In Life, In Death (Saga of the City by the Flowers Book 1) by Adara Wolf

Author:Adara Wolf [Wolf, Adara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-04-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

“Tonight, the ixiptla will bless our King, and serve him intimately, as the king serves the gods and the people!”

Despite everything, Tlanextic sounded less enthusiastic in his speech. He put on a good show, but Ahmiki could see the slight hesitation in his words, the way he would glance at Ahmiki first before daring to voice anything.

He had thought that Tlanextic had been kinder with him, since the vision, since that conversation just two days earlier, but that hadn’t changed the ceremony.

If anything, Tlanextic seemed even more wary of Colsatsli. Ahmiki couldn’t blame him. He tried to forget the way Colsatsli had treated him in the audience chamber, tried to forget Toskentsin’s words. Tried to erase the many times he had now seen his brother with only a blurred mess for a face.

Ahmiki almost wished he had been given the vision on this night. He danced close to the royal table and later sat and played flute for Colsatsli and his newest bride. The bride smiled at him while Colsatsli ignored him in favor of speaking with one of the sages. They talked of the goings on in the east, and Ahmiki longed to be a part of the conversation.

If he attempted to open his mouth, he was sure that Colsatsli would reprimand him and tell him to focus on his duties as ixiptla.

I wanted to be useful, Ahmiki thought. Immediately he felt chagrined: he had already committed to his role as ixiptla, and it would do nobody any good if he harbored doubts or resentment in his heart. Being ixiptla was useful, and served a much more important purpose than overseeing a vassal state. Ahmiki couldn’t risk upsetting Teska’atl, or they would find themselves in ill-favor for the next however many years. In this first year of the current cycle, it was extra important that the ixiptla play his role well.

He still hoped that Colsatsli would allow him to sidestep that role this night.

The festivities themselves wound down, until Colsatsli stood and bade goodnight to the people still gathered. Then he gestured for Ahmiki to follow him.

There was nothing Ahmiki could do. No words he could think of that would let him refuse, no actions he could take that would postpone what was seeming more and more inevitable.

They walked into the palace, past the welcoming chambers, across the courtyard, and then up the stairs to the central bedroom. The one that their father had once inhabited, and now belonged to Colsatsli.

By the light of the torches spread across the room, Ahmiki could see a large bed in the center, with blankets of the finest wool and cotton. It spoke of how the rest of the night would turn out.

“Strip,” Colsatsli said. His voice was cool, calm, like he didn’t care either way what Ahmiki did, except Ahmiki could see his skirt already tenting.

“We don’t have to do anything. Nobody will know the difference,” Ahmiki said, taking a step towards his brother. He kept his hands palm up, but the gesture was lost on Colsatsli.

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