"I thought it might make it easier if you didn't have to tell her yourself."
"It wouldn't, and if you had told her, I'd be declaring war on you right now."
Laughing, Ixtlil slapped Cuauhtemoc on the shoulder. "I'm glad to see you've found your sense of humor again. Maybe if you weren't so grave all the time, she'd already know you're interested. Smile and make jokes and everything will fall into place. It's always worked for me."
When they reached the doorway to the garden, Cuauhtemoc spotted his mother waiting at the stone table. He stopped Ixtlil. "You can't say anything about any of this to my mother."
"Why in the One World would I talk to your mother about your sex life, or lack thereof, as it may be?"
"Don't mention Malinali at all; not even that she's helping us write the treaty. My mother encourages me to follow my father's example in certain areas, but she finds it alarming that I might follow his lead in others. She'll lecture me about what happened with my father's concubine."
"I shall say nothing."
"And when you go back to Texcoco, take that other woman with you. I won't have ambitious slaves trying to sneak their way into my bed, especially once I start pursuing something more serious with Malinali."
"I suppose that's fair. What do I owe you for her?"
Cuauhtemoc waved him off. "Set her free or make her a concubine for all I care. Getting her out of my palace is payment enough."
¤
The tray was too heavy for Malinali alone, so another slave helped her carry it up to Cuauhtemoc's quarters that afternoon. He sent the other slave away, though, once everything was set out on the floor of the anteroom where he and Ixtlil lounged in the piles of pillows in front of the hearth. He made room for Malinali to sit next to him.
Ixtlil gave her a good-natured smile when she glanced in his direction, but she avoided eye contact. The royal food taster sampled each dish—a barrier to the possibility of clandestinely slipping her love potion into Cuauhtemoc's food—but then he stood at the back of the room, out of the way.
Noticing Malinali hadn't laid a plate for herself, Cuauhtemoc said, "This will take several hours, so please, help yourself to some food."
She glanced at Ixtlil, expecting to find him scandalized, but he was already deep into his roasted tapir and a second cup of chocolate. When she glanced back at Cuauhtemoc he nodded as if to reassure her, so she dished herself a modest portion.
"I've been working on this a little each day, incorporating what you've shared with me, and I think I've made a good start," Cuauhtemoc told her, sifting through the stack of papers in his lap. "Ixtlil and I disagree about certain things so I want your thoughts on those in particular."
"As you wish." She avoided his gaze too, uncertain how Ixtlil would react to their normally casual interactions. Best to play it proper today.
"Ixtlil believes loosening the trade restrictions is good enough, but I think we should offer something more, to prove our good will. We've discussed the issue of sharing our new weapons—"
"You can't give them any muskets, or even steel swords, Your Majesty," she insisted. "Being reckless with this will only make you look a fool, not earn their respect."
Cuauhtemoc nodded. "Agreed, which is why I thought to gift them a horse—a gelded male, with the opportunity to secure a breeding pair if they agree to a military pact."
"It's all nonsense if you ask me," Ixtlil grumbled, tossing a cleaned bone onto his plate. "The Tlaxcalans are a bunch of liars and thieves, and they'll spring at the first opportunity to cut our legs off. Nothing would delight them more than to drag every last citizen of the valley off to their temples for the sacrifice."
Malinali didn't dare look at Ixtlil, so she let her voice carry her annoyance. "The Tlaxcalans aren't any more dishonest than the Mexica, or you Texcocans. The true problem is our inability to change our opinions, about ourselves and others, and if you cannot do that, then you're right, Your Excellency, all this talk of peace is nonsense and a waste of time."
From the corner of her eye, she caught Cuauhtemoc smiling. Ixtlil grunted but said nothing.
"Do you wish my opinion on what you really should do, Revered Speaker?" Malinali continued.
"Of course."
"You can only achieve peace by ending the Flowery Wars."
Ixtlil fumbled with his cup as he coughed. "Preposterous! Without Flowery War, how will we keep the gods fed?"
"The Flowery Wars are the greatest source of animosity between Tlaxcala and the Triple Alliance," Malinali insisted. "Acxotecatl complained about it constantly, especially how Cuitlahuac thought himself so mighty that he could come in and take Tlaxcala's best warriors for the sacrifice at will. So long as the Triple Alliance continues forcing the Flowery War for its own glory, there will never be a military pact, let alone peace with Tlaxcala."
He started to protest again, but Cuauhtemoc raised his hand for silence. "She's right. We can't expect them to promise troops if they fear we'll take those same troops to the sacrifice at any time. The only way we'll get peace is to end the Flowery Wars."
"Then where will we get all the sacrifices the gods demand?" Ixtlil asked.
"We haven't needed the Flowery War for five years now. There are far more important things to consider than how many men our priests sacrifice at the temples."
"Nothing is more important than keeping the gods happy, Cuauhtemoc."
"But who's to say the gods even want so much blood? Some long dead Cihuacoatl bent on his own ambitions for the empire? We've decreased the number of captives dying in the temples for years now, and the gods have smiled on us. The glut of Spanish blood pleased them far more. Making this change now will help us more than hurt us."
Ixtlil glowered. "The priests won't be happy."
"The priests are never happy."
Over the remainder of the meal, Cuauhtemoc drew up the final draft of the proposed treaty while Malinali listened and ate, occasionally offering suggestions or changes. When he and Ixtlil bantered back and forth over terms, she turned her attention to the drawings on the paper in Cuauhtemoc's lap.
The individual pictograms of Mexica writing were tiny and fine in detail, strangely artistic. If she'd grown to majority in her father's house, she would have been taught to read such things, so she could deal with Mexica merchants and diplomats. It surprised her that he knew how to write at all, since such work was typically left for scribes who'd been trained in the art after they were found too weak for war. Cuauhtemoc definitely wasn't weak, and she delighted in his visible strength as she trailed her gaze slowly from the paper up his arms, to his face. If only I could forget what I saw yesterday. She forced her attention back to her food.
Once Cuauhtemoc and Ixtlil finished arguing, Cuauhtemoc asked his friend to have the royal scribes draw up the official document and create copies. Ixtlil bade them goodbye, and a slew of servants came in to gather the dishes.
The royal seamstress arrived as well, carrying a bundle of buckskin clothes under her arm. She bowed as she offered them to Cuauhtemoc. "Wonderful! Glad you were able to get it done so quickly." He motioned to Malinali. "Your riding clothes are ready."
The old woman had come to the slave quarters last night and measured Malinali, but she hadn't said what for. She had grumbled about how difficult "that stupid collar" made it to measure her neck, but she got what she needed and left with nary a word. The other slaves had questioned her about it, but she'd been drowning in her own self-pity and hadn't given it any thought. So he slept with Tayanna then sent the seamstress to make me riding clothes? Every time she thought she understood him, he only became more of an enigma.
"I thought we'd go to the stables as soon as we were done here, to get in some more practice." Cuauhtemoc put the bundle of buckskin in her hands. "Less than a week now before we head for Tlaxcala, and I don't want the journey to be too hard on you."
"I could definitely use the practice," she said.
"You can change in my study." He motioned the woman
over. "Make certain no one disturbs Malinali while she changes clothes." To Malinali, he said, "I'll meet you out here when you're done."
It was unsettling to strip down to her undergarment in the same room where he used to grill her about her past. She hurried into her new clothes, cinching down the pants' ties with fumbling hands. The xicolli was almost dress-length, but splits up both the front and back allowed for sitting without it bunching up at her thighs. Slaves usually went barefoot—the better to move about the palace silently—but the bundle came with both soft buckskin gloves and leather sandals.
"I forgot to give these back to you yesterday," she told him when she returned to the anteroom. She held out his leather gloves, not meeting his gaze. "I probably should have brought them to you last night, but I didn't want to disturb you."
Cuauhtemoc had changed into his riding clothes too. He accepted his gloves with a murmured thank you. "You probably would have missed me anyway. I wasn't in my quarters long before going to the ball game." He cleared his throat as he tucked the gloves into his belt. "Shall we go, then?"
As they walked down the halls to the dock, he broke the uneasy silence between them. "Thank you for all your help with the treaty. You've been invaluable. And you even impressed Ixtlil."
Malinali chuckled. "I thought I irritated him."
"Trust me, he was impressed. He's no doubt scheming ways to take you home for himself, so you can be his advisor."
Finally daring to glance at him, she said, "I trust that would cost him dearly."
He smiled at her. "Very."
¤
"She is quite impressive," Ixtlil admitted as he and Cuauhtemoc dined alone in the garden that night. "And I can see why she stirs you up so badly."
Cuauhtemoc chuckled. "Make fun all you want, but you didn't believe me. She's sharper than most noblemen I know."
"If she were a man, she'd probably make an excellent Cihuacoatl. Which is really a pity, since you'll have to replace Matlatzincatzin soon. He's faded these last few months."
"I will have to start thinking of suitable candidates. I hope he holds on until after my trip to Tlaxcala. I really need to focus on this mission."
Ixtlil grinned. "Difficult with a very beautiful woman at your side."
Rolling his eyes, Cuauhtemoc said, "I'm more concerned about keeping her at my side during the negotiations. It will look suspect if I ask a slave woman to sit with me before the lords of Tlaxcala."
"You'll definitely lose face."
"If only they didn't know she was a slave..." The kernel of an idea began unfurling when he thought back to what Ixtlil had said. "Or maybe I'll tell them she's someone of great importance in the Triple Alliance."
"Who?"
"A candidate for my next Cihuacoatl."
Ixtlil laughed. "Who would ever believe that?"
"You said it yourself; she would make a good Cihuacoatl."
"If she was a man," Ixtlil corrected him.
But Cuauhtemoc shook his head. "It's perfect. It fits completely with my reputation of defying conventional practices."
Ixtlil stared at him over his cup. "You can't be serious."
"I'm very serious. The lords of Tlaxcala aren't fools who underestimate their enemies; if I have a woman at my side that I'm claiming to appoint to a high office, they will pay attention, to understand why. And once they hear Malinali speak.... Yes, it's perfect. I'll need the cooperation of the other delegates in our party, such as your own Cihuacoatl, so I trust you can take care of that for me. I have a lot to do before leaving next week."
Ixtlil shook his head but laughed. "You never fail to exasperate me, Cuauhtemoc, but all right, I'll speak to the other Cihuacoatls and make certain they cooperate with your little ruse."
Chapter Nine
For the rest of the week, Malinali spent most days in Chapultepec with Cuauhtemoc. He trained her in various new horseback riding skills, showing exceptional patience as she muddled through her mistakes. Pialoni proved equally patient, and by the end of the week, Malinali could ride her at a gallop and even do some minor jumping.
But she wasn't entirely comfortable on the horse and wished she had still more time to refine her skills. The stiffness wasn't as bad as the first day, but she was so exhausted at the end of each night that she slept the soundest she ever had in her life. Hopefully this wasn't a taste of what to expect on this trip to Tlaxcala.
A pleasant change came of all this though: Malinali now ate most of her meals with Cuauhtemoc. She still ate her morning tortilla in the slave quarters when she got up, but they ate an afternoon meal together at the usual place in Chapultepec then dined in the evening in Cuauhtemoc's quarters when they got back for the night.
"I have this idea," Cuauhtemoc told her as they settled in for some chili soup and rabbit the last night before leaving for Texcoco.
She'd been distracted by the lack of a food taster at their private meal and so blushed when he repeated his statement. "What do you have in mind?" She poured the chocolate to avoid his gaze and hide her embarrassment.
"I think, when we get to Tlaxcala, you should pose as my new candidate for Cihuacoatl."
She paused mid-motion and nearly made his cup overflow before regaining her wits. "Your Cihuacoatl?"
He nodded. "I saw how well you swayed Ixtlil, and I anticipate needing that exact skill with the Tlaxcalan lords, but men can be...well, to be blunt, we often dismiss women; I've done it myself in the past, but you have shown me my errors. And if they know that I take your opinions seriously enough to grant you the power of the Cihuacoatl, it will be easier for them to take you seriously, too." He took his cup and sipped before adding, "And I must admit, I relish the idea of rattling Acxotecatl. He'll be our biggest obstacle, so the more we push him off-balance, the stronger our position. I want him wondering what you've told me about him."
"I have no objections."
Cuauhtemoc focused on his dinner as he added, "I think it will help ensure that he behaves appropriately towards you. He'll be less likely to act impulsively if he thinks it will land him in serious trouble, even spark war with the Triple Alliance. Best to discourage him altogether."
She hadn't thought about any possible threat Acxotecatl might pose. She hadn't yet told Cuauhtemoc about her son, or how Acxotecatl had stolen their boy and tried to have her killed, but now wasn't the time to fell entirely new trees across their path towards peace. He might not let her go if he knew how deep the hostility ran.
Besides, she loathed to stay behind, what with Tayanna's gloating. Everyone had noticed her changed demeanor, and several whispered that she must have met a man, but Tayanna smiled and said nothing, unexpected from the woman who'd vowed to crow her triumph from the roof of the palace. Malinali avoided her, and Tayanna seemed content with that. Didn't she know Malinali was going to Tlaxcala with Cuauhtemoc and she would be left behind? And without you sneaking to his bed every night, I can make him forget you completely, especially now that he trusts me enough to not bother with food tasters when I bring the meal.
But that too bothered her. He trusted her, and yet she was plotting to bewitch him. It's for his own good. Tayanna is using him whereas I genuinely care for him.
"Are you not hungry?" Cuauhtemoc asked, breaking through her thoughts. "You've hardly touched your food."
Malinali blinked away the unsettled feeling. "I'm fine, just nervous about the trip. I never thought I'd ever go back to Tlaxcala again."
He nodded. "I'm a bit nervous myself. The last time I was at the Tlaxcalan border, I nearly died from a snake bite."
"Things will certainly go much better this time, for both of us." After a few bites, she asked, "Are we to leave in the morning?"
"Ixtlil and I will take the royal barge to Texcoco tonight, so I can get Achicatl settled there. It will take a day to get all our supplies organized, so we'll leave for Tlaxcala in two days. Would you mind going to Chapultepec in the morning, to see our horses safely onto the barge to Texcoco? That way you needn't ride ove
r with the other slaves, and the horses will be well cared for."
"I can do that."
"I'll leave your orders with the head steward. You'll need to be in Chapultepec by sunrise, so I'll let you get to bed." He walked her to the door but stood there, looking strangely indecisive, before saying, "I'll see you in Texcoco."
"Tomorrow," she agreed. But as she started to leave, he called out to her again. Her heart jumped, excitement flowing over her. Maybe he'll ask me to stay the night! The thought was complete lunacy, but her every nerve crackled anyway. "Yes?"
"Do you have a friend...among the slaves, who could serve as your handmaiden on this trip? Someone trustworthy?"
Her shoulders sagged but only a fraction. "Of course. My friend Xochitli. She works at the metlatl stones in the kitchen."
"I'll pass her name on to the head steward before I leave, so let her know she needs to gather with the other slaves at the docks in the morning."
¤
Sleep didn't sweep away Malinali's misery, and she arrived at the docks in Chapultepec feeling surly and hopeless. This was to be her life, making other people happy, whether it was watching their children or their possessions. Until you give Cuauhtemoc that love potion, then he'll devote his every breath to making you happy. But that thought left her feeling worse than before.
The horses awaited her at the docks. Tlazocozcatl greeted her with a warm nuzzle, so she stroked his face and set her cheek against his nose. "Do you ever wish you could run the hills without carrying someone on your back, going to the places you want to go instead of where they want you to go?" He snorted and peered back at her with inky black eyes.
The sun was approaching noontime when they reached the docks at Texcoco, and Malinali's stomach rumbled. But with so much unloading to do, it would be a while before she got to eat anything, and she and one of the soldiers still needed to ride the horses to the royal stable.
The afternoon turned into early evening before the barge was completely unloaded. One of the soldiers helped Malinali up onto Pialoni's saddle then he mounted Tlazocozcatl himself, smoothing out the ruffled green feathers on the xicolli before taking the reins in both hands and setting off into the city.
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