He had fought hard and valiently under the sweltering sun, naked to all eyes, without even a loin cloth for covering, with nothing but a stream of sweat pouring from his chest onto the hot stone where it sizzled into nothingness. Even strapped to the stone wheel, armed with only wooden weapons to fend off the attack, he had managed to cause injury to the warrior. And each time the warrior had attempted to bring the obsidian blade down, the captive had landed a glancing blow against an exposed area of his opponent's body, causing him to stumble. He had even managed to break skin, so that, in the melee, the blood of the warrior mixed with that of the bound man's.

The captive had been brave, his body strong. But in the end, it had not been enough as the blade finally pierced through skin, muscle and sinew and found its mark. The victor ripped out the still beating heart and held it up triumphantly over his head, blood dripping down.

The roar from the people was thunderous in praise, their arms waving.

The head priest gave a cursory bow to the warrior, and then lead the long journey down the hundreds of stairs that lead up to the top of the temple. Teuc took his position behind them and two other priests higher in rank. He walked through one of the many puddles of blood and his bare feet made imprints all the way down. Four minor priests were ascending already to retrieve the body. Later, the head would be cut off and placed alongside the others within the temple.

At the foot of the stairs stood two of Moctezuma's councillors, awaiting the gruesome entourage's descent. Finally, the parties were face to face. As one priest led the warrior away from the crowds towards the back entrance of the temple, down to the inner chambers to deposit the heart, the head priest stood with Moctezuma's men, Teuc keeping a close distance.

The first of the councillors stepped forward. "The Great Speaker has decided that another sacrifice is to take place tomorrow."

"The barbarian?" the head priest asked. He had heard news of the strange man's discovery yesterday and had been more than a little shaken by the man's physical description. And, of course, he remembered Teuc's strange encounter in the woods a few nights ago.

The councillor nodded. "Yes. The Great Speaker does not want any more ill fortune visited upon us. The man..." the councillor paused, then lowered his voice to prevent anyone but the four of them from hearing. "The foreigner disturbs him greatly. He sees it as some ill sign from the gods and would just as soon be quit of him today, but he is aware of the closeness of your schedule. Besides, he wants to be present when it is done. So, prepare yourselves for another sacrifice tomorrow. The proclamation will go out to the people at sunset."

"We will make preparations as The Great Speaker wishes," the priest stated solemnly.

"Good. The prisoner will be brought to you before sunrise. At this moment, he awaits in a cage befitting his barbarous nature. He attacked several guards before they could secure him. Obviously, he will not go to his death willingly and will have to be fed peyotl before he is turned over to you. It is the only way we can assure total control."

The head priest nodded, as did the councillors before they turned to depart through the remaining crowd, much of which had already dispersed, for there were still various celebrations occurring throughout the plaza.

Teuc followed behind his elder as the older man headed back to their quarters within the gates of the temple. He would have to clean himself of the blood and gore before he went to her today. He was avid to continue with their studies. She was a sharp pupil, and he did not often encounter those who were as eager and intelligent. Although he tried to deny it to himself, his sessions with her brought him pleasure.

But even as he thought of her, his mind also went back to the "white demon" he had encountered some nights before. He had almost convinced himself that it had been a figment of his deluded mind, but now he knew that he had not been seeing apparitions. The white creature had been a flesh and blood man. And he would see this man tomorrow as he stood and watched his chest ripped open, his heart held high for the masses to see. And then they would take his head. After which, his body would be boiled and eaten.

As he and the elder priest left the crowded streets and entered their private world, Teuc silently wondered what the pale flesh would taste like.

------------------------------

"What troubles you so?" he asked softly, running a finger along her jawline before settling it on lips still dewy from his kiss.

Alex shrugged. "Nothing. I guess I'm just a little bored." This wasn't exactly true, but she couldn't tell him about her disturbing dreams, nor about the resurfacing memories that left her feeling vague and unsure about her life here in the palace.

"Well, I hope that my attentions are not the reason for your boredom," he said smiling, but she detected a slight edge just beneath the lightness of his tone. She must be careful.

"No, of course, it isn't you. You are more than enough diversion for me. It's just that...."

He sat up from the floor divan they had been lying on and looked down at her. It was late morning, and he had yet to make his appearance before court. He wasn't usually this lax, but the morning was a hot, lazy one and most of the people were still celebrating the Great Feast Day. And besides, he was feeling quite refreshed after the first dreamless night in many nights. But obviously something was disturbing Cihuatl which, in turn, disturbed him. He wanted her to be happy with him. She had his heart now and her well-being was his foremost priority.

"It's just what, Cihuatl? What can I do to please you? Tell me."

She hadn't expected the question, but it was like a gift landing in her lap. There was something she wanted.

"I don't want to be locked away like this. It's like I'm not free, like I'm trapped in a cage, kept like one of your pets. I want...no, I need to walk places and do things other than just sitting and reading and waiting, always waiting."

He shook his head. "Cihuatl, it is against custom to allow the royal women to roam freely. It is for your own protection," he said with finality, sitting up straight. He was about to get up and take his leave.

"Even if that protection stifles me?" she asked, no longer being careful. Careful kept her locked here with no hope of escape.

The stare he turned on her as he stood up was penetrating, intimidating. But she held it, sitting up at last, refusing to give way. She needed access to those places that had been refused her, especially the outside world. She had to find her way back to where she belonged.

He was the powerful one. Both of them knew this. Yet she held her own power. And both of them knew this, also. "I could not bear to lose you," he said finally, desperately, his voice so quiet she had to strain to hear his words.

"How could you possibly lose me?" She stood. They were eye to eye again. "You have your guards to protect me wherever I go. But I need to go somewhere other than these women's quarters or the gardens...."

"The gardens do not please you?" he asked somewhat incredulously for they were his own creation, fragrant with a hundred variety of flowers. And the menagerie of exotic animals....

"No, they are beautiful gardens," she conceded, turning away to look out the window at those very gardens. "Very beautiful," she said, the fight gone now. She just wanted to be alone before Teuc arrived.

He stared at her back turned to him, and saw her dejection. He realized then that she would never be happy sequestered away. Her spirit would diminish and whatever feelings she had for him would soon die. And that he could not bear. It would be as good as losing her.

"I will arrange for you to be shown the city" he said finally. "And...when I travel, at least to the nearest cities, you will accompany me." Now that he had made the decision, the possibilities came to him. Of course, she could travel with him, properly sheltered in a tent where she could not be seen by his courtiers and diplomats who travelled with him. "There. Does that please you?"

She turned back to him, a slight smile on her face. "Yes, very much. Thank you."

An idea came to him as he saw the pleasure in her eyes. He loved to see that sparkle in those lovely brown eyes. "Would you like to accompany me tomorrow to see the celebrations. There will be several sacrifices, including the infidel who was found yesterday."

"The infidel?" she repeated, troubled. She did not want to see the killings. The thought of them seemed barbarous, even if she knew that they were to appease the gods.

"Yes," he said. "We have him locked away in the palace. He is unlike any man I have seen before. At first, I feared that he was Quetzalcoatl returned as he promised in the form of a man. But then I realized that he is nothing but a mere man, someone who wandered here for whatever purpose only known to him. That he had the audacity to claim himself one of my slaves boils my blood to no end. Where he came from, no one knows. It is as though he dropped from the sky."

Dropped from the sky. The phrase resounded in her ears. A compulsion swept over her as it did, a sudden need that came from nowhere but whispered in her ear, pricked her soul. She had to see this stranger who was destined to die, who was given the fate that she had been spared.

"May I see this man?" she asked.

He looked at her curiously. "Why? He is nothing more than some poor barbarian. Hardly something to set your eyes upon."

"Please...I just...well, he sounds so strange, I would like to see for myself...."

He shrugged. "As you wish. I will escort you there myself after your morning ablutions. I will just tell Teuc that you will be late for your lessons this morning. And I must prepare myself for court. I have been neglectful in my duties. Your charms have distracted me, I'm afraid. We will see the prisoner as soon as I have put in my morning appearance."

He turned to leave then, wondering at the curious nature of women that he could never quite figure. His menagerie did not interest her and yet she wishes to stare at some barbarian.

After he had gone, she summoned her personal servant to bring her towels and soap for her bath, all the time trying to quelch the feelings of dread and expectation that had arisen uninvited.