The problem, Walter thought, was that the witch had never set a time limit. He'd been young when he insulted her, a spoiled little brat spitting on an old woman. How she could do something to someone so young, he did not know—children are often little brats, especially young princes. He knew this to be true. To turn a child into a frog, and with such a specific stipulation, though, was cruel. He had grown up as a frog, and come into his own as one. The knowledge of running a kingdom seemed a distant memory, and when a princess finally came along that could free him from his curse, he didn't spare a thought toward his current life, remembering the splendors of his royal hall, the glittering gems of his mother's crown, all of the luxuries that coming with being a prince among men. Running a kingdom was a very old skill, but he'd have to blow away the dust and cobwebs and put his mind to work.
As promised, he offered Anna a place at his side as queen. She blinked, and gave a tiny smile at the offer. "Walter, I'm sorry, but... I have never heard of the kingdom you speak of. Perhaps your time as a frog has addled your mind?"
Resting a hand on his arm, she said he was welcome to stay here and become the king of her lands, if so desired, though it sounded like the kingdom he belonged to was much grander. Perhaps he should look at a few maps?
He did.
And then he spoke to the librarians, insulted at how these maps must obsiovusly be wrong, until finally a man with a beard down to his stomach suggested he speak to a historian.
The kingdom of Sauer had not existed for about 200 years. The last king, Hugo Sauer, had gone mad with grief when his only son disappeared and died 6 months after Walter Sauer vanished. The queen had ruled as best she could, but it was not long before the neighboring kingdoms started to enclose their borders. The legends say the queen vanished, and with no one left to rule, it was not long at all before the royal family of Sauer was gone, and with it, the kingdom. The people called it a small mercy that the king had died before his wife disappeared, just like his son had.
Walter had been a frog for two centuries. Never aging, never dying. Stuck, in a pond, in a different kingdom. Every last person he knew was dead. He'd known his friends would be older, would maybe not recognize him as a grown-man, but he had dreamed of telling his cousins of his time as a frog, of sparring with his father, of telling his mother of all he had learned about flowers and plants.
He lasted a week with Anna. It was not her fault, not at all—she was not the kindest princess he had known, but she cared for her people, and it was not like he was kind either. Her father was a bit disgruntled at having a so-called prince with no kingdom set to marry his daughter, but his wife comforted him with the fact he had other sons to marry for political advantages. The castle's staff were welcoming enough. The people of Meyer were hard-working, and kind, and did not mind an addition to the royal court.
It was much like home, but it was not, and therein lay the problem.
Who would give a child such a terrible curse? Who would force them to live as a frog for so long only to return to the human realms and find the world they knew was gone?
Witches lived for a long time, Walter knew. There was a good chance she lived yet. And if not, he could find another witch, and beg them to turn him into a frog, and let him age this time.
DT_Redwood t1_j2fve2w wrote
Reply to [WP] A few weeks after the curse was lifted, the prince finds he preferred life when he was a frog. Sneaking out of the castle one night he goes in search of the witch that first turned him, hoping she'll be able to do it again. by Professor_Hazel
The problem, Walter thought, was that the witch had never set a time limit. He'd been young when he insulted her, a spoiled little brat spitting on an old woman. How she could do something to someone so young, he did not know—children are often little brats, especially young princes. He knew this to be true. To turn a child into a frog, and with such a specific stipulation, though, was cruel. He had grown up as a frog, and come into his own as one. The knowledge of running a kingdom seemed a distant memory, and when a princess finally came along that could free him from his curse, he didn't spare a thought toward his current life, remembering the splendors of his royal hall, the glittering gems of his mother's crown, all of the luxuries that coming with being a prince among men. Running a kingdom was a very old skill, but he'd have to blow away the dust and cobwebs and put his mind to work.
As promised, he offered Anna a place at his side as queen. She blinked, and gave a tiny smile at the offer. "Walter, I'm sorry, but... I have never heard of the kingdom you speak of. Perhaps your time as a frog has addled your mind?"
Resting a hand on his arm, she said he was welcome to stay here and become the king of her lands, if so desired, though it sounded like the kingdom he belonged to was much grander. Perhaps he should look at a few maps?
He did.
And then he spoke to the librarians, insulted at how these maps must obsiovusly be wrong, until finally a man with a beard down to his stomach suggested he speak to a historian.
The kingdom of Sauer had not existed for about 200 years. The last king, Hugo Sauer, had gone mad with grief when his only son disappeared and died 6 months after Walter Sauer vanished. The queen had ruled as best she could, but it was not long before the neighboring kingdoms started to enclose their borders. The legends say the queen vanished, and with no one left to rule, it was not long at all before the royal family of Sauer was gone, and with it, the kingdom. The people called it a small mercy that the king had died before his wife disappeared, just like his son had.
Walter had been a frog for two centuries. Never aging, never dying. Stuck, in a pond, in a different kingdom. Every last person he knew was dead. He'd known his friends would be older, would maybe not recognize him as a grown-man, but he had dreamed of telling his cousins of his time as a frog, of sparring with his father, of telling his mother of all he had learned about flowers and plants.
He lasted a week with Anna. It was not her fault, not at all—she was not the kindest princess he had known, but she cared for her people, and it was not like he was kind either. Her father was a bit disgruntled at having a so-called prince with no kingdom set to marry his daughter, but his wife comforted him with the fact he had other sons to marry for political advantages. The castle's staff were welcoming enough. The people of Meyer were hard-working, and kind, and did not mind an addition to the royal court.
It was much like home, but it was not, and therein lay the problem.
Who would give a child such a terrible curse? Who would force them to live as a frog for so long only to return to the human realms and find the world they knew was gone?
Witches lived for a long time, Walter knew. There was a good chance she lived yet. And if not, he could find another witch, and beg them to turn him into a frog, and let him age this time.