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."
