Free The Frog Prince by Jenni James Page B

missed something?”
    “Oh! I did, did I not?” All at once his mother began to giggle nervously. “So it would seem I have. Well, then!” Her giggle continued and rose several notches.
    Nolan closed his eyes. This did not bode well for his future happiness.
    “Is there something you wish to say to me?” Blythe asked as Bethany continued to laugh.
    Nolan could not imagine what Blythe must think of his mother, for truly she was behaving as a woman caught in a lie.
    The look his mother gave him clearly begged for support of some kind. At least she was wise enough not to wish extra trouble upon him. He sighed. How was he supposed to get her out of this mess? One thing was for certain—he needed to make sure she realized that his opinion had changed. “Well, I for one wish Prince Nolan was here with you now. Then everyone would know the truth of his feelings and we would not be in such confusion,” he said.
    Bethany laughed louder and then said, “Oh! Goodness. I was not sure what to say—but you have helped me so very much! Thank you, Caspian.” She sighed and wiped at her eyes. Apparently she had been so nervously laughing, tears had formed.
    But it would seem she had received his silent message to let him speak for himself. Nolan released his own breath of relief just as she continued to talk.
    “However, since my son is not here, I feel it is my duty to relay the following …” She looked directly at Blythe. “He has frankly not been impressed with your letters and feels you are the last person he would ever wish to marry.”
    Blythe and her mother both gasped.
    Nolan groaned. Oh, my word! This was worse than he could have imagined.
    “I beg your pardon?” Mary exclaimed. “My daughter is a fine example of an exemplary princess. It would take a complete moronic beast not to see the wonderful qualities she possesses! It is your son I worry about.”
    “Mother!” Blythe looked upset. “Please do not. It is fine.”
    “Well, I was only relaying what he has said to me,” Bethany said with a huff. “It is why I came, to see for myself if she truly was the spoiled child he believed her to be.”
    “Spoiled?” Mary stood up. “My Blythe spoiled?”
    “Wait!” Blythe called out from the settee.
    Bethany quickly stood up too. “And willful and arrogant.”
    Mary took a step forward, her face redder than Nolan thought possible upon a human being. “Take it back!” she snapped. “Your son must be the epitome of the most uncouth louse who was ever born!”
    “Nolan?” Bethany inhaled sharply and pointed her finger at the other queen. “I will have you know there is not a greater man in all the surrounding kingdoms than my son, nor is there a better judge of character!”
    “Wait!” Blythe said again as she stood up.
    Mary took another step forward. “Your son would not know how to judge a pig’s backside from a superior stallion’s rump!”
    “Take it back!” Bethany raged. “You have no right!”
    “And you have no right to say such things of my daughter!”
    “I have every single right, if it pertains to the happiness of my son. Those are his feelings on the matter and therefore what is the truth. If you did not wish to hear the truth, I suggest you raise your daughter to become a bit more pleasing to the rest of the world!”
    “Do not say such things about her!” Caspian shouted.
    “Wait! Halt!” Blythe stepped in between the two livid women. “Enough!”
    Caspian tried again. “You do not know—”
    Mary interrupted. “Blythe, move out of the way. Bethany and I have much more to discuss.”
    “No, you do not!” Blythe put her hands on her hips.
    Bethany’s jaw dropped. “Well, I never! To see such rudeness and blatant disrespect in a princess! It would definitely seem my son was wholly correct in his assumption of you.”
    “No,” Caspian called, but Bethany glared.
    “Please!” Blythe put her hand up to stop her mother from retaliating and turned to Queen Bethany. “It