by Sara Fields
He led her into a nearby palace. She could hear the drums beginning to beat, and people were singing. Excitedly, she followed Eiotan up a few flights of stairs and out onto a balcony that overlooked the Patio of the Gods. She looked down at the man in the center, who had been impersonating the god Toxcatl for a whole year. It was tradition that at the end of the festival, this man would be sacrificed to the gods. Men were beating drums and some were playing flutes, as many others danced around him. Many were wearing ornaments of gold, with elaborate headdresses made of colorful feathers. There was little in the amount of clothing, as the majority were in loincloths. The men who were participating were their best warriors. It was an honor to take part in the festivities.
Singing filled her ears, along with the music of the instruments. She hummed along, moving her hips softly to the beat. She soon began to notice the increasing Spanish presence down below. The hair prickled at the base of her neck as she watched them slowly form a circle around the celebrations, weapons in hand. Her eyes flickered to the gates at a suggestion of movement, watching as more Spanish soldiers entered. She then realized the gates were being closed. The Spanish were the ones that had closed the celebrations in. Her eyes narrowed as a sickening feeling began to curl up from deep within her. She couldn’t say a word, and waited, feeling her heart begin to thump in her throat.
The soldiers lined up, surrounding the dancers, singers, and those playing instruments. Suddenly, without warning, the soldiers rushed one of the men playing the drums. A soldier brandished his sword and cut off one of the drummer’s arms, followed by the other. The man had little time to scream as another soldier quickly cut off his head. Screams suddenly erupted from those trapped with the soldiers.
All at once, the soldiers attacked all the Aztec people at the festival. They stabbed them and speared them with their swords, viciously and without mercy. Ayala felt a wail of fear begin to escape from her throat, which she quickly swallowed down. Eiotan grabbed her and covered her eyes, but the screams of pain and death, the sounds of swords puncturing flesh still made their way to her ears. The horror of it all was a terrifying thing to behold.
Lord Eiotan reacted quickly, forcing Ayala off the balcony and down the stairs from which they had come. They had to move quickly. He knew they would search the nearby houses; they would search everywhere. He moved into the darkness of the stairwell, finally uncovering her eyes. He put his finger to his lips, so that she would understand that she was to remain silent.
He led her to the first floor and paused, listening for any suggestion of movement. Hearing nothing, he slipped out the back door of the palace into the garden, and made his way in and out of strangers’ yards. Eiotan held her hand the whole way. They hid in bushes and behind fences, still able to hear the terrible sounds of people screaming, of soldiers marching the streets and searching houses, and even the sounds of the soldiers killing those they found.
The Aztec people were beginning to realize what was happening. There was shouting for all able-bodied people to come quickly with all arms, spears, and shields. It was rapidly becoming known that the warriors who had taken part in the festival had been murdered in cold blood. They watched as people emerged from their houses with spears, javelins, arrows, and shields in hand. Sounds of battle began to emerge as the Aztec people took their stand.
The further the two traveled, the quieter the sounds became until they came upon Lord Eiotan’s property at the edge of the city.
By the time they made it back to his house, it had been a while since they saw or heard a soldier, or anyone for that matter. Eiotan led her into the barn to hide. The two hid for hours in an empty stall next to the horses, waiting for the battle to reach them, but it never did. By nightfall, they emerged from the barn and went back to the house. Lord Eiotan found a wandering servant and ordered him to find Dario and bring him to him.
Dario knocked quietly after some time, and Lord Eiotan swiftly let him in.
“What do you know of what’s happening in the city, Dario? Do the servants have any news?”
Dario nodded quickly.
“I do, sir. Talk has been plentiful. Our people have overtaken the Spanish soldiers in the city in retribution for their attack on our best warriors. It took many of our deaths in order to conquer them, but the Spanish have run back to their camp, and we plan to lay siege to their compound. It’s whispered that Cortés wasn’t even in the city today when the attack happened. No one has heard anything of his whereabouts. But it’s safe for now; the Aztecs have won this battle, sir,” Dario explained proudly.
Ayala breathed a sigh of relief and saw the same look come over Eiotan’s face as well.
“Dario, be a good lad and fetch the lady and me a bottle of our best sweet red wine. We were attending the festival today and managed to escape, but we saw some of the awful start to the Spanish attack.”
Dario nodded and walked to the corner of the kitchen. He opened the latch in the floor and ventured down the ladder. A few minutes later he emerged, two bottles held in one hand. Dario presented the bottles to Lord Eiotan with a bow.
“Just in case the lady might want a refill or two of her glass.”
“Thank you,” Lord Eiotan said. “You are now dismissed. Please inform your fellow servants that they are not to leave and get caught up in this mess. Please let them know there will be consequences if my orders are not followed.”
“Yes, sir, of course,” Dario responded, bowing and quietly making his way out of the house. Lord Eiotan grabbed two goblets and poured them both a rather large portion of wine. He presented her the cup and they both drank deeply. They drank and chatted deep into the night before they both went off and cuddled in each other’s arms in his bed. Sleep overcame them as the exhaustion of the day finally took its toll.
In the days that followed, the Aztecs continued to lay siege to the Spanish compound, where they were still holding Moctezuma captive. The Spanish had lost control of the city, of Tenochtitlan and its people.
When Cortés finally appeared again, he ordered Moctezuma to address his people. Lord Eiotan forbade Ayala from going, so she later learned the story from Dario. Moctezuma had come out on his terrace where the Spanish had been holding him. He tried to persuade his people to stop fighting and allow the Spaniards to leave the city in peace. The Aztec people did not take heed to this feeble attempt at negotiations and pelted the king with darts and stones. The king had quickly hidden, and later that day, the people were informed that he had died. The Aztec people suspected foul play at the hands of the enemy, but no one was sure of the actuality of what really happened. Rumors spread like wildfire and Ayala didn’t know what to believe. A new ruler had been appointed: Cuitahuac, Moctezuma’s younger brother.
For the next few weeks, the Spanish began to experience a shortage of gunpowder and food. It was nighttime in mid-July when Cortés finally made his next move, desperate to get out from under the thumb of the Aztec people.
He had sent messengers, asking for a one-week ceasefire, at the end of which he and his men would give back any and all treasure and loot that they possessed, and then in return would be able to leave the city in peace.
That night, under the cover of nightfall and a heavy rain, his large army attempted to make their way out of the compound unnoticed. A servant woman had been drawing water from the canal at the time and ran to raise the alarm. A priest from a nearby temple had seen them escaping as well, and rose the alarm within the confines of the city.
The Aztec army had been fierce and swift. The Spanish army had loaded themselves up with even more gold to steal, making them easy targets. The Aztecs attacked from the water in canoes and from land as well. The Spanish had fired their crossbows, but could see little in the dead of night. Many of the Spanish army drowned from the weight of their armor and treasure bounty. Ayala and Lord Eiotan had spent the night hidden away in their barn, awoken by the battle cries and screams in the distance.
Dario had told her that Cortés had
pressed ahead and escaped with a small group of men, but the fighting had been a tremendous loss for the Spaniards and their Tlaxcaltan allies. The Spaniards and their men that survived fought their way among their travel through the mainland. Ayala heard whispers from a few other servants that Spanish numbers were dwindling, but when news came of an Aztec defeat in battle, she was surprised and deeply worried. Lord Eiotan hadn’t liked the sound of it either, and once again forbade Ayala from leaving his property. He had accentuated his point with a bare bottom spanking when she had tried to protest. She quickly agreed to his wishes after a round with the hairbrush that left her bottom very red and sore, especially at her sit spots.
The servants were calling the Aztec defeat ‘The Battle of Otumba.’ A vast Aztec army had stumbled on the surviving Spanish forces. They had intended to cut the Spanish retreat from the city, but were surprised at the Spanish skill to battle on horses. Cortés had accomplished victory by spotting the Aztec general and focusing all his attacks on him. He had charged the general with several horsemen, managing to kill him and grab victory despite the generally poor condition of the escaping Spanish soldiers.
He once again escaped with his victory, although not without suffering heavy losses again. Rumors spread that he ran to his Tlaxcalan allies, but little was confirmed for the time being. Life finally returned to normal in the city, now that the Spanish had left. Ayala breathed a sigh of relief, and was able to start enjoying life with her lover again.
She had received many spankings in those weeks; some good, and some punishment for snapping in that stressful time. She was given permission to leave his property, but only with an escort. Lord Eiotan usually took her to the market, or on whatever errand she had needed to run, but he sent Dario with her as well if he was busy overseeing the servants in the fields or organizing what was to be bought and planted.
When he accompanied her, occasionally she would protest. In response, he would give her a quick spanking on the spot. There were a couple of times he pulled her into an alley and bared her bottom, and she knew better than to fight him.
Unfortunately for her, he usually kept his small wooden paddle in his back pocket, which he would immediately break out on such occasions. He would quickly and soundly spank her till he thought she was sorry for disobeying him.
The feel of the city was generally happy since the events with the Spanish army. Rumors of battles far away began to diminish as the months passed. The two of them would visit the marketplace and the bathhouse periodically. Ayala especially enjoyed the bathhouse, as memories of their past visits made it exciting. Lord Eiotan would rent them out their own personal room, and they would spend their time cleaning and pleasing each other.
That fall, there was a sickness that passed through the city, and Ayala was forbidden from leaving Eiotan’s house and lands once again. Lord Eiotan had expected a fight, but had told her his rule with his favorite paddle in hand. Her eyes grew large at the threat, but she quietly complied, which earned her a very nice reward when he led her into his bedroom. After giving her a slightly pink bottom, he gave her much pleasure with his tongue and his fingers. Lying in his bed, cuddled in his arms, she had fallen asleep.
Over the next several weeks, many died from the sickness and from hunger, too sick and too tired to get up and search for food. For two months, Ayala did not leave the confines of Eiotan’s house and fields until the sickness finally broke. The city began to recover, but had lost a substantial portion of the population. Whispers called the sickness smallpox, and it had weakened many of the able-bodied people. Food became scarce as crops failed to grow, or were failed to be harvested for lack of manpower. Even Lord Eiotan began to feel the pinch, as some of his servants had caught the disease.
Fortunately, there was enough to go around between Ayala, Eiotan, and his servants, along with enough to be shared with local neighbors. A new king had been placed on the throne during the sickness, as the former king had caught smallpox and passed away.
Little thought was given to the Spanish as the Aztecs struggled to recover the great loss to their city. Deaths were mourned and the city began to rebuild. Ayala and Eiotan worked side by side with the servants to produce as much food as possible. By the time spring came around, the city was slowly beginning to recover, and food was becoming more plentiful. The Spanish invasion became a thing of the past, at least for a little while.
Chapter Seventeen
Ayala was lying in bed with Eiotan one morning, cuddled deeply in his embrace. She no longer used the other room as her bedroom, and slept with Eiotan each and every night. She kissed him as he opened his eyes to meet hers.
She jumped when she heard a commotion outside and quickly broke free of the kiss. The clang of steel against steel reached their ears and they quickly glanced in each other’s eyes, knowing that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
“What if Cortés came back for me? What if he is going to try to kidnap me again?” she whispered, her voice heavy with fear.
“I will protect you, Ayala, whatever it takes,” he said, passion clear in his tone. “Come, let us get dressed, quickly now, and assess the situation. Do not make a sound.”
She nodded her assent without complaint, and quickly ran to her old room and into her closet. Suddenly very aware of every window she passed, she did her best to avoid getting close to any of them for fear of being seen. Next, she grabbed a forest green dress and bolted back into the safety of the hallway, where no one could see inside. She slipped the clothing over her head, and laced up the corset front so it gripped her figure. Nervously, she raced back into her room for a pair of slippers. She pulled her brush through her tangled mane of hair as quickly as she could. After splashing some water onto her face, she rushed back to Lord Eiotan’s room, where she almost ran into him.
He had dressed in earth-dyed tones as well. He had on dark brown pants and a cream-colored shirt, simple clothes meant to protect him from the sun on days spent outdoors. Lord Eiotan grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway, his steps silent to her ears. He edged toward the wall of the closest window and peeked out carefully.
Outside he saw soldiers marching into the city. Lines of soldiers had swords, bows, and spears, and were encased in steel armor. There were men on foot and the occasional man on a horse. He saw one of them carrying a Spanish flag. They had returned. He knew he could not escape from the front door.
“Gather up a pack with food and water, quickly, Ayala. Get a few necessities. You have only a few minutes.”
Eiotan left her in the kitchen, running to his bedroom. He picked up a few beloved items, including the favorite wooden paddle and his leather strap, as well as some extra clothes for himself and then entered her room. Grabbing her hairbrush and an extra pair of shoes for her, he then looked in her closet and snatched a few extra pieces of clothing. Satisfied, he did not see any other essential items. He raced back to the kitchen and showed her what he grabbed. She blushed at the spanking implements he had insisted on taking, but quickly packed them away in a small bag, knowing better than to say a word. She had grabbed bread, nuts, fruit, and other food items. Before long, the bag was filled and they were ready to go, a water sac filled to the brim in each of their hands. Her nervous eyes caught his, and he ushered her to follow him.
He brought her to the back of the kitchen and moved the rug to reveal the basement door in the floor. Eiotan grabbed the metal clasp and pulled up. Ayala watched and saw a ladder at the top, and looked down. Darkness hid anything else from view. Lord Eiotan grabbed his things and began to climb down the ladder. Without question, Ayala followed. The ladder ended up being pretty short, and Eiotan guided her down by the waist. They were in an underground dugout and storage basement for food to be kept cool. She grabbed a bottle of wine and put it inside their bag. He looked at her and grabbed another, a small sad smile crossing his face.
Lord Eiotan took her hand in his and made his way over to the servant entrance door. He pulled it open slowly to reveal
stairs that led up into the yard. They slowly crept up them, but the coast was clear. They were behind his house, and away from the main road the soldiers were walking in on. He met her eyes and pointed in the direction of the barn. She nodded curtly, gripping his fingers close in hers. He made his move and she followed. Ayala kept silent, knowing full well the danger they were in if they were found. Lord Eiotan was high ranking in the city, and they both knew how much Cortés wanted her too.
Thankfully, even though it seemed like the longest run of her life, they made it into the safety of the barn. Ayala could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest. It felt like anyone nearby would be able to hear it too. Lord Eiotan crept through the barn, making sure the coast was clear. He found Dario sleeping in Fuego’s stall. Ayala petted Esperanza’s nose in comfort as the horse whinnied nervously.
“Find yourself some safety,” Lord Eiotan said softly to Dario as he woke. “The city is no longer secure. I doubt it’ll hold much longer. I’m taking my wife somewhere where she will be protected.”
Dario nodded. “Don’t worry, sir. Should the city stand, I will see that your land is kept safe.”
Lord Eiotan nodded gruffly and continued readying the horses. Dario helped as well and brought them the reins.
“Bring me the money I keep in the safe place,” Eiotan ordered Dario. Dario nodded and disappeared.
Lord Eiotan grabbed a nearby machete and gestured for her to come to him. She complied and he knelt down in front of her, grabbing the lower half of her dress. She gasped as he sliced it down the middle.
“But, sir!” she whispered softly through her shock.
“So you can ride easier,” he answered gruffly, but softly. “Saddle up your horse,” he then ordered.
