- You're kidding, right? - Rydia sighed.
The purple toad in front of her let out a very pissed and undignified croak.
- Seriously, Edge? Seriously? -
The frog didn't deem her worthy of an answer.
Rydia sighed again and picked up Edge from the ground, shoving him unceremoniously into her backpack.
The former prince of Eblan croaked again, outraged.
"Hey! Watch it, sweetcheeks!" he thought angrily.
- When you come back to normal you'll explain me how you managed to get turned into a frog right when Rosa and the others are plotting with the Epopts and there isn't anyone around who can heal you. I haven't got any Maiden's Kiss, either. I guess we'll just have to return to Troia and buy one. -
Rydia began the incantation for the Warp spell, apparently unconcerned by the sudden transformation of the handsome prince into an hideous toad.
Edge snorted internally.
Moments later they were back in Troia and Rydia was walking quickly towards the item shop, causing Edge to endlessly bounce inside the backpack.
"Ouch! Rydia!"
The girl slowed down, even though she couldn't possibly have heard his thoughts.
- Sorry. I just… Look, let's get you that Maiden's Kiss. - she said softly, lowering her gaze before resuming her march.
They entered the item shop a few minutes later. Rydia took Edge in her hands, way more carefully than before. The prince blinked.
"Hey, sweetcheeks, are we feeling guilty?" he thought, regretting his soundlessness.
Rydia approached the counter.
- I hope that's you toad pet and not a human. I've run out of Maiden's Kisses. - the woman taking care of the shop interrupted her before she could speak.
Edge could see Rydia's face turn blank.
- Bingo, huh? - the woman said.
- When did it happen? - she asked.
- I… I think it was… half an hour ago? - Rydia stammered.
"Wait, is she worried? It's not like I'm dying."
The shopkeeper nodded with a small smile.
- You have one day to find a literal Maiden's Kiss. Otherwise, the spell will become permanent. If you were planning to use White Magic, do it within two hours. -
"Oh."
Rydia shakily nodded and rushed out of the shop.
Once they were out in the streets, Rydia sighed, still shaking.
- We have to find some girl willing to kiss you, because Rosa will never make it in time. Well, it should be "True Love", but you love every maiden anyway, don't you? And just mentioning you're Eblan's prince will earn you the love of a hundred girls. -
Edge widened his frog eyes.
"True love doesn't really work like that, sweetness!" he thought, bewildered.
- Come on! Let's get you a girlfriend! - Rydia exclaimed, the shakiness gone, though she did sound a bit off.
"What the… why on Earth does she sound hurt?"
The following hours were spent searching for girls willing to plant a kiss on those toad lips of his.
Surprisingly, there were a lot. Edge probably received more kisses in those few hours than during his entire life. Not that he was ever going to tell someone.
The sun was starting to turn red, and he was still a purple frog.
As the time passed by, Rydia grew more desperate, literally shoving him in the faces of every girl they encountered, with no results whatsoever.
Cecil and the others were still in the castle, so the young Summoner was on her own, trying to figure this out by herself. After hours of pointless searching, Rydia collapsed on a rock, completely worn out.
Edge jumped from her hands to the ground, and watched her. She covered her face with her hands and started crying quietly.
- E… Edge, I'm so sorry! I should've never quit White Magic! It's all my fault! I was the one wanting to go hunting for herbs. Edge… I'm sorry! If… If we don't find a cure, what will I…? - she sobbed.
Edge's heart nearly stopped, seeing her so vulnerable.
"Rydia…"
Quietly, he jumped back on her legs, causing Rydia to look at him, whit watery blue eyes.
- Edge…? -
The prince looked at her, trying to communicate his message without words. He stared right into her eyes, and when he noticed a light blush creeping on her cheeks, he knew she understood.
- You… You don't mean…! - Rydia stammered, pointing a shaky finger at herself.
Edge nodded.
Now, the blush was full-on, by far the most adorable thing he'd ever seen.
There was a moment of silence. Rydia glanced at the setting sun, noticing his time was nearly over.
- Okay. We'll try. - she whispered, and this time Edge was frighteningly sure his heart stopped.
"You really are something, sweetcheeks!" he thought, amazed at the resolution she had while standing up with him in her hands.
She hesitated just for a second, before leaning in and kissing him.
Edge thought he was about to grow wings and flutter away, but that was probably due to the fact that Rydia's feet weren't touching the ground anymore and he was growing into her hands and what's with the surprised expression, Rydia? Don't you dare take a step away from me when I can finally kiss you like there's no tomorrow, hold you tight and bury my hands in your hair, gods Rydia you're so beautiful and I think I might be in love for real this time.
Even when they touched the ground again, he kept his lips on hers, cupping her face with his hands. Gods, kissing Rydia felt just so right. When she hesitantly brought her arms around his neck he was sure she was trying to kill him.
Eventually, they run out of air, and had to pull apart. Rydia's eyes were still half-closed, when Edge captured her lips in another kiss, deeper and slower this time.
"She's going to summon her Eidolons to ruin me later, but screw that I want to be like this forever!" Edge thought, in the small part of his mind which wasn't completely focused on Rydia.
When he felt her responding shyly to his kiss, his heart was about to explode, and he ended up smiling so wide their contact broke.
He took advantage of the following moments to admire her distant expression: reddened cheeks, swollen lips slightly parted, half closed eyes that shot open in a heartbeat.
As realization downed over her, her blush worsened so much that Edge could feel the heat coming from her skin.
Stammering, she tried to take a step away from him, but he brought his hands around her waist and pulled her into his chest.
- You're not going anywhere. - he whispered, stroking her hair.
Rydia seemed to relax a bit, and they stayed like that for a while.
Edge took a deep breath. It was now or never. Now was the moment to kick himself and say…
- I love you. -
Edge died, came back to life and died again, hearing those three simple words coming out of her mouth in a rushed whisper, as if she wanted to say them before losing confidence.
Rydia was blushing really bad now. She buried her face in his chest to hide it, but she was completely red from her neck up to the tips of her ears.
Edge laughed softly.
- Not fair, sweetcheeks. I was trying to work up the courage to say it first. - he said, with a croaking voice.
Now was his turn to blush, horrified at the sound of his voice.
Way to kill the moment, collateral effects of being toaded!
He nervously cleared his throat and swallowed in embarrassment.
Rydia let out a small laugh of her own and finally raised her head to look at him, whit a shy smile that made him forget his awkwardness.
- Looks like you're not so brave, huh, Your Highness. - she said.
- When it comes to you? I'm a total loser. A loser that loves his Summoner with all of his crooked heart. -
Rydia laughed again, before going on tiptoe to match his height.
- Playing it safe, Edge? - she asked, bringing her hands to his neck.
- Just you wait, sweetcheeks. - he whispered, before leaning in and kissing the tip of her nose.
She giggled and he smiled softly at her.
Edge leaned in again and traced a trail of kisses from the corner of her mouth to her ear. When he stopped, he whispered, so quiet Rydia almost missed it:
- I love you, Rydia. Always have, always will. You happy, now? You made confess my darkest secret. -
He met her gaze once again.
Rydia had her lips parted in anticipation and she slightly leaned over.
"That's just asking for troubles, sweetness!" he thought, leaning in to cover her lips.
Except she dodged at the last second and he ended up kissing her cheek.
Edge looked at her, confused.
- Your darkest secret, you say? You mean you're going to tell everyone you got toaded like that? - she grinned.
- Ah, but I was an handsome toad. -
- If you say so. -
- Now that's just mean. -
Rydia burst into laughter at his outraged face.
- Shut up. - Edge silenced her, and for once she didn't mind not having the last word.