Chapter 3

A GARDEN OF DESTINY

At the edge of Eldoria, amidst towering trees and blooming flowers, just outside of Floren, lay a garden. It wasn't a so much a secret that no one else was privy to it, but it was tucked away and isolated enough that Leo thought of it as his personal sanctuary. The land was so fertile his botanical efforts were always richly rewarded. If he believed in that sort of thing, he might think it was enchanted or imbued with a special magic.

His lean frame moved gracefully among the plants. Whether he was on his hands and knees turning soil, or planting bulbs that would bloom into the most fragrant flowers, or if he was gathering clippings and samples to save and study, his soft chestnut hair tousled in the gentle breeze. His warm hazel eyes reflected a love for these natural wonders of life, and his passion for nature made him more committed and connected to the work than most young people his age.

One evening, as the sky painted itself in hues of orange and purple, Leo heard a sound that seemed out of place—a soft, melodic croak. Intrigued, he followed the sound to a small pond, its surface still and mirror-like in the twilight. There, perched on a lily pad, was a frog whose eyes seemed to gleam with an unsettling human intelligence.

Leo bent down, peering at the creature with a mix of fascination and disbelief.

"Quite a lovely evening, isn't it?" The frog's voice was crisp and clear, and Leo stumbled, nearly fallling backward in shock.

"You... you can talk?" Leo's heart raced with fear and wonder.

The frog chuckled, a sound that seemed to bubble up from the pond's depths. "Indeed, I can. And much more than that, if truth be told. But let's start with introductions. I am Amir, or at least I was."

Leo's mind raced as he processed the impossibility before him. A talking frog. It was the stuff of fairy tales, not the reality of a botanist from Floren.

"You're a frog, who can talk, who has a name. I don't know which one of us is having the break with reality, but I feel certain one of us is going through something. Is it crazier that you can talk, or crazier that I can understand you? I have to say neither answer bodes well for either of our sanity."

"Well, I can certainly answer some of those questions, if you have the time to listen. As you can imagine I have plenty of it on my hands—webs—I'm still not sure what to call these things." Amir gestured down with his nose as he said it. "Now, regarding your sanity. I think I'm going to reserve the right to judge that based on how you receive my tale of woe."

And with the precursor, Amir began to recount the tale of magic, betrayal, and the curse that bound him to his amphibian form. Leo felt the walls of reality crumble. Once he had accepted Amir speaking, the rest wasn't as big of a leap as he thought it would be in the beginning. In Amir's emerald eyes—appearing deeper and more pronounced against the emerald skin—he saw a soul that spoke of loss, longing, and a desperate hope for redemption.

"Any chance you can go back to the ‘how I became a frog' thing?"

"That's the most straightforward part of this tale. It is lengthy story, but this frog thing is a slow, dull, monotonous existence, so I've got time."

Amir detailed his life as a frog as a lonely and arduous one. He moved from pond to pond, garden to garden, always hoping, always searching for someone who could see past his exterior and offer the kiss that would break the curse. But as days turned into months and months into year, hope began to wane.

There had been the rare kindness of strangers who would sometimes find him and care for him, thinking him a mere frog. But he also learned the loneliness that came from being different, from being unable to communicate his true self to those around him.

With every added detail Leo came to empathize with Amir more. "I can only imagine how hard it has been on you."

"Each night, I look up at the moon, its silver glow reflecting off the waters and I remember the life I lost. My kingdom, my family, and sometimes even the friend I failed so miserably."

"So, all of the hopping around and lily-pad sitting hasn't been wasted."

"It's nice that you could make me smile at this point in the story, even in this miserable state. But with each passing night I grow more skeptical that true love is anything more than an illusion."

"You know, Amir, fate has a way of surprising even the most disheartened souls. Your journey is far from over. It also sounds to me like you have a great deal to be sorry about. You must apologize profoundly and sincerely. Try to reach out to Elias. He may be ready to forgive you and even offer his love again," Leo offered as advice to the little amphibian.

"Where you not listening? I apologized as soon as it happened. I didn't know he was so emotional, or unstable. Besides, he could offer all the love he has, and it wouldn't change a thing, I will never love him," Amir said indignantly.

"Unstable? I think the word you're looking for is hurt. Others might include angry, devastated, insulted—I could go on."

"Why don't you just move on? I don't know why I thought talking to you would bring me anything but the same grief I've gotten from the others I've spoken to."

"I don't know what those others have told you but let me say this: If your current tone and attitude are even a slight indication of how you treated your friend Elias, you got exactly what you deserved. If it were me, turning you into a frog would have been the least of the punishments you needed to worry about." With that Leo got himself off the ground and retreated to the other side of the garden.

Meanwhile, back in Floren, Leo's parents, Senem and Leonard, were deep in conversation, their worries for their son weighing heavily on their minds.

"Leo spends so much time with his plants," Senem said, her voice tinged with concern. "I worry he'll never find someone to share his life with."

Leonard sighed, his expression serious. "I know, Senem. But he's passionate about his work. It's not easy finding a partner who understands that kind of dedication. Besides, I thought we put these worries aside. He's been doing better and getting out more."

"I guess I expected to see quicker results from his efforts."

Leonard nodded, saying, "Maybe he just needs a nudge in the right direction. I'll talk to him again. Maybe I can find out if there are any new prospectives on the horizon. Where is he now?"

"You know our son," Senem replied with a hint of exasperation. "He's probably wrist-deep in the dirt in his garden."

Leonard shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "That garden is his world. But he needs to see there's more to life than plants."

Back in the Eldorian garden, Leo sat by one of his plants that was struggling to grow. He was still processing the fact that he'd been having a conversation with a frog. Then he had to process why he found that frog so damn infuriating. He caught Amir watching him intently on more than one instance and had been busted tracking the little frog's movements himself.

"Please come back." The frog's voice was stronger and covered the distance between them much more than Leo would have guessed it could. Since it did, he responded without moving.

"Why should I? You are rude and arrogant, and frankly in my opinion, deserving of this curse."

"I did say please."

Arms crossed, Leo stared Amir down for a minute before getting up and returning to the side of the pond. He sat on the grass and extended his legs so that he and the little guy were seemingly back to back. "You will not raise your voice or speak to me in a condescending tone if you expect me to stay and listen. I do have some time and have been told I'm a pretty good listener. So, if there's no rudeness or nonsense from you, I'll stay."

Leo couldn't believe it, but the frog sounded sullen in his response.

"Fine."

"Um, I don't know…" Leo moved to get up.

"What I meant was, thank you for giving me another chance, Daddy."

Appeased for now—and definitely intrigued about that slip of the tongue, Leo listened intently as Amir shared his story.

"I was cursed for my arrogance and thoughtlessness. I was transformed into this form, and I need someone to help me break the curse."

"Are you truly remorseful for your actions, or are you only interested in changing to break the curse?"

"Well, wouldn't I be a fool to not want that? Yes, Leo, breaking the curse is at the top of my list. I don't think that's unreasonable."

"No, I suppose it isn't. But for the record, this is warning number one for using that tone on me."

"What tone?" Amir was exasperated by Leo's demands and high-handedness.

"The one with the ‘you're an idiot' subtext to it," Leo said. He almost let out a little laugh but held it back after glancing at Amir.

He radiated misery and Leo's heart began to ache for the prince.

"I want to help you, Amir. But how can I? I'm just a botanist. I've never exactly completed a quest. What could I possibly contribute?"

Amir's eyes gleamed with hope. "Your kindness and compassion, and your attention to detail, are exactly what I need, Leo. Sometimes, it's not about power or magic. It's about the strength of the heart."

"You mean to tell me this one conversation has convinced you that I have that heart?" Leo tried to keep the scoff out of his voice.

"Well yes, because no one else has really given me the time of day long enough to even listen. Perhaps there's something I can do for you in return. Is there some wish I might fulfill—once I'm human again?"

"If we pursue this quest for your redemption, or salvation… or, whatever, you will come to learn that I do things because I want to, and not out of a quid-pro-quo obligation."

"Is that your lengthy way of saying you're in?"

"Well, at least if I do say yes, it'll give me time to work on your manners."

As the evening deepened, Leo felt a bond forming between them, an unlikely friendship. Under the canopy of stars, they spoke of dreams and hopes, of fears and regrets. And in that garden, amidst the whispers of the surrounding nature, Leo began to realize that his yearning for connection might have finally been answered.

The next day, as the sun rose and bathed the garden in light, Leo's parents approached him with their concerns. "Leo," Leonard began gently, "we're still worried about you. We know you've been getting out more. Have you met anyone?"

Leo smiled, his heart warmed by their concern. "Do you want details on my love life, Dad?"

"Not details per se. I just want to know if there's a new prospect. We want to know. Your mother wants to know."

"As a matter of fact, I do have a new friend."

Senem and Leonard exchanged a glance, their worry easing at the sight of their son's smile and the glint in his eyes. Could that be a spark of something new blossoming?

"We just want you to be happy, Leo," Senem said softly. "Remember, you have a lot of love to give."

"I can't forget, Mom. You remind me daily, and I love you for that." Leo's thoughts turned to Amir, and he continued. "And maybe, just maybe, I've found someone who needs it as much as my plants do."