarie looks at the normal horse she bought at the city, growing curious at the frog remembering that she mentioned that she was a knight when she was a human before. "You had a horse before. Ms. Frog?"
The frog smiles remembering her memories from when she was still a human, "It\'s not just any normal horse- my steed could fly to the sky. My adoptive father gave it to me before he passed away. I hope he\'s safe."
The atmosphere at both of them filled into silence. "Ms. Frog, what kind of adoptive father did you have?"
The frog looked at Rose and continued to tell stories about her adoptive father. A kind man, helping anyone out that needed, he was a captain of the 6th fleet not until he got sick and passed on his knightly duties to the frog.
Rosarie was touched. She wanted to meet the frog\'s adoptive father, "He was a good person from the looks of it, Ms. Frog."
Ms. Frog nods, feeling tired, yawning the night taking a toll on her, "He was also... a good father."
Rosarie carefully takes the frog into a more comfortable position as she decides to take rest for the night. She ties the horse into a tree as she places a little mat onto the ground. The night was chilly so she was afraid the little frog companion of hers might get cold.
She started a small fire, as her horse also cuddled next to them. Rosarie felt safe, her eyelids fluttering tiredly. She takes a blanket as she held the frog closely to her.
"Goodnight." she mutters before going to sleep completely.
The night went by as again they were on the road. The time went by quickly as they avoided places where no monsters showed up, and they were thankful for it.
Rosarie knew the little frog was a kind person even helping her to this extent, she was grateful. She was holding the map in her hand feeling optimistic about the whole adventure.
"Ms. Frog, have you ever kissed someone before to break your curse?" (Rosarie) curiously asked if the frog has been at least successful at that.
The frog awkwardly scratches her head, "I have kissed at least... around twenty or maybe more."
Rosarie almost choked on her own saliva hearing the frog\'s answer. "You- twenty kisses- a frog- excuse me-" she was dumbfounded. How even-?
"If you offer them money, promise that if they turn me back into a human. You\'d be surprised at how many were willing." (Frog) explained, understanding from the way she looked at her.
Rosarie awkwardly answers one sentence, "That explains a lot. In the end none of them worked."
The frog nods a little sadly, "I\'ve lost hope at this point. I don\'t think there\'s going to be a pure maiden at heart who\'ll save me from this curse. It\'s been two years after all."
Rosarie perhaps couldn\'t understand what the little frog has gone through. Her heart felt a little hurt hearing this from her, "I\'m really sorry to hear that."
The frog just shrugs it off, "At this point I\'ve gotten used to it but-"
"Hold on. Stop the horse." (Frog)
The frog stopped talking, making Rosarie surprised. She did what she was told, stopping the horse right its tracks. "Listen, we need to go back to where we came from and fast."
Rosarie nodded, completely trusting her little companion. Maybe she had sensed danger? "Alright. Just-"
"Hey you. Hand over all your belongings and stay down."
The frog cursed under her breath and looked at the girl seriously. "Don\'t move. I\'ll handle this. When I say run, you run."
Rosarie\'s eyes widened and tried speaking back to the little frog, "Wait but-"
The little frog ignored her and hopped off of the horse. "Lucas. We met again. How\'s your mother doing? I see you\'re still robbing anyone you meet huh." (Frog)
Rosarie stood still waiting for any signal they could do. There were about ten more other people that surrounded them, "You little insect. You\'re still alive. I should\'ve killed you the moment my mother has turned you into a slimy little-"
"Get your animal facts right firstly I\'m a fucking amphibian not an insect damn. I\'m offended that you need to go back to school. The hell you\'ve been doing all this time."(Frog)
Rosarie was worried about her frog friend. It seemed that they knew each other but still it wasn\'t looking good. "Shut up. As if you and my brother will be safe from all of this." (Lucas) screamed and pointed his sword at the little frog with anger in his eyes.
"I see you have a friend over as well." (Lucas)
"Yeah but we both know you\'re only interested in me. So why not let her pass the road?" the frog bargains with the blonde boy before smiling.
Lucas played with his sword for a bit as she smiled, kicking the frog into the ground placing his feet above her, "How about... no." (Lucas)
His feet were squishing her and Rosarie couldn\'t help watching anymore. "Stop!" she screamed but they all laughed. The frog was slowly losing its breathing.
Rosarie panicked and tried her best not to lose her composure. She would try casting any magic would help but she feared for their safety and then she thought of a brilliant idea. "Close your eyes!"
The frog heard her and did what she told. She closed her eyes and waited. The enemies were momentarily confused by the shouting as she casted, "[Blind]!"
A flash of light distracted and left them blind. Lucas groaned, slashing his sword everywhere, "Urgh! The hell did you do!" (Lucas)
The frog opens her eyes after hearing Lucas\'s scream. "Leave me here... hurry..." (Frog)
Rosarie ignored her and went off her horse for a moment scooping the stubborn frog hitting her lightly on the head. "You dummy! As if I could leave you with him!"
The frog felt embarrassed as she was being carried back into the horse, Rosarie set the frog into her shoulders for a bit before grabbing the reins of the horse, "Hyah! Come on!"
The horse neighed loudly and ran as fast as he could, moving past Lucas and his evil looking companions.
Rosarie never looked back as she focused on the road in front of them.
"Rose... Move left..." (Frog) warned weakly tugging onto her clothes while being on her shoulder.
Rosarie did what the frog told her, she moved left and then from where her position was from before was a sharp arrow. "By the light goddess that was close!"
Dozens of arrows were fired, Rosarie casted a shield spell and they escaped.
When they found a little cave to settle in Rosarie quickly went down the now tired horse as she held the frog in her hand who was weakly breathing. "You\'ll be fine, give me a moment!"
Rosarie panicked. Her fingers were doing her best to calm down staying in one place but they were shaking all over. "[Heal]!" she casted but nothing was working.
The frog coughed, "The curse... it\'s blocking your spell."
"Stop, stop, stop... you\'ll be fine..." she reassured herself while taking out a piece of paper out of her storage ring.
"I need to draw this... hold on." she frantically draws on the paper with her blood. A magic sigil, in order to take back a person who\'s nearly half dead but she wasn\'t sure if it would work on a frog.
The frog laughs as she shakes her small little green head, "That... won\'t work either."
"What do I do?! Tell me!" (Rosarie) yells as she cries. "Is that why the alarm from the river didn\'t work either?! M-Magic doesn\'t work on you?"
"How fun isn\'t it? I can\'t use my own magic and I\'m immune to any kind of magic." (Frog)
"No! I won\'t give up! The plant! Right! Surely that would cure you!" (Rosarie)
"No... your mother. You told me how much she means to you. Take it to her." (Frog)
Rosarie was taken aback. She has forgotten her own sick mother for a moment. The frog taking in the silence smiled, "Come on... where\'s your map. We need to move."
Rosarie nods while she starts looking for a map frantically but then realizes it is gone. She looked through her pockets but nothing- "I-I must\'ve lost it back then- oh for the love of-"
She ran a hand through her hair frustrated wanting to blow up then and there but the frog reassured her, "I memorized it. It\'s alright. I just hope you\'ll know the way back home once I... die."
Rosarie carried a half dead frog in her hands as they decided to move. She kept making sure she had plenty of water in and kept her little body safe in her embrace.
She was afraid, scared that this little frog would indeed pass away.
Finally after those hellish two weeks of traveling together they finally arrived at the dwarf mountain where the hills were steep and it was dangerous to climb alone. "The flowers are hidden in caves... they need to grow in soil where magic is really highly concentrated."
"What... does the flower look like... I can hop for a bit and help you look inside."
"No! Get back here and rest!" (Rosarie) ties her horse into a tree again before catching up with the stubborn frog. "Come on don\'t be stupid. Stay here."
"No. You\'ll need me for any small openings you can\'t get in. So I\'m coming with you." (Frog)
Rosarie didn\'t want to argue with the frog so she just carried her again on her shoulder as she found what might be the place where they could find the plant. "Don\'t ever leave my side alright?" (Rosarie)
The frog does its best to nod as they go in together. Rosarie casting over a glowing ball of light.
They searched tirelessly for hours, through thick and thin they found nothing. Rosarie grits her teeth and clenches her fists. "I\'m so... tired of this!"
The frog noticed Rosarie\'s eyes brimming with tears, "I have no time! Father will scold me when I get back home. Who knows what my sisters will tell me and now- My mother will be dead by the time I come back!"
"I hate this! I hate home! I hate that I can\'t do anything right! And now- you\'re also hurt!" (Rosarie) cried, breaking down at that point.
She slowly slumps down into the ground, hugging her knees desperately as she sobbed. The voices in her head kept telling her that everything was her fault at that point. "I\'m sorry..."
The frog sighed and hopped off her shoulder not knowing what to do but in the end she realized they were running out of time so she did what she had to do.
The frog placed her webbed feet into one of her hands and spoke gently, "I\'m sorry but we were only in here for half a day. Come on, we\'re wasting time. You want to see your mom healthy and well again right?"
Rosarie sniffed looking at the frog with the question, of course she nodded in reply.
"Then come on lets search for that stupid plant. We\'ll go save your mom I promise you that." (Frog) comforted Rose giving her the right words to let her keep going.
She could feel her tears stopping to run, as her heart thumped out of her chest.
"Y-Yeah... I-I\'ll... We\'ll go find the plant. Thank you... for staying with me all this time." (Rosarie) stands up holding her chest for a moment before trying to focus her mind.
The little frog hopped away and tried finding something that would help the girl. Maybe some other hidden secret place to find the plant?
The frog saw a little hole in the end, somehow there was a faint glow over it and it made her curious, "Rose! I think the plant is in there." she points her webbed feet into the small hole.
"D-Do you think it might be dangerous?" (Rosarie) asked while observing the little passageway and she could see there was a faint light indeed. "How are we going to get in?"
The frog without even blinking gets in the small passageway and follows the light. "Come back! Only those with pure hearts can get the flower or else-!"
The frog comes back from the passageway with the right flower in hand. "Is this the right flower?" the little frog asked the princess who steps back a little in shock before hugging the little frog into a tight embrace.
Rosarie jumps into happiness forgetting all things as she did a little happy dance, her mother will be finally alright! "Thank you! Thank you so much! I could kiss you right now!"
They both stood awkwardly as Rosarie\'s face flushed and averted her gaze from the little frog. Her thoughts right now were racing; she couldn\'t tell her what her heart truly wanted. "I mean ahem. Wanna go back?"
The little frog who was also awkward scratched her little head and nodded in answer. Rosarie places the little frog on her shoulder a little embarrassed at what she shouted before.
She shook her thoughts away I mean- falling in love with a frog- but technically she\'s just a human that was cursed into a frog so it\'s normal to have a crush on her right?
The frustration of her feelings confused her. Don\'t tell me she was starting to feel something for this frog?
Rosarie decided to just forget all of these aside and remembered the little frog needed medical treatment. The little frog held the flower carefully as both of them got out of the cave.
Rosarie walked tiredly into her tied horse noticing that it was gone. "What the... the horse is gone?!"
She ran quickly into the scene of the crime, only leaving the pair of rope that had obviously been cut by something sharp. "Someone let our horse escape." (Frog)
Rustling voices in the bush were heard as several men went in to corner Rosarie and the little frog. "Lucas.... I should\'ve known. You never give up, do you?" (Frog)
The little frog glared at the man who almost squished her before. Rosarie grits her teeth in anger as she sees Lucas remembering what he did and how much pain she put her friend into made her blood boil. "You!" she pointed at Lucas.
"As the princess I demand you to stop and bring back our horse." (Rosarie) yells as Lucas only laughs.
Lucas takes his sword again placing it into her throat, "A princess in these woods? Don\'t make me laugh. I\'m not stupid to fall for something like that." (Lucas)
His men circled them as Lucas continued on to speak, "You know you should really be more careful with your belongings. Such a shame..." he takes out the map from his pocket and waves it around Rosarie\'s face tormenting her. "This belonged to you, yes?" (Lucas)
Rosarie\'s eyes widened in surprise, understanding why they had found them. "Yes, and you\'re inclined to give it back-" she reached for the map but then her stomach was met with a kick making her kneel to her knees while holding her stomach.
The little frog who was on her shoulder fell to the ground as well while tightly protecting the flower. "Hm... you know I expected more from you cousin of mine." (Lucas) laughed while taking the little frog in his grasp.
"Just... let her go, Lucas... don\'t hurt her." the little frog pleaded, mustering all that she could to speak.
Lucas looked at Rosarie for a moment before laughing, "Don\'t tell me you like her?" (Lucas) asked which made the frog stop in silence.
"You took everything away from me, so I\'m taking everything from you. You deserve all of this." (Lucas)\'s hands slowly crushed the frog\'s body with anger in his eyes. The frog was losing air, she couldn\'t do anything but tried to fight the strong grip of him.
If only she was in her human form! If this curse were broken then perhaps-
Rosarie breathed in slowly making a magic circle in the ground, "[Blind]!"
The same light from before glowed blinding everyone except for Lucas who closed his eyes at the right moment. He looked at Rosarie and then cracked his neck making a satisfying noise. "Fool me once." he steps closer to Rosarie as he kicks her into a tree.
"Shame on me." he continued giving another kick not caring if it was a girl he was hitting. Perhaps he even enjoyed it.
Rosarie coughs as she tries her best not to faint looking worriedly at the frog. "Fool me twice. You don\'t want to know what happens." (Lucas)
Lucas lets go of the frog throwing her into the ground making a squeaky noise but still the all cure flower was alright. "You irritate me. Stop getting in my way." he raises his hands casting a spell. "[Flame]."
His hands carried a ball of fire, it was twice the size of a volleyball but it was enough to kill her. Rosarie held her stomach still hurting from the pain, she couldn\'t move. Lucas laughed, enjoying the look of fear on the princess\'s face.
"Here\'s to hoping. You will never cross me again." (Lucas) throws the ball of flame at Rosarie as she closes her eyes.
At that moment the little frog lets go of the flower and jumps in front of the flame. Taking the blow. Rosarie, who waited for her death, was alright. She opens her eyes to see the little frog in front of her spreading her arms as if she was protecting her. "Magic doesn\'t work for me. You have to go through me first before you even kill her, bitch." (Frog)
Lucas screamed uncontrollably as he unsheathed his sword. "I\'LL TAKE YOUR LIFE FIRST THEN!"
The sword was aimed at the frog. The frog hopped around him missing all the hits, but at some point she was losing energy but all that mattered was- she needed to lure Lucas away from Rosarie so she could run.
"I\'m here! Hey don\'t tell me after all this time you still have daddy issues don\'t you?"
"Shut up! Men! Take that frog!" (Lucas) yelled at the other men that were blinded from before and tried their best moving around. "Useless all of you! I\'ll get her myself! What do I even pay you for?!"
Rosarie realized what the frog\'s plan was as she was forgotten. She saw the flower not too far away from her and grabbed it running away, storing it into the storage ring.
She\'ll be fine!
She\'ll be alright!
I need to get back to my mother as soon as I can!
But what about her?
Rosarie\'s steps became more faint as slowly she stopped running.
Was it right to just leave the frog she just met? The frog who stuck by her side when things didn\'t seem right. The frog that made her feel things- that sounded so weird but you get the point!
"I need to go back." (Rosarie) realizing her stupid move about running then coming back was shameful. She panted as she followed the frog prints seeing Lucas and the little frog cornered into a cliff.
"It\'s always a cliff! I hate this." (Rosarie) complained as she sneakily went behind their back as Lucas was doing his evil monologue pointing his sword at the little frog dramatically.
"This time I\'ll make sure you die- any last words!" (Lucas) smiled in victory as he looked down on the little frog.
"Not going to lie, your form still needs some work. Oh right, after all. You\'re just second best from the knight academy, I always remember being first. Fun memories right?" (Frog)
"My form is excellent! How dare you!" (Lucas)
Rosarie had no magic left, her stamina being depleted but she knew she had to do something. Her stubborn mind told her to just bulldoze her way into that and kick the sword out of Lucas\'s hands.
And that\'s what she did.
Rosarie braces herself running as she kicks Lucas who was busy doing his evil monologue.
The frog panicked, noticing Rosarie had come back, "You idiot I thought you escaped!"
Rosarie whimpers as she replies, "I\'m sorry I just can\'t leave you like this! I still need to do something I just can\'t-"
"YOU TWO ARE DEAD!" (Lucas) swings his sword for the nth time, cutting a piece of Rosarie\'s hair. Rosarie takes her sword out of the storage ring and tries to fight with it. "Do you even know how to use a sword?!" (Frog) asked worriedly.
Rosarie\'s face darkened momentarily, "Nope."
Lucas met her blade making sparks come, as their blades both danced into the cliff. "This is bad..." (Rosarie) muttered to herself as Lucas\'s strikes were rough cornering her.
The frog hopped into Lucas\'s back before climbing further up until she met his shirt collar. "By the gods I can\'t believe I\'m doing this." She takes a deep breath before going inside his clothes.
Lucas yelped like a girl as he felt something slimy crawling under his armor. "Ew! ew! ew! Get off of me!"
Rosarie was confused but she assumed that the frog got inside of his clothes and is now tickling Lucas. Having a chance of vulnerability Rosarie walked forward happily slapping Lucas. "That was for me."
Another slap was heard. "That was for my horse."
She kicked Lucas\'s nuts before smiling, "That was for my frog friend you bullied so much. Honestly I feel like you should deserve more."
She slaps her again satisfyingly as she sighs. Lucas fainted as the little frog who was holding her breath got out of there. "Rose!"
"Ms. Frog!"
It was a lovely reunion. "Rose please tell me you have water left. I want to take a shower after being inside there."
Rosarie laughs as she takes out her water canteen pouring it over the little frog. "I will never ever do that again. That was traumatizing." (Frog)
The both of them got out of there quickly walking away before they could catch up. Rosarie was tired, panting, and hungry. They had just finished up the last of their ration. "If only... they didn\'t cut our horse..."
"Rose, you need rest. Why don\'t we rest for a day?" (Frog)
She felt her feet swelling from all that fighting but still they needed to get shelter or else Lucas might catch up and capture them both. "I\'m fine." (Rosarie) replied giving the little frog a smile for reassurance but it didn\'t work.
"No. You\'re not clearly fine, come on let\'s just rest by that tree, please Rose. I\'ll worry." the frog pleaded. Somehow when she called Rosarie by her nickname she went all weak.
"F-Fine but only for a bit okay?" (Rosarie) replied, stuttering as she walked into a nearest tree, her body immediately slumping into its support. "Ow. Do we need a fire..."
The little frog shook her head, "The smoke might give away our position. Its best if we don\'t."
It was slowly turning night. Wolves howled into the distance as the moon rose through the sky. "The moon is beautiful isn\'t it?" (Frog)
Rosarie smiles as she takes out a blanket from her storage ring covering the both of them giving warmth, "It is. I wonder why I find the moon more beautiful than usual these days." (Rosarie) muttered confused as the frog answers in return, "Maybe it has to do something with the company you keep?"
The air around them felt light. Perhaps after all that fight something good was bound to happen. Rosarie swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, "I have a weird favor to ask you."
The frog looked at her curiously as she nodded, "What is it?"
Rose can hear her heart thumping very loudly as her face felt like it was on fire. Butterflies were having a party at her stomach as she felt like she was about to throw up. "C-Can you close your eyes for a second?" she stuttered.
The frog nervously did what she was told. She closed her eyes as Rose wanted to die, I mean was it too forward? No! It wasn\'t! Rosarie knows something is there! A feeling! She can\'t ignore this!
Rosarie gulped as she leaned in forward to kiss the frog in the lips, her eyes closed.
For that short moment. The frog glowed, as the curse was broken.
The princess opened her eyes, seeing the frog was gone and was replaced by a girl with flaxen blond hair, gorgeous deep blue eyes, and rosy red lips. "Rose." she called, smiling. Rosarie\'s heart fluttered harder as she stared into her blue dreamy eyes.
"The curse... it\'s broken. I\'m finally human again." the blond girl cries seeing her hands. It meant everything to her. "Thank you."
Rose was not expecting for the curse to be broken. Honestly, she just... kissed her because she wanted to. Rosarie shakes her head leaning into the blond girl\'s shoulder, "You know, after everything. If I\'m being honest, frog or not. I would\'ve still fallen for you. You were my knight in shining armor."
The blond girl was surprised as she looked away in the other direction all flustered, "R-Really? You\'re the first person who has ever told me that- to have fallen for me. I don\'t know if I deserve you if I\'m being honest."
Rosarie giggled as she cuddled closer, "You helped me get the cure, you protected me, and you saved me. All those times I had no one, you helped me."
The blond girl couldn\'t believe what she was hearing. Rosarie\'s gray eyes enveloped with the moonlight\'s shine. "You made me happy."
The blond girl cuddled with her, her heartbeat thumping wildly. "Kein Rosenguard." she whispered.
"Is that your name?" (Rosarie) asked, her voice surprised and thrilled. Finally! Because of the curse she couldn\'t say her name or even write it down. The blond girl nods in answer as Rosarie grinned, "Kein! May I kiss you again?"
Kein, a little stricken, managed to laugh at Rose\'s boldness as they cuddled into the night, their hands holding under the covers. "I wish for you to never let go of my hand. Can you go home with me?"
"I will follow wherever you are. I will never let go of your hand."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.
In the library Rose and Catherine were sitting together as Rose grips the manuscript in hand. "T-This is atrocious! Did you use me and Kein for your work?!" (Rose) yelled as she pointed at the manuscript in hand. "And you even used our names! Change it to you dummy!"
Catherine grinned teasingly at her sister, \'Did you like it at least?\' she signed to her sister with a smug look.
"That\'s not the point here!"
And so Rose ended up confiscating the manuscript. Catherine had another copy thankfully, she already had the name changed. She wanted to see her elder sister\'s reaction to that one.
\'It was satisfying to see her all flustered.\' (Catherine) signed satisfyingly.
Truly they were sisters who both loved and hated each other.