Page 92 of The Frog Prince

Especially now he had gotten a taste of what was under that collar.

“I have quite a few ideas, actually,” Otto said, throwing Alwin a teasing look, relishing the way his skin flushed and he choked slightly on the food.

“Gutter mind,” Alwin said, with a rather impressive eye roll and a shove to Otto’s shoulder. There was a smile teasing the corners of his lips and a slight tremble to his fingers that let Otto know his flirting attempts weren’t in vain. “Other than that.”

“Maybe,” Otto said, getting serious again.

His attempts at finding a cure were failing faster than he could come up with new ideas. He had depleted his stash of medicinal herbs with zero to show for it, and now he was getting worried. And anxious. And so disappointed in himself, because the days were passing faster than he was comfortable with and he was nowhere near a solution.

“I’d like to go to the clearing again,” he said, turning to look at Alwin.

“That can be arranged. Any new ideas?”

“No,” Otto said. “And I don’t even know if I’ll get any once I’m there. I just…”

“You need to try.”

Otto nodded. “Yes.”

“Then we can go. I doubt anyone will be there.”

He said the words loudly, not really to Otto, but off to the side. It resulted in the tall grass around them rustling and croaks sounding loud and clear in the air before fading to nothing.

“Did you just send your frogs to scare people away?” Otto asked.

Alwin shook his head. “They’re frogs, Otto. They’re not the scariest of creatures.”

“Right…”

“I sent them to give a very firm suggestion that there are better places to be than there,” he said.

“Alwin…”

“Go get ready.” Alwin gave him a gentle push. “I’ll wait for you by the well.”

Otto rushed back inside to dress less scandalously and more appropriately for the weather, gathering a few things in his bag before rejoining him.

They found their way to the clearing even faster than they had when they went from Otto’s village. The little gap in the hedge was barely visible as they pushed through and emerged on the other side.

It looked just as magical as last time, like the ground just didn’t allow footprints to linger. Like anything anyone touched just refused to be moved or changed by it. It looked like an enchantment nobody would ever be able to untangle, and Otto allowed himself to truly take it in this time. And he realized that while it looked the same, it felt different to him.

The last time, his emotions had been clouded by the residual fear and unease the forest and Alwin had awakened in him. It had felt like all the beauty was marred and the magic of it was tainted.

But now, the truth of it shone through for Otto.

The beauty was part of a forest that just existed as people twisted it and turned it into a grim story. The resilience of it existed in the face of people wanting to use and obtain and steal from it. It was like a little heart of the forest for Otto now.

“I love it here,” Otto said, and Alwin smiled.

“Do you want any more flowers?”

Otto shook his head. “I don’t want to take any more than absolutely necessary. I need to think first. See if I come up with any good ideas to try before picking any more. It would be wasteful to just keep taking and keep getting it wrong.”

Alwin nodded as a gentle breeze picked up, rustling the leaves and flattening the grass. The tiny slivers of sunlight were peeking through the canopy, painting stripes of gold on the ground.

“What do you want to do then?” Alwin asked and Otto walked to the middle of the clearing, sat down, and sprawled himself on his back.

He closed his eyes and stretched his hands up above his head.