Cuauhtemoc felt as if he'd only just gotten to sleep when someone woke him again. He blinked in confusion at the man leaning over him, but once his brain shook off the fuzziness, he recognized one of his body servants. "Already?" he muttered as he closed his eyes again.
"The day's first hour is nearly upon us, My Lord," the man whispered. "You asked to be woken by then. Do you wish me to summon the lady's handmaiden for her?"
Cuauhtemoc glanced over at Malinali. She was sound asleep next to him, tangled in a mess of blankets someone had covered them with during the night. He smiled as he touched her chin with his fingertips. "No, let her sleep. She's going to need the extra rest to get through today." He sat up and followed his servant into the bath yard.
Once bathed and dressed in his riding clothes, he slipped out of his quarters to the main courtyard, to oversee the packing of the caravan and ensure the horses were properly saddled for the journey. While he brushed Tlazocozcatl in preparation for putting on his saddle, Ixtlil came out of the open doorway.
"My, aren't you looking happy this morning," he said with a sly smile. "I haven't seen you this happy since the first time I got us some courtesans back at school."
Cuauhtemoc snorted.
"It's about time you two stopped dancing around, especially after all that gawking at each other in the garden last night...." He shook his head. "You should listen to me more often. Who knows women better than me?"
"Women are the last thing I'd take advice from you about," Cuauhtemoc chided him. Ixtlil might know all the delightful secrets about the female body, but he sorely lacked when it came to their minds or souls.
Ixtlil laughed. "So, are you going to ask her to become your concubine?" When Cuauhtemoc shot him an irritated glare, he added, "It's not as if you can marry her. At least if she's a concubine, you'd have obligations to her and any children she bore you; she'd always have a home, and food in her belly."
The whole conversation set a pall over Cuauhtemoc's mood. He'd fallen asleep last night holding Malinali and thinking about how wonderful it felt. He'd often held his wife while she slept, too, at least until he became the huey tlatoani and obligations such as to Tecuichpo stepped between them. And here he was setting himself up for that disappointment again.
He set the reed saddle atop the blanket on Tlazocozcatl's back with a sigh. "I suppose that is the best I can offer her," he conceded. Funny how the things that impact us the most are so completely beyond our control.
As he finished dressing Tlazocozcatl in his bridle then started working on Pialoni, a soldier came up and bowed low to the ground. "My Lord."
"Yes?" He gave the man only a cursory glance before turning back to the horse.
"You said yesterday we would speak later," the man started, his voice stoic.
Taking a second look, Cuauhtemoc recognized the man finally. "You're the one who pursued the slave."
"Yes, My Lord, and I come before you to accept my punishment for failing you. I did not adequately protect your property and I humbly accept any consequences you deem worthy of my offense." He remained bowed, staring at Cuauhtemoc's feet.
"What is your name, soldier?"
"Tenoch, My Lord, of the Order of the Jaguar."
"Are you angry that she got away from you?"
"I am angry with myself for letting you down, My Lord, but as for the woman...it wouldn't be honorable to begrudge her skill and resourcefulness when the fault clearly lay with my underestimating her."
"I think far too many people underestimate her," Cuauhtemoc replied. "Would you feel belittled if I assigned you to be her personal guard on this mission?"
The man raised his head; not enough to meet Cuauhtemoc's gaze, but enough for him to see his astonished expression. "I would be honored, My Lord."
"Good. See that slave girl over there?" Cuauhtemoc pointed to Malinali's friend, who was packing a large wicker chest onto the back of a wagon hooked to a large dapple draft horse. "That is My Lady's handmaiden. Go tell her it's time for her to wake Lady Malintzin and get her ready. Then report to your post."
The soldier bowed low again and thanked Cuauhtemoc for his mercy, then he hurried off. Protect her from harm and you shall continue to have my mercy, Cuauhtemoc thought as he went back to dressing Pialoni.
¤
Given how tired she was as Xochitli bathed her, Malinali was glad Cuauhtemoc had let her fall asleep when she did. It had taken quite a bit of prodding to get her up, and the thought of riding a horse right now made her curse under her breath. But memories of Cuauhtemoc's passionate kisses and delicious pleasure mad most of her grumpiness melt away. The warmth spreading through her belly did more to wake her body than the heat of the bath.
But that elation didn't last long. Where was her bag? The one she'd filled with her change of clothing and other necessities for the trip? The last she'd seen, it was tied to Pialoni's saddle, and with everything now cleared from her room, it was nowhere to be found. "Did you happen to see a leather bag with some dresses in it?" she asked Xochitli. "A servant would have brought it from the stables yesterday?"
"Nobody brought anything for you yesterday." When Malinali frowned and made another search of the quarters, she asked, "Was it something important?"
"My whole supply of chipahuacxihuitl for this trip is in that bag. I left it strapped to the saddle yesterday and forgot all about it."
"Oh! That is important." Xochitli looked around a moment then suggested, "Perhaps it's still on the saddle."
Malinali headed for the courtyard where the caravan was staging. Funny how these last few years she'd taken the medicine faithfully every day and yet she found herself without any when she really needed it. She and Cuauhtemoc might not be intimate yet, but she couldn't risk complicating her new-found freedom with an unexpected bundle. She didn't even know where she was going to live, let alone what she would do to support herself once this trip was over.
These worries gave way to a whole new set when she stepped out of the living quarters to find the soldier who had hunted her down yesterday waiting for her. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her stomach sinking.
He bowed and went to one knee before her. "I have been assigned to be your personal guard, My Lady."
"So you can keep an eye on me and make certain I don't run off again?"
"To watch over you, yes, but I haven't any instructions to keep you from going anywhere you wish," he answered, bemusement in his voice.
Malinali scowled. "Who gave you this task?"
"The huey tlatoani himself."
"To punish you?" Or maybe me? Cuauhtemoc was a man with a peculiar sense of humor.
"It's not punishment, My Lady. I am honored the huey tlatoani trusts me to perform such a task."
"Or maybe you're laughing at him for giving you the perfect opportunity to make me miserable."
The guard looked up. "I am not angry at you, My Lady. If anything, I admire your skill, especially on a beast I've heard you've only been learning to ride for a week now."
Malinali stood straighter, surprised by his response. "If I'm any good, it's only because the huey tlatoani is a decent teacher. And you did catch me; you simply couldn't keep hold of me."
The soldier bowed again. "I promise to show better diligence in guarding your life and honor." He then rose to his feet. "The huey tlatoani is waiting for you in the courtyard."
At least a hundred slaves stood in a loose line in the main palace courtyard, talking while they waited for the signal to don their packs. Soldiers milled about, many on foot, but quite a few on horseback. All of the delegates had their own horses as well, and they nodded in greeting as Malinali passed them.
Cuauhtemoc stood next to Tlazocozcatl and Pialoni, and he smiled when he spotted her. Seeing him brought the flush of heat and yearning again. "Did you sleep well?"
She wrung her hands behind her back, not meeting his gaze, embarrassed to remember last night now that so many people were around. "Quite well, thank you."
He handed the reins off to the guard and then motioned her to follow. She did so, over to a couple of servants holding trays of food. "Eat something" he told her. "We'll be leaving soon."
She continued avoiding eye contact as they ate honey-sweetened maize cakes and bits of fruit, and even more so when Ixtlil came to speak with Cuauhtemoc. She barely heard what Ixtlil said to her, but nodded and was glad when he finally moved off. His wife arrived shortly after with Achicatl, who cried and hugged Cuauhtemoc and asked why he had to go.
"It's only for about a week, and I will be back," he promised. "Have fun with your friends and try not to work your handmaiden to death, all right?"
Achicatl nodded, but when she looked up at Malinali, she leaned back into him again and whispered something in his ear. A sad smile crossed his face then he said, "We'll talk about it when I get back, all right?" The girl nodded. She simpered at Malinali but then ran back inside the palace without a word, her handmaiden following her.
Cuauhtemoc finished his last bite of fruit then motioned Malinali to follow him back inside too. She did so, sucking the remnants of the maize cake from her fingers.
Once they were around the corner, out of sight of everyone in the courtyard, he pulled her into his arms then pressed her against the wall with his body. He moved his mouth to hers, parting her lips with his tongue. She kissed him back, digging her fingers into his bare arms, desire roaring in her ears. When they separated to catch their breath, he asked, "Is everything all right?" He cradled her cheek with the palm of his hand.
"Everything is wonderful." She didn't want to let go of his gaze this time.
The worry lines at the corners of his eyes softened, then he leaned in to kiss her again. She laced her arms around his neck then giggled when he lifted her from her feet by standing up straight. He nuzzled her ear, sending chills through her.
But then someone cleared their throat and Cuauhtemoc leaned against the wall next to her, shielding her from whoever had interrupted them. "What is it?" he asked over his shoulder.
"We are ready to leave whenever you are, My Lord," a man replied in a painfully formal tone.
"A moment more, if you wouldn't mind?" Cuauhtemoc grumbled.
"Of course."
Cuauhtemoc continued watching off to the side for a moment before turning back to Malinali, his nose so very close to hers. "May I steal your tongue one last time before we go? I fear you will be too tired for such things when we make camp tonight."
"I shall try not to be." She kissed him again and they held it longer this time, as if one of them were leaving for a month rather than making the three-day journey to Tlaxcala together. When they finally separated, Malinali shivered with pleasure and joy and pulled him into a tight hug. She couldn't wait until she could repay his selflessness from last night.
After straightening themselves, they emerged from the palace and went to their horses.
Seeing Pialoni again reminded Malinali about her missing bag. She checked all around the saddle, but it wasn't there. When the guard came to help her up, she asked, "Did you take the horses to the stable yesterday?"
"I did, My Lady." He hoisted her up onto Pialoni's back then held the reins to steady the horse as she shifted under her.
"What did you do with the bag I'd tied to the saddle?"
"I found no bag, My Lady."
Malinali cursed under her breath. It must have come untied during the chase. She looked around for Xochitli, and when they spotted each other, Malinali motioned her over. "Any chance you can get some chipahuacxihuitl for me from the King's apothecary?"
"I'll try." Xochitli headed off at a jog.
"Forget something?" Cuauhtemoc asked as he backed up Tlazocozcatl, so they sat next to each other.
"Nothing important," she assured him.
¤
When Xochitli didn't seek her out by the time the caravan began moving up the mountain pass, Malinali started worrying. And when she still didn't come to find her by the time they stopped for the first rest period, she feared she'd been left behind in Texcoco. While Cuauhtemoc spoke with the scouts, Malinali went to find her friend, her guard following on his own horse. She rode down the line, pausing every few paces to search the crowd of slaves sitting on the ground eating fruits and nuts to keep up their strength.
She almost gave up hope when she reached the midway point, but then she spotted Xochitli sitting among the other female slaves. Malinali dismounted and Xochitli hurried to her. She kept glancing at the guards patrolling the perimeter.
"I was afraid you might have been left behind," Malinali said when they reached each other.
"I tried to get the chipahuacxihuitl for you, but the slave supervisor wouldn't let me leave the courtyard; some nonsense about not letting any more slaves run away. I tried telling him it was important, but he wouldn't hear of it and he threatened to see me sold to the temple as an incorrigible slave if I didn't get back into line."
"How dare he—" But Malinali snapped her mouth shut. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."
"Don't apologize. Everyone admires what you did. It's all the talk among the slaves. It's one thing to be a debt slave and have hope of regaining your freedom, like myself, but to have no prospects of that...I'd prefer to think I would have the courage to do the same thing." She glanced at the guards again, whom Malinali noticed watching them very closely. "Some of the men have been talking of running, saying they're a bunch of timid peccaries if they don't at least attempt something a woman managed to do. That's why the guards are keeping extra watch over us."
"I hope they don't do anything rash. I'd have to blame myself if they did."
"Blame yourself for giving hope?"
Malinali stood a little taller. "That is a good thing to have, isn't it?"
Xochitli nodded. "I'm sorry I failed to get the chipahuacxihuitl for you."
"I'll have to be careful for the next few moons." Though the thought of discussing this with Cuauhtemoc—when they hadn't even yet truly been to bed together—made her sweat. It sounded presumptuous, and in the past men had laughed at her for asking them to not spill their seed inside her; in one case, the man had hit her and told her she didn't make demands of him.
But when Cuauhtemoc smiled as he helped her down off her horse, all that fear evaporated. He would never treat me so callously. It felt wonderful to trust someone. "I need to talk to you about something." She cast a quick glance at the guards standing nearby then added, "It's private."
"Give us room, men," Cuauhtemoc told the guards, and they moved off out of earshot. "Is this that thing we never got around to talking about last night?" he asked, handing her a tortilla.
"Well, it relates to that. I lost my bag yesterday, and it had my entire supply of chipahuacxihuitl for this trip in it, so when we—if we decide to be intimate...I ask that you pull out...please. Not that I have anything against bearing your child, but this is just now starting and neither of us knows where it will end up, and well...." She took a deep breath against the pain threatening to overcome her. "I foolishly got pregnant once before and the dog who fathered my son—Acxotecatl—he stole him from me and tried to sell me off to the sacrifice when I fought to get my boy back."
Cuauhtemoc stopped chewing. "I'm sorry."
She couldn't hold the tears back anymore. "I know you would never do something so dreadful, but I...I can't—"
"You don't have to explain. I understand." He looked as if he wanted to take her into his arms to comfort her but resisted. "When we decide to make love, I promise to respect your wishes."
The way he said it, with such gentleness and devotion, gave Malinali a thrill she couldn't remember having ever felt before. And it was achingly wonderful.
¤
After the break, Cuauhtemoc rode next to Malinali for a while, but eventually he fell back with his guards, under the pretext of checking the line. Further back, at the front of the slaves, he found his food taster. "I need you to test Lady Malinali's food for her when we get to Tlaxcala."
The man nodded, not questioning. Cuauhtemoc hoped his fears were unnecessary, but now that he knew the full extent of Acxotecatl’s past with Malinali—and that he'd already once tried to kill her—he couldn't take any chances. He'd never met the man, but he was known for being as ruthless a military leader as Cuauhtemoc himself: he'd assassinated both his half-brother and his nephew to take control of Ocotelolco's throne the year following the military victories against the Spanish. The previous ruler had been no friend to the Mexica, but Cuauhtemoc dared say that Acxotecatl was even more unfriendly. His true hope for success rested with Xicotencatl, leader of the alliance, who was known for being downright reasonable on occasion and who exerted a great deal of influence over the other lords.
The day progressed slowly, with the caravan stopping every few hours to rest or eat. They reached the summit of the pass before sunset but went no further, choosing to make camp for the night. The winds were sharp for summer, and Cuauhtemoc stood wrapped in a heavy feathered cloak as he looked down at the valley behind them, watching the sun set to the west while the slaves set up his tent. After looking around for Malinali, he found her at the opposite end of camp, looking out over the plains of Tlaxcala not too far below them, shivering in the dying light.
He stepped up next to her. "Thinking of our mission?"
"Actually, I was thinking about Paynala." She hesitated a breath before saying, "The last time I was here, I looked back and thought I had no hope of ever going back there again. It's a strange feeling knowing that now I can, if I want to."
"You can." He tried not to let fear and disappointment slip into his voice. She has every right to want to go, he reminded himself. You'd feel the same if you'd been dragged off from home when you were a child. "If you wish to go back when we're done in Tlaxcala, I will take you home myself; I'll even make an example of those who stole your throne. I'll make certain it's yours again."
She smiled. "If I want to go back."
But by nightfall, Malinali's pleasant mood had given way to listless exhaustion, and she barely made it through the meal before begging off to go to bed. He followed a while later and chuckled under his breath when he found her already fast asleep. She'd done remarkably well on the trek, considering she hadn't ridden more than a few hours at a time since starting to learn; she was no pampered noblewoman stuck in the rut of luxury, but it was still unsurprising that the day's ride had left her exhausted.
It had been quite a few months since he'd been on such a slogging ride himself, and his own protesting rump muscles reminded him of it. He let his body servants undress him then put him into a nightshirt, then he slipped under the blankets with Malinali. In the privacy of the royal tent, he could afford to be more open with his affections.
She grumbled about the cold but settled back to sleep once she rested her head on his shoulder. With the wind rattling the tent canvas, he was certain it would be a long time before he fell asleep, but her soothing warmth soon lulled him off to dreams where they raced each other on their horses across the plains of Tlaxcala then made love in the tall yellow grass while the horses rested. He woke halfway through the night aroused and desirous, but with her body so heavy with sleep, it would be cruel to wake her.
In the morning, he was glad he hadn't. Even though they slept until well past daybreak, Malinali rose in a surly mood, complaining of stiff, sore muscles and chafed ankles from the stirrups. Cuauhtemoc wrapped her feet with strips of buckskin then tied her sandals around it.
She sat low and sluggish in her saddle as they made the descent onto the plains. She said little and answered only in short bursts when she did speak, her brow constantly furrowed over her eyes. She didn't complain though, even when it was obvious—from how she dismounted at the army camp—that she'd started chafing in less fortunate areas.
"Make certain you get some salve for her, so she doesn't get full-blown saddle sores," he told her handmaiden. Luckily they wouldn't be riding the horses again for a week, so that would give the camp leather-smith time to make her a new saddle for the journey back.
He spent the evening meal discussing logistical details with his commanders for the morning trip into Tlaxcala. Malinali sat with him but said little, instead poking at her food and looking worried. Once the other men left, he poured the two of them cups of chocolate. "Are you feeling all right? You've been very quiet all day."
She glanced up to smile at him, but the consternation didn't vanish. "This journey has been more tedious than I anticipated."
"You're certain that's it?"
Her gaze moved to the young man who took a sip of her chocolate before nodding and handing it to her. "You do realize that Acxotecatl thinks I'm dead?"
"I won't let him hurt you," Cuauhtemoc promised, deadly seriousness filling his voice.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but peace for the empire shouldn't be sacrificed for the life of one woman."
"If you don't want to go—"
"I don't want to cause a war."
"We've already been at war with them for two hundred years, and while I've let them be during my reign, even Acxotecatl would realize the folly of attacking someone so close to the throne. He'd be jabbing a needle in the eye of the sleeping Earth Monster, and she has more than claws to strike him down with now; she has muskets and steel armor, too."
"True, not even Acxotecatl would be so foolish. Never mind me. I'm tired and sore and fearful. I should be stronger than this."
"We all wish we were stronger. That's why we have each other." He stood up and held his hand out to her. "Come along and we'll get ready for bed. We have another early day tomorrow."
He helped her out of her riding clothes then to the bed. She sank down among the furs and blankets, exhausted. "I can't remember the last time I was this sore," she muttered.
He stripped off his own riding clothes, but left on his loincloth, then knelt next to her. "Lay on your stomach."
"I'm exhausted," she protested.
"You'll feel better in the morning," he promised.
She groaned then rolled gingerly onto her belly. "Don't look at my sore behind," she muttered into her arms as she folded them to rest her head on. "I'm certain it's a sorry sight."
He laughed but resisted the urge to look. He'd had his share of saddle sores when he was learning to ride. "I promise not to look so long as you promise to relax and let me do the work." Though he knew that once he started, she wouldn't have any objections.
He pressed his thumbs into her shoulders and worked them in slow circles, pushing harder with each stroke, working his way deep down into the layers of tension and muscle. She cringed and groaned when he switched to using his elbows. "It's uncomfortable now, but your muscles will thank me come morning."
He worked down her back, kneading and tapping her muscles as he went. He'd never done such work himself, but he'd received hundreds of such massages after battles or intense workouts, so he had a good idea of how to do it. When he reached her buttocks, he took care to not touch the places covered with the healing salve but told her everything he was doing, to make his intentions clear. "This is particularly effective against lower back pain."
She said nothing, just lay still, her body completely relaxed, her breathing steady and deep. For a moment he thought she'd fallen asleep, but when he finished with her feet then stretched out beside her, she rested her head on his chest and sighed.
"That was wonderful. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he whispered, and kissed her forehead. He pulled the blankets up over them and within a matter of minutes they both fell off into dream.