Ahuiliztli want to show her gratitude for your endowment to the arts

Ahuiliztli wipes away her tears, accepting the matter as you have explained it. She takes a deep breath, as if a large weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She can not look you in the eyes just yet, but she’s willing to move on from the subject.

She looks to you with a fresh face and says, “I wish to present you with something, Excellency….” You raise an eyebrow.

“Oh?” you say and wonder aloud, “And what would that be?” Surely she has not resolved her personal issues that quickly.

“In honor of the budget you have extended to the arts, I want to present you with something,” she explains more clearly before she gives you a smile and places a finger on her lips. “It will be a surprise!”

You smirk back at her, “Your thoughts are shared with me and the other ministers, how will it be a surprise?”

“I have to ask for you not to pry. I assure you, it will be worth the wait.” Ahuiliztli replied with a hint of excitement in her voice.

Seeing your Minister of the Entertainment happy and excited after her breakdown makes you want to please her even more. “Of course, I will always respect your privacy, Ahuiliztli. I will be patient with this matter as well, although I have to admit that the mystery has me intrigued…”

“This one won’t take as long, I believe. I will have your gift prepared by tomorrow evening. I must make preparations right away!” She says, getting to her feet. “By your leave, excellency.”

“Go on, minister, I am anxious to see the results!” you smile as you wave her off.

Like the barely mature young woman she is, she darts away with an exuberance of energy, off to please you with a mystery gift. You wonder what it could be. With all the time you’ve spent in this world, using your omniscient abilities to survey the farms, explore the outskirts of your demesne and to view the people work, it is a rarity that you are left in the dark. You feel like it’s the day before your birthday and continue to wonder what Ahuiliztli has in mind for you.

“I could have my people follow her…” Ichtaca suggests in your mind.

“No, I will abide by her wishes. I do not wish to break her faith in me and my word,” you explain to your diplomatic minister/spymaster.

“Of course, Excellency. I simply bring the option up so that you are aware of it,” she replies. “My network is already able to keep discretionary surveillance on notable figures.”

“Are you spying on your fellow ministers, Ichtaca?” you surmise with a tone of concern.

“I only monitor our people with your interests at heart, Excellency,” she answers solemnly.

You don’t exactly want to be running a “Big Brother” state with scrutinizing eyes on all of your citizens. Not to mention that spying on your ministers would be a breach of their trust and privacy. You want your people to be comfortable around you and not feel like they are constantly being monitored. You make a note to find some busy work for Ichtaca before her snooping causes any trouble.

“Well, as long as the spying is only surface deep. There’s no need to dig deeper unless you have suspicion they are up to no good,” you instruct.

“As you wish, Excellency,” Ichtaca says. This gives you the ill feeling that she’s already gone ahead and dug into some people’s personal lives. At least you’ve put a halt to any further prying. You wonder if she has uncovered anything of interest, but you’ve already told her to stop, so it would seem hypocritical of you to ask her for juicy gossip now. Then again, if she does have pertinent information on her workmates, it would be prudent of her to share them with you. Her voice in your head has gone silent, so you assume that she has gone to resume her duties. You have duties to attend to as well. You head out to continue your work, although your thoughts drift back to Ahuiliztli’s promised gift.