The Healer Pt. 13

A note from AD:

Thank you for your patience--I must apologize for a few things. Firstly, that it took me so long to post another chapter; secondly, that this chapter is shorter than usual. Instead of trying to think of ways to increase it in length I figured I'd give you what I have and not make you wait any longer. Hopefully, my muse will reappear and you won't have to wait months before the next update.

-AD

Vadim's mind is distant as he wanders through the castle towards the dining room; his thoughts are of Coral, always of Coral and try as he might he cannot get his sister off of his mind. He desperately wanted to see her today but he forced himself to keep his distance. He spent the morning with Pelium, using the excuse of his arm aching to seek the doctor's company. Though neither one of them outright spoke about her or what happened in Centurion, they somehow managed to communicate the desperate need for a solution. Pelium showed Vadim the books with the very few written accounts of women being assaulted by a centaur though the details were vague and no follow up was documented. It left a bad taste in Vadim's mouth—he knows that thousands of women have been forced upon in their history but all were either too ashamed to speak up or too ashamed to record it down.

He left the doctor shortly before mid day meal, skipping it so as to avoid the possibility of seeing his mother or Lynette or worse yet, Quell. Instead he sought solace in his father's study, meticulously going through each book on the full shelves, trying to find anything that might help shed light on a solution to Coral's fear. Yet in the end, all he obtained was a deeper seeded hatred of his own kindred; how quick they are to overlook and hide their own shortcomings, sweeping all secrets under the rug to be forgotten—a foolish gesture in Vadim's opinion, as history is bound to be repeated if mistakes aren't learned from.

When he enters the dining room he is completely oblivious to everything until he hears a deep voice speak to him.

"Hello son," Rainer says, standing at the head of the table.

When Vadim looks up he realizes he is the last one to dinner, aside from the absent Coral that is. He offers a smile to Rainer, "I am glad you are home, father."

Rainer nods, patting the table next to him. Vadim sits in between his father and Quell—his brother looks sullen and distant, just as he has since their return from Centurion.

Looking to the empty seat that Coral usually occupies, Rainer sighs, "How is my daughter?" When no one answers and everyone avoids his gaze, he doesn't press the issue.

"Did you leave my brother's head attached to his body?" Kiera asks flatly; Vadim looks at her, he can't tell if she is being sarcastic or not. His mother's usually bright, clear and cheerful eyes seem to be red and bloodshot, her face appears slightly puffy as if she had spent a considerable amount of time crying, yet aside from that she wears no expression, her face as stoic as a statue.

"For now," Rainer growls. The tone of his voice as he utters those two simple words carry a weight which makes his hatred as clear as day.

Kiera nods slowly, showing no inclination one way or the other. Vadim looks at his father and asks, "Will this end with Callen? Will Centurion change?" He desperately wants to find hope in the future, to believe that all of the suffering Coral went through—that all of those women went through--wasn't for nothing. He clings to that hope tightly, though it is but a thread to keep him from falling into the vastness of his growing hatred.

His father appraises him for a moment, as if trying to discern his son's desires in regards to it. Rainer is a wise centaur and has seen his fair share of evil in all creatures. It is almost like he can sense Vadim's struggle because he shares it one in the same. "I left Yulnar alive with very harsh conditions in place; should he choose to ignore them, I will return and finish what I started. The first condition is this: absolutely no more forced matings and no more obtaining dowries for women—any centaur discovered in violating this will be sentenced to death."

Vadim nods slowly, "That will definitely be a deterrent, assuming they actually get punished for their crimes—but what of the women? Is the offer of the elixir still available to them?" He has mixed feelings about it; part of him wants women to be able to discover love for their mates and to be able to lie with them easily, to share the bond that making love can bring...yet the other part of him wishes for all knowledge of the elixir to be destroyed so that the human women will leave, so that Centurion will die out. He knows eventually that Centuarna will as well and frankly, the extinction of the centaurs doesn't bother him in the least.

Rainer frowns, "Yes, though the stipulation I put forth was no elixir shall be given out until spring. Not only does that force them to wait, it also gives Coral time to..." he trails off before lifting his glass of wine and drinking it all. "My second condition was Callen's mate and son."

Kiera's voice is quiet, "You would see them killed?"

His brows furrow and he clicks his tongue on his teeth, "Kiera—no. It was not her fault nor the foal; my condition was they move to Centuarna and live in town. It would do both of them some good to learn humility and compassion by living alongside our people."

She breathes a sigh of relief, "Thank you, mate."

Quell shifts uneasily; his plate is still full and he has barely eaten anything, "All things considered, father, your conditions are rather generous."

Vadim can feel the tension in the room; he glances to Lynette, who keeps her head down and eats in silence. Wistan hesitantly looks between his family members but also does not speak.

"What would you rather I have done, Quell?" Rainer asks, though the tone of his voice is quiet, dangerous.

"I don't know," he mumbles. He drinks his entire mug of ale and grabs a single slice of bread from his plate before turning and leaving the room.

Looking at Wistan, Rainer softly says, "Why don't you take your plate and eat in my study, son? I will be there shortly."

Wistan nods, thankful that his father provided him with an out because he is eager to leave. When the colt is gone, Rainer turns his attention to Vadim, "Will you please explain to me what is going on?"

Vadim rubs his face; he is tired, worn, bruised and in pain and above all else, he is sick of having to talk about it all the time, "Coral—she can't be around centaurs. When she woke up and saw Quell she panicked—he can't be near her. Pelium tried to give her some medicine to calm her down and she damn near destroyed her chambers. Mother can't even get near her."

"I spent the afternoon with her," Lynette says softly. Surprised, Vadim looks at her, waiting for her explanation. So lost in his own desperation he was that he barely even thought about his mate throughout the day. She catches his eye and continues, "Her friend Margaret came and got me after lunch. The maiden warned me to be cautious around Coral and you are correct, she started panicking when I walked in. I think it was the sound of my hooves that caused it; I knelt down and made sure my rear wasn't visible to her, the rest of me was covered by my dress. Then she was all right." She glances over to Kiera, "I am sorry, mother, I do not know why she finds it difficult to be around you."

A growl from Rainer draws everyone's attention, "If Callen wasn't already dead I'd kill him myself." It is a sentiment all of them share.

No one speaks for the rest of the meal as no one really wishes to say anything. Kiera decides to venture into town to secure lodgings for Callen's widow and son. While she seems a bit more upbeat now that she has a purpose, she still finds it difficult to look into her husband's eyes. Vadim knows how she feels—she feels torn between her loyalty to her own family, to her brother and her nephew but she cannot overlook the atrocities that were committed.

As Rainer walks past Vadim, he gently squeezes his shoulder, unable to find any words to offer in comfort before he retires to his study to spend time with Wistan.

Vadim continues to pick at the food on his plate, not really hungry but eating anyways. He makes the effort to speak to his mate, reminding himself that none of this is her fault and she shouldn't be ignored or forgotten because of it. "What did you do with Coral all afternoon?"

Lynette looks at her mate when he speaks, offering a kind smile as she always does, "Margaret thought it best to keep her mind engaged so that she didn't spend all day remembering...there is a book of herbs that she was in the process of updating. I picked up where she left off and I read each entry out loud to her; if there was information missing, she told me what to write down. For a few there were no drawings and Margaret took note of it; she is going to see if she can find any of them still growing, if not then the sketches will have to wait until spring. Coral is very lucky to have a friend in Margaret," Lynette says softly.

"I think it started the other way around," Vadim replies off handedly. When he gets a curious look from Lynette, he adds, "Margaret is from the same town as Coral but unlike Coral she hated centaurs. It is a personal mission of our sister's to see that there is peace between our kinds. When she met up with Margaret after their arrival here, the maiden's attitude had caused her to be secluded. Coral took the time to speak with her and ease her out of her hatred."

Lynette looks surprised, "I would have never known that, she seemed at ease around me. If not a little stern, though I suspected that is her personality."

He nods, "Aye, it is like her, from what I know she comes from a very large family and she spent most of her days raising her younger siblings. But I dare say she is at ease around centaurs now—her and Tomir..."

"Really?"

"Not fully mated but definitely promised to each other. Quell was right to deem Coral an Emissary to Peace."

"She will be all right," Lynette says firmly, though Vadim knows it is more to reassure herself than anything.

He pushes back his chair and slides out of it, "I think I will take a bath tonight before turning in."

"I'd love to join you," Lynette smiles.

Vadim forces the smile onto his own mouth, nodding in affirmation before offering her an arm. He would have preferred to bathe alone; since he returned home he has made sure not to be naked around Lynette—every time she sees his bruises she starts crying. Nonetheless, he won't refuse his mate.

They walk in silence to the bathing room; Vadim is relieved to discover it empty and the torches only dimly burning, offering the bare amount of illumination. Sitting on the stone bench, he slowly removes his boots while watching Lynette shed her dress. Even in the low lighting he can make out the creamy smoothness of her skin, the harsh juxtaposition of her rich brown fur where the two meet at her waist. Shyly she smiles at him before entering the pond and paddling into the water. When she reaches the middle, her ghostly white skin reminds Vadim of a night months ago, after he had first taken Lynette as his mate, after he had come to the bath to think and stumbled upon Coral.

The memory of her naked human form, idly floating in the water, the way her bright red hair radiated out from her head like flames, sends a pain into his heart. The sorrow at losing the woman he loves is almost as great as the guilt he feels at taking Lynette to be his mate despite not feeling for her as deeply.

Vadim sighs and slides off of the bench to sit at the edge of the pool, dangling his legs into the warm water while he leans back on his hands to watch Lynette as she floats about. He is disgusted with himself; he hates that he gave into the pressure and expectations of his family to take a woman as his own—he shouldn't have bound Lynette to this fate. She deserves to be free, to have a man who can truly love her as deeply as she feels for him. When she paddles over and asks him to wash her hair, Vadim plasters on a gentle smile, though it is fake because he is too much of a coward to apologize for the wrong he has committed.

"I thought you were bathing, my love?" her sweet voice asks once she exits the pond, shaking water from her fur before pulling her dress over her head.

"Sometimes I like to just sit and listen to the water, it helps to calm me," he confesses.

A slight frown touches her lips, "Oh, Vadim...I apologize, I shouldn't have intruded on your mediation."

"Nonsense, Lynette," Vadim eases her fears as he walks out into the hall beside her, "you are my mate. You can never intrude on me." His words sound sincere enough though he knows they are a lie.

Pushing the thought from his head, he opens their bedroom door for his mate and follows her in. He walks to the wardrobe and unbuttons his vest, sliding it off and placing it inside but before he can get much further, he feels her warm hands slide up the front of his shirt, her body pressed against his back. Reluctantly he lifts his arms when she pushes the fabric up and over his head.

He turns around in her embrace so that he is facing her; this time, she does not look at the marks on his skin, but into his deep brown eyes and he can see the yearning within hers. Vadim reaches a hand up and cradles her face before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Lynette parts them, sliding her tongue eagerly into his mouth, tasting her mate. When her body leans into him and her kiss becomes more urgent, Vadim slides his hands down to her waist, circling around her hips to untie the sash at her back.

When the tie is loose, he teasingly runs his hands down to the fur of her legs, bunching up the fabric in his grasp so that he can feel her still damp flesh under his hands while he pulls the dress up and over her head, taking the shift with it. Lynette shivers, sending the ripple through her brown hide when her breasts are exposed to the air. With a light touch Vadim caresses them, slowly teasing around the entire mound in a spiral; he comes closer and closer to her nipples but doesn't make contact, instead he withdraws his fingers. She lets out a disappointed whimper until he breaks free from her mouth and kisses his way down her neck with his plush lips. He flicks out his tongue across a nipple before latching onto it and suckling; a throaty groan escapes her mouth. Before he is able to make it to the other breast, she slides her fingers into the waist of his pants; pulling him closer she quickly unbuttons them. She doesn't bother to push them down or even give him time to take his boots off—instead, drops down into a kneel and fishes out his cock. With both of her hands wrapped around the long length, she strokes up and down it, glancing upward into his eyes.

Vadim looks down at her curiously; he is surprised when she lifts his cock up and licks it, her tongue swirling around the wide flat tip before she cleans away the small dribble of seed oozing out. As best as she can, she opens her mouth wide and takes a few inches of him in, her tongue wiggling around the bottom of his cock, her hands sliding up and down the length of him.

He shudders, savoring the feeling of her mouth around him for the first time. He feels like thrusting but refrains, too afraid that he will hurt her; instead, he allows her to go at her own pace. Her hands tighten down on his length as her mouth starts to suckle harder; he enjoys the act but catches a whiff of her arousal and knows what she truly wants. With a gentle smile he steps back, pulling free from her mouth. Vadim leans down and kisses her deeply, tasting his own musk on her lips; when her hands let go of his cock he takes them and pulls her back up to her hooves.

Teasing her with a light touch, he runs his fingers down her back to her withers, slowly swirling them through her smooth brown fur, tracing the lines of her hindquarters when he takes up position behind her. He gathers up her brown tail in his fist with his left hand, holding his cock with his right; bringing it up he drags it across her cunt, spreading her wetness around so that her lips glisten in the low firelight.

Lynette watches him over her shoulder, her eyes half closed, a sultry smile on her mouth while she waits for her mate to take her; slowly, Vadim eases his cock forward. It has been nearly two weeks since they last mated and she is almost as tight as first time; he groans in pleasure, feeling the warm, soft flesh encasing him while he presses his entire cock into her. Her breathing increases, a purr coming from her when he slowly withdraws almost the entire length. Easing back in again, the sinful delicious feel of it sends a shiver up his spine. It has been too long and his desire for a release is strong; his pace starts to quicken with each stroke in and out.

When he is steadily pounding against her, Lynette's eyes drift shut and her head falls back; she moans out, low and loud. The sound of it, the primal pleasure in her voice hits Vadim like a slap—instantly reminding him of Coral's moans underneath Callen. His yearning, his building pleasure immediately dissipates when the horrible images of seeing her strapped to the mounting stand, spread wide open and forced into pleasure flash through his mind.

Vadim's pace slows—he feels himself start to grow soft. Before Lynette opens her eyes to say something, Vadim withdraws his cock from her and drops down to his knees. He twirls her tail in one hand, gathering the loose hair up before he gently pries the lips of her velvety brown cunt open with his fingers. He dips his head forward and traces the slit with his tongue; Lynette lets out a startled cry of surprise, almost jerking away from him but he has a tight grasp on her tail. When he licks again she is expecting it so she does not shy away. Vadim shortens his licks until his tongue is simply rubbing against her clit; she mewls out in pleasure, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof as her climax builds. When Vadim's lips close around her clit, he suckles on it gently, flicking the tip of his tongue over the sensitive nub. He can feel her hind legs trembling—her furry body tenses and she lets out a loud moan, almost a cry at the suddenness of her orgasm. Wetness oozes out of her slit and covers Vadim's face but he continues to tease her until she finally pulls away from him.

He rises to his feet and stuffs his cock back into his pants; seeing she can hardly stand he takes her hand and leads her over to the mound of pillows where she immediately crumples down into them. He hastily wipes her juices off of his face with his hand before placing a tender kiss on her lips and watches her fall asleep.

Instead of joining her he sits alone on the chaise before the fireplace. He shakes his head, trying to get rid of the echoing sound in it, the sound of Lynette moaning out, the sound of Coral being forced upon. Woefully, he wonders if it is possible for things to return to normal.

He drifts asleep though not a deep one, part of him afraid that he is locked in the cell, still wary of centaurs approaching. A swift pounding on the door jars him awake; he glances at Lynette, who continues to slumber deeply. Quickly he makes his way to the door and opens it, discovering a wide eyed Oren outside.

"Prince Quell," the servant says in a frantic whisper, "told me to come get you. You must come at once—Lady Coral—" he shrugs, unsure how to word it.

Vadim quietly pulls the door shut behind him before he takes off running down the hall, dressed in his pants and nothing else. When he rounds the corner and arrives at his brother's bedroom, the door is open. Inside of it, Quell paces frantically, running his hands through his hair, worry and fear splattered across his face. Upon seeing Vadim he quickly approaches him, almost knocking his brother over, "She woke up in the middle of the night—I had her in my arms on the pillows and—and she started to panic when she saw me again."