The Seventh Sun

by Lani Forbes

  Yoli grinned and bit the dark ring of stone protruding through her lower lip. Yemania gave a snort of disgust, but Yoli just wiggled her eyebrows.

  “You scare easily, daughter of Pahtia. How do you heal if you are so weak-stomached?”

  “I do what I have to,” Yemania whispered under her breath.

  Mayana liked both girls, obviously for different reasons, so she intervened before any claws were drawn.

  “The prince is back, so he should be dining with us.”

  Yoli gave her a knowing smile, and Mayana shifted her shoulders uncomfortably.

  “Did he tell you that in your room last night?” Yoli cocked her head to the side in an amused sort of way.

  Mayana swallowed hard.

  “I—I—don’t know what you—” Mayana tripped over her words, but Yoli just barked a short laugh.

  “I don’t care, daughter of water.” Yoli nudged Mayana with her shoulder, so roughly that Mayana almost fell into the wall. “As I’ve said before, I am already at peace with my fate. I just have to admit that I did not see you as the type to invite the prince back to your room.”

  Teniza of Millacatl whirled around to face them, her towering frame making Mayana feel like a small child. The princess’s face burned red, her curled hands tense at her sides. “You invited him into your room?”

  Mayana frowned. This was getting way out of hand. The other princesses were making assumptions that frankly insulted her.

  Zorrah appeared through the curtain and stood beside Teniza, her arms crossed over her chest. Mayana couldn’t help but notice that her arms covered her more thoroughly than the bits of jaguar pelts she was wearing.

  Both Teniza and Zorrah blocked the hallway, the jealously and rage billowing off of them like heat from the brazier at the top of the temple.

  Mayana straightened her spine in response. She tried to remember that Teniza had a boy back home whose life she was trying to save by being chosen. Remembering that blunted the edge of Teniza’s harshness. Mayana took a deep breath to calm the anger she could already feel boiling beneath the surface at Teniza’s insinuation. “Yes, he stayed in my room last night, but nothing happened.” She kept her voice level, calm.

  Zorrah bared her teeth like an angry monkey. “You know, in Ocelotl we have a word for a beast that all the males like to …”

  Something inside her flared red hot and Mayana lunged, but Yoli was between them faster than Mayana could believe possible. The fire princess wrapped her arms around Mayana, pinning her arms to her side. Mayana struggled, but Yoli’s grip was firm.

  “Stop.” Her whisper was harsh in Mayana’s ear. “She lost. We all know it. She is trying to provoke you.”

  “You’re one to talk of provoking, daughter of fire.” Teniza directed her condescension at Yoli.

  “I will snap you, you towering beanstalk,” Yoli growled back.

  “Please,” Yemania cried desperately, hugging her fists to her chest as though her heart ached. “This might be our last meal together and I don’t want to spend it like this.”

  “Our last meal together?” Teniza’s voice now reached the high pitch of a shrieking bird. “Of course, it is. No one else even stood a chance.” She rounded on Mayana. “You demanded his attention from the beginning. I don’t even know how you did it. Did your family threaten him? Is that it? Choose our daughter or we will kill you all with drought? I honestly can’t see why else he would have spared you a second glance.” Teniza’s dark eyes roved Mayana up and down as though she were a disgusting worm. Mayana’s throat constricted. She was not used to how mean girls could be. She would rather take a fist from one of her brothers any day.

  “No,” Zorrah purred, prowling around Yoli and Mayana like a jaguar. “She has him fooled. She has you all fooled. My family has seen exactly who she is. Every time one of my uncles came back from her city they would scoff at how the lord of Atl let his daughter spill a few tears and get away with not doing her duty. We would tell stories and laugh about the weakling princess whose father coddled her, at how quickly she would die in the survival matches in Ocelotl. Mayana is nothing more than a spoiled brat whose father turns a blind eye while she spits upon our ways. She doesn’t care for the gods or the rituals, or anything but herself and her own comfort.”

  “Then why was she such a threat to you?” Yoli scoffed.

  “The weak always have a way of attracting the powerful. They arouse that desire to protect something so fragile and sweet. My uncles warned me that if she could manipulate the lord of Atl, there was no doubt she’d manipulate the prince right into her hands. And she has. She has lied to all of you, especially the prince.”

  Yoli’s arms around her stiffened, but Zorrah continued, a wide, wicked smile spreading across her painted face. “Tell them, Mayana. Tell them the real reason you saved the jaguar.”

  Mayana’s arms trembled from the effort of keeping herself calm. Yoli slowly released her, her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “She saved the jaguar to honor the calendar.” Yoli’s gaze never left Mayana’s face as she spoke, but Mayana was having difficulty meeting her eyes.

  Zorrah laughed softly. “Yes. To honor the calendar. The calendar specifies sacrifices for meals and special circumstances like weddings. My demonstration of my power was neither, and so a specific animal for the day or month was not necessary. But Mayana is so devout, of course, she insisted on honoring the calendar even when it wasn’t required. Am I right, Mayana?”

  Mayana stared determinedly at the floor. She would not lie, but she would not let Zorrah bait her like a fly-trapping plant either.

  “I don’t understand.” Yoli turned back to face the animal princess, her gaze darting back and forth between Zorrah’s haughty form and Mayana’s dejected stance. “Why else would she have acted the way she did?”

  “Let’s go. I’m starving.” A forceful, authoritative voice from behind them all cut through the tension. Every head swiveled to see Itza glaring at them. Mayana so rarely heard her speak outside of quoting the codex or muttering prayers, she was momentarily taken aback by the power radiating from the girl’s fiery eyes.

  “Go,” she commanded, lifting her chin defiantly at them. Teniza turned on her heel with a huff and marched away from them, while Zorrah gave another sneer and prowled after her.

  Yoli, Mayana, and Yemania remained rooted on the spot like ancient trees, staring at Itza with expressions ranging from disbelief to mild awe.

  Itza didn’t seem fazed. Her crackling gaze collided with Mayana’s, and Mayana took a small step back. It was as if a delicate butterfly had suddenly revealed it had a sharp stinger.

  “You need to hide it better,” Itza snarled.

  Mayana’s heart leapt into her throat with such force she was afraid she would choke on it.

  “W-what?” Mayana sputtered, forcing her heart back down where it belonged.

  “You are not the only one who believes as you do, but if you do not learn to play the game more carefully, you are going to lose it.”

  And with that, Itza swept past them, and Mayana swore she could feel the air sizzling with energy.

  Yoli shrugged and followed after her, while Yemania fixed Mayana with a terrified expression.

  “What just happened?” Yemania grabbed her arm and dug in her nails. Mayana reached out and loosened her constrictor-like grip.

  “I’m not exactly sure.” Mayana couldn’t take her eyes off the storm princess as she swept around the corner. Itza had said that Mayana wasn’t the only one who believed as she did … did that mean there were others who questioned the codex as well? Was that the reason Ehecatl and Tollan were always on such tense terms? Perhaps why Metzi had been promised to marry Itza’s brother in an attempt to strengthen their ties? Her father’s words about everything being political floated back to her along with Atanzah’s approving smile toward Itza days ago
… what if the matchmaker preferred Itza to marry the prince?

  “Yemania, what do you know about Ehecatl?”

  Yemania bit her lip. “Well, you know the healers are involved in all of the city-states, so I’ve heard from some of my family members … that they worship the gods differently than we do. They … they don’t agree with how the sacrifices are carried out.”

  “What does that mean exactly?”

  “I don’t really know. That’s all I’ve heard. That they don’t want to be under the rule of Tollan any more because of how we worship the gods.”

  “So maybe I’m not alone in what I believe after all.” Hope blossomed in Mayana’s heart at the thought.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Yemania whispered to her toes.

  Chapter

  44

  What happened with Itza almost distracted Mayana from wondering about the prince’s surprise. As the princesses neared the banquet hall, a low rumble of hundreds of voices greeted them. Mayana’s breath hitched. There was a large crowd gathered this afternoon. Mayana hadn’t taken the time to think about what an ordeal Ahkin’s announcement was going to be. It made perfect sense that every noble and guest within the palace would want to be in attendance.

  The moment they passed through the hanging curtain, a wave of sound washed over them. Mayana took in the crowd, larger by far than it had been the night she’d had to demonstrate her abilities. Every corner of the cavernous room was filled with people sitting on mats and benches, servants with bowls and trays weaving throughout like leaf-cutter ants following predetermined paths. At the head of the room on the raised dais sat Ahkin himself, lounging on the golden sun throne with the most distinguished guests seated around him. Metzi sat immediately to his left, leaning in to whisper to Coatl with her hand lightly perched on his forearm. Coatl’s mouth was pressed into a thin line as he took in her words. On Ahkin’s other side, the high priest Toani and Ahkin’s Jaguar general were watching the girls enter with shrewd eyes. There were other prominent figures Mayana was starting to recognize … the feathered headdress of the head of the Eagle warriors, the bloodred robes of the Tlana priests, the jaguar pelts of several naguals from Ocelotl.

  Atanzah stood behind Metzi and Coatl, and Mayana noticed that her usual excitement seemed to have been quelled, as though she was not looking forward to whatever was coming. Mayana squirmed internally at the matchmaker’s lack of enthusiasm. But beside them, where the empty mats waited for Mayana and the other princesses, sat another small group of people draped in fabrics of dark blue with matching feathers, and jade jewelry adorning their warm, tanned skin.

  A shriek of surprise escaped through her throat and her hands flew to cover her mouth. Her family was sitting up there waiting for her. Well, a few of them. Her eyes roved over Chimalli’s wide smile, Tenoch’s frantically waving hand, and finally her father’s face, beaming with pride like the sun. The rest of her older brothers were pointing at her and mouthing teasing remarks. Her aunts and cousins must all be back home, but just the sight of her father and brothers was enough to make her heart feel as though it were swelling to twice its normal size.

  Mayana threw her tear-filled eyes to Ahkin, gratitude and adoration seeping from every pore of her body. She mouthed a silent “thank-you” to him, which he received with a nod and his own glorious smile.

  The prince had given her the greatest surprise she could ever imagine. To see her family again, and to have them watch as he chose her as his empress. For as long as she could remember, Mayana had wanted to make her father proud. She wanted him to look at her with the same satisfaction in his eyes as when he watched Chimalli practice his skills as a warrior, or Tenoch as he quoted lines from the codex.

  She had always felt like a disappointment—the only daughter in a brood of strong, capable sons. The only one who was, in his eyes, too weak to handle the requirements of the codex. As much as she wanted to make him proud, she was forever trapped in that battle between fulfilling his wishes and the desires of her heart. Today, he would know that she had done something right. She would no longer be the embarrassing daughter of the lord of Atl. She would be the future empress of the Chicome Empire. The one the prince chose above all others.

  “Is that your family?” Yemania gently touched her shoulder from behind.

  “Yes,” Mayana breathed, trying to keep herself from crying with how overjoyed and fulfilled she felt.

  “I am happy they will be here to see you succeed.” It sounded as though she meant it. Mayana’s heart twisted again as she thought of her friend, her friend who did not deserve to die. She shoved the thought away, knowing she could not find a solution at this moment. She would have to try to figure something out later tonight. She had managed to think of a way to save the jaguar, after all. She was sure she’d think of something to save Yemania before the wedding and coronation.

  The princesses reached the dais, and Mayana immediately threw herself into her oldest brother’s arms. He smelled like maize and peppers and every other smell that reminded her of home. He buried his face in her hair, and Mayana clung to him as several tears escaped. She broke away as Tenoch tugged at her skirt and swept him into her arms. She planted kisses all over his face and he squirmed away.

  “Ugh, Mayana! I am excited to see you too, but you don’t need to kiss me like a baby.”

  “You are a precious little baby to me,” she said, and covered his cheeks again. He shoved her away and she dropped him back to his feet. Her eyes found her father’s and her throat constricted as she took in the familiar lines of his face, the gray strands dusting the darkness of his hair like ashes from a fire.

  The lord of Atl cleared his throat and gave her the quickest, most awkward hug she had ever experienced, releasing her as though she might bite him. Mayana gave him a teary chuckle and placed her hand on his cheek.

  “I missed you,” she said. Her father gruffly pulled himself away from her hand and blinked his eyes furiously. Were those tears? Actual tears from the lord of Atl?

  “Well, I did tell you I’d see you again, so …” He cleared his throat again and shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. Mayana wanted to throw herself into his arms, but he would never allow such a thing with so many people watching.

  Mayana caught a glimpse of the other princesses now sitting on the mats before her. Yemania’s eyes appeared as wet as her own, while Teniza and Zorrah both seethed in silence. Yoli merely looked bored, but Itza met her gaze and held it with a smile playing about her lips.

  A warm hand slid around her waist and she jumped. Turning on the spot, she faced Ahkin, who had come to greet them. The hall around them continued to buzz with talking and laughter as Ahkin reached out a hand to greet her father.

  “Lord of Atl, thank you for responding to Atanzah’s invitation. I anticipate this to be an exciting evening for us all as we begin our marriage negotiations,” he said.

  Her father bowed and then firmly clasped the prince’s hand. Mayana tried not to giggle at the thought of her stoic father negotiating and planning a wedding with whatever extravagance Atanzah would likely suggest.

  “Thank you, my prince, for including us in this historic event. We could not be more proud of our daughter.” Her father’s eyes fell upon her, and a true smile broke through his normally reserved demeanor like light breaking through storm clouds.

  Ahkin hugged her tightly to his side and Mayana’s cheeks burned in response. “Come,” he whispered in her ear as he wove his fingers through hers. “Let’s begin the rest of our lives together.”

  Mayana looked to her father, who motioned with his head for her to follow her future husband. Mayana bit her lip and obeyed. She squeezed Ahkin’s hand tighter as they stood in front of his throne.

  So many faces, all watching her with hungry expressions of expectation. Not letting go of her hand, Ahkin turned to face the gathered nobles and guests. Silence swept the ro
om quickly and completely.

  “Welcome to the feast this evening. After my father began his journey in the underworld, I did not feel prepared to handle the responsibilities he left upon my shoulders. I no longer fear to shoulder those responsibilities on my own.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a quick kiss against the back of her palm. “I began the selection ritual with equal apprehension, not sure what I was looking for other than someone to help us continue the royal bloodline of Huitzilopochtli. Now, I know I have found the other half of my duality. As the creator, Ometeotl, has both male and female aspects, wholly complete, I now feel that I have found the half that will make me complete as your emperor. Pending the approval and negotiations between my matchmaker and the noble family of Atl, I would like to introduce everyone to my future wife and your future empress, Mayana, daughter of Atl and descendant of the goddess Atlacoya.”

  Ahkin turned to face her, his eyes sparkling with excitement and passion. “For when water and light come together, it makes something beautiful. Mayana, you have brought color and life into my cold gray world, and I can’t wait to see what the gods have in store for our future together.”

  And then he kissed her. In front of everyone. In front of her father. Mayana wanted to laugh, to cry, to hide all at once. Instead, she lost herself in the feel of his lips and the roaring cheers and calls around her were silenced as the world consisted of no one else. They were the only two people in the empire.

  A throat cleared loudly and Mayana reluctantly pulled away to find the calculating eyes of the high priest upon them. He was a thundercloud hovering over their sunlit meadow.

  His deep frown and cruel eyes sent a thrill of apprehension through her, as though an invisible hand was drawing a finger down the length of her spine. Intuition told Mayana that she would not enjoy whatever came next.

  “My prince.” His voice was as cold as his eyes. “Are we ready for her final test?”

  A feeling like cold water suddenly filled her lungs, extinguishing the warmth that had burned there moments before. What final test? And why was the priest smiling at her like a wolf at his prey?