"She’s too old," Cuauhtemoc’s mother complained as she walked with him to the great hall for the wedding ceremony. She'd looked as if the vein in her forehead might rupture when she learned Ixtlil called off the betrothal, but she kept an icy politeness when she met Malinali. Later she tried her usual tactic of ranting and raving, appealing to Cuauhtemoc's emotional and social obligations to her, and since that failed to change his mind, she now resorted to appealing to his logic. "You're being a fool, rushing into a marriage two days after announcing it to the Council."
"I consulted the soothsayers and today is a good day for such things," he told her, ever patient.
"But how can you know anything at all about her after so little time? How do you even know she can still have children?"
"She’s not that old, Mother. She's five years younger than me."
"It doesn’t matter how old you are; a man can be a hundred and still sire heirs, but women don’t have that luxury. The childbearing season is short-lived. She could be barren for all you know."
"She's not."
"You can't know that."
"She's already had one child."
That vein on his mother's forehead began pulsing again. "By whom?"
"It's of no consequence. I've accepted her past, blemishes and all, and she accepts mine. I'm more interested in our future together."
His mother sniffed. "Even if she can still have children, she has perhaps ten years left to do so? Xocotzin is young, and her hips are good. She'll give you many children."
"Or she could die of complications with her first child. You don't know; no one but the gods know, and they brought Malintzin to me. You've always told me to listen to the gods, and that's what I'm doing."
"But she's a slave, Cuauhtemoc!" she hissed between clenched teeth. "How can you forget what happened with that slave who wormed her way into your father's bed—"
He took his mother's hand in between his, calming the slight palsy in it. "Mother, you picked my first wife—and you did a wonderful job finding me someone not only politically important, but someone I could love. But I'm not a boy anymore. You trust me with the empire, so trust me with my own heart. Please."
She sighed, resigned. "Very well. But be wise and get her with child as soon and as often as you can, and pray to the gods you don’t lose her as you did the first two."
"I'll take that as your blessing." He kissed her cheek.
Most of the city's nobles already crowded the great hall, and everyone bowed to the ground when Cuauhtemoc entered. He strode between the lines of guards keeping a center aisle clear for him. His royal icpalli had been removed from the dais, replaced by the long, quetzal-feathered mat used in royal marriage ceremonies. The high priest of the Feathered Serpent—dressed in white robes rather than the black ones worn by the other orders—stood waiting behind the mat, and he too bowed when Cuauhtemoc approached. "Thank you for doing this on such short notice," Cuauhtemoc told him.
"It is always an honor to serve you, Revered Speaker."
A few moments later, a hush settled over the room, and Cuauhtemoc looked up from nervously straightening his cloak to see Malinali entering the great hall.
She sat atop a litter carried by her female servants, wearing a rather plain white dress. But paired with her heron-feathered headdress, she shone like the sun. She wore an expression of uncertainty, but when Cuauhtemoc helped her down from the litter, and whispered, "You're stunning today," her face flushed and she gave him a coy smile. He led her to the mat where they knelt before the high priest of the Feathered Serpent.
Royal weddings often involved hours of speeches by noblemen, priests, and kings talking about the importance of the sacred marriage vow and both parties' role in maintaining the sanctity of it. Additionally, young brides had to endure the ritual chastisements of the older women, lecturing them on how to be good, obedient wives; Malinali staunchly refused to sit listening to such things, but she compromised by participating in the traditional bride procession through the city, meant to show her off as the new queen.
With the wedding taking place on such short notice, Ixtlil delivered the only speech, starting with a poem written by his grandfather, extolling the virtues of friendship and loyalty. He finished with a heartfelt retelling of the story of Iztaccihuitl, daughter of an emperor, who died of grief when her father tricked her into believing the man she loved had died in battle. "And when her love Popocatepetl returned to find her dead, he too died of grief, and their bodies became the mountains surrounding the valley, and to this very day, the mountain we call Popocatepetl still spews fire and rages for the tragic loss of his love."
Cuauhtemoc smiled as his friend bowed and stepped away, back to his spot in the crowd. An excellent choice of story, Ixtlil, he thought.
The actual binding took only a moment. The high priest said a few words about fidelity and obligation—to both each other and the gods—then he tied the edge of Cuauhtemoc's cape to Malinali's dress, much the way Cuauhtemoc had done in the garden. The crowd greeted this with cheers and hoots, and Cuauhtemoc celebrated by giving Malinali a passionate kiss. When their lips lingered, the high priest cleared his throat and reminded them, "The gods ask that you observe four days of cleansing prayer before consummating your new marriage."
Cuauhtemoc chuckled and sighed. "Of course."
The marriage feast began immediately after the tying ceremony. An army of servants carried plates of food and jugs of drink filled with everything from water to octli out of the kitchens in waves. Cuauhtemoc and Malinali ate only plain tamales—the traditional first meal brides and grooms shared. The court musicians played flutes and drums while everyone ate and laughed and talked. When it came time for the bride and groom to retire to their quarters to begin the traditional wedding prayers, the noble families lined up to congratulate them on their nuptials. The guards had done an admirable job of keeping Acxotecatl away from them since the Tlaxcalans arrived, but it would be a slight against their new allies to deny him the privilege of wishing them well. When the time came to speak with him though, Cuauhtemoc resolved to make it quick and do all the speaking himself.
To his surprise, Acxotecatl wasn't in the receiving line, and had disappeared from the feast hall. Malinali looked relieved when they made it to their guards at the doorway and Cuauhtemoc gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"I thought we'd take our prayers in the Cihuacoatl's palace, so we'll have solitude," Cuauhtemoc told her as they walked down the hall. And while Acxotecatl might not have bothered Malinali yet, with the Tlaxcalan delegation staying in the royal palace, there was less chance of him seeking them out there.
But when they reached the courtyard, a voice called out to them from inside the palace. Cuauhtemoc's flesh prickled but he made himself stop and turn around.
Acxotecatl came down the stone stairs, followed by his own guards, a jovial expression on his face. "Forgive my missing the receiving line, Revered Speaker, but I'm afraid my bladder is the demanding sort."
Malinali put on her diplomatic smile, and Cuauhtemoc matched it as he accepted the lord's polite bow.
"Congratulations on your marriage. I'm sorry we've been unable to speak with each other yet this trip, but I've been working with Lord Ohtli on settling into his new position."
"We have all been unexpectedly busy," Cuauhtemoc acknowledged, trying hard to keep his voice from sounding overly stony. "I'm pleased you and Lord Xicotencatl were able to stay for the wedding."
"I wouldn't miss it for anything, My Lord. I'm leaving before daybreak though, so I'm glad we finally had a chance to talk." Acxotecatl then turned to Malinali. "I'm especially glad I'm finally able to return this to you, My Lady." He held up a little leather bag. "I tried all week to do so, but I was never able to get an audience with you. You left it under the mats in your room back in Tlaxcala, and I'm certain you feel terribly lost without it."
Malinali stared at it, a startled look on her face.
Cuauhtemoc grabbed the bag, his temper flaring. What game was this dog playing at? "What makes you think it’s hers?"
"Her name symbol is on it."
Cuauhtemoc looked at it, confirming the pictogram for grass sewn onto the side in black thread. When he glanced at Malinali, she didn’t look at him. "This is yours?"
After a hesitation, she answered, "It is." She choked on the words.
He opened it to find a small amount of gray powder inside. He rubbed it between his fingers. "What is this?"
Malinali opened her mouth to speak but stopped.
After she struggled a moment, Acxotecatl offered, "I wondered as much myself, so I asked one of our priests to look at it. He identified it as a love potion, the kind typically brewed by witches. They mix it in a beverage then trick their victim into drinking it."
Cuauhtemoc nearly laughed at the absurd accusation, but when he looked at Malinali, she was panic-stricken, and when she met his gaze, the guilt shone plain in her eyes. His jaw tightened, sickening heat rising inside him. "Is that what this is?" He barely kept the incredulity from his voice.
She swallowed hard. "It is."
At least she didn’t lie about it. But it gave him no comfort. Dear gods, how long has she been feeding me this? And why? To make me love her? To manipulate her way into my bed? To manipulate her way into power? How could I be so foolish as to fall for such a ruse? A storm of anger and pain swelled in his chest. He should have known better; this was exactly the kind of woman his mother had warned him about—the woman the gods had shown him in the Black Lake—but he didn't listen. "How could you do this?" His voice shook with the same rage as it had that day she'd accused him of murdering Tecuichpo.
"Cuauhtemoc, I...." She choked on the words though.
He knew what he had to do: the penalty for trying to influence the huey tlatoani of the One World with magic was death. But the pain swelling in his chest made it impossible to utter the condemning order. He turned from her, squeezing the bag in his fist. "Get out of my sight," he muttered.
Malinali stared at him, disbelief and distress on her face. She looked about ready to speak again but then she burst into tears and ran from the courtyard. Her guards watched her go, stunned and confused looks on their faces, but eventually Tenoch jogged after her, convincing the other guard that he should follow as well. All three disappeared into the sacred precinct.
Seeing the amused grin on Acxotecatl’s face, Cuauhtemoc nearly lunged at him—and the threat must have been plain on his face, for the other man backed away, the pleased look suddenly gone. Cuauhtemoc took a deep breath, calming the blinding fury, then he cut past him, back into the palace, his own guards jogging to keep up with him.
He made it all the way to his anteroom before the turmoil chewing him up inside finally broke loose. He snatched the skull of Hernán Cortés off the mantle and threw it at the maguey screen wall of his study. The blow took down the screen, scattering papers and quills from the desk on the other side. The lime-white skull lay in five pieces, the cranium laced with cracks and missing shards, but it still grinned at him, enjoying his heartache.
He collapsed against the wall next to the hearth and sank slowly to the floor, the tears squeezing past his defenses. Why had I ever been foolish enough to believe anyone can ever truly escape the destinies the gods lay out for us?
¤
Malinali cried all the way back to the Cihuacoatl's palace, and Tenoch and her other guard ran to keep up with her. She wished they wouldn't bother, but Cuauhtemoc hadn't relieved them of their duties to her, so of course they would remain steady as always. She needed to be alone with her shame and anger, and she only got it once she reached her quarters and collapsed on the bed, weeping.
But when Xochitli arrived and took her into her arms to comfort her, she realized she didn't really want to be alone after all. "Why was I such a fool, so pathetic? So what if I caught him with Tayanna? Sex doesn’t equal love, but still I went out of my mind over it!" She hid her face in Xochitli's shoulder, but her friend said nothing, merely stroked her hair and held her.
She drowsed off in the silence, but she woke with a start when the bells on her door curtain rang. Predawn gray leaked through the open window. She scrambled to her feet when Tenoch came inside, a hard look on his face. Xochitli—who had been sitting next to her bed all night—rose too, putting herself between Malinali and Tenoch. He's come to arrest me. Her stomach knotted. Last night she'd thanked the gods that Cuauhtemoc hadn't demanded her head right there in the courtyard, but she knew it had been shock that had saved her, not mercy.
"Pack a bag for My Lady," Tenoch told Xochitli. "We're departing before sunrise."
"What?" Malinali asked, unsure she'd heard him right.
He cast a disgusted look at her but answered, "I have my orders." He stepped out again, closing the curtain behind him.
Xochitli hurried into the side room where Malinali kept her clothing. When she returned a moment later to see Malinali sitting on the bed, dumbfounded, she said, "You should change clothes, My Lady. Your dress isn't appropriate for travel."
She stared down at her wedding dress before conceding, "You're right." She hurried into her dressing room and changed into her buckskin pants and her riding xicolli.
"I packed some of your jewelry, so we'll have something to barter with," Xochitli told her, shouldering the pack.
"You should stay. They'll consider you a runaway slave, and if you're caught—"
"I'm coming with you, and that's my decision to make."
Malinali frowned even as gratefulness threatened her with fresh tears. "Then we'd best hurry."
¤
At daybreak, Cuauhtemoc went down to the gardens, looking for some breakfast, but to his surprise, the Council was at the table, eating. Wedding feasts often lasted into the darkest hours of the night, but none of them had gone to bed yet, and they were still talking over platters of food. Lord Zolin was particularly boisterous, sloshing his cup of chocolate as he roared with laughter. Even more surprising, Ixtlil's wife was with them, leaning against Ixtlil so he could keep an arm around her and feed her bites of fried prickly pear with his free hand. She blushed but smiled when he whispered in her ear. Cuauhtemoc had never seen them so intimate.
Ixtlil must have taken my words to heart. But the joy of seeing them mend things wasn't enough to let him forget the raw wound in his own heart.
When Ixtlil saw him, he laughed and rose to greet him. "Aren't you supposed to be praying for a fruitful marriage?"
Papantzin looked behind Cuauhtemoc. "Isn't Malintzin coming to breakfast too?"
Everyone's eyes came to him, and the truth felt like a rock in his gut. He had to tell the Council that Malinali wasn't the Cihuacoatl anymore, so they could find her replacement as soon as possible, but imagining the looks on their faces when he admitted that she tricked him, that she'd made him a fool—a lovesick fool, of all things.... They'd lose all faith in him. And gods! He could hear his mother already. I warned you about bedding your slaves, Cuauhtemoc! You're just like your father!
And how would he explain sending Malinali away instead of putting her on trial for witchcraft? He shouldn't have done that, but imagining the guards garroting her in front of the entire city had left him unable to breathe. It's the magic speaking, he told himself, but it didn't completely convince him. Better to let her get away than be wrong and never able to forgive himself.
"Lady Malintzin received an urgent message from her family last night," Cuauhtemoc said, struggling to keep his voice level. "Her mother fell gravely ill on the way back to Paynala, so Malintzin went to sit at her deathbed."
Zolin raised his cup. "Your wife is an inspiration to us all, My Lord."
Cuauhtemoc smiled wanly then joined the table, sitting next to Ixtlil.
"Will she be gone long?" Papantzin asked.
"A while, I imagine," he answered with a frown.
Ixtlil clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be just fine."
¤
It took until daybreak for Tenoch to row the canoe all the way to Texcoco, and from there he, Xochitli, and Malinali took the mountain pass, heading east towards Tlaxcala. After several hours of walking, Malinali's legs felt like hot wax. Too much luxurious living, she thought, but she refused to complain. Tenoch had hardly said a word to her since they'd left Tenochtitlan, and she didn't want him thinking her weak and pathetic.
Eventually they stopped to share some of the tortillas he'd packed in a bag for the journey. They ate in silence, for the day's heat was oppressive. Malinali couldn't wait until they reached the pass, where the weather would be cooler and they could finally get some sleep. The little bit she'd gotten the night before was quickly wearing away.
Tenoch tied his bag closed then stared down at his second tortilla. "Why did you do it?"
Malinali looked up, startled. "Do what?" But when he cast an icy glare at her, she bowed her head. "I've been asking myself that same question all day, and all I can conclude is that I was stupid."
"You aren't stupid—" Xochitli said, but Tenoch held up his hand to silence her.
"No, you're not stupid; you're evil, and you should be put down, for crimes against the empire."
Xochitli stood between Malinali and Tenoch, drawing a knife from the sheath at her belt. "Best not even try."
He guffawed. "I won't. Unlike some, I'm loyal to my huey tlatoani. When he gives me orders, I follow them, and I'd rather die than betray that."
"I was loyal to Cuauhtemoc too," Malinali shot back.
Tenoch laughed. "And you show it by bewitching him?"
"I didn't bewitch him."
"Liar."
Malinali sprang to her feet, clenching her fists. "Yes, I made the potion, but I never gave it to him!"
"You didn't?" Xochitli asked.
Malinali shook her head, tears choking her. "How pathetic, thinking I needed magic to make him love me when he already did, and more. I share your contempt for me, Tenoch, because I deserve it."
Tenoch stared at her a moment before looking away, perturbed. "I have my orders and I will fulfill them."
"What are your orders, exactly?"
"Take you away from the valley and keep watch over you, until the huey tlatoani gives me new orders."
New orders to dispose of me, perhaps? "Will you take me all the way to Paynala then?"
"If that’s where you wish to go."
She started to answer, but suddenly soldiers sprang out of the bushes all around them, swords drawn and bows and arrows ready.
Tenoch sprang to his feet, drawing his sword, but almost immediately he took an arrow to the shoulder. He fell backwards over the rock he'd been sitting on.
"Don't stand there. Get her!" a familiar voice called from the road ahead of them.
Tenoch stood again but three soldiers dragged him away cursing and yelling. Another one wrenched Xochitli away while she kicked and screamed.
Malinali drew an obsidian dagger from her belt and slashed Xochitli's captor across the back, making him drop her with a crying howl. "Run!" she shouted at her friend as two soldiers advanced on her, their swords ready to deflect any counterattack.
Xochitli didn't run though. She grabbed her captor's dropped sword and rushed to help, but she took a swift kick to the gut from one of the soldiers, leaving her gagging on all fours.
Malinali swung her blade, but one man stopped her arm with both hands while the second one punched her in the side, sending pain blazing into her chest. She fell to the dirt, struggling to breathe as the soldiers disarmed her and threw her blade into the bushes. They wrestled her to her feet again and held her arms behind her.
"Look at what I caught!" Acxotecatl stepped out of the trees onto the road, a triumphant sneer on his face. "A slippery little Snake Woman. I should have known Cuauhtemoc wouldn't have the stones to give you the death sentence you deserve. One simply cannot trust others to do the work for them." He pulled an obsidian blade and advanced on her.
Malinali tried to break free but the men held her firm.
She expected Acxotecatl to bury the knife in her gut, but instead he stood studying her face. "You always did have a mesmerizing look about you, such delicate cheekbones, such soft, sensual skin." He slashed the blade across her cheek.
She gasped, startled, but once the blood began dripping warm down her cheek, the stinging set in.
"Well, you used to have a face worth staring at for hours." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "How do you wish to die? Swiftly, as a warrior facing the eagle stone, or slowly, like a cowardly dog that runs from the battlefield in fear?"
"Or maybe you should be a man, Acxotecatl, and face her like a gladiator before the sacrifice," Xicotencatl came up the road behind them, flanked by a small regiment of soldiers. "Certainly a seasoned warrior such as yourself doesn't need two men to hold down a woman so you can gut her."
Malinali didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Acxotecatl glared at Xicotencatl, but then he nodded at the soldiers. They shoved Malinali so she landed on her knees at his feet.
Not waiting for him to attack, Malinali scrambled away on hands and knees, searching for anything to defend herself with—a rock, a sharp stick. When she heard him coming up behind her, she scooped up a handful of dirt and flung it at him.
Acxotecatl raised his hands to shield his eyes, but too late. He stumbled backwards a few steps, cursing as he blinked tearing eyes. Malinali continued crawling away.
Xicotencatl chuckled as Acxotecatl rubbed furiously at his eyes. "What could this poor woman have possibly done to earn such deadly ire?"
"She gave me this," Acxotecatl snarled, pointing at his scar. He then stalked after Malinali again, murder in his eyes.
Malinali reached the edge of the road and tried to pull a large rock out of the ground. It wouldn't budge though. Just then she saw her knife lying among the tall grasses, where the soldier had thrown it. She snatched it up.
She swung around to find Acxotecatl looming over her and without second thought, she drove the blade home.
He dropped his own knife in surprise and stumbled backwards, staring down at the dagger handle sticking out from under the hem of his xicolli. He pulled it out as if it was a mere splinter, but the crimson spot spread quickly on the white maguey fabric. His guards moved to catch him as his knees gave out under him.
But when Xicotencatl waved them away, they hesitantly set Acxotecatl down on the ground. Acxotecatl raised a hand at his fellow lord, imploring help. "Do you see now where clinging to the past gets us, Acxotecatl? Had you actually killed her, I would have had to kill you too, to prevent war with the Triple Alliance."
Acxotecatl stared at him, eyes wide, but with a final groan, he dropped his hand to the ground.
Turning from the body, Xicotencatl asked, "What made you give him that scar, My Lady?"
"He took my son and gave him to his wife." Tears choked her voice.
"Nauyotl is your boy?"
She nodded. "I was a slave...and Lord Acxotecatl took a liking to me...." It embarrassed her to admit any more.
"The first time I saw you, I thought you looked familiar." He turned his gaze back down to Acxotecatl and shook his head. "The gods finally caught up with him."
"What will become of Nauyotl now?"
"He is the heir to his father's throne but he's much too young for such a responsibility. Which means Acxotecatl's brothers and cousins will scramble to claim it themselves."
"Please, you must protect him!" Malinali insisted. "I know he's not supposed to go to Tenochtitlan until he's old enough to go into the House of Warriors, but they'll come after him. He'll only be safe in Tenochtitlan."
"He will be taken care of."
"But what about you, My Lady? Tenoch is injured and you can't return to the valley," Xochitli said.
"I am well enough to continue on." Tenoch shrugged off the soldiers who'd been holding him, then, gritting his teeth, he pulled the arrow out of his shoulder. "It's merely a scratch."
"That's hardly a scratch." Malinali took her cloak off and shredded it into strips to wrap his bloody shoulder. "You and Xochitli should go back, before I get one of you killed."
"I have my orders, and I fully intend to carry them out."
"And I'm not going back until I know you're safe," Xochitli added.
Xicotencatl scrutinized Malinali as she bound Tenoch's wound. "Then Acxotecatl was telling the truth? You really bewitched Cuauhtemoc with a love potion?"
"I didn't bewitch him!" Malinali gave a sharp tug on the cotton bindings before adding, "Not that I'd expect you to believe me; no one does."
After a contemplative pause, he said, "Well, you did help bring peace between Tlaxcala and the Triple Alliance for the first time in hundreds of years, and that is no small favor. For that, I will escort you and your people as far as the nearest city, so your man can get medical attention, but I warn you not to overstay your welcome in Tlaxcalan lands. I don't know why Cuauhtemoc let you go, but if he demands I return you to him, know that I value peace more than I do your life."
"I wouldn't ask you to go to war on my account."
"And whatever passed between you and Acxotecatl matters not to me; your son's future is in Tlaxcala, on his father's throne, and any attempts to interfere with Nauyotl will be met with great prejudice." He pinned her with his dagger-like gaze. "If you come to the capital looking for him, you will forfeit your life."
"I won't. Just promise me that you will send Nauyotl to Cuauhtemoc, where he'll be safe."