Why was he here?Shouldn’t he be out terrorizing his other estates until summer’s end?
Riven wanted to warn Bella to stay away from him, but ‘twas quite unnecessary.Luc took one look at the commotion and shoved his way through.
“Brother?Is that really you?”
Riven had leapt into the water and ascended his wee throne and donned his wee crown and assumed his most royal wee air.He nodded once.“What brings you here?”
“Well, I could hardly believe the tales circulating about my little brother turned into a frog.But it appears to be true.Tell me, what did you do to earn this fate?”
“What didIdo?Idid nothing, as well you know.This fate was meant to be yours.”
Luc grinned and picked up a piece of trash that had been removed from the pond and threw it toward Riven’s castle, close enough to make his wagon-wheel base rock a bit.“Nah, I do not deserve this.What a mess you’ve made!Do you consider that your castle?”
“It serves as my home in this form, yes.”
“I thought you had better taste than that.”He scoffed and threw another bit of trash at the castle.
“Will you stop doing that?We’re trying to remove the garbage, not add more.”
Luc scoffed.“So, what happens after this?You return to your human self, and all is forgiven?”
“That is the hope, yes.”
He laughed.“You cannot expect the villagers to change their ways.They are lazy creatures of habit.”
“Like you?”Riven said.“You have been in charge of Grievance Day for the past year.The reason the pond has become this befouled is directly because of you.”
Bella hovered nearby, and Luc sensed her, for then he marched over to her and claimed her hand.“Is this youramoureuse?She is quite the beauty...for a peasant.”And he kissed Bella’s hand.
She yanked away and glared at him, making Luc laugh and Riven want to tear his head off.“What are you going to do, brother?You are, as always, too small to fight me.”
He snatched Bella around the waist, and Riven watched helplessly as she struggled.She managed one good strike to Luc’s foot, then a sharp kick to his thigh before Riven’s mother arrived and separated them.Henriette raced over for support, and Luc sneered at her.
“How is business these days after turning me down?”
Henriette’s face purpled with anger.“What you offered would have disgraced me.”
Riven now knew who had started the horrible rumor, but he had no outlet to fix it, making him feel more impotent in his brother’s presence.
His mother intervened, sending Bella and Henriette with Leon, the guard, to the castle on an errand to escape Luc’s lustful advances.
“I can have you hanged for assaulting a royal!”he called after them, making the queen face him and order him away from the retreating carriage.
Riven watched Bella escape, hating that he felt so helpless.Once he resumed his human form, he was going to punch his half-brother in his perfect, royal nose for the transgression.
As the townsfolk trickled in an hour later, Bella, Henriette, and Leon greeted them all with payment from the royal treasury, then directed them for their final day of work.For this step, water plants were to be settled around the new shore, as well as importing algae from creek beds and other nearby ponds.Once those were established, they would bring in water insects and tadpoles.Fish would be introduced by fall.All in all, it was coming together perfectly.
He and Bella were working together perfectly.
He was confident he would break this curse by nightfall.
He could not wait until he resumed his true form.
And then Brumenhildr arrived.
Green and brown vapors swirled around her as she appeared suddenly at the edge of the old pond and demanded, “What manner of insult is this?”
Riven and Bella exchanged concerned looks, then they both took a stride closer to her.
