As Malinali followed him through the crowds, an uneasy sense of familiarity settled over her. It took a few moments but eventually she placed him: he was the guard who'd taken her to Chapultepec when she tried to flee; the one who'd dragged her around and made her dizzy with fear. That same feeling crept up on her now. He was a big man—bigger than Cuauhtemoc even—and his face looked as if it had never known a smile. He didn't seem to recognize her, though. Perhaps he intimidated slaves all the time, so she was just one more blank face to him.
Most people stepped aside to let them pass, though a bold few reached out and tried to touch the horses. Tlazocozcatl shied from the outstretched hands, tossing his head, and the soldier shouted at the crowd to get back. Pialoni continued moving forward, calm as ever despite the curious hands brushing her sides. Malinali borrowed some of the beast's serenity to ease her own anxiousness.
In the distance, the palace of Texcoco stood above everything else, at the edge of town, built on the side of a hill. The last time she'd been here six years ago, the slave caravan didn't go anywhere near the palace, for if any of them broke free, they needed only run to the courtyard and present themselves to the chief of the guards to gain their freedom. The guards avoided the possibility by tying everyone together with ropes that tightened around everyone's neck if anyone attempted to run.
There was no such barrier to flight this time. The only thing between her and the palace was the streets, the crowds, and that one surly soldier. But he isn't even watching me, is he? she noted. He was instead focused on the curious crowds. She looked towards the palace again, a strange sense of fate settling over her. He's not worried about me at all. I could sneak off down a side alley and he probably wouldn't even notice. The thought set her heart racing with new excitement. She pulled on the reins to slow Pialoni's pace.
But if he catches me, Cuauhtemoc can put me to death. Do I really want to take that chance?
But when will I ever get another chance such as this?
The soldier slipped around the curve ahead, disappearing from sight.
It's now, or I accept being a slave for the rest of my life.
Malinali yanked Pialoni's reins to the left and back. The horse tossed her head and rear up before turning sideways. The crowd blocking a nearby alleyway hurried aside, though many people stopped to stare as she spurred the horse into the shadows. "Out of the way, lest you want to become a slave yourself!" she growled, reminding them of the penalty for impeding her escape. Only Cuauhtemoc and his men could legally stop her now. The stragglers scurried out of her way, and several people hooted encouragement as Pialoni pounded down the dirt street.
But soon shouts and commotion rose back on the main street. Malinali urged Pialoni forward more insistently. She scattered crowds of people as she wove through the streets, shouting with increasing urgency to make them hurry, but to her horror, when she looked around for the palace, trying to get her bearings, she found she was heading back towards the docks instead.
The soldier came out of one of the side roads, Tlazocozcatl mouthing his bit as he pulled him to a stop. He shot a pointed glare at her as he rode up beside her, his horse facing the opposite direction. "Did you get lost again?" He recognized her after all. People stopped to watch as the soldier reached for Pialoni's reins.
Numbness settled over her. The soldier wouldn't buy any excuse this time. There's only one thing to do.
She dug her heels in hard and Pialoni shot off like an arrow, sending people scattering with screams and yells. Malinali held on tight, her heart pounding like a war drum. She'd never ridden so fast, and with so many people in the way, but it was too late to stop now.
"Halt!" the soldier shouted.
Malinali glanced back to see him wrangling Tlazocozcatl around while the horse fought him, foam dripping from his open mouth. She looked forward again in time to see Pialoni three steps from two men carrying a dead deer hanging on a post by its feet.
"Gods no!" she cried, hunkering down and burying her face in the horse's mane, holding on tight. She imagined Pialoni plowing headlong into the carcass and flipping around, pinning her rider to the ground under her immense weight. The men cried out too.
But there came no cracking wood or whinnying screams; instead Malinali's stomach lurched and she felt suspended in midair. The feeling lasted for several ragged breaths, but then her whole body jostled, rattling her teeth as she landed hard in the saddle again. She finally opened her eyes again.
The palace entrance still lay ahead, at the top of the street. Behind her, the men had dropped their load and the soldier thundered up the street after her. Tlazocozcatl leaped over the abandoned deer carcass. "Stop! In the name of the huey tlatoani!" the soldier shouted.
Malinali turned back, determination replacing the fear coursing through her veins. "Faster!" she yelled into the wind, snapping the reins to urge her steed onward. Pialoni wasn't a powerful warhorse, but what she lacked in size, she made up for in speed.
But the soldier still caught up. As they thundered through the courtyard gates, he tried again to grab the reins, but Malinali yanked back, forcing Pialoni to skid her hooves in the dirt, tossing her head high. Tlazocozcatl continued on but slowed. Malinali leaped from Pialoni's back and ran for the palace steps.
"Stop this foolishness now!" The soldier grabbed her by the arm as she tried to fly by and yanked her back, taking her off her feet. "Don't make me turn you in to the huey tlatoani as an incorrigible slave!"
Malinali turned her panicked gaze to the guards gathered at the palace entrance, watching the spectacle with interest. One of the soldiers disappeared into the palace at a run. Perhaps to fetch the chief of the guards, to witness my victory? Or to see me fail?
I've come too far to give up now, she decided. Forgive me, Tlazocozcatl. She pulled as hard as she could, stretching her free arm towards the horse's flank. For a breath she thought her shoulder might dislocate, but when she slapped Tlazocozcatl hard on the rump, the horse reared. The soldier let go to grab his reins, to keep from spilling from his saddle.
Heart hammering harder than ever, Malinali sprinted for the palace entrance, not looking back. Tears flew from her eyes as she took the steps two at a time, sure as ever that she'd feel the soldier's stone grip on her arm before she could reach that final step. That was how her luck had been all her life, and the gods wouldn't choose now, of all times, to finally smile upon her.
But then she collided with the outspread arms of the guards. "That's far enough!" one of them said with a laugh.
"In the name of Tezcatlipoca, protector of slaves, I demand to speak to the chief of the guards!" she panted. She darted a look back into the courtyard, not quite trusting her good fortune.
But the soldier had finally calmed Tlazocozcatl. He swore loudly as he dismounted.
One of the guards grabbed Malinali's collar and squinted at it. "She's one of the huey tlatoani's," he told the other guards. A moment later, they parted as the chief of the guards came to the entrance and the man repeated what he'd told the others. "She made the top of the stairs without a hand on her," he added.
I made it! I actually made it! She thought she might fall over from sheer joy.
The chief of the guards turned to Malinali. "This way." He motioned inside.
Malinali looked back at the soldier again, and a bit of the joy melted away. He climbed the stairs as if he carried a limestone block on his shoulders. What would Cuauhtemoc do to him for losing her?
¤
"You spoke to everyone?" Cuauhtemoc asked Ixtlil as they sat waiting in the garden for the delegates and Malinali to arrive for the feast.
"I said I would." Ixtlil drained his cup and motioned to the servant to refill it. "There was much laughing, but everyone agreed to follow along, so long as she doesn't make a fool of the Triple Alliance."
"She'll do fine." Cuauhtemoc watched their daughters play hide and seek among the copal trees while Ixtlil's eldest son stalked them as if they were deer. When a guard came ou
t of the palace at a determined pace, Cuauhtemoc expected Malinali to follow him out, but he was alone.
The guard bowed before Ixtlil and waited to be acknowledged before standing up straight again. "My Lord, the chief of the guards requires your presence in the throne room." He cast a nervous glance at Cuauhtemoc.
"Is something the matter?" Cuauhtemoc asked.
The guard bowed again and this time didn't look up. "One of your slaves won their freedom by reaching the palace entrance on their own, Revered Speaker."
"One of my slaves?" He rose to his feet, confused.
The guard nodded. "She's in the throne room right now with the chief of the guards."
His heart skipped a beat. She? Cuauhtemoc exchanged glances with Ixtlil, then followed his friend inside, his trepidation growing with every step. It might not be Malinali, he tried to convince himself. But what if it is? What if she leaves and you never get to see her again? His throat tightened. It would serve you right, for not having the backbone to free her yourself when you had the chance.
But when he saw her standing with the chief of the guards in the throne room, filthy with dust and her hair windswept, but with unabashed exhilaration on her face, his fear gave way to unfiltered joy. She's never looked more beautiful and strong!
Ixtlil sat on his reed-woven throne and folded his hands over his lap. "Why have you brought this woman before me today?" he asked, using his seldom-heard regal tone.
The chief of the guards stepped forward and bowed. "In accordance with our traditions, this slave won her freedom today, Your Majesty. She reached the sanctuary of the palace without being legally captured."
"Oh?" Ixtlil motioned Malinali forward and she obeyed, bowing low. "This must be a joyous day for you. Please tell us the tale of your flight to freedom."
She kept her eyes downcast. "There isn't much to tell, Your Majesty. I fled for the palace and Lord Tezcatlipoca was on my side, for I made it."
"Then you were not pursued?"
A soldier dressed in a green-feathered xicolli stepped forward too, and bowed. "I pursued her, My Lord, acting as an agent of my master, the Lord of Tenochtitlan. She fled on horseback and I chased her through the streets of Texcoco, but she outmaneuvered me at the last moment and earned her freedom."
Ixtlil nodded. "I trust none of my citizens were injured in this sport?"
"We showed diligence in the chase, My Lord," the soldier assured him. He then went to his knees before Cuauhtemoc. "I have failed you in my duties, Revered Speaker. I place myself in your hands for the appropriate consequences."
Ordinarily, Cuauhtemoc would be furious about one of his men failing him, yet he couldn't imagine being anything but grateful for this man's failure right now. Malinali flinched when the soldier spoke of punishments, so Cuauhtemoc quickly replied, "Let us not speak of such things now. I wish to grant this woman her hard-won—and much-deserved—freedom." He looked to Ixtlil for permission: this was his palace, after all.
Ixtlil nodded. "As you wish."
Cuauhtemoc stepped up to Malinali. She hunkered down more, not meeting his gaze, so he whispered, "Don’t be afraid. Rise and let me free you of your bondage."
After the briefest of hesitation, Malinali stood then met his gaze. She watched him with a curiously melancholy expression as he worked out the wooden dowel that held the collar together at the back of her neck. When he finally finished, he set it in her hand first, followed by the rest of the collar. Finally he could see the neck he'd spent hours daydreaming about.
But what he saw made his gut clench. Years of wearing that collar had left her skin callused and dark with tiny splinters. "You're now your own woman, free to go as you wish." He tried to smile but his facial muscles refused to work right.
She blinked back tears and tried to speak, but it came out as a choked hiss. She swallowed hard then finally managed, "May I have a private audience, My Lord? I'll only take a few moments of your time."
"Of course." To Ixtlil, he said, "I'll be along soon."
Ixtlil nodded then dismissed everyone, leaving Cuauhtemoc alone with Malinali in the throne room. Cuauhtemoc's guards lingered outside the back door.
Malinali stared at the remnants of her slave collar. "I didn't do this to spite you."
"I didn't think you did." Luckily his voice didn't break.
"It's just...I've spent my entire life seeing to the needs of everyone else, sacrificing my own happiness, so when I saw my opportunity, I couldn't let it pass—"
"You don't have to explain. I'm glad you did it."
"You are?"
He set his hands on her shoulders, but when his gaze fell to the mess on her neck, he closed his eyes. "I should have freed you myself, Malinali, but I wasn't strong enough. I'm glad that you seized your freedom instead of waiting for me to do the right thing." Feeling a tremor welling up inside him, he stepped away from her. "Will you go back home now, to Paynala, and demand your throne back?"
She shook her head. "Maybe someday, but I made a promise."
"Promise?"
"To help you in Tlaxcala, of course."
Cuauhtemoc shook his head. "I won't hold you to that."
Malinali looked away, crestfallen. "I understand if you don't want me to come with you now—"
"Of course I want you with me, Malinali. I can't do this without you."
"That's flattering, but I have every confidence that you'd get along fine without me."
"No, I wouldn't." This time, his voice cracked and he had to clear his throat before continuing. "I hesitated to free you not because I feared for the peace with Tlaxcala. I was...afraid you would leave me."
"Oh?" She sounded genuinely surprised, yet a spark of excitement burned in her eyes. "You really thought I would?"
He nodded.
"Well...I'm not going anywhere, My Lord."
He wanted to pull her to him and hug her fiercely, but he got only as far as moving closer to her. It still troubled him that he might step over an unspoken boundary by pressing further, but then she turned her chin up to meet his gaze. She parted her lips, as if wanting to say something, but she hesitated too. Just do it! Finally abandoning all caution, he leaned in to kiss her.
She met him halfway, rising to tiptoes, and when he offered her his tongue, she freely met it with her own. Her eager acceptance stoked his desire like a brisk wind on a wildfire and he pulled her to him in a crushing hug. She ran her hands up over his shoulders and bunched the feathers between her fingers, pulling him still closer to her. He imagined backing her up against the wall across the great hall and making love to her until she cried out in pleasure. But the image of them stumbling blindly past the mats and pillows littering the floor, and tripping over the jagged stone statues of the gods brought a laugh bubbling to his lips, making him break off the kiss.
His bemusement cooled though when he looked down at her callused neck again. "Can you ever forgive me for being too weak to see past my own selfishness?"
"If you can forgive me for thinking you were ever anything but an honorable man," she said and inhaled deep when he ran his tongue up to her ear, scraping his front teeth against her lobe. "Though this last week, I'd started hoping that maybe...possibly...."
He smiled. "That I might want you?" He kissed her again until they were both breathless. "I do want you; I want the brilliant woman who will win us peace, the woman who warns me when I'm acting stupid, and I especially want the woman who's not afraid to grab her freedom."
"I want you too." She kissed him this time, knotting her fists in his cape.
He gathered her into his arms again, the desire growing, but when her stomach rumbled, he laughed. It was always something getting in the way.... "Sounds as if food is what you really want, my dear," he teased.
She grinned, her face dark with embarrassment. "I haven't eaten since before sunrise."
"Then let's take care of your loud stomach." He offered her his arm.
"But I'm a complete mess," she protested.
"T
hen you can wash up first."
¤
Cuauhtemoc's Texcocan quarters were more impressive than the ones back in Tenochtitlan. Eleven large rooms clustered around a central courtyard filled with flowers and small trees, and statues of the goggle-eyed rain god Tlaloc hid among the bushes. The front wall of Cuauhtemoc's personal quarters took up one entire end of the courtyard, and he led Malinali over to one of the doorways closest to it, on the left side. "These are your quarters." He held open the red curtain emblazoned with his royal crest.
The room itself was twice the size of Tenochtitlan's royal slave dormitories, and was divided up into smaller rooms, much like the royal quarters at home. Decorative spears and swords hung on the walls, accenting murals of battle and war.
"These are my Cihuacoatl's quarters when he stays here," Cuauhtemoc offered in explanation when she looked around with a frown. "It's just for one night." He directed her to a large wicker chest sitting at the foot of the bed, and he pulled off the lid to reveal it full of fine dresses. "You can find something in here to wear. I had the royal seamstress make these for you."
Malinali peered into the chest. "For me? Really?"
He nodded. "So you would look the part of a future Cihuacoatl." He motioned for her to follow him and they went back out into the courtyard and down a side passage. "Your friend is waiting for you in the women's bath yard. She'll help you bathe and dress."
"I can bathe and dress myself," Malinali said with a sardonic smile.
"I know, but we must keep up appearances." When they reached the end of the hallway, he glanced back the way they'd come. "You never know who is watching. That's why I put you in the Cihuacoatl's quarters." He stole another kiss, leaving her feeling pleasantly intoxicated. "Take your time, and enjoy a little luxury." He winked then left her feeling overwhelmingly hot.
"I'm in a dream," she murmured, but as she turned to leave, she remembered her herb pouch tied under her dress. Don't need any stupid love potion anymore. But she didn't want Xochitli finding it; she trusted her to keep her secrets, no matter how stupid they were, but if she were caught with the powder, best not to involve her friend. She returned to her room and stuffed the pouch down the side of the large wicker basket, making certain it was underneath everything. She would find a private moment to dispose of the potion later.
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