Thankfully, Briar didn’t seem angry, at least, not with me. He grew quiet after mentioning his guardian, when he started to guide me away from the forest. We quickly left the grove, at which point I realized that Briar’s kingdom was pretty much an alternation of woods and clearings. Ahead, yet another forest loomed, although it didn’t seem quite as dark and foreboding as the previous one.
“I have to warn you, my godfather is a little…protective of me,” Briar said as we passed by the first trees. “He’s not rude per se, but he might be a little hostile.”
Great. A protective magical godfather was the last thing I needed, but if this person wanted to have words with me, I would accept any insults that came from his part. Gods only knew that I deserved them.
Briar was just so innocent, and I’d assaulted him like a rutting animal. Even now, I couldn’t help but wish I could push the rose petals covering him aside and touch the soft silk of his skin.
Not for the first time since I’d met him, I was thankful for the years I had in cultivating my stoic façade. The slipup with the kiss aside, I could take refuge in my Arthurian military education, focus on what needed to be done and not on the strange things Briar made me feel.
“I’m sure it will be fine,” I told him. “I realize that I sort of burst in here uninvited and haven’t been exactly the most polite person possible, but we’re allies here.”
“Of course.” Briar smiled brightly at me, and my cock throbbed in my breeches. “Come. We’re very close now.”
I wondered who exactly Briar wanted me to meet. Leaving aside Briar’s short explanation, this place seemed completely devoid of any other life—other than the vegetal one. But perhaps there would be some sort of mage who’d built a refuge in the middle of this forest. According to my brother, the Fairy Godfather was like that, so I supposed I knew what to expect. After all, magical godfathers must share some common features.
Or so I thought, until Briar suddenly stopped, right in the middle of the forest. “Here we are,” he said, sounding a little breathless.
I looked around, but I couldn’t see anything except trees ahead of us. Briar seemed pretty excited, though, so I trusted him to guide me in the right direction. He took a deep breath then stepped forward.
Around us, the entire area flared with light and colors. A million roses suddenly bloomed all over the trees in a kaleidoscope of red, pink, white, and even blue. It was beautiful, but the flowers weren’t the sight that made my breath catch. Rather, the strange enchantment seemed to give Briar a little more solidity. For the first time, I could see the full extent of his body, his long slender legs clad solely in rose petals and small dainty feet wearing sandals made out of vines. Gods, he was so beautiful that I wanted to fall to my knees and worship him.
I didn’t get the chance to go through with what I had in mind. “Well, well,” a sudden voice said through our right, “this is a surprise. Hello, Briar. I see you’ve brought someone to meet me.”
I turned toward the source of the voice, only to see that the blooms of the flowers had come together to form the figure of a person. The individual had no face—at least, not in the way of any people I knew. The petals of the flowers were the ones forming his lips, the curves of his nose and his eyelids, and a strange light glowed where his pupils should have been. The rest of his body was exactly the same, almost like a rose had come to life right there, in front of us. I couldn’t even have distinguished his gender if not for the fact that Briar had already told me about him.
Briar bowed lowly, and I followed his lead. “Godfather, we come to seek your advice,” Briar said. “This is Leonard. He came here after fighting the witch who cursed me. He wants to help.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” The strange creature waved a hand, dismissing Briar’s words. “Prince Leonard, the crown prince of Arthuria. He also tried to kiss you and failed, and has a hard-on for you even now.”
The words held obvious censure, which I had expected to some extent. Of course, I hadn’t known Briar’s godfather would be able to guess all that. I’d thought that my clothing covered my crotch pretty well, but hey, I’d been wrong before. More than once.
By my side, Briar released a small noise of dismay. I stole a glance his way, and yet again, I was greeted by the lovely sight of him blushing. Would I ever get tired of seeing that? Probably not. His skin looked like it rivaled the softness of the pink roses blooming nearby. I wanted to see how far the blush went, map every inch of skin with my fingers and my tongue.
Shaking myself, I turned toward Briar’s godfather again. “I didn’t mean it as an offense,” I explained, studiously keeping my gaze away from Briar. I wondered if the creature would understand what I felt about Briar. Probably not, because I didn’t understand it myself.
“Of course you didn’t.” The creature snorted. “All you people think about when you look at someone like Briar is how to deprive him of his innocence.”
“Godfather…” Briar gasped, having obviously not expected that reaction. “I’m sorry. Please don’t blame Leonard. This is my fault. I started it all, and I shouldn’t have brought him here.”
I knew it must have been embarrassing for him to admit to the incident in the forest, and the fact that his godfather had forced him into this position irritated me. “No, Briar,” I told him. “Don’t be upset. Your godfather just despises me, for reasons I can actually understand. Nevertheless, I’m sure that we can surpass that dislike if we are to work together to break the curse.”
“You make interesting assumptions, Arthurian,” the creature said. “I don’t despise you. I despise your inability to give Briar what he needs and accept your responsibility for your role in his life.”
He was talking in riddles. If he wanted to anger me and make me lose my temper, it wouldn’t be that easy. I was trained in politics and diplomacy, and as adept in it as I was with the blade. Therefore, I just smiled. “It is interesting that you would say that. We are seeking to learn what that role is, and yet, instead of providing answers, you decide lashing out at me is more constructive.”
I could have sworn the creature glared at me, while Briar’s breath caught. I threw a comforting glance his way, wanting to apologize for insulting someone who was obviously so important to him. But I couldn’t back down. This strange being was testing me, and I had to show him that I was serious in my intentions.
I had every intention to explain to the creature my circumstances, but something in Briar’s emerald gaze held me captive and wouldn’t let go. “I am Arthurian,” I continued, still looking at Briar. “I don’t know all that much about magic, other than what I’ve recently learned. However, I do know that I am drawn to Briar. He is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life—not just the most beautiful person. He is lovelier than the sight of the setting sun from the towers of Camelot, or the rays of the moon dancing in the waters of the Dozmary. I want to help him, to break this curse, to free him, to give him everything he wants.”
What in the world was I saying? Had I completely lost all sense? I was no bard, and suddenly, I’d started to wax poetic about the sun and the moon. I would have been embarrassed, except Briar seemed to appreciate my words. “Oh,” he whispered, his voice almost a moan. “Oh…”
The creature approached Briar and slapped him across the head. “Stop that,” he told Briar in a chastising tone. “You don’t want to start pollinating now.”
Briar looked down, biting his lower lip, the petals once more moving over his body to hide him better. I didn’t even know what to address first—the oddity of the concept of pollination when referred to a person, the fact that the two of them could obviously touch without the difficulties I’d had, or my own feelings of protectiveness. The latter won out. “If I’ve said something offensive, forgive me,” I told the creature. “Just don’t take it out on Briar.”
The strange being fixed me with its ethereal gaze. “Hmm…Maybe you’ll do after all.”
Briar grabbed his godfather’
s arm. “Do you mean…Was I right to bring him here?”
The petals that served as the creature’s lips twisted in what I guessed must have been a gentle smile. “Yes, dear child. You were right.” That soft expression vanished when he looked at me. “Approach, Prince Leonard, and let me look at you.”
I took a few steps forward, until I stood straight in front of Briar’s godfather. The creature muttered something about overgrown Arthurians—which I blamed on the fact that he was a little shorter than me—and gripped my chin. His fingers were soft, but he had thorns for fingernails, and he was obviously one of those strange forces I had yet to understand. Therefore, I remained still and waited for the verdict.
The creature moved my head from side to side, as if he was testing my skin for imperfections. His fingers opened my mouth, and I felt like a horse at an auction. I wouldn’t have allowed the scrutiny—I was Arthuria’s crown prince, after all, and withstanding such actions were beneath my dignity. But Briar stood right beyond his godfather’s shoulder, looking so sad and embarrassed that I couldn’t hold onto my anger.
Of course, my permissiveness reached its limits when the creature suddenly gripped my crotch. I stumbled back, my hand instinctively going to my sword. I kept my temper and didn’t unsheathe it, but only because Briar got between us. “Apologize,” Briar told his godfather. “You know better. The fact that I brought Leonard here doesn’t mean he isn’t deserving of respect.”
The creature chortled, but when Briar didn’t seem amused, he released a heavy sigh. “Oh, Briar…I’m your guardian, not his. Don’t worry. I know the ways of your people. I was just checking to see if he’s adequate for you.” Much to my surprise, he bowed slightly in my direction. “I suppose it is my turn to apologize. Don’t worry. At the very least, I’m pleased with your endowment.”
At this point, I didn’t even know what to say anymore. Why was it necessary for this creature to fondle me? We’d come here for advice on a curse. If I wanted to be fondled, I would ask Briar. And gods, I hadn’t thought that…again. Focus, Leonard!
Thankfully, the creature finally decided I was worthy of his time and knowledge. “Now come. You probably have a lot of questions. To answer your first one, my name is Rosa.”
I refrained from pointing out that Rosa was a female name. It didn’t matter anyway. “I’m honored to meet you, Rosa,” I said with a formal bow.
Much to my surprise, Rosa bowed back in an exact replica of an Arthurian formal salute. “And I you, Prince Leonard. You must be wondering about the reasons of my hostility toward you.”
“Among other things,” I admitted.
“Well, I suppose you could say it is my job to be hostile,” he explained. He waved a hand, and countless vines and roots emerged from the ground to form a sort of settee. “Please, sit.”
I very much doubted the provided piece of furniture was in any way comfortable, but I couldn’t exactly refuse. As I sat down, though, I noted that no, there were no thorns digging into my ass or back. For now, at least.
Rosa grinned at me, as if he’d guessed what I’d been thinking. “I’ll start with the beginning. Dryads are, in a most basic sense, shape-shifters, but they are special in that they don’t turn into animals like other creatures you might be familiar with. The natural shape of a dryad is that of a plant—or rather, a combination between a plant and a human figure. For example, the rose petals you see on Briar’s body aren’t clothing like you might have assumed, but an integral part of him. In his current shape, he is like an unopened rose bud.”
It was a very good simile, and although it boggled the mind that Briar was basically running around naked—and gods, those petals were actually his skin—I nodded. Seemingly satisfied with my reaction, Rosa continued. “Like other shifters, dryads have affinities. Briar’s is obviously toward roses, but that is quite rare. Other dryads have affinities toward all sorts of flowers, trees, and even grass or weeds. According to each individual affinity, dryads are assigned a guardian at birth—a godfather. My role is to guard all dryads born with powers over the rose. At the moment, Briar is my only child.”
I listened avidly as Rosa explained the ways of Briar’s people. It was fascinating to learn, but also necessary, because I had a feeling I would need this information if I wanted to protect Briar.
“I knew Briar was special,” I couldn’t help but say. “It seems that I was more correct than I myself realized.”
“Indeed.” Rosa seemed pleased at my words. “Which brings me to you. Again, like other shifters, dryads have mates. I believe you understand the concept because of your brother.”
My heart started beating faster. “The shifter’s other half. His or her one true love.”
“Quite right,” Rosa replied. “In the case of dryads, mates are the only ones allowed to…turn flower buds into open blooms, so to speak. They are also given a unique honor, in that they are allowed to meet the guardians of their other halves. I needn’t say more, right?”
“I’m Briar’s mate,” I said, strangely calm even if my world had tilted on its axis in the past hour. “I see.”
“I see?” Rosa repeated in disbelief. “That’s the only thing you have to say?”
I ignored him. Instead, I looked straight at Briar. He was blushing again—something that didn’t surprise me since he seemed to be doing that a lot around me. Kirril and Medwin had told me some things about how they’d felt when they’d first met Dineiro and Rapunzel. They had spoken about feelings they’d never experienced before, about the perfect way they and their mates simply fit. Even if I had supported them, I had never really grasped their meaning, at least, not until now.
From the very moment I’d met Briar, I’d wanted him. The fact that I couldn’t touch him like I craved was almost physically painful, but perhaps it was fortunate, too. Otherwise, even with all my carefully cultivated discipline, I might have jumped him. But first, I had to know what he thought about all this.
“Briar, do you want to be my mate?” I asked him.
The lovely young man licked his lips, and I couldn’t help but follow the tempting motion. “Only if that’s what you desire as well,” he replied.
I swallowed around the sudden knot in my throat. There was so much I’d have liked to say, but the sudden well of inspiration that had allowed me to describe him had now dried up. The truth was that, in spite of my being the crown prince of Arthuria, I had never been particularly charming, and it was starting to be pretty obvious. Briar gazed at me, those lovely emerald eyes holding a plea that quickly turned into disheartened heartbreak. I loathed myself for causing that emotion, and finally managed to tell him how I felt. “You will pardon this lowly Arthurian, beautiful dryad. I admit I am a little overwhelmed, but I would be honored if you would grant me the privilege of being your mate.”
It was a very official and formal Arthurian commitment, and Briar understood what I meant. Instantly, his expression of sadness melted into a bright, brilliant smile. It was like the sun had appeared after its rays had been held back by dark clouds, and the lovely roses of Briar’s lips responded to the light. I wanted to say that, to blurt out what I felt again, but I was starting to rationalize it all too much to speak out my heart again.
In my heart and mind, I had already accepted the connection between me and Briar. Very few things could shake me, and while Briar’s mere presence had me on the edge, acknowledging that fact that he belonged to me came as a natural thing.
Perhaps Rosa realized this, but he didn’t seem that impressed with me. “It doesn’t really work that way, Arthurian. You have to follow your heart and claim your mate when you feel it’s right.”
“I take it you weren’t supposed to tell me about it at all,” I concluded.
“No, I wasn’t,” the creature confirmed, “but I had to, because you asked me for help on the curse.”
Even with the revelations of the past few minutes, I’d never lost sight of the fact that we needed to break the damn curse. I also hadn’t for
gotten that I wasn’t the man meant to break the curse—Rapunzel was. However, Rosa seemed to think that my appearance in the Dryad Kingdom and my connection to Briar were both relevant to the matter. I decided to explain all this to Rosa. “What can I do to help?” I asked. “I’m told the only one who can truly break the enchantment is my brother’s fiancé, Rapunzel.”
“Ah, yes…the witch’s grandchild. You’re both right and wrong. You see, Rapunzel was only ever meant to open the doorway to Dryad Kingdom. Before he did so, the Dryad Kingdom was inaccessible. Actually breaking the curse is an entirely different matter.”
I frowned. “But something happened then, during the fight. The witch gained some solidity. And Briar is here now, in this form. That has to mean something.”
“Different enchantments can interact in many ways,” Rosa replied. “The curse became different when the witch’s children bound her to it. Therefore, when their power faltered, so did the curse’s hold on her. It freed the witch’s spiritual form, and Briar’s. But as long as Briar remains asleep, the curse will remain in place. Also, the witch’s spiritual form could have briefly become solid as an aftereffect of opening the portal, but it would not last. It’s kind of like when you touched Briar’s cheek. It worked for a while, but it wasn’t real.”
I hated the idea that the one time we’d made contact hadn’t been genuine, but at the same time, I couldn’t doubt Rosa. I did my best to keep a straight face and I nodded, but Briar saw right through me. “It’s all right,” he said tremulously. “It’ll happen.”
“Of course it will,” I replied steadily. I wanted to wrap and arm around his shoulders and pull him to my chest, but I couldn’t do that, so I had to focus on the end result of what we were aiming for. “I’m sure that your godfather will assist us in coming up with a plan. Or perhaps he already has an idea.”
“True love, of course,” Rosa replied. “You have to kiss Briar, and he will awaken.”
I stole a look at my mate. There was nothing I’d have liked to do more. Ever since I’d first set my eyes on him, I had wanted it. But I had the feeling it wouldn’t be so easy.
Briar Rose and His Not-So-Charming Prince Page 3