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

  He probably meant to do the same for Kirril, but our younger brother was currently under attack by a very enthusiastic purple dragon. Kirril laughed and held his mate close, completely oblivious to everyone else, and even to the fact that Dineiro was still in his shifted form. It made me warm inside, especially now that I understood how he felt.

  It also reminded me that I had introductions to make. After my father embraced us as well and Dineiro settled down a bit, I finally directed everyone’s attention toward Briar. “This is my mate, Briar Rose, and our children, Alistair Sequoia and Louise Orchid.”

  It was customary for dryad children to take the name of their affinity—one similar with that of their godparents. But since we would live in Arthuria, and I was their father, Briar and I had deemed it important for them to have a second name, an Arthurian one. I had chosen Alistair and Louise, after my grandparents whom I’d been very fond of.

  My father looked like he’d been struck by lightning. He shared a look with my mother and then smiled. “Welcome home, Briar,” he said.

  * * * *

  Arthuria wasn’t perfect. The palace where the royal family lived had too much stone, which kept me from direct contact with the ground. People stared at me because of my petals, and the magic I’d grown accustomed to in the Dryad Kingdom was nowhere to be seen.

  Even so, my mate’s home was a beautiful land. The palace grounds had big gardens, and from my mate’s memories, I had already figured out a spot where I could build somewhere more comfortable for me to stay in. There would be plenty of space for Sequoia and Orchid to have private gardens of their own. More importantly, Leonard’s family was ecstatic at his and Kirril’s return and received me with open arms.

  I was honest with them. I explained what had happened with the witch and how Kirril had been cursed. And maybe they would have resented me for it, but by the time we finished the whole story, including the brief part where I’d died, they were all in tears—even the magnificent king, Ralph Theodore the Fourth.

  I liked Leonard’s father. He was very much like Leonard, with that almost stoic bearing. And yet, he didn’t seem to mind when Orchid pulled his hair or even Sequoia almost broke his jaw. Instead, he seemed enchanted with my children. It probably helped that my daughter in particular looked very much like a female, softer version of Leonard, and that Queen Sedonia swore up and down that Sequoia was practically a copy of baby Leonard.

  I did note some tension between the Arthurian royal couple and the witch’s grandchild, Rapunzel. Bunny-shifter Vesper finally pulled me aside and managed to explain, “They blamed him for it, for the disappearances of Kirril and Leonard. It wasn’t pretty.”

  That new piece of information made me wary, but I shouldn’t have been. When we returned to the rest of the group, I found Sedonia holding Rapunzel’s hand, and the young blond smiling shyly. It wasn’t perfect—I could see Rapunzel remained a little tense and maybe the queen was uncomfortable, too—but they were likely on their way toward reconciliation.

  It was all very exhausting, or maybe the fatigue of the last couple of days was catching up with me, because I suddenly felt impossibly tired. My mate immediately picked up on it. Just as the queen was talking about organizing an elaborate dinner to introduce me, he piped up and said, “Excuse me, Mother, if I may…Briar is a bit weary. Could we be excused for a while?”

  “Naturally,” Sedonia replied. “I believe your rooms have already been prepared.”

  I imagined being trapped in one of those stone rooms and almost shuddered. “Actually, would it be possible to rest in the garden a bit?”

  The king blinked in surprise, perhaps not knowing what to make of my request, but the queen seemed to have expected it. “Of course,” she said. “We have a gazebo deeper into the gardens. Perhaps it would be suitable.”

  That actually sounded quite heavenly compared to this closed-off structure. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” I replied with a grateful smile.

  Sedonia just patted my shoulder and beamed back. It was probably a good thing that she had briefly stayed in the Dryad Kingdom, if only for one night, because otherwise, she would have never understood.

  We lingered for a while with the royal family but finally left in favor of retreating to the gardens. Leonard helped me by carrying our children, and I was actually thankful that Leonard’s parents hadn’t protested my decision. I was still a little uncomfortable with them. They didn’t seem inclined to resent me, and maybe they wanted a new beginning, too, but in the end, I had kept their two sons from them for quite a while. That wouldn’t be forgotten so easily.

  “Maybe not,” Leonard said, “but they know it wasn’t your fault. They’re even taking steps to reconcile with Rapunzel. In time, our differences will be set aside.”

  Leonard was probably right, and his words relieved me a great deal. And then, we finally reached the gardens. The moment I stepped onto the grass, my remaining tension faded away. It truly was beautiful here, so very green, and with so many flowers that I felt right at home.

  “I’m glad,” Leonard told me, obviously catching onto that thought. “Your happiness means more to me than anything else.”

  As we reached the gazebo, we sat on one of the comfortable love seats inside. I stole my daughter from Leonard, balancing her on my arm. Orchid cuddled close to me, her eyes already drifting shut. In Leonard’s arms, Sequoia was falling asleep as well.

  “I almost can’t believe it,” Leonard confessed. “I can’t believe I’ve been given such an amazing gift.”

  I couldn’t help a small sigh. “You probably can’t believe it because we had like two days we actually managed to spend together.”

  “And yet, I’ve loved you more than I have anyone in my entire life.” Leonard smiled and squeezed my hand. “I hate that we lost so much time we could’ve had together. I should have been there by your side. But I promise I’ll never leave you again.”

  I shook my head and brushed a kiss over his cheek. “It was never your fault, any of it. Don’t blame yourself.”

  I realized all too well that a part of him was still horrified that he’d ended my life with his own hand. I had seen it in his memories, in his heart, and hated the witch all the more for forcing Leonard into that position.

  “Thank you,” I whispered in his ear. “Thank you for being so brave, for doing what needed to be done. Without you, the curse would have never been broken.”

  Leonard’s eyes met mine, shining with so much emotion that it floored me. “I want to leave the past behind, Briar,” he told me. “I will always remember how beautiful you were when we first met, but I want to court you properly. I want to be with you in every possible way. Marry me.”

  My breath caught at Leonard’s words. By rights, by the standard of my people, we were already married. Dryads didn’t require any additional ceremonies. But Arthurians were different, and it was important for them to publically acknowledge their vows.

  “Yes,” I said breathlessly. “Goddess, yes.”

  Leonard leaned over to kiss me then froze. His face flamed, and he laughed awkwardly. “Damn. I don’t have a ring to give you.”

  A hand made out of rose petals appeared in my line of sight. “Here,” Rosa said. “Use this.”

  I had no idea when my godfather had arrived, but not even Leonard could be annoyed at his presence now. Rosa was holding a ring, and it was a very beautiful one indeed. It seemed crafted out of vines, but it also glowed like a translucent metal I had never seen before.

  Leonard took the ring from Rosa and slipped it on my finger. It fit perfectly and tightened around my digit, in a warm, solid, and yet soft hold, like rose petals over steel.

  I looked up at Rosa to thank him, only to see Orchis and Sequoia appear behind my godfather. Orchis entered the gazebo—Sequoia couldn’t fit—and said, “With your permission, we’ll steal your seedlings for a little while. We didn’t get to spend enough time with them.”

  I was reluctant to lose touch with my children eve
n for a second, but it was important for them to get acquainted with their guardians. With a mental sigh, I kissed both my son and my daughter. Leonard did the same, and we handed them over to Orchis.

  “Don’t worry about a thing,” Orchis said. “We’ll take good care of these beauties.”

  “I know,” I answered. “Otherwise, I would have never agreed to you being their godparents.”

  And I truly did know. I could see the honest affection Orchis and Sequoia had for my seedlings in their surreal eyes. It was the same one that had accompanied all my life through Rosa.

  My mate didn’t fully understand, and he was even more reluctant to go through with it than I was, but he agreed nonetheless. Orchis stepped out of the gazebo and disappeared with my seedlings, followed by Sequoia.

  My heart immediately started to race, and Rosa must have noticed my anxiety. “It’s all right, Briar. You just feel this way because we didn’t get the chance to handle things in a natural order. But your seedlings are perfectly safe.”

  “I realize that,” I mumbled, leaning against Leonard as my eyes filled with tears. “It’s just so hard to let go of them.”

  “I’ll go with your children,” Rosa offered. “You need some time alone anyway.”

  He kissed my forehead and disappeared as well, leaving Leonard and me alone. Instantly, my lover pulled me into his lap and licked away my tears. His arms came around my waist and squeezed me tightly.

  It was definitely not the time to pollinate again, and my body wasn’t one hundred percent ready for it. Even so, arousal awoke inside me. My dick hardened, and I gasped lightly, clutching Leonard’s shoulders to anchor myself. “Leonard,” I whispered pleadingly. “Oh, Goddess…”

  I myself wasn’t sure what I wanted to ask him for. With everything that had happened after the curse had broken, we had truly not managed to muster enough time just for ourselves. I had actively tried not to think about how close we’d come to being separated forever.

  But I was definitely thinking about it now. I ached to listen to Leonard’s voice, to taste his kiss, to feel his touch, and to touch him all over. I nearly hyperventilated when it dawned on me that had Leonard not reached out to me, I could have lost him and my seedlings.

  Leonard had promised me before that he would stay by my side, and apparently, he had no plans of repeating it, at least, not through words. He pressed his mouth to mine, and just like that, I forgot about everything else that wasn’t the here and now.

  My mate kissed like he fought, with so much intensity I felt like I’d been plunged into a burning fire. But I was more than okay with that, because his passion cleansed me, purified me of my fears and doubts. He thrust his tongue into my mouth, tasting me, no, ravishing me. All the while, his clever hands rubbed my petals, cleverly causing them to part. It didn’t even take long for my body to comply. The petals fell, eagerly revealing my nakedness to him, and I ended up naked in my mate’s lap.

  By now, my mate was beautifully erect, his hard cock nestled right against the crease of my ass. Sadly, his clothes weren’t as easily removed as my petals. That needed to be fixed as soon as possible.

  Tentatively, I reached out with my powers to see to what extent I could use my magic in Arthuria. The earth and plants responded eagerly to my slight touch. Upon my call, vines entered the gazebo and started working on removing Leonard’s garments.

  Leonard broke the kiss, chuckling. “You truly do love touching me like this, don’t you?”

  What could I say? It was true. There was a real charm in exploring Leonard’s body with my magic, while my hands and lips traced whatever parts of him they could reach. I simply couldn’t get enough of Leonard, and if I could feed my addiction by using my abilities, by the Goddess, I would do so.

  Of course, Leonard always managed to turn the tables on me. He grabbed one of the vines and licked it, all the while meeting my gaze dead-on. I felt the caress of his tongue echo inside me, and Leonard grinned, his fingers trailing over the vines but avoiding my actual body.

  His eyes practically glowed with desire, but he made no move to take things further, instead teasing me by using my own magic. Frustrated, a little desperate, I ordered the vines to tear off his clothes.

  Leonard didn’t protest as the plants complied. He helped insofar as he could, but mostly, he just allowed them to do their job and discarded his boots himself. When he was finally naked, he pulled me close to him and cupped my chin. “It’s all right,” he said, now looking very serious. “Just relax and let me take care of you.”

  I directed the vines to cover the gazebo and shield us from any prying eyes. As it turned out, my tentative plan was for nothing, because Leonard lifted me in his arms and carried me out of the gazebo. Anyone who walked by would be able to see us. Oh, well. My godfather would take care of that if needed.

  He placed me onto the grass, and I couldn’t help a small moan of pleasure at the feel of being so close to the earth, to the pure life it represented. Leonard knew me so well, better than anyone in this world, and it truly filled me with an awe I couldn’t suppress.

  Leonard took advantage of it to climb on top of me. He brushed a brief kiss over my lips, but before I could deepen it, he broke away. His mouth and hands traveled over the rest of my body, exploring every inch of my skin.

  I had no words to explain how I felt at that moment. Small featherlight pecks awoke each and every one of my nerve endings. His tongue flicked over my nipples, while his clever fingers massaged my sides, finding the most sensitive areas in my body. But it wasn’t what he did that shook me. We’d done other, more erotic things before. Still, something about the way in which he touched me, about how he breathed and how he moved, made this all the more special.

  Leonard was quiet, completely focused, as if he’d engaged in a battle or in a mission. He didn’t try to touch himself at all, despite the fact that I could feel his hard dick against my leg. He just continued with his slow, almost tentative exploration, like he had all the time in the world, like there was nothing more important to him than tasting and seducing me.

  This was my Leonard, my stoic mate who had ripped his own heart to shreds to save me. He felt so much at times that he couldn’t show it, at least not openly. But I saw it now, so very clearly, like it was painted in the sky in the colors of the Rainbow Brick Road. I saw that in spite of everything, he loved me so very much—and by the Goddess, I felt the same for him.

  My urgency to couple with him increased with every second that passed, and so did Leonard’s. However, Leonard didn’t increase the pace, and oddly, neither did he tease. He didn’t bypass my erect cock, and instead, lowered his mouth over it, taking it all the way into his throat.

  It wasn’t exactly sudden. I had expected it and wanted it from the very moment he had set me down on the grass—no, even before that. And yet, the pleasure that flowed over me took me by surprise. The volcanic heat of his mouth nearly short-circuited my brain. By some miracle, I didn’t come on the spot, but I couldn’t have controlled my magic if I’d wanted to.

  The vines returned, tangling in Leonard’s hair alongside my hands. What little reason I had left—or perhaps some sort of instinct—guided them around Leonard’s hips. Using them, I clutched Leonard’s cock, trying to give him at least a fraction of the pleasure he was giving me.

  Leonard took it all in stride. He seemed to have expected that I would do this. Then again, of course he had. I’d fondled him using my plants from the very first moment we’d met, but my mate didn’t appear to mind. He groaned around my dick but didn’t even try to thrust into the hold of the vine clutching his erect cock. Instead, he poured all the desire and lust I had awoken inside him into his ministrations on my shaft. He bobbed his head up and down my prick, sucking, licking, lavishing my prick with sinfully wet and carnal kisses.

  At one point, I couldn’t even focus on touching him, so my magic ran wild, the vines becoming as frantic as I was. Mercifully, they didn’t have thorns—I’d been careful in that
regard—otherwise I might have put out an eye, or worse. As it was, I gripped Leonard’s hair and started to thrust into his mouth, frustratingly close, and yet, not close enough.

  And then Leonard thrust one single finger inside my already lubricated channel, zeroing in straight on my special spot. A million explosions of pleasure rushed through my body, and I came, sending my seed down Leonard’s throat.

  With a grunt of wild enjoyment, Leonard swallowed down every drop of my offering. Courtesy of our bond, I could experience the utter bliss and satisfaction my mate felt at tasting me. Sampling my own flavor through the filter of Leonard’s consciousness held a particularly carnal brand of decadence. And yet, even in this simply sexual act, I read the gentleness of Leonard’s intent.

  And Leonard was not done with me yet, not done by far. As he released my shaft from his mouth and removed his fingers from my ass, I writhed in the throes of my orgasm, which was perhaps why I didn’t immediately realize what he planned. Maybe I had expected him to fuck me—the Goddess only knew that I wanted it—but he didn’t. Rather, he kept kissing down my legs, licking and nibbling on my sensitive skin. The ghostly pleasurable sensation added to the rapture from the orgasm, not allowing me to drop down from the high of my climax. I kept soaring, my mate’s gentle caresses gradually building up to a bliss that threatened to melt my heart.

  He had said that he would take care of me, that he would always give me what I needed and would never leave my side. In that moment, those words and the promise within them were my absolute truth, the one that went beyond the physical aspect of our coupling.

  By the time Leonard was finally satisfied with his exploration of me, I was practically in tears. Leonard looked up at me, and his dark-green eyes held a need that resonated with mine. He wiped my tears but didn’t tell me to stop crying. Instead, he whispered, “You’re safe now. You can let go. I’ll always be there to catch you.”