What a frightful day. Such a day is filled with troubles that only sleep will end. I tell myself this. I close my eyes, bury my face in the silken pillow, try my best to drift away – and I am still here. All I need is to fall asleep and all this will be over. One day. That was the deal.

For a small, ugly amphibian, you've made a big nuisance of yourself. Who knew that frogs snored? Deuce, if I move any further away from you I shall be spending the night on the floor – and I should surely never sleep that way. I can even smell you. You reek of the swamp beyond the gardens. I shall have to have my servants thoroughly wash that pillow, to say nothing of the entire bottle of perfume that will be required in my chamber come the morning. Just watching you lie there, a lowly creature on the bed of a princess – ugh, it makes my skin crawl. Even the liquid silk sheets feel unpleasant against my bare arms. I want to be sick.

Part of me wants to wake you up – I hate to see you so peaceful when I know I shan't catch a wink of sleep all night. I don't, though, because then I should have to endure more of your conversation. Oh, you thought yourself so witty this evening, didn't you? Entertaining father's guests while you ate from my bowl and drank from my cup.

The memory makes me quite ill.

Ah, yes, you were highly pleased with yourself, but I may tell you that I care nothing for any clever words you might have for me, for you are a frog and I a princess. I expect you had them all laughing at me, didn't you? I tell you, if gossip goes out through the kingdom, if my subjects bow before me then turn their heads to hide their laughter – do you want to know what I shall do? I shall summon all my people, every one of them, from the noble's daughters that accompany me to balls, to the butlers that serve my meals, even to the lowliest peasant's daughter that scrubs the floors of the kitchens, and do you know what I shall have them do? I shall send them out to every corner of this kingdom. I shall have decrees carried that every frog and toad, every stinking, slimy little creature like you is to be put to death. The rivers will run red with blood and the air will be heavy with the smell of a thousand tiny bodies burning, and I shall laugh, because you and your kind will have been punished for making me look a fool.

There is another reason that I will not awaken you. Sharing my food and sleeping upon one of my silken pillows was not the entirety of this horrid agreement you forced me into. No, you want more. A kiss. As though I, the pride of the nation with a string of admirers surely dying of love for me, would degrade myself thus. I would rather die – and probably should, from shame.

Of course, I am angry with Father, too. After all, it wasn't as though I made you those promises with any intention of keeping them. You should have been begging for the privilege of serving me, not making ridiculous demands. I mean, it is one thing to make an idle promise, another to be forced – and by one of one's one kinsfolk – actually to do these horrid things. And you needn't have looked so smug when he sided with you, either. You still shan't get the one thing you bargained for hardest, though Father may come up here in his dressing gown with the castle guard behind him and order me to do it. Nay, everyone I hold dear may come up here and plead with me, and you may certainly cry until your tears create a river to wash you away, but I shall not kiss you. Father will forgive my insolence, for though he says so often that a promise must be held sacred, I am his darling Maria, his greatest treasure. You, on the other hand, are nothing to him, and he would lose little sleep if I were to hurl you from my window right now.

Yes, perhaps I shall. If I do not disturb you too much, you might wake up only with the wind howling past you as you plunge downwards. Yes, the idea appeals to me, and I slide delicately out of bed, crossing the room and throwing open the shutters.

A beam of moonlight illuminates the room. I see all my beautiful things – jewels, robes, tiaras, all my fine gifts from doting swains. I see you, a glistening green upon the soiled red velvet of one of my finer cushions – and behind you, I catch a glimpse of my treasure. It was a toy, given to me when I was but a tiny infant. At my naming ceremony, nobles from across the kingdom gathered to show their love for me, their long-awaited princess. All had a gift for me, but none so fantastic as this one. This was the gift of the king of our neighbouring kingdom, crafted by his most skilled magicians. A golden ball that told stories. The gift was so fine, Mother said, because one day I was to be married to the king's son. Oh, my fury when she told me! A hundred court entertainers were called to the palace, and not one of them could console me. I was distraught – and for good reason. Why, a beautiful girl, promised in marriage already! Suppose he were not handsome! My delight when he mysteriously disappeared cannot be described.

Yes, the ball is my most precious thing. It will go everywhere with me, and, so says Father's soothsayer, shall one day lead me to my destiny – true love, of course. I am a princess, after all. I shall marry a fine, rich, handsome man who will want nothing more than to show me off.

I have walked around the bed now, I'm standing over you. Dear God, you're disgusting. Yet, for all the thought of your removal delights me, I hesitate. You stir in your sleep. Oh, don't flatter yourself that I pause because I do not want to be rid of you. You may certainly be sure that I feel nothing for you. If you must know, I hesitate because the vision of you sleeping disgusts me slightly less than the thought of your ruined body splattered across the stones in the courtyard. I hate blood.

My hand brushes against the ball. It's positioned on a bedside table, higher than your – my – pillow. The ball begins to roll, moving lazily towards the precipice above your head. A sudden panic rises in me, and I reach out instinctively to grab it. I miss, but the sound has awoken you. You open your eyes and move just in time. You could have been hurt.

But then, why do I care? What is it to me if your bones are crushed? You are an animal – you're worthless.

I suppose it would be, well, cruel, though. After all, you did save the ball for me.

You're fully awake, now, your eyes staring at me. What are you thinking? Do you think anything has changed? You shouldn't.

No, I know what you're doing. You're remembering our bargain.

"I won't do it, you know."

You nod, calmly. "I know." Your horrible froggy expression hasn't changed. "I wish you no pain, highness. It is not within my character to force a beautiful young woman to do anything against her will."

I gasp, outraged. You liar! "Don't be ridiculous! You've done nothing else from the moment we met!"

You still haven't moved. I want to leave. I want everything to be as it was yesterday. You've spoiled everything.

"Nothing else?" You're pretending it's a genuine question.

I want to frighten you. I want to say something that will terrify you into silence, but nothing comes to mind. Instead, I find myself seeing this from your point of view.

"Well…" I feel as though the words are being forced from me. "I suppose… I suppose you deserve some … thanks." My hand flies to cover my mouth. What have I said?

"You're welcome."

For the first time in my life, I have nothing to say. I've never thanked anyone for anything. After all, as the king's daughter, I have a divine right to anything I want. I really meant it about having every frog and toad in the kingdom destroyed. I could.

I won't, though.

"But … that's it. You've had more than you deserve already. You'll get nothing else from me."

"Then will you accept something from me?"

I kneel beside the bed, the better to meet you on a level. "What?"

I think you smile. It's hard to tell.

"Close your eyes."

Reluctantly I close them, wondering what sorcery you intend to work. A moment passes, then something brushes my lips.

Kissing a frog is not as I would have expected. I am not revolted and I do not leap back and scream. It is as though my mind falls asleep, and I lose myself completely in the strange sensation. Because suddenly I am kissing not a frog, but a man. A strong, beautiful man. I open my eyes.

The naked man sitting on my bed has some explaining to do.