Healer's Touch Ch. 01

Finally after a long wait by most, I have started on Kat's and Charles story. All feedback is welcome, so let me know what you think.

Kat sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. As usual she saw the petite, brunette woman with troubled brown eyes, that she always saw. Today, the official from the testing institute was coming over. Prince Rand had contacted the Institute on her behalf shortly after she had arrived on Venus. She didn't know if she was ready for this. She didn't know if she would be able to use her abilities. She hadn't used them in front of audience in years.

There was a knock on her bedroom door. She turned to the door and walked over to it. When she opened it, she was not surprised to see Princess Gracie. She was becoming one of Kat's closest's friends. After she stepped back, she waited for Rand's wife to enter her room. She moved slowly due to her advanced state of pregnancy.

"How are the babies feeling today?"

"Frisky." Gracie sat down on Kat's bed with a grateful smile.

"I bet. Are you ready for your test?" Gracie rubbed her stomach as one of the babies kicked her again. Sitting down next to her, Kat gently placed her hand on Gracie's swollen stomach..

"I guess. Sore?"

"Yeah, these three have been using my inside as a trampoline."

"Relax," Kat urged as she slowly felt her hand begin to heat. The power that lay dormant inside of her came quickly to her call. Gracie gasped softly as she felt the warm heat sooth her tender insides. Kat gritted her teeth as she tried to keep her power within her control. As she felt it slipping, she moved away from Gracie quickly. She struggled for a moment before pushing her power back down. She sighed as it grudgingly receded.

"Thank you, Kat...I feel... so much better," Gracie mumbled around a yawn. Kat turned around to see her dozing off. Damn it, she thought, I used to much again. She checked Gracie to make sure that she was only sleeping and not unconscious.

"Gracie?"

"Not now, Rand. We can make love later..." Gracie muttered as she rolled over onto her side. Kat sighed in relief. She snagged her grandmother's afagan and draped it over Gracie. After glancing at the clock, she realized that it was time for her test.

When she entered the study, she found Prince Rand with another man. He seemed to be friendly. He stood almost as tall as the prince. Which still made him almost a foot taller than her. In his hand he carried a briefcase.

"Here she is. Katrina, this is Mr. Eljah."

"Good morning, Sir. I wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you but I'm nervous about taking this test."

"I can imagine, Katrina. Prince Rand requested me because I have had plenty of experience with testing Earthlings. I know the stigma that your world places on any type of power. So it's understandable that you are nervous. All I am going to do today is just test your basic ability. From there we will decide if you need training or if you are ready to be certified."

"Well, that's a bit of a relief."

"Great. Shall we get started?" he asked as he opened his briefcase.

"I guess."

"Well, I'll leave you two alone," Rand said.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Kat replied. "Rand, if you're looking for Gracie, she's asleep in my room."

Rand nodded before he left them alone. After she pasted a smile on her face, she turned back to Mr. Eljah.

"Okay, what do I do first?"

"Well, the first thing I want you to do, Katrina, is relax. This will be much harder on you if your tense. The first thing I need is some background information. Why don't we start with there? Where were you born?"

"How specific do you want?"

"Well, I assume you were born on Earth. From your accent I would guess that you are American. So where exactly in America were you born?"

"In the Midwest. My hometown is Iowa City, Iowa."

"Alright then. What kind of upbringing did you have?"

"Until I started school, I lived with my mother and grandfather on a farm. But when I entered school at ITS and then became an accountant."

"ITS?"

"Yes, it is a school that only kids with power go to. I graduated at sixteen and then went to college to become an accountant."

"Quite a feat for someone of your age."

"I guess. Hunger is quite motivating. On earth, I had to support myself."

Mr. Eljah stopped scribbling for a moment and looked over at her. There was obvious concern on his face.

"You were supporting yourself at sixteen?"

"Yeah."

"That isn't a normal behavior is it?"

"In my family, yes. But it's in the past. I came here looking for my future." He looked at her thoughtfully.

"I understand that you came back with Prince Randall?"

"Yes. I met him on my grandfather's farm. He invited me to come back with him."

"He was the one to suggest you get tested?"

"He mentioned that on Venus most every one with any magic or abilities is tested and registered. Since I don't plan on leaving Venus in the near future, I thought it would be a good idea to get registered."

"That is a good idea, Katrina. We've finished the easy part. Now comes the hard part. You are going to have to let down you guard and let me in. It is the only way that I can judge how strong your power is."

"Let you in?" Kat asked uneasily.

"Yes. My ability is to judge the amount power within a person. I will hypnotize you and slip inside of you to assess your power."

"Is it hard?"

"Yes. I have had extensive experience with Earthlings and your race is cynical about most things and resistant to hypnosis."

"Lets hope I will be a different story."

* * * * *

Rand walked into Kat's bedroom and found his wife asleep on the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he brushed her chestnut hair off her cheek. He sure hoped that at least one of their kids got their mother's hair. Aside from her big blue eyes, it was his favorite part of her. She stirred a bit before opening her eyes. She smiled sleepily before slowly sitting up. Placing an arm around her, he helped her.

"How are you feeling, Gracie?"

"Sleepy," she mumbled against the front of his dress shirt.

"The babies are just tiring you out." He laid his head on top of hers. Pulling her onto his lap, he wrapped his arms around her swollen belly. He sighed with pleasure when he felt their babies wiggled against his arms.

"You just had to go and wake them up," Gracie joked as she snuggled closer to him. Whatever he was going to say, was cut off when Kat ran into the room. She was in a panic.

"Rand, Gracie, you've got come with me. I think I killed Mr Eljah."

"I'm sure you did nothing of the sort," Gracie soothed as Rand helped her to her feet. "But we'll come."

* * * * *

When they entered the room , they found Mr. Eljah in a heap on the floor. Bending down, Rand looked for life signs.

"Is he ..."

"Relax, Kat. He's merely slumbering." Rand shook him gently. Mr. Eljah stirred. After he opened his eyes, he focused on Rand briefly before looking around the room. He saw a concerned Gracie and red-faced Kat. He sat up, shook his head, and rose unsteadily to his feet.

"That's quite the power you have there, Mistress Katrina," the tired man yawned.

"I'm sorry."

"Nonsense, young lady. You have a great deal of power inside of you. If anyone is at fault it is me. I should have taken better precautions. You would think that as many Earthlings that I have examined I would know better."

"So what's the prognosis, Mr Eljah?" Rand asked as he helped the man into a nearby chair.

"Well, best that I can conclude before I went to sleep, Mistress Katrina possesses unlimited ability to heal. There is no level of power that I can assign her that would do justice to her. She is unassignable."

"Son of a ....even here, I'm still a freak," Kat groaned.

"No, you're not!" Gracie said as she drew Kat to her side. "You're a close friend of Rand and I. We would never turn our backs on you."

"Mistress Katrina, what I would suggest is that you have some training. I think you should train with Arianna deSethal."

"Arianna, would be perfect. She is a healer in her own right," Rand agreed.

"So how do I contact her?" Kat asked.

"That will be easy. Have Charles take you over to see her," Rand told her.

"Hmm, that sounds like a plan. He's been avoiding me as usual. Lets hope he doesn't run the other way," she joked.

"I'll talk to him," Gracie said with a smile. Rand looked over at his wife. There was something brewing in her clever little mind.

What are you smiling about? You're up to something.

Relax. If Kat asks him, he'll tell her no. But if I ask he won't have a choice in the matter.

Already exerting your power?

When it has it's advantages. He's leery of her. I can't say I blame him after what he went through with Deanna. But he'll warm up to Kat. That I have no doubt.

So your going to play match maker?

Could be.

* * * * *

"No, I won't do it," Charles said, frustration evident in his voice.

Gracie watched him across the table with cool eyes..

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's not a good enough reason, Charles. Kat is the one that was responsible for making sure Rand returned safely to me. Is it to much to ask?"

"I don't trust her," he growled as he shoved away from the table. He stood and headed for the door.

"Stop!"

"Yes, your highness."

"Charles, please don't make this an order. Just give her a chance. She is totally different than Deanna. Do you understand how long it took us to talk her into taking the placement test? She comes from a world that frowns upon any time of magic. Mr Eljah wants her to train with Arianna. That's before she can pass her test."

"Fine, I'll take her. But I don't have to like it," Charles said in resignation.

"Thank you, Charles."

"I'm not going to fall for her, Gracie. If you're playing matchmaker, don't."

"Now, who ever said anything about that?" Gracie asked innocently.

* * * * *

Kat was sitting in the study with a book when Charles found her. She seemed to be engrossed in the book on her lap.

"I'd like to know what the hell you are doing?"

"What?" Kat asked, looking up from her book.

"This scheme to have me escort you to Arianna's."

"What scheme are you talking about? I was told who I was to study with. I had no choice in the matter."

"This isn't just another scheme to get me alone?"

"No. If I was going to seduce you, I wouldn't have Gracie do it for me. If I was going to seduce you, I would make sure you didn't see me coming."

"Why's that?"

"Because that's the only way, I could get into your pants. You're wound tighter that a seven day clock as my gramps would say."

" I'll escort you to Arianna's house. But that's all I am going to do. We'll leave tomorrow early. Make sure you pack enough to last a couple of weeks."

"A couple weeks? I wasn't planning on staying that long!"

"You misunderstand me. It is going to take that long to get there."

* * * * *

Kat was in the midst of packing when there was a knock on her door. She bid the person to enter. She was surprised when she saw that Charles was in her open door way. He had never once came to her private room.

"Did you come to seduce me, Charlie?" she asked him saucily.

"No and how many times have I have asked you not to call me that?"

"I don't know. A few," Kat said as she bent back over her bed and shoved some more clothes into the cloth knapsack that Gracie had given to her.

Charles swallowed roughly as he watched her ass wiggle. Was she doing it deliberately, he wondered.

"If you aren't going to make love to me, quit staring at my ass," Kat said over her shoulder. He jerked as if struck.

"I wasn't staring at your..."

"Ass. You can say it, you know. I can't understand how you were ever mated. You are such a prude," she teased.

"How I mated is none of your business, Katrina. I just came over to make sure that you were packing the appropriate clothing for our trip. I don't want to listen to you complain."

"Rather gracious of you, Charlie. Gracie and Rand told me what kind of clothes to pack. Wear something light but that covers you completely. From what I've been told Areseric is much like the deserts on my world. It's hot, dry and sandy."

"Hot and dry, yes. But we don't have this sand that you speak of. Areseric is comprised of red dust and volcanic ash. We have to wear breathers while traveling. They are unattractive but they will filter the ash and dust."

"Do I look like a woman that is worried about what is attractive?" Charles looked at her and noticed for the first time that she was wearing ragged shorts and stained t-shirt. "Guess you were to busy ogling my ass to notice what I was wearing?"

"I wasn't ogling your ass, damn it!"

"Could have fooled me. I've packed some cotton pants and shirts."

"Let me see them," he growled as he grabbed her sack.

"They will cover me." She yanked the sack out of his hands. Grabbing a pair of the pants laying on the bed she tossed them at him.

"These will do," he said after examining them.

"Good. Do you need to see my bras and panties too?" She smiled wickedly. Reaching into her bag she started to pull them out.

"No, I don't need to see them..." His reply was cut short as she tossed the underwear at him. In reaction, he caught them. He briefly rubbed his thumb across the soft material. He had never felt anything like this before. "What is this made out of?" he asked hoarsely.

"Nylon."

"Nylon. This is an earth fabric?"

"Yes. It is very common on earth."

"It's so soft. We don't have anything like it. We have drya, which is like your cotton. But nothing like this," he said hoarsely as he continued to toy with her underwear.

Kat watched him rub his fingers over her panties. She was close to moaning. She wouldn't be able to wear them now without thinking of his pleasure in her plain jane panties. On earth, most men didn't find anything erotic about nylon. It was silk and lace that they wanted to find on their women when they undressed them. She found silk too slippery and lace too scratchy. Her one tryst with a man had led to him scoffing at her choice of underwear. Aside from his obvious distaste in her undergarments, their coupling had given her nothing but a few moments of pain and then relief that it was over. She hadn't been tempted again until she had come to Venus and actually set her eyes on the man that had been haunting her dreams.

Now, desire was like a living thing inside of her. She wanted him. And she made it quite obvious to him. If only he would take her seriously. He had the attitude that all earthlings were beneath him. She love to be under him but she would never beneath him. She just had to prove to him that she was worth taking the risk on. She had done some research on his first wife. She had been a very beautiful princess. His cousin in fact. She knew that royalty often intermarried but she had been surprised, none the less, when she had discovered that tidbit of information.

"Are you done?"

"What?"

"Can I have my panties back?"

"Oh, of course," he sputtered as his face reddened. His auburn hair and fair complection almost reminded Kat of the Irishmen on Earth. His gorgeous eyes weren't really green but nor were they hazel. They were a beautiful color in between.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he muttered before he headed for her door. "Be ready at sunrise."

"Okay."

* * * * *

Rand was present the next morning to see them off. He hadn't awoken Gracie. As she advanced further along in her pregnancy she needed more sleep and as her chosen he was going to make sure she got it.

"Nervous?" he asked Kat after she came running down the stairs.

"No not really. I was nervous when I first came to Venus. But now that I'm here, I'm fine. I'm excited to go exploring. I haven't been out of Trila since we arrived. Your city is beautiful, Rand but I long to see the other sites of your world. I've seen some beautiful footage from when your father and Colin first arrived on their tour but to see it in person would be a dream come true."

Rand smiled and gave her a fierce hug.

"You've been dreaming about Areseric and Charles for a long time, haven't you?" he asked softly in her ear.

"Yes. It will be wonderful to actually have Charlie show me this wild land. As much as I love Trila, I think I'm going to love Areseric even more."

"You are aware that Areseric is Charles homeland? His family has ruled it for many years. Deanna was the crown princess. When she died it pasted the rein over to Charles. He hasn't been back to since she passed away. So if he's a bit grouchy just remember there are some bad memories waiting there for him."

"Maybe I can replace them with some happy ones. Show him what it looks like through my eyes."

"I wish you the best of luck. Since our cruisers don't work in the Areseric I'm afraid that you will have to travel the old-fashion way."

"And how's that?"

"On zephti."

"Okay, I'll bite. What are zephti?"

"I hope you know how to ride a horse, Katrina," Charles said from behind her.

"They're like horses?"

"Sort of. A cross between a horse and a camel," Rand explained.

"Cool."

"Best of wishes, Kat," Rand said as he pulled her into another fierce hug. "Remember take it easy on him. He'll come around."

"I promise," she whispered.

"And Charles. Take care of her. I want her to arrive in one piece and make it back the same way."

"I won't kill her. Even if she tries to crawl into my bedroll with me," he told Rand as he gave him a friendly hug.

"Good. I'll hold you to that."

* * * * *

Jonathan joined Rand as they watched Kat and Charles leave.

"Do you think that they will make it?" Jonathan asked as they turned and headed back into the palace.

"Yes. They are meant to be together. It is critical that Kat receive this training. She is going to need these skills in the near future. She is a wonderful addition to our world. Lets hope that Charles wises up to the fact that she is perfect for him. Is Pati up yet?"

"No. I thought I would sneak down here and see them off before I go back upstairs and battle with her."

"Is it getting any better?"

"No. That aphrodisiac that Brett gave her with the Raz-ice must have combined. Every morning she wakes up horny and in need of the raz-ice."

"Damn. I wish there was something that we could do for her."

"Me too. I don't mind the horny but I hate having to pin her to the bed every morning."

"Well, if you ever need me or Gracie to come and help, just holler. Gracie and I love Pati."

Jonathan, you need to come right now. Pati is awake. Gracie's voice whispered in his head.

"Shit. She's awake early today." Jonathan and Rand took off at run. As big as Gracie was neither one of them wanted her to get injured trying to sooth Pati.