Free The Frog Prince by Jenni James

me.”
    He pretended to gulp. “I believe you would like to see such a thing happen!”
    She was just about to reply when they rounded the back corner of the flower garden and walked into the castle stable yard.
    They both gasped in unison.
    There sat a beautiful white coach and four with the royal Hollene family crest painted in bright green and gold on the side.
    Prince Nolan! What in the world was he doing here?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
    BLYTHE’S STOMACH DROPPED AND her hands began to shake as she stepped into the side entrance of the castle. Why would Prince Nolan show up now, of all times? She was not certain she was ready to meet him. Not yet. Not when things were beginning to make sense with Caspian. Ugh. If her mother were to take a fancy to Nolan, there would be no stopping the wedding ceremony.
    And then she would have to leave the castle, for there would definitely not be a bride in attendance during the reading of the nuptials.
    What did Prince Nolan want?
    Goodness! Perhaps he was worried about why she had not written him back. She had forgotten to after tossing his letter into the pond. Well, how was she to remember something like that? Especially with the arrival of Caspian—everything else seemed to have been forgotten. For the last couple of weeks, all she had thought about was the frog.
    “If you drop me off here,” Caspian said, “I will distract your mother and the guest until you can change out of your village attire.”
    “Yes, Mother will no doubt want me in attendance immediately.” Blythe set the frog near the arched entry of the grand corridor. The drawing room was just down along the way from where they were. Already she could hear her mother’s laughter coming from within it. “Let her know I am freshening up before I make my appearance,” she said as she watched him hop down the hall.
    As swiftly as possible, she made her way up the servants’ stairs and into her room. Her maid met her there and helped remove the brown frock and stash it in the bottom of the chest beneath the extra blankets at the foot of her bed. It was where they had first decided to hide the plain dress in case the queen ever went through her wardrobe. It was this particular maid who had first told Blythe of the children’s lack of a schoolteacher, and together they formed this plan.
    Blythe removed the flowers from her hair and the maid was quick to replace them with pretty gold ribbons. They brushed at her green gown as Blythe stood at the looking glass and turned from side to side to see if any of the day’s dirt could be found upon it. Once she was deemed presentable enough, she thanked the maid and nervously walked down to the drawing room.
    She took a deep breath just before the footman opened the door.
    There, perched charmingly upon the high-backed chair, was a plump woman in rows of lavender ruffles. Her mother sat on the adjoining seat, with her back to the door, and Caspian was on top of the settee.
    Her mother turned at the woman’s smile in Blythe’s direction. “Blythe, you are here at last!” she said in a gently scolding tone. “My goodness, I sent for you nearly three-quarters of an hour ago.”
    Blythe curtsied. “I beg your pardon. Caspian and I were outdoors.”
    Her mother waved her hand. “Yes, yes. No doubt down at your pond. Now come here—I would like to introduce you to Queen Bethany of Hollene Court, Prince Nolan’s dear mother and one of my most particular friends from our school days.”
    “How do you do?” Blythe walked across the room and deeply curtsied before Queen Bethany.
    “My! You are quite lovely!” she said as she crooked her finger to gesture Blythe in closer. “If I am not mistaken, you look exactly like your grandmama, Queen Mary Elizabeth I.”
    “Aye, she does. My mother was an exceptional beauty,” stated Mary. “At supper, you shall meet my two elder sons and my two younger daughters as well. Then you may gauge who is the most like whom.” Her mother grinned