Briar Rose and His Not-So-Charming Prince by Scarlet Hyacinth

Author:Scarlet Hyacinth [Hyacinth, Scarlet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Published: 2013-12-02T05:00:00+00:00

* * * *

After the curse on me had been weakened by the problems of the witch’s children, my spiritual form had wandered around the Dryad Kingdom, alone save for Rosa. I’d gotten used to living again, and I had craved the moment when I would finally wake up. I’d thought I would be ready for when that finally happened. I’d thought that when that occurred, all of us would be able to live happily together.

I’d been very wrong.

My parents had obviously been thrilled that the curse had been broken. However, they were not so happy when they learned that my mate was Arthurian, and that there were high chances that he’d made me pollinate. They tried to get past that for my benefit, because they loved me and they were aware that Leonard’s background mattered little if he was truly my mate. But when they found out that the witch’s grandchild was Leonard’s brother-in-law…well, it all went downhill from there.

“No wonder the curse isn’t broken then,” my mother actually snapped at me. “For all we know, he has some involvement in that.”

I winced, wanting to tell her all about Rosa’s plan, but unable to come up with a way to explain. It was considered unbearably rude for a dryad to mention one’s guardian to any other person—with the exception of that dryad’s mate. But what did all that matter in the end? Leonard had bled and risked his life to help me. I refused to allow him to be accused of such a thing, even by my parents.

“Don’t say that,” I pleaded. “Leonard helped me. He fought for me. It was all…”

Before I could finish the phrase, a hydrangea bloomed around my mother’s wrist, seemingly out of nowhere. She froze, like she was listening to something only she could hear. Similarly, I could see my father kneel next to a group of hyacinths that had suddenly appeared right next to my bed. My parents’ guardians had awoken.

The guardians had accepted Leonard when we’d been in the dream world. That was important, but it didn’t assure us that they would do the same now. As a rule, they were reluctant to accept outsiders, and Arthurians were the epitome of what was most hated—a non-magical people who didn’t understand our ways but still condemned them. But Leonard…He was different. Could the guardians see that?

A few seconds passed, and I held my breath, waiting to see what would happen. Finally, my father spoke out. “It seems that I might have misjudged you, Prince Leonard. We are told that you battled quite fiercely for our son.”

My mother arched a brow at my mate. “I must ask, however, what do you intend to do with that?”

At first, I wasn’t sure what she even meant, but then, I saw she was staring at Leonard’s waist. I gaped as I realized that, there, strapped to Leonard’s belt, was my red rose, the same one that I had once protected in my garden only to end up cursed because of it.

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