Page 16 of The Frog Prince
Alwin didn’t stir until he felt something cool on his face. Something pulled at one of his eyelids, forcing his eye open. He nearly hissed when bright light hit his face, but his lips were pinched closed by another tiny, cool hand as Farwin got so close to his nose that Alwin went cross-eyed.
“Mello,” he mumbled through closed lips.
Farwin is best!the frog said in lieu of a greeting.
“Mhm.” Alwin shook his head to get those grubby little fingers off him. “Have you been getting into trouble again? I do not want to see you hurt for a second time.”
Bring news.
Alwin frowned. “How do you have news when you were here all day yesterday?”
Farwin flopped down onto Alwin’s chest, sprawling on his back and kicking both his hind legs into the air.Know frogs.
“I know you know frogs, Farwin,” Alwin said. “But all of our frogs were here too.”
Other frogs, Farwin said.From kingdom.
Alwin lost his breath.
“You heard from Hallin?” He sat up, making Farwin roll off him dramatically before hopping back up. “News wasn’t expected for another few weeks.”
Important event.
“What event? My mother or father? Lorenz?” He was greedy for every detail, living life between one message and the next. Seeing through his frogs’ eyes as they watched from the royal pond or skulked around the damp edges of the Hallin towns, unable to get too close.
Farwin flailed excitedly.Wedding!
Alwin felt his insides turn. There was only one person whose wedding would be a great event. “A…a wedding? Lorenz?”
Yes. Prince’s spawn brother.
“Is…Is it set? Has the person been chosen?”
Pigeons.
Alwin sucked in a breath. The Pigeon Whisperer, who he had later found out to be named Cinder.
He remembered the encounter vividly. The stranger that had stumbled into his lair one misty evening and the way they had spoken of not only their own discomfort at not fitting inside a body that was never meant for them, but of Lorenz’s happiness as if it was their own. It was enough to convince Alwin to pay the price of the trade himself, never even telling the stranger what it was before they left.
Alwin desperately clawed at the tiny ember of happiness he felt at it being worth the price before it was swallowed by a tide of grief.
His little brother was getting married and Alwin wasn’t there to see any of it. He wouldn’t be there to stand by his brotherwhen he said his vows. He wouldn’t be able to look on proudly at his mother’s and father’s sides.
There would be no celebration where he would be welcomed.
The only gift he’d been able to give him was the happiness of his love being in the body he deserved. Alwin had sacrificed some of his own human skin for it, bargaining the pink flush of it for the Pigeon Whisperer’s dream. Even if he broke the curse, he would never be able to break the trade.
He just wished it could be enough. He wished he didn’t want for more.
“When?” he whispered.
Farwin shrugged his shoulders and held up two of his fingers.
This much?he said uncertainly.
“Days? Weeks?” Alwin asked, desperate for more information, but Farwin didn’t have anything more. He steeled his resolve. “Right then. However much time I have, I will have to make it work. Otto comes back tomorrow night. We have to have everything ready by then.”
He stood up and let out a loud croak that had all the sleeping frogs jumping up on alert.
