notapaladin ([personal profile] notapaladin) wrote in [personal profile] rthstewart 2022-04-11 01:11 am (UTC)

Obsidian & Blood, Acatl/Teomitl & Quenami

The worst part, Quenami thinks, is that he doesn’t have proof. Oh, he has plenty of evidence—Acatl and Teomitl are in each other’s presence constantly, Acatl is the only one who can rein in the brat’s temper, there are bruises and marks on both their bare skins that he knows Acatl can’t have gotten in a fight and he highly doubts Mihmatini would put on her husband (though he could be wrong; she seems like the sort to be domineering), he has seen Acatl seethe in fury when Teomitl is threatened—but none of that constitutes actual proof. Even Tizoc-tzin isn’t paranoid enough to think two brothers-in-law enjoying each other’s company means something untoward is going on.

But there is. Acatl has shown up to meetings with ornaments in his hair and a telling hitch in his step. His spies in the Duality House say that Teomitl rarely spends the entire night on his wife’s mat, and can often be seen making his way through the Sacred Precinct in the predawn hours with a distinctly smug expression. Someone in the markets has been buying a great deal of avocado oil.

If he can only catch them at it, he can take them both down. Tizoc-tzin’s reign and his own power will be assured. But Tizoc-tzin is weakening, and he is running out of time.

And then one day, he runs out entirely.

It is a bright spring day when Tizoc-tzin dies and he must entrust the Emperor’s body to Acatl, and no sooner does he perform that unfortunate duty when Teomitl locks eyes with him over his brother’s corpse. “Finally,” he says with a note of triumph.

Quenami is prepared for death. Teomitl’s always hated him, after all.

He is not prepared for the man to step over to Acatl, lift his mask out of the way, and kiss him full on the mouth in front of half the palace and the gods themselves.

(Judging by the way he squawks and hisses “Teomitl!” under his breath, absolutely scarlet, neither is Acatl. It’s a small balm.)


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