"A group of hunters found it terrorizing a deer preserve," Aro said. "Rather than set the hounds on it, they captured it, knowing your highness' affinity for exotic steeds."
"Really? What kind of steed?" Casimir mused, all thoughts of taking over the stable master's job forgotten. Whether that had been Aro's intention or not, he didn't question.
"A unicorn, your highness."
Casimir's brows shot up.
"They brought it in this morning. It's currently in the Carnelian Room."
Cas smiled. The stable master knew him too well.
The Carnelian Room was decked out in lavish carpeting and red-and-gold tapestries, soft bedding, oil lamps, and mirrors. It had originally been installed for a king who had a proclivity for sleeping in the stables - the history books did not specify *why* he did so, though most people had their guesses. It had since become a room for 'unsavory' experimentation, where stallionmen and marewomen performed for perverted royals, or centaurs were dressed up in brocade for a good laugh, or a noble could pretend to be a groom for a night. It was an open secret among the stable hands.
The room had two locks - one that could be unlocked from the inside or outside, at the user's behest, and one that could only be unlocked from the inside. Aro pulled out a rattling bundle of keys and let them both in.
"We only did a brief preliminary grooming to make sure the beast wouldn't dirty up the room. We figured your highness would like to oversee this one yourself."
"Thank you, Aro. You thought right." Casimir smiled, but didn't take his gaze off the beautiful creature standing before him.
It was roughly the size and shape of a stag, though more muscular, and with a long mane down its neck. It was covered in brilliant fur, pure white at first glance, but as Casimir stared, he noticed intricate cream and off-white and silvery patterns in its coat, like snow on mother-of-pearl.
The unicorn stood in cross-ties, held by a heavy gold collar. It's slender legs, likewise hobbled by gold chains, ended in delicate cloven hooves.
Casimir moved to examine the unicorn's head. It currently wore a bridle of silk and gold, as if the coarse leather of a regular bridle would have been too much for the creature to handle.
"I would advise your highness to keep that bridle on. It's a chatterbox."
"It talks?" Casimir said, as if he didn't fully believe it. He knew, of course, that centaurs and horsefolk talked (if you let them). But he hadn't expected it of this beastly creature.
He gently took its head in his hands. Equine in shape, but delicate and slightly dished, like a hotblooded desert horse. Its eyes were pale, almost white, flecked with gold, and marred only by a black rectangular pupil, which seemed to stare into Casimir's soul. The unicorn groaned when he touched it, but didn't exactly resist. He stroked its goat-like beard, gliding his hands over the twisted ivory horn, while the beast simply shut its eyes and took it.
"Thank you, Aro," the prince said. "Please extend my gratitude to the hunters."
"Of course, your highness." The stable master bowed.
"I would like to be alone with the beast now."
"Yes, your highness." And with another bow, the stable master left. Cas locked the door. And the two were alone. The prince and his captive unicorn.
He let his hands slide over the unicorn's silky soft neck and back, down to its rump. The unicorn shuddered and tried to kick him, but the hobbles held it back. Casimir lifted its lion-like tail, barely noticing that the unicorn's uncomfortable gaze had turned into steely rage.
The anus and vulva of a mare winked back at him. Moving down, Casimir clearly saw a heavy pair or testicles and a fur-covered sheath. Dualsexed. Interesting. He poked around a bit and found two nipples as well - a small, tight udder, just above the scrotum. The unicorn was pulling at its chains now, trying to stop the unrelenting groping hands.
"Shh, relax," Cas said, as if talking to an upset horse. It did nothing to make the unicorn relax.
He grinned. "If it helps, I do this to every exotic steed. Try not to take it personally."
He began fingering the unicorn's sheath ever so gently. Against the unicorn's will, it felt blood rush to its loins. It thrashed its tail and whinnied against the bit, a deep guttural sound that did nothing to deter Casimir. He rubbed the emerging head with his thumb, while caressing, almost tickling, the opening of the sheath. There was nothing the unicorn could do against this master of his craft. And then suddenly it unfolded, like a serpent, hard cock thumping against the unicorn's belly. It panted and tossed its horn in every direction, completely failing in its attempts to spear the man molesting its cock. A few drops of pre trickled out. Casimir gratefully spread them around the unicorn's flat horse-like cock head.
Cas, who was stubbornly ignoring the tent building in his own pants, examined the unicorn's erection. He went to work with the purposeful dispassion of an anatomist dissecting his favorite animal. It was the length and general shape of a horse's penis, tough more slender and tapered. It was pale pink, almost cream-colored, with only the slightest hint of mottling or freckles near the base.
Casimir adjusted his crotch. This was just routine, he told himself. He had done it a million times. So why was he getting so flushed all of a sudden? He let go of the unicorn's cock, which slapped its belly a few more times, as if desperately trying to get release. The unicorn strained against its chains, eyes rolling back in its skull, foam and saliva dribbling from its bit. Its tail curled tightly, showing off its dripping pussy and puckering asshole, but no release ever came. A few tears fell from its eyes, from a mix of exertion and -essentially - blueballing.
Casimir wiped his hands, looking away until his own erection went down. Now was not the time.
The two stood for a couple minutes, each in their own hellish hot daze. Abstaining from the release they both desperately wanted, like two good little altar boys. The unicorn, because it had no choice. Casimir, because it was his choice.
As the heat sizzled out of the room, and they both came to, Cas turned back to the beast. Aro had warned him not to remove the bridle, but it seemed unnecessary to him, what with the collar and chains. And in any case, he could always get out the whip.
The unicorn shied away and turned its horn on Casimir when he approached, equally trying to avoid his touch and stab him in the throat. He easily grabbed the horn.
"If you can stop trying to kill me for one minute, I will take off this bridle. Do we have a deal?"
The unicorn glared at him with its disconcerting horizontal eyes, then snorted and nodded.
Casimir untied the silk and gold clasps one by one, and the unicorn gratefully spit out its bit.
Then it bit Casimir's hand.
He yelped, and without thinking, the young prince punched the unicorn with his free hand. The beast let go, and Casimir stumbled back, gasping in pain as a burning hot sensation spread over his own cheek.
"Foolish boy. You can't hurt a unicorn without hurting yourself," the beast roared. It sounded either like a deep-voiced woman or a nasal man. Casimir couldn't decide.
He rubbed his face and glared at the unicorn. "Then why am I not in constant agony? Isn't it supposed to be painful for unicorns to be near non-virgins?"
The unicorn laughed. "I could smell your filthy aura from a mile away, boy, but it takes more than the stench of a spent dick or an overused asshole to hurt one of my kind. You repulse me. That is entirely different from hurting me."
Casimir got to his feet. Not used to such brazen backtalk, he was at a loss for words. The unicorn looked directly at him now, teeth bared.
"And one more thing, boy-"
The prince realized that the situation was about to slip out of his control. He interrupted the beast before it could begin whatever spiel was building up.
"No."
He grabbed the unicorn by the horn, holding on with both hands as it tossed it's head wildly.
"No, you are *my* steed! You will not talk to me like that. Understand?"
It rocked back and forth, alternately trying to free itself from the prince and to turn its horn towards him. It stomped and hopped and scraped its hooves against the floor, but the chains held.
The unicorn was panting already. Clearly, it didn't have a lot of stamina.
At the back of his mind, Casimir wondered if it was a feature of its species - if all unicorns had low stamina -, or if he could train this one up.
"I understand that you're a spoiled brat," the unicorn wheezed through gritted teeth. But Casimir was beginning to feel a burning sensation in his lungs and throat. The unicorn was hurting. If he could hold on just a bit longer...
"Answer to me or I put the bridle back on." He didn't mean to yell, but Cas wasn't used to this kind of back-talk, and his emotions got the better of him.
Either sensing defeat or choosing the lesser of two evils, the unicorn stopped fighting. For a few long seconds they stood there, horn in hands, steel gazes locked. The unicorn trembled with the effort of not collapsing. Casimir's chest burned, mirroring the beast's labored breathing.
Then it opened its mouth.
"Don't think you've won the war, boy, just because you've won this battle," it spat. And it dropped its gaze. Casimir awkwardly loosened his steel grip, hands clammy, and backed away. Out of reach of the horn - just in case this was a feint.
But the unicorn simply laid down with a huff. It was still panting, but less so. It lashed its tail like an angry tiger.
Casimir scrambled to regain some sense of control.
"All my steeds have names," he said. "As a token of goodwill, I generally let the speaking ones pick their own name - or at least give me options."
"Graceheart," the unicorn mumbled.
"Graceheart?"
"My name." It still avoided the prince's gaze. Or at least he thought so - it was hard to tell with those eerie rectangular pupils.
"Graceheart." He rolled the name on his tongue, like a sommelier tasting a mediocre wine. "Grey will do."
"I'm not a simple horse. A name like 'Grey' is beneath me," the unicorn protested. But it didn't drag out the fight - and Casimir tried not to show his relief.
Taming this one would prove to be a challenge. Especially if their linked pleasure and pain were an indication.