Late that night, long after the tea party had ended and all the guests had retired, Ariella found herself rushing to her room. Natti helped her out of her heavy dress and into a sheer, light nightgown before heading back to her own room.

The party was fun. Xavier, Edric, and her had played a few more rounds of Snowquet before the lunch was brought out by many servants. The feast was awkward – as was most of the get-togethers – but Ariella, quite frankly, had more fun than usual. However, it was finally time for her to meet up with her new friend to tell him all about her day! She did owe that ugly frog a story, after all.

With a soft smile playing on her features, Ariella opened up the balcony doors as she hummed, loudly. "Hops?" She called out to the silence.

There was no answer.

A thick, unsettling feeling nestled deep within the princess as she gracefully placed herself onto one of the outdoor benches, watching the dark clouds roll across the moon. I hate being alone. . . she thought with a sigh. Her mind raced with uneasy excitement as she went over everything that happened again.

The surprise of her brother at her door, her mother calling for her to sit with her, the fun games played, and the delicious food served, but most of all, her mind dwelled on one particular thing. . . the subtle flirting with Xavier.

Her face heated up as her thoughts began to fill up with the small teases shared between the couple. The soft smirk that pulled one corner of Xavier's pink lips higher than the other branded itself in her memories. Shaking her head to rid it of troublesome feelings, Ariella began to think of her kingdom. It was something that she used to do to pass time away, though now, it was more like a hungersome vermin, ready to gnaw all the meat from her bones.

The more she thought about her kingdom, the more the guilt grew. Are they struggling to stay warm as they sleep? She thought, causing her stomach to drop. Whilst I curl up in a plush bed, warmed by coal heaters? What hit her most, as if an iron fist plummeted into her gut, was her next thought. Why should I truly care. . . ? Intrusive and vile, the thought was a plague. Once it was there, she couldn't shoo it away. Forgetting the feeling was impossible as reasonings sieged forward to defend it. I am merely entertainment for them. They soak up my anguish like a dry sponge, ready to start a nationwide gabfest at the drop of a Serling coin. . .

"Yet why do I still care?" she asked herself aloud as if someone were to answer. Silence yet no one muttered a squeak.

Another sigh escaped her lips. The northern princess found herself doing so more often than not these trying days. If she lingered on it, Ariella would probably discern that the guilt started the moment she knew she was going to be the next article of gossip. The wedding that she had tried so hard to forget was now public knowledge. It wouldn't be so easy to get out of it now. . . and yet, as if it couldn't get any worse, all the northerners saw her as an adulteress, and why?!

For the Herald sang it so!

Letting her head fall into her hands, Ariella groaned, long and loudly. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a bit better afterwards, but her problems were apparent, still. "I don't want to marry him!" she cried out as if it was her last chance at changing her inevitable future. Tears stung her eyes as the loneliness hung solely in the air, choking her. "Why me?!" She asked again. "Why?" Again. "Why?!" And again.

Broken sobs muffled by her palms filtered through the air, squeezing between Ariella's silent companion. They seemed to echo from their volume, a cacophony of notes to her deaf subjects. "If death were the only escape. . . I'd happily embrace it," she whispered. Her voice cracked from her tolling weeps.

"Croak. . .?" A soft, cautious sound broke Ariella's thoughts apart, freeing her momentarily from herself.

"Hops?" She peered around the darkened balcony, searching for the large amphibian, but she couldn't find him. Sniffling and wiping at her nose, the monarch desperately wanted nothing more than to break the lonely curse cast upon her. If she had to talk to a strange frog to crave those social pangs, she would. "P-Please come out," she begged, but nothing happened. She almost believed that her mind was simply playing tricks on her unfortunate soul.

Sinking deeper into the bench, Ariella slowly zoned out. Her eyes peered at her twiddling fingers, but they were unfocused, blank. The princess was sure there were thoughts scrambling around in her brain, but she couldn't understand them anymore, muffled by an invisible mute. Even when she was having the most fun, she had been waiting for nightfall. . .

Now, she just felt foolish.

Clutching at her right bicep, roughly digging her nails into the flesh, Ariella angrily nibbled on her lip. What was I thinking?! As if a frog would understand to come back. . . She mentally scolded herself, digging her sharp canine deep into her baby-pink flesh. I-I just thought. . . It didn't feel like a frog. The way it moved was so abnormal. She thought to herself. It took her a few moments, but Ariella was able to remind herself that she was acting crazy. It was just a frog, she would think. Though, deep down, she wondered if that was true.

A cold shiver ran through her body; a good signal to retire from the night. Just Ariella stood up and made her way toward her room, movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Turning to the dark, seemingly bulging, silhouette, the princess slowly inched closer, curiosity winning over caution. Just as she was able to make out more of the form, the black shadow leaped high into the air. It barely squeezed through the rungs of the balcony railings, but it landed heavily on the ground with a strange grunt.

Odd relief flooded Ariella's sense as the moon's glow illuminated the figure, displaying the large toad she had been waiting for. "Hops!" She exclaimed, walking over to him. "Don't tell me you've been climbing my walls. . . " she said, trailing off. Her persuasive curiosity urged her to peer over the balcony. It wasn't too high; she was only on the second floor, but it was certainly a feat for such a small creature.

"You're not a normal frog, are you?" she asked, squatting down with her knees tucked close to her chest. Her head was slightly tilted, allowing her wavy locks to cascade down like a waterfall of fire.

Hops seemed to grow anxious at this, squirming uncomfortably in place. He let out a soft, high-pitched bellow before hopping toward the rails, seemingly about to leap off.

Intense panic surged through Ariella as she came to that conclusion, swiftly swiping him away from the edge. "Calm down!" She urged, holding the foul, wriggling creature tightly. "I'm sorry I asked!" She quickly made her way to the bench and dropped him onto the soft cushion, glad to be rid of the bumpy, dry sensation that lingered on her fingertips like a spirit. Settling down beside the toad, the northern princess let out an audible sigh.

"I didn't think you were gonna come. . ." she whispered, downheartedly.

"Croak. . ."

The princess loudly clasped her hands together and plastered a feigned smile on her features. "Well, I'm glad you came regardless!" She said, happily. "Would you like to hear that story?"

Silence.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," Ariella said, looking out past the balcony. The northern kingdom was placed strategically within a shallow valley, guarded on all sides by towering, harsh mountains. Those very same formations were now the princess's focal point, staring them down in an endless battle. "I don't know why I continue to think about this, but perhaps it's because of our beach trip in a few days time. . . I couldn't swim as a kid, at all! I was a stone in water, better at sinking than paddling," she joked, laughing at herself. "I never was taught, and we rarely went swimming, so there was never a need to learn. At least, that's how I used to think, until I almost drowned. I was twelve years old, and we were at the beach. I was frolicking on the shore, and I hadn't realized just how far I had gone out. By the time that I finally noticed that the water was up to my chest, and that I could barely feel the sandy bottom anymore." Ariella paused her story, to collect her thoughts. I was taken captive by the current, dragged deeper and deeper. If not for my father and Edric, I might not have made it out of the water alive. Oddly enough, I'm not scared of the water. I just don't like to go out too deep anymore."

"Croak." Hops bellowed deeply as his throat swelled, slightly.

Ariella cracked a smirk. "I'm sure you could spin laps around me."

At that, Hops visibly shook his head in response.

The redhead was shocked at the gesture, vividly reminded of how human-like this toad truly seemed to her. "Can you swim?"

The amphibian shook its head 'no' again. Toads generally stayed away from water unlike its frog counterparts, but it didn't seem like Ariella understood the difference between the two. Silly girl, Hops thought.

"You know, Hops, you make it quite hard to not ask about yourself. It's quite obvious that you're not a normal frog." Princess Ariella stood up and turned to face him, glaring down at him. This was twice now, that he has answered her. No normal animal would do that.

Not a frog. . . Hops wished he could respond. He never realized how much it bothered him to be mislabeled.

"And not only that, but I'm quite sure that you spied on me in the tub!" She exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the toad.

This caused Hops to become uncomfortable again, shifting his webbed feet. How was he supposed to explain that that had been a horrible accident?! He had climbed the wall that day to see who the princess was, but he had mistakenly climbed to her bathroom window instead of her bedroom. She wouldn't understand, so he profusely shook his head back and forth.

"You're a perverted frog!" She teased, though, Hops couldn't help but wonder if she truly believed those words. Shame filled every pore.

He tried to croak out a response, but that only seemed to cause her to giggle. "I'll forgive you," she said, "but only because you're not human."

Hops heart dropped to his stomach.

Fluidly, Ariella barely placed her hand on her bosom, closing her eyes in peace. "My body is sacred, as is every female monarch in Reynstat. It is up to us whether we nurture that purity or taint it.

The murky-colored toad sat silently, studying Ariella's features as she spoke. He was genuinely curious about her story, for he had no knowledge of the other nations that made up Reynstat. Hops was always kept in the dark. . .

"You know. . . I have a secret that I've never told anyone," she started, breaking away from the topic at hand. "Would you like to hear it?" she asked.

Hops immediately agreed.

"The Northern kingdom of Reynstat doesn't appreciate education nor intelligence. Our libraries are small compared to the eastern nation, but my father has always had a strange fascination for history. Specifically speaking, the magical history. I snuck around his office late one night and found an old leather bound book in a language that I've never seen before. Sadly, I couldn't read the book, but there were plenty of illustrations for me to understand it." The princess clasped her hands in her lap before continuing her story, "I believe that the illustrations told of nature-worshippers who possessed magical abilities."

Uneasiness flooded Hop's sense as he slowly understood where the story was heading. He shifted toward her, placing his webbed foot onto her leg, but her attention was focused solely on her story. She was unattainable.

"It seemed they could harness the powers of nature like shape-shifting. . ." She suddenly trailed off as if a flame had been lit within her head. An idea, one that grew tremendously, reached all corners of her brain, connecting smaller details into a large spider web of conspiracies. She was staring down at the toad; eyebrows pinched together.

It couldn't be. . . she thought to herself as she absent-mindedly nibbled on her bottom lip. And yet, it makes sense. Who could it be though? There were three western delegation members and then the monarchs. She wondered if commoners had abilities or if it was just the nobility. Was she talking to one of the delegation members. . .? A sinking feeling hit the bottom of her stomach, causing it to roll with nausea. What if. . . She didn't even want to think about it, but her head was quicker, it's King Zion. . .

"Who. Are. You?" Princess Ari demanded. If looks could kill, Hops would be a dead toad walking. The intense burn in her irises as she bore holes into him with that glare of hers.

But then she was hit with a feeling even stronger than the sickness. . . A thick, leadened emotion that swirled around her. What if it's Xavier? The moment the idea went across her thoughts, they mimicked it, soon spreading the gossip like the streets of the ton. Embarrassment hit her hard as her heart thumped against its confinement. Her glare wavered as uncertainty filled her head. It was all too much. Confusion was a worthy opponent, able to hinder her movements with ease.

"T-The story said that a war between the humans and shifters erupted because the monarchs wanted to cut away at the holy woodlands in the western lands. The same woodlands that the shape-shifters worshipped. . . Due to the war, the shifters were either cast out of their motherlands or enslaved, so to protect their hallowed grounds, they migrated to the west and established the western kingdom, but you would know that already, wouldn't you?" She accused with a voice like daggers. The look in her gaze was dangerous, threatening. Her arms were crossed as she glared down at the little creature as if to say, 'I could stomp you.'

Gulping, Hops frantically looked around for a way out. In a last, desperate attempt, the toad leapt forward at her, remembering her fear. Guilt ate away at him as she screamed and dropped to the floor, holding her hands above her head in defense. While she was distracted, the amphibian hopped under the bench, camouflaged by the deep shadows.

After a few minutes, Ariella pried open her eyes, angered at her own weakness. As she was groaning out her frustrations, three solid knocks split the silence. Shooting her head up, the princess warily spied the door from outside one of the windows. Forgetting about Hops, Ariella slowly crept over to the door and meekly said, "Hello?"

"Ariella?"

"Xavier?!" she exclaimed, frantically looking back and forth from the door to her balcony. "O-One minute!" she called out to him as she quickly ran over to her wardrobe, shuffling through the many different robes hanging up. It took her a few minutes, but she found a pale yellow one and quickly slithered into it.

As she wrapped the thin fabric around her thin frame, she realized just how skinny she had gotten in the last fortnight. Yanking open the dark oak doors, Ariella exclaimed, "W-What are you doing here?! Your father will be furious if he hears about this–" The princess was cut off by the handsome prince in front of her.

His almond eyes with piercing blue orbs looked deep within her with a worried expression. His jet black hair was disheveled, and his clothes weren't much better. Prince Xavier's lips were parted, while his chest dramatically heaved. Almost as if he ran here, Ariella thought.

"I don't care about that!" Xavier exclaimed. "I heard you scream! Are you okay?!" he asked, straightening his posture once his breath was collected.

Ariella's own breath seemed lost as her heart beat, profusely. "Y-You ran. . . all the way here for me. . .?" She asked, flabbergasted. Her face heated up the more she thought about the kind gesture, wondering why he would come when no one else had. No one else had. . .

Clearing her throat, the princess explained, "I was out on my balcony when this frog tried to attack me! I-I've been having a frog problem." She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest as if expecting him to call her insane.

Instead, the western prince simply asked, "Would you like me to search for it?"

Shocked, Ariella looked at him with disbelief written on her face in permanent ink. "You don't think I'm crazy?!" she asked.

"Of course, I do," he teased, "but I wouldn't want my lady's sleep being disturbed by a toad, now would I?"

"My lady?" Ariella murmured, nibbling on her thumb's nail. She didn't understand, but hearing those words slip from Xavier's lip, like a stream of warmed honey, melted her heart.

"I-I'm sorry! That just slipped out," the prince apologized, bowing deeply in shame, but Ariella only giggled.

"I like the sound of that," she remarked, nonchalantly before turning on her heels to hide the deep red tint of her cheeks. "The frog was on the balcony," she directed, pointing her manicured finger over at the opened french doors.

Xavier nodded, only stepping into Ariella's room once given permission. It almost felt taboo to be within her personal living quarters, away from any watchful eyes. He could easily glide over to her, gently brush those fiery strands from the nape of her neck . . . No! Violently, yet mentally, slapping himself, the prince hated himself for having those thoughts.

The western prince quickly scanned the balcony, looking under the shadowy bench and yet found nothing. He addressed this to the princess, who almost seemed dejected by the information, and then he was gone.

Ariella huffed to herself once she found herself alone again. The silence was too loud, and she soon found a migraine growing, substituting for her thoughts. The princess threw herself onto her plush bed, staring up at the ceiling and allowing thoughts of the prince to evade her head.

Nibbling on her lip as her imagination took control, one last thought popped into her head: I'm falling for Xavier. . .

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A/N: I just wanted to apologize for the absence and lack of updates!! I had a rough streak of writer's block, and I just couldn't find the words to write. I'm back, though, and hopefully I will be able to push out those late uploads as a treat! I hope you enjoyed today's chapter!!