As Gilda was the one who had taken such a liking to James, it was decided that he would live in her room, at least for six months. Gilda made a terrarium magically appear in her room upon a sturdy table. It was a rather nice room, old-fashioned as could be expected but very clean and with shelves of books and trinkets neatly ordered. The big old bed at the center looked comfy with its fluffy pillows but James already knew that he would not be sleeping there. Instead, after another kiss and pat on the head by Gilda, he was deposited in the terrarium.
James expected it to be uncomfortable yet he was incredibly surprised at how his new amphibian tastes made him already feel lucky living in such a place. The light was delightfully warm, sending plenty of nice hot rays, but it was also as humid as his frog skin over it. He had a reconstructed miniature point, along with lots of plants, rocks, a few lily pads, and branches to hop on. Even better, the terrarium included a stone castle, half buries in the soil to show off basement-style rooms. James instinctively felt he would be extremely comfy there, in the dark rich mud and earth. The upper floors of the castle had balconies upon which he could bask in the sun and hop on high to dive into the water. Wow! His frog instincts took over completely and he croaked and hopped in joy like a green rubber ball with hyperactivity. Gilda laughed heartily.
"I knew you'd like it, little frog prince! Now your transformed self has an entire castle and kingdom! Yes, I'll call you Prince. That name is just perfect for you, don't you think, Prince?"
James didn't really care. He was too busy testing out his new body and the incredible jumps and leaps he could do. What a sensation! And the swimming and diving were great! He could hold his breath for so long! And stay in the safety and comfort of the water by just letting his eyes peak out. He was better at spots than the best athletes at his school and college! He croaked again absentmindedly as he jumped up and down the stairs of the castle, intent upon exploring every nook and cranny. There were even little statues of kings, knights and princesses in the makeshift garden to reinforce the notion of a transformed prince but James, now Prince, quickly used the spot of a bald king to nestle and grab some warmth from the lamps. He would have thought the humidity, constant, and the lack of bathrooms and blankets would bother him, but not at all. Quite the opposite, hew found it simpler to just follow his instincts. Once he started, it was hard to resist.As he went about the buried rooms of the castle's 'cellars' he anticipated snuggling to sleep in though burrows filled with dirt, snatching tasty treats as he snoozed. And that’s when it hit him. There was water aplenty but no food. He was getting so hungry he started thinking ardently of pizza, chocolate, pasta, worms, fried chicken, grubs, flies and wood lice. Some white wriggling grubs did sound nice... Wait! Where did that come from? He couldn't eat bugs! Yuck! Unfortunately, Guild had already placed a tiny platter of dead flies and crickets on the soil of his home.
"Dinner fit for a king, my sweet prince," she teased with a smile upon her hideous face.
And ashamedly, James first thought was that those things alive would have been better, as he could have had fun hopping after them and catching them. And after he remembered he was supposed to prefer sausages to bugs that were now tens of times the size when he was human. At first, he refused to touch this, preferring to swim some more. Except as he was hopping out, feeling tired and ready to rest under a leaf, his first instinct, his belly recalled to him how famished he was and out of pure reflex, passing by the tiny bowl his tongue lashed out and gobbled a few of the flies. Most were swallowed instantly but the legs and wing remnants were chewed by his teeth (as he came to discover that yes, frogs do possess them) and duly joined the rest into his stomach, which was so happy that it pushed its throat to emit another happy croak and less loud series of ribbits. By the time he came back to himself, James couldn't believe what he had done. Out of pure absent0mindedness, he had used his unbelievably long tongue to gorge himself on a huge mouthful of insects! And it was delicious! On the moment, it had felt so natural! It was better than chips! Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside! Could those really be that good? As he reflected about whether the idea of sausages and pork felt that nauseating to him, staring closer at the insects brought out his tongue once more and in a few gulps he had literally licked the platter clean. He even thought that seconds would be welcome. Gilda laughed at Prince's appetite. And much to his chagrin, he had to accept that worms and bugs were tasty and when Gilda left live grasshoppers or moths in the terrarium, it was a real feast for him. A hunt and a meal right after! Gilda always said that the brave and sporty prince was hunting his new venison and feasting regally afterwards.
However, more annoying than the tapping on the glass panes and looking at her in all her non-glory and repulsive appearance because she was now so big, more exasperating than hearing her taunts and jeers, was watching her undress. James hid and made sure his eyes were not scarred for life when he inadvertently saw his owner remove her clothes to dress or undress, getting her nightdress in cotton or getting her clothes for the day. Seeing her naked or in her underclothes or her old-fashioned garments, anything below her flowered or old dresses was a real eyesore. And if by chance she saw him glancing, she winked at him and asked him saucily if he was enjoying the show. He fled in the vegetation or the bottom floors of the castle but soon it was not enough anymore for the witch. With a spell, when she undressed in the evening, she forced his little green body to stick to the glass and stare instantly at her. Powerless to move or casting aside his eyes, he had no other option than unwillingly admire the old flabby and marked flesh greeted his poor sight. Amused, Gilda made a little strip-tease, taunting him and doing crude imitations of sexual workers, or probably how she thought they acted, making a revolting caricature that he had no choice but see up close. She danced horribly, blew little kisses at him, showed and waved at him her privates and sagging breasts. She called him her sweet prince and she his precious princess, cackling at him and making a vile spectacle. In these moments, Prince could only wish to think like a frog again to be spared the lowly and abominable sight of this. At least when he was in the mindspace of a frog his brain could not register how vile it was and be concerned with simple needs instead. Each time, he wondered how long he still had to go and how long was it until the six months were finally over. As for Hilda and Matilda, they sometimes came in to see him and tap the glass to taunt him or give him insects but they never stayed long. They were just checking on him. However, they all called him Prince and Matilda made a little golden crown appear on James' head for the duration of her stay in the room. He could hear them at times and though it was hazy, he wondered if they talked of other tenants and what had happened to those poor schmucks. Gilda sometimes entered her bedroom singing about various things, including people that made her rich and all the fools to put spells on. Gilda seemed to like him, sure, but what could her plans be after the six months had reached their end? Would he still even think like a human by then and he'd be unaware of his very condition, left to enjoy the simple life as a frog that seemed already so tempting with its lack of responsibilities and cares for huge chunks of the day? And if he became human again, would he start swallowing bugs and splash in ponds like an idiot? What would her ultimate fate be? Would he be content with it?