07-25-2019, 05:43 AM
Antechamber to the Chamber of Whispers
"I do not understand," Tlanextia said, her voice wavering. "In our last meeting, the Emperor said the matter of the warrants being rejected wasn't important. He said XUN didn't matter. Why has he so suddenly changed his position? This is a complete change of attitude! It is inexplicable."
"Inexplicable, and extremely sudden. This is suspicious," Cozamalotl said, shaking his head.
Huitzilhuani sighed. "Tepilcayotl must have gotten to him somehow."
"Oh? That would be news to me." Tepilcayotl's voice from behind Huitzilhuani's shoulder caused her to jump. "Ugh. It's as if I named a demon, and the demon appeared. Must you eavesdrop, you ghoul?" she demanded.
Tepilcayotl laughed at that. "I am the Security Secretary. Asking me not to eavesdrop is like asking a horse not to drink water, silly girl. I actually am doing you a favor. I have free advice for you."
Huitzilhuani growled slightly, low in her throat. "I want no advice from you."
Tepilcayotl smiled. "You really should listen to this advice. First, you really should at least wait until you've left the Palace before you critique the Emperor's decision-making. As you've noticed....you never know who's listening, here."
Huitzilhuani blanched slightly at that, as Tepilcayotl went on. "Second....the idea that I 'got to him' is absurd, even for you and your coterie of reformists. The Emperor and I have been friends since we were boys in school together. We served in the army together. And I helped him get chosen for the first time as huey tlatoani, back in 2001. And even with all of that, if he ever found me wanting, or I ever betrayed him, Topilpopoca would cut out my heart with his own dagger. No one owns the Emperor, or his powers of reasoning. You had best remember that, or he will gut you like a fish. The simple truth of the matter is that your efforts at playing nice with the foreigners are not working, and he is losing patience with you. You might want to figure out how to correct that. You don't want to end up like Cētlalhui, do you?"
Tepilcayotl laughed softly as he walked out, his chuckling echoing off the walls of the antechamber as Huitzilhuani stood shaking with her fists clenched.
"I do not understand," Tlanextia said, her voice wavering. "In our last meeting, the Emperor said the matter of the warrants being rejected wasn't important. He said XUN didn't matter. Why has he so suddenly changed his position? This is a complete change of attitude! It is inexplicable."
"Inexplicable, and extremely sudden. This is suspicious," Cozamalotl said, shaking his head.
Huitzilhuani sighed. "Tepilcayotl must have gotten to him somehow."
"Oh? That would be news to me." Tepilcayotl's voice from behind Huitzilhuani's shoulder caused her to jump. "Ugh. It's as if I named a demon, and the demon appeared. Must you eavesdrop, you ghoul?" she demanded.
Tepilcayotl laughed at that. "I am the Security Secretary. Asking me not to eavesdrop is like asking a horse not to drink water, silly girl. I actually am doing you a favor. I have free advice for you."
Huitzilhuani growled slightly, low in her throat. "I want no advice from you."
Tepilcayotl smiled. "You really should listen to this advice. First, you really should at least wait until you've left the Palace before you critique the Emperor's decision-making. As you've noticed....you never know who's listening, here."
Huitzilhuani blanched slightly at that, as Tepilcayotl went on. "Second....the idea that I 'got to him' is absurd, even for you and your coterie of reformists. The Emperor and I have been friends since we were boys in school together. We served in the army together. And I helped him get chosen for the first time as huey tlatoani, back in 2001. And even with all of that, if he ever found me wanting, or I ever betrayed him, Topilpopoca would cut out my heart with his own dagger. No one owns the Emperor, or his powers of reasoning. You had best remember that, or he will gut you like a fish. The simple truth of the matter is that your efforts at playing nice with the foreigners are not working, and he is losing patience with you. You might want to figure out how to correct that. You don't want to end up like Cētlalhui, do you?"
Tepilcayotl laughed softly as he walked out, his chuckling echoing off the walls of the antechamber as Huitzilhuani stood shaking with her fists clenched.
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