05-31-2021, 04:13 AM
Palace of Flowers
The image of Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli of Huenya, giving a speech with his usual earnestly obnoxious self-righteousness, would normally annoy Empress Calhualyana. Not this time.
As the XIN coverage of his live speech played, Calhualyana sipped a glass of her favorite wine. As Tiacihitli continued, she set down the glass and popped a chocolate from her favorite chocolatier, the high-end artisan brand Apotec, into her mouth. Her smile grew wider.
When Tiacihitli finally said it, Calhualyana laughed. It was the long, slow, highly pleased laugh of someone who had been waiting for some time for a desired outcome, and had finally achieved it. She popped another chocolate in her mouth, still grinning.
"You seem quite happy at the moment," Xiyāōtl said, sitting next to her with his own glass of wine.
"Of course I am. You've returned successfully from your mission, performed quite well, I might add. You've made it clear that you have what it takes to be my husband. And now, I have gotten another present that is just as good. Yauhmi is done. The horrible woman is finally out. Out of power in Xiomera, out of power in Huenya, out period. I've finally beaten the old wretch." Calhualyana took another sip of her wine, laughing again. "And even better, her son is replacing her, and the Huenyan government is in chaos. They haven't even made it to their elections yet, and they're already falling apart. At this rate, if I just apply a little more pressure and a little more disruption, Huenya might just collapse before they even hold a single election, and fall right back into the control of the Empire without me even having to fire a shot. And even if they don't, it's clear that the silly chaotic little democracy they're putting together will never be able to match the stability and strength of this Empire. I've been having good days since becoming Empress, but this is one of the best ones yet," Calhualyana said, practically purring.
"Are you sure it's wise to underestimate Texōccoatl?" Xiyāōtl said calmly, sipping his wine again. "He was raised to be a ruler, he's highly trained, and a war veteran now on top of it."
"Xiyāōtl, are you sure you don't want to marry him instead of me?" Calhualyana asked playfully, earning her a light tap with a nearby pillow on the couch. "Texōccoatl is nothing. He sat on the bridge of a warship, surrounded by ships and planes, and played soldier while real warriors like yourself actually did the fighting at Zapotlán. He hid in Laeral during most of the war. He got his position because he was Topilpopoca's son, nothing more. In the end, he is not his mother. He will prove weak like his father was. And when he does, and when he leads his fake country into collapse, I will have both him and Huenya exactly where I want them," Calhualyana said. "Now top off my wine glass and celebrate with me. Yauhmi's downfall is the best news I've had in....well, in ever."
Xiyāōtl refilled his soon-to-be wife's glass, and clinked glasses with Calhualyana. It was, indeed, a moment of quiet celebration in the Palace of Flowers.
---
Xochuaxte Palace
At the Huenyan counterpart to the Palace of Flowers, the mood was far different as another person listened to someone giving a speech.
From his chambers in the Palace, Texōccoatl could hear his mother, in the plaza, giving her abdication speech to the crowds through the open doors of his balcony. He sighed.
Sitting next to him, Tlalmaxxi shook her head wryly. "Don't you go getting all depressed now. It's bad enough I've been moping around here since the raid at the Cauhloc failed. We don't need to both be depressed," she said in an attempt at humor. Texōccoatl shook his head, deflecting the attempt. "This should not be happening. Mother did the right thing. It was right for us to try to free Cozamalotl and Tlalzixiūhxa. She should not have to abdicate now. Not after all she has given for the Auroras, and for our own people. Not after what she has suffered. Huacue and Tiacihitli should not be blaming her for this and using her as a scapegoat."
"They shouldn't, but politics is what it is. We are a democracy now. This is how things work," Tlalmaxxi said. "Whether it is right or not, your mother will soon no longer be the Great Speaker. And she's making this choice, voluntarily - don't forget that. She could have told both Tiacihitli and Huacue to shove it, and most Huenyans would have backed her. But she knows that Huenya is more important than any one person. We need to honor her sacrifice by stepping up, as she would want us to do."
"But I didn't want to succeed her, not like this, anyway. And....what if I'm not ready?" Texōccoatl said, standing up and turning to face the balcony doors.
"Texōccoatl, you're the son of an Emperor and an Empress. You're also, now, the son of a Great Speaker of Huenya. You've been raised from birth for this moment. And you've fought for it, at Zapotlán and at too many places before that to remember. You're the child of two great parents, with their strength running in your veins, and you're the inheritor of a legacy of leadership that goes back centuries. More than that, you're the man I have seen raise our son better than anyone could, and the man I love. Even if you don't know it," Tlalmaxxi said, taking his hand, "I know that you're ready for this. Your mother led us to this point, and mistakes and all, she led us well and with strength. It's time for you to pick up where she leaves off. If anyone deserves to retire, after all she's gone through, it's her."
"I doubt she will really retire. Can you see her baking cookies, knitting, and babysitting Tonauac for the rest of her days?" Texōccoatl chuckled.
"Oh, I know she won't," Tlalmaxxi replied with a grin. "But I know, and she knows, that the time to pass the torch has come. You're ready."
Texōccoatl smiled, lowering his head until his forehead rested on Tlalmaxxi's. "I believe it, when I hear it from you. You're the biggest reason I fought my way back all the way from Laeral to get here."
"Don't get mushy on me, soldier boy," Tlalmaxxi replied, giving her husband a gentle kiss. "Come on. It's time for the people of Huenya to meet their next Great Speaker."
Holding his wife's hand, Texōccoatl walked out of his chambers to join his mother as she gave the most important, and last, speech of her time as a ruler.
The image of Vice-Speaker Tiacihitli of Huenya, giving a speech with his usual earnestly obnoxious self-righteousness, would normally annoy Empress Calhualyana. Not this time.
As the XIN coverage of his live speech played, Calhualyana sipped a glass of her favorite wine. As Tiacihitli continued, she set down the glass and popped a chocolate from her favorite chocolatier, the high-end artisan brand Apotec, into her mouth. Her smile grew wider.
When Tiacihitli finally said it, Calhualyana laughed. It was the long, slow, highly pleased laugh of someone who had been waiting for some time for a desired outcome, and had finally achieved it. She popped another chocolate in her mouth, still grinning.
"You seem quite happy at the moment," Xiyāōtl said, sitting next to her with his own glass of wine.
"Of course I am. You've returned successfully from your mission, performed quite well, I might add. You've made it clear that you have what it takes to be my husband. And now, I have gotten another present that is just as good. Yauhmi is done. The horrible woman is finally out. Out of power in Xiomera, out of power in Huenya, out period. I've finally beaten the old wretch." Calhualyana took another sip of her wine, laughing again. "And even better, her son is replacing her, and the Huenyan government is in chaos. They haven't even made it to their elections yet, and they're already falling apart. At this rate, if I just apply a little more pressure and a little more disruption, Huenya might just collapse before they even hold a single election, and fall right back into the control of the Empire without me even having to fire a shot. And even if they don't, it's clear that the silly chaotic little democracy they're putting together will never be able to match the stability and strength of this Empire. I've been having good days since becoming Empress, but this is one of the best ones yet," Calhualyana said, practically purring.
"Are you sure it's wise to underestimate Texōccoatl?" Xiyāōtl said calmly, sipping his wine again. "He was raised to be a ruler, he's highly trained, and a war veteran now on top of it."
"Xiyāōtl, are you sure you don't want to marry him instead of me?" Calhualyana asked playfully, earning her a light tap with a nearby pillow on the couch. "Texōccoatl is nothing. He sat on the bridge of a warship, surrounded by ships and planes, and played soldier while real warriors like yourself actually did the fighting at Zapotlán. He hid in Laeral during most of the war. He got his position because he was Topilpopoca's son, nothing more. In the end, he is not his mother. He will prove weak like his father was. And when he does, and when he leads his fake country into collapse, I will have both him and Huenya exactly where I want them," Calhualyana said. "Now top off my wine glass and celebrate with me. Yauhmi's downfall is the best news I've had in....well, in ever."
Xiyāōtl refilled his soon-to-be wife's glass, and clinked glasses with Calhualyana. It was, indeed, a moment of quiet celebration in the Palace of Flowers.
---
Xochuaxte Palace
At the Huenyan counterpart to the Palace of Flowers, the mood was far different as another person listened to someone giving a speech.
From his chambers in the Palace, Texōccoatl could hear his mother, in the plaza, giving her abdication speech to the crowds through the open doors of his balcony. He sighed.
Sitting next to him, Tlalmaxxi shook her head wryly. "Don't you go getting all depressed now. It's bad enough I've been moping around here since the raid at the Cauhloc failed. We don't need to both be depressed," she said in an attempt at humor. Texōccoatl shook his head, deflecting the attempt. "This should not be happening. Mother did the right thing. It was right for us to try to free Cozamalotl and Tlalzixiūhxa. She should not have to abdicate now. Not after all she has given for the Auroras, and for our own people. Not after what she has suffered. Huacue and Tiacihitli should not be blaming her for this and using her as a scapegoat."
"They shouldn't, but politics is what it is. We are a democracy now. This is how things work," Tlalmaxxi said. "Whether it is right or not, your mother will soon no longer be the Great Speaker. And she's making this choice, voluntarily - don't forget that. She could have told both Tiacihitli and Huacue to shove it, and most Huenyans would have backed her. But she knows that Huenya is more important than any one person. We need to honor her sacrifice by stepping up, as she would want us to do."
"But I didn't want to succeed her, not like this, anyway. And....what if I'm not ready?" Texōccoatl said, standing up and turning to face the balcony doors.
"Texōccoatl, you're the son of an Emperor and an Empress. You're also, now, the son of a Great Speaker of Huenya. You've been raised from birth for this moment. And you've fought for it, at Zapotlán and at too many places before that to remember. You're the child of two great parents, with their strength running in your veins, and you're the inheritor of a legacy of leadership that goes back centuries. More than that, you're the man I have seen raise our son better than anyone could, and the man I love. Even if you don't know it," Tlalmaxxi said, taking his hand, "I know that you're ready for this. Your mother led us to this point, and mistakes and all, she led us well and with strength. It's time for you to pick up where she leaves off. If anyone deserves to retire, after all she's gone through, it's her."
"I doubt she will really retire. Can you see her baking cookies, knitting, and babysitting Tonauac for the rest of her days?" Texōccoatl chuckled.
"Oh, I know she won't," Tlalmaxxi replied with a grin. "But I know, and she knows, that the time to pass the torch has come. You're ready."
Texōccoatl smiled, lowering his head until his forehead rested on Tlalmaxxi's. "I believe it, when I hear it from you. You're the biggest reason I fought my way back all the way from Laeral to get here."
"Don't get mushy on me, soldier boy," Tlalmaxxi replied, giving her husband a gentle kiss. "Come on. It's time for the people of Huenya to meet their next Great Speaker."
Holding his wife's hand, Texōccoatl walked out of his chambers to join his mother as she gave the most important, and last, speech of her time as a ruler.
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