The Frog Prince (11 page)
Authors: Jenni James
“I have come outside every single day for the past several months in hopes of …” She trailed off.
Speaking with me.
“Aye. I think I understand, but it will not do. I am merely a gardener. And as much as you would be scolded for doing such a thing, I would be dismissed from my post completely if this were to continue.”
“No.” Her breathing became labored. She truly looked distraught over this declaration.
Did she honestly have no idea that such things were frowned upon? “What is it?”
“-Tis not fair,” she said after a few moments. “I—I do not know how to express myself, or why. It does not make sense to me. But there is something about you that calls to me. Something I cannot dismiss.”
She
did
feel it too! He clutched her hand. “Princess Cascadia!”
“Please, call me Casey. I have abhorred that name my whole life. Casey is what I prefer.”
“I cannot. I do not dare. You know the help is not allowed to speak so casually of you,” he whispered as he glanced around, making certain they were alone.
She squeezed his fingers. “Please?”
How could he deny her anything? He took a deep breath.
“Please?”
“Casey,” he said. The name was so profound, it was as if it echoed between them for several seconds.
And then she smiled. Truly, her whole face lit up. “Thank you.”
At that moment he saw the head gardener walking toward them. “Give me a reason to be standing here with you. Tell me something important so that I may continue working here.”
Her eyes frantically searched his before they lit up and she said, “I have it! There is a great secret happening in the house. And who knows, perhaps you will be the one to solve the mystery.” She grinned. “Yes! Father is to send out a proclamation within a week asking for brave men to solve the puzzle of me and my sisters’ dancing slippers.”
He blinked. “Your what?”
“Every morning when we awake, our shoes are completely worn through, as if we have been dancing all night. But none of us can remember leaving our beds. Indeed, it is frightening to see the state of the slippers. And our feet! Sometimes they are swollen and blistered as well. And yet, we were asleep.”
“This happens to all twelve of you?”
“Yes. Oh!” She laughed out loud, causing the head gardener to speed up his walking toward them. “It is perfect!” she said, clasping his hand tighter. “Father said that whoever is able to solve the mystery will be allowed to choose one of his daughters to wed!”
Aleck felt as though he had been punched in the chest. My word! Could it be true? Could this be actually happening to him? Was there a way to have this angel by his side permanently?
“Aleck? Aleck? Are you well?”
He glanced at her. “I believe so.”
“Then will you try to solve the riddle?”
The gardener glared at him, but remained silent as he passed the princess. Aleck knew this would be horrendous for them both. His eyes searched Casey’s and he nodded. “Yes, I will try my best to solve the mystery of the dancing princesses.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JENNI JAMES is the busy mom of seven rambunctious children ranging from the ages of 2 to 16. When she isn’t chasing them around her house in sunny New Mexico, she is dreaming of new books to write. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted at:
[email protected]
, or by writing to: Jenni James, PO Box 514, Farmington, NM 87499.
Jenni has several clean books for teens already published and many more to come, including:
Faerie Tale Collection:
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Rumplestiltskin
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Snow White
The Frog Prince
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
The Jane Austen Diaries:
Pride & Popularity
Persuaded
Northanger Alibi
Emmalee
Mansfield Ranch
Prince Tennyson
The Frog Prince
Jenni James © copyright 2013
All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
StoneHouse Ink 2013
Boise ID 83713
First eBook Edition: 2013
First Paperback Edition: 2013
Cover design by Phatpuppy Art
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to a real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
This book was professionally edited by Tristi Pinkston
http://www.tristipinkstonediting.blogspot.com
Published in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Preview of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"
Table of Contents
