by Lani Forbes
The palace bustled with frantic activity. Servants and guards darted back and forth, giving Mayana glimpses into the rooms beyond. Luxurious sitting rooms boasted colorful textiles, courtrooms loomed cold and imposing, and armories glistened with obsidian weapons and warrior costumes. Food stores overflowed with maize and beans and fruits of every color, and an aviary twittered with hundreds of birds. The aroma of baking bread and corn cakes mixed with the perfumes of nobles as they marched purposefully past. Her eyes darted around, hungry to take in every new sight and smell. Usually the Chicome imposed strict curfews because of deeply held superstitions about being out at night, but the constant light that shone through Tollan and the excitement of the arriving noble daughters must have rendered the curfew temporarily obsolete. That, or the city and palace just never slept.
They arrived at an alcove with a crimson curtain, the color of the city of Pahtia, draped across the doorway. Coatl was obviously the healer for Tollan. Mayana imagined a hunched, male version of Nemi who would silently heal her hands with a scowl on his face. She certainly did not expect the incredibly handsome young man who opened the curtain. He couldn’t be any older than her brother Chimalli. Mayana’s stomach clenched the moment his dark eyes found her, and a seductive smile played across his lips.
“Hello,” he purred.
Mayana was pretty sure the sound she made sounded more like a squeak than anything else. She forced herself not to stare at the tanned, highly defined muscles of his chest. Her mouth went dry.
“I’ll wait outside until you’re finished, my lady, and then I will see you to your room.” Xol inclined his head and then left her alone with the glorious creature in the doorway.
Coatl disappeared into the depths of his alcove and Mayana followed with shaky footsteps. The large room smelled strongly of herbs. Shelves bearing various ointments and salves covered the walls. It was much dimmer than the rest of the palace, with a single torch burning in the back corner. She tried to speak, but again, all that came out was a strange high-pitched sound.
“Well, little mouse, how can I be of service?” His eyes appraised her in a way that made Mayana acutely aware of how much of her skin was showing. She wished she could somehow cover herself better.
“I need to heal the scrapes and cuts on my palms.” She stood a little straighter.
“What happened?” he asked, drawing out his words in a bored, disinterested voice.
“I tripped.”
“A clumsy little mouse, are we?” He ran his fingers through his dark curls.
“No, I fell escaping from a jaguar.” She tried to sound as casual as he did, as though escaping from jaguars in the jungle was a typical daily occurrence.
He cocked an eyebrow.
“So the mouse ran away from a cat?”
“Actually, the cat ran away from me,” Mayana said, narrowing her eyes at him. Who was this healer that thought he could speak to a lord’s daughter in such a way?
Coatl snorted with laughter at her proclamation. He may have been handsome, but the healer appeared highly aware of that fact.
“I’ll need to clean the wounds before I heal them,” he said.
Coatl sauntered away with an effortless grace toward the shelves sagging with various stone bottles. He selected a little pot with some kind of yellow paste crusted along its edges and a hollowed gourd bowl.
Coatl gestured for Mayana to sit on one of the many cushions that lined the floor of his room. He sat directly in front of her, and Mayana instinctively scooted back several inches. He placed the bowl beside him and reached out to jingle the bracelets on her wrist. She yanked them out of his reach.
“Jade. You’re from Atl.” It wasn’t a question. “Since your blood is exposed, why don’t you bring some water over for us?” He inclined his head toward the back of the room, where a large painted jar sat against the wall. Mayana could sense the cool water within it.
She heaved a sigh and held her hand out to the jar palm-first. A small stream of water rose from the jar and wriggled toward them before landing in the bowl.
“Well done, little mouse.”
He cleaned her hands with a strip of cloth dipped into the water and then smeared them with the yellow paste. He rubbed the paste into her skin with long, lingering strokes. The way he moved his fingers across her hands was much too intimate, especially when he attempted to catch her eye as he worked the salve. She looked determinedly at the back wall.
“You should be a little nicer to me. You know the healers have the most important job in the empire,” he said with a smirk.
“And why is that?”
“Well, think about it. Without me, your ability would be unsustainable. We wield a tremendous and holy power through healing.”
Mayana’s response stuck in her throat. She had never thought about that before, but what he said was true. Healers from Pahtia were necessary for the continuation of the rituals. Without them, how could the families continue to use their divine abilities without severe consequences?
Coatl finally withdrew a blade from his beaded belt. The ruby handle glinted in the light of the flaming torch as he pricked his finger. Waving his hand over hers, he healed the gashes and scrapes that covered her palms, returning her blood back where it belonged.
Mayana withdrew her hands as fast as she could and rose. She gave him a curt “Thank you” and turned to leave. Before she even made it two steps, Coatl grabbed her wrist and turned her roughly back to face him.
He pulled her in close to him and tipped her head back as though he were going to kiss her. Instead, he reached up and tapped Mayana’s nose with his forefinger.
Her newly healed palms shot to his bare chest and Mayana pushed him away from her with all the strength she could muster. He was taunting her.
Coatl doubled over laughing.
“Oh, you should’ve seen your face.” He gasped for breath between peals of laughter.
“What is wrong with you?” Mayana hissed at him.
“Little mouse.” He gave her a wicked smile full of mischief and held the curtain open for her to leave. “Relax. You might as well have a little fun before you die.”
Chapter
12
Mayana sputtered as Coatl closed the curtain in her face. She wondered how someone that full of himself could possibly be related to her healer back home.
“Let me show you where you will be staying for the time being.” Xol took her attention away from the infuriating healer behind the curtain and gestured down the hall.
For the time being? Oh. He meant until she either moved into the emperor’s rooms … or until she no longer required a room. She suppressed a shudder.
They arrived at a long hallway hung with different-colored curtains. She chanted the names of the various city-states to herself as she passed. Green for Millacatl, purple for Ehecatl, black for Papatlaca, yellow for Ocelotl, red for Pahtia. Sure enough, he led her to the second curtain on the left, a tapestry dyed a dark blue with a woven hieroglyph of Atlacoya. Mayana found the color comforting, a little reminder of her identity.
She tried to catch glimpses of the other girls, but their curtains were pulled closed. Either they didn’t want to be seen, or they had not arrived yet. The black curtain of Papatlaca gave no indication of life behind it. Mayana assumed the room was still awaiting its occupant.
A pair of eyes like tiny dark cacao beans peeked out from behind the red curtain of Pahtia. Coatl’s impression still clung to her like a bad taste in her mouth, so Mayana had no desire to greet the princess from his city. Instead, she thanked Xol once more and practically ran to isolate herself in her room.
Once she entered, Mayana halted in surprise. The room stretched out to twice the size of her room back home and the large chamber danced with the light of several torches. Blue weavings with feathers and jade ornaments covered the walls, and a large fountain trickled reassur
ingly in the corner. Mayana loved the sound of the dancing water.
On the far side, there was no wall at all. Instead, the room simply opened out onto steps that led down to a lush tropical garden. Vines served as the only curtain across the opening. The sounds of monkeys scurrying through the foliage outside kept Mayana from exploring the garden further. She had not had many good experiences with the frisky little creatures, no matter how lucky they were supposed to be.
Her bed mat overflowed with thick animal furs, and beside them sat the baskets her servants had brought from Atl. She rummaged through the clothing that had been packed for her, searching for a familiar blue cotton dress and shawl, but much to her dismay, her aunts knew her too well. They had packed more of the same highly revealing outfits. Mayana silently cursed them all straight to the depths of the underworld.
She stood there glaring at the thin strips of fabric in her hands for several minutes. How was she supposed to tie these by herself?
“Do you need some help?” a soft, nervous voice said behind her.
Mayana spun to find a young woman dressed in red, and she instantly stiffened. This must be the princess from Pahtia, the City of Healers. The girl was much shorter than Mayana and slightly thicker around her middle, making her seem more blocky than curvy. Her dark eyes sparkled with kindness but her rather large nose, unfortunately, dominated her face. She hovered near the doorway and rubbed her arm nervously up and down.
“Or I can leave, I just …” She turned, but her nervousness struck a chord in Mayana’s heart. She looked exactly how Mayana felt.
“No, actually, I would appreciate some help if you’re willing.” Mayana motioned for her to come in.
The princess gave her a meek smile and stepped back into the room.
“I’m Yemania. The princess from …”
“Pahtia?”
“Yes,” she laughed, slightly breathless. “You’re from Atl, right?”
Mayana nodded in confirmation. “I’m Mayana.”
“Is it true you have waterfalls and rivers that run through your whole city? And you travel from place to place in boats?” She reached for the clean fabric and helped Mayana tie it around her chest.
“Yes, we do,” Mayana said, slightly taken aback. She never thought of their canals and boats as anything other than ordinary. Apparently she took them for granted.
“Who is the healer in Atl?” Yemania asked, politely turning away as Mayana changed out of her muddy skirt.
“An older woman named Nemi.”
“She is my great-aunt.” Yemania chattered away like a parrot. “Isn’t she the grumpiest little thing?”
“Absolutely.” Mayana rolled her eyes, remembering Nemi’s disapproving frowns. She let herself relax in Yemania’s company until her father’s words floated back to her. Everything is political, Mayana. As friendly as Yemania seemed, Mayana still needed to guard herself.
“How is Coatl related to you?” she asked, carefully avoiding Yemania’s gaze.
Yemania bit her lip. “You met him already?”
“I met him, yes.” Mayana hoped her voice didn’t sound too cold.
“Coatl is my brother. Please don’t think poorly of me because of him. He can be very …”
“Full of himself? Inappropriate?” She shoved her dirty clothing into a basket a little more roughly than she meant to.
Yemania flinched.
“My father and Coatl do not … get along. Usually immediate family members are kept at the main palace, to perform our rituals to prevent plague, but Coatl and my father always argued about the role of healers in the empire. I think that’s partly why he asked to go to Tollan instead of staying home. He really isn’t as bad as he seems. He was always very kind to me.”
Guilt flooded Mayana’s veins. It was not Yemania’s fault her brother had teased her, and maybe she hadn’t really given him a chance. “I’m sorry … but why are you being so nice to me, if you don’t mind me asking?” She hoped Yemania wasn’t playing with her too.
To her surprise, tears built up in Yemania’s eyes. “Well, look at me.” Yemania gestured to her nose and pudgy stomach. “Do you think the prince will choose someone like me?”
Mayana didn’t know how to respond. She hoped the prince was not so shallow, but she also couldn’t pretend that Yemania’s appearance hadn’t given her a little bit of hope. Mayana instantly shamed herself for such a thought.
“I’m no fool. I know why my father sent me instead of one of my sisters. If another princess is chosen, I will not be a loss. I am expendable.” Yemania refused to look up, but tears flowed freely onto her sandaled feet.
Mayana took in Yemania’s pain as the truth of her situation sank in. Yemania’s father had sent her instead of one of his other daughters because he would rather lose her. He had already written her off as a sacrifice to the emperor. Tears fell from Mayana’s eyes too. Without thinking about what she was doing, Mayana rushed forward and hugged Yemania tightly. She put everything she could not put into words into the embrace.
Yemania broke down into anguished sobs that Mayana could tell she had been holding back for some time. Mayana cried with her. If anyone knew what it felt like to be a disappointment, to not live up to what others thought you should be, she did. The agony and fear churning within her from the moment her father told her about the empress-selection ritual bubbled up and escaped as she cried. Their tears washed them both clean from their misery. It took a long while for either of them to regain her composure.
“I’m s-s-sorry, Mayana. I j-j-just can’t stand the idea of dying alone, and you were the first princess I’ve met that s-s-seems as shaken as I am.”
Mayana wiped her eyes and took a shuddering breath. Apparently looking disheveled with mud all over her skirt had been a recommendation.
“You don’t need to be sorry. None of us deserves to face death alone. I promise we can die together,” Mayana assured her. Yemania must have been a gift from the gods. She was the first person Mayana felt comfortable with since yesterday. She hadn’t realized how much she needed an outlet.
“Do you mean that? We can die together?”
“Absolutely. I know the prince will never pick someone like me. So, I promise you will not face this alone.” Mayana held Yemania by her shoulders and let her gaze bore her seriousness into the daughter of healing. Yemania pulled her in for another embrace and whispered a tremulous “Thank you” in her ear.
Mayana gently pulled away. “It makes me feel better to not face it alone too.”
“Do you know how they will …?” Yemania’s words trailed off significantly, but Mayana knew what she was asking.
“I don’t. Maybe it’s best we don’t know.”
Yemania nodded and looked down at her hands as they twisted in her lap. Mayana personally couldn’t handle thinking about how she would die, so she changed the subject.
“Yemania, I know why your father sent you,” she said. Her voice rang with the authority of her godly heritage. Yemania lifted her head, still sniffling.
“The codex instructs the city-states to send the most beautiful, and he did. Your beauty shines through every inch of you.”
Yemania gave a weak, half-hearted smile. She didn’t believe her, but Mayana meant what she had said. The true core of a person encompassed their whole being. Now that she saw Yemania’s heart, the girl radiated beauty.
Mayana hoped the prince would see Yemania’s beauty as she did, but at the same time, she realized that if he did, it would seal her own fate. How was she supposed to hope for Yemania without dooming herself? Mayana threw her anguished thoughts toward the heavens. She didn’t know how, but she prayed for Ometeotl to find a way to save them both.
Chapter
13
Mayana slept better that night than she had in days. Her father probably wouldn’t approve of her trusting Yemania, but he a
lso had told her to use her heart. She often struggled with following the rituals exactly as the codex instructed, but her compassion did give her the ability to read others better than most. Yemania’s pain was sincere. Mayana did not doubt it for a moment.
The next morning, she woke up to maidservants scurrying around her room. They pulled her off the bed mat and proceeded to touch up the primping job her aunts had done the day before.
“You will be presented to Prince Ahkin before breakfast in a ceremony to prove your royal standing. Each of you will display the power of your divine blood in the manner of your choosing,” a servant girl with a long dark braid told her.
“The manner of my choosing?”
“You may request any supplies you will need, and I will see that they are provided for you.”
Her father had told her there would be tasks to complete. This was the first task … and her first impression. She had to make sure it was memorable. The room started spinning and the voices around her sounded garbled, as though the servants were speaking through water.
“My lady?”
Mayana gave her head a little shake.
“Yes?”
“What supplies will you require for the ceremony?”
“Um.” She swallowed hard. “Some water?”
“How much, my lady? A bowl? A jar?”
Her palms started sweating again. Mayana wished more than anything she could run home and hide behind the waterfall gushing off the temple pyramid in Atl. It was one of her favorite places in the world, listening to the roaring water, watching the rainbows in the mist dancing on the stone wall. An idea hit her like a ball from a ceremonial game.
“I just need a bowl.”
The servant dipped her head and left the room.
“You look beautiful, Mayana.” Yemania appeared in the doorway.
Her red skirt and top did not reveal as much skin as Mayana’s, but it flattered her figure. The designs painted in red on her cheeks distracted from her nose.
“You look beautiful too.” Mayana gave her a sad smile.