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Ayala woke up to early sunbeams streaming through her window. She stretched and yawned, not wanting to emerge from the comfort of the bed. Hearing a knock on the door, she watched as Eiotan stuck his head in. He smiled when he realized that she was awake.
“Good morning, Ayala. I have breakfast ready. Please dress and come eat.” He shut the door and walked back down the hall.
Ayala sighed and finally made herself climb out of the softness that was her bed. She picked up the jade-colored dress and pulled it over her head, smoothing it flat over her stomach and hips. She brushed her hair with her hairbrush, and splashed some water on her face from the washbasin. She put the hairbrush back on her bedside table, hoping to never have to hand it over to Eiotan for punishment. Once she felt ready, she opened the door and made her way back into the kitchen. Eiotan was putting two plates on the table. Ayala sniffed the air and smiled; eggs and fruit for breakfast.
The two sat down and ate quietly, the food disappearing relatively quickly. When Eiotan finished, he glanced up at Ayala and cleared his throat.
“Today is going to be very important. If you need to ask me anything, we need to be alone, and not in the presence of others. You are to act as my wife, and I would prefer if you wouldn’t speak unless spoken to. Keep your eyes down, but be observant, but not obvious. This Cortés is a dangerous man and I do not want you put in harm’s way. I wish for you to be safe.”
“Yes, sir,” Ayala said softly in response, nervousness billowing through her. She swallowed and looked up at him. She felt awkward and didn’t really know what to say. A look of fear must have passed over her face, because his eyes softened. He rose from his chair; she trembled slightly, his aura of confidence and power emanating as he made his way to her and knelt in front of her. Would he spank her again? What had she done wrong? She wrung her hands and stared at the floor.
“I saw something in you as you stood up for your fellow slave. I saw the independence and strength in what you did to save that young girl. Come now, look at me.” He lifted her chin and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers caused tiny tingles to radiate down to her spine. She slowly raised her eyes to meet his.
“You have nothing to fear from me. I will never cause any real harm to you. You are safe in my protection.” His eyes were so honest that Ayala allowed a glimmer of a smile to pass her lips. He smiled back in response.
“Would you like to ask me anything else, while we are alone?” he said softly.
Ayala was silent for a moment, searching for words. She met his eyes again and found it difficult to look away from those hazel-green eyes. It seemed like they held so many stories, that there were so many layers to this man she hardly knew.
“Is there anything else I need to know, in order to act as your wife? I don’t want to accidentally disappoint you, sir,” she said, all the while envisioning her bare bottom being spanked by him.
“Try not to look too curious to our visitor. Keep your eyes down as much as you can and do not speak a word. I will speak for you. I am unsure as to the customs of Cortés, and what he is expecting. Try to stay behind me, as much as you can.” He smiled and paused for a moment, contemplating something.
“You look beautiful, by the way,” he said as he stood up, making his way back to his chair. Ayala already missed his warmth, his powerful demeanor. She felt herself blush at his compliment.
“Sir?”
He turned back to her.
“I…” She paused, struggling to get what she wanted to say out. Inner turmoil begged her to stay silent.
“Yes, Ayala?”
“I’m afraid if I make a mistake… if I disappoint you, that you will spank me. I would be so ashamed and…” She squeezed her eyes shut and blurted it out. “Would you spank me in front of everyone?”
His eyes held a glimmer of surprise, and a hint of something unknown passed across his face.
“No, Ayala. I would not do that. What I would do is take you aside and tell you of your indiscretion. I would tell you that when we get home, you would receive a spanking. Your punishment would be handled between you and me. If this were to happen, you will go straight to your room when we get home, and wait for me to come administer your punishment. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir,” Ayala said softly, her heart beating so loud she was sure he could hear. She saw his eyes soften again. “Will you tell me about Cortés?” she wondered aloud, her voice faint.
He placed his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. “He is from across the sea, from a land called Spain. We do not know much else about what he wants with our city. He has made it known that he has wanted to meet with Moctezuma, our king, many times. Rumor says he is a dangerous man, and has caused much death in the wake of his journey. He has an army. We have to tread lightly in how we treat him. The king has prepared the palace for Cortés and his allies to stay.” Lord Eiotan’s eyes steeled. “Today is going to be a very important day.”
Ayala nodded and stood, gathering the dirty dishes from the table. She walked over to a small washbasin in the corner, and began to wash them with the lye soup that was next to it. She dried the dishes with a cloth and placed them on a shelf with other dishes. When she finished, she turned back to Lord Eiotan, finding a smile had crossed his face.
She gave him a confused look. “What is it, sir?”
He chuckled. “It’s nothing.”
Outside a bell tolled one, two, three times, reverberating deep through Ayala’s bones. She forgot about Lord Eiotan for a moment. A shiver ran down her spine.
Lord Eiotan stood, a deadly serious look coming over him.
“Come, it is time.” He offered her his hand, and Ayala timidly walked over and placed hers in it. He led her out the door, out of his home, into the bustle of the city.
Ayala kept her eyes down for most of the journey, her eyes flicking up occasionally to gaze over the busy roads. Little markets were everywhere, selling trinkets, a variety of different cloths, a tremendous amount of food, as well as among many other things. As they walked, the crowds began to get thinner. She knew they were making their way to the edges of the city.
She hurried to keep up with his long powerful strides.
