03-05-2021, 08:46 PM
(Joint post with Lauchenoiria)
The Cauhloc
March 4th
The new cell that Tlalzixiūhxa was being held in was much nicer than the one Mariya had interrogated her in. It still bore the hallmarks of a Xiomeran detention cell: bland gray everything, no windows or distractions save for a few books approved by the censors; very basic appointments that were also easy to clean in the event of “accidents”. But at least the lights mimicked a day-night cycle here and there were no horrors taking place. She was even receiving decent food.
She still hated it. She'd broken. And she was in two minds about that. On one hand, it proved she was weaker than she hoped, and she hated herself for it. On the other, the Matriarchy had left her to rot long enough for her to break. And they had to bear some kind of responsibility for that. Being in this cell had given her plenty of time to think, and there were only so many censor-approved books she could read to distract herself from her introspection.
As if on cue, the door to the cell rattled slightly before opening. Two ASI special agents were escorting an unexpected visitor. “Good morning,” Calhualyana said calmly, waiting for a reply.
This was new. Tlalzixiūhxa sat up, staring at Calhualyana. "Empress?" she said, "can I help you?" She didn't want to be handed back to that little terror, Mariya Adema. She'd resolved to be as polite as possible to her captors rather than face the demon she had the misfortune of sharing a birth country with.
"On the contrary, I was hoping to be of help to you,” Calhualyana replied, taking a seat on the one chair in the room as the two guards did their best to look insignificant. “How are you doing?”
"How am I... I am fine, Empress?" Tlalzixiūhxa replied, wary and confused. She kept her hands where the guards could see them, and didn't bother to move once she'd sat up from her bed. She knew how to be obedient just as much as she knew how to resist. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out why the Empress would care how she was.
"I am sure you’re not fine, you don’t need to watch your words with me,” Calhualyana replied softly. “What Mariya did to you went well beyond the bounds of what should have taken place. Xiomerans are not barbarians. There will be definite consequences for her behavior.”
"Kerlian torturers are not usually so... joyful," Tlalzixiūhxa agreed. "I have some experience with them, and this Mariya appears to be an anomaly." That, or things had changed in Kerlile since her time. It was a coin-toss which was true. "If you wish for honesty, Empress, I would tell you that I am rather bored. There is precious little to do when you're locked up."
”Of course. I can arrange for some additional activities for you. Is there a specific preference that you have?”
"Um..." Tlalzixiūhxa considered. "I confess, I've never had much unstructured time. Even as a child my life was strictly regimented. I do not know what people do with their time."
Calhualyana seemed slightly bemused by the response. “My life as a child was also strictly regimented - although nowhere near as much as yours, I imagine. Much the same with my adult life. Is there anything you enjoy doing for self-improvement? Or just for fun? Any work you would like to do? Even something you haven’t done before but wanted to? Those are all good starting points.”
This is a trick, Tlalzixiūhxa reminded herself. This woman is the enemy, no matter how nice she seems. "I rather feel that most of my interests lie outside of the scope of what you would be willing to permit me to do, Empress." She couldn't allow herself to get too comfortable. She needed to remember that she was a prisoner. Anything else was dangerous.
"Try me,” Calhualyana said with another smile. “The worst that can happen at this point is that I say no. I have no intention of letting anyone else interrogate you further.”
"That would be futile, since your little pet already extracted every piece of valuable information you could get from me," Tlalzixiūhxa replied, calmly. "Any further interrogation would yield little but embarrassing stories, such as the time I slipped during combat training, slid down a muddy hill and ended up face first in a pile of cow manure."
Tlalzixiūhxa decided to ask the question she actually wanted to know the answer to. "I don't suppose you'd tell me whether or not Mariya was lying when she said my children had been killed during the civil war?"
"Your children were not killed,” Calhualyana replied. “I was not aware that you were told such a thing. I can assure you they are fine.”
"Given that Mariya didn't drag them in and disembowel them in front of me, I'm guessing they're outside of Xiomera?" Tlalzixiūhxa asked. "You needn't answer that, I can ascertain enough for myself. Have you had Councillor Robinson killed yet?"
Calhualyana laughed slightly. “Killing foreign leaders and starting a war when I just managed to end one would be rather a bad idea. Are there other questions I can answer for you?”
So she hadn't used the information Tlalzixiūhxa gave her. Interesting. "Am I to be executed?" she asked reluctantly. It was a possibility, and she felt she ought to know, even if she didn't really want to.
Calhualyana smiled slightly at the probing question Tlalzixiūhxa had asked about Robinson. One does not play their cards until the opportune time, madam. “I have no intention of doing that. You’ve suffered enough. There is no need to add insult to injury.”
"After what I told you, I expect I would face a death sentence in Kerlile if it became known," she replied, seemingly unperturbed by the suggestion, but merely hiding it.
"Then it’s in everyone’s best interest that it not become known you provided this information, or that you are protected, in any event. That is what I plan to do,” Calhualyana replied.
"I don't fear death," Tlalzixiūhxa replied. "I was recruited by Sarah Robinson when I was eight. That means I committed my first act of treason when I was eight. The possibility of being executed has existed since then, I've had plenty time to come to terms with my probable cause of death."
"Not fearing death gives you strength. That is a very Xiomeran attitude,” Calhualyana said with a tone of approval to her voice. “But let’s see if we can keep you alive, shall we?”
"That would be preferable, yes," Tlalzixiūhxa nodded. She still didn't understand what game the Empress was playing here. She tried to recall her training but everything had been fuzzy and hard to reach since Mariya had gone at her. She was on her own.
"I’m glad we agree on that,” Calhualyana said, with a slight laugh as she stood up. “I’ll see to it that you’re moved to more comfortable quarters. You’ll have access to a television and a more diverse set of reading material so you can catch up on what has been happening. That will give you some time to think about what you might want to do.” With a few more pleasantries, the Empress left.
The Empress was true to her word; within the next hour Tlalzixiūhxa was moved to a new part of the Cauhloc. The section she was being held in was a bit nicer - the rooms resembled a moderately priced hotel more than a detention center. The only clue that one was not staying at a hotel were the multiple physical and electronic door locks that only opened from the outside.
Definitely part of some kind of game, Tlalzixiūhxa thought. Well, she wasn't going anywhere. She might as well see how this was going to play out.
In another part of the Cauhloc, the Empress watched Tlalzixiūhxa through the well-hidden cameras in the cell. Let's see where this goes, Aurora. Either you'll join me....or you'll join those who have tried to oppose me, and failed.
---
Xochuaxte Palace, Chuaztlapoc
March 5th
Yauhmi put the phone down, an expression of keen interest on her face. After a moment, she asked her attendant to have Texōccoatl and Tlanexchel summoned to her chambers.
It did not take them long to arrive. The Xochuaxte Palace had a rather grand name for a not very grand building, especially by the standards of the Palace of Flowers. Little more than an ancient defensive keep for Chuaztlapoc's inner ring defenses, Xochuaxte was in the process of being converted into a residence for what was now the Huenyan royal family. The palace was not yet so large that visitors had to travel far.
When Texōccoatl and Tlanexchel arrived, she instructed her attendant to leave the room and make sure no one else entered. "We will be having some visitors soon," Yauhmi said calmly, handing the notes she had taken during the call to Texōccoatl. He read the notes, raised an eyebrow, then passed them to the Defense Secretary. After reading them, Tlanexchel looked up with his own raised eyebrow. "The former Aurora Nelichē is coming here? With an Aurora from Eiria?"
"Indeed. They have requested a meeting with me, which I have accepted."
"Are you sure that is safe or wise?" Texōccoatl said. "Normally, I would not doubt them, but both of them have been outside Xiomera....Huenya, now, for a considerable amount of time. We have no idea if someone has had a chance to somehow compromise or convert them with a malicious intent. Calhualyana is not above that sort of trick."
"Calhualyana has, to my knowledge, only had one Aurora in custody, and I fully intend to rectify that soon," Yauhmi replied with a touch of her old determination. "In the meantime, have guards nearby if you must, but the meeting will proceed."
Tlanexchel whistled. "Very well, your Majesty," he said in a mock-lofty tone. Yauhmi rolled her eyes. Tlanexchel grinned and looked at Texōccoatl. "I guess we'll be having dinner guests soon."
The Cauhloc
March 4th
The new cell that Tlalzixiūhxa was being held in was much nicer than the one Mariya had interrogated her in. It still bore the hallmarks of a Xiomeran detention cell: bland gray everything, no windows or distractions save for a few books approved by the censors; very basic appointments that were also easy to clean in the event of “accidents”. But at least the lights mimicked a day-night cycle here and there were no horrors taking place. She was even receiving decent food.
She still hated it. She'd broken. And she was in two minds about that. On one hand, it proved she was weaker than she hoped, and she hated herself for it. On the other, the Matriarchy had left her to rot long enough for her to break. And they had to bear some kind of responsibility for that. Being in this cell had given her plenty of time to think, and there were only so many censor-approved books she could read to distract herself from her introspection.
As if on cue, the door to the cell rattled slightly before opening. Two ASI special agents were escorting an unexpected visitor. “Good morning,” Calhualyana said calmly, waiting for a reply.
This was new. Tlalzixiūhxa sat up, staring at Calhualyana. "Empress?" she said, "can I help you?" She didn't want to be handed back to that little terror, Mariya Adema. She'd resolved to be as polite as possible to her captors rather than face the demon she had the misfortune of sharing a birth country with.
"On the contrary, I was hoping to be of help to you,” Calhualyana replied, taking a seat on the one chair in the room as the two guards did their best to look insignificant. “How are you doing?”
"How am I... I am fine, Empress?" Tlalzixiūhxa replied, wary and confused. She kept her hands where the guards could see them, and didn't bother to move once she'd sat up from her bed. She knew how to be obedient just as much as she knew how to resist. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out why the Empress would care how she was.
"I am sure you’re not fine, you don’t need to watch your words with me,” Calhualyana replied softly. “What Mariya did to you went well beyond the bounds of what should have taken place. Xiomerans are not barbarians. There will be definite consequences for her behavior.”
"Kerlian torturers are not usually so... joyful," Tlalzixiūhxa agreed. "I have some experience with them, and this Mariya appears to be an anomaly." That, or things had changed in Kerlile since her time. It was a coin-toss which was true. "If you wish for honesty, Empress, I would tell you that I am rather bored. There is precious little to do when you're locked up."
”Of course. I can arrange for some additional activities for you. Is there a specific preference that you have?”
"Um..." Tlalzixiūhxa considered. "I confess, I've never had much unstructured time. Even as a child my life was strictly regimented. I do not know what people do with their time."
Calhualyana seemed slightly bemused by the response. “My life as a child was also strictly regimented - although nowhere near as much as yours, I imagine. Much the same with my adult life. Is there anything you enjoy doing for self-improvement? Or just for fun? Any work you would like to do? Even something you haven’t done before but wanted to? Those are all good starting points.”
This is a trick, Tlalzixiūhxa reminded herself. This woman is the enemy, no matter how nice she seems. "I rather feel that most of my interests lie outside of the scope of what you would be willing to permit me to do, Empress." She couldn't allow herself to get too comfortable. She needed to remember that she was a prisoner. Anything else was dangerous.
"Try me,” Calhualyana said with another smile. “The worst that can happen at this point is that I say no. I have no intention of letting anyone else interrogate you further.”
"That would be futile, since your little pet already extracted every piece of valuable information you could get from me," Tlalzixiūhxa replied, calmly. "Any further interrogation would yield little but embarrassing stories, such as the time I slipped during combat training, slid down a muddy hill and ended up face first in a pile of cow manure."
Tlalzixiūhxa decided to ask the question she actually wanted to know the answer to. "I don't suppose you'd tell me whether or not Mariya was lying when she said my children had been killed during the civil war?"
"Your children were not killed,” Calhualyana replied. “I was not aware that you were told such a thing. I can assure you they are fine.”
"Given that Mariya didn't drag them in and disembowel them in front of me, I'm guessing they're outside of Xiomera?" Tlalzixiūhxa asked. "You needn't answer that, I can ascertain enough for myself. Have you had Councillor Robinson killed yet?"
Calhualyana laughed slightly. “Killing foreign leaders and starting a war when I just managed to end one would be rather a bad idea. Are there other questions I can answer for you?”
So she hadn't used the information Tlalzixiūhxa gave her. Interesting. "Am I to be executed?" she asked reluctantly. It was a possibility, and she felt she ought to know, even if she didn't really want to.
Calhualyana smiled slightly at the probing question Tlalzixiūhxa had asked about Robinson. One does not play their cards until the opportune time, madam. “I have no intention of doing that. You’ve suffered enough. There is no need to add insult to injury.”
"After what I told you, I expect I would face a death sentence in Kerlile if it became known," she replied, seemingly unperturbed by the suggestion, but merely hiding it.
"Then it’s in everyone’s best interest that it not become known you provided this information, or that you are protected, in any event. That is what I plan to do,” Calhualyana replied.
"I don't fear death," Tlalzixiūhxa replied. "I was recruited by Sarah Robinson when I was eight. That means I committed my first act of treason when I was eight. The possibility of being executed has existed since then, I've had plenty time to come to terms with my probable cause of death."
"Not fearing death gives you strength. That is a very Xiomeran attitude,” Calhualyana said with a tone of approval to her voice. “But let’s see if we can keep you alive, shall we?”
"That would be preferable, yes," Tlalzixiūhxa nodded. She still didn't understand what game the Empress was playing here. She tried to recall her training but everything had been fuzzy and hard to reach since Mariya had gone at her. She was on her own.
"I’m glad we agree on that,” Calhualyana said, with a slight laugh as she stood up. “I’ll see to it that you’re moved to more comfortable quarters. You’ll have access to a television and a more diverse set of reading material so you can catch up on what has been happening. That will give you some time to think about what you might want to do.” With a few more pleasantries, the Empress left.
The Empress was true to her word; within the next hour Tlalzixiūhxa was moved to a new part of the Cauhloc. The section she was being held in was a bit nicer - the rooms resembled a moderately priced hotel more than a detention center. The only clue that one was not staying at a hotel were the multiple physical and electronic door locks that only opened from the outside.
Definitely part of some kind of game, Tlalzixiūhxa thought. Well, she wasn't going anywhere. She might as well see how this was going to play out.
In another part of the Cauhloc, the Empress watched Tlalzixiūhxa through the well-hidden cameras in the cell. Let's see where this goes, Aurora. Either you'll join me....or you'll join those who have tried to oppose me, and failed.
---
Xochuaxte Palace, Chuaztlapoc
March 5th
Yauhmi put the phone down, an expression of keen interest on her face. After a moment, she asked her attendant to have Texōccoatl and Tlanexchel summoned to her chambers.
It did not take them long to arrive. The Xochuaxte Palace had a rather grand name for a not very grand building, especially by the standards of the Palace of Flowers. Little more than an ancient defensive keep for Chuaztlapoc's inner ring defenses, Xochuaxte was in the process of being converted into a residence for what was now the Huenyan royal family. The palace was not yet so large that visitors had to travel far.
When Texōccoatl and Tlanexchel arrived, she instructed her attendant to leave the room and make sure no one else entered. "We will be having some visitors soon," Yauhmi said calmly, handing the notes she had taken during the call to Texōccoatl. He read the notes, raised an eyebrow, then passed them to the Defense Secretary. After reading them, Tlanexchel looked up with his own raised eyebrow. "The former Aurora Nelichē is coming here? With an Aurora from Eiria?"
"Indeed. They have requested a meeting with me, which I have accepted."
"Are you sure that is safe or wise?" Texōccoatl said. "Normally, I would not doubt them, but both of them have been outside Xiomera....Huenya, now, for a considerable amount of time. We have no idea if someone has had a chance to somehow compromise or convert them with a malicious intent. Calhualyana is not above that sort of trick."
"Calhualyana has, to my knowledge, only had one Aurora in custody, and I fully intend to rectify that soon," Yauhmi replied with a touch of her old determination. "In the meantime, have guards nearby if you must, but the meeting will proceed."
Tlanexchel whistled. "Very well, your Majesty," he said in a mock-lofty tone. Yauhmi rolled her eyes. Tlanexchel grinned and looked at Texōccoatl. "I guess we'll be having dinner guests soon."
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