Tower Of Thorns Read online

  Tower Of Thorns

  Once Upon An Academy #1

  Laura Greenwood

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Also by Laura Greenwood

  About the Author

  © 2020 Laura Greenwood

  * * *

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address; [email protected].

  Visit Laura Greenwood’s website at:

  www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk

  Cover Design by Vampari Designs

  Tower Of Thorns is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Blurb

  Rapunzel learned her prophecy by heart years ago, and now, she plays with fate over the details.

  When she meets a handsome Lord at Grimm Academy, she goes one step further and starts a chain of events which will lead to a bigger betrayal than she ever saw coming.

  Welcome to Grimm Academy, where fairy tale characters go to avoid their fate.

  -

  Tower Of Thorns is an academy retelling of Rapunzel and part of the Once Upon An Academy series, set at Grimm Academy

  Prologue

  Two Months Ago...

  * * *

  I try not to let my gaze slip to the huge trunk waiting by the bottom of the steps, or think about what it means for it to be there. I'm not opposed to leaving home and coming to study here, but I've never known anything but the large cottage Mother and I share, and it's all happening so quickly. It almost doesn't make any sense.

  "Can I help you?" the woman behind the desk asks.

  I open my mouth to tell her I'm a new student, but Mother gets there first. Not for the first time, I'm glad Grimm Academy has a rolling set of admissions rather than a fixed enrollment date. This way, there's no one to see this embarrassing situation.

  "I'm here with my daughter, Rapunzel," Mother says.

  With nothing else to do, I clasp my hands together in front of me. An itch has started on my shoulder, but I resist the urge to scratch it. I'm not used to this type of dress it's more elaborate than the ones I'm used to. Once Mother has gone and I've settled in my room, I'll make some changes to it. She always likes things more old-fashioned than me, and that seems to extend to dresses based on the things I've seen some of the other girls here wearing. I much prefer their style.

  "Ah, yes, here you go." The woman hands Mother a wad of papers. "She's got a room on the second floor..."

  "That's not what I agreed with the headmistress."

  "Mother," I protest.

  She holds a hand up to silence me. I should know better. The quieter I am, the sooner she'll leave and I can be myself again. I may be nervous about moving away from home, but I'm also exciting. It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity of being the person I want to be. It's a confusing state of being to be in and I'm not sure how to deal with it.

  "I'm sorry, I don't have any notes from the headmistress. What was it you agreed with her?"

  "We talked about my daughter's need for a tower room," Mother says.

  I frown. That makes no sense. I've known the prophecy about me since the moment I was old enough to understand it. Potentially even before that. Mother will have told me it as a baby, I'm certain of it. But the whole thing revolves me being locked in a tower. Surely Mother should be doing everything possible to avoid me being in one rather than encouraging it. Then again, what do I know? Perhaps she made up that part in order to make the story more exciting.

  Despite my misgivings, I stay silent. I don't want to run from my prophecy. If it's going to happen, then I want to face it head-on. There's no way it's going to get the better of me.

  "Oh, I'm sorry about that. Let me check." The woman searches through a stack of papers as Mother slides something across the counter towards her.

  It's gone in a soft clink as the clerk takes it. Has Mother bribed her? That makes no sense.

  "Here it is. The tower room. It's a little bigger than the others." She turns to me. "You're a lucky girl. Your friends will all want to spend their time in your room."

  I grimace. I don't have any friends. In fact, I've never known anyone my age for longer than five minutes. I hope I'll make some here, but I'm sure Mother will forbid it and I'll have to get to know them in secret.

  "Thank you, that will be all." Mother reaches forward and takes the key from the woman. "Come, Rapunzel."

  She starts to walk away. I glance at the heavy case waiting at the bottom of the stairs and sigh quietly. I don't think she'll hear me, I have a lot of practice in expressing my exasperation without it being audible.

  I don't bother waiting for Mother to tell me to pick it up, and walk forward and heave the case from the floor. I'm glad no one is around to see me as I drag it up the steps. With each step it drags past, it thunks. A list of the things inside speeds through my mind. I don't think there's anything breakable in there. I certainly hope there isn't.

  My whole body is on fire by the time I reach the top of the stairs, and there's no doubt we're in a tower. I don't understand why she's doing this, but I don't think it's a good idea to ask.

  "It took you long enough to get here," Mother observes. "This is your room." She nods to a large wooden door in front of her. It's got a metal lock which matches the key in Mother's hand.

  At least I'll be able to lock myself away from the rest of the world. She won't be able to take the key away. I hope. The academy won't let her. I hope. She's not very big on giving me privacy under normal circumstances.

  I don't say anything. Instead, I stand and wait for her to open the door. I learned this game a long time ago. I have to wait for her to decide I can do something.

  Mother sighs as she slips the key into the door and twists. There's a loud clunk and the door swings open, revealing the room inside,

  My heart skips a beat at the sight. It's more than twice the size of my chambers in the cottage I share with Mother, and there's bright sunlight streaming in from a large window. But thankfully not one big enough for a person to get through. There'll be no fulfilling my prophecy in that way. Then again, it's all linked to the hair thing, I don't think that's real anyway.

  "This will do," Mother says.

  "It's beautiful," I whisper. The bed is larger than the one I'm used to, and there's plenty of storage space too. The wardrobe is going to be so empty when I can only fill it with the things I have in my case. I don't have that many dresses. Then again, I can change that. So long as I can get some fabric, I can make myself more dresses.

  Mother leafs through the papers the woman downstairs gave her, making disapproving noises as she does. I don't know what the problem is, and I don't ask. It'll only make her angrier if she thinks I'm taking too much of an interest. Apparently, it hasn't crossed her mind that this is my future we're sorting out anyway. One of the many things I bite my tongue about.<
br />
  "I'll be talking to the headmistress about some of your classes," Mother says as she begins to walk back and forth. "Though you will have to attend all of them listed at first."

  "Yes, Mother," I say, placing my hands behind my back and trying to look as demure as possible. I'm not sure why it works on her when it's so transparent, but it does.

  "You're not to attend any of the balls," she continues.

  That is one I plan on breaking by the end of the week. What's the point of finally being around people my own age if I can't do anything fun?

  "And if anyone asks you to go with them, you are to tell them that you're betrothed and can't be seen with another male person."

  "I am?" I ask before remembering myself.

  Mother stops pacing and shoots me a stern look. "No, Rapunzel. But that is what you'll say. At the moment, you have dance lessons. They'll be removed from your timetable as soon as I can talk with the headmistress."

  I hope the headmistress says no. I love to dance, and I want to learn to do it better. Though better is a relative word considering I've had to make it up as I go along every time I've tried, no matter how many times I ask Mother to teach me.

  "Yes, Mother."

  She looks me up and down. "I'll be visiting every week to make sure you're complying with the rules I've set. I hope to see you dressing correctly and keeping yourself in the proper manner."

  "I thought they didn't allow family visits," I say.

  Mother scowls. "I have an agreement with the headmistress. You don't have to worry yourself with the practicalities. All you need to know is that I'm going to be here to keep an eye on you. I know what you're like, Rapunzel, and I won't have any daughter of mine making a fool of me."

  I nod, but don't say anything. I don't intend to make a fool out of anyone, especially not Mother. But that doesn't mean I'm going to pretend to be someone I'm not.

  Now I'm at Grimm Academy, I'm going to become the person I know I can be. The one who isn't trapped under Mother's thumb any longer.

  And no matter what she says, I'm going to go to dance class, even if it's in secret.

  Chapter One

  I roll out of bed, ready to face my second week at Grimm Academy. Even though Mother visited over the weekend, she doesn't seem to have successfully made the headmistress change my schedule, which means I'm heading to dance class.

  It only takes me a few minutes to be dressed and ready to go. Mother won't approve of my choice of dress, but it's much easier to move in the dress I've altered to fit me right, rather than the dowdy and stiff dresses Mother prefers me to wear. I'm not even sure why she does. There's nothing to be gained from wearing such uncomfortable clothing.

  I eat a light breakfast in the dining hall, but only because I'm too hungry to wait until after the class is over. It's uncomfortable to move gracefully when my stomach is full. It's hard to keep it small though, the cooks here at Grimm make delicious food. I suspect it's in part to keep the royal children happy. From things I've overheard, some of them are particularly fussy.

  The room is already full of students when I arrive, all of them chattering away to one another and not paying any attention to me. That's all right. I know people are likely to stick to their friends rather than talking to the new girl.

  "Hi," a male voice says from behind me.

  I spin around, my long plait swinging around in the process. I need to be more careful, doing that pulls at the base of my scalp. I should cut it, but I don't want to. Despite my prophecy, I like my hair long.

  My heart skips a beat as I take in the boy in front of me. He's my age, or potentially a year older than me, with broad shoulders and kind eyes.

  "Hello," I respond, hoping I've understood it right and he is talking to me. If he isn't, then I'm not sure what I'll do.

  "You're new here, right?"

  I nod.

  "I'm Gavin." He gives me a small bow and holds out his hand.

  I glance at it, wondering if I should take it. Mother won't approve of this, but something about him calls to me. He feels nice to me. Friendly. More. I don't know how to put words to it.

  Feeling bold, I reach out and place my hand over his. He lifts it to his lips and brushes a soft kiss against my skin. I resist the urge to giggle, not wanting to sound silly in front of him.

  "I'm Rapunzel," I say, realising I'm supposed to tell him my name. That's how introductions normally work.

  "Would you like to be my dance partner for this lesson?" he asks as he lets go of my hand and straightens to his full height.

  "A-are you sure?" Wow. Is that the best I can do?

  "Why else would I ask?" He cocks his head to the side, genuine confusion in his eyes.

  "I'm sorry. I don't know how things work here yet," I admit.

  "I felt that way my first month here too. If there's anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable with it, then I will."

  An easy smile spreads over my face. I may still be nervous, but he's helping me feel more relaxed about the whole situation.

  "How do you like dancing class?" I ask him.

  "I find that it's greatly improved by having the most beautiful girl in the room on my arm," he says.

  I snort, then instantly regret it. I sound like an idiot. "Are you always so focused on flattery?"

  "Only when it's warranted," he admits. "I find words are wasted on people who don't appreciate the truth."

  "Hmm. I will reserve judgement until I know you better," I promise.

  The dancing master claps three times, calling our attention to him. "Good morning, class. Please take your places and we'll begin."

  Everyone begins to run around and tries to get the best position, though none of us know where that is. For my part, I settle with standing fairly close to the back of the room with Gavin opposite me.

  I listen intently through the instructions, and try to do the right steps. I love dancing, but it's hard to have to learn all the right steps in the right order. Gavin seems to know most of them, and manages to cover some of my mistakes by guiding me to the right place. But he doesn't do it in way that makes me feel like an idiot. In fact, each time our hands touch, I find a jolt of something magical pass through me, as if this is something far beyond simple attraction.

  The first dance ends and I dip into a curtsy, mostly because it's part of the routine, but also partly because I think he'll like it. Plus, I know how my dress will fan out around me when I do it.

  "What other classes are you taking?" he asks during one of the breaks from dancing.

  "Fairly standard ones," I answer. "Some politics, etiquette, literature. There's even a class on embroidery, though I'm not sure why I'm enrolled in that one, I've had so much practice I can probably teach the class myself."

  "You can sew?"

  I nod. "I made this dress myself." I try to keep the pride from my voice, but it leaks in any way.

  "That's amazing. I wish I knew how. Mother tried to teach me a couple of times, but Father always put a stop to it," Gavin admits.

  "If you still want to learn, I can probably teach you a few things." The words are out before I can think about whether or not they're a good idea. It doesn't matter, they're out there, and if he says yes, I'm going to stick to my word, that's how these things work.

  "I'd like that."

  My heart skips a beat at the thought of spending more time with him. "Why don't you come by my room later in the week? We can have tea and talk about some stuff..." Oh no. What am I doing? I don't want to be too forward.

  The way his eyes light up, it isn't even a question about whether I've done the right thing. He looks genuinely pleased about it.

  Our conversation is cut short by the next dance starting. While the dancing instructor isn't giving us a lot of instructions, it's surprisingly easy to keep up with what I'm supposed to be doing, as some of the other students seem to know the routines better, and I can copy them. At least it means I'm not making a fool of myself in front of Gavin.

>   My dress flares out as I dance the next move and I resist the urge to laugh. I can't believe Mother wants me to stop doing this. Even if she manages, I'm sure I'll be able to find a way, even if it's private lessons. She's not at the academy herself, so she can't stop me from attending the balls, even if she's going to try. Perhaps I shouldn't be thinking that way, and should be doing everything she says like a dutiful daughter, but I've spent so long hiding away, I'm ready to shine.

  The lesson comes to an end, and everyone dips into the bows and curtsies that are part of the routine. Once we've graduated from here, we'll be out in the courts of the world, and there we can't be rude and not bow. It's easier to teach us all to do it now.

  "Rapunzel, isn't it?" a girl says from beside me.

  I turn to find three women standing there, each as beautiful as one another. I don't know any of their names, but I've seen them around.

  "Yes."

  What are they going to do? I don't think I've done anything that would annoy these girls. At least, I hope not.

  "Would you like to have tea with us?" the dark-haired girl in the blue dress asks.

  "Now?" I glance over my shoulder at Gavin. I haven't thought about what I'll do with this time. There's about half an hour until the next class.

  "If you're not busy," the girl says with an easy smile. "If you are, then perhaps later?"

  Huh. I think she's being serious. That isn't what I expect.

  "Now works for me." I smile at her, hoping to keep the good feelings flowing between us.

  "I'm Ella, by the way. And this is Marigold and Helena," she gestures to each of her friends as relief flows through me. They don't expect me to automatically know they're names.