The Song of Fern

The Frog King's proposal

Not 48 hours after John's story about the portrait, Fern and her family sat at the dining table. While Lewis and Senna were talking about their far-away travels and adventures, Fern was looking at her water glass. Every now and then, the water rippled. As time went on, the vibrating water circles danced more constantly and deeper. She watched as her cutlery began to tremble. Her brothers became silent and locked eyes with one another.

'Is it an earthquake?' Fern asked, her throat thick with fear. Please, let it be an earthquake.

Kayro jumped up from the table and strode to the tall windows overviewing the fields surrounding the castle on the East.

'It is not,' he grumbled, his face now reddened. His brothers stood up from the table, a chair falling down, and hastened toward their crown prince. 

'Whose banners are those?' Avery asked, teeth clenched. 'Is it a suitor?'

'No suitor would come here with five hundred men in tow.' 

'It's the Frog King,' Lewis breathed.

Slowly, Fern stood from the table and made her way to the window. First, she saw the colourful banners: green with a silver frog and a floating golden crown above its head. Then she saw the cavalry and the masses of infantry. She looked for the only thing that mattered, the one all those men came to Emerald for, but she couldn't find him. Where was the person with the regal white horse, the shining armor and the never-used sword? The longer it took to find him, the more erratic her heartbeat became.

'Did he come for me?' she finally dared to ask. She turned towards her father. 'Or did he come for you?' The King still sat in his chair, his face now ghost-white. 

Everyone knew who the Frog King was, although Fern did not know what he looked like. He was not from this world, though, he was from Otherworld. The Frog King was not human, he was Fae. And the Now-King feared the Fae folk more than any other enemy, for the Fae had not only lived longer, but also more deeply, more daring, than any mortal king or queen had. The Now-King feared the cunning and the wicked more than any other. He also knew that if the Frog King wanted either his castle or his kingdom or his daughter, he would be able to take it. Six brothers or not. It was predicted.

'Majesties,' John said in a tone that indicated he had to repeat himself. Fern turned towards the faithful servant, who stood in the doorway of a secret entrance.

'John!' Fern exclaimed. 'Do you know why the Frog King has come?' Outside, a loud voice boomed and a sea of men answered in waves. 

'Princess, I don't know if now is the time to find out.' Just then, the door was thrown open and two shieldmen came running in.

'My Lord!' the oldest cried out, 'the Frog King has come.' Incredulous, the King looked to his men, behind him the window that looked out to the hundreds of soldiers that stood ready to swarm the castle.

'Are you shitting me, Malcolm?!' he roared. 'But tell me this, because your old King is still confused as to why the Frog King has come in such high numbers?! Are we at war? For, if my own men would come in later than my own old eyes have seen his whole entire damn army, Emerald is fallen already!'

Sweat beads pearled alongside Malcolm's temples. His eyes flitted to his sword-man and he swallowed before answering. 'He said he wanted to strike a bargain.'

'No one is bargaining with a Fae!' Kayro roared.

'What is his proposal?' Fern asked with a small voice. Malcolm swallowed. 

'His exact words, please,' Kayro grunted. Right at that moment, the doors bellowed open wide again. Avery grabbed Fern and pushed her behind him as he pulled out his sword.