The Frog Prince by Jenni James Read Free Book Online

thought back to that first day when she had opened her eyes to find him sitting upon her bed watching her sleep. He was such a sweetheart then, but then later that evening when he insisted on using one of her pillows, she could have cheerfully strangled him.
    “What do you mean, you wish to use one of my pillows?” she had asked him, astounded the forward frog would make such a request of her. It was always cold at this hour, and she in just her robe and nightclothes did not wish to be standing at her door whispering in the dead of the night with an impolite visitor.
    “What? Have you perchance attempted to sleep on one of those horrid cushions you have supplied for guests? No? Well, maybe you should before someone even more important than I comes to stay the night.”
    “Are you saying our beds are uncomfortable?” No one had ever complained before.
    “I am saying the pillows are a disgrace. I have been attempting to sleep for the past three-quarters of an hour and I cannot find a place to rest that does not have some lump or another wedging into my backside.”
    “And so you have made your way from the guest bedroom into my room to tell me you wish to sleep on one of my pillows?”
    “No. You misunderstand me.” He sighed. “I have hopped all the way to tell you I will be sleeping on one of your pillows.”
    “Good heavens!” she hissed. “You cannot just demand whatever it is you wish.”
    “I can and I will. Even a frog needs sleep. So go on and get me that nice satin one your brother set me down upon while I waited for you earlier today.”
    “Do you have any idea how much I wish I could throttle you right now?” she asked as she made her way over to the bed and collected the pillow.
    He laughed. “Probably as much as I am ready to burn the pillow I was attempting to sleep upon.”
    Suddenly the image of Caspian dragging the thing with his mouth and tossing it into the fire caused her to smile, and she gave in as she let out a long whoosh of air. “I am sorry you cannot get to sleep. I did not have any idea the cushions were that bad.” She tucked the pillow under her arm and bent over to scoop Caspian up. She placed him on her shoulder. “You are welcome to use my pillow.”
    “And forgive me,” he said in a softer tone. “I am incredibly grouchy at night when I cannot sleep.”
    She chuckled as she walked out the door. “And I am incredibly cross when I have been awakened from a deep sleep.” Her bare feet quickly headed down the dark corridor toward the guest wing. Why did she always forget about putting on her slippers at night?
    “Good. Then we can be bad-tempered together.”
    Caspian settled right down on the new pillow and sighed when she placed them on the bed in the guest room. “You are an angel,” he whispered as he yawned. “Thank you a thousand times over.”
    Blythe closed the door, but not before taking the offending cushion with her to show the queen in the morning. And then as rapidly as possible, she raced back up the corridor, tossed the old cushion onto a chair, and jumped into her thankfully still-warm bed. Snuggling into her own soft pillows, she had thought of the frog until she fell back asleep.
    Blythe grinned at the memory as the maid helped her put on a pretty green gown.
    Since that night two weeks ago, theirs had been a relationship full of definitely frustrated sparks, but there were also endearing moments as well. He was indeed nothing like she expected a prince to be. So thoughtful at times, so exasperating, but mostly what made her enjoy his company more than anyone she had been around was the fact he was so surprisingly humorous.
    What girl did not care for someone who could make her laugh?
    It was such a refreshing respite from her hours of boredom around the castle grounds and pond before he came. Her mother had never allowed much freedom for her daughters, and now that Blythe was no longer young enough to need a governess, she really had very little else