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Moctezuma bowed his head to Cortés and welcomed him to the city.
She acted as an obedient wife should and didn’t say a word. The group began to make their way into the city, guiding Cortés and his men to the palace, where they would stay. All the while, she noted that Cortés was sneaking glances at her.
Lord Eiotan was finally instructed to return to the dinner the king had planned to welcome Cortés and his army.
She watched as he talked with important people. She tried to remember all the names as best she could, nodding and curtseying at all the right times. Finally, Lord Eiotan and the rest of the welcoming committee left the visiting army to rest, assured that Cortés was exhausted from his journey.
Eiotan came back to her, grasping her hand. “Let us return home until the festivities tonight.” The two of them left the crowds and walked back to Lord Eiotan’s house. The walk was quiet, leaving Ayala to her thoughts.
When they finally reached Lord Eiotan’s estate, Ayala occupied herself with household chores, trying to keep busy in order to stem her nerves. Eiotan sat himself at the table with some scrolls and paper. She couldn’t get close enough to see what they said, so she kept her distance. It could be very dangerous for her if Eiotan knew she had learned to read. Her mother had known and taught her and had engrained in her the need for this to be kept secret. A slave who knew how to read was dangerous to their master.
As she was dusting, she felt Eiotan’s eyes on her.
“Ayala, come sit down with me.”
Ayala slowly put down her dusting and made her way over to him. She nervously swallowed and lowered herself down into a chair by him. She glanced at the writing on the table, seeing the words Cortés, gold, murder, and bloody war. She quickly glanced up at him, hoping she hadn’t given herself away.
Eiotan watched her, silent, glancing at the papers and then back to her.
“Tell me about what happened when Cortés saw you.”
“Sir, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me. Everything was a little scary and I…”
Eiotan interrupted. “No, tell me about what exactly you felt, when you two caught each other’s eyes.”
Ayala looked down at her hands. Nervous butterflies filled her to the core. Had she made him angry?
“He seemed hungry, bloodthirsty even. I couldn’t tell what it was directed at though. I couldn’t tell what he wanted. It seemed like he had some sort of power. I’m not really sure how to describe it.”
Eiotan looked at her; his face showed nothing. He cleared his throat.
“You are not to leave my side at dinner tonight. Consider that a direct order.”
Ayala swallowed. “Yes, sir,” she whispered.
Her eyes darted back to the papers and then back down to her hands. She wanted to know what they said about Cortés. Maybe they would tell her what Cortés wanted. She looked back at Eiotan and met his eyes, finding that he had been watching her.
Nervously, she jumped up and hurried back to her dusting, all the while feeling his eyes on her back. But he didn’t say a word. In fact, he stood up from the table and left the room.
Her eyes stole toward the table and the papers. She glanced down the hallway in the direction he’d disappeared. Indecision clouded her mind. Finally curiosity overtook her and she stole back to the table. She quickly was lost in the warnings about Cortés and how dangerous he was, how he was willing to murder anyone who got in his way.
She jumped when she heard someone clear his throat, and looked up quickly to find Eiotan watching her. Shock turned into fear as she backed away from the table.
“Sir, I was just going to dust the table, I, I…” she stammered.
“Don’t you dare lie to me, Ayala.”
Tears clouded her vision. Words would not come to her. She quivered as he walked toward her. She backed away from him, afraid. Why couldn’t she have quelled her curiosity?
Her back hit the wall; she had nowhere to run.
“Please,” she whimpered. “Please don’t.”
Eiotan’s face softened. His hand reached out to touch her face, but she flinched away.
“You can read, can’t you,” he stated, his voice gentle.
“Yes, sir,” she whispered, barely able to speak, hardly believing he had gotten her to admit it. Surprise raked through her as a smile overcame his face.
