Page 81 of The Frog Prince

“Well, I did ask for this.” Otto rubbed his eyes with a fist.

“You did. And I am not one to deny you anything.” Otto’s breath caught as the sincerity in those words rang through the trees. Alwin averted his gaze pointedly, like he had revealed too much, and rolled to his webbed feet. “I would be a terrible host, that is.”

Otto followed his unique form with his eyes, lying on their lily pad bed as he contemplated the conundrum that was the Frog Prince. He watched Alwin walk to the edge of the broken stone floor and stand against the backdrop of the still water. He dove in gracefully, disappearing beneath the surface with barely a ripple.

Otto scrambled to his hands and knees, crawling over to the edge and trying to peer beneath the murk and lilies. All he saw was his own distorted, gap-mouthed reflection.

A hand shot out from beneath the surface right under him, grasping his wrist. Otto barely had a chance to react before he was being tumbled under the water and into Alwin’s arms.

Surprisingly, fear wasn’t the foremost emotion he felt as he vocalized into the water, opening his eyes to see a laughing, frogish face peering back at him from among the reeds.

It was a whole other world at the bottom of the glen, and he was barely able to take it in as they broke the surface easily, Alwin keeping them afloat with his hands at Otto’s waist.

“Childish,” Otto scolded after he got his breath back, barely able to see past the water streaming down his face.

He felt Alwin’s chest vibrate, his throat expanding with a croaking laugh.

“It suits you,” Alwin said.

Otto scowled. “Being half drowned?”

Alwin reached out and plucked a lily that he hadn’t noticed was perched on his head like a jaunty hat, presenting it to him on his palm. “As pretty as a flower.”

Otto choked up a glob of water, he was so caught off guard.

Alwin’s wide mouth pulled into a smirk. “Charming. Ready to see more?”

“I think so.” At least he’d been given a warning this time around.

“Hold your breath.”

Otto’s brows flew up toward his matted hair. “What?”

“The waterways are quicker than feet. I’ll lead you.”

“You keep forgetting I don’t have gills.”

“Neither do frogs, so you’ll be just fine,” was the dry retort.

“You know what I meant!” Otto exclaimed.

“Then say what you mean.”

“You’re infuriating.”

“And you’re lovely, so shall we move this along?”

“You… Wait…” Otto’s mouth hung open. “What did you say?”

“Take a breath.”

“No, the other—”

He barely had a chance to take in a gulp of air before Alwin was pulling them back under the surface of the water.

Otto made sure not to blow out all his air at once this time, getting used to the pressure all around him. Alwin offered his hands and Otto took them, feeling long fingers wrapping around his wrists and forearms as Alwin began to swim backward just below him, dragging him along effortlessly.

Otto’s head moved from side to side, taking in all manner of aquatic creatures and flora that he’d only glimpsed before. Despite the dirt and algae, the colors were vivid in their own ways. The waterweeds and reeds swayed in beautiful shapes, and along the floor, water grass had grown in lush carpets, boasting a beautiful garden for creatures to swim in and out of.