Title: Su Vida de Lucha
Author: Jubilee
Characters/Pairings: OC!Mexico, Spain
Rating: T
Genre: History
Summary: He had to put up with it. Put up with those who came to try and conquer them, put up with his mother's death, put up with the way he and his people were treated by them, and really, just put up with the demon named Spain. This is the story of a colony who survived trial after trial, and will finally be known as his own independent country, Mexico.
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jubilee_berry Chapter List -----
Chapter 3: Consequence
Azteca had been contemplating how she would go about rebelling against Spain and his men. She waited a few days after Cortés took his men and Spain with him to Cuba, to give Pedro de Alvarado a false sense of security. When she felt that he could handle being in charge all by himself, she put her plan into action. She and her people successfully were able to capture Alvarado and his men.
She felt relieved but wondered what would happen if Cortés and Spain should return. She decided to worry about that later and instead went to go hunt for food to prepare a feast for herself and Teno.
Walking back to the city with the other hunters in her party, she saw a person lying on the ground, exhausted. Worried, Azteca ran to him and asked, "Are you all right?"
He looked up at her tiredly and she saw a wound on his side. Feeling like something was gravely wrong, she asked, "What happened?"
"Azteca..." he began, panting. She supposed he had been running. "The city..."
"What about the city?"
"That man...Cortés...he returned sooner than we thought..."
"What?!"
"He came back yesterday...while you were away. Moctezuma is still under his rule."
Azteca threw her spear at a nearby cactus out of anger, knocking one of the branches off. The men said nothing but stood quiet waiting to see what Azteca would do.
"As soon as our hunt was over, I planned to devise a new plan in case Cortés returned but..." Something occurred to her just then. A look of panic appeared on her face.
"Where is my son?!"
The man looked downcast, worrying Azteca even more. Then he said, "Cortés caught him. He was looking for you, but you weren't anywhere to be found, so he took Teno instead."
"But I left guards with him! What happened to them?!"
"I...I don't know... I'm sorry Azteca..."
He stopped talking and she knelt down in front of him, realizing he was no longer breathing. The other men said nothing and just watched her still figure.
Finally one spoke. "Azteca, what do you want to do?"
She walked over to the damaged cactus and removed the spear from the fallen branch. She had her back towards her comrades as she clutched the spear tightly.
"Azteca?"
"We're going back to the city."
"What do we do though? Cortés and his men are occupying it."
"If we don't attack, I'm sure he won't kill us."
"How do you know for sure?"
"I don't, but my son's safety is on the line and I'll do anything to keep him safe."
---
Azteca and her men cautiously crossed the waters to the city of Tenochtitlan. The chinampas were floating aimlessly in the water. It was unsettling to Azteca to see them that way. As soon as she and her men set foot near the city, there were Spaniards waiting for them. They seized her and her men.
"If you fight back, we'll kill you," one man said.
"I don't plan to fight back."
"Good, because it would be a shame to kill such a pretty woman."
"Where is my son?" she deadpanned.
The Spanish soldier told his men to take the other hunters back to the city. He then looked at Azteca. "Is that all you care about? Your son's safety?"
"A mother always makes her children a priority. How can you even ask me such a question?"
The man scoffed. "Cortés wants to see you."
"I refuse to see the face of that wretched man."
"He will kill your son if you don't."
"Teno cannot die so easily. He is what I am and what that man Spain is."
"So you want to test that? How about if Cortés stabs your son a dozen times? He may not die, but he'll certainly be in a lot of pain."
Azteca scowled at him and then hung her head. "Fine. I shall go and see him then...as long as Teno is safe."
"Thought so."
---
Azteca was taken to the palace of the royal family. There, Cortés was waiting for her, sitting on the throne. La Malinche was standing next to him. Azteca looked at her disdainfully. The traitor.
"Here she is señor," said the man as his guards brought her further inside.
"Azteca," Cortés said tauntingly as he smiled. "It's good to see you again."
She glared at him. "What happened to Moctezuma?"
"Oh he's fine, just under house arrest you could say."
"Where is my son?"
"Who?"
"My son! Tenochtitlan!" She was enraged. "You better not have done anything to him, or you shall regret it Cortés!"
He looked at her, Azteca's expression furious and her eyes aflame with murderous intent.
"Your child is fine." He looked off to the side and shouted, "España!"
From the doorway Spain appeared, dragging something behind him. Tenochtitlan had his wrists tied with a rope, Spain leading him to Cortés by the end of the rope. The young boy had been crying, Azteca thought because his cheeks were marked with tear stains.
"Yes señor Cortés?" asked Spain. Cortés pointed to Azteca. Tenochtitlan recognized his mother immediately and cried out, "Mamá!"
"Teno!"
He tried to get free, but the rope wouldn't loosen. Azteca asked Cortés, "What happened to the men guarding him?"
"I had them killed. Then I captured your precious little boy."
"You better have not done anything to him!" she shouted.
"Of course not. He's been under Spain's custody this whole time."
"Señor," Spain began. "I think I should free the boy from these ropes."
"Why?"
"Well, a child should never be taken away forcefully from his mother, at least that's what I think."
"Leave him tied up."
"I'd rather not. Look, there is no harm in letting Azteca be reunited with her son. I will take full responsibility should anything happen."
Cortés looked at Spain in silence. Seeing as how he didn't protest, the Nation released Tenochtitlan and the small boy ran to his mother. The guards let her loose and she embraced her child holding him in her arms.
"Mamá!" he cried. Azteca pet her son's hair. "It's okay Teno. I'm here now."
Spain looked at the pair as Azteca comforted her child, wiping the tears from his eyes. He could tell the child had been frightened. After all, though he was smarter and mentally older than children his age, he still psychically resembled a three year old.
"Well Azteca," Cortés began. "I assume you're happy that your child is unharmed?"
The woman looked at her son who buried his head into her shoulder, his arms around her neck. "Teno...did they hurt you in any way?"
He looked at her face and shook his head. "They left he with that man." He pointed toward Spain. "The other people yelled at me words I didn't understand but he didn't. He just made sure I was fed and warm at night."
"So nobody hurt you?"
"No, nobody hurt me mamá."
"You see Azteca? Your son is fine. We wouldn't hurt him."
She only glared at Cortés. He then beckoned his guards and spoke to them in a whisper. Then he spoke to Spain and he looked at Azteca, who was comforting her son in her arms yet again. Spain walked over to Azteca and said, "I'm sure you're tired. Let me take you to your room."
Azteca looked at Spain cautiously but said, "Alright. I assume you're going to be my escort?"
Spain smiled. "Si señora. I'd never let a pretty woman like yourself go alone."
"I doubt that. It's probably because Cortés doesn't trust me to go alone."
The Spanish Nation only laughed as he escorted Azteca out the room with a hand on her back. So that's it then, she thought to herself.
---
When they arrived at her room, Azteca set down Tenochtitlan and he saw his pet turkey perched on a stone chair. He ran to him and picked him up, hugging him and petting his soft feathers. Azteca walked over to her throne-like seat and sat down, hands covering her face in frustration.
Spain walked over to her. "Cortés is going to send guards to stand by your door."
"I hate that man and his people." She peered at him through her fingers. "And I hate you."
"Well that's not a nice thing to say," Spain told her sounding hurt.
"You didn't let me finish."
"Oh?"
"I hate you...but at the same time, I'm grateful. You took care of my son while he was captured and made sure no harm was done to him. So...thank you Spain."
He smiled. "You're welcome. And hey, I did promise you no harm would come to him, and I plan to still keep that promise!"
"Yes you did, and thank you once again Spain."
"Please, just call me Antonio!"
"Antonio? I thought your name was Spain?"
"It is, but I have a mortal name too: Antonio Fernandez Carriedo."
"Hmm. Antonio. I like that name."
"Ha ha! I'm glad!"
"My son doesn't have a mortal name. I never thought about giving him one before. He is just Tenochtitlan. Should I give him a name?"
"If you want."
"Hmm, well I'll think about it."
She watched her son from afar as he pet his turkey. Spain noticed the look in her eyes, a look full of concern. "Spain..."
"Yes?"
"You promise me that no matter what happens, no matter the circumstances...you'll make sure my son survives, correct?"
"I already told you that I promise your son's well-being will not be threatened."
"Okay." There was a pause. "Well I suppose you better get going. I'm tired and I just want to rest."
"Well alright then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." With that, the Spanish Nation left the room.
Azteca leaned her head back and sighed. I have a plan, she thought to herself. But it's going to be risky. I can do this though, and I must. My people's well-being depends on it, my leader's well-being depends on it, and most importantly, my son's well being depends on it.
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A/N: Writing accent marks is a real bitch lemme tell ya. Next chapter I don't think I'm going to keep them there unless they're really needed, like the words with the "ñ" because those do bother me and it feels weird reading a word that is missing that character when it should be there. Oh yeah, any words or phrases in italics, except the ones where the characters are thinking, means that it's being said in Spanish or another language. Too sleepy for notes...but I must do them...
☆ While Cortes was away, the Aztecs planned a successful revolt and captured the Spanish and their allies who were now at their mercy. Sadly it didn't last.
☆ Cortes was able to finish his business in Cuba fast enough to return to Tenochtitlan where he recaptured the Aztecs.
☆ La Malinche is the woman who helped Cortes capture the Aztecs because of her translating ability and even had the nerve to become his lover. I think she even bore him a child. I'm not too sure. That could be my memory failing me again despite my young age, so don't quote me on this.
I think that's all the notes for this chapter. Yeah. Soon we'll see the last of Azteca, and then Tenochtitlan will really suffer without his mommy to be there for him. That poor child.