~A/N - Hello!! It's been a while! Well I was going through a few things on my computer and I decided that this story really needs to get going again, so I decided I would write another chapter for those of you that are actually interested in my stories! (Thanks by the way =) Anyway, it's a few months later, but it's only that far along because I really need something else to happen before another thought in my head happens... so bare with me :)

Chapter 4: Friendship

"Harold," He opened one eye and looked at her. She was smiling at him. "I believe you." Harold felt relieved and smiled back, having the prettiest eyes he has ever seen looking at his. He smiled when she smiled back at him, her smile seemed to brighten the room.

"You... you do?" Lillian nodded. "I never thought anyone would believe my story."

Lillian sighed, "Well... at first it seemed very unlikely," Harold frowned, he knew she really didn't believe him. She was just being the nice polite Princess she was raised to be. He looked at the ground, not wanting to look at the eyes that would soon be full of disappointment. "But... there is something in the way you act that makes me think you really are what you say you are." Harold relaxed again, the way she said that made him think she really did believe him.

He looked at her one more time, "Thank you... it means a lot to me that you actually believe me." Lillian smiled again. She knew everyone needed someone to believe in them. She only wished she had someone like that in her life... but there was no one like that. Her father certainly didn't believe in her, then again... that was just the way her father was.

She shook her head and tried to concentrate on the one she was talking to at the moment, "I should be the one to thank you, again, Harold. You did, after all, save me after my accident," She sighed again. "I wish there was some way to pay you back..." Harold smiled as he got an idea. There was one thing that he always wanted, and he knew the princess needed as well.

Harold hopped up on the top shelf that was right in front of Lillian's face, so she could easily look him in the eyes, "There is one thing I have always wanted... and I know you can help me with that."

Lillian blushed, not really knowing what he meant at first, "Well, I'll help in any way I can." Harold nodded and cleared his throat.

"Well... would you mind if we were friends?" Lillian, at first, was taken aback by the question. She didn't know what to say. He was a frog! A slimy little green frog that she should not mind and just go back to her castle. Princesses should not be friends with frogs... or even talking to them for that matter! Then again... Lillian was no ordinary Princess. She had little friends, her father pretty much wanted nothing to do with her besides marry her off to some random knight that came to the door. And to top it all off, she liked being unordinary for a Princess. She liked the way she was. And she really needed a friend.

Harold sat there looking at the odd expressions on her face. They went from being confused, to being frusterated, to being happy. He had no idea what to make of it. He just sat there, wondering if that was his cue to leave, or if he should continue to sit there. All he really knew was that he was getting really agitated and confused. He looked out the window and noticed the rain had stopped as abrubtly as it had begun. His froggy ears then heard the sound of... giggleing?

He looked at Lillian, she was giving a little giggle as she looked at Harold, "I don't mean to laugh at your question," He nodded, still feeling a little bit angry at the fact that she was laughing when he had just asked an important question. "Harold." He looked at her, she was sitting still now and smiling at him. "I would be truly honored if we could be friends." Harold felt his heart in his ears as his heart skipped a beat.

And that's how it all started - Harold and Lillian were friends... nothing could come between--

"Lillian!" Lillian shook her head as she came out of her daze about her and the strange little frog... her new friend. She looked over across the dinner table at her father, he was glaring at her with his left hand clenching the table and his other holding his fork. All Lillian could do was smile meekly and look at the food placed before her. She was dazing off more and more now that her and Harold had become friends. It had been a few months since they had become friends, but Lillian couldn't stop thinking about the day they had met... it was the first time she had a true friend. And now they were as close as friends could be. They were always there with each other when the other needed to talk... which was an awful lot...

She cleared her throat and said, "Yes father?"

The king said, "I asked you a question... I want an answer!"

"John... please don't yell at our dinner table," The queen said sweetly. "Be patient... she didn't hear you."

The king sighed and said, "Right... I asked you when are you going to get married?" Lillian was sick of that question. All she wanted was peace and quite. Just to be alone with her thoughs... but most importantly she wanted to get away from her father.

"Father..." Lillian slammed down her fork and glared at him. "Why are you always asking me that question?"

The king, getting mad, glared back at her and also threw his fork down, "Because a Princess at your age should already be married with a baby on the way! But not you Lillian, not you!"

Lillian rolled her eyes, "No one has come along yet father... it's not my fault--."

"There have been three young knights that came to the door not even last week, and to every one you said the same thing--!"

"Father--."

"-- No! You said no to them! Do you see why I am upset with you?"

"I did not love any of them, and I am certainly not going to marry someone I just met." Lillian tried as hard as she could to keep her voice down so her father wouldn't get more angry with her. But she was coming through a breaking point, and she knew it.

The King laughed, "What does love have anything to do with it?"

Lillian gasped, "It has everything to do with it. I want to marry a man I love, not a random knight like you would like me to do!"

"Let's get one thing straight," He pointed at her as if she was a lowly dog. "I am your King, as well as your father, and you will do as I say from this point on. I will not tolerate this behavior any longer. The next knight or Prince that comes will be the one you marry... is that understood?" Lillian sat there in silence for a moment. She knew her father would do just that if she didn't do as he asked. She had no choice now.

She stood up and said, "I understand." With that she left the dinner room and went to her horse. She needed to talk with someone and she needed to talk to him right away. Mostly Lillian needed to get away for a few days... not tell anyone where she was going and just let nature take it's course. But she knew if she did that, her father would be most upset.

Lillian didn't care.

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Harold sighed as he sat by the lilly pond and looked into the water. All the other frogs were making fun of him, again, and he really had no one to talk to. But he knew he would never feel again the way he felt a few months ago. He had a new friend, and that was all the mattered. He decided to go for a little walk... or hop, to get away from all the noise and distractions of the other frogs.

It was a gorgeous day outside. The birds were chirping and the butterflies were fluttering around from one flower to the next, like a bee only they weren't harming the flower. All the beauty around him made him think of his dear friend.

Lillian was Harold's only friend, and she was the best friend he ever had. She didn't look down on him because he was a frog, or because he was different. He felt like he could be himself around her, and that's the best kind of friendship. She treated him as if he was just like her. Human.

He learned a lot about Lillian from the past months he had known her. Like how proper she was, how funny she could be, and how kind and gentle she was. Lillian had, too, learned a few things about Harold, all the good... and the not so good. Like his temper. Lillian has seen his temper more than once, but it was never aimed toward her. Always her father, the ruthless king that he was. He never listened to or cared what Lillian wanted. All he cared about was himself and his kingdom. That made Harold very angry.

Just thinking about the selfish king made Harold angry. He could not stand the fact that her father was like that...

Harold took a deep breath and tried to think of anything else that he could. All his thoughts were pointed at Lillian, she made him smile.

"Harold!" He stopped hopping and looked up to see Lillian smiling and waving at him from her white horse. She was coming up pretty fast, but she stopped just in time.

"Oh... hello Lillian - what are you doing here? We aren't suppose to meet for another hour... not that I mind." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. She reached down to him, as much as she could anyway.

She said, "Here, jump into my hand... let's go riding for a while." Harold nodded and jumped into her hand, he enjoyed going for rides with her. Sometimes they would be gone for most of the night when they got back. But Harold always enjoyed being with Lillian, no matter where they were.

Lillian sat him on the top of the saddle, into a little pouch Lillian had installed just for Harold when they go riding. The first time they went riding, Harold had fallen off and landed in a pile of mud. No matter how funny it had been at the time, Lillian made sure it would not happen again. She smiles as she thinks of that now as she gives Xander the go a head to take off down the path that Lillian wanted to go.

He was comfortable in the pouch and he decided to enjoy the view from there while Lillian went to their destination. Without Harold noticing, however, Lillian threw off her crown. It landed far behind them and Lillian didn't care. She just needed to get away.

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They were silent at first, going through the first town on the way to the next. Harold was enjoying the senery, but he couldn't help but notice that they have never ridden that way before. He looked up at Lillian, her face was set in stone, as if she was in a deep thought of some kind. Normally Lillian would be talking and telling Harold where they were headed. But not today. Today she seemed like she was on a mission.

"Lillian?"

She shook her head, she had been so focused on what her father had said, that she couldn't concentrate. She looked down at Harold, while still keeping her eyes on the path in front of them. He was concerned.

"Yes Harold? What is it?"

He cleared his throat, "Well, you seem distracted... is something the matter?"

"No... no nothing is the matter... it's just my father--."

"What did he do this time?" Harold said that annoyed. Not that Lillian was upset, but because her father was the reason for her unhappiness. He did not like the king, that is for sure.

She sighed, "Well... he said... ummm..." She was almost in tears. Her father was so... cruel with his words and inconsiterate! She couldn't take it anymore. She didn't want to be there any longer. "He said the next brave knight that comes to my door and asks for my hand in marriage... I am ordered to marry him." She couldn't believe her own words... she was ordered to marry? Her father was actually making her get married? It sounded to absurd! But sadly... it was true.

Harold was shocked. Why would the king do that to his own daughter? What about patience? What about planning? What about--

"But... what about love? Doesn't he care if you love this... knight or not?" Lillian wanted to talk about this. At the same time she didn't want to talk about it at all. She just wanted to forget about it and have fun with her friend for a few days away from the castle.

"In his exact words... what does love have to do with anything?" Thinking back on that made Lillian very upset and sad. But she tried to keep it together... but she could barely do so.

He grumbled, "I swear that man... he has no right to do that Lillian, no right! It's should be your choice to whom you are married to, not your father's!"

"I know Harold... I know..." Lillian slowed to a stop, she saw a lilly pond and decided she and Harold could use a break, after all... it had been... she had no idea how long it had been.

She helped Harold out and they walked/hopped together down to the stream, Lillian leading Xander with them.

Harold was hopping angerly as he and Lillian made their way to the pond, "What did you say back to him?" Harold was trying to keep his cool about her father treating her that way, but he couldn't say anything that would help her feel better. But he could try to understand, which he didn't fully yet.

"I just told him... that I understood and left."

"You... you told him you under... well! Why didn't you try to stick up for yourself?" He was getting more upset as they walked along the weeds to get to the lilly pond. Lillian sighed as she tied Xander to a tree next to them.

Lillian sat down next to Harold, picked up a rock and threw it into the water, "I did Harold... he just never listens to me. You know that," Lillian wasn't looking at him. How could she? She might end up crying and she didn't want Harold to see her cry. "I just truly do not want to marry the next knight that comes... I won't even know him! It would be like marrying a perfect stranger!"

Harold watched as Lillian tossed another rock into the water. He truly didn't know what to say. All he did know was Lillian needed him to say something, to say anything that would make her feel better.

"Lillian... I know that your father never listens to you. But he doesn't know the person you are! You are the kindest, and... and the nicest person there could ever possibly be. He is missing out on that. I'm sure, when you do find the man that you love, he will regret having not known you better and he will miss having you around!" Harold hopped closer to her, and she finally looked at him. Her eyes were a little foggy, but he could see a glimar of happiness behind the grey blue eyes. "And the man that you do fall in love with... will treat you far better than your father ever will. And he will be the luckiest man in the world." Lillian smiled, he always knew how to make her feel better. Even though the last thing he said sounded a little werid, she took it to heart. Harold never stopped looking at her eyes. He was smiling from ear to ear (if frogs have ears) and just looking at how happy she was at that moment. He wouldn't have changed that moment for the world...

"You always know just what to say Harold..." She finally noticed how happy he was. His eyes appeared to be glowing with happiness as he looked at her. If there was one thing she liked the most about Harold it was his eyes. And how charming he was... and how kind he was... and how he didn't have as nearly any warts as the other frogs in her kingdom. Not to mention, his voice was -- Lillian turned away from Harold... was she... did she... no... no. "Ummm... thank you."

He nodded and looked toward the lilly pond, "It was my pleasure." He closed his eyes tightly, wishing he had said something else.

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A few hours pass as Lillian and Harold are laughing and talking about things that made them both happy. Xander was eating some grass in the background. Lillian turned to Harold.

"Harold?"

He looked at her, a little amused, "Yes Lillian?" Lillian stood up and cleared off her dress, just like a Princess would.

"What would you say if I said 'Let's go away for a few days... to get away from the kingdom!'? Would you agree?" He was a little confused by the question.

"Well... Lillian... do not take this the wrong way, but running away from your problems is no way--."

"Harold," She picked him up and placed him in the palm of both her hands. "It wouldn't be running away, it would be taking a break from this lifestyle and... and... finding a new one! Like an adventure, if you would." Lillian started to make her way toward Xander.

Harold shook his head, "I don't know Lillian..." He wasn't the adventure type, he was more of a stay at home kind of frog, and he never wanted to get into any trouble and... he sounded like a wuss. Harold sighed, it would be a nice change for him. He also didn't want Lillian to be punished! But that is exactly what would happen if they did leave without telling a soul.

She set him in the pouch, again, "Well think it over," She mounted Xander and sighed happily. "But just remember, Xander and I both will not be going back to the kingdom." Xander began to gallop over to the path again, and stopped at Lillian's request. "How long do you think you could hop along?" Harold looked at the path to his right, the path they had just come from. It was a very long path, longer than he remembered. Harold certainly wouldn't last long if he did leave by himself... and it would be a lonely hop. He rolled his eyes and looked up at Lillian.

He smiled at her, "Alright," Lillian smiled, but Harold frowned. "But know this Lillian... your father will be very unhappy with you when you get back." Lillian thought about what he said for a few minutes, before sitting up straight and smiling at him again.

"That is the chance I am willing to take," Xander zoomed to the left, going pretty fast. "And Harold... don't ask where we are going. I have never been this far away from the kingdom before, unless I was with my mother and father." Harold suddenly had a bad feeling at the pit of his stomach, but he knew with Lillian there, he would be just fine.

He gulped, "I can't wait..." Harold mumbled as he and Lillian made their way into dark woods.

~A/N - Yay! chapter four is complete! (hurray!) ... honestly, I don't like this chapter as much as the other three, but it still makes me smile! Soooo where are Lillian and Harold headed anyway? If you'd like to know, you have to stay turned for "Chapter 5: The Great Escape" - I'll have it up ASAP - promise!! :) Let me know what you think! (I hope it's good :))~