Princess of Petals Read online

  Princess Of Petals

  Grimm Academy #15

  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

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Author Note

  Also by Laura Greenwood

  About Laura Greenwood

  © 2022 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 by LSK Designs

  Princess Of Petals 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.

  If you find an error, you can report it via my website. Please note that my books are written in British English: https://www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/report-error.html

  To keep up to date with new releases, sales, and other updates, you can join my mailing list via my website or The Paranormal Council Reader Group on Facebook.

  Blurb

  Astrid has known for years about her prophecy, and when her parents send her to the prestigious Grimm Academy, she hopes she might finally be able to put it behind her.

  Despite her parents' insistence that she comes away with a noble suitor, she can't help but find herself drawn to Conan, a scholarship student with a prophecy of his own he's trying to avoid.

  * * *

  When the Bellpoint Castle competition to find an heir comes along, she finally feels as if she might have found a solution to her problems. If she wins, she'll be a princess, and able to choose her own suitor. If she loses, then she could fall prey to her prophecy and lose it all.

  -

  Princess Of Petals is a fantasy academy romance inspired by the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. It includes a sweet m/f romance.

  Prologue

  I make my way into the kitchen and set down the basket of apples I've collected from the market.

  "Astrid, will you sit for a moment?" Mother asks.

  I turn, surprised to find both of my parents at the table, seeming to be waiting for me.

  I leave the basket and take a seat opposite them. "Is everything all right?" I ask, looking between them and trying to figure out what's happening.

  "It's about your prophecy."

  I freeze, a sense of dread flooding through me. My prophecy has been hanging over my head since the moment I learned it.

  "Nobody has given me a rose," I assure them both.

  "We know," Mother responds.

  "You've been offered a place at Grimm Academy," Father says.

  I stare at him, not quite believing what he's saying. Everyone knows about Grimm Academy. To say it's prestigious would be an understatement.

  "Are you certain?" I ask, unable to come to terms with the idea that somewhere like Grimm would be interested in someone like me. My parents are very successful merchants, but nothing compares to the lineage of being born into nobility. Or better yet, royalty.

  "We're certain," Mother says.

  "But why? Surely there are better potential students in the area."

  "That isn't a question we thought wise to ask the messenger," Mother says.

  "Ah, yes." I glance down at my lap, not wanting to draw attention to how bad it is to have asked the question in the first place.

  "It is going to cost us a lot of money to send you there," Mother continues. "We expect you to make the most of it."

  "Do you have any classes you particularly wish for me to take?"

  Mother lets out a small squeak of annoyance. "Not with your classes, Astrid."

  "What your mother is trying to say is that we would appreciate it if you turned your attention to trying to make a betrothal arrangement with a young noble, or the heir to a title."

  "You want me to go to one of the best academies in the kingdom and focus on getting married instead of learning everything I can?" A small part of me is in complete disbelief about what they're suggesting. I would have thought they'd prefer it if I could learn from the best teachers around so that I can help their shops thrive even more once I return.

  "It is the next step for our family, Astrid. You know how much of an advantage it will be for us to say that our daughter is married to a noble."

  "I don't want to marry because it's good for business," I protest.

  Mother slams her hand against the table. "You will do what we tell you, Astrid. You are being given an opportunity that we would have killed for when we were your age. Your sister too."

  My stomach sinks as I think about how Kirsten is going to be taking this. She's never liked it when I get things she doesn't, I can't imagine she is going to be particularly pleased about this.

  "What if I refuse to go?"

  "Astrid," Mother scolds. "You are going. And we will be visiting to make sure you hold up your end of the deal."

  "Doesn't a deal have two sides to it?" I mutter.

  "What did you say?" Mother demands.

  "I was saying that I would," I lie, not seeing any point in trying to reason with them when they're clearly not wishing to be reasoned with. "I'll make the most of what Grimm Academy has to offer." That part isn't an untruth. I do intend to do that, even if it isn't in the way they quite want me to. But I'm fully aware of the difference an education like the one I could get at the academy will make to my life.

  "Very good. You'll leave in three days."

  "Three days?" I echo. "That isn't very long."

  "Is there anything that would need your attention for longer than that?" Mother asks.

  I shake my head. "I'm just surprised by how little time they've given us to prepare."

  "Well, this is the situation, accept it for what it is and make sure you're ready. You can pick out some fabrics for dresses."

  "Thank you." No doubt they'll wish for me to at least look the part while I'm trying to capture the attention of a noble they deem good enough.

  I hope they quickly grow bored of their plan to visit, that way I'll be left to my own devices as much as possible. Perhaps then I'll have an enjoyable time at the academy.

  "May I be excused?" I ask. "I have much to pack if I'm to leave so soon." Especially if I need new dresses too.

  Mother nods.

  I rise to my feet. "Thank you for this wonderful opportunity." Despite their stipulations, I actually mean it. This could make a huge difference to my life, and I'm happy that I get an opportunity to go somewhere like Grimm at all.

  I leave the room and head out into the shop so I can pick the fabrics for the dresses I'll need. A small part of me doesn't want to take advantage of Mother's offer, but I know I'm going to need the wardrobe change if I'm going to fit in with the royalty I'll be spending time with.

  The fabric store is blissfully empty, meaning I can spend my time examining each of the fabrics in turn. This is my favourite part of my p
arents' business, not that they have any idea. That would involve them actually paying more attention to me than they currently do.

  I pull out several bolts of fabric, mostly those that I know will create dresses that don't wear quickly, but will look good quality. They aren't as flashy as those my sister or mother would choose, but they suit me just fine.

  Someone clears their throat behind me, and I turn to find Kirsten leaning against the door frame.

  "Is everything all right, sister?" I ask, setting another bolt of fabric on the workstation.

  "Mother says you're leaving."

  "Yes."

  "Hmm." There's a note of something undefined in her voice. I can't put a name to it, but I do know that I don't like it.

  Then again, that is just a summary of the way my older sister feels about me.

  "I'm leaving in three days."

  "Which means we're going to be left making sure all of your orders are fulfilled." She crosses her arms.

  I grimace. "The time frame is not my choice." Neither is leaving home, though I can't say I'm particularly upset about that.

  "It is still inconsiderate of you."

  I turn away from her and roll my eyes. It's not entirely fair for me to be angry at her when I know my parents have chosen to keep my prophecy from her. I think they believe it will protect her from having to worry about it, but I don't think it has done either of us any favours and has just created a distance between us.

  If I'm honest with myself, it'll be nice to get away from her, though I'm sure it will make her insufferable for the next few days.

  Though I suppose there's no getting around that, even if I want to.

  One

  The castle is bustling with activity as the various students either make their way to class, or to the welcome meeting that's being put on. There are no terms here to accommodate the holidays of all the various kingdoms, but according to my welcome information, there is a group of us all starting today.

  It makes me feel less alone in finding my way around. The grounds are far vaster than I expected them to be, and I'm still not sure about some of the social expectations that come with being at the academy. Supposedly, titles don't mean anything here, but I'm not naive enough to think that just because they say that's the case, that it actually is.

  A servant approaches. "Mistress Astrid?" she checks.

  "Yes."

  "Follow me, please." She gestures for me to follow her through a large set of double doors and into what appears to be a ballroom, though thankfully, it doesn't seem to be being used in that way today. While I know the theory of dancing, and enjoy it, I can't imagine I'm going to be as good as I need to be.

  We approach a young woman about my age, and the servant clears her throat. "Your Highness," the servant says, dipping into a curtsy and confirming my suspicion about titles in one breath.

  The woman turns to us and smiles warmly. "How can I help, Delia?" she asks the servant, a slight accent to her voice that I can't place. Which is unusual. I'm used to dealing with people from all over the various kingdoms in my parents' shops, I recognise most of them by this point.

  "This is Mistress Astrid, a new student here," she says. "The headmistress informed me that I should introduce the two of you."

  "Thank you, Delia, I'll take it from here."

  The servant dips into a curtsy and hurries away.

  "Hello," the other woman says to me. "I'm Cordelia."

  "Astrid." I pause for a moment, considering whether I should ask about her title. I don't want to insult her by asking, but I also don't want to insult her by getting it wrong, which puts me in a bit of a difficult situation, and I'm not sure what to do about it.

  "You want to ask me if you need to start calling me Your Highness, right?" Cordelia guesses.

  "How did you know?"

  "I had the same confusion when I got here," she admits. "The servants use titles, but most of the students and teachers don't. It's confusing when you first get here, but you get used to it."

  "So you have one?"

  "A title? Technically, yes. In reality, I'm a homeless princess who will never inherit, I'm not sure how useful that is."

  "I'm a merchant's second daughter if that helps?"

  She chuckles. "Perhaps it does. Anyway, I'm assigned to show you and another new student around."

  "You're not new?"

  She shakes her head. "I came here about half a year ago when my older sister averted her prophecy," she says. "It's a long story. I'll tell it to you some time."

  It takes a few more minutes for the other student to arrive, accompanied by the same servant who showed me into the room.

  "Hi." She gives us a nervous wave. "I'm Elisa."

  "I'm Cordelia, this is Astrid," our guide introduces herself. "Shall we get to the tour?"

  "Is the headmistress not going to talk to us?" I ask.

  Cordelia shakes her head and gestures for us to follow her. "Most of the time, she leaves the students to their own devices. If she needs to speak with you, then you'll get a summons to her office."

  "What kind of things make that happen?" Elisa asks.

  "Mostly prophecy stuff. You'll find that most of the staff only deal with their own classes, and they're not very strict on most of the rules, which makes it nice and easy to live our lives."

  "That's good to know," I say. "Not that I plan on breaking any of the rules."

  Cordelia lets out a light laugh. "I don't think many students here plan on breaking the rules, but I suspect many of them do when it comes to dealing with their prophecies. Which is probably why they're so lax."

  "Do many of the students here have them?" I ask, thinking of the reputation the academy has for dealing with students in the same position as I'm in.

  "Allegedly, but no one really talks about it," Cordelia says. "And the staff aren't allowed to interfere directly with the prophecies either. Though according to some of the older students, they'll often plan lessons around a situation if they know someone is in one."

  I frown. "But how do they know?"

  "There's a book of prophecies in the headmistress' office according to my sister."

  "And let's guess, we're not allowed to look in it?" Elisa says.

  "No."

  "They're making solving prophecies particularly difficult," she mutters.

  Cordelia's amusement flits right over her face, making me feel very at ease around the princess, even if she's much higher up the social status than I am.

  I know it's early to think that I might have a connection with someone here, but it's certainly starting to feel that way.

  Then again, maybe this is why they've asked Cordelia to be the one to show people around, she might just be genuinely nice.

  "Have you found your chambers yet?" Cordelia asks.

  I nod. "I'm on the second floor of the east tower."

  "Ah, me too," Elisa says.

  "Same. They must have taken that into account when they decided to ask me to be the one to show you around," Cordelia says. "It'll certainly make things easier for us. I can show you the best way down to the dining hall for breakfast tomorrow, and we can focus on the rest of the grounds today."

  "Is there much to see?" Elisa asks.

  Cordelia leads us out of the castle and into the grounds. "It depends what you're interested in. There's a lake."

  Elisa freezes. "Are there swans on it?"

  "I don't think so," Cordelia responds. "Or at least, there aren't any that I've ever seen. Why?"

  "I don't like them very much," Elisa says.

  For a moment, I wonder whether it's something to do with a prophecy. She hasn't said that she has one, but she did bring them up before, and the chances are high that any particular student has one.

  "I'll ask around just to be sure," Cordelia promises. "Anyway, the Huntsmen practice in the woods, and I think they have a camp in there too, but they're not the only ones who are allowed in it. So if you like midnight strolls that take you throug
h a wooded area, that's the place to go."

  "Is that safe?" I ask. "Mother always told me not to go walking in the woods alone."

  "It's as safe as a wood is going to be," she points out. "The Huntsmen are there, which offers a good level of protection, and then there are the Grimm Academy guards. They'll follow you into the village if you go there too to make sure you're kept safe."

  "We're allowed to just go around like that?"

  "Mmhmm. Grimm believes that the older students like us need to be given the freedom to live our own lives. I think it's different for the younger students, but I didn't study here when I was that age, so it's impossible to know for sure."

  She leads us around the academy, showing us both the grounds, and the castle itself. I'm used to people coming and going from the shop all the time, but this is different. There are people everywhere I look, and they're all going about their daily lives without a care in the world.

  They probably don't even realise there are new students arriving.

  It doesn't take long for my new arrival nerves to start fading and for the conversation with the two others to start flowing. Perhaps it is just circumstance that makes me feel as if they're easy to get along with, but I don't think so. Sometimes, it's possible to just tell that people are a good fit, and I get that from Elisa and Cordelia. Certainly more than I've ever gotten from anyone back home, including my sister.

  If this is what my life at Grimm Academy is going to be like, then it's going to be everything I hoped and more.

  Two

  I step into the classroom, trying to ignore how nervous I am about being here and wishing that either Cordelia or Elisa could be with me. It may only have been a few weeks since my arrival at the academy, but it's clear to me that the two of them are going to be my lifelong friends.