Once Upon a Time - 6. And they remained blind for the rest of their days for their wickedness and falsehood.

A palace of ice was what grew outside of the city as the temperature dropped to almost fifty degrees in just a few minutes. It was said that it all started with a single snowflake that dropped from the sky and landed on a huge lake at the center of the city. Just as it landed on the water, ice crystals started forming and the snowflake started growing into its own unique design. The ice then expanded across the lake’s surface and as soon as it reached the lake’s shore, tall structures began rising from the giant snowflake, giant palace towers with architecture that were just as intricate as the original snowflake. It was simply magical.

The king and queen who owned the palace were very wealthy. However, they decided to help the city that was not only suffering through the worst heatwave in history, but they also spread their wealth to help the people. They were kind, generous people, and were loved by their citizens. They also had two children, Claude and Claire, who would eventually take the seat of the throne when the time came. However, things never go as planned when the king and queen died of mysterious circumstances and left the city without a leader.

With the throne empty, it was Claude who was supposed to take the position as king. However, the king’s stepbrother and Claude’s uncle became the lead advisor for the new king and things became frosty after Claude pledged his allegiance to the throne. Instead of continuing his parents’ legacy and continue to rule the city with a gentle hand and a kind heart, he became a tyrant instead, implementing laws that oppressed the people and soon the ice palace’s reach extended from the frozen lake to all over the city. The once gentle snowfall became a blistering blizzard that rarely subsided and caused the people to suffer under the king’s cold touch. Everything was hopeless until a young man was approached by a creature and the story continued to unravel before everyone’s very eyes.

Walking through the intense blizzard that took ten minutes that would have taken less than two minutes back before the reign of the new, tyrannical king began, Blake reached the antique store that was once owned by his father who was a lover of all things old. And so was Blake and he was enthused when he found out he was inheriting his father’s store. So, when his father moved to the warm, tropical heat of Miami, Florida, Blake gladly accepted the key to the store and did his best to maintain the place to the best of his ability. Even during the daily blizzards that caused many small businesses to close, he managed to keep his store open by attracting customers to very exotic, magical items that could not be found easily from around the world.

Blake prided himself in selling things like a lantern that was lit by a Russian phoenix’s feather and would never die out. He was also able to sell a bottle of water once that was enchanted by a Chinese dragon and caused anyone who looked through it to see the illusion of treasure. He even sold a magic wand once, though it was defunct, but managed to sell it to a wealthy buyer based on its novelty. Yes, despite what was occurring in the city that made life a living hell with ice, Blake managed to have a great living at selling these magical items, and that was very impressive since he was a mute.

After dusting off the snow from his clothes and taking off his scarf, Blake turned on the neon sign that showed that the store was open and began opening boxes of his new stock for his store. So many unique and fascinating objects he unrolled from its bubble wrap and he placed them on a table for quality inspection later. After unboxing one, he opened another, a small box that seemed out of place compared to the bigger boxes. Taking the duct tape off the box, Blake knew something was different when he opened the lid and a cold sensation was felt in his body.

Raising an eyebrow, Blake decided to play it safe by pulling his sleeves over his hands before grabbing the jar-like item from inside the box and placed it gently on the floor. He scratched his head, trying to remember when he bought this item since it was just a jar of water that was completely frozen from the inside. Inspecting closer, he wiped the glass surface of the jar with his sleeve and what he saw inside was very intriguing. Inside was a frog suspended in the ice like a jarred specimen from a science lab. It was indeed unique since the frog looked perfectly preserved, but other than that it did not look like it had any magical qualities. Sure, it was frozen, but maybe it was because it was left outside the cold, causing it to freeze in the process.

Looking closely at the frog, Blake’s warm breath touched the jar and something magnificent happened. The liquid inside the jar suddenly melted and the frog that he presumed was dead began twitching, and when it began swimming inside the jar, Blake heard the door at the front of the store open and footsteps entering inside. Still fascinated by what just happened, but knowing he had to attend to a customer, he placed the jar with the frog back inside the box before walking out of the stockroom and into the main area of the store where he saw a pretty woman with a white fur coat looking in the display case at the front counter.

Turning her head, the woman smiled and said, “Hi, there! Are you the owner of this store?”

Blake nodded and began tapping on the screen of his tablet before facing it to the woman.

Yes, I am. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?

“Oh… Yes, actually! I was wondering if you have any…specimens in your store,” the woman said with her hands in her fur coat.

Blake’s eyebrows raised from that question.

What kind of specimen?

“Well, a specimen of the…amphibious variety is what I’m really looking for,” the woman said with a small smile on her delicate face. “Do you have anything like that in your store?”

Blake was seriously questioning the coincidence of acquiring the once frozen frog today and having a customer asking for that very item right after unpacking it. Suddenly a sharp sound was heard from the stockroom and he motioned his hand to the woman for her to wait as he found out what just happened.

Entering inside the stockroom, Blake saw that the box had tipped over and the jar was shattered with water all over the wooden floor. However, there was no frog from where the jar broke and he looked around to see where that darn creature went. It was not an ordinary frog that was for sure, and he really wanted to know what type of magic the amphibian possessed to be revived after being frozen and having the strength to escape from its imprisonment.

Blake then heard someone talking outside the stockroom and thought that he had another customer in his store. Forgetting about the frog for a moment, he exited the stockroom and saw the same woman holding something in her hand…the frog.

“It’s great to finally talk to you again, brother. Even if you’re in this form,” the woman said with a big, bright smile on her face.

“Me too, Claire. Me too,” the frog said that caused Blake to widen his eyes with surprise.

Looking up from the frog, the woman looked at Blake and said, “And there he is. The man who finally awoken my brother from his hibernation.”

Blake scratched his head in confusion.

“Oh, I’m sorry. This must be very confusing for you. Let me explain.” Walking to the counter and placing the frog on it, the woman turned back to Blake and said, “I’m Princess Claire from the ice palace at the center of the city. And this is my brother, Claude.”

Blake looked at the green frog that was as big as both of his hands combined.

“After our parents died, Claude was supposed to take the role as the new king, however our father’s stepbrother decided to take the throne’s seat instead. He turned my brother into a frog and froze him into hibernation, so he could the rule the city with his own hands and that is why this place is a frozen wasteland. I tried everything I could to unfreeze my brother, but the only true way that could happen was to find someone who had a warm heart and a warm breath as a result. Then I anonymously mailed the jar with my brother inside to you since were considered an expert on enchanted objects, and here we are now. My brother is free, and the first part of the curse has been broken.”

Blake stood there, still perplexed by what was just said.

“I’m sorry if that didn’t make any sense,” the frog with the deep voice said from the counter. “My sister rambles without stopping to see if anyone understood what she just said,”

The woman, Princess Claire, scoffed with her arms crossed.

“To make a long story short, I’ve been transformed into a frog as part of a curse, so my uncle could rule the land instead. However, now that I’m free, the next step is to free everyone else in the ice palace who have been blinded by the curse to believe that they are seeing me when it is my uncle instead. And to do that, my sister and I will need your help.”

Tapping quickly on his tablet, Blake then showed it to Claire and the frog, Claude.

And what am I supposed to do? I’m just a person who owns a magical antique store.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Claire said, walking to Blake and placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re the key to ending this year long blizzard and bringing normality back to the people.”

How so?

“You have a warm heart, warmth that no ice, snow or blizzard could ever cool down, and that’s exactly the thing that is needed to lift the curse of the ice palace and the rest of the city,” Claude said. “I know we’re asking for a huge favor here, but you’re the best chance to ending it all. So…will you help us?”

Blake looked back and forth between Claire and Claude. He was really wondering if he was that special that he could help break a curse that affected an entire city since he always felt so inadequate do to being unable to speak since he was born. Unable to voice even the simplest of words, he was bullied throughout his young life, which should have caused him to be cold from the inside. Instead, he kept a bright, warm outlook on life, mostly thanks to his father’s antique shop that had so many wonders and mysteries for him to explore. He knew there was more to this world than what was experiencing with those bullies, so he continued the positive outlook and knew that someday warmth and happiness would truly come to him. However, this was his chance to grant that feeling to everyone else, to remove the curse and return the city back before it became a wasteland of snow and ice.

“And we make it worth your while,” Claire said.

Blake raised an eyebrow as Claire approached him and pulled out a small tin box from her fur coat pocket. Opening it, she takes out a small pill that looked like a mint. She then handed it to Blake and it felt so cold on his palm.

“Just put it in your mouth and just breathe out what you want to say,” Claire said with a smile.

Confused, but curious also, Blake placed the mint-like pill in his mouth, directly on his tongue, and very cool, not cold, sensation was felt in his mouth like an actual mint. And what was weirder was that he felt the same cool feeling in his head as well, not like a brain freeze, but something more relaxing and delightful. Breathing out, snowflakes flowed through his lips and he immediately covered his mouth from what he just did.

Giggling, Claire said, “Come on. Say something.”

Blake, feeling the mint quickly melt on his tongue, opened his mouth and breathed out the word hello. Then a snowflake, as big as his hand, formed in front of him and his eyes widened since he understood that this was not just a randomly-shaped snowflake, it was a language designed completely by the very ice crystals that formed in front of him.

“And hello to you too,” Claire said. “And what’s your name?”

A smile spreading on his face, Blake then breathed out his name and another snowflake appeared that said exactly that.

“Well, Blake, just to summarize, this is our language,” Claude announced as he hopped from the counter to the floor below. “The designs of the snowflakes are like the letters of the alphabet that can be read, but it’s more like the logograms of the Chinese and Japanese language. It’s how we communicate complex ideas back in the ice palace that English cannot do with taking a full page with just one idea. The mint allows you, Blake, to use and understand our language and you can have more of them if you help us. Just don’t use more than one at a time, or it might literally take your breath away.”

And how exactly can I help?

“I’m glad you asked,” Claire said and picked up Claude into her hands. “There’s a masquerade ball happening a week from today, and we both want you to come disguised as a guest, dressed in the finest attire and be at the ball where we can execute the next step to our plan, which we’ll discuss when the day comes.”

Blake nodded and was given the small box of mints by Claire. He smiled, grateful for the newfound gift.

Thank you.

“Of course. And is it possible for my brother, Claude, to stay with you before the masquerade ball happens? There’s no way I can take him back with our uncle there,” Claire said with her hands clasped in a begging manner.

Blake looked back to the frog who was the former prince transformed and thought it could not be too much trouble, so he nodded.

“Thank you!” Claire said and hugged Blake with one arm while still holding Claude.

Claire then handed Claude to Blake and she waved her hand goodbye before leaving the store. Looking back at Claude in his hands, he wondered what he needed to take care of a frog, or a frog that was the reincarnation of a cursed prince.

“Don’t worry about me. All I need is some water that I can swim and relax in,” Claude replied.

Blake nodded and quickly retrieved an old bowl filled with warm water. Placing it on the counter, Claude then hopped into the bowl and caused some of the water to splash on the counter where some paperwork was as well.

“Sorry about that,” Claude apologized with his webbed feet on the rim of the bowl.

Blake waved his hand in dismissal and wiped away the water with a paper towel. He looked at Claude who was lying his back on the water and he had to admit that he looked adorable.

“You can’t imagine what it feels like to be in something warm for a change after hibernating in that frozen jar for almost a year,” Claude said with his four legs stretched out. “Thank you very much, Blake.”

No problem.

“And thank you for agreeing to all this. I know that this is all overwhelming, being told that you’re needed for a prince to transform back into a human, so he can retake the throne from his evil uncle who’s oppressing the entire city with blistering cold blizzards.”

Anything to help return this city back to normal is fine by me.

“Good. Now if you don’t mind, I need to enjoy my miniature hot tub,” Claude said, placing his front webbed feet behind his head.

Blake smiled and went back to the stockroom to clean up the mess and unpack the rest of the boxes as Claude continued to relax.

The rest of the day went by smoothly with Blake finishing unpacking and helping customers find what they wanted through all the magical items on the shelves and in the display cases. Overall it was a good day with Blake selling several objects that could pay his bills for at least six months. Eventually the store closed at seven and Blake retired to his home above where he relocated Claude into the kitchen sink with some food for him to eat, which he graciously ate with flicks of his tongue.

After taking a warm bath and changing into a shirt and pajama bottoms, Blake lied on his bed and decided to take another mint into his mouth, so he could form more snowflakes and be fascinated by what ideas and concepts he could come up with through the white, crystal designs. It felt like he finally had a voice, something he wished he had for so long even if it’s in this strange new mechanism used by the people in the ice palace.

Blake eventually fell asleep, but it was only an hour into his slumber when he heard something loud coming from outside his bedroom. Groggily getting up from his bed, he walked to the source of the sound and saw that the freezer door of the refrigerator was open, causing the temperature of the kitchen to be at least twenty degrees lower than normal. Some ice was scattered on the floor, which must have been the source of the sound. He then saw Claude who was by the side of the sink that was about to overflow with water.

Blake immediately rushed to the sink and turned off the faucet.

What are you doing?

“Oh, I’m sorry I woke you up, Blake. I was just trying to fill the floor with water, so I could freeze it and create a makeshift ice rink,” Claude said casually.

What for?

“I should have told you this early. The ice palace’s ballroom where the masquerade will be at is an elaborate ice rink and everyone who is invited must have at least some basic training on ice skating to be able to move and dance there. So, it only makes sense that you should practice at least some to prevent yourself from standing out in the ballroom. Will you let me continue or do you want me to do this another time?”

Blake sighed and just nodded his head for Claude to continue.

Claude croaked and turned the faucet back on. Soon the sink overflowed, and the water fell to the floor, expanding across the linoleum floor until it touched the threshold of the door leading to the living room, which acted as a barrier or dam and contained the water within the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, the kitchen floor was a few centimeters in depth and Blake was sitting on the counter to prevent his bare feet from getting wet.

“And here comes the fun part,” Claude said as he breathed on the water in the sink and it instantly began to freeze into crystal clear ice that soon reached to the kitchen floor.

Blake’s mouth was wide open from the sight of his kitchen turning in a small ice rink. He was just worried how the hell he was going to clean this up after all of this was over.

“Great! Now that that’s finished, you don’t happen to have a pair of ice skates, do you?” Claude asked.

Blake nodded and stood on the very cold and icy floor before carefully walking to the closet in the living room. He retrieved his old pair of ice skates that he had not worn for almost five years and hoped to Godmother that it still fit his feet. Thankfully, they still did and when he stepped back onto the kitchen ice rink, he slowly glided on the icy surface, remaining careful that he did not fall on his butt and embarrassing himself in front of Claude.

“That’s good. All you really must learn is to move on the ice without stumbling or falling in the process. How about you do a few rounds around the kitchen island and then we can call it a night,” Claude suggested.

Blake did as he was asked and skated around the island in the center of the kitchen for about thirty minutes. Though he stumbled a couple times, he quickly mastered the skill as he moved smoothly across the ice and even did a few slow twirls just for show. He wanted to do more since ice skating was an activity that he enjoyed the few times he did it in the past, but he was starting to get sleepy and he needed the sleep to function at the store tomorrow. Plus, it was getting a little too cold for his liking and he wanted to call it a night.

“That’s more than good enough,” Claude praised as he croaked with appraisal. “You’ll fit into the ball just fine, and don’t worry about your attire since Claire will take care of that. We’ll be ready to take back the ice palace in no time.”

Blake smiled and just then the icy floor turned into a flurry of snow before spinning around the kitchen and piling into the sink where it all went down the drain. He could not believe what he just saw, and for someone who worked with magical items every day, and that was saying something.

“Impressive, right?” Claude asked.

Blake nodded in agreement, removing his ice skates and placing his bare feet on the cold, but dry floor.

“We’ll practice a couple more times before the masquerade happens, so we’re completely prepared. Never can be too safe.” Yawning, Claude turned the faucet back on with warm water before saying, “I can’t wait to return to my normal body soon. Being a frog is fascinating and all, but being human is so much better.”

So…your uncle really turned you into a frog, so he could rule the palace instead?

“Unfortunately, yes. He was always jealous of my father, and I guess he just could not handle being treated like the stepbrother that he was when my father took the throne despite him being younger than my uncle. But…it was not like I would’ve made a great king if my uncle didn’t take control. I would rather party all night long and do anything else other than maintain the palace and the surrounding city. So, I let my uncle do most of the major decisions, and you know where that led to… It’s really my fault that this tragedy happened, not only to me, but to the entire city.”

Turning off the faucet and hopping into the warm water, Claude sighed and said, “I need to return this city back to normal and become the rightful ruler of the palace once again. And it will all be possible with your help, Blake.”

How exactly will we being taking the throne back if you don’t mind me asking?

“Like Claire said. You’ll be disguised as a guest of the masquerade ball where she’ll also be at. There she’ll give you further instructions. Don’t worry, they won’t difficult at all. The palace has magical qualities that will enable us to do what we need,” Claude assured Blake.

Oh, okay… I’m heading back to bed then. Good night, Claude.

Blake turned to leave the kitchen when Claude, “And Blake? Whatever happens at the ball a week from now…I just want to say thank you again for all of your help.”

Blake raised an eyebrow to that, but then smiled and waved Claude good night before returning to his bedroom where he collapsed on his bed, exhausted and he fell asleep within a minute. During his slumber, he dreamt of falling in love with a Prince Charming, a man who did not care about his muteness and instead loved him for his other, more significant qualities like his knowledge in all things magical. His prince appreciated him, and Blake appreciated him back, a happily ever after.

Blake then woke up from his dream when the morning came, and his phone’s alarm rang to signal the new day. He groaned, wishing he could continue dreaming about his own Prince Charming, but knew that he had to open the store and leave his dreams of true love behind. There was no point, in his opinion, to dream of something that never would become reality, so he got from his bed, dressed and began the day with Claude in the same old bowl on the counter, while he attended to his customers and educating them on the various trinkets he had for sale.

The week went by fast with Blake running the antique store during the day and practicing his figure skating skills during the night with Claude’s encouragement pushing him to do better than the night before. He also learned a lot more about Claude who created objects with ice that also had enchanted qualities to them like sculptures that would never melt, but could keep any drink cool. Blake, as a joke, said that his store could sell his inventions, so Claude could make a profit off them. Claude, though, thought it was a great idea and said that he would do that once everything was done. They had fun talking together with the snowflakes enabling Blake to fully express himself, which he could not get enough of.

Soon it was the day of the masquerade ball and Claire returned from the blizzard to give Blake a very fancy-looking, ice blue suit with a mask made from a snowflake with two openings made for the eyes. Then for an hour, all three of them slowly drove in a limousine through the blizzard with Claude safely hidden in Claire’s purse. When they finally made it to the ice palace, they entered inside where the most intricately-designed ballroom was at. Blake marveled at how huge and tall the room by itself was and was ultimately amazed by what magic could do.

There were already many other people in the ballroom as well, and they all danced in attire similar in color as Blake’s while skating on the icy floor. Claire motioned her hand to Blake to dance with her and he held her hands as they danced fluidly as a pair of ice skaters and in unison with the other guest at the ball.

“Okay, here the rest of the plan, Blake,” Claire said close to his ear. “You’re going to trade places with Claude, specifically you’re going to trade voices with him, so you can tell everyone, with his voice, that the real king is Claude and the person they’re following is an imposter. Will that be with you?”

Blake raised an eyebrow to that, but he nodded, and when the dance was over they returned to their table where Claude was in Claire’s purse. She took two mints from her purse that had a different shape than the first ones she handed to him before. Giving one to each of them, she then said to place them in their mouth and they did. A strange sensation was felt throughout his body before he exhaled and suddenly his vision zoomed into Claude before darkening. Then he saw himself with the ice mask, and what was worse was when he looked down and saw that he had webbed feet like a…frog!

“It worked!” Claude in Blake’s body said. He then looked back at the frog that was now Blake and frowned. “I’m sorry, Blake, but it had to be done. I couldn’t trust someone like you to handle something so important as taking the throne back to the rightful king. And this will be my body now. Don’t worry though. You’re sacrifice won’t be in vain.”

Straightening his suit, Claude walked with Claire following him. She looked back with a apologetic expression on her face before disappearing. He could not believe this. He was going to live the rest of his days as a frog, while Claude remained in his body. He felt so betrayed and without a voice, all he did was sink into the purse and sulk.

However, things changed after a few moments of wallowing in his own torment, Blake heard screams, and this caused him to peer from the top of the purse. He then saw Claude running towards him before being snatched from the purse. Stunned, he looked in front of him to see the front entrance where he assumed Claude was running to, but was soon blocked by guards.

“Godmother, I’m sorry, Blake! If shouldn’t have done this to you. My uncle—he’s actually—”

“Blake’s father?” the man that approached Claude said with a smirk. “You thought you had it all planned out. You take my son’s body and you convince everyone here that you’re the rightful ruler of this palace…but that’s where you’re mistaken. I want my son to rule the throne, a position more deserving to him than you. Now my son. Come back to me.”

Blake could not believe what he was hearing and seeing. His own father was the reason why the city was suffering, and he was completely oblivious to it all. He did not know what more he could take with this revelation being way too much for him to handle already.

Then Blake’s father raised his hand and a moment later Blake returned to his body and he looked down at the frog that was Claude again. His father then approached him, and with a smile placed his hands on Blake’s shoulders.

“You can speak now, son.”

“D-Dad?” Blake said, widening his eyes from own voice.

“Yes, it’s me, and I’ve dreamt of the day that you finally have a voice. And now it has come true. It took me almost a year to perfect the spell, but after I did, I allowed his sister to take Claude to you, and you know the rest. Now my son, what shall we do with this pest?” Blake’s father grabbed Claude by the leg as guards held back a screaming Claire from a distance. “What do you want to do with him, Blake? He did betray you after all.”

Blake looked at Claude who looked so helpless right then, and all he could do was pull out the remaining mints he had from his pocket. Looking back at Claude who had a remorseful expression on his froggy face, Blake took a deep breath before popping the mints in his mouth.

“Blake? What are you doing?”

“The right thing,” Blake said, before breathing out many snowflakes from past his lips.

The snowflakes encircled around the entire ballroom, reaching to every guest and to their eyes. And it simply read…the truth. The truth of a man who could not talk since he was born, a man who could speak out against the cruelties he faced throughout his life, and a man, despite all that, decided to keep a warm heart. Even encountering betrayal from someone he grew fond of, he remained stout in his conviction that everyone made mistakes and they all could be forgiven.

The truth written in the snowflakes caused a sudden effect on the guest. They all began to cry from the message that gave them so much sorrow, but warmth as well and soon the iciness of their eyes melted away and they could finally be rid of the disguise Blake’s father put in front of them. And then the man, seeing the message himself, began to melt and quickly became a pool of his own tears, but not before cursing his death to the very last tear. And then a person surfaced from the pool of tears, and the person was…Claude!

***

“Claude!”

Claude, on his hands and knees, turned his head to see his sister, Claire, running towards before crouching down and hugging him tightly. Claude hugged her back, but then looked to see Blake who was lying on the floor…lifeless.

Noticing something was wrong, out of everything was, Claude got onto his feet and rushed towards Blake who did not look like he was breathing. He turned his face, and saw he was so pale, his face devoid of life.

“Blake? Blake!” Claude shouted, pressing his ear to his lips. “Come on, man! Don’t die on me! Please wake up, Blake!”

Blake did not respond, and the only thing Claude could think of was kissing Blake, his savior. So, lowering his lips, he locked his lips with Blake’s and prayed that it would somehow work, that Blake would wake up and everything would be okay.

Unlocking their lips, Claude looked at Blake’s face, but when he did not move, a sob escaped Claude’s lips and tears began flooding is eyes. Crying out, he bowed his head onto Blake’s still chest and apologized fiercely for he had done to the man who sacrificed his own life for everyone in the ballroom to see the truth once again. Claire crouched to his side, crying as well as she tried to comfort him along with the rest of the guests who surrounded them, but he did not want to be comforted, or be forgiven for how heartless, how cold he was to the man who was everything that he was not. Including being a human being…

A cough was heard, and Claude lifted his head to see Blake’s lips moving that was returning in color. And when Blake suddenly breathed in deeply and opened his eyes, it made Claude almost want to break down into tears again for the miracle he just witnessed.

“Blake? Blake, are you okay?” Claude asked desperately.

Looking at Claude, Blake smiled and nodded.

“Shit, man. You showed everyone the truth, and it almost got you killed! I couldn’t forgive myself if that happened. I don’t deserve it. I…”

Claude bowed his head down in shame, but then he felt a hand brushing through his hair and he looked back at Blake who was smiling right at him before leaning forward and kissing him. Surprised at first, Claude soon adjusted and kissed back the man whose soft lips were like a harmony playing within his nerves.

They eventually released each other’s lips and looked at each other with affection that was there since they first met each other, but renewed. Claude stood up and lifted Blake to his feet as well. They then walked outside of the ballroom with everyone else and saw that the sky was shining again, the blizzard was gone and was replaced by a gentle snowfall that created a beautiful scene for everyone at the palace to witness.

And they remained blind for the rest of their days for their wickedness and falsehood who was Blake’s father who melted because of being unblinded from the truth and leaving the palace and the rest of the city back to its original state of calmness and peace.

And Blake forgave Claude for what he did, and Claude prized the relationship he developed with him, making him a better person from before he was turned into a talking frog. Claude also appreciated what it was meant to rule for the people with a person he would soon fall in love with and marry as part of their own happily ever after.