Previously on Fairy and the Frog:
 

Fairies are real, Onew is the King.
Curses are real; Minho was turned into a frog.

Minho tried to break said curse with a kiss from a princess. He married Taemin, a prince, and that plan failed.

Jonghyun is a shifter and Key's mate and the two of them are snooping around Minho's castle (actually Jonghyun snooped and Key explained his absence by saying he was sick). During said snooping someting blocked their mate bond and Key freaked out.

Minho and Taemin went on a jaunt to the north border but where delayed when Taemin was chased by a bird and nearly drowned.

Minho knows where all his subjects are at any given time.

Taemin met uncursed swamp citizens and then confronted Minho about his curse.

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“The frog is cursed,” Key stated.

“Hello to you too Kibum, and I’m doing well, thank you for asking,” Onew sighed.

“You knew, didn’t you,” Key huffed.

The image of his King, which was projected through a dew drop, shrugged his shoulders, “I highly suspected, yes.”

“Then why did you have me stay here?”

“So that I could get home faster and eat all the chicken I wanted without judgement?” Onew smiled.

Key glared.

“Alright, alright, it was so my suspicions could be confirmed and so you could keep an eye on Taemin. It’s not like you were going to leave with me anyway, not with your precious Tae-baby in unfamiliar and slightly hostile territory.”

“Hey, he’s your Tae-baby too!”

“Yes, but I know when a father’s presence is unwanted.”

“What are you talking about? Taemin was begging you to stay?”

“Yes he was. In any case, how are the two newly weds getting along?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Key, how are the newly weds?”

Key glanced off to the side, “Apparently, they’re to the point where they don’t try to kill each other when in each other vicinities. Actually, better yet, they’re to the point where they’re running off together.”

“Wonderful!” Onew face let up with glee, “That’s better than I expected considering how cold they were towards each other that first week.”

Key was gaping at his King until a cold nose bumped his hand bringing him back to reality. He shared a look with his mate before turning back to his King, “I’m sorry sire, but what part of Taemin running off is wonderful?”

“The part where he is with his husband, and in far less time then I could have expected, or hoped.”

It was too much, Key was convinced the chicken maniac had finally lost it, “Sire, as your advisor I pride myself at normally being able to follow your train of thought, but explain to me, how it is a good thing that your son seems to have gone from a hate to love struck relationship, in a matter of days. Especially, when said relationship is to be terminated in a year. Also, why on Earth did you expect such a thing to happen?”

“I’m sure your exaggerating. Taemin is far more level-headed than that.”

Key was not amused by the blatant redirection, “Sire, why we’re you expecting the two to get together?”

Onew shifted slightly and glanced away, “I can’t tell you.”

“I’m your advisor! I can’t advise you if you don’t tell me the entire situation!”

“I know that Kibum, but as your King, there are times where I must withhold information; even from you. Now what are the details of the Frogs curse?”

Key debated not allowing the subject change, but knew by the serious tone of his King that it would be useless, “There’s not much to go on, other than Minho’s advisors reading fairy tale books because, apparently, they don’t know how to break the curse.”

“There’s nothing else? No signs of something marking down time, an area that seems to radiate a sinister feeling or a place that seems to dampen your magic?”

“Not that I can-” Jonghyun suddenly transformed into a fairy, careful to stay out of site of the dew drop. Key stared at him, but his mate simply mouthed the word dandelion before turning back into a dog.

“Kibum?” came from the dew drop.

“Sorry, I just remembered, there is something. A dandelion, in the East garden, it’s unnaturally still and surrounded by a half built tower.”

~

“How long to you plan to keep up the silent treatment, Frogface?”

“Seungho, are we all set to head out?”

Taemin huffed because the frog was being ridiculous. They had seemed to be getting along so well last night but the minute Taemin had tried to confirm his suspicions, the frog has clamed up. And he had continued to stay that way, even as they bid farewell to the Nam family. It’s not like his silence would throw off Tae’s inquires. If anything, it just made him more determined since the omission basically acted as conformation.

“Taemin, get on,” the frog demanded forcing Taemin out of his thoughts.

Taemin glared at the Frog’s back, “Oh, are you talking to me now?”

“Just get on, we have to leave. We’re already behind schedule.”

“Is that your way of saying it’s my fault?”

“No!” Minho turned to the fairy and sighed, “I- can we just not talk about it?”

“Sure we can not talk about me being chased by a bird, which wasn’t my fault, because what I really want to talk about, is your curse,” Taemin didn’t miss Minho’s flinch or Seungho’s head turning to them in surprise.

“Listen, Frogface, let’s set something straight. I’m a fairy, fairy tales and curses were like my bread and butter growing up. So, don’t try hiding it. In fact, I could probably help you find a way to break it. And if you’re trying to keep it quite as a theory that not telling me will in some way break it, it won’t. I already suspect somethings up and that theory only works with the completely ignorant.”

Minho stared in shock before letting out a loud ribbit.

Seungho chuckled and pat his King on the back, “You got yourself a feisty one there and he has an actual brain between his ears. You will never be able to get away with anything ever again your highness and, now that the air is cleared, we really do need to get going.”

Taemin smirked at the frog. Minho rolled his eyes and turned so the fairy could climb onto his back.

The fairy jumped on his back without protest this time and, leaning forward, whispered, “What are you waiting for my frog prince. Let’s get hopping.”

~

“…you’ve tried the princess kiss stick. Which, in your current predicament makes the most sense but, yeah you really should have done your homework better on that one,” Taemin prattled in to Minho’s ear.

Minho hopped along enjoying his current position as noble steed far too much, “I thought I did. The alliance with your kingdom would have been the most advantageous and I could have sworn when I was younger, that I saw a princess when my family visited your kingdom.”

He’d become rather smitten with her too, even though he only caught a glimpse of her flitting around a private garden with a brown puppy. His young mind had thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Taemin shifted, “I didn’t know you came to the Fairy Kingdom.”

“It was a long time ago and I was obviously mistaken.”

“Pfft, that’s an understatement,” Taemin draped himself forward, “Hey, are we almost there I’m getting hungry.”

“Don’t worry; we’ll be there in time for lunch.”

“Yum, lunch. Wait, LUNCH!” Taemin shot up and nearly fell off Minho’s back, “, have you sent anyone back to the castle to inform them we won’t be back today?”

“I don’t need to? They know I’m alive and vaguely where I am,” Minho croaked.

“How?”

“Because of the magic that connects me to this land and people as King. It actually works both ways and is the reason we where able to find you.”

There was a pause from the fairy that lasted a hop. “That’s actually fascinating and we will revisit it at a later date but before that, we need to stop. Specifically over there, under that mushroom,” Taemin emphasized his words by frantically whacking Minho’s side.

Minho found himself complying to the fairies wish and signaling to Seungho even as he was questioning it, “Do you need to relive yourself?”

“What? No,” Minho saw the blush on Taemin’s cheeks as he slid off his back, “I need a dew drop and if I’m lucky there will still be one…ah, there.”

“If you were thirsty there’s a well-”

“I’m not thirsty. I just need to contact Umma before he does something drastic. Now go plop yourself over there,” Taemin gestured as he sat down below the mushrooms canopy with the dew drop in hand.

Minho hesitated, “Why?”

Taemin looked up, “Because this evolves magic, and you don’t like magic.”

“I just don’t like it being used on me,” Minho mumbled and stayed were he was.

Taemin just shook his head and look back at the dew drop. He sprinkled some fairy dust and chanted something before saying, “Umma!”

To Minho’s surprise the dew drop answered back, “Don’t you Umma me. Do you know how fanatic I was yesterday? And did you even pack anything? Your toothbrush is still here. Also why are you calling me? You should be in sight of the castle by now.”

Taemin looked sheepish as he replied, “Well, there was a slight mishap and we haven’t even arrived at the border yet.”

“What happened! Did the frog do something to you?”

Taemin hesitated for a moment, “Nothing serious happened,” Minho rolled his eyes at the idea of nearly downing being ‘nothing serious’, “and Minho is being very kind at the moment.”

Minho preened at his actual name coming from Taemin’s lips and the praise. 

“At the moment being the key words there, Taeminnie.”

Taemin blushed at the nickname “Umma, please,” he whinned.

“What?” Taemin glanced at Minho than back to the dew drop, “Oh, is he listening?” Taemin gave a short nod, “Well then listen up Frogface, if you bring Teamin back in anything less than perfect health and original form, than so help me you will rue the day you were born.”

It was a vague threat but Minho was terrified none the less and let out an involuntary ribbit.

“Good you understand. When should I be expecting you back,” Taemin glanced at Minho again for the answer.

“By tomorrow if all goes well,” Minho croaked.

“Alright then, if you are delayed again Taemin, you better contact me sooner than you did today.”

“Yes Umma. Is Jonghyun feeling better today?”

“Yes, now hang up and get going so you can get back here.”

Teamin smiled, “Love you, Keyumma”

“Love you too, Minnie.”

 Taemin ran his hand through the dew drop and stood up, “Shall we continue my noble steed?”

Minho turned his back in reply and decided he would never admit to the pleasurable shiver that ran through him at Taemin’s words.

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Hey, so here is an update. It's not as long as I wanted and didn't exactly go where I intended but it had a nice stopping point so I figured I should put it up. As always thank you for subscribing and leaving comments, which I do read and very much enjoy even when I don't respond. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter they might actually get to the northern border.