Chapter 5 #2
“The Coral Realms–it’s an underwater kingdom. But the human kingdom nearby is Atlantica.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t sound familiar. This is the world of the Eight Seas. There are many kingdoms here, but that’s not one of them.”
She let out a sigh and wiped her eyes. “Alright, so let’s just assume I’m very far from home.”
“And the ocean,” I said.
She nodded. “Do you know the way to the ocean, little coqui?”
“My name’s Ezra. Ezra Keoki.”
“A pleasure to meet you.” She tipped her head. “I’m Aulani.”
Aulani. It had a ring to it that made me feel like I was in the ocean itself.
“Nice to meet you.” A coqui chirp escaped and I sighed. “Sorry about that.”
“No need to apologize.” She placed me on her lap and looked around. “Do you happen to know anyone who can help me get out of here? I can’t survive in freshwater for long… I need salt. I can survive maybe… a day, at most?”
For whatever reason, I feared for her. “Well, I would be more helpful if I were human,” I said, and she laughed, not understanding I was very serious.
“Yes, that would probably be helpful.” She hugged herself again and shivered. “I suppose being stuck here is better than my father trapping me under the water.”
“He’d trap you under the water?” That sounded horrible.
“He’s kind of the king of the sea,” she muttered.
Wait. I blinked. Could it be…
I have to try. It was worth a shot.
“If your father is king, you’re a…”
“Princess? Yes.” Aulani moved her wet hair from her face. “Princess Aulani Laniakea of the Coral Realms, keeper of the royal gardens–when I’m not exploring. Oh, and recently betrothed to the barnacle-infested king of the brine.”
“Congratulations?”
“Thank you. I was so overly joyful and ecstatic to spend my life in the deepest part of the ocean sweeping up whale bones and kissing the face of a crabby old man.”
I visibly cringed.
“I got a potion from my aunt to become human–which of course all magic has prices to be paid…” At that, she showed me a little vial of blue potion in her hand.
“I will lose my voice, and if I don’t get the human prince to fall in love with me, I’ll lose my voice forever, as well as turn to sea foam in a month’s time. ”
Silence. What was I to say to that? Her situation seemed incredibly dire, with twisted options at every end.
“I might be able to help,” I said.
“You’re truly so sweet, but I’m not sure a frog of your size might do much. Although you have quite a loud croak.”
“I’m actually a prince,” I said. “Sovereign Crown Prince Ezra Keoki Kanahele of Kaiora Kingdom.” She said her full title. Might as well let her know mine.
At that, she gave me a look, then smiled. “Oh, I see. You’re a prince in your… frog world?”
“No, no.” Why was this so frustrating to explain? “I'm a prince in the human world. I was cursed into this form… I don’t know how long ago it was, but I need to get back.”
Aulani looked confused, but she also seemed like she might believe anything, especially after magically transporting from her world to mine.
I quickly explained. “I was walking through the garden with the princess of Windmere when she showed me this golden ball. I think it was magic, but… I’m not sure, because we don’t use magic in Kaiora.
Anyway, I think it transformed me into a frog.
It said any spell can be broken with the kiss from a true princess. ”
Aulani didn’t believe me, but she looked sympathetic all the same, like she believed me to be a crazy little frog that talked.
I had to try harder. “If you kiss me and I transform back into a human, I’ll help you get to the ocean. You’ll probably have to turn into a human in order to survive, unless mermaids can survive out of water for a long period of time. It might take at least two days to get to the sea.”
“Two days?”
“From here? Yes. We’re in the deepest mountains of the island. I’m not even sure which village might be closest at this point.”
“Hmm… Well, I can’t survive out of water for longer than a day.” She sighed and rubbed her forehead. After a moment, she added. “I’ve done more ridiculous things in my life. If I kiss you, and you turn back into a human, you promise to help me?”
“I promise. I’ll do everything I can to get you to the ocean as quickly as possible.”
She slipped into the water and shivered. “If you’re lying and just want a kiss from a mermaid princess, I will be very vexed with you, little frog prince.”
“Trust me, I’ll be vexed too,” I said, then closed my eyes as she leaned in to kiss me. She closed her eyes too, probably not wanting to watch herself kiss the tiny, smelly frog.
I was so small, her lips basically covered my whole head. But she smelled like coconuts and vanilla, and hot summer days. If that was all I got out of this, I’d be alright with that, especially after dealing with the feeling of being wet all the time. Sticky. Musty. Humid.
But Aulani? She was literally a breath of fresh air.
And suddenly she was not so big. My legs stretched out, the webbing between my fingers disappeared. The pond, which had seemed so large, now appeared small and shallow. The trees I once climbed seemed like minor branches.
For a brief moment, I was disoriented. My body ached, and my neck and back felt as if they’d been hunched over for too long. My fingers and toes stretched out, a sensation that was overwhelming since they’d been connected by webbing for so long. And the view.
I can see! I could see so much better, my vision no longer bubbled, no longer confined to my small size.
And Aulani… I could really see her.
Her eyes were closed and our faces were so close, I was tempted to kiss her just to kiss her. It was not like me to be ungentlemanlike, but I couldn’t help it. What would it be like to kiss a mermaid? I leaned in and kissed her, my heart racing. This was the best first thing to do as a human.
She gasped and opened her eyes, but, much to my surprise, she didn’t pull back. Instead, she wove her fingers into my hair, kissed me back, and then pulled away.
“You enjoyed yourself a little too much, frog prince.” She smiled, but then her expression wavered as she took me in. Self-consciousness flooded into me, and I looked down to see that I wore the same clothes I’d been wearing when I walked through the garden with Cressida.
My shoes were gone, as I’d taken them off before stepping into the pond and transforming into a frog.
“You’re…” She blinked. “You’re human. You really are…”
“And I promised I’d help you,” I said, regaining my composure after that kiss. Why did she kiss me back? Shouldn’t she have pushed me away, or was she playing with me? She seemed like the flirty type.
Not my type, I thought. Besides, I signed betrothal papers to Cressida, a thought that filled me with dread.
“Your eyes,” she said, reaching a hand to touch my face but pulling it back before we touched. “They remind me of someone.”
I tipped my head.
Aulani cleared her throat. “A woman who helped me. Her eyes were a very distinct emerald color, but… probably just a coincidence.”
Probably.
I stood and stretched. I’d never been so grateful to have my body back. It hurt so badly, but I also wanted to run for miles, never to hop around again.
And now I have work to do.
“Listen,” I said. “If my calculations are correct, there could be a village not far from here. My cousin lives there. I could carry you there, but it might be faster if you walk. My cousin plays around with potions, and maybe she has something that could allow us to communicate, even if you do become mute when you turn into a human.”
At this, Aulani bit her lower lip. She didn’t want to be left alone, and I didn’t blame her.
“I won’t be long,” I said, then smiled, which seemed to put her at ease. “I promise.”
“Well.” She smiled back. “You have kept your promises so far.” Before I could leave though, she reached for my hand. “But… don’t be gone too long, please?”
I squeezed her hand back, something electric in the air between us, something shining brighter than the sun at noon. “I’ll be back soon.”