This is an entry for the Pure Horace Mantis Challenge number 9!!
My first published work on . Please do enjoy, as I enjoyed writing it and leave a quick review!!
I do not own the tale this is based on, nor do i own Macy, Kevin, Joe, or Nick (though how I wish, Joe.) I do however own the Kingdom of Horace Mantíse and I am taking auditions for court jester ;)

Princess Macy Misa sighed as she gently prodded a tuft of grass with her foot. A rock dislodged itself from the soft earth and tumbled into the water of the spring Macy often visited to think alone. Things were getting pretty bad around the castle. There was all sorts of talk of setting her up with a good prince from a far away land. There would be a ball soon and her parents were adamant that she be promised to wed on that night. To be honest, Macy thought she was far too young to really run off and marry someone, and to further that honesty, she was a firm believer in love being a key factor in marriage. There was no way she'd fall in love at the drop of a hat, and certainly no way of knowing, if that quick-love could even happen, that she would do so at this heinous ball. It really cheesed her off! Not that she'd voice that opinion. You see, Perfect Princesses are not supposed to be cheesed. Ever. She could imagine her mother lecturing her on how unladylike it would be to get upset over something that needed to happen, how proper young ladies don't get upset anyway because it causes wrinkles. All that. Macy sighed again and pulled her small bag off her shoulders by the strap and flipped the flimsy top back to rummage through the contents. Her fingers brushed past pens and pencils and a small, smooth compact her mother insisted she carry with her at all times. Her teeth gritted tightly at the thought of her mother. She loved her, really, but it was just too much sometimes. Macy's fingers felt a small round sphere deep in the confines of her bag and she couldn't help but smile as she withdrew it. The bright sunlight glinted off the surface of the golden ball, barely bigger than Macy's palm. Her father had gifted it to her when she was young, and she loved it so. It was made of pure gold, but had a hollow core on the inside, so it wasn't all too heavy, yet not all too light either. The perfect tossing weight, Macy felt. And that's exactly what she used it for. She tossed it in the air repeatedly, catching it as it came back down, marveling at the reflective shine of it as it went up. This simple act made her smile easily.

She laughed as she nearly missed it once, redeeming herself by making a few expert catches after. Feeling a little more confident after this, she gave it a good toss. The ball soared higher than before and she poised her hands to catch it when it took a course out of the ordinary. Instead of falling straight down, it shifted quickly, rocketing back down with gravity and….straight into the spring. Macy scrambled to catch it, but just as she put out her hand, the smooth ball grazed her fingertips and 'PLUNK'…fell into the water.

Princess Macy's eyes welled with tears as she watched through the rippling waters the ball sink deeper and deeper until she couldn't see it anymore.
"oh no!" she cried, sobs wracking her small frame as she wiped the unshed tears from her eyes with her hand. "What now?! What else could go wrong? This is awful!" She wept and wept for what seemed like hours, never noticing the frog that poked it's head out of the water and watched her for a minute before swimming to the edge and hopping out with a soft croak to land beside her. Its big, glassy eyes never leaving her face.
"What's wrong, Princess? Why do you cry?"

Macy nearly fell into the water as she searched around her for the source of the voice that called to her.

Her own voice faltered as she called out "who's there?!"

The frog deftly leapt onto her lap and quite clearly proclaimed "I am!"
Macy stared at the creature, both astonished and frankly, a little disgusted. "You…can talk?"

"Of course I can. I'm human, aren't I?" the frog remarked, seemingly taken aback.

Macy shook her head. "No, actually. You're a frog."
The frog gave her an incredulous look, but gave himself a once-over just for good measure. It hopped in surprise and croaked loudly.
"My goodness! You're right!"
Macy giggled and wiped her face with the back of her hand quickly. The frog too, she thought, gave a chuckle before leaping off her skirt and toward the edge of the water, turning to look back at her.

Curiosity was always a problem with Macy, and she just had to know!
"Pardon my asking," she began "But how is it you can talk?"

The frog seemed to frown a little and looked at his feet. After a moment he looked back at Macy and sort of shrugged (as best you can without proper shoulders).

"I was a man once. I was turned into a frog by a woman I met at a festival in my city." His froggy lips turned up in a sad, rueful sort of smile. "She was a witch. I didn't know at the time…though it's hardly an excuse for what I did."

Macy cocked her head sideways. "What did you do?" she asked softly.

The frog chuckled again. "I think if I'm to tell you my story, I should at least get your name, my dear."

Macy laughed. "But of course! I'm Macy Misa."
The frog croaked and gave a hop of delight. "And a beautiful name it is! Just as I thought it would be. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Misa, though I assume it would be right to call you Princess Macy." He blinked one eye in an awkward frog-wink and hopped again.
Macy smiled at the display and finally recalled her manners. "Might I ask your name, kind sir?" She inclined her head a little with her words.
The frog blinked twice, rapidly and croaked loudly once before responding. "I, my dear, am Kevin Lucas, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Horace Mantíse." He bowed his head and kissed her hand in an awkward and slimy sort of way that Macy found she really didn't mind, still she was surprised to find this small creature was in fact, a royal prince! She was all too curious now, and she had to know more!

"Now that we know one another, perhaps you will finish your story of how you came to be a frog?"
Kevin laughed strangely but settled into the soft grass to continue his tale.

He told her, first of his kingdom. How his father had split the wealth and land and power between himself and his two other brothers, Joseph and Nicholas. How they two ruled justly and kindly, and how he did not. He told her how, being the eldest, he was upset at his father for not giving him everything. He told her of how he was mean and disliked by his subjects, how he drew away from his family and everyone else who sought to keep him company. He told her of the festival he was forced to attend, how his brothers tried to stop him from going, fearing for his life due to his reputation with the people. He told her of a gypsy with such beauty she would not believe, tossing in a remark about how Macy was far more beautiful than her, and he told her too of his greed for the woman. He found her beautiful, and thought it was wasted on a poor, useless life. He made fun of her, scorned her, called her names and shoved her to and fro.

It broke Macy's heart to see Kevin, once a powerful though tyrannical man, this way. He told his tale bravely, his face betraying his stable voice. His eyes were brimming with tears and he looked so sad at recalling what he was. She felt the tears in her eyes too, at the sight of him this way.
He heard her sniffle the tears away and paused to give her a soft smile.
"And she found me. I was drinking and unaware of who she was. Unaware of what she planned. She saw me and spoke words to me I didn't bother to hear. She told me that because of the way I was, the way I treated people, I didn't deserve to be among them, not in the way that I was. I was unfit to live in the handsome shell of a noble prince, but I should be cursed to wander the land as a creature no one would look at twice. She turned me…into this." he gestured down at his green body and smiled that same sad smile. Macy felt her insides shatter, then he continued. "She told me if I wanted to return to the way I used to be, that I should learn from my past. I should change my ways and repent. She said she was gracious in allowing me a simple way to be myself again." He looked up at Macy with big, watery eyes. "If I find love. A true, unwavering love. I can again be myself."

His voice rang with hope and a hint of cheer and Macy felt her spirits rise at the thought. She'd come to like Kevin in the short time they'd spent together.

"You know," she started softly "I can't imagine you being anything other than sweet, as you are now."
Kevin the frog smiled and inclined his head. "Yes, but it has been some time since I've last been the way I once was. I'm glad to know I've changed. Now all I need do is find the one who will love me and I her."

His eyes focused on Macy's and she looked away quickly, her heart set aflutter by the look he gave her.

"Well, I wish you luck, Prince Kevin."
"You never answered my question, pretty lady. Why were you crying when I came up from the water?" Kevin questioned as he hopped up and down in place.
Well, here was a very flattering amphibian! Macy felt her face flush with color as she tugged at a blade of grass.
"I…I lost my ball in the water. It's very dear to me." She felt the tears prickling at her eyes again so she shut them tight and sighed. It could not be healthy for one to cry so much in one day!
Kevin clicked his tongue and shook his little froggy head. "Now, that won't do."
He gave a hop to the left, then two to the right before making his way back onto the princess's lap, causing her to look down at him. He gave a cute little frog-grin and put a webbed foot to his frog chest.
"I'll get it for you, my lady. On one condition!"

Macy smiled shyly and scooped Kevin up in her hands. "What would that be, dear Prince?"
Kevin smiled. "If you will love me as I love you, my dear. I will bring your ball up from the depths of the spring."

Macy nearly dropped Kevin as his words pieced themselves together to make sense in her mind. Did he just…what?!
"You..you want me to…wait, that doesn't make any sense." the words tumbled hurriedly from her lips. "That would be implying that you love me already, and I've only just met you!" She eyed him warily as he shifted nervously in her hands.

"You see…" he paused as he wrung his froggy feet in an equally nervous way. "I've been at this spring for quite some time." His eyes shifted to hers and back to some distant place on the horizon. "I've seen you here often, and I've always been fascinated by your beauty. I…daresay, I've fallen in love with you. From the first time I saw you here, I knew you were the one, Princess." His eyes focused on hers, this time steadily. "I knew what I felt was real. I knew one day I'd have the courage to seek you out and speak with you and you would be the one to listen. I knew you would be the one to allow me my second chance. I love you Macy Misa. Please say you'd love me too."

Kevin held out a webbed foot to Macy, his eyes pleading.
It was crazy to think she could love him. Not after just having met him, but Macy knew she couldn't deny the emotion this confession stirred in her. She felt her chest tighten and her heart pound away frantically. Yes, she'd only just met him, but she also felt something the minute she first heard his sweet voice. Maybe it was possible to hastily love someone, afterall wasn't love as unpredictable as the weather? Could it be that there was a way to fall for someone, entirely and irrevocably in a second, with one look? A look. She looked in her hands at the small creature, his foot still held out to her, and she knew she'd be a fool for it. She knew she'd be a fool to break his heart.

Slowly, she shook her head and Kevin felt his world collapse. He didn't know what to do. There was an unsettling quiet in the air. He poised to hop down from his lost love's hands, lest she see his pain when her small voice rang through the silence. He missed the word she spoke in whisper and looked up at her, despite the tears running from his eyes.
She smiled and clutched him gently to her chest.

"Of course I will, Kevin."
Kevin was so surprised he croaked loudly, making Macy laugh. "So was that a happy croak or not?" she asked, looking down at him as he wriggled from her grasp and up onto her shoulder.
"You mean it?!" it was hard to keep the excitement from his voice, and really, Kevin didn't care to try.
Macy nodded. "I thought it was impossible to fall in love with someone you didn't know, but you changed my mind it seems." She smiled as she took the small frog in her hands once more and set him on her lap.

"What do I need to do to change you back?" She asked.
Kevin couldn't find the words to say. He stumbled over quite a few before taking a big breath and finally responding "A kiss! Just one kiss and the spell will be broken."
Macy made a face at the thought of kissing just any old frog, but she thought too of the man this frog was. Her love. Her one true love. Her Prince Charming…only…he wasn't all that charming right at the moment. Still, if it meant they could be together forever, she'd do anything.
She reached out to take hold of Kevin when he hopped out of her reach and back to the edge of the water.
"One second!" he called back to her and dove into the depths with a quiet 'ploop'.
Macy waited and waited, every second seeming an eternity without Kevin's company, then the calm water's surface broke and out came Kevin, the golden ball between his webbed feet as he kicked vigorously to propel himself through the water.
Macy scurried to the edge to scoop him out when he was within reach and she nearly burst into tears again at the thought of it. Here he was, seconds away from breaking his curse and he thought of her and her silly ball. Kevin dropped it beside her as she swiftly took him up and without a second thought, placed a soft kiss on him.

Before she knew what had happened, Macy was on her back, with a huge weight on top of her. She was looking into the most beautiful set of hazel eyes set in a gorgeous face framed perfectly with dark, curly locks of the most beautiful darkness. His skin was pale and his lips a sweet rose. She was afraid to look away from his face, lest he be unclothed since she had a sneaking suspicion this was the man who used to be a frog.

"It worked." Came Kevin's voice now from the man sitting over her. He rolled off and stood, pulling Macy to her feet along with him. He was a good foot or so taller than her and most definitely (and thankfully, she thought) clothed in the most gorgeous of princely attire. A royal blue coat with shiny gold buttons and cords dangling from his shoulders, a high collar and crisp white linen shirt with a white ascot scarf tied around his gracious neck. His pants were a deep ebony and clung to his legs like a mold and his black, tall boots indicated he was a rider. Macy laughed as she thought of him on a gorgeous white horse.

Kevin, the now man once frog, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest.
"My darling Macy. My one and only love."
It sounded good in his voice, and Macy felt safe in his strong, warm arms. She thought of what she would tell her parents, her kingdom. She smiled as she too, put her arms around her new love and smiled.
It really didn't matter what they said.

Thanks for reading!! Please Review ;D
-berriTurtles