Coral watches him disappear, feeling like she is stuck in mud. She turns and leaves the castle, Reid silently following by her side. Her hands begin to tremble, her knees grow weak, her head dizzy-she veers from the path to town to a large tree near the entrance of the castle; dropping her bag and the spearmint, she sinks down in the thick grass, drawing her knees up to her chest to rest her head on them so that she doesn’t pass out.
Buried in the darkness of her body, tears start to fall from her eyes. Her heart feels like it was torn from her chest; panic starts to well up inside of her and her breathing becomes quick and shallow. Hearing Reid sit beside her, she wraps her arms around her knees to seek privacy in her own despair.
“You do not have many friends, do you Lady Coral?” His quiet voice creeps into her solitude.
She huffs bitterly, “Why? Because I am a horrible person?” She meant it as sarcasm though she feels it is the truth. His hearty chuckle causes her head to snap to the side, aghast, tear covered face looking at him.
He sees her sorrow and cuts his laughter, “No, Lady Coral, you are not a horrible person. In fact, you are perhaps the most kind, compassionate, loving human I have ever met-though it is your greatest feature, it most likely will be your downfall as well.”
His words offer no comfort to her-she returns her face to her knees, tears stinging her eyes, “Tobias was right-I am a trollop-perhaps all women are. The slightest bit of acknowledgement from a man and I spread my legs like a harlot.”
Reid sighs, “I have traveled with King Rainer through the human towns for two Atonements now, Lady Coral, and while I am versed in human customs I have still yet to discern why they are how they are. It makes no sense to me that human men are expected to fornicate and become familiar with women, yet maidens are kept in ignorance lest their virtue be put into question. If a man is not a virgin when he marries, it is not frowned upon-why is that?”
As she ponders the question, her tears stop falling, “I-I do not know.”
“But if a woman has familiarity with men before marriage, she is viewed as a whore, yes?”
“Yes,” Coral spits out, confirming his assumption, realizing she now is included in that category.
“This is not how we view it, Coral.”
She dares to glance at him, her swollen eyes still stinging with her pain and her face wet with tears.
He looks down upon the woman with pity at her suffering, but feels that it is misguided, “Centaurs are very sexual creatures,” he smirks slightly, “and we explore this with others from a young age. I doubt any would confess as much but as you are an outlander and caught up in a confusing situation within our culture, I will bite the arrow and explain it to you. It is expected that centaurs know how to please their mate before hand, both male and female. Think of it like this-if you were to wander into a dark library in search of a specific book, you would no doubt spend countless hours fumbling around with little success. However, if you had visited the library many times before during the day, your experience would allow you to locate the book with ease. What you have done with the Princes is merely this and is nothing more than they themselves have done with others, or what any other centaur has done before claiming their mate.”
Struggling to grasp this knowledge as it is the opposite of how she was told to view her old life, she says, “But, my virtue-”
“Your virtue is not in question. Virtue is gained through actions and behavior towards others, how you exemplify your ethos, pathos and logos-all of which was defined before the Atonement, a direct result of your upbringing and exposure to your limited world. That is not something that can be gained or lost as a result of a hearty sexual curiosity. How you treat and apply your new found knowledge will still be within your established virtue-I seriously doubt you are one to toy with a man unless he is worthy of your affections.”
She looks over the thick centaur, surprised by his honesty and boldness in coming to her aid when she is emotionally distressed. Coral discovers that she finally understands Marcus’ statement to her-they aren’t the savages, we are. While her curiosity towards the opposite sex, her exploration with both Quell and Vadim would earn her disgrace in her old home, here it is seen as common place; she queries “Why, then, is there such emphasis placed on being a maiden?”
He smirks at her, “Aye, it is true that maidens are prized-though so are virgin males-yet for a young man or woman to have lost such is not a deal breaker but more a disappointment. Maintaining one’s chastity before claiming a mate isn’t viewed as a source of purity by centaurs, but more as a proof of strong character; to have been tempted so many times before but constantly exhibited restraint shows that one is steadfast and determined, not to be derailed before reaching their ultimate goal. Most centaurs cease playing so freely with others when they are ready to find their love but one can hardly blame you for your curiosity since it is something that has been denied until now. Though I caution you-I have been friends with both Prince Quell and Prince Vadim since I was a foal, so while I have seen them idly play with women before, this is not what they do now; they are both serious in their endeavors to gain your favor permanently and it would be in your best interest to choose quickly before a prolonged courting damages their relationship with one another.”
Though her head still spins with the dramatic differences of this new culture, she manages to regain a hold on her panic and tamps out the feeling that she will faint. She pushes herself up to her feet, gathering her things and waiting for her companion to also rise before starting towards the baker’s. “Do you have a mate, Reid?” Coral asks softly.
“Aye, we’ve been together for five years now. She is with child,” as he says the words, his voice rings almost proudly, a smile on his lips.
“How did you meet?” She asks, curious.
“I saw her watching me from the garment shop, one day. And again the next day, when I made it a point to walk by a second time. She was so beautiful and the way I felt when our eyes locked, it was like I couldn’t breathe when I was away from her. I knew I wanted her to be my mate, so I came round yet again but she was hugging a male and I thought that my guts had been ripped out.”
Looking at him, “What? How did you finally meet her?”
“I went home. I thought for sure that we were meant to be but oh, how it hurt so much to know that she was someone else’s. I don’t know why I went back to the shop-perhaps to punish myself. She said hello to me and we started talking. The centaur she was with the day before,” Reid looks a little sheepishly, “was her nephew. I was so relieved when I found that out, I immediately told her that I wanted to be her mate. We got to know each other a little more and it was maybe a week before we consummated our union.” Reid looks down at her, “Centaurs rarely wait that long. When you know, you know.”
Looking up at him, she sighs, “How… how do I choose? It is impossible-I know whatever choice I make, someone will get hurt. Part of me will too.”
They walk in silence for a moment, coming up to the baker’s. He quietly says to her, “Try to imagine living a life without one of them. Whichever one makes you feel like your soul will die if they are not around…”
Coral nods, her heart aching. She stops, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and time to wipe her face free of any remaining tears. Glancing to Reid, she offers him a small smile as thanks for his compassion before he opens the door for her and she enters.
“Lady Coral!” Tillie says excitedly, “I am glad to see you again. Did you find what you were looking for in Severton?”
Coral forces a smile to her lips, holding out the cloth bundle, “Aye, and I brought you some as well.”
Almost giddy, Tillie takes the bundle; unwrapping it, she inhales deeply, “Oh so fresh! It has been too long. I will make up a batch of my small cakes with mint frosting and have them brought to you at the castle as soon as I am finished!”
She smiles at the woman, “That is very kind of you, Tillie, thank you.”
Taking her leave, she joins Reid as they head back to the castle.
“You said you have known the brothers since you were young?” She asks, curious.
“All my life,” he replies, “my father fought alongside King Rainer in the Battle. When he didn’t return, the King looked after my mother and I. I grew up alongside Prince Vadim and later with Quell.”
There are many questions she wants to ask, but doesn’t know how; she wants to know about both of the Princes, what they were like growing up, if there are any horrible dark secrets they keep that she could use to help her decide her fate, but instead, she remains silent.
Reid, almost sensing her hesitation, continues, “The maidens, both human and centaur, were always infatuated with Vadim. He is a handsome man, eloquent, charming and easy to be around. While he played with the young women as we all do, I could always tell his heart was not in it. None of them held his attention. Not like you.” He sighs, “With Quell, it was a little different. He was more like a centaur, a stubborn brute, strong and ornery and while women find him handsome, he was not an easy colt to get along with, always causing trouble and behaving poorly. He can still be rather blunt and he speaks his mind, much like his father. They share the same frown.”