Briar Rose and His Not-So-Charming Prince Read online

  A Tail Like No Other: Book 5

  Briar Rose and His Not-So-Charming Prince

  Have you ever heard the phrase “sleep your life away”? I can testify to the fact that its meaning can go beyond pure sloth.

  For past centuries, I’ve been in a cursed sleep, waiting for my fated mate. I know, it sounds bad. After all, I didn’t listen to my parents when they told me to forget about roses. But how could I? I am a dryad, and I was born out of roses. They are even in my name. Briar Rose.

  My wait finally ended when Prince Leonard of Arthuria appeared in our kingdom. He is everything I’ve ever wanted in a mate. He might not be classically charming, but he makes me tremble in delight, my roses blossom with hope, and my heart race with a need I’ve never experienced. But can Leonard single-handedly go against the witch who cursed me? Will our lips even meet in a real kiss? I don’t know, and that scares me.

  Note: This book is written in first-person point of view.

  Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Fairy Tales/Myths, Fantasy

  Length: 50,994 words

  BRIAR ROSE AND HIS

  NOT-SO-CHARMING PRINCE

  A Tail Like No Other: Book Five

  Scarlet Hyacinth

  EVERLASTING CLASSIC

  MANLOVE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

  BRIAR ROSE AND HIS NOT-SO-CHARMING PRINCE

  Copyright © 2013 by Scarlet Hyacinth

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-861-5

  First E-book Publication: December 2013

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

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  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  BRIAR ROSE AND HIS

  NOT-SO-CHARMING PRINCE

  A Tail Like No Other: Book 5

  SCARLET HYACINTH

  Copyright © 2013

  Prologue

  Ever since I was a child, I’ve known what I was meant to do with my life. I was the crown prince of Arthuria. One day, I would become king, take a queen, and have heirs of my own. My two brothers would probably serve under me as my chief advisor—in Medwin’s case—and the leader of my armies—in Kirril’s case.

  Then Kirril went and fell in love with a dragon. A dragon of all things. I had to admit that when I first learned about it, I was very surprised. Thankfully, I handle surprise pretty well. I always have, to the point that some people call me emotionless. It did help me this time around, in that I could be supportive for my brother when he needed me.

  I would have never said it out loud, but knowing my brother would never become my general hit me pretty hard. It wasn’t even the fact that I couldn’t do without his skills. I supposed that, one day, I would be able to find a replacement, someone I could make the leader of my armies. But no one could replace my youngest sibling in my heart. I worried about him, about what it meant for him to leave Arthuria behind to build a new life, in an alien land. But he was happy, and his mate Dineiro—gods, I still had trouble wrapping my head around it—had a child on the way. The weirdness of it aside, he had a new family now, and I planned to support his decision one hundred percent.

  And then, Medwin fell in love with another Merlinian, this time a magic user. That would have worked out a little better, because unlike Dineiro, Rapunzel was willing to relocate to Arthuria. Except, as it turned out, Rapunzel had a very complicated family history. At one point, it even got Medwin turned into a frog. I don’t think I’d ever felt such panic like I had in that moment, except maybe for the time when Kirril had briefly disappeared to another world and then had practically fallen into a coma.

  But anyway, all that was in the past. Rapunzel and Medwin were all set to marry, and in an enthusiastic display, my mother had decided to arrange for Kirril to wed Dineiro at the same time.

  Sadly, it seems things never turn out the way one wants them to. The secrets of Rapunzel’s family history came back to strike us with a vengeance, but this time, I refused to let my brothers handle it alone. I had responsibilities toward Arthuria, yes, but I’d gotten sick and tired of waiting at home twiddling my thumbs while my siblings fought with such powerful foes. I decided to help.

  That decision changed my life. This is the story of how it all happened.

  Chapter One:

  In Which a Princely Life Is Not All Moonlight and Roses

  Seven months earlier

  History forgot this soulless witch

  In vines and briars she was lost

  Chained and trapped at great cost

  But, Goddess, we are in a pinch

  She is back to steal our life

  She bring
s lovers so much strife.

  Free us from the blasted bitch

  Cast her out into the sea

  Bury her in much debris

  As is my will, so mote it be.

  I mentally held on to the words of the ritual, chanting them just like the other people in my group. I’d have never thought that one day, I’d end up fighting side by side with one of the elf elders, a famously wicked warlock who’d once turned my brother into a frog, and a witch who’d nearly forced that same brother into marriage. But here we were, together with Medwin, Kirril, Rapunzel, and even the fabled Fairy Godfather.

  It was an almost surreal scene, but I took it in stride. I hadn’t come here to be a dead weight, and even if Arthurians—myself included—didn’t know much about magic, we had built up a certain resilience to it. Also, my companions had taught me what needed to be done, and while I was new to it, I’d always been a fast learner.

  In front of me, vampire Vlad Dracula seemed to be engaged in some sort of psychic battle with the witch. It was difficult for him—I could tell—and the situation was all the more serious because Vlad’s mate, Vesper, had been thrown in the whirlpool of magic that kept growing behind us. My instinct was to lunge at the witch and bury my sword in the witch’s back, but that would’ve broken the circle we’d created around them. Not to mention that I highly doubted my weapon would have any sort of effect on her, since she seemed to be solely spirit, just like my companions had guessed beforehand.

  With every word we spoke, the witch seemed to get angrier and angrier. It became increasingly hard for our resident vampire to hold her in check. I could tell even if I didn’t know Vlad Dracula very well. Confirming my guess, when we were about three-quarters through the incantation, Vlad’s strength yielded to hers. I had the time to wish the damn magic users had written a smaller incantation, before the vampire flew right into the portal, where his mate had disappeared earlier.

  Now free, the witch released a chortling laugh. “I have you now, you fools.”

  She reached for Rapunzel, but Medwin got in the way. “In your dreams, witch,” he snarled back.

  I didn’t bother getting involved in the conversation. It always boggled the mind how people tended to brag about their plans or achievements in situations when they should shut up and actually prove their worth. I’d forgotten the number of times I’d fought opponents who decided it was intelligent to say, “I have you now,” before they actually defeated me. Usually, my fist or my blade cut them off.

  And so, I continued the incantation, the words flowing off my lips naturally as I watched the scene and readied myself to intervene. It all happened pretty fast. The witch pushed Medwin away, and he flew back, hitting the ground with a dull thud. Rapunzel’s parents formed a wall in front of him, but the witch seemed to have expected that. The air blurred, and suddenly, she was right behind the young blond. As she grabbed his arm, Rapunzel screamed, his long hair whipping through the air like angry snakes. The whirlpool of magic grew even bigger, the colors inside it changing and swirling around in a wild kaleidoscope. Before anyone could try to do anything about it, the witch flew toward the portal, dragging Rapunzel with her.

  I couldn’t let her hurt my brother’s mate and child. There was very little I could do against the witch herself. She moved too fast, and her power protected her from my abilities. But some sort of instinct kept me chanting the incantation under my breath even as I shot forward. At the last moment, I grabbed Rapunzel, pulling him away from the witch.

  A part of me actually thought that it was hopeless, that I would not be able to help Medwin’s fiancé. However, I had not realized one simple thing. The curse that had kept the witch solely in spiritual form had been broken when she had gripped Rapunzel’s arm. She now had solidity.

  For that reason, I succeeded in freeing Rapunzel. With an angry snarl, she reached for him again, her image still flickering between a transparent one and a normal body. Hmm…I’d been wrong. It seemed that the enchantment still had some hold on her—which maybe made sense given that it had been such a complex curse. Gods, I couldn’t even tell. But then, magic had never been my strong point. In Arthuria, that was Medwin’s field.

  Still, I remained facing the witch, drawing my sword without fear. She released another chuckle that almost made my blood freeze in my veins. “You’ll pay for that, Arthurian.”

  A cold hand suddenly gripped my throat, choking out the air from my lungs. I tried to impale the witch with my sword, but my blade ran straight through her. She laughed again, and I was getting pretty tired of her amusement, and her idiotic comments. “I’ll tear you apart, and you’ll regret the very day you were born.”

  I was not impressed by the threat, but I had to admit I couldn’t free myself. As she spoke, though, I noticed with the corner of my eye that the circle had been formed around us once more. Finally, my companions chanted the last lines of the incantation, and I did so as well.

  Bury her in much debris

  As is my will, so mote it be.

  My words came out in a choked murmur, but they worked. The witch screamed, and the whirlpool of magic started to suck her in. Sadly, even if she seemed in pain, she didn’t let go of me. This time, she didn’t speak or make any threats, but she didn’t have to. It was clear that even if she lost this battle, she planned to take me with her.

  We both fell to the ground, and I clung to it stubbornly, trying to get a grip on anything that could anchor me, but failing. It certainly didn’t help that the witch was holding onto me with all her might.

  “No!” I heard Medwin shout.

  “Leonard!” Kirril said in turn.

  “It’s not too late,” the witch tempted them. “Stop this, give me what I want, and I will return your brother.”

  Ahead of me, I caught sight of my younger brothers, trying to reach for me. The magic users were about to agree, I could tell. I refused to let it happen. Vesper and Vlad were already gone into the damn portal. At the very least, we needed to get rid of the witch.

  Without allowing myself to change my mind, I let go. Instantly, the magic drew me in, and both the witch and I flew straight into the portal. Darkness and light surrounded me, confusing images flickering in front of my eyes. I couldn’t feel the witch anymore. Her spirit seemed to have dissipated into the portal. The magic threw me about like a leaf in the storm, and I could do absolutely nothing but endure it.

  At one point, I must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes and staring up at a clouded sky. I blinked away the dizziness and looked around. The first thing I registered was that I’d long ago left the crossroads where the battle had taken place. The whirlpool of magic had disappeared without a trace. I seemed to be in the middle of a forest of now, but not a regular one. Briars and thorns grew all around me, blocking even the rays of the sun. The trees loomed tall and threatening, so close together that they formed a physical barrier.

  The only place free of the plants was the spot where I lay. As I got up, I realized there was a small circle around me, like a miniature grove. I couldn’t be sure, but I had to guess the magic portal must have formed it when it had carried me here. I mentally counted my blessings for that, since landing in all those thorns would have been unpleasant to say the least. To top it off, my sword was also lying next to me. Yes, on the whole, I had to say I’d been pretty lucky.

  I couldn’t be sure, but I guessed I’d accidentally ended up in the fabled Dryad Kingdom, the one the witch had once cursed. I didn’t know much else about it other than that, so I made a mental note to get out of here as soon as possible.

  With that in mind, I retrieved my sword from the ground. The metal was hot, but its weight felt comfortable in my hand. I didn’t have the slightest clue regarding what direction I needed to take to get out of here, but I did know waiting wouldn’t help.

  I lifted my sword, ready to slash away the barrier keeping me trapped in the miniature grove. However, something kept me from doing so. Wild roses grew
on several of the vines, and they trembled as I approached, as if afraid. I had the strangest feeling, like I faced cowering children who attempted to shield themselves from my death blow.

  It should have been idiotic. Plants weren’t children. Yes, they were alive, but I’d never before felt remorse when my people chopped down forests for the purpose of building furniture or weaponry. But now…I simply couldn’t do it. Just the thought nauseated me.

  With a heavy sigh, I sheathed my sword once again. I must have hit my head when I’d fallen. There was no other rational explanation to why I was feeling this way. I might have accepted magic, but that didn’t mean I was eager to discard everything I’d learned in my Arthurian upbringing.

  Grimacing, I decided I had no choice but to attempt to make my way through the briars without the help of my blade. Thankfully, I’d thought to bring my hunting gloves, but I highly doubted they’d help me much. Those damn thorns looked as sharp as daggers, and they’d likely tear right through the leather.

  Just the same, I reached for the briars and tried to work my way through them. Predictably, it wasn’t exactly easy. The plants resisted so much that my gloves tore far sooner than I’d expected. I still did my best not to rip the flowers, though. For some reason, I felt it was important.

  And then, one of the thorns dug into my palm and drew blood. I cursed and took a few deep breaths, steadying myself before I tried again. At this rate, I’d never get out of here, but the mere idea of giving up or changing my original plan clashed with my sense of self.