In case you didn't notice, this is a rewrite of "The Frog Prince". I loved that fairy tale but I can't help but feel a little taken back. Why would anyone want to marry a woman after she treated him like trash? Any way, this just popped up. I hope you enjoy. All characters belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and Shoshen Jump. I did not make any money from this but I wish I do. Any fairy tales characters you recognized belong to the Grimm Brothers.

The Frog Swordsman

Part 1

By Maria Cline

It was a bright and beautiful day as Princess Kaoru snuck out into the woods. Instead of her formal outfits that she was forced to wear, she was dressed in training shirt and pants with a bokken in her hand. The only gold thing she had was a beautiful golden ball that was passed down by her late grandfather before he died. She always wore it around her neck held by a golden chain. She went to a clearing next to a gorgeous lake.

"Now, I can practice." Kaoru said to herself as she reached into her cape and got out a book on swordfighting. She took off her ball necklace and placed it down onto the book showing the chapter she needed. "Okay… first I need to get the stance…" She said as she went into swordfighting stance.

Wind blew around her as she fought an invisible opponent. In the shadows, a small figure watched curiously. She lunged and lashed at the opponent unleashing her anger and frustration at the world. All of a sudden, she went up to the ball and smashed it with her bokken. The ball sailed through the air and landed in the middle of the lake.

Kaoru's jaw dropped as she stared at the lake. "SHIT! " She put down her bokken and dove into the lake. With all of her will, she swam in the dark depths of the lake. Finally, she got back up and breathed heavily. "I lost it. I lost my ball." Tears ran down her face as she slumped down against the tree.

The woman glanced up to see a frog sitting across from her. It was a peculiar looking frog with a strange cross shaped mark on the left side of his face. "Hello, froggie." Kaoru said as she smiled bitterly. "I can't believe I did it. I love that ball but I lost it. I can't find it and there's no why I can ask anyone else because I'm not supposed to be here."

"I can help you." The frog spoke up.

"Huh?!" Kaoru's eyes bulged out as she looked around. "You… you can talk?!"

"Only when another person talks to me, Kaoru-dono. I know that I am small but I know this lake well and I can breathe underwater. I will get your ball back if you want me to." The frog said as he bowed his head.

"Oh… okay." Kaoru nodded stunned. She couldn't believe her luck. This kind but slightly slimy frog is going to get her ball back. "If you do, I'll give you anything you want."

The frog nodded and then hopped into the lake. Kaoru lay back against a tree as she watched the lake. Can that tiny frog really get her ball back? She didn't have much of a choice. She was a decent swimmer but she couldn't find anything at the bottom of the lake. Hours passed and the sun was setting when a familiar golden ball started to roll out of the water.

"My ball!" Kaoru ran up and picked it up. She wiped it clean and put it around her neck. Lying on the ground exhausted was the frog. "Are you okay, froggie?"

"Gomen nasai for taking so long, Kaoru-dono." The frog apologized as he got up.

"That's okay. Hey! How did you know my name?!" Kaoru demanded as she picked up the helpless frog.

"You come here all the time and you called yourself 'Kaoru'." The frog quickly explained. "You are quite good for someone who learns to fight only from a book."

"Thanks, I never had a-" Kaoru blushed as she realized a frog had been watching her. "You weren't stalking me were you?"

"Oh no! Not at all!" The frog insisted as he waved his front legs like a pair of hands. "It's just that… I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I could never tell on anyone. No one even spoke to me before you did today."

"I see. Well, I owe you for what you did." Kaoru said as she knelt down, "So, what do you want? How about some fine silk or maybe some gold?"

"Ehhh… I don't wear clothes and I don't have any use for gold." The frog said nervously. "But… there is one thing you can do for me. Can you… well… um… let me stay with you in your castle as your pet?"

"In my castle?" Kaoru repeated dumbfounded. "Why? I mean, don't you like living in this lake? It's nice and peaceful and well… my parents would kill me if they found out I have a frog for a pet."

"I… It's dangerous out here. There are people wandering around looking for nice frogs to eat. I really want to live in your palace and sleep in a nice warm bed for a change." The frog sighed as he looked down.

Kaoru stared at the frog again. She was in a bind. What kind of frog would want to sleep in a bed? On the other hand, what kind of frog can talk to people? "I can't believe this. Okay, fine, I can bring you with me but I can't let anyone know about this. People are already making fun of me for wanting to dress up in guy clothes and practice kendo. I can't have them talking about a princess having a frog for a pet."

"I won't be any trouble to you, Kaoru-dono. I am very small and quiet. I can only talk when spoken to and even if I could speak, I would never betray you." The frog said as he hopped toward her.

"Oh… fine." Kaoru picked up the frog and gently wrapped him in a cloth. "I can't believe I'm doing this. But you are very sweet, for a stalking frog. Oh, I need to give you a name or do you have one already?"

The frog peeked out of the cloth and replied, "I was called 'Kenshin'."

"Okay, Kenshin, let's go home."

Kaoru hesitantly walked through the hallways while being gawked and stared at by all of the servants.

"Not again." King Kamiya moaned as he came up and glared at his daughter. "Have you been running around in man's clothes again?!"

The girl gulped as she hid her bokken and the bundle carrying Kenshin behind her back. "I was out for a walk."

"I cannot believe this." The king sighed as he shook his head. "You are a princess and yet you are so deeply tanned like a peasant. You neglect your studies in vital things like cooking and sewing and you train using armor and that wooden sword of yours."

"But, Dad, you trained like that when you're my age!" Kaoru cried out.

"I was a prince. Princes train and rescue, princesses sit to the side and get married and have lots of children. That is the way things are. Now, get cleaned up, that prince you have to meet will be here soon." King Kamiya said as he walked away.

Kaoru sighed in relief as she ran up to her room and stared into her full length mirror. She was a mess. Her long black hair was tangled up, her clothes were wet and muddy, even her skin was covered in moss. "Gah, I'm a mess." She said to herself as she let Kenshin out onto the bed and went into the bathroom to get dressed. "You see what I have to go through every day. Being a princess stinks!"

Kenshin gazed around. "There are worse things to be, Kaoru dono. I'm sure that your parents would accept you for what you want to be."

"Yeah right. I have this older sister, Megumi. Gah! She's so perfect! She can cook, clean, do needlepoint, and has every man in the tri-kingdom area fighting for her hand in marriage. My little brother, Yahiko, he's the one who gets to train and fight and stuff like that. He's such a brat!" Kaoru said as she came out dressed in a fancy kimono and her hair was all tied up. She sat down next to the frog and put him onto her lap.

"I see…" Kenshin said as he looked down. Then, he started to fidget.

"Are you okay?" Kaoru asked wide-eyed.

"Hai, Kaoru-dono." The frog's skin ripped apart to reveal a darker brown skin underneath. The frog had transformed into a toad.

"Well… this was interesting." Kaoru said as she sweatdropped. "How did you do that?"

"Oh… I can switch from being a frog to a toad when I must." Kenshin replied as he seemed to smile slightly. "As a toad, I don't need water so badly so I can sleep with you." The toad's eyes bulged and he added, "Forgive me! I didn't mean to make it sound like that! I mean, just to sleep in a bed that's all!"

Kaoru giggled at the toad's antics. "You are so funny, Kenshin. Say, can you come with me to meet this prince? I… need someone who understands to be with me. I can keep you in my bag while I deal with this prince."

"Of course." Kenshin nodded.

Kaoru sighed as she sat at the royal meeting room with her family sitting around the table with the king at the head. She placed her hand on a bag with her pet toad/frog in it. He didn't seem to mind the bag, but he didn't seem to mind anything at all.

"So, I heard that a new prince is trying to court our tomboy princess?" Megumi asked as she giggled.

Kaoru glared at her sister and said nothing.

"Hey, Kaoru here deserves a chance for some guy to court her. Maybe if she's lucky, he would have bad eyesight!" Yahiko joked as he laughed.

"I'm not ugly!" Kaoru screamed, "I just don't like being confined in these stupid fancy clothes!"

"Kaoru-chan, you must follow tradition." Queen Kamiya said as she sipped her tea. "Princesses do not go around fighting and other crazy things. Princes do that. Princesses must be refined and cultured and never raise their voices to anyone."

"Hai, Mother." The princess grumbled as she sipped her tea.

A servant came up and said, "Prince Char Lee is here to see you."

"Bring him in." The king said as he waved his hand.

A tall blond man wearing fine clothes came in and bowed to Kaoru. "Greetings, I am Prince Char Lee and I want your hand in marriage. I heard you are tough but I love a good challenge."

Out of nowhere, a bokken struck the prince in the head. "I AM NOT GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE TO ANYONE!!!"

"Kaoru-chan!" King Kamiya yelled as he came up and took the bokken away. "Damn it, do you have to do this every time a suitable bachelor comes to our doorway?"

"Only when these pigs think of me as some kind of prize rather than a woman." Kaoru muttered as she crossed her arms.

"Why don't we just have some dinner?" The queen asked as she snapped her fingers and the servants brought in covered trays.

"What are we having today?" Kaoru asked.

"Frog legs." Yahiko said as he piled several onto his plate and started wolfing them down.

There was a distinct thud in her pouch. Kaoru put her hand onto her mouth and dashed up to her room. She closed the door and dumped the now frog out onto the bed. "Oro…" The frog moaned as his eyes became swirls.

"Oh man, Kenshin, I didn't know they even have frog legs." Kaoru said disgusted as she lay down. "Men make me sick. Especially those type who think they're better than others just because they have chest hair."

"All men are not like that." Kenshin supported as he came up to her. "Do not worry, you are a lovely woman and you will find someone who cares about you as you."

Kaoru patted Kenshin on the head. "You are a very nice frog or whatever you are, Kenshin. You are much nicer than those snooty princes."

"Hey, Kaoru-chan. You got someone in there?" Megumi asked as she opened the door and saw the princess and the frog. "Oh ho! What do we have here?" The woman strode up and picked up the frog by the hand. "Our tomboy has gotten so lonely that she picked up a puny frog like you?"

"Leave him alone. He's my pet." Kaoru said as she pulled Kenshin away and held him. "I lost grandfather's golden ball in the lake and Kenshin brought it back for me."

"He did?" Megumi asked as she looked down at the frog. "So, that's why you left when you saw those frog legs. Oh ho! This is a surprise!"

"Please, do not trouble Kaoru-dono with this. It was my insistence to stay with her." Kenshin said politely.

"He… he can talk?!" Megumi screamed in shock. "And such a polite one at that. He must be enchanted." She snatched the frog away and kissed him. The two stared at each other for a while and the older sister pouted. "I was hoping he would turn into a prince."

"Don't you dare kiss him like that." Kaoru ordered as she took Kenshin back. "Are you okay, Kenshin?"

"I'm fine, Kaoru-dono. Forgive me, Megumi-dono, I am no prince."

"I see."

"What is going on?" Yahiko asked as he and his parents ran through the door.

"Tomboy here has a new friend." Megumi said as she pointed to the frog in Kaoru's hands.

"Cool a frog." Yahiko said as he looked at the small frog.

"I do not like these types of animals in the castle." The king said as he stared at it, "Please, get rid of that thing before we get warts."

"No! Please, we can't let him go to get eaten like his brothers." Kaoru pleaded as she held the frog against her chest. "He saved Grandfather's golden ball and I promised him that he can stay with us."

"You promised that thing that he can stay with us?" The queen asked as she glared at it. "Kaoru-chan, you cannot be serious. Pets of royalty must be exotic like tigers or dragons. This is a frog, a stupid one at that."

"Don't listen to her, Kenshin." Kaoru said as she held him close. "She didn't know you like I do."

"I do not mind, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin spoke up as he climbed up. "Your highness, please let me stay in this castle. I know I disgust you but I will do my best to stay out of your way. I am very quiet and I just want to stay here."

King Kamiya sighed as he rolled his eyes. "As much as the idea of my daughter owning a strange talking frog as a pet disgusts me, she did give her word and the Kamiya family always keep their word. He can stay for now."

"Arigato, Dad! I'll take very good care of Kenshin." Kaoru gushed as she held the frog.

"See that you do."

After a meal that doesn't involve frog legs, Kaoru sat Kenshin down onto a pillow. "What a day." Kaoru sighed as she lay down onto her bed. "My family is just crazy. I bet your family is just as nutty."

"Actually, my family died a long time ago from a plague." Kenshin said sadly as he curled up on the pillow.

"I'm sorry. So, that's why there are no more talking magical frogs like you around?"

"Hai. You are lucky to have a family that does care about you even they are old fashioned."

"Old fashioned? You're the one who uses that 'dono' suffix." Kaoru chuckled as she put her hands under her head. "Still, I'm glad that someone doesn't think that I'm crazy for wanting to do what I do." She got up and started to change. Kenshin turned around and ducked his head so he wouldn't see her naked body.

"Relax, I'm changed now." Kaoru said as she slipped back into bed. "Goodnight, Kenshin." She said as she smiled at him and then blew out the candle.

The frog changed into his toad state and stared at her for a long moment. "Good night, Kaoru-dono."

To Be Continued…