04-13-2020, 07:44 AM
Friday, April 10th
Palace of Flowers - 8:00 am, Xiomeran time
“Is everything prepared?” the Empress asked. “It is, your Majesty,” Ixatli responded. The Shorn One in charge of Yauhmi’s personal security detail handed her a tablet. “At 9:00 am, we leave the Palace and proceed to the Hall of Unity. From there, you shall meet with various officials and guests until 9:45 am, when you shall enter the Assembly Chamber with the other tlatoani and cihuacoatl. At 10:00 am, you will perform the ceremony to open the session.”
“You could say that with a little more ceremony, Ixatli,” Yauhmi joked. “I’m going to be opening the first session of the first thing resembling a democratic legislature that Xiomera has ever had. I’m going to be changing the course of our nation’s history forever at 10:00 am, you know. You said it like you were reading off a grocery list.”
The Shorn One simply sighed. His impassive expression, if it had changed at that moment, would have been pained.
“I suppose the opening ceremony itself will have to provide the drama and ceremony I crave,” the Empress sighed herself in response. She sipped her coffee with chocolate, making a few last notes on the tablet in preparation for the session.
The Cauhloc - 8:00 am, Xiomeran time
“Is everything prepared?” Calhualyana said. “It is,” General Xōchhuitl replied. The commander of the Xiomeran Imperial Army gave a short nod. “I have already spoken to Tlālpantlizal and Huelixiuh. The military will be ready.”
“ASI will be ready as well,” Calhualyana said. “I have seen to that. And what about our irregulars?”
“You asked me that on Monday, Calhualyana,” Xōlan said with a bemused tone. “The Patriotic Youth Corps, the Students’ Association, the Servicepersons and Protectors’ Association, and the Good Citizens’ League will be ready to move at the appropriate time. We will keep any protests or other inappropriate behavior from occurring on the streets. You just need to make sure your boys and girls in uniform do their job.”
“We always do,” General Xōchhuitl barked, clearly offended at the very notion that his soldiers would not do so.
“Very well. I have also gotten Atlhuitzcoatl on board,” Calhualyana added, to clearly impressed expressions from the others on the secured conference call. Atlhuitzcoatl, the high priest of Huītzilōpōchtli and most prominent traditional religious figure in Xiomera, would be a huge boost to the group’s plans if he was on board.
“Be ready, gentlemen. In two hours, we will embark on the greatest mission in our lives. We have sworn to serve Xiomera - now we must save it.”
—-
Hall of Unity - 10:00 am, Xiomeran time
It was a sunny day in Tlālacuetztla, pleasant and unseasonably warm, as the Empress and her entourage arrived at the Hall of Unity. The brand-new building shone resplendently in the sun, its modern architecture and strikingly Huenyan influences showing off well in the live coverage of the event.
The Empress and her group had emerged from their limousines and walked into the new building, to applause and cheers. While the crowd watching was being kept at a distance for security, Yauhmi could still see and hear the excitement of the people. She smiled as she walked into the new building.
After a bit of discussion and chat with various citizens and officials, the Empress met with the other tribal leaders. “Ready to make some history?” the Empress asked, to warm smiles from most of them. The only one seemingly not excited was Noxochicotzin, the tlatoani of the Necatli tribe, who merely gave her a nod. Yauhmi wondered at that for a moment, then dismissed it. The Necatli are always like that, she told herself. She wasn’t going to let anyone’s sour mood spoil the day.
To a flourish of music and applause, the Empress led the other tlatoani into the Assembly Chamber. As the crowd in attendance clapped, the six of them seated themselves, with the Empress sitting first. It took quite a while for the applause to die down, but when it finally did, Yauhmi smiled again and raised a ceremonial gavel. “I, Yauhmi, by the Mandate of Huītzilōpōchtli, Empress of Xiomera, Protector of the Peoples of the Sun, Sovereign of the Huenya, Manauia and Netlcoātl Islands, declare this historic first session of the Huenyan Assembly open - ”
A sudden voice, raised in alarm, broke into her thoughts as it came over her earpiece. It was Ixatli. Something is happening, your Majesty.
—-
“...and you can see the Empress giving the opening speech and about to gavel in the first ever session of this representative body, the Huenyan Assembly, recently created by the government....this is a truly historic moment for Xiomera...” the XIN reporter broadcasting the opening ceremony live said, his voice suddenly breaking up into static before cutting out completely. A moment later, the video cut out as well.
“Um....we seem to be having some technical difficulties...we’ve lost the feed from the Hall of Unity. We will try to get it back,” the XIN anchorwoman said, in a puzzled tone, as the nation watched.
—-
Minsheng Gardens Resort
Minsheng province, Laeral
10:05 am, Xiomeran time
Texōccoatl and Nōlinyauh were on the last stop of their visit to Laeral, visiting a resort and discussing possibilities for tourism between the two countries. The Crown Prince had stopped to take a moment to watch the opening ceremony of the Huenyan Assembly. When the broadcast abruptly cut out, Texōccoatl turned to Nōlinyauh. “What the devil is going on?” the Crown Prince asked.
Nōlinyauh was already on his phone, calling the Secretariat of International Affairs headquarters. He dialed twice, then looked at his phone in exasperation. He tried different numbers, before putting his phone away with a confused look. “I can’t get through to anyone. My phone simply will not dial anyone.”
Texōccoatl took out his own phone, an expression of alarm on his face. He tried dialing several numbers himself, before turning to the Secretary with a look of foreboding on his face.
—-
As the crowd gathered outside watched, their excitement turned to puzzlement as the security cordon around the Hall of Unity suddenly began pulling back to the perimeter of the building itself. The soldiers and police began forming a wall outside the building, as the crowd looked on. Then, rolling down the streets leading to the Hall of Unity, came a sight that no Xiomeran could ever help seeing without fear. Tanks, followed by armored personnel carriers.
The crowd began to mill about, before another line of armored vehicles began to approach. “This is a public emergency. You are ordered to disperse,” a voice began shouting over a loudspeaker, repeatedly, as soldiers deployed from the APCs and began forming a line to force people away from Xochitecpancalli Hill.
A squadron of Imperial AIr Force jets and Imperial Army helicopters had been, moments earlier, performing what had been ceremonial flyovers to celebrate the opening of the Huenyan Assembly. Now, they began flying over the crowd, the booming of the jet engines and thrumming noise from the helicopters providing an ominous counterpart to the shouts from the loudspeaker. In fear and confusion, the crowds began to stream away from the Hall of Unity.
—-
As the crowd outside began to flee, the crowd inside the Assembly Chamber began murmuring nervously. The other tlatoani began to look around in confusion. Only Yauhmi remained calm. Slowly, she put down her gavel.
The doors on either side of the Assembly Chamber burst open, and soldiers began streaming in. Sounds of gunfire and fighting could now be heard from outside the Chamber, as a group of soldiers marched to the dais. “General Xōchhuitl,” the Empress said, in a voice that was not surprised - and definitely not amused. “Do you care to explain what in the hell you’re doing?”
“I am placing you under arrest,” General Xōchhuitl snapped, as the crowd in the chamber began to protest.
Ixatli, and the other Shorn One assigned to Yauhmi, stepped forward with expressions that said no, you’re not as clearly as if the words had been said aloud. The other tlatoani, with the exception of Noxochicotzin, stood up with their own personal guards, prepared to fight. The Empress raised her hand. “Do nothing,” she said. “There are innocent civilians in this room. I would not see them harmed by being in the middle of a firefight in this chamber.”
“Then remove the civilians, so we can kill these traitorous dogs,” Chipatzal, tlatoani of the Itotemoc, said as his guards moved next to him.
“Don’t be an idiot, Chipatzal,” General Xōchhuitl said, as more soldiers entered the room. “We outnumber you ten to one, at least.”
“Those are indeed poor odds, for you, at least,” Ixatli said flatly, moving next to Yauhmi.
“Ixatli, stand down. Please,” Yauhmi added, as the Shorn One looked at her in dismay. “I will not sacrifice your lives or the lives of the innocent people in this room.” The Shorn Ones, and the other guards, stepped back in frustration. “General, on whose authority are you doing this? I certainly don’t recall not being Empress anymore, and if I had told you to arrest me, I think I would remember that.”
“I am doing this under the authority of the Provisional Imperial Government of Xiomera,” General Xōchhuitl said. Yauhmi raised an eyebrow. “You’re a bit old to have imaginary friends, aren’t you, General?” she sighed, as the General turned red.
“Joke all you want, your Majesty, but those who care about upholding the Xiomeran way of life and the traditional ways of its people are by no means a figment of my imagination. Stand up, and walk out of here with me now, all of you,” the General snapped, looking at everyone on the dais, “or resist, and die here. I am no politician, so I will not bandy words with you here any longer.”
Yauhmi rose, allowing herself to be led out of the Chamber by General Xōchhuitl. As she and the other tlatoani rose, she noticed that Noxochicotzin was still seated. “You seem to have already made your choice, Noxochicotzin,” Yauhmi murmured as she began to walk past him. “You had best hope that your gamble pays off.” The tlatoani of the Necatli pointedly refused to look at her as she was led out of the Chamber.
As Yauhmi was led out by the General, she looked around. The Hall of Unity, and its surroundings, had been very quickly and effectively secured by the Army, its guards overwhelmed. “The people leading this little plot of yours seem to be quite efficient. But you’ve made two mistakes.”
“What would those be?” the General snapped, as they arrived at a loading dock.
“The first one is underestimating my support. The second one is this: you may have me, but you don’t have my son. He will return to Xiomera, whether I am dead or alive. And when he does.....he will bring the wrath of Huītzilōpōchtli down upon your heads.”
General Xōchhuitl yanked Yauhmi around to face him. “Your precious son is on another continent, with no soldiers, no resources and no way to even contact anyone here in Xiomera. If he tries to fly back here, we will shoot his plane down. If he tries to sail back here, we will blow his ship out of the water. Your son is as neutered as a threat as you are, and it will stay that way. If you actually love Texōccoatl, you had best hope he forgets you, and lives the rest of his life abroad on his remaining wealth. Because if he tries to return here, he is a dead man. Did you really think we would allow you to use Texōccoatl as the foundation for a new line of hereditary monarchs? Did you think we would just let you destroy everything Xiomera has been for 600 years? No, madam, the line of Topilpopoca ends here, and it ends now.”
With a growl, the General shoved Yauhmi into a waiting ASI van. As Yauhmi fell into the pitch-black darkness inside the van, the doors slammed shut.
—-
One hour later
When the broadcast from the Hall of Unity was interrupted, the staff at the XIN broadcast studio could not figure out why. As they tried to restore the connection, another stream of military vehicles approached. As the staff looked on in alarm, their building was surrounded.
An hour after the occupation of the Hall of Unity, all broadcast channels in Xiomera were ordered to broadcast a feed from the XIN studios. General Xōchhuitl was flanked by the commanders of the other Xiomeran military branches, as well as the commanders of the Imperial Police and Civil Guard. While the statement that the General read was long and florid, its meaning was quite simple.
Yauhmi, Empress of Xiomera, had been deposed by the military and arrested on charges of treason, conspiracy, corruption and anti-Xiomeran activities. She was stripped of her position, by order of the Provisional Imperial Government of Xiomera, led by the Xiomeran military. She would be held in prison until she could be tried for her crimes; her son, Texōccoatl, was likewise removed from the line of succession, charged with treason, conspiracy, corruption and anti-Xiomeran activities as well, and subject to arrest if he returned to the country.
The Provisional Imperial Government would run the country until a new Great Selection could be held, and a new Emperor chosen who would undo the “anti-Xiomeran” reforms that Yauhmi had implemented, and restore “the rightful order of things” to the country. Until a new Emperor was chosen, martial law was in effect, and a curfew implemented from midnight to 8 am daily throughout the country. Anyone defying the curfew or “causing unrest” in the country was subject to immediate arrest and indefinite detention until trial. Glowering at the camera, General Xōchhuitl also warned that the Imperial military was “fully prepared” to defend the country from any foreign intervention on Yauhmi’s behalf. All travel to and from Xiomera was also halted “for the duration of the emergency.”
With that, a curtain of steel and gold would once again descend on Xiomera, shutting it off from the outside world.
—-
As he watched the broadcast on XIN from his stop in Minsheng province, Texōccoatl stared blankly at the screen. “So....now what?” Nōlinyauh asked.
“I know that, for starters, we need to talk to President Liu. We may be here in Laeral for a lot longer than we planned,” Texōccoatl said. “But I also know this - one way or another, sooner or later, I am going back to Xiomera. And that strutting General Xōchhuitl and his cabal of donkeys had better hope that my mother is alive when I return. If she isn’t....they want to go back to traditional ways, I’ll be more than happy to place their heads on spears outside the Palace of Flowers.”
Nōlinyauh soberly remembered that before his time as Crown Prince, and underneath his jovial and rogue-ish demeanor, Texōccoatl had been a Xiomeran soldier, and a good one. These coup plotters don’t like the influence Yauhmi had on Texōccoatl, but if they’ve awoken the side of Texōccoatl that takes after his father....gods and goddesses help us all.
Palace of Flowers - 8:00 am, Xiomeran time
“Is everything prepared?” the Empress asked. “It is, your Majesty,” Ixatli responded. The Shorn One in charge of Yauhmi’s personal security detail handed her a tablet. “At 9:00 am, we leave the Palace and proceed to the Hall of Unity. From there, you shall meet with various officials and guests until 9:45 am, when you shall enter the Assembly Chamber with the other tlatoani and cihuacoatl. At 10:00 am, you will perform the ceremony to open the session.”
“You could say that with a little more ceremony, Ixatli,” Yauhmi joked. “I’m going to be opening the first session of the first thing resembling a democratic legislature that Xiomera has ever had. I’m going to be changing the course of our nation’s history forever at 10:00 am, you know. You said it like you were reading off a grocery list.”
The Shorn One simply sighed. His impassive expression, if it had changed at that moment, would have been pained.
“I suppose the opening ceremony itself will have to provide the drama and ceremony I crave,” the Empress sighed herself in response. She sipped her coffee with chocolate, making a few last notes on the tablet in preparation for the session.
The Cauhloc - 8:00 am, Xiomeran time
“Is everything prepared?” Calhualyana said. “It is,” General Xōchhuitl replied. The commander of the Xiomeran Imperial Army gave a short nod. “I have already spoken to Tlālpantlizal and Huelixiuh. The military will be ready.”
“ASI will be ready as well,” Calhualyana said. “I have seen to that. And what about our irregulars?”
“You asked me that on Monday, Calhualyana,” Xōlan said with a bemused tone. “The Patriotic Youth Corps, the Students’ Association, the Servicepersons and Protectors’ Association, and the Good Citizens’ League will be ready to move at the appropriate time. We will keep any protests or other inappropriate behavior from occurring on the streets. You just need to make sure your boys and girls in uniform do their job.”
“We always do,” General Xōchhuitl barked, clearly offended at the very notion that his soldiers would not do so.
“Very well. I have also gotten Atlhuitzcoatl on board,” Calhualyana added, to clearly impressed expressions from the others on the secured conference call. Atlhuitzcoatl, the high priest of Huītzilōpōchtli and most prominent traditional religious figure in Xiomera, would be a huge boost to the group’s plans if he was on board.
“Be ready, gentlemen. In two hours, we will embark on the greatest mission in our lives. We have sworn to serve Xiomera - now we must save it.”
—-
Hall of Unity - 10:00 am, Xiomeran time
It was a sunny day in Tlālacuetztla, pleasant and unseasonably warm, as the Empress and her entourage arrived at the Hall of Unity. The brand-new building shone resplendently in the sun, its modern architecture and strikingly Huenyan influences showing off well in the live coverage of the event.
The Empress and her group had emerged from their limousines and walked into the new building, to applause and cheers. While the crowd watching was being kept at a distance for security, Yauhmi could still see and hear the excitement of the people. She smiled as she walked into the new building.
After a bit of discussion and chat with various citizens and officials, the Empress met with the other tribal leaders. “Ready to make some history?” the Empress asked, to warm smiles from most of them. The only one seemingly not excited was Noxochicotzin, the tlatoani of the Necatli tribe, who merely gave her a nod. Yauhmi wondered at that for a moment, then dismissed it. The Necatli are always like that, she told herself. She wasn’t going to let anyone’s sour mood spoil the day.
To a flourish of music and applause, the Empress led the other tlatoani into the Assembly Chamber. As the crowd in attendance clapped, the six of them seated themselves, with the Empress sitting first. It took quite a while for the applause to die down, but when it finally did, Yauhmi smiled again and raised a ceremonial gavel. “I, Yauhmi, by the Mandate of Huītzilōpōchtli, Empress of Xiomera, Protector of the Peoples of the Sun, Sovereign of the Huenya, Manauia and Netlcoātl Islands, declare this historic first session of the Huenyan Assembly open - ”
A sudden voice, raised in alarm, broke into her thoughts as it came over her earpiece. It was Ixatli. Something is happening, your Majesty.
—-
“...and you can see the Empress giving the opening speech and about to gavel in the first ever session of this representative body, the Huenyan Assembly, recently created by the government....this is a truly historic moment for Xiomera...” the XIN reporter broadcasting the opening ceremony live said, his voice suddenly breaking up into static before cutting out completely. A moment later, the video cut out as well.
“Um....we seem to be having some technical difficulties...we’ve lost the feed from the Hall of Unity. We will try to get it back,” the XIN anchorwoman said, in a puzzled tone, as the nation watched.
—-
Minsheng Gardens Resort
Minsheng province, Laeral
10:05 am, Xiomeran time
Texōccoatl and Nōlinyauh were on the last stop of their visit to Laeral, visiting a resort and discussing possibilities for tourism between the two countries. The Crown Prince had stopped to take a moment to watch the opening ceremony of the Huenyan Assembly. When the broadcast abruptly cut out, Texōccoatl turned to Nōlinyauh. “What the devil is going on?” the Crown Prince asked.
Nōlinyauh was already on his phone, calling the Secretariat of International Affairs headquarters. He dialed twice, then looked at his phone in exasperation. He tried different numbers, before putting his phone away with a confused look. “I can’t get through to anyone. My phone simply will not dial anyone.”
Texōccoatl took out his own phone, an expression of alarm on his face. He tried dialing several numbers himself, before turning to the Secretary with a look of foreboding on his face.
—-
As the crowd gathered outside watched, their excitement turned to puzzlement as the security cordon around the Hall of Unity suddenly began pulling back to the perimeter of the building itself. The soldiers and police began forming a wall outside the building, as the crowd looked on. Then, rolling down the streets leading to the Hall of Unity, came a sight that no Xiomeran could ever help seeing without fear. Tanks, followed by armored personnel carriers.
The crowd began to mill about, before another line of armored vehicles began to approach. “This is a public emergency. You are ordered to disperse,” a voice began shouting over a loudspeaker, repeatedly, as soldiers deployed from the APCs and began forming a line to force people away from Xochitecpancalli Hill.
A squadron of Imperial AIr Force jets and Imperial Army helicopters had been, moments earlier, performing what had been ceremonial flyovers to celebrate the opening of the Huenyan Assembly. Now, they began flying over the crowd, the booming of the jet engines and thrumming noise from the helicopters providing an ominous counterpart to the shouts from the loudspeaker. In fear and confusion, the crowds began to stream away from the Hall of Unity.
—-
As the crowd outside began to flee, the crowd inside the Assembly Chamber began murmuring nervously. The other tlatoani began to look around in confusion. Only Yauhmi remained calm. Slowly, she put down her gavel.
The doors on either side of the Assembly Chamber burst open, and soldiers began streaming in. Sounds of gunfire and fighting could now be heard from outside the Chamber, as a group of soldiers marched to the dais. “General Xōchhuitl,” the Empress said, in a voice that was not surprised - and definitely not amused. “Do you care to explain what in the hell you’re doing?”
“I am placing you under arrest,” General Xōchhuitl snapped, as the crowd in the chamber began to protest.
Ixatli, and the other Shorn One assigned to Yauhmi, stepped forward with expressions that said no, you’re not as clearly as if the words had been said aloud. The other tlatoani, with the exception of Noxochicotzin, stood up with their own personal guards, prepared to fight. The Empress raised her hand. “Do nothing,” she said. “There are innocent civilians in this room. I would not see them harmed by being in the middle of a firefight in this chamber.”
“Then remove the civilians, so we can kill these traitorous dogs,” Chipatzal, tlatoani of the Itotemoc, said as his guards moved next to him.
“Don’t be an idiot, Chipatzal,” General Xōchhuitl said, as more soldiers entered the room. “We outnumber you ten to one, at least.”
“Those are indeed poor odds, for you, at least,” Ixatli said flatly, moving next to Yauhmi.
“Ixatli, stand down. Please,” Yauhmi added, as the Shorn One looked at her in dismay. “I will not sacrifice your lives or the lives of the innocent people in this room.” The Shorn Ones, and the other guards, stepped back in frustration. “General, on whose authority are you doing this? I certainly don’t recall not being Empress anymore, and if I had told you to arrest me, I think I would remember that.”
“I am doing this under the authority of the Provisional Imperial Government of Xiomera,” General Xōchhuitl said. Yauhmi raised an eyebrow. “You’re a bit old to have imaginary friends, aren’t you, General?” she sighed, as the General turned red.
“Joke all you want, your Majesty, but those who care about upholding the Xiomeran way of life and the traditional ways of its people are by no means a figment of my imagination. Stand up, and walk out of here with me now, all of you,” the General snapped, looking at everyone on the dais, “or resist, and die here. I am no politician, so I will not bandy words with you here any longer.”
Yauhmi rose, allowing herself to be led out of the Chamber by General Xōchhuitl. As she and the other tlatoani rose, she noticed that Noxochicotzin was still seated. “You seem to have already made your choice, Noxochicotzin,” Yauhmi murmured as she began to walk past him. “You had best hope that your gamble pays off.” The tlatoani of the Necatli pointedly refused to look at her as she was led out of the Chamber.
As Yauhmi was led out by the General, she looked around. The Hall of Unity, and its surroundings, had been very quickly and effectively secured by the Army, its guards overwhelmed. “The people leading this little plot of yours seem to be quite efficient. But you’ve made two mistakes.”
“What would those be?” the General snapped, as they arrived at a loading dock.
“The first one is underestimating my support. The second one is this: you may have me, but you don’t have my son. He will return to Xiomera, whether I am dead or alive. And when he does.....he will bring the wrath of Huītzilōpōchtli down upon your heads.”
General Xōchhuitl yanked Yauhmi around to face him. “Your precious son is on another continent, with no soldiers, no resources and no way to even contact anyone here in Xiomera. If he tries to fly back here, we will shoot his plane down. If he tries to sail back here, we will blow his ship out of the water. Your son is as neutered as a threat as you are, and it will stay that way. If you actually love Texōccoatl, you had best hope he forgets you, and lives the rest of his life abroad on his remaining wealth. Because if he tries to return here, he is a dead man. Did you really think we would allow you to use Texōccoatl as the foundation for a new line of hereditary monarchs? Did you think we would just let you destroy everything Xiomera has been for 600 years? No, madam, the line of Topilpopoca ends here, and it ends now.”
With a growl, the General shoved Yauhmi into a waiting ASI van. As Yauhmi fell into the pitch-black darkness inside the van, the doors slammed shut.
—-
One hour later
When the broadcast from the Hall of Unity was interrupted, the staff at the XIN broadcast studio could not figure out why. As they tried to restore the connection, another stream of military vehicles approached. As the staff looked on in alarm, their building was surrounded.
An hour after the occupation of the Hall of Unity, all broadcast channels in Xiomera were ordered to broadcast a feed from the XIN studios. General Xōchhuitl was flanked by the commanders of the other Xiomeran military branches, as well as the commanders of the Imperial Police and Civil Guard. While the statement that the General read was long and florid, its meaning was quite simple.
Yauhmi, Empress of Xiomera, had been deposed by the military and arrested on charges of treason, conspiracy, corruption and anti-Xiomeran activities. She was stripped of her position, by order of the Provisional Imperial Government of Xiomera, led by the Xiomeran military. She would be held in prison until she could be tried for her crimes; her son, Texōccoatl, was likewise removed from the line of succession, charged with treason, conspiracy, corruption and anti-Xiomeran activities as well, and subject to arrest if he returned to the country.
The Provisional Imperial Government would run the country until a new Great Selection could be held, and a new Emperor chosen who would undo the “anti-Xiomeran” reforms that Yauhmi had implemented, and restore “the rightful order of things” to the country. Until a new Emperor was chosen, martial law was in effect, and a curfew implemented from midnight to 8 am daily throughout the country. Anyone defying the curfew or “causing unrest” in the country was subject to immediate arrest and indefinite detention until trial. Glowering at the camera, General Xōchhuitl also warned that the Imperial military was “fully prepared” to defend the country from any foreign intervention on Yauhmi’s behalf. All travel to and from Xiomera was also halted “for the duration of the emergency.”
With that, a curtain of steel and gold would once again descend on Xiomera, shutting it off from the outside world.
—-
As he watched the broadcast on XIN from his stop in Minsheng province, Texōccoatl stared blankly at the screen. “So....now what?” Nōlinyauh asked.
“I know that, for starters, we need to talk to President Liu. We may be here in Laeral for a lot longer than we planned,” Texōccoatl said. “But I also know this - one way or another, sooner or later, I am going back to Xiomera. And that strutting General Xōchhuitl and his cabal of donkeys had better hope that my mother is alive when I return. If she isn’t....they want to go back to traditional ways, I’ll be more than happy to place their heads on spears outside the Palace of Flowers.”
Nōlinyauh soberly remembered that before his time as Crown Prince, and underneath his jovial and rogue-ish demeanor, Texōccoatl had been a Xiomeran soldier, and a good one. These coup plotters don’t like the influence Yauhmi had on Texōccoatl, but if they’ve awoken the side of Texōccoatl that takes after his father....gods and goddesses help us all.
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