Bella stood and wrapped the extra dress fabric around her shoulders, then curtsied before him.
“Do not curtsy for me, friend.I am but a lowly frog.”
“A frog prince,” she corrected.“Or, is that Prince of Frogs?”
“Neither.To you, I am merely Riven.”
She smiled, liking that he lowered the societal walls betwixt them.“Why are you the sole person to blame for the pond’s condition?”
He paused, and Bella waited him out.“The enchantress said the king’s son allowed everyone to use the pond as they saw fit.”
“Did you say that?”
“No.But I am not the king’s only son, am I?”
“Poisson,” she said with disgust.
“Most likely, yes.”
“Why did you not dispute it?”
“I did, but it was too late.When she first accused me, I was plied with ale and playing the most magical of tunes.Oh, Bella, if only you heard the music I created that night!I waved off her accusation, thinking it would not truly concern me.”
“Now it does.”
“Now it does.”He blinked.“By the time I saw her again, it was too late to dispute it.She claimed my delay displayed my desperation and my guilt.”
“Rotten of her.”
He nodded.“However, if I did not accept this punishment, she vowed the entire castle would soon have poisoned, undrinkable water.I had no choice.”
Her mouth dropped open.“You willingly bore this burden you did not earn?”
“I am the prince, and these are my people,” he stated simply.“But I realized last night, this ismyfate.Mypunishment.You do not need to be here, joining me in my plight.You may take Nocturne and return home.”
Bella simply stared at him.This man was storybook worthy, a hero as noble and rare as a diamond of the first water.Her throat tightened as she regarded him.Finally, she shook her head, saying the only thing that came to mind.“I cannot take your horse.”
“If you do not, that ostler will likely slaughter him and dump him in the pond.”
She gasped.“He wouldn’t dare!”
Albert/Riven nodded.“Anyone who sees him loose out here will return him to the stable where you retrieved him.Nocturne eats a lot, and my parents would not come looking for him—after all, people think I’m off wooing the enchantress who did this to me.”
When Bella opened her mouth to protest, Riven added, “I heard the chatter in the tavern yesterday.It is what the townspeople think.Because of this, Nocturne would not be sought.He would quickly become costly and overstay his welcome.”
Bella moved to the horse, where he had been happily grazing.She stroked his withers, and he took another step, still munching.“Those are all horrible things to say.”
“He is the most remarkable of horses.He is calm and dependable.He does not spook.He stays with his people, as you can clearly see, and I vow he understands every word.He is an amazing animal and the best option you have to quickly return home.”
Tears filled her eyes.A Mérens horse would fetch a fine price at any market, but selling the prince’s horse irked her moral code, regardless of the fact they could not afford to feed him.Attempting a jest, she said, “You wish to be rid of me so fiercely you would give me your finest horse to see me gone?”
Albert, no,Riven,leapt clear out of the water, croaking midair at her.He landed with a fatsplat,croaked at her a few times, then jumped back into the water.“I detest that I cannot speak to you when I am away from this mud.No.I wish to uphold my end of the bargain and help you return home.”
Now her throat tightened.“My end of our bargain was to help you break your curse, which I cannot do from Luxembourg.”
“Come here, please.”Riven waved her forward with a tiny arm, and Bella plodded near, her feet growing heavier with the weight of the truth behind his words.
“Bella, my friend...I, not you, have irritated an enchantress.The burden of fixing this mess falls on my shoulders.I will not see you punished alongside me.I cannot even provide you shelter!”The words were a combination of frustration, anger, and amphibious croaks.
