"Irene, take these two documents and give them to Miawa to look over!"
The great hall was broad and deep, the guards standing solemnly at their posts. Dusk had only just fallen, yet the oil lamps were already burning bright. Xolotl sat cross-legged before the low table and reviewed several documents from the lands of Totonac. Afterward, he pondered for a while, then summoned the scribe Irene, carefully picked through the papers, and handed her two of them.
"Right! Tell Miawa that tonight, I will summon several of the exploring sailors again... She need not wait for me, and she certainly need not come!..."
"Yes! As you command! His Majesty!..."
The scribe Irene bowed and stood waiting for a while. Seeing that Xolotl did not raise his head, she picked up the documents in disappointment and walked toward the rear courtyard.
November on the coast was still warm. The scribe Irene wore only a priest's short robe and a pair of cool shorts, revealing wheat-colored skin and long, strong, agile legs. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, exposing a smooth, delicate neck. Around that neck hung a finely made Sun Amulet, shimmering with flowing light in the setting sun. And upon closer look, her eyebrows had been lightly shaped, making the contours of her face even more distinct, while her lips were tinted with faint natural rouge. Clearly, she had dressed up on purpose. Unfortunately, all that careful makeup, all that painstaking thought, had fallen entirely outside the king's eyes...
"Mm! Heartless... His Majesty..."
The scribe Irene pursed her lips, secretly angry, and stepped into the rear courtyard of the residence where Miawa lived.
This courtyard was spacious and had clearly been arranged with care. Around the outside were blooming tropical flowers and soft, long lawns, giving off the