Wait for Ahuiliztli’s promised gift

The day seems to trudge on with you settling disputes between the settlers, consulting with your ministers on spending and revenue and surveying the land for new areas to grow into. All the while, your thoughts go to Ahuiliztli and what she has promised you.

Maybe you’ve become spoiled with knowledge. The ministers always keep you informed of everything going on in your lands and have been open to you about their pasts and their desires. Now, you have a minister that is keeping a secret from you. You are being kept in the dark and it irks you. What could she possibly hide from you, anyways? A lovely, yet simple girl, she was not born into nobility, so she can’t have access to much more than any commoner would. Yet, in respect to the arts, she has managed to wrangle so much together with no funding. She is resourceful and able to coral the people to get things done. This is an admirable trait that could prove to surprise you again.

You half consider asking Ichtaca what the surprise is. Even though you told her to stop spying on her fellow ministers, you have the feeling that she went ahead and checked in on the Minister of Entertainment anyways, if only to satiate her own curiosity. Of course, that would ruin the surprise and Ahuiliztli seemed so excited to surprise you.

In the end, you waited in agonizing patience while pushing through with your daily duties. As the final plaintiff of the day leaves the court, you finally sit back and exhale softly. The sun wanes over the horizon and your stomach rumbles for attention. You decide to head down to the mess to get some food.

“I heard that Ahuiliztli has something planned for you, Excellency,” Necahual says to you as you descend the court, headed for the dining area.

“She wants it to be a surprised, so I have no idea what it will be,” you admit.

“Well, I hope you enjoy it,” she replies as she turns to head off.

You stop and turn to her. “Aren’t you joining me for dinner?” you ask.

“I was told that it is to be a private dinner,” she replies enigmatically. She gives you a knowing smile and nods before wandering off.

Before you have time to ponder her words, you are greeted by a pair of girls.

“Welcome, Excellency,” they say in unison. You recognize them as the conch players that auditioned for Ahuiliztli the other day. “The Minister of Entertainment invites you to join her for dinner!”

So, this appears to be the gift that she had promised, but there is more to it. You let the girls guide you into the enclosed structure that is the dining hall. Inside is dark, although you can still make things out from the torchlights. As you enter, you can feel a steady rumble beneath our feet. Beats that percuss through the building. It is rhythmic drumming that pounds down to your gut. You duck into the portal to find out the source of the beating.

Before you can see anything, you already hear the full brunt of the drumming, mixed in with wind instruments, playing a melodic, upbeat tune. Standing on the stage is Ahuiliztli, glowing with a radiant smile as you take in what she has put together. The room has been cleared of all the dining furniture save one while a center stage is present and surrounded by a chamber orchestra. Her band looks to be makeshift players that, in a day, she has managed to organize them into a well rehearsed symphony. The twins join their comrades and pick up their conches to contribute to the melody. Ahuiliztli points you to the spot in front of the stage that has been decorated with a sitting blanket and a table with drinks. You sit down and the music plays itself out to silence.

“Welcome, Excellency!” Ahuiliztli says in an official manner. “Allow me to present to you the Tenochtitlan Chamber Orchestra! A small yet growing team that will form our Philharmonic!”

The concertists start up again, playing a new melody that feels like a blend between a party song and a battle score. It gets your heart pumping and your muscles ready to spring into action. Ahuiliztli steps off the stage and joins you in the audience as men emerge from the back. They are some of your jaguar warriors that Ahuiliztli somehow managed to convince to participate. Showing off their battle prowess, they engage with each other in a form of dance and fight in time with the music. It is a riveting display that leaves you in awe of their skill in both martial combat and keeping to the rhythm.

The music draws to a close and the pair return to the back. You applaud them for their demonstration and turn to Ahuiliztli. “Now this was a pleasant surprise!”

Ahuiliztli smiles and says, “It’s not over yet!”

The music starts up again. This time, a troupe of ladies emerge from the back. There are five of them and they dance in unison. You admire them for their beauty and their grace as the music ebbs and flows, guiding their dance like a gentle current.

“I thought to show you what your money will be going into,” Ahuiliztli explains. “With a budget, we’ll be able to entertain the people with great shows and lift spirits and morale!” You nod in agreement. WIth this sort of spectacle, it is hard to not feel invigorated and uplifted.

Food is brought out and you fill a vessel for Ahuiliztli to drink from. You both eat and drink and take in the show. “So, is this a date?” you suggest to her casually.

She turns to you with a raised eyebrow, “A date? What is that?”

You smile and explain, “It’s when a couple share an evening together.”

“Well, then I think this would count as a date,” she nods back in agreement.

“People go on dates for romantic purposes,” you continue.

Ahuiliztli’s cheeks go red and she turns away, “Oh, Excellency, I didn’t mean it like that. I only wished to please you!”

“You have! Your efforts and abilities have pleased me immensely!” you praise. “And for the record, I would have been honored if this were a real date.”

She looks to you with a shy smile, touched that you would have your eyes on her in that way. “Well, maybe, when I am ready again, we could go on a real date, Excellency.”

“Call me Personal, we are not on duty right now,” you tell her.

“Personal,” she says in a soft tone, barely able to get herself to speak to you so informally. Her cheeks tinge pink, as she smiles nervously.

The next act is an elder gentleman that performs daring feats. He juggles with a pair of blades while an assistant tosses in an extra blade. He takes on yet another and another until he has five blades in the air! You find yourself holding your breath. The music players add to the tension with a pulse pounding beat as the man has everyone count to ten while he keeps the five blades cycling through his hands. Once you call out TEN! He takes a large step back and lets the knives hit the ground. They all strike blade first and stick out like poles from the floor, proving their deadliness! You clap enthusiastically for the performance.

You turn your head to Ahuiliztli. She is watching you and smiling a Chesire grin, relishing in the fact that you are enjoying her show.

“Ahuiliztli, you truly impress me with your resourcefulness,” you compliment.

“Thank you, Ex… Personal.. I’ve always had to be creative when it came to getting things done.” she says.

You lean in conspiratorially and tell her, “I bet you could tell me some interesting stories…”

She smiles and thinks back to her past then lights up with an idea. “How about I show you how I made a living for a while before I met my late husband?”

You smile back, “Sure…”

Ahuiliztli gets up and addresses the concertists to play a song. You recognize it as the one they played as you were just coming in. She then turns to you and steps onto the knee high table. You sit up and take in the view. Moving her body in rhythm with the music, Ahuiliztli sways her hips as she lifts her arms. The movement is frenetic in keeping with the heavy beats of the drum and her muscles ripple as they jerk back and forth, jiggling the softer sections of her anatomy. Your eyes stay glued to the presentation, burning the vision of the nubile young woman, practically naked, swinging her hips as flame light flickers off her coppertone skin. Her deep brown eyes gaze down towards you, speaking to you in unsaid word, taunting you to make a move.

The allure pulls at you. You want to reach out and touch the woman’s curved hips, her supple and bouncy breasts, but you promised her that you would wait for her to be ready for that. Although her eyes dare you, you need her words to set you free. Her tantalizing dance plays with your desire more and more as she turns around and shakes her backside for you. The motion of her thighs and ass shimmering with movement has you fully erect.

Ahuiliztli reaches out for you to join her.