Chapter Two
I awoke with a throbbing head, slowly struggling up. I blinked, my eyes on my…hands? "Ah!" I shouted, tumbling back. They looked nothing like what they had before; they were green, I had one less finger, and—
I slowly and unwillingly glanced down at the rest of me, and then exclaimed again. I was—a frog? No, no, no, that was not possible. I was dreaming, of course! That was what was going on; all this would soon be over, and I would wake up back in Maldonia, in my nice, comfortable bed…
I opened my eyes, but nothing had changed other than the fact that, through the glass jar I now realized I was contained in, I was staring back at…me.
I glanced down at myself again, and then at the copy, which was staring at me almost curiously. That was definitely not what I looked like right now. But how was that—
"Surprised, Prince?" Dr. Facilier suddenly appeared and leaned in very close to the jar, and the mere sight of him frightened me. I cried out and fell backwards, then pressed myself as far as I could against the opposite side of the container. "Wh—what have you done to me?" I demanded, and the Shadow Man cackled loudly, reached over, and grabbed a mirror to hold in front of me. "I told you I saw green in your future." He laughed at his joke while I stared at myself, unbelieving, until he yanked it away and looked at the copy of me.
"Under no circumstances is he to be released. Understood?"
"Y-yes." The copy said, and I flinched. The voice, the lisp—"Lawrence?" I began, but Dr. Facilier slammed the cabinet shut before I could continue. "Let me out! Right now! Help! Anyone!"
After five minutes of both shouting and banging on the jar, I slumped to the bottom, my energy depleted. It was useless anyway. But I had to find a way to get out of here!
I cautiously got to my feet—and instantly tripped, falling back and smacking my head so hard I saw bright lights flash before me, like the ones the Shadow Man had created before. "Ugh…" I groaned, holding my head and struggling back up. I leaned against the jar for support, and then managed to take several paces to the other side. I had to make sure I could escape. If I were caught after getting out of the cabinet, and instead of escaping tripped again, I highly doubted I would get another chance.
When I had more or less gotten the hang of walking, I paused and listened, but heard no one speaking. I had heard a door open and close while I'd been shouting—but who had left? If it had been Lawrence, then I would absolutely no chance. But if the butler was still here, now alone…maybe I could convince him to free me? He was an idiot, anyway; I felt confident as I tried to think of what to say to him.
I coughed, my throat sore from the yelling. He'd never allow me to talk my way out of this, no matter how stupid he—
I straightened up suddenly, smiling. Of course! I drew a breath and coughed again, as loud as I could make it, and then again, and again, until finally the cabinet door creaked slowly open. I gagged and choked, clutching at my throat as if I were suffocating, and then fell without looking at who it was. Even if it was the Shadow Man—maybe he would attempt to spare my life?
Nothing happened for a moment. I lay perfectly still, my eyes closed, not even daring to breathe. Then, when I thought for sure I would have to give up the act, I felt the jar lifted and heard the lid unscrew slightly.
I inhaled sharply, lying still for a second more before I half opened my eyes, hearing a sigh of relief. I blinked and saw it had been the copy of me, and he nervously glanced around as if he were afraid he would be caught, and then set the jar back down, closing the cabinet, though not completely.
I jumped up, very pleased it had worked. I folded my legs under me, and then hopped up to the top of the jar, trying to grab onto anything to keep me there. But there was nothing, and I fell back to the bottom. I grunted in annoyance and tried again; still nothing.
I started slightly panicking—if Lawrence left, would there be another way out of whatever building I was in? I looked up at the lid again with an aggravated sigh and prepared to jump again. If there was ever a time I needed to hop away from something, I was pretty sure I would have it down.
I took a breath and lunged at the lid, hoping to knock it loose. It hardly budged, and I fell down again. Glaring up at the top of the thing, my patience very quickly dimming, I once again threw myself at it, only this time I landed on the side of the jar, not the lid, and the entire jar toppled over. No! I almost shouted, dazed. Although the lid had fallen off, it had made a very loud noise, and I was pretty sure my heart stopped for a moment.
I did not move, fearing I would be caught at any moment, but the cabinet did not open. Was Lawrence already gone? I blinked and forced myself up, staggering over to the door of the thing and ever-so-slightly opening it, peering out. I could hear music…but where was I? I certainly wasn't in that creepy old emporium anymore, which I was extremely grateful for.
I waited for any sign of Lawrence or anyone else, but no one seemed to be there any longer, and I slowly opened the thing, closing it behind me before hoping down to the floor in case anyone decided they would check back in.
Hurriedly making my way over to the door, I found it was locked. I frowned. Of course, nothing was going to go easy for me, was it? I glanced around and then gasped excitedly, taking the thought back instantly. The window on the very side of the house…it was open!
"Yes!" I said aloud, and then flinched in fright before I remembered no one was there. I jumped up on the window sill, and looked out at a large crowd of dancers and costume wearers. It was the ball I had been supposed to go to! How did I end up here? What good luck, anyway! If I could get someone's attention, I could…
I frowned. What exactly did I plan on doing? Going up to someone and trying to explain what had just happened to me? I still didn't believe it; how on earth did I ever think anyone else would, either?
Paranoid I was about to be caught, I jumped onto the porch and then glanced around. Thankfully, there was no one, and I managed to get to the other side of the palace, taking the silent path behind the place. I jumped onto a low hanging tree branch, and then climbed my way up to the palace roof, where I half collapsed from both relief and exhaustion. It was no less quiet up here, but I felt safer being as far away as I could be for now from where I'd been.
I tucked my legs under me, shaking my head. What was I going to do? I solemnly sighed, realizing I didn't have an answer. And as of right now, as I stared out into the large group of people, knowing not one could help me…it seemed I never would.
And then…I heard a voice; the most beautiful voice I had ever heard! I looked up, noticing I was directly below a balcony. I hesitated, and then the singing stopped, replaced by a soft sob. I hopped up to the edge of the balcony, and saw a woman in a sparkly blue dress, leaning on the edge of the balcony…crying.
I frowned, watching silently as she looked up at the stars, muttered, "I cannot believe I'm doing this…" and then pressed the piece of paper she had to her chest. "Please, please, please…"
I hopped onto the balcony's ledge, looking at her. She was very beautiful, especially with the moonlight shining on her.
She glanced at me and gasped, and I almost jumped away. Then she sighed and said to no one in particular, "Very funny." Then she looked back at me. "So what now? I reckon you want a kiss?"
I hesitated for a moment, then lifted my hand slightly, smiling. "Kissing would be nice, yes?"
"Ah!" She shrieked and then staggered all the way back into the room, running into the book shelf.
"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, and then hopped down to the edge of the rug. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I laughed. "I did not mean to scare you, I—wait—no, no, no!" I held my hands out as she began throwing stuffed animals and whatever else she had in reach at me.
"Hold on a second—ah!" I covered my head with my arms, and then looked up as a teddy bear hit my feet, resting my arms on it briefly. "You have a very strong arm, Princess," I said, and then jerked back and lifted the bear to protect me as she threw yet another thing at me. "Okay, please!" I grabbed the bear's arm and pointed it at her as she raised another stuffed animal. "Put the monkey down!"
She threw it anyway, and I fell back, dazed. She stood and lifted a book, obviously about to hit me with it. "Stay back or I'll—"
"Please, please, please!" I exclaimed, jumping up onto her dresser. I tumbled and then sat up. "Oh wow." I mumbled, dizzy, and then stood. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Naveen."
She smacked me with the book anyway, practically crushing me under it. "…Of…Mardonia…" I finished quietly.
"A prince? But I didn't wish for any—hold on." The princess pointed at me as I struggled back to my feet, holding my aching head. "If you're the prince, then who—" She raised her voice and leaned towards me, and I fell again. "—was that waltzing with Lottie on the dance floor?"
I sighed and stood once again. "All I know is one minute I am a prince, charming and handsome, cutting-a-rug…and the next thing I know—" I tripped and then angrily stared at my feet. "I am tripping over these." I held them out towards the princess, who squealed in disgust and raised the book again.
I shielded myself with my hands. I already had an awful headache; I didn't need her hitting me again! "Wait, wait, w—wait!" I gasped and then straightened up, smiling. "I know this story!" I gestured at the book she was holding. "De Fragee Pruto!"
"The Frog Prince?" The princess murmured, and then slowly handed it to me.
"Yes, ah, yes!" I grunted as I lifted it. "My mother had the servants—" I set it down on the table and it flipped to the exact page I wanted. "—read this to me every night!" I finished with a laugh, and then grabbed the page, with the picture of a princess kissing the frog, and then the next, of the frog having turned back into a prince. Of course! "Yes, yes, yes!" I exclaimed, turning to the princess. "This is exactly the answer! You must kiss me."
The princess placed a hand on her hip. "Excuse me?"
"You will enjoy," I said, standing. "I guarantee. All woman enjoy the kiss of Prince Naveen. Come, we pucker." As I did so, my throat suddenly bulged out, and the princess jerked away from me. It went back to normal, and I placed a hand on my chest, confused, and then noticed how disgusted the princess looked. "That's new," I tried to explain, smiling.
"Look, I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I'd really like to help you, but…I just do not kiss frogs." She said, turning around and crossing her arms.
"Wait a second, but—" I protested, unbelieving. I'd finally found someone, maybe the only person, who could help me…and she was going to refuse to? "On the balcony! You asked me!" I said, sinking down to a crouch.
"I didn't expect you to answer!"
"Oh, but you must kiss me!" I said, and then got an idea. "Besides being unbelievably handsome, I also happen to come from a fabulously wealthy family." I noticed her interest was instantly sparked. Who cares if I couldn't exactly pay off what I was offering—I'd be human again! "Surely I can offer you some type of reward…or a wish I could grant perhaps?" I smiled as her gaze went off to the other side of the room. "Yes?"
She turned back to me. "Just…one kiss?"
Yes! I thought. "Just one." I smirked. "Unless you beg for more." I ran my tongue along my lips, and she grimaced. I rubbed my hand across my face as she began to lean, and then puckered my lips. I actually thought she was going to do it until she suddenly exclaimed in disgust and turned around, shaking her head and murmuring to herself.
Please…I thought, now desperate, and then glanced over to the side, grabbing her perfume and spraying some into my mouth, once again readying myself for her to kiss me. And then she did! I felt something happen, but when I opened my eyes and looked down at myself, I gasped. I was still a frog.
With a groan of annoyance, I suddenly realized the princess was no longer standing in front of me. I crawled slowly to the edge of the desk, and looked down with a gasp. "Faldi faldonza…"
Far below—or at least, what seemed fairly far—was the dress the princess had been wearing, and instead of her…a green frog poked its head out from under it. "You don't look that much different," she began, "but how'd you get way up there? And how'd I get way down here in all this—" She gasped as she saw at her hand, similar to the way I had found out before, and then looked into the mirror that was next to her. She shrieked, and hopped up to the table where I was, barreling into me.
"Easy, Princess, do not panic!" I tried, but she only groaned in utter disgust and stood. "Oh," she moaned, "What did you do to me? I'm green, and—and I'm slimy, and—"
"No, no, no!" I said, getting up and walking over to her, taking her arm. "That is not slime."
"What?"
"You are secreting mucous." I corrected, trying to calm her. I was pretty sure I'd learned that somewhere at some point in my life, but either way it didn't seem to comfort her. "You—!" She exclaimed, and I cried out as she tackled me, knocking us both into the shelf above us and then the toy rocking horse beside the table. A book toppled over from the shelves and onto the opposite side of the horse we were on, and it launched us clear out of the room and down into the masquerade.
We both landed on the drums, which resulted in the man playing them to try to hit us with the sticks. The other instrument players apparently thought he was playing a faster tune, and followed. Had we not been in this situation, it might have slightly amused me. But I grabbed the princess's hand as the man hit the symbol, and we were once again tossed off—into one of the dancer's dresses!
Falling to the bottom of her dress as she tripped and fell over, I glanced at the princess before the woman screamed, and somewhere someone shouted for the dog to get us. "Run!" I shouted, grabbing her arm again and hopping onto the table.
"I can't run; I'm a frog!" She protested, and slammed into the side of the table. "Then hop!" I said, helping her up, and then we both darted off as the dog jumped onto the table as well.
"Down boy, down monster dog!" I exclaimed as we ran, but to no avail. The dog continued to bark and chase us. A man with a sword swiped it at us, and we ducked, something landing over our heads a moment later. "Look out! Out of the way, excuse me!" I shouted, hoping we didn't bump into anyone.
"Where are we going?" The princess shouted, but I ignored her. "I can't see!"
"Neither can I!" I retorted, aggravated, and then suddenly tripped. Whatever had been covered us flung off, and we toppled into a bunch of balloons, getting tangled up in the strings. I glanced at the dog, still coming towards us, and then grabbed the strings. "Going up," I said, grabbing the princess's arm as we lifted into the air. "Wait, Stella, it's me, Tiana!" she shouted.
"Tiana?" the dog gasped as she lunged for us, missing and falling back to the ground.
Tiana looked up at me, shocked. "Stella just talked to me!" she said, and I frowned, rolling my eyes. "The dog just spoke to me!"
"You know," I glared down at her, making sure she had a grip on the strings before I released her. "If you are going to let every little thing bother you, it's going to be a very long night!"
I looked above us as a large bolt of lightning tore across the sky, letting out a long sigh.
I had a feeling it was going to be a long night anyway, even without the princess annoying me.
A/N: Ooh. Improvising scenes are fun. I am definitely enjoying writing this story :D Well, what do you think? Was it any good? Should I continue? Please review and tell me what you thought of it, and if I should continue! I think I might continue it anyway, or at least update once and a while. Thanks for reading!
