Frog Meets Girl

Chapter 24--To Kill or Not to Kill, That is the Question

He clenched his jaw. She hadn’t won yet. He had thirteen days and a few more items on the possibility list. Then, if none of them worked, there was at least the hard impact idea. Either it would transform him or it would put him out of his misery.

The only trick would be getting Gabby to do it. It was a little mean of him to ask her to do it, but if he was going to have a shot at transformation, it had to be her.

Her refusal still rang in his ears. He would have to give her time

While she wandered without a purpose, Gabby felt the icy fingers of indecision working their way through her brain. It wasn’t just the possibility of killing the man she loved while trying to fix what only she—a princess—could fix; it was what to do about loving him. She wanted to stop the war, which would probably stop the wedding to a man who could never be who she really wanted. That would leave her chained to a mad dog—her father.

That Will might want her as well never entered her mind as a possibility. All he wanted was to return home, take back his kingdom, and rule the way his father had.

She pressed the palm of her hand to the space between her eyebrows and leaned against the wall. There were so many things going on and she wasn’t sure what she had the power to change and what she should accept with grace.

All her life, she’d been kicking at the unfairness, the expectations, the distance that was part of being a princess. When she rode Liberazione, she was powerful enough to take it in stride, to go on with all of it and make of it what she could. When she dismounted, though, the line between acceptance and defeat blurred and she could no longer see where a tantrum separated from righteous indignation.

Which was it if she fought her betrothal? Was it because she wanted to stop a war, or was it because she could not bear the thought of being bound to any man if it wasn’t Will?

Gabby’s hand dropped to her side and she began walking again. In the depths of a pocket, her fingers found the golden ball. Its familiar coolness soothed, but answered no questions.

Without realizing it, she’d walked to the corner of the castle where her favorite tower was. She hadn’t been up there since that day with Will and Isabella. It was so long ago.

The door to the tower stairs was just around the corner. Perhaps standing at such a height would once again bring perspective, maybe even peace and resolve.

A door burst open, surprising Gabby as it nearly hit her in the face as it swung in a wide arc.

“Yes, your highness. Right away your highness,” said a girl as she backed out of the door. Her arms were loaded with a tray of clinking dishes, the remains of a meal scattered across them. She went rigid when she saw Gabriella standing there, so close that Gabby could feel the air stirring with her rapid breaths.

The girl looked as though she was trying to say something, but no sound came out.

A cough came from within the room and Gabby turned her head involuntarily toward the sound.

“It’s true then!” said Gabby as she surveyed what she could see of the room. “You didn’t leave.”

The queen looked down, something near guilt played across her perfect brow, her hand resting on top of her now bulging belly.

Gabby’s hand flew to her mouth. “That’s why!” Suddenly, everything made sense: Her mother’s illness and her father’s lack of concern, hiding away in the palace instead of leaving.

“Please, Gabriella,” said the queen, holding out her hand, a gesture of remorse. The loose, trailing gown fell around her as though she were a ghost. “Please,” she said again when Gabby hadn’t moved, “Do not say anything. There is no need to upset anyone yet.”

“And when were you planning on upsetting people?” asked Gabby. “If it’s a boy, you’ll have another heir and then what happens to the marriage treaty?”

“It might not be a boy.”

“Oh, but you hope it will be, don’t you.” Gabby felt cruel as the words slipped from her lips, “Only the Medici will be upset if it’s a boy. Everyone will be upset if it’s a girl.”

“That’s not true.“

Part of Gabby really wanted to believe her. Heart pounding, she turned away. “Good afternoon, your majesty,” she said and walked away.

At the top of the tower, her thoughts were no clearer. Two things impressed themselves firmly on her mind: the vileness of her father’s machinations and how far Will would have to fall to the ground from where she stood.

Of course the Medici would call off the betrothal if the duke would no longer be heir. What would happen to the war then? Perhaps Gabby did not need to worry about how to break the betrothal and needed only to hope for a baby brother.

However, uneasiness clung like cobwebs to her thoughts. The king had been barreling forward in his war preparations as though he was absolutely sure that he would get the support he needed. This was inexplicable when there was a good chance that the treaty would be broken once the child was born.

How did he plan to do it? If he managed to placate the Medici, she would probably still be married to the duke. What was his plan if the Medici could not be appeased? Did he have another marriage treaty planned for her?

The questions spun around her like crows, wings rustling with foreboding.

She stood out there on the top of the tower until long after the sun had gone down and the stars had begun their nightly glittering. She felt the pull of their eternal shine as she shivered in the dark. Dress fluttering in the breeze, she lifted her arms toward them.

“Tell me what I should do!”

There was no response.

If it had been a warmer night, she might have stayed out there much longer waiting for any of the stars’ wisdom to reach her, but the spring weather was only just creeping in and the nights still had a bite in them. Clasping her arms around her for warmth, she reluctantly gave in and wandered back to her rooms and the life that demanded answers she did not have.

 Okay, so this is the part where my sister (who is a pro at guessing plots) will start making guesses as to how it all works out. Feel free to make some guesses of your own. I'd like to know if I'm giving too much away. :)