Once upon a time there was a very modern princess named Nina who, as is related in Knotty Frog Princess, came to the United States of America to attend Clarkson University where she majored in Electrical Engineering. Princess Nina took her studies quite seriously, so that it happened one late spring day between classes she sat on a bench and opened a textbook that she perused with such intense scrutiny that she eventually closed her eyes in order to concentrate more properly on its arcane concepts and very shortly was snoring softly.
A cooling breeze flipped the pages of the discarded book and played with the strands of her straight, black hair. Nina was not dressed as a princess, of course, but much like any other student at this technological school, with a blue t-shirt displaying the three Greek letters of her sorority, a pair of well-worn blue jeans, and comfortable walking shoes.
"Come on, Nina, wake up!" hissed her good friend, Red Riding Hood. "You know how upset Professor Dantpen gets if we're late for class!" She shook the princess repeatedly and shouted loudly, but Nina continued slumbering soundly, so that eventually Red Riding Hood, not daring to be late, left hurriedly.
"She'll be alright," she assured herself. "I'll check on her after class."
Nina slept on. A few students looked at her quizzically as she dreamed. Her mind emptied itself of visions of circuits and complex numbers and filled itself with the sight of Prince Marcus. In this dream, she wore a stunning evening gown, while Marcus wore his country's military uniform, covered with medals for bravery. He held her in his arms and kissed her in a wondrous way, nothing like he ever had in real life, so that Nina sighed internally, savoring his attentions. "If only you had done this before," she whispered, "we would surely still be together."
One thing seemed wrong, though.
"You're awfully, um, hairy," she told him. "Have you shaved lately?"
"No, baby, I never fool with that," came the answer.
"What?" she asked, opening her eyes wide. She was completely awake now. On the bench next to her sat The Wolf! "Wolfy!" she exclaimed in confusion. "You weren't just kissing me, were you?"
"I had to wake you up somehow, baby."
"Well, I am, so you can stop it!" she informed him, for The Wolf was moving in for another kiss.
"No, baby, we need to celebrate that you're awake now!"
"No, I need to… oh, what time is it? I need to get to class!"
"You slept longer than you think, baby. Classes are over for the week. It's time to relax. Come on down with me to Syracuse for the weekend. I've got this great penthouse there. I'll speed you there in no time. You do remember riding in my Mustang convertible, don't you?"
"Yes, I do!" answered Nina angrily. "You had me tied up in there! I'm not going to Syracuse or anywhere with you, and there's no way I'm ever going back in your car again, no matter what you do!"
"Yes you will," said The Wolf.
"No, I won't."
The Wolf didn't contradict her again. There was no need. When words didn't serve him, actions did.
…..
"Didn't I tell you this place was great, baby?" The Wolf asked Princess Nina. He gestured proudly around his dwelling. "I've had a lot of damsels up here but I don't think you've seen my penthouse before."
Princess Nina sighed inside but did not reply. She sat on one end of the soft couch in the living room, her hands behind her back. Brown rope wrapped about her torso and forearms, and around her legs. A short strand ran from her ankles to the miniscule couch leg. There was cloth in her mouth and a somber blue-grey bandana tied as a gag.
"I told you that you were going to come here," he told her mildly. He reached into his closet for a light jacket. "Sorry to be a bad host, but I've got to go out for a bit. Try to stay comfy until I get back. There's probably something good on TV," he added, absently picking up the remote and flicking the giant screen to life.
"…you and a companion will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Monte Carlo!" burbled the exuberant voice of an announcer.
"You like game shows, baby?" asked The Wolf. He ignored Nina's angry squeak of denial and turned down the volume. "See you in a bit," he called out from the private elevator as he disappeared.
"I'm not staying here," Nina promised silently. She stood awkwardly, but with her legs tied to the couch, she could not take any baby steps or manage a bunny hop. She tried sliding herself down and stretched blindly out with her bound hands, but eventually realized she could not reach the knots binding her ankles.
What else could she do? As she considered, there came a faint ding and the sound of sliding doors. Was The Wolf back already?
"Hey, anybody home?" someone called out. "Hello? Theodore Wolf, are you around?"
"MPFFF!" screamed Nina. She recognized that voice. It was her ex-boyfriend, Prince Marcus!
He sauntered into the living room, stumbling with amazement when he saw Nina, who glared imperiously back. "What are you doing just standing there?" her expression clearly asked. "Get me out of here!"
"Right," agreed the prince, moving slowly to kneel beside her. "Wow, these knots are intricate!" he exclaimed. "It's going to take some doing to untie them all. Maybe I'd better just do this one against the couch leg and I can carry you out and work on the rest later on."
Nina rolled her eyes, wishing he would at least remove her gag first so she could respond. "No time for that," the prince told her, lifting her and carrying her like a groom carrying a bride. "The Wolf may be back any second and I've got to get you to safety."
He reached out with one finger and jabbed the elevator button. The doors slid open and The Wolf walked out.
"Hey, great to see you again, pal," he greeted Marcus. "Nina needs to be on the couch, though, okay?" He briskly took the struggling princess from the startled prince's arms and soon had her seated once again. "How did you get in here?" he asked.
"I've always wanted to see your famous penthouse, only for some reason I never got an invite from you, so I decided to come on my own. I can't say that I saw much special except for Nina tied up, which I really didn't expect, although perhaps from what I've heard I should have. Anyhow, the other day, er, a girl at this party was going on about your place, so when she was distracted I got the elevator key from her.
"Well, thanks for returning it," said The Wolf, snatching the key from Marcus' outstretched hand. "You don't need it to take the elevator back down, so I'll see you later, okay?"
"About Princess Nina," began Marcus.
"She's right where she needs to be," The Wolf told him.
"I don't think she wants to be here at all," Marcus said haughtily. "I'm going to rescue her and you're not going to stop me!"
"Yes, I will," The Wolf informed him.
"Then I'll call the police!" Marcus reached for his cellphone.
"Hello, 911?" The Wolf imitated Marcus' voice. "Hi! I'm a prince up in a luxury apartment where a wolf has a beautiful princess bound and gagged. Yeah, they'll take that call seriously."
"Then I'll go down to them in person and make them take me seriously."
"No you won't," The Wolf told him. "You're in the US on a student visa, but you dropped out of school ages ago. You get them interested in you and you'll be deported back to West Zhdalskt where you can explain to your uncle why you've been spending the money earmarked for your education on having a good time."
"Right," agreed Marcus with a weak smile. "Well, I'll just be going then, shall I?" He jumped backward into the elevator and jabbed a button.
"Sorry about the interruption, baby," said The Wolf, sauntering back towards Nina. "Got a lot of keys made since I get a lot of visitors up here. I probably should see about where they all are, as I was a bit free about passing them out." He paused briefly. "Hey, you used to date whatshisname, right?"
Nina looked away. "That was a mistake I'll never make again," she promised herself. "The complete coward!"
The Wolf's cell phone suddenly buzzed. He glanced at the screen and frowned. "Sorry about this, baby, but I've got to scoot again for a bit. I'll be back really fast, though, I promise!"
…..
The princess slept soundly in a castle surrounded by impassable thorns. Outside, the prince grimly cut his way through the thorns, although less and less energetically, for it seemed they grew back almost as soon as they were cut down. Lifting his arm for another stroke of his sword, he espied a maddened wolf who had been set as an additional deterrent to any would-be rescuers. The beast howled with bloodlust, snapping teeth that seemed capable of devouring entire kingdoms, much less one lone adventurer. The prince paled, flung his sword aside, and fled.
At that precise instant, the princess awoke, arose from her bed, and watched the prince's hasty retreat from her window high atop a crumbling tower. "If my prince won't come to my rescue, then I must see attend to my release myself," she announced, her words echoing loudly in the desolate building.
"This is no time for daydreaming about what's on television!" Nina scolded herself, having put a few touches of her own onto the cartoon movie showing on the large screen. "What am I doing, watching this rubbish? I've got to get out of here, somehow!"
Her analytical mind swiftly considered. Her situation was not precisely the same as it had been earlier, she realized with sudden eagerness. There was no longer a cord connecting her feet to the couch leg! She stood up unsteadily and bounced cautiously on the soft carpet, springing forward slightly and landing gently.
She briefly considered a search for scissors or a knife, but abandoned the idea. "It's something that's probably a lot easier to manage in the movies than in real life," she told herself. She glanced down at the telephone, but dismissed that as well. "The best thing is to get out of here. The elevator is only a short distance away; once I get down I can sure find someone who will untie me!"
Hopping while bound and gagged proved to be much harder than she imagined. She moved toward the elevator very slowly, every second expecting to see The Wolf to emerge. The thick carpet helped cushion her as she inched forward, moving to the left from where she had been sitting, through the living room into a small foyer. At first, it seemed she would never reach her goal, but finally she stood staring at the silver elevator doors.
She turned herself and pressed the call button, then shifted to face the doors once again. It seemed an eternity before a soft ping announced the elevator's arrival. Her heart beat loudly with concern that The Wolf would step out and stop her escape attempt.
The elevator arrived completely empty, silently, impassively inviting her presence within like a butler at a drawing room entrance. Nina paused uncertainly. The doors hissed; they were about to close! She bounded inside, just in time.
The elevator sank smoothly. Nina breathed deeply through her nose. She was going to escape! "Serves that Wolfy right, too!" she told herself fiercely. "What a shock he's going to have when he comes home and I'm not there!" Her descent came to a gentle stop. The doors yawned open.
"Hey, baby," said The Wolf, not the slightest bit surprised to see her. "Got a bit restless waiting for me, did you? Sorry for the delay; all sorts of unexpected stuff is coming up tonight, but we can head back upstairs now, okay?"
"Mpfff!" Nina shook her head, moving her whole body, desperately trying to attract someone, anyone's attention, but there was no one around to hear protests….
…..
"This is news?" Nina asked herself in disbelief. A television reporter was talking about a movie star who was leaving his wife for another woman. She squirmed anxiously.
"Marcus won't come back; I know him well enough to realize that, and now it's impossible for me to move," she thought, for The Wolf had tied her legs again, this time crossing her ankles and replacing the cord connecting them to the couch leg… and he was right near her, watching closely. "I won't be rescued and I can't escape! How shall I get out of here?"
The answer proved to be quite anticlimactic. "Hey, Wolfy," called out a new voice.
"Hey, baby," he answered, flying over to the elevator and escorting this new visitor into his living room.
"Oh!" exclaimed Red Riding Hood, looking at Princess Nina with a mixture of concern and disapproval. The Wolf had helped her out of her famous red cape, so that she now stood dressed in a pink and white checked minidress with a small white apron, white stockings, and white high heels. "Wolfy, why is Nina tied up?"
"Because she won't stay here unless she is, baby."
"Wolfy, did you forget we had some private, um, business tonight? Let's get her untied so we can get on with things, shall we?"
"Oh, okay," he agreed reluctantly.
"I'll have you on your way in a jiffy, Nina," said Red Riding Hood.
"That's good," replied the princess slowly, for her friend had untied her gag. "But Syracuse is a big city and it's getting dark outside."
"Wolfy will take care of getting you a ride, won't you, Wolfy?"
"Right on it, baby," agreed The Wolf, opening his cell phone. He walked away, murmuring softly.
"There, you're all set to go now," Red Riding Hood told Nina a few minutes later, helping her to stand up.
"Thanks, Red," said Nina, rubbing her wrists. "I'm glad to finally be out of those ropes. Although, you know, other than keeping me tied up, he was a perfect gentlewolf, and his kisses were quite impressive, come to think of it."
"Try not to," Red Riding Hood urged, slipping her cape back on. "There's a ride waiting downstairs for you. You did arrange that, didn't you, Wolfy?"
"Yeah, baby," he agreed. "I'll escort you down to make sure you arrive there safely."
"NO!" exclaimed Red Riding Hood loudly. "I mean, I'll see she gets there okay. Just wait here and I'll be right back."
The two damsels descended to the parking garage, chattering excitedly together. "Well, here's your ride," announced Red Riding Hood, pointing to a waiting silver-white Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
"Um, thanks," said Nina, but Red Riding Hood had stepped back into the elevator and disappeared.
Nina turned to view the expensive car. After a momentary pause, the driver's gullwing door opened silently. "Are you ready to depart, Nina?"
"Marcus! Wolfy arranged for you to drive me home?" she asked incredulously. "No thanks; I'd rather stay here! I'm heading back up to the penthouse!"
"You need a key to use that elevator," the prince informed her politely.
"So I do," she answered. "But I'm getting up there all the same. You can go now, by the way."
"I'm not leaving you alone. I have to see to your safety."
"You weren't too concerned about it a little earlier!"
Not having a suitable reply, Prince Marcus deflected the conversation. "What do all you girls see in that guy?" he demanded, referring to The Wolf, of course.
Nina turned her back, disdainfully ignoring him. Princesses are very skilled at doing that. "How strange," she murmured softly, "after spending most of the evening trying to figure out how to get out of there, now I need to figure out how to get back in again!"