The Healer Pt. 12

Since her arrival to Centuarna, however, her views have changed. It is difficult to ignore the strong relationships the centaurs have with their mates—Coral and Quell were a perfect example of this. She was able to see the adoration in their gazes, the overflowing love and kindness that embodied them despite their difference in upbringing—it was part of the reason why she came to realize that Tomir would make a good mate...and an excellent father.

But seeing Coral traumatized in such a way and by the hand of a centaur no less, has seeded doubt in her mind; not even her father was capable of creating such wounds. Seeing Prince Quell in his own state of brokenness reminds her that the mental fortitude of a creature is not dependant on their species, as even a strong, noble centaur can crumble.

Lost in her own thoughts, Margaret looks up to discover that she is standing outside of Tomir's door. It surprises her as she had intended on returning to her quarters above the apothecary but her feet carried her here of their own accord. Just as she turns to leave, the door opens.

"Are you going to come inside?" Tomir's tenor voice drifts out to her.

She turns around, her gaze on the ground while her cheeks burn red, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to stop by unannounced..." she trails off, not wanting to fully admit that she feels more comfortable here than she has anywhere else.

Tomir's hand encircles hers and he gently pulls her inside, closing the cold evening air out, "I assumed you would be staying here now. I am making us dinner."

Surprised, she replies, "We—we aren't mated yet."

"Not physically," he says as he walks back towards the kitchen, "but none the less I consider your intent to be the same. You are my mate and mates live together. When you are ready to be intimate we can be."

She follows him towards the kitchen; he stands at the table, carefully cleaning a large rabbit. When her eyes fall upon a tall stool, she realizes that he truly means every word he spoke. Unable to contain the smile on her lips, she sits down on the new piece of furniture. That smile, however, is short lived when he attempts to make polite conversation.

"How was your day today?" Tomir asks without glancing up from the animal.

Her mind immediately drawn back to Coral, she frowns, "Not...not good." The encounter with the Prince still forefront in her mind, she speaks softly, "Prince Quell—he's not the same either. He is different. I mean, I would expect him to be upset with all that has happened to Coral but it is more than that; he almost seems—feral," she hates using the word to describe any centaur yet it is the most accurate one she can think of.

Tomir's hands halt for a moment while he draws in a deep breath, "I have seen him like that before. It is not a good thing."

"Can you explain?"

He frowns, before slowly continuing to clean the rabbit, "When his foal and first mate died, he was...inconsolable."

Realizing that she might be able to gain some insight as to why Coral has kept her pregnancy a secret from Quell, she gently presses Tomir, "Searra? Can you tell me about it?" When he looks up at her, she adds, "I'm grasping at straws, Tomir. I don't know if knowing will help but it cannot hurt."

He sighs, dressing the rabbit into a pot before sliding it into the belly of the wood burning stove. As he begins on the vegetables, he starts, "Searra was Junta's younger sister. They had a large family; his two older brothers and father were killed in the Battle and his mother died several years back. Searra was a beautiful filly but even when she was young, she had eyes for no one other than Quell and he was the same way for her. Everyone knew that when they were of age they would mate and they did—it was a time of rejoicing in Centuarna because we knew that our future King had found a Queen and one day they would produce an heir of their own. It took several years before she got pregnant."

He ponders on it, "I think it was a just over two years ago in fact. She was very petite, smaller than Lynette even and in the last part of her pregnancy the midwives put her on restrictions; she wasn't allowed to run anywhere and had to remain in the castle at all times. I remember Junta saying that she had some issues, bleeding while she was with foal. When the time came and she went into labor, the five centaur midwives were in attendance. I do not know the specifics of it because men are not involved in the birthings but I know that the foal was not alive when it was born. Searra had lost so much blood and they could not get it to stop; she passed shortly after."

Tomir pauses, staring off into the distance as he recalls the day, "Junta and I were on guard duty in the castle when we heard. I went with him so that he could say goodbye to his sister but Prince Quell—something in him snapped. He wouldn't let anyone near her body and those that tried he attacked, even his own father. None of us knew what to do, he had that wild look in his eyes that you described; I feared that short of injuring him there was no way to get him under control. When Junta came near, Quell lost it and started bucking and kicking, destroying everything within his range. Oddly enough, Prince Vadim was the only one who could stop him. He charged at his brother and managed to sweep Quell's legs out from under him; when Quell was on the ground, Vadim pinned him down and held him still, speaking words of comfort into his ear. It took a long time but he calmed, though after he regained control of himself he broke down. Vadim did not come through it unscathed either—he was badly bruised and bleeding, his eye was swollen shut for a week from where Quell elbowed him. Pelium thought for sure he would lose it but he did not."

He glances up at her for a moment, reaching across the table to tenderly caress her cheek before he continues working on their supper. Margaret smiles softly at him, though her heart aches for their friends; short of some kind of miracle or magic, she isn't sure that either of them can be healed.

*****

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