The Frog Prince Page 6

  “The captain won’t talk to anyone. Not exactly looking to make new friends. He just limps around port and glares. He hasn’t even given his crew shore leave. Poor fellows are stuck on board.”

  He sneered at the ship and walked away.

  “Your Highness, I don’t like the sound of that,” Heinrich said. “Plus I’m not sure this ship will last much longer.

  Stefan studied the Speedwell. It was a strange vessel. The wood was worn and badly needed polish or paint. It seemed to be held together by barnacles and bad attitude.

  The figurehead was an open-mouthed whale that looked like it was yawning. It might have looked fierce once, but most of its teeth had fallen out at some point. The slack jaw combined with the ship’s disrepair made the whole ship look like it might fall asleep any moment.

  “I think that whale started life as a frog,” Heinrich said.

  Stefan looked closer. If he squinted, the whale did look something like a frog. The wood was mismatched in places as if someone had covered up parts of the original. He studied the ship’s name again. It had been recently painted. Faded letters above the word Speedwell had been scraped away.

  “The Sea Frog?” Stefan read.

  Heinrich raised an eyebrow.

  “Your Highness, this ship is either stolen or belongs to a smuggler. The current owner has clearly tried to hide its appearance.”

  “This is the only ship going to Santelle. We can’t afford to be picky. We’ll volunteer our services for free. Who could resist that?”

  “And how do you propose we contact the owner to offer our services?”

  Stefan stared at the ship. The portholes were dark. If there was anyone on board, they were below deck. He sighed.

  “How long would it take to get to Santelle by land?”

  Heinrich eyed the mountain range that served as a border between Montaigne and Santelle.

  “It would depend on your horse, but at least four days. And we’d need warmer clothes.”

  “You didn’t pack snow cloaks?”

  Stefan kicked the trunk. Heinrich shrugged.

  “It seemed more important that you’d be able to attend a ball in style.”

  Stefan ran his hands through his hair. The sea breeze had left it spikier than ever.

  “Maybe someone in town knows where to find the captain. We can eat at a tavern and ask questions there.”

  Heinrich picked up the trunk. A passing woman shook her head at him.

  “Have your servant carry that for you, sir,” she said. “That’s what you pay him for.”

  She gestured to Stefan. The prince raised an eyebrow but took the trunk from his tailor. Heinrich smirked.

  “I told you clothes matter.”

  Henry’s goat herding clothes hadn’t been nice to start with. They looked significantly worse after three days at sea.

  “Do you have enough gold left to buy us food, most excellent employer?” Stefan asked.

  Heinrich nodded and walked towards a tavern. They found an unoccupied table in the corner and ordered stew.

  “I don’t suppose you have enough to rent a ship?” Stefan said.

  “No, I don’t. Honestly, Your Highness, you didn’t bring any money?”

  “Don’t call me that. And no, I didn’t. I expected to sail directly to Santelle and receive a royal welcome.”

  They continued their meal in silence. A man in a dark cloak sat at the table behind them. He walked with a limp.

  Stefan nudged Heinrich.

  “Don’t look, but I think that’s the owner of the Speedwell behind us. At least, it’s an angry man with a limp. Fits the description.”

  Heinrich turned around and looked.

  “Heinrich!” Stefan hissed.

  The man in the cloak glared at them. His eyes were just visible beneath the hood. Stefan swallowed. They were an unusual color. Yellow, like a cat’s.

  Stefan pushed aside his unease and approached the man.

  “Are you the captain of the Speedwell?”

  The man ignored him.

  “And you’re sailing for Santelle tonight?”

  The man took a bite of his stew and said nothing.

  “We need to get to Santelle, and we’d like to book passage on your ship. I’m an experienced sailor. I can help on the voyage.”

  The man looked up just long enough to cast a skeptical glance at Stefan. The prince’s face reddened.

  “Or we can pay. We’re happy to pay for our passage.”

  The man pushed his half-finished bowl of stew aside, stood, and limped across the room.

  “Please,” Stefan said. “This is important. Do you need medical attention for your leg? We can help you find a-”

  The man left the tavern and slammed the door in Stefan’s face. The barkeeper chuckled.

  “You’re wasting your breath with that one, lad.”

  “You know him?”

  The barkeeper shook his head.

  “Nobody does. This is his first time in port, but he hasn’t spoken a word since he arrived.”

  Stefan grimaced.

  “Do you know anyone else traveling to Santelle this week?”

  “No. The Vanquisher’s crash has everybody spooked. Not to mention the missing ships from Eldria. Nobody wants to sail to Santelle until they get that sorted out.”

  Stefan rejoined Heinrich at the table. His stew was cold. Heinrich watched him with concerned eyes.

  “Your-”

  “Don’t call me that,” Stefan said. “The Speedwell is the only ship sailing to Santelle. We’re going to be on it.”

  “Sir, whatever you’re thinking-”

  “I don’t know what you’re thinking, Heinrich, but I’m thinking we should stow away on that ship.”

  “Your- Sir, that’s illegal. And dangerous. Can you imagine the scandal if a Prince of Aeonia was discovered stowing away on a ship in Montaigne?”

  “No one will find us, Heinrich. Stay here if you’re scared.”

  Heinrich sat taller.

  “I’m not leaving you alone. You get into enough trouble as it is.”

  “Then let’s go. If he really is sailing at sunset, we’ve got about an hour.”

  Heinrich glared at him and gestured to the trunk. Stefan picked it up and carried it out of the tavern.

  13

  King Giuseppe lowered the ball from his chest and handed it back to Carina. She tucked it into her skirt pocket.

  “Everything in the treasury looks to be in order.”

  He said this as if it were the worst news he’d heard all day, but it was the truth. Three days of investigation had yielded nothing. Carina nodded.

  “The guards seem ambitious but competent.”

  “And you didn’t find any way the thieves could have escaped?”

  Carina hesitated.

  “Not unless they went underwater, sir.”

  “This again? Carina, a sea monster did not attack the Vanquisher, and it did not invade the treasury.”

  Carina didn’t answer. King Giuseppe studied his daughter.

  “I’m going to reassign you, Carina.”

  She stared at him. Had he changed his mind about Lina’s wedding? Would he let her go after all?

  “Your effectiveness in your current position is compromised. You can no longer attend Princess Tests since everyone knows you’re from Santelle, and I don’t need you undercover in the castle anymore. Things have stabilized here.”

  Carina bit back a smile. Reassigned. She’d been waiting for this for years. Maybe Serafina’s idea was possible.

  “May I make a request, sir?”

  King Giuseppe raised an eyebrow but gestured for her to speak.

  “May I be assigned to Serafina’s ship? We worked well together as children. I think we would make an excellent team.”

  The king’s eyebrow rose higher.

  “You want to join the Navy?”

  The doubt in his voice worried Carina, but she continued.

  “Everyone else has
. My siblings, I mean. It makes sense.”

  “I’ll consider it. Lie low in the meantime. You’ve drawn too much attention to yourself lately.”

  Carina saluted and left the throne room. Duke Salvatore entered.

  “Your Majesty, I have more word on the missing ships-”

  The door shut, and Carina didn’t hear the rest of his words.

  Her pulse quickened. Missing ships? First the Vanquisher was damaged, then the treasury was infiltrated, then ships disappeared?

  Something was not right on the water.

  Doubtless, her father meant for her to spend the afternoon in her room or the gardens.

  Carina went to the docks. She needed answers from someone in the Navy, and there was only one sailor who might be willing to talk. Only one person who still believed in her.

  She fought the urge to stay hidden in the shadows, instead walking along the busiest paths and swishing her skirts as she went. Sailors gawked at her. Just as they should. She couldn’t be accused of sneaking if she was seen.

  Carina passed her destination and walked towards the beach. She went just far enough to leave the bustle of the wharf. Then she ducked behind a rock, pulled the dark cloak from her deepest pocket and draped it over her dress and hair.

  She doubled back, keeping in the shadows this time. She crept along the docks until she reached the Onslaught. The ship’s sides were smooth and polished, but the wood was just weathered enough to leave handholds.

  Carina climbed up the seaward side until she reached a porthole. Serafina stood in the captain’s quarters examining a large map spread over the table.

  Carina knocked.

  Serafina’s head shot up. She stared at Carina with an open mouth.

  “Can I come in?” Carina asked.

  She knew the glass would muffle her words, so she also pointed to the latch. She had tools in her pocket that could open it, but it would be hard to reach them while clinging to the side of a ship.

  Serafina considered the request for a moment. Then she opened the latch. Carina squeezed through the narrow porthole, her skirts compressing then popping back to their frilly fullness.

  “What are you doing?” Serafina hissed.

  “Visiting.”

  Carina tried to hug her sister, but Serafina dodged and looked out the window.

  “How did you get here? Did you climb the ship?”

  Carina pulled off her cloak and crumpled it in her hands. In retrospect, this may have been a bad idea. She wasn’t supposed to be strong. Athletic princesses of Santelle didn’t flunk out of the military academy. Of course, this would make her sister suspicious.

  Well, it was too late now.

  “It isn’t that far,” Carina said. “I want to talk about what you said yesterday. About my role on the Onslaught.”

  “So you infiltrated my ship? Carina, we could get in serious trouble.”

  “Since when are you afraid of sneaking around? We used to do it all the time. Remember when we broke into Santino’s room and painted polka dots on his uniform?”

  Serafina glared, but the corner of her mouth twitched up. Carina took that as encouragement.

  “He thought he had been cursed. We told him his clothes had the pox. That was a brilliant tactical maneuver.”

  “A foolish prank,” Serafina said. “Father kept me in my room for a week after that. He said defacing military property was no way for a future queen to behave.”

  Carina winced.

  “I forgot they caught us that time.”

  Serafina grinned in spite of herself.

  “That time. But not every time. Besides, they didn’t punish you. They never do.”

  Carina didn’t respond. What could she say? She hadn’t been punished publicly, but she hadn’t escaped consequences. Spies were held to as high a standard as future queens.

  Carina turned her attention to the table. Tiny model ships sat around the map and showed the locations of Santelle’s various fleets.

  Some of the ships had been marked with a black dot. That meant they had gone missing, and Serafina knew about it.

  “Carina, why are you really here?”

  Serafina stepped in front of the table and blocked her sister’s view.

  “I thought we could work together. See if we still make a good team.”

  Serafina raised an eyebrow.

  “I know that look. What mystery have you found now?”

  Carina shrugged, trying to look innocent. Serafina had always seen past her disguises. She’d have to be careful.

  “Sailors are saying the Vanquisher was attacked by a sea monster. Someone broke into the treasury. And now I know we’re missing ships. You’ve been at sea for over a year. I’m sure you’ve seen things. I’ve been on land, so I have different information. Maybe we can find answers if we work together.”

  Serafina took a deep breath and sighed.

  “Carina, you know I can’t talk about military matters with you. You’re a civilian. When I said I wanted to work together, I meant officially. We’ll have to wait until you pass the entrance exam.”

  “I’m your sister. I’m a princess. That’s pretty official.”

  Serafina shook her head.

  “You should go.”

  “I’ll offer information first,” Carina said. “I’ve just come from the treasury. Are you familiar with the layout?”

  “Father took me to see the enchanted sapphire when I turned thirteen. He said it was my birthright as crown princess. Whatever that means. I’d rather have a ship than a glowing rock. Why did he let you in?”

  “He made me watch Duke Enrico count rocks to punish me for interrupting the meeting. Trying to teach me responsibility or something. Nothing is missing.”

  “Of course nothing is missing. It was a false alarm.”

  “Or it was something else.”

  “Such as?”

  Serafina fixed the full force of her gaze on Carina. She looked fierce, but Carina wasn’t intimidated.

  “The only way someone could have infiltrated the treasury is to go underwater.”

  “What are you suggesting, Carina?”

  “You know what I’m suggesting.”

  The idea hung unspoken between them. Magic. Sea monsters.

  “They’re not real.”

  “Neither are goblins, but one attacked in Aeonia.”

  “Father says the goblin was a cover story.”

  “Father was in a council meeting. I was on the mountain. I smelled it. I saw the storm it summoned. And I saw Evangelina Shadow-Storm work shadow magic. Something is going on, Serafina. If a goblin can attack Aeonia, shouldn’t we consider the possibility that magical creatures could do the same here?”

  Serafina studied her sister for a few moments. Then her eyes softened.

  “There are always sailors who claim to see things while at sea. One or two who mistake a dolphin for a mermaid or want to gain attention with a tall tale of a monster. But this is different. Whole ships come back telling stories. Or they don’t come back at all. And it isn’t just our sailors. A merchant in Eldria reported his entire fleet missing. No communication. No wreckage. They simply vanished.”

  “Serafina!”

  Both girls jumped. Their mother stood in the open doorway. Her mouth pressed into a thin line.

  Serafina snapped to attention and saluted.

  “Ma’am,” she said.

  Carina straightened, but she didn’t go to full attention. Civilians didn’t stand at attention. She schooled her features into her usual bland expression.

  “Serafina, are you discussing military matters with a civilian? These reports are classified! That map is classified!”

  “Yes, ma’am. But she had information that seemed valuable, ma’am.”

  “Indeed? What information was that?”

  The queen’s voice was soft. That was more dangerous than her yelling. Serafina swallowed, and her eyes widened. Carina knew that look. Serafina felt trapped.

  And th
ere was nothing Carina could do.

  “Carina had a theory about the treasury break in, ma’am.”

  Queen Cosima’s eyes narrowed to slits.

  “Strange that a civilian knows about that. What was her theory?”

  “That magic may have been responsible, ma’am.”

  “Indeed. Magic.”

  Serafina’s shoulders slumped. Carina couldn’t take it any longer.

  “There was a goblin in Aeonia! Why can’t there be magical creatures here? It is the only thing that makes sense!”

  Queen Cosima held her hand up.

  “This is not your concern, Carina. This is a military matter. You will stay silent.”

  Serafina’s dark eyes pleaded with her sister to stop talking. Carina bit her lip and complied.

  “You thought this crazy theory was valid enough to warrant discussing classified matters with a civilian, Serafina? I am disappointed in you. A future queen should have better judgment than that. An admiral should have better judgment than that. Give me your top bar.”

  She held her hand out. Serafina blinked at her a moment. Then she unpinned the top gold bar from her chest and dropped it in her mother’s hand. This was worse than being sent to her room for a week. She had been demoted.

  And it was Carina’s fault. They both knew it.

  And they both knew Carina wouldn’t be punished. She had no rank to take.

  Serafina glared at her sister. Tears she didn’t dare to cry glistened in her eyes.

  “Get off this ship,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “This vessel is for military personnel only.”

  “Serafina-”

  “Leave, or I’ll have you escorted away.”

  Carina ducked her head. Anything she said would only make things worse for Serafina. She pulled her golden ball out of her pocket and tossed it into the air as she walked away. Her father would want to see this scene.

  She couldn’t stand to think of the hurt in her sister’s eyes, so Carina focused on the new information she had learned.

  Ships were vanishing. An entire merchant fleet, and some of Santelle’s naval vessels as well. Santelle had the best navy in Myora. Ships didn’t just vanish. They might sink. They might be defeated in battle with enemies or pirates. Not likely, but it might happen.

  They didn’t vanish.

  Carina gritted her teeth. She knew she could fix this, but she couldn’t do it alone. She needed her sister. Serafina wouldn’t be willing to talk to her after this though. The crown princess had worked for years to become an admiral, and Carina had wrecked that accomplishment in a matter of minutes.