Today was the day.
The day when she, Aiyanna Vanstadt Hycorim would make her ancestors proud and all her naysayers eat their words! She looked at herself in the long mirror and fixed her rich lavender hair into a luxurious wavy ponytail. Her chest plate was straightened next, it was a little tight around the chest due to her large pair of breasts but it was manageable. The human half of the centauress was a perfect hourglass, her stomach flat and defined and her hips flared out before meshing with her horse half.
Then her older and younger sisters had to ruin her fun by standing next to her. Aiyanna grits her teeth as she forces a smile up at them, both at least a foot taller than her six-foot-six frame. What was worse for the horse girl, was they were average height. It reminded her once again, that she was the runt.
She was glad for the fur covering her long pointed ears because she bore several other human traits considered 'unattractive' to put it nicely, by her people. Mostly her height made her smaller than others, and she was called a pony by her younger sister and peers. Her rump, which her vanity told her was
very
nice, thank you vanity by the way, was said to be too human-like but at least her rear legs were proper. Unlike her forelegs, which while curvy (thanks again Vanity, you keep a girl going) were rather on the humanesque side in shape, which affected the much-vaunted prowess of the Centauri hooves or not.
She was considered to be malformed by many humans and the overwhelming majority of her people for this. She told herself this was foolish, that she looked different from the norm and was not the lesser for it.
It only went so far though, the words, and the unfair treatment, still hurt of course. On ill days it shook her up until tears stung her eyes.
Oh, right, they were wrong too. Large and almond-shaped and lovely sure, but one was colored lavender, while the other a sky blue. Either color would have been lauded, but both? Heterochromia was considered a very bad omen.
"The selection ceremony is today yes? Be confident." her older sister nodded. She was quiet and serious, beautiful of course considering her family. That beauty had a cold edge to it, stern with little emotion behind her ice-colored eyes. Her pale blond hair was smoothed back and cut to her shoulder blades, unlike the normal long style of the Centauri. Shaped like her younger sister with a slightly smaller chest, she was considered by many to be the ideal shape of a noble centaur warrior woman.
She was partnered with a shrewd man who knew magic keenly, could ride, and knew his way around a battlefield. He was a somewhat stocky man, but not bad-looking. He was slightly warmer than her sister but not by much. The pair rarely spoke in public but seemed to communicate without issue.
They were generals in the army of the king and despite being of ducal rank, they earned their place. Both have agreed to start at the bottom to prove themselves before taking their high rank.
Towards her younger sister, she was cool but not cruel. Treating her as a soldier, which one would be forced to admit, was how she treated nearly everyone. No, she was not unkind, and Aiyanna believed cared in her way. She just didn't show it.
"And it matters?" her younger sister, younger
half
sister as she was want to point out, snorted in derision. "If not for father's rank she'd have been disposed of off like every other runt of her ill-nature."
Aiyanna's younger half-sister was another story. She wore her disgust on her sleeve. She was a proud woman, and none could say she didn't have reason to be so. Despite being two years younger than Aiyanna, she was a great warrior and had already been chosen as the only prince's partner. She had the bearing and martial skill to be the next King's Consort, while her skill in magic was perhaps lacking, she made up for it in decorum 'where it mattered'.
The worst thing about her statement was that she was very likely correct.
"Come along Givanae, it would not do to spend overlong near this one." oh what a morning, first daughter then the mother. Aiyanna's stepmother was an older and alluring version of her only daughter. The two left without another word to Aiyanna and only a bow of the head to the eldest.
"And here I thought all those stories of 'evil stepmothers' were exaggerated." Aiyanna's big sister sighed, then patted her younger sister's shoulder. "There will be one for you, I have no doubt." and she too walked away, to the training field where the ceremony would take place.
Aiyanna smiled at her back, but the smile slipped as she looked back into the mirror. She knew how to fight, how to accommodate a rider, and tactics for both large and small engagements. She was smart, she could do this...right?
Making sure no one else was in the room she snarled and punched the wall next to the mirror with enough force to crack the surface and shake the glass, leaving a fist-sized dent. She let out a soft cry, a noise filled with pain and frustration. She couldn't wait another year if this didn't happen in this one. She wasn't even certain she'd be
allowed
to participate. She may just be sent away if this was another failure as past years had been. She didn't want to go away. It wasn't welcoming here, but it was home. It's all she knew.
It wasn't even just for the glory that would come her way from having a knight and winning victory through battle. That was an important part of it certainly. But only a part. No, another major part was a fact she couldn't deny any longer. She was lonely.
She wanted a partner who cared for her, the comfort of knowing she had someone who wanted to be by her side.
FUCKING HELLS!
She wanted someone to comfort her when she went into bloody heat! She didn't want to degrade a real partnership with a carnal desire to get laid but she
needed
it!
She held her head in her hands and rested her elbows on the mirror stand. Not daring to look at the flush on her face. It was starting, and she was getting tired of her dildo. She didn't want to go taking some random man either.
She could feel her lips moisten. Her pussy was starting to itch from need. She shifted from hoof to hoof causing her ass to sway, and her tail lashed from the emotions she was feeling, namely lust and frustration. Maybe she still had time? She could return to her suite, lift her dress, and back onto her mounted dildo.
She licked her lips as she thought about it spreading her folds until her rump pressed against the wall behind her. Her haunch grinding one way then the other so it would writhe inside. She would grow wetter until she was bucking and whimpering as her aching clit...
NO!
Aiyanna slammed a fist onto the stand and stood up straight, wiping away the tears threatening to run down her cheeks. She had to focus, she would
not
become a slave to her desires. True she went into heat more often than other Centauri women, but that was no excuse. She had to control herself until the proper time.
She dabbed at her face, glad she hadn't bothered with makeup for this. Taking some steadying breaths, she snatched up her helmet and strode out to the training field, trying to show more confidence than she felt.
*****
Marik was nervous again, only this time it had nothing to do with his own performance.
The young knight had done well for himself in their mock battle not long ago. He excelled in martial arts unarmed and with his sword, coming out on top of everyone in his class. The instructors were especially impressed with his attitude and not giving up. He may not have realized it, but he even inspired some others as well.
It was noted that his repertoire of spells was pretty lackluster, but he performed the few he knew well. When it came to tactics and leadership, however, his rank amongst the nobility came into play and he was solidly ignored by those who considered him lesser and by those who might have been sympathetic but were too afraid of the social rules to do anything.
It all just meant he wasn't sure he even could lead, this wasn't the first time and wouldn't be the last he was sure. His scoring was lower understandably but it wasn't enough to exclude him. He thought he did well for himself. His nervousness stemmed from who else was in the Choosing Ceremony.
Marik had to worry about the second prince and his sycophants. He was the one who gave him the most trouble in the leadership and tactical test, and his people made damn sure he was excluded. That prince couldn't stand the fact that such a low-ranking knight had defeated him with both sword and low-level magic.
The guy probably didn't like that he was in a class with someone of Marik's rank to begin with, but not being as good a fighter as the one he looked down on hadn't helped matters.
Marik wasn't going to lie to himself, it did feel pretty damned good having that bratty goblin-twat glaring up at him from the mud.
That would be a proud memory he'd keep til the end of his days, however, it was their turn to watch the Centauri on the field. The women specifically.
It was found long ago that in most cases, the same genders didn't work well together. There were even same-gender lovers, it wasn't unheard of, but fighting together? Going into battle and eventually just socializing? That didn't go so well.
So, opposite-gender pairings only, even if the preference for a lover didn't work that way. It was just less violent.
When it came to battle, the women were just as ferocious, they fought just as hard just differently most of the time. Neither were often skirmishers, trained as heavy calvary as they were.
That was what was expected, and cheers went up as the Centauri fought. Some with reckless abandon, some stoically. Honestly, it would have been a mess on a true battlefield, but here it was more about a display of skill and personality.
Humans weren't making the final choice, they were so flexible in mind and body that it was considered unnecessary. They could elect to not be chosen if they didn't think the centaur was compatible. So in a way, both decided.
Marik leaned forward as he watched, one stood out to him but maybe not for the best reasons.
There was one that was considerably smaller than the others. She was dancing around to avoid getting hit and the small centaur was good at it granted. She tried to line herself up to charge as the others, but her power behind the thrusts was often brushed aside by the heavy shields she and her kin wore. The spear was cut down to make it easier for her to use, but that meant reduced reach and power. It didn't seem to him like she was set up to fail, just, like her size wasn't considered for her weaponry.
Others near him groaned or snickered when they saw her struggling, and Marik did not attempt to hide his disgust with their behavior.
Marik found himself watching her and her alone, cheering when she reared up on her hind legs and two-handed the spear, slapping another centaur across the face, knocking her over.
