Chapter 4
Queen Citali felt nauseated. She reached for one of the many balms and rubbed the precious ointment on her wrists, hungrily inhaling the healing fumes. She lay back on the panther skins which, she noticed, had begun to irritate her soft skin. Perhaps she would pass them on to Itzel who had that tough hide of a water buffalo.
She thought she would take a soothing bath so she called on Itzel and Izel to prepare the jewel encrusted giant basin.
While waiting she disrobed and admired her body. Long, slender legs, large feet with prominent toes, figure like Aphrodite, hair the color of burnished ebony - her only complaint with her person was her voice. It had a tendency to be high and squeaky when she got excited. She reminded herself to keep calm, always presenting a serene royal presence to her adoring subjects.
She left her quarters, stepped carefully into the lapis lazuli tub and quickly sat down - the water was too cold! She let out a howl but Itzel and Izel were no where to be located.
Was this a hoax or a trick on their part? Sometimes she wondered about those two....could she absolutely trust them especially since she suspected they had found one of Tlilpotonqui's long black feathers on the floor of her bedroom.
Everyone knew that her special friend and counselor, Tlilpotonqui, ("black feathers") also known as "Tonqui," and she could never become lovers or get married as he was not of noble birth so to find the rare feather in such an "off limits" area as the Queen's boudoir could really light the fires of gossip in the kingdom. That could make her seem weak and vulnerable and a rival might try to harm her and steal her throne and subjects, the wealthiest and most admired in all of the Mayan empire.
It would be wise for her to, perhaps, construct a poem, containing a warning about what could happen to servants who carry tales about their mistress....
In the meantime, she leaned back and enjoyed the sheer pleasure of bathing in the healing emerald water from the sacred Fountain of Patli. While she relaxed she thought over poem for tomorrow....
