The Frog Prince Page 3

  His tone annoyed Carina. She did her best to keep her voice respectful.

  “You accepted Lina’s magic as proof at the Council of Kings.”

  “The girl has some kind of magical abilities, but no one saw the goblin.”

  “I smelled it, sir.”

  He scoffed.

  “One stench and you believe in monsters? I trained you better than this, Carina.”

  Carina looked at the floor to hide her frustration. She may not have seen the goblin, but she believed Lina’s story. She had made friends with the Aeonian princess during the recent Princess Test. If Lina said there was a goblin, then Carina believed in goblins.

  “Speaking of Aeonia, we received an official message from them while you were investigating the Vanquisher. We might as well discuss it now since you’ve ruined my council meeting.”

  King Giuseppe pulled a parchment from under his cloak and handed it to Carina. She unrolled the scroll and skimmed the information. A wedding invitation. Lina and Alaric had set a date to be married.

  It was sooner than she had expected. Nine days away. She needed to board a ship soon to make it on time. She read the note Lina had added to the parchment.

  Come early if you can. I hope you’ll agree to be my wedding attendant! I miss you already, Carina.

  Carina smiled.

  “I can gather a lot of information serving as a wedding attendant. Maybe even find evidence of the goblin. And I’ll be able to record everything with the golden ball since I don’t have to follow the rules of the Princess Test.”

  “I already sent a reply. You have declined the honor and regret you cannot attend the wedding.”

  Carina dropped the invitation.

  “Father! Why?”

  King Giuseppe straightened and crossed his arms. She snapped back to attention.

  “I don’t understand, sir. I could gather useful information on such a trip.”

  “That’s what you were supposed to do at the Princess Test, and you nearly married the Aeonian prince!”

  Carina frowned. She had done her best to avoid attention at the Princess Test. It wasn’t her fault she had become engaged. Thank goodness Alaric had fallen in love with Lina instead.

  “A wedding is not a Princess Test, sir. I won’t be obligated to say yes to anyone who asks for my hand.”

  “You’re staying here, Carina. I have a new mission for you. Someone broke into the treasury while you were gone. The guards haven’t found anything useful, so I want you to investigate.”

  She swallowed her disappointment. Worse than missing the wedding, she wouldn’t be able to explain the reason to Lina. No one knew she served as her father’s secret spy. Not even the rest of her family. She would have to hope Lina understood and the refusal to attend the wedding didn’t ruin their friendship.

  Carina took a deep breath, pushed the wedding aside, and focused on her new mission.

  “How did they break in?”

  “That’s what I need you to find out. Reports from the guards have been contradictory and unsatisfactory. Everyone saw something different or nothing at all.”

  “Was anything stolen?”

  “No. At least, not that we can tell. We’re counting everything, running inventory. It seems our guards stopped them in time.”

  “Why can’t we question the thieves?”

  King Giuseppe growled.

  “They escaped without a trace. I’m sending you to the treasury to look for clues. Capture everything with the communication charm and report back to me.”

  Carina curtsied and slipped the golden ball into her pocket.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Here’s the location of the treasury entrance and a scroll granting you access. You are dismissed.”

  Carina took the parchments and left the room. She kept her expression neutral as she hurried past Franco, then gritted her teeth as she walked down the hallway.

  If she uncovered the truth about the attempted robbery quickly, perhaps she could prove her competence and convince her father to let her attend Lina’s wedding.

  6

  “Your Highness, this is a terrible idea.”

  “Heinrich, stop calling me that. I’m in disguise.”

  Stefan wandered the docks looking at the ships. His disguise wasn’t elaborate. That was the point. He had simply sneaked into Henry’s room and borrowed some of his stepbrother’s goat herding clothes.

  With his hair and part of his face covered by a floppy cap, he blended in with the mass of merchants, sailors, and other citizens milling around the piers. He carried a cloth bag, the plainest he could find in the castle on such short notice. It contained his crown and a regal outfit.

  It would be much easier to gain an audience with Carina if he looked the part of a prince. But it was easier to sneak out of Aeonia when he was in disguise.

  Heinrich blended in significantly less than Stefan. He still wore his purple velvet tailor’s uniform, and people stared at him as he passed. The polished wooden trunk balanced on his shoulder didn’t help matters.

  “Heinrich, I wish you hadn’t brought that. There won’t be room.”

  “There is always room for clothes, Your Highness. A boat big enough to cross the ocean is big enough to carry a small trunk of proper attire.”

  “For the last time, don’t call me that.”

  “I would feel better about this if you traveled in one of the royal ships. Sir.”

  “That would ruin the surprise. I know what I’m doing, Heinrich. I have friends here.”

  Stefan found the ship he was looking for and waved to the captain.

  “Gruff! Timon!”

  Two scruffy sailors waved back at him. The older one, Gruff, had an enormous gray beard and a muscled frame. Timon’s beard and body were scrawnier than his captain’s, but he was not a small man by most standards.

  “Where’s your brother?” Gruff asked. “Not still moping about that maiden, I hope?”

  Stefan sighed.

  “Afraid so. He’s no good for anything right now. I thought I’d surprise him and sail to search for her. Do you have room on your ship for another crew member?”

  The sailors shared a look.

  “You want to work on our ship so you can search for your brother’s long-lost girlfriend?”

  Timon sounded incredulous. Stefan shrugged.

  “There are worse reasons to take a journey.”

  Gruff threw back his head and laughed.

  “You’ve got spirit, lad. I like it! We sail for Santelle tonight, and we’re shorthanded. You’re welcome to join our crew.”

  Stefan beamed.

  “It’s a deal then.”

  He clasped Gruff’s hand and shook it once. The captain frowned.

  “You ever sailed before, lad?”

  “No. Why do you ask?”

  “No matter. We’ll get you in shape. You’ll have some manly calluses in no time!”

  Gruff held up his own palm, crisscrossed with scars and rope burns.

  The prince swallowed. Surely his hands wouldn’t look like that after one journey. The sailor had been working for years to accumulate so many calluses.

  “Come aboard, lad,” Timon said. “We’ll get ye started right away.”

  “Your trunk-” Heinrich said.

  Stefan glared at the tailor. Goat herders didn’t have trunks full of clothes.

  “Who’s your fancy friend?” Gruff asked. “He looking for work as well?”

  Stefan shook his head, but Heinrich stepped forward.

  “I am indeed, good captain. I am a clothing merchant hoping to make a name for myself across the sea. Would it be possible for me to secure passage on your ship?”

  Gruff rubbed his beard.

  “Well, I’ve just added one inexperienced sailor to my crew. I don’t know what I need another one.”

  “You misunderstand me, sir. I wish to be a passenger.”

  Heinrich pulled a small velvet bag from his cloak and tossed it to the capta
in. Gruff caught it and weighed it with an expert motion.

  “It won’t be luxurious,” he said. “No fancy finery.”

  Heinrich nodded, and Gruff’s face split into a wide grin.

  “Welcome aboard the Seawolfe, mister merchant!”

  Stefan ducked closer to Heinrich.

  “What are you doing?” he hissed. “You can’t come! This wasn’t the plan.”

  “What sort of tailor would I be if I allowed you to travel across the ocean unattended? What if your pants rip?”

  “Heinrich-”

  “Don’t bother the paying customer, lad,” Gruff said. “Time to earn your keep.”

  He lifted Stefan by the shoulders and set him on the gangplank.

  “Timon will take you to the galley. We’ll start you off nice and easy cutting potatoes.”

  Stefan sputtered but followed Timon onto the ship. Gruff bowed to Heinrich and took the trunk from the tailor.

  “Your cabin awaits, sir. Welcome aboard.”

  7

  Carina followed the map on the parchment as she made her way to the treasury. It led her to a small hallway in a quiet part of the castle. The guard on duty glared at her as she approached.

  “You can’t linger here, Princess.”

  Carina kept her face pleasant but bland. It was her default response. She managed to both be forgettable and get what she wanted.

  “My father wants me to observe the inventory of the jewels.”

  She offered the guard the parchment scroll. He read it, sighed, and pushed a tapestry aside to reveal a hidden door. He opened it with a key around his neck.

  “Keep going down the hallway. Turn right when you reach the fork.”

  “What’s to the left?”

  The guard slammed the door behind her. Carina blinked at the noise and sudden darkness.

  The hallway was dim, lit only by the occasional torch. Carina couldn’t help flinching as the castle creaked around her. The path sloped down and curved around. She reached the fork and stopped to listen at the left tunnel.

  It was silent. The whole place was silent now. She resisted the urge to explore and walked down the path to the right.

  After a few more minutes, sounds echoed up the tunnel. Voices. Metal clanking. Carina rounded a corner and found herself face to face with a guard. His eyes widened with surprise.

  “Princess Carina? Um, you can’t be here. How did you get here?”

  Carina handed him the scroll. He read it and gave it back to her, his eyebrows raised.

  “You’re under orders? Why? You’re a civilian.”

  She shrugged, trying to look bored. In reality, she felt excited. This assignment was looking more and more like an adventure.

  Carina adored adventures.

  The guard shook his head.

  “Well, far be it from me to question an official order from the king.”

  He motioned for Carina to follow him. They walked around another curve and reached an iron gate with an enormous lock in the center. The guard pulled a ring of keys from his belt and flipped through them.

  “This is a very secure gate, sir -.”

  “Demarco, Your Highness. Lieutenant Demarco.”

  “You’re a lieutenant, and they’ve got you guarding a gate? It must be very important.”

  Carina smiled at him. She tried to look impressed and fluttered her eyelashes. Please, let him take the bait.

  Lieutenant Demarco took one look at her fluttering eyelashes and swallowed the bait whole. He stopped unlocking the gate and leaned against it instead.

  “Oh, this is one of the most important posts in the military! Of course, I’m not allowed to talk about it. Everyone thinks I’m just an ordinary guard.”

  “But you’re more?”

  Demarco nodded.

  “They only put the best soldiers down here. Even the king’s own children don’t know where the treasure is kept. Except you know it now.”

  “Something we have in common,” Carina said.

  She leaned a little closer. Not enough to be improper, but enough to make Demarco realize that things could get improper very quickly.

  “Were you here that night? The night of the robbery? Did they steal anything?”

  She pulled her golden ball out of her pocket and tossed it up and down. That motioned activated the ball’s magic, recording everything she saw.

  Demarco didn’t notice the ball. He was standing tall, trying to look impressive.

  “Yes, I was here. I’m always here.”

  Carina leaned forward just a tiny bit more. She kept tossing the ball in the air.

  “It must have been terrifying.”

  The guard straightened.

  “Certainly not. Nothing is terrifying for a soldier of Santelle.”

  Carina fluttered her eyelashes again.

  “No? I’m sure I would have been scared.”

  Demarco stood taller if that was possible. He was going to strain something if he kept that up.

  “Yes, but you’re not a soldier.”

  “Tell me about the robbery,” Carina said.

  She was gushing, but it was working. She kept her attention focused on Lieutenant Demarco and flicked the ball into the air again.

  “I stayed at my post, Princess. It is what any guard would have done. Just another day on the job for me.”

  “Did you see them? The robbers?”

  Carina put her hand over her heart and widened her eyes. It was ridiculous, but Demarco bought it.

  “No, Princess. They didn’t come in this gate. Robbers wouldn’t get past me.”

  “I’m sure they wouldn’t. Who did they get past, then? I’m sure you deserve a promotion if you stopped them when others couldn’t.”

  Demarco grinned.

  “You think so? No one wants to admit they were at fault, but I’ve heard the alarm was first sounded at the water gate.”

  “How many gates are there?”

  He winked at her.

  “Just the two. I’d better not tell you anymore though. Military matters. You understand.”

  Carina nodded. She understood being left out of military matters better than anyone. She tossed the ball again.

  “Lieutenant, why is your gate unlocked?”

  A crisp voice echoed from the other side. Demarco snapped to attention. He finished unlocking the gate while he spoke.

  “I’m following the king’s orders, sir. Letting in Princess Carina, sir. Lieutenant Smith, I need you to unlock your side.”

  The sound of scraping metal echoed through the hallway. Someone on the other side cleared his throat.

  “Princess Carina? What is she doing here?”

  Carina changed her expression from flirtatious to bland, but her heart sank. She recognized that voice. Still, she tried to look surprised when the gate swung open to reveal the speaker.

  “Duke Enrico, what a pleasure to see you! Do you come here often?”

  The duke frowned at her. As one of the king’s top advisers, he was not used to jokes.

  “I am overseeing the inventory of the treasury. May I see your orders, Princess?”

  Carina gave him the parchment. Enrico’s frown deepened as he read it, and his thin mustache followed the downward curve of his lip. He wore his dark curly hair longer than the officers who sailed often. Overall, Carina thought he looked too polished and well-groomed for military duty.

  The perfect man to inventory a room full of gems.

  “Does King Giuseppe feel I am incapable of counting piles of rocks?” Duke Enrico said.

  “I’m sure you’re most capable,” Carina said. “I think he’s hoping to teach me responsibility by having me serve here. Since I dropped out of the military academy, perhaps I could be useful elsewhere?”

  The duke bristled.

  “I graduated from the military academy with full honors, Princess. You think this is a job for rejects? I could command a ship if I wanted. I chose to take over my father’s position because the king personal
ly asked me to.”

  Carina flinched at the venom in his tone. Apparently, she had struck a nerve.

  “Forgive me, Duke. Of course, I didn’t mean to imply that we are equally capable.”

  Carina knew Enrico’s record. He served an administrative role in the Navy, mostly overseeing the distribution of supplies.

  She was far more capable than he was. Her accomplishments just happened to be a secret.

  The duke’s frown lessened, but only a little.

  “I won’t be your babysitter, and I won’t tolerate your getting in the way.”

  Carina curtsied.

  “Of course. I will observe only. Do you mind if I ask questions? I’ve heard of your efficiency, and my father wants me to learn as much as I can.”

  The duke nodded and walked away without another word. Carina tossed the golden ball one more time for good measure and turned back to the guard.

  “Thank you for your time, Lieutenant Demarco.”

  “Of course, Princess. I, for one, am happy that you will be spending time with us in the treasury.”

  “As am I. You all appear so very capable. It must have been a truly great force to get past the water gate.”

  Demarco shrugged.

  “They didn’t leave a trace, so it couldn’t have been that great. Personally, I think the water gate guards must have been careless. Perhaps they triggered the alarm by accident and were too cowardly to admit their mistake. They certainly don’t deserve a promotion.”

  “Certainly not.”

  “You won’t forget me?” Demarco said.

  “Of course not. I expect to see you again when I leave.”

  Carina smiled and swept away from him. Another guard stood on the other side of the gate. She nodded to him as she passed. He nodded back with a stern look and locked the gate from his side.

  So, you needed someone on each side of the gate to unlock it. That meant you’d need at least two people to infiltrate the treasury by land without breaking the gate down. You’d need two keys.

  And you’d have to defeat two guards who claimed they hadn’t seen anything.

  Unless they were both corrupt, but Carina doubted that. Demarco might be ambitious, but Santelle’s military was known for its discipline. Strict training combined with stricter punishments kept things orderly.