Balls and Frogs
Title: Balls and Frogs
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: Cam, Vala, Frank & Wendy Mitchell, Harry Maybourne
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 3,909
Author's notes: Yes, I have made Cam a pretty, pretty princess
For cm_tropefic Prompt: Genderflip: always been female/male
For 10 tropes: "Fractured fairytale"
For Love Bingo Fill: "Fairy Tale"
Once upon a time, in a land quite like our own - but before things like cell phones and TiVo and even cars were invented - there lived a princess named Cameron. King Frank and Queen Wendy had despaired of ever having an heir, but through some tricky dealing, coin changing hands and a little magical intervention, they were blessed with little Cameron. At first, King Frank was disappointed that the baby was not the son he had bargained for, but he soon grew to love his beautiful little daughter.
Because Cameron had been so difficult (and rather expensive) to come by, the princess was more than slightly coddled and extremely spoiled. She had merely to express a desire and it was fulfilled. If her mattress was lumpy, twenty more would be brought in so that she might choose the bed that pleased her. If the court jester frightened her, he would be banished and a new jester brought in to replace him. If she was served a shiny red apple for her snack and she voiced the opinion that perhaps a green apple might be tasty now and again, away went the red apples, replaced with the green.
There had been an old superstition about princesses and spinning wheels and spells from disgruntled witches lying about the castle and so King Frank ordered that all the spinning wheels in the land be burned in a great bonfire. The country’s weaving industry collapsed overnight and they were forced to import all their textiles from that day on, this decision did not help King Frank’s popularity with the people.
The princess was always very well guarded, she had armed knights escorting her everywhere she went, even while she walked the halls and played in the gardens of the castle. Though no one would dare to mention it, everyone knew that the reason for this was the fear that one of King Frank’s more nefarious associates might decide to change the arrangements that had brought about Princess Cameron’s birth and attempt to steal the Princess away. Her bedchamber was in a tall tower that could only be reached by one winding staircase within the castle.
By the Princess’ fourteenth birthday, the King and Queen had run out of ideas for gifts to give their precious daughter. Cameron had everything she had ever desired, there was nothing her royal parents or their Council could think of that might be new or unusual to delight the girl. Councilor Woolsey suggested stationary, Councilor Landry suggested a hearty feast, Councilor Hammond suggested a lovely new hat and Councilor Weir suggested a tour of the neighboring lands so that the Princess could learn about their neighbors. Disliking this suggestion immensely, Kink Frank ordered Councilor Weir to go negotiate a peace treaty with King Apophis. (and she was never heard from again)
The King’s interpreter Daniel very politely suggested that if there was nothing new that might please the princess, perhaps something old, an heirloom of great value might make her happy. All eyes in the Council chamber - except Councilor Weir’s as she had left in tears to pack for her journey - turned towards the shy interpreter. Rather than chastising the young man for speaking out of turn, the King asked him for a suggestion of something appropriate for the Princess. Put on the spot, Daniel blurted out the first thing that came to mind; the Ancient Ball of Aunt Arctica. The councilors gasped in shock, but the King smiled and nodded. For his cleverness, Daniel was rewarded with the stewardship of the great library of Lantea, which had been his lifelong dream.
On the day of Princess Cameron’s birthday, a feast and ball were held. Little did the princess know that all the visiting princes had been invited so that King Frank could check them all over before deciding which kingdom to sign an alliance of marriage, giving the hand of Princess Cameron away.
The giving of the King and Queen’s gift was a pompous ceremony, and even Princess Cameron was bored by the time the steward came in carrying a silk draped object on a velvet pillow. She perked up at the sight and sat up straighter on the gold throne that stood beside Queen Wendy’s seat. The queen smiled and stroked a loving and indulgent hand over her daughter’s sandy blonde curls. When the steward reached the stairs leading to the thrones, the Princess waited for a nod from the King before bounding from her seat and running forward eagerly. She tugged the silken cloth away to reveal a shining golden ball. Clapping her hands in delight, she reached for the ball and lifted it in her hands.
The ball glowed when she touched it, evoking gasps and exclamations of delight from the watching courtiers. Few people had ever been allowed to touch the Ancient Ball of Aunt Arctica, only those of royal blood were permitted the privilege. When the ball lit up at her touch, it proved that Princess Cameron’s heritage was true.
No gift she had ever received had been so wonderful. Once she touched it, the crowded ballroom faded away to a dull background noise, she quite forgot that there was a party going on. The Princess was enthralled by the heirloom, caught up in the spell it wove until the steward touched her on the shoulder and tipped his head in the direction of the king and queen. Remembering her manners, Cameron smiled her biggest and brightest smile and ran to kiss her parents to thank them for the gift. Reluctantly, she was persuaded by Queen Wendy to set the ball on the velvet cushion and leave it on her seat beside the queen while she went to dance with her party guests.
She danced with princes of all ages and sizes. Cameron’s feet grew weary and a bit sore after being tread upon frequently by inept dance partners. When one of the horrid dancers, Prince Harry, tried to claim her for another dance, Cameron was rescued by her friend Val, the son of the master at arms. She and Val had lessons together and he was a very good dancer. He laughed at her predicament, and it was from Val that Cameron found out the reason all the princes had been invited to her birthday. The news made her frown, but Val only laughed at that too. It was the reason he was one of her favorite friends, Val didn’t seem to care that she was a princess, and he never catered to any of her whims. He was just Val.
Cameron glanced up at her parents to see that they were both frowning in her direction. They did not like that she was friendly with Val; he was a commoner, after all. It was rather unseemly that she was dancing with him rather than the princes that had come to court. She told Val that she had to dance with the prince from Jaffa and her friend reluctantly but gallantly handed her off to the visiting dignitary.
Prince Harry was quite insulted when Princess Cameron would not dance with him again. When he learned that the young man dancing with Cameron was a commoner, he became quite enraged. He stormed out of the ballroom and into the gardens. The people of his land were well known magic users, and their young prince was no exception. While out in the gardens, he spied the ornate fountain, strewn with lily pads and flowers. A splash caught his attention and seeing a frog leaping around in the fountain, an idea struck him. He went to the fountain and ripped one of the lily pads from the water. By the light of the full moon, he knelt in the garden and cast a spell, using the damp leaf as his focus. Once the deed was done, he returned to the ballroom and sought out the commoner that dared to mingle with princes.
Completely unaware of Prince Harry’s intent, Val did not shy away when the prince walked up to him and slapped him on the shoulder and steered him towards the doors and suggested that he take in some fresh air. When the light of the moon touched upon Val, he felt the burn of something on his shoulder, through his doublet. He looked to see the outline of a lily pad burned into his clothing. Then he was caught up in Harry’s spell and the world began to spin. The last thing Val heard clearly was laughter. Then a pair of hands scooped him up and carried him across the garden and hurled him into the fountain. Splashing and struggling, Val was finally able to hop up to the wide cement bench that surrounded the fountain, but try as he might, he could go no further, he was bound to the fountain. With a sad croak, Val watched Prince Harry stalk down the path back to the party.
Unaware of her friend’s plight, Princess Cameron dutifully danced with the suitors, biding her time until she could leave the party that had now lost some of the luster for her. The high point of the evening had been the gift of the Ancient ball and she really wanted to go to her tower room and play with it. Finally, the bellmen rang the chimes that signaled the end of the ball and she was able to escape the unwanted attentions of the clingy Prince Harry. She gathered her gift, bid her parents pleasant dreams and ran off to her chamber.
She sat on her bed with the large glowing golden ball in her lap. Resting her palms upon the surface, she closed her eyes and let the music she had heard earlier swirl around her. Music like none she had ever heard before. She listened to it for a time, allowing it to charm her. She opened her eyes and saw that the surface of the ball had changed; she could see images upon the surface now, moving images, like a glimpse into another time. Cameron gasped with delight and watched closely. After a short time, she realized the ball was showing her a story, and if she concentrated, she could hear people’s voices. This was the best gift she had ever received, Cameron decided. She watched the story until her eyes would not stay open any longer and she fell asleep curled up around her new toy.
The next morning, Princess Cameron searched all over the castle for her friend Val, intending to show him what the Ancient ball could do. But Val was no where to be found. Soon, everyone in the castle was searching for the missing young man, but no sign of him was ever found. People believed he had run away, rather than join the King’s army, but no matter what people said, Princess Cameron refused to believe them. For the first time in her life, Cameron wished for something and did not get it. Her friend had vanished and did not return.
As she grew older, the Ancient ball showed Cameron many different stories. Fearing that someone might take her toy from her if they knew what it was capable of doing, Cameron never told anyone about the stories that she saw. She was particularly fond of one about a man that traveled a great distance and was rescued by criminals and became their friend as he travelled with them. She knew her parents would never approve of a princess watching such a story. She was partial to the stories about explorers that travelled to many different lands and had grand adventures. It was a life Cameron could never imagine having for herself. As she became an adult, she realized that the only journey she would ever take from this castle was to go and marry the prince her father had chosen for her, Prince Harry.
Cameron did not like Prince Harry and she did everything she could think of to hold off the date of her wedding. She began to make ridiculous requests for her wedding trousseau, gems and fabrics that took months to arrive at the castle from faraway lands. She coerced her father into allowing her to set a quest in honor of her nuptials and made sure that completing the quest would take the participant’s months.
So it was that Cameron managed to postpone her wedding to the dreadful prince until well after her eighteenth birthday. But eventually, her father grew wise to her machinations and set the date for the wedding at the full moon in high summer. On the day before the wedding, Princess Cameron walked in the garden, miserable and lonely. She stopped at the fountain and sat upon the bench, holding the Ancient ball in her lap. She smiled as the big frog with the funny spot on its back hopped up beside her, as he always did when she came here. The frog was old; it had been here for years. It always sat beside Cameron when she read a book or watched a story in the ball. There were times when she was certain the frog was reading along with her as she turned the pages.
Prince Harry’s voice carrying across the grounds startled Cameron and the Ancient ball rolled from her lap and into the deep water of the fountain. With a cry of dismay, she tried to reach it, but it was deep under the water and Cameron had never been taught to swim. She peered over the edge and tears streamed down her face as she saw the glow of the ball fade from view. Her prized possession, gone. She sniffled and wiped at the tears with the hem of her sleeve.
A croaking voice beside her offered to get the ball, if she agreed to help in return. She looked around in surprise, but the only living being aside from Cameron near the fountain was the big frog. She stared at the frog and it winked at her and repeated the offer to retrieve her ball. When she asked what she could possibly do to help a frog, it told her that she first had to declare the frog to be prince of the fountain, and then needed to take it away from the fountain, and allow it to stay with her, as her pet. While repulsed at the idea of a frog as a pet, Cameron wanted her ball back, so she agreed. The frog hopped into the fountain with a large splash, soaking the front of Cameron’s gown. But her annoyance faded when the ball floated up to the top of the water, pushed from beneath by the frog. She snatched it up and dried it with her skirt. She had been worried that it might not work anymore, but when she touched her palm to the golden surface, it shimmered and glowed and images appeared as usual. The frog had upheld his end of the bargain and so Cameron was honor bound to do the same.
After using her courtly voice to declare that this frog was now and forever the prince of the fountain, by royal decree, Cameron stood up and moved the ball to the crook of one elbow. Then she bent and tentatively grasped the frog around its middle and picked it up, holding it away from her as she walked. The frog’s legs dangled and swayed with each step Cameron took. She realized that it couldn’t be comfortable and so she gulped and tamped down her fear and placed the frog upon her shoulder and allowed it to ride securely against her neck. If it was possible for a frog to look happy, Cameron was certain that this one was smiling.
To keep her treasure safe, Cameron climbed the stairs to her tower room and put the ball on her bed. Looking around the room, she spied her ornate wash bowl in the stand near the wall. She went to it and splashed a little water into the bottom of it from the matching pitcher. Then she deposited the frog into the bowl. It looked up at her and thanked her. Cameron changed her gown, as it was nearly time to eat. When she started towards the door, the frog called her back, demanding that she take him along. With a heavy sigh, Cameron lifted the wash bowl and carried it down the stairs to the dining hall with her.
When she arrived at the table, she requested that one of the pages fetch a stool and set it beside her seat. She placed the bowl atop the stool and sat gracefully beside it, daring any of the courtiers to ask about the bowl. Her father glanced at the frog, but said nothing as he took his seat. He probably believed this to be another stalling method Cameron had cooked up.
Prince Harry sat at the seat across from Cameron. He had not noticed the frog until the creature made a loud croaking sound and climbed up to lean on the edge of the bowl, watching the prince across the table. The Prince demanded to know why a frog was at the table. Cameron merely smiled and said that it was her pet and it would go where she went. Then she fed the frog a piece of fruit from her plate. Wisely saying nothing, Harry simply glared at the frog, having forgotten his temper tantrum and the spell he had cast on a commoner years before in the gardens of this castle.
When the dinner was done and the desert course was mere crumbs, the frog suddenly let out a croak and spoke, shocking the guests. It declared that the law of the land clearly stated that if a prince challenged for the hand of the princess on the eve of her wedding, and won the challenge, the prince could claim her as his bride. Harry laughed and waved a hand around, asking if there were any princes that wished to make such a challenge. The frog declared that he was a prince and he challenged Harry’s right to Cameron’s hand as he was a cruel man and unworthy of her love.
The courtiers gasped at the declaration, for in their land, talking animals were not unheard of and there were constantly spells being tossed about willy-nilly and it was entirely possible and quite probable that the frog was indeed a prince. Cameron confirmed that the frog’s words were truth, it was indeed a prince. She smiled to herself, realizing that he was only the prince of the fountain, but if she had to wed a frog to avoid marriage to Harry, she would. A slimy husband partial to flies and puddles would afford her a bit of the freedom she had always been accustomed to in her parent’s home.
Harry, once again insulted within the walls of the castle, became very, very angry. He stood up so quickly that his chair flew backwards and clattered to the floor. Then he stomped around the table and seized the frog, hurling it across the room, where the poor creature struck a pillar and slid to the floor. Shocked and disgusted, Cameron leapt up and slapped Harry across the face before running over to her injured pet and kneeling down beside him. She lifted the frog into her lap and tears fell upon the mottled skin as she sobbed.
The frog began to twitch and was enveloped in a ball of light, which floated away from Cameron’s lap and bobbed in the air in front of her. Within the light, she was able to see the spell unfolding as the frog grew in size. Her hands went to her mouth as she realized the frog was changing and began to take on the form of a man. There was a gasp of outrage and a pair of hands covered Cameron’s eyes as Queen Wendy ran over to shield her daughter from the frog-man’s nakedness.
A cloak was thrown around the man as the spell left him crouched naked on the tile floor. His hair was long and dark and covered his face. Cameron wriggled away from her mother’s grasp and ran to the man’s side, pushing his hair away to look into his face. She laughed happily as she recognized that it was Val, the friend she had thought lost so long before. She rained kisses on his face and hugged him, overjoyed to have him back once more. Behind the reunited friends, Harry was complaining to the King about the irregularity of the situation. He had recognized the face of the boy he had cursed in the man that was beside Cameron now.
The Prince cried that Val was a commoner and his challenge was null and void. Taking Val’s hand, Cameron declared to everyone watching that he was indeed a prince, by royal decree, and that challenge had been issued and must be answered. Harry pouted, but agreed when King Frank gave him a dirty look. The King was not at all pleased that Harry had been casting dark spells on the grounds of the castle. King Frank declared that the challenge was to answer a series of questions; the winner would be the one who answered correctly when his opponent failed.
Val was allowed to hug his father, the master at arms and don some appropriate attire before the contest began. The first few questions were easy and both men answered them correctly. When the King asked what Princess Cameron valued the most in the world, Harry snorted and replied that she loved her golden ball more than anything. Val shook his head and looked over at Cameron and smiled. Then he told the king that the princess valued her honor and keeping her word, because despite being disgusted, she had taken a frog as a pet and treated him well because she had promised to do so.
The King declared that the question had been answered correctly and stepped forward to join Cameron’s hand with Val’s. Harry sneered and left the dining hall in disgust, while the courtiers cheered to see their princess smiling so happily again.
Queen Wendy pulled the Princess aside and frowned as she looked over at Val, telling Cameron she was disappointed in her for lying, especially after Val had won the contest by talking about her honor. Cameron kissed her mother’s cheek and then told her the story of how Val the frog had rescued her gold ball in exchange for being named Prince of the Fountain. After the story was told, Queen Wendy laughed at Val’s cleverness in getting the spell broken and had declared he was a fit match for Cameron, should she still want to marry him.
Thinking over the other prospective princes her father had tried to match her with, Princess Cameron decided she was far better off with her frog prince, who had been her friend since she was old enough to walk and had always told her the truth. She walked up to her father and declared that she wanted to marry Val and that the wedding party that had been planned could still go forward, she was merely changing grooms.
And since Princess Cameron always got what she wanted, in the end, she got her prince.
The End
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: Cam, Vala, Frank & Wendy Mitchell, Harry Maybourne
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 3,909
Author's notes: Yes, I have made Cam a pretty, pretty princess
For cm_tropefic Prompt: Genderflip: always been female/male
For 10 tropes: "Fractured fairytale"
For Love Bingo Fill: "Fairy Tale"
Once upon a time, in a land quite like our own - but before things like cell phones and TiVo and even cars were invented - there lived a princess named Cameron. King Frank and Queen Wendy had despaired of ever having an heir, but through some tricky dealing, coin changing hands and a little magical intervention, they were blessed with little Cameron. At first, King Frank was disappointed that the baby was not the son he had bargained for, but he soon grew to love his beautiful little daughter.
Because Cameron had been so difficult (and rather expensive) to come by, the princess was more than slightly coddled and extremely spoiled. She had merely to express a desire and it was fulfilled. If her mattress was lumpy, twenty more would be brought in so that she might choose the bed that pleased her. If the court jester frightened her, he would be banished and a new jester brought in to replace him. If she was served a shiny red apple for her snack and she voiced the opinion that perhaps a green apple might be tasty now and again, away went the red apples, replaced with the green.
There had been an old superstition about princesses and spinning wheels and spells from disgruntled witches lying about the castle and so King Frank ordered that all the spinning wheels in the land be burned in a great bonfire. The country’s weaving industry collapsed overnight and they were forced to import all their textiles from that day on, this decision did not help King Frank’s popularity with the people.
The princess was always very well guarded, she had armed knights escorting her everywhere she went, even while she walked the halls and played in the gardens of the castle. Though no one would dare to mention it, everyone knew that the reason for this was the fear that one of King Frank’s more nefarious associates might decide to change the arrangements that had brought about Princess Cameron’s birth and attempt to steal the Princess away. Her bedchamber was in a tall tower that could only be reached by one winding staircase within the castle.
By the Princess’ fourteenth birthday, the King and Queen had run out of ideas for gifts to give their precious daughter. Cameron had everything she had ever desired, there was nothing her royal parents or their Council could think of that might be new or unusual to delight the girl. Councilor Woolsey suggested stationary, Councilor Landry suggested a hearty feast, Councilor Hammond suggested a lovely new hat and Councilor Weir suggested a tour of the neighboring lands so that the Princess could learn about their neighbors. Disliking this suggestion immensely, Kink Frank ordered Councilor Weir to go negotiate a peace treaty with King Apophis. (and she was never heard from again)
The King’s interpreter Daniel very politely suggested that if there was nothing new that might please the princess, perhaps something old, an heirloom of great value might make her happy. All eyes in the Council chamber - except Councilor Weir’s as she had left in tears to pack for her journey - turned towards the shy interpreter. Rather than chastising the young man for speaking out of turn, the King asked him for a suggestion of something appropriate for the Princess. Put on the spot, Daniel blurted out the first thing that came to mind; the Ancient Ball of Aunt Arctica. The councilors gasped in shock, but the King smiled and nodded. For his cleverness, Daniel was rewarded with the stewardship of the great library of Lantea, which had been his lifelong dream.
On the day of Princess Cameron’s birthday, a feast and ball were held. Little did the princess know that all the visiting princes had been invited so that King Frank could check them all over before deciding which kingdom to sign an alliance of marriage, giving the hand of Princess Cameron away.
The giving of the King and Queen’s gift was a pompous ceremony, and even Princess Cameron was bored by the time the steward came in carrying a silk draped object on a velvet pillow. She perked up at the sight and sat up straighter on the gold throne that stood beside Queen Wendy’s seat. The queen smiled and stroked a loving and indulgent hand over her daughter’s sandy blonde curls. When the steward reached the stairs leading to the thrones, the Princess waited for a nod from the King before bounding from her seat and running forward eagerly. She tugged the silken cloth away to reveal a shining golden ball. Clapping her hands in delight, she reached for the ball and lifted it in her hands.
The ball glowed when she touched it, evoking gasps and exclamations of delight from the watching courtiers. Few people had ever been allowed to touch the Ancient Ball of Aunt Arctica, only those of royal blood were permitted the privilege. When the ball lit up at her touch, it proved that Princess Cameron’s heritage was true.
No gift she had ever received had been so wonderful. Once she touched it, the crowded ballroom faded away to a dull background noise, she quite forgot that there was a party going on. The Princess was enthralled by the heirloom, caught up in the spell it wove until the steward touched her on the shoulder and tipped his head in the direction of the king and queen. Remembering her manners, Cameron smiled her biggest and brightest smile and ran to kiss her parents to thank them for the gift. Reluctantly, she was persuaded by Queen Wendy to set the ball on the velvet cushion and leave it on her seat beside the queen while she went to dance with her party guests.
She danced with princes of all ages and sizes. Cameron’s feet grew weary and a bit sore after being tread upon frequently by inept dance partners. When one of the horrid dancers, Prince Harry, tried to claim her for another dance, Cameron was rescued by her friend Val, the son of the master at arms. She and Val had lessons together and he was a very good dancer. He laughed at her predicament, and it was from Val that Cameron found out the reason all the princes had been invited to her birthday. The news made her frown, but Val only laughed at that too. It was the reason he was one of her favorite friends, Val didn’t seem to care that she was a princess, and he never catered to any of her whims. He was just Val.
Cameron glanced up at her parents to see that they were both frowning in her direction. They did not like that she was friendly with Val; he was a commoner, after all. It was rather unseemly that she was dancing with him rather than the princes that had come to court. She told Val that she had to dance with the prince from Jaffa and her friend reluctantly but gallantly handed her off to the visiting dignitary.
Prince Harry was quite insulted when Princess Cameron would not dance with him again. When he learned that the young man dancing with Cameron was a commoner, he became quite enraged. He stormed out of the ballroom and into the gardens. The people of his land were well known magic users, and their young prince was no exception. While out in the gardens, he spied the ornate fountain, strewn with lily pads and flowers. A splash caught his attention and seeing a frog leaping around in the fountain, an idea struck him. He went to the fountain and ripped one of the lily pads from the water. By the light of the full moon, he knelt in the garden and cast a spell, using the damp leaf as his focus. Once the deed was done, he returned to the ballroom and sought out the commoner that dared to mingle with princes.
Completely unaware of Prince Harry’s intent, Val did not shy away when the prince walked up to him and slapped him on the shoulder and steered him towards the doors and suggested that he take in some fresh air. When the light of the moon touched upon Val, he felt the burn of something on his shoulder, through his doublet. He looked to see the outline of a lily pad burned into his clothing. Then he was caught up in Harry’s spell and the world began to spin. The last thing Val heard clearly was laughter. Then a pair of hands scooped him up and carried him across the garden and hurled him into the fountain. Splashing and struggling, Val was finally able to hop up to the wide cement bench that surrounded the fountain, but try as he might, he could go no further, he was bound to the fountain. With a sad croak, Val watched Prince Harry stalk down the path back to the party.
Unaware of her friend’s plight, Princess Cameron dutifully danced with the suitors, biding her time until she could leave the party that had now lost some of the luster for her. The high point of the evening had been the gift of the Ancient ball and she really wanted to go to her tower room and play with it. Finally, the bellmen rang the chimes that signaled the end of the ball and she was able to escape the unwanted attentions of the clingy Prince Harry. She gathered her gift, bid her parents pleasant dreams and ran off to her chamber.
She sat on her bed with the large glowing golden ball in her lap. Resting her palms upon the surface, she closed her eyes and let the music she had heard earlier swirl around her. Music like none she had ever heard before. She listened to it for a time, allowing it to charm her. She opened her eyes and saw that the surface of the ball had changed; she could see images upon the surface now, moving images, like a glimpse into another time. Cameron gasped with delight and watched closely. After a short time, she realized the ball was showing her a story, and if she concentrated, she could hear people’s voices. This was the best gift she had ever received, Cameron decided. She watched the story until her eyes would not stay open any longer and she fell asleep curled up around her new toy.
The next morning, Princess Cameron searched all over the castle for her friend Val, intending to show him what the Ancient ball could do. But Val was no where to be found. Soon, everyone in the castle was searching for the missing young man, but no sign of him was ever found. People believed he had run away, rather than join the King’s army, but no matter what people said, Princess Cameron refused to believe them. For the first time in her life, Cameron wished for something and did not get it. Her friend had vanished and did not return.
As she grew older, the Ancient ball showed Cameron many different stories. Fearing that someone might take her toy from her if they knew what it was capable of doing, Cameron never told anyone about the stories that she saw. She was particularly fond of one about a man that traveled a great distance and was rescued by criminals and became their friend as he travelled with them. She knew her parents would never approve of a princess watching such a story. She was partial to the stories about explorers that travelled to many different lands and had grand adventures. It was a life Cameron could never imagine having for herself. As she became an adult, she realized that the only journey she would ever take from this castle was to go and marry the prince her father had chosen for her, Prince Harry.
Cameron did not like Prince Harry and she did everything she could think of to hold off the date of her wedding. She began to make ridiculous requests for her wedding trousseau, gems and fabrics that took months to arrive at the castle from faraway lands. She coerced her father into allowing her to set a quest in honor of her nuptials and made sure that completing the quest would take the participant’s months.
So it was that Cameron managed to postpone her wedding to the dreadful prince until well after her eighteenth birthday. But eventually, her father grew wise to her machinations and set the date for the wedding at the full moon in high summer. On the day before the wedding, Princess Cameron walked in the garden, miserable and lonely. She stopped at the fountain and sat upon the bench, holding the Ancient ball in her lap. She smiled as the big frog with the funny spot on its back hopped up beside her, as he always did when she came here. The frog was old; it had been here for years. It always sat beside Cameron when she read a book or watched a story in the ball. There were times when she was certain the frog was reading along with her as she turned the pages.
Prince Harry’s voice carrying across the grounds startled Cameron and the Ancient ball rolled from her lap and into the deep water of the fountain. With a cry of dismay, she tried to reach it, but it was deep under the water and Cameron had never been taught to swim. She peered over the edge and tears streamed down her face as she saw the glow of the ball fade from view. Her prized possession, gone. She sniffled and wiped at the tears with the hem of her sleeve.
A croaking voice beside her offered to get the ball, if she agreed to help in return. She looked around in surprise, but the only living being aside from Cameron near the fountain was the big frog. She stared at the frog and it winked at her and repeated the offer to retrieve her ball. When she asked what she could possibly do to help a frog, it told her that she first had to declare the frog to be prince of the fountain, and then needed to take it away from the fountain, and allow it to stay with her, as her pet. While repulsed at the idea of a frog as a pet, Cameron wanted her ball back, so she agreed. The frog hopped into the fountain with a large splash, soaking the front of Cameron’s gown. But her annoyance faded when the ball floated up to the top of the water, pushed from beneath by the frog. She snatched it up and dried it with her skirt. She had been worried that it might not work anymore, but when she touched her palm to the golden surface, it shimmered and glowed and images appeared as usual. The frog had upheld his end of the bargain and so Cameron was honor bound to do the same.
After using her courtly voice to declare that this frog was now and forever the prince of the fountain, by royal decree, Cameron stood up and moved the ball to the crook of one elbow. Then she bent and tentatively grasped the frog around its middle and picked it up, holding it away from her as she walked. The frog’s legs dangled and swayed with each step Cameron took. She realized that it couldn’t be comfortable and so she gulped and tamped down her fear and placed the frog upon her shoulder and allowed it to ride securely against her neck. If it was possible for a frog to look happy, Cameron was certain that this one was smiling.
To keep her treasure safe, Cameron climbed the stairs to her tower room and put the ball on her bed. Looking around the room, she spied her ornate wash bowl in the stand near the wall. She went to it and splashed a little water into the bottom of it from the matching pitcher. Then she deposited the frog into the bowl. It looked up at her and thanked her. Cameron changed her gown, as it was nearly time to eat. When she started towards the door, the frog called her back, demanding that she take him along. With a heavy sigh, Cameron lifted the wash bowl and carried it down the stairs to the dining hall with her.
When she arrived at the table, she requested that one of the pages fetch a stool and set it beside her seat. She placed the bowl atop the stool and sat gracefully beside it, daring any of the courtiers to ask about the bowl. Her father glanced at the frog, but said nothing as he took his seat. He probably believed this to be another stalling method Cameron had cooked up.
Prince Harry sat at the seat across from Cameron. He had not noticed the frog until the creature made a loud croaking sound and climbed up to lean on the edge of the bowl, watching the prince across the table. The Prince demanded to know why a frog was at the table. Cameron merely smiled and said that it was her pet and it would go where she went. Then she fed the frog a piece of fruit from her plate. Wisely saying nothing, Harry simply glared at the frog, having forgotten his temper tantrum and the spell he had cast on a commoner years before in the gardens of this castle.
When the dinner was done and the desert course was mere crumbs, the frog suddenly let out a croak and spoke, shocking the guests. It declared that the law of the land clearly stated that if a prince challenged for the hand of the princess on the eve of her wedding, and won the challenge, the prince could claim her as his bride. Harry laughed and waved a hand around, asking if there were any princes that wished to make such a challenge. The frog declared that he was a prince and he challenged Harry’s right to Cameron’s hand as he was a cruel man and unworthy of her love.
The courtiers gasped at the declaration, for in their land, talking animals were not unheard of and there were constantly spells being tossed about willy-nilly and it was entirely possible and quite probable that the frog was indeed a prince. Cameron confirmed that the frog’s words were truth, it was indeed a prince. She smiled to herself, realizing that he was only the prince of the fountain, but if she had to wed a frog to avoid marriage to Harry, she would. A slimy husband partial to flies and puddles would afford her a bit of the freedom she had always been accustomed to in her parent’s home.
Harry, once again insulted within the walls of the castle, became very, very angry. He stood up so quickly that his chair flew backwards and clattered to the floor. Then he stomped around the table and seized the frog, hurling it across the room, where the poor creature struck a pillar and slid to the floor. Shocked and disgusted, Cameron leapt up and slapped Harry across the face before running over to her injured pet and kneeling down beside him. She lifted the frog into her lap and tears fell upon the mottled skin as she sobbed.
The frog began to twitch and was enveloped in a ball of light, which floated away from Cameron’s lap and bobbed in the air in front of her. Within the light, she was able to see the spell unfolding as the frog grew in size. Her hands went to her mouth as she realized the frog was changing and began to take on the form of a man. There was a gasp of outrage and a pair of hands covered Cameron’s eyes as Queen Wendy ran over to shield her daughter from the frog-man’s nakedness.
A cloak was thrown around the man as the spell left him crouched naked on the tile floor. His hair was long and dark and covered his face. Cameron wriggled away from her mother’s grasp and ran to the man’s side, pushing his hair away to look into his face. She laughed happily as she recognized that it was Val, the friend she had thought lost so long before. She rained kisses on his face and hugged him, overjoyed to have him back once more. Behind the reunited friends, Harry was complaining to the King about the irregularity of the situation. He had recognized the face of the boy he had cursed in the man that was beside Cameron now.
The Prince cried that Val was a commoner and his challenge was null and void. Taking Val’s hand, Cameron declared to everyone watching that he was indeed a prince, by royal decree, and that challenge had been issued and must be answered. Harry pouted, but agreed when King Frank gave him a dirty look. The King was not at all pleased that Harry had been casting dark spells on the grounds of the castle. King Frank declared that the challenge was to answer a series of questions; the winner would be the one who answered correctly when his opponent failed.
Val was allowed to hug his father, the master at arms and don some appropriate attire before the contest began. The first few questions were easy and both men answered them correctly. When the King asked what Princess Cameron valued the most in the world, Harry snorted and replied that she loved her golden ball more than anything. Val shook his head and looked over at Cameron and smiled. Then he told the king that the princess valued her honor and keeping her word, because despite being disgusted, she had taken a frog as a pet and treated him well because she had promised to do so.
The King declared that the question had been answered correctly and stepped forward to join Cameron’s hand with Val’s. Harry sneered and left the dining hall in disgust, while the courtiers cheered to see their princess smiling so happily again.
Queen Wendy pulled the Princess aside and frowned as she looked over at Val, telling Cameron she was disappointed in her for lying, especially after Val had won the contest by talking about her honor. Cameron kissed her mother’s cheek and then told her the story of how Val the frog had rescued her gold ball in exchange for being named Prince of the Fountain. After the story was told, Queen Wendy laughed at Val’s cleverness in getting the spell broken and had declared he was a fit match for Cameron, should she still want to marry him.
Thinking over the other prospective princes her father had tried to match her with, Princess Cameron decided she was far better off with her frog prince, who had been her friend since she was old enough to walk and had always told her the truth. She walked up to her father and declared that she wanted to marry Val and that the wedding party that had been planned could still go forward, she was merely changing grooms.
And since Princess Cameron always got what she wanted, in the end, she got her prince.
The End