INCA Twelve
Jun. 23rd, 2006 09:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ismeninFroday is here! And Part Twelve also, in which we meet Tupac, the OTHER Ray of Inti, as played by Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus in Gladiator - and if that don't tell ya summat about him, nothing will,
Thanks toladysunrope for her beta skills...
Part 12 - Tupac
Dom was confident that Lizhe would send for him the next morning when he had had time to sleep on it. No such call came. He hovered about the area, waiting and hoping, but when he did see the Sapa Inca in the corridor, the man swept past him as if he did not exist.
Dom, bowing low, saw only the feathered Condor cloak as it rounded the corner. He sighed, distressed, for he missed Lizhe's company, and there was a hollow hole in his belly that made him refuse breakfast that morning.
He wandered moodily in and out of David and Will's newly acquired workshop, picking up bits of wood and interrupting the work, until Will, harassed by an order for a chest from the Inca himself, told him to "shog off and find something useful to tax yer heid wi'!"
He spent the day wandering aimlessly about, visiting the children, listening to the musicians practise, hoping against hope to get a glimpse of Lizhe - not able to give his mind to anything. He was now heartily sorry he had given in to the fire in his pure hidalgo blood. A calmer discussion might have provided a more beneficial outcome, and he could have maintained his stand in a more...decorous and seemly manner; but still Dom could not get out of his mind the happy little girl and her soon-to-be cold death on the mountains.
That night, returning to his room, he met Rimac in the corridor. The man said he had been looking for him, and they went in together, and Dom sat in his chair and Rimac on the bed, staring at each other. Neither was pleased with what they saw.
Dom looked pale and heavy-eyed and Dom saw that Rimac had a bruise on his shoulder and that his eyes were red-rimmed, and weary.
"You have hurt God, Dom. He is very sad." Rimac did not meet Dom's eyes. The Spaniard carefully examined Rimac's bruise. It was big and purple and showed up plainly on the clear skin of the young man.
"Did he do that, Rimac?" questioned Dom, softly, pointing to the injury.
Rimac shook his head. "It was not his fault. He was angry and asked me to leave him, and I, not listening, tried to...comfort him. Not wishing to show his feelings before me he pushed me away and I fell against the bed. Then he went very quiet, and told me what you had said to him. Did you mean all those things, Auqui? Do you truly think him a savage monster?"
Dom remembered only too well the insults he spat at Lizhe in his fury, and at the time he had sincerely meant them. But now...he was not sure.
"It is futile," David had said, "to judge other men's behaviour by your standards which do not exist in their lands."
"I...I meant it when I said it, friend." he said, tempering his words, remembering to whom he was speaking. "I was angry. I have repented of my wrath since."
The young prince came and took Dom's hand in his. "Come and walk with me, Dom. You are still too heated for sleep. It may be the cool of the evening will help."
It did help. Although it was long in coming, he did sleep eventually, and Dom felt rested, but uneasy, as he finished washing in the bowl of water the servant had brought him in the early morning light. He longed for the hot spring, and, what was more important to him, for Lizhe to sit beside him whilst he revelled in it.
He was just about to dress when two priests and a servant came rushing in. "Tupac has been seen on the high road. He will be here shortly. God commands your presence in his apartments as soon as you are robed," the man panted, quite out of breath.
In a very few minutes Dom was clothed in the garb of the Ray of Inti, the blue skirt with its heavy gem-studded bullion fringe hanging below his knees, the jewels and the fantastic feathered head-dress. He was also given a golden rod to carry, which was about two feet long and studded with gems. It was so heavy he could hardly hold it in one hand, but the priest showed him how to carry it resting over his inner arm to lessen the weight, and it was thus that Dom entered Lizhe's rooms for the first time since the confrontation.
Dom stopped dead as he saw Lizhe, for it was not his bed-mate that stood before him, but a cold stranger dressed in the most beautiful robes of blue and gold, with a head-dress of thin beaten golden spikes spread about his head like the rays of the sun, and the Condor cloak over his shoulders. He carried the jade mask in his hand.
Dom bowed low before God. The king's face was set and pale as he looked at Dom. "Behind me!" Lizhe snapped, curtly. "Do not dare to speak, do not question. Do nothing."
Rimac took his hand as Dom went to stand beside Lizhe, and slowly they walked into the large reception chamber where Dom had first met the Inca. He wondered where the Coya and Quisbe were, for there was no sign of them, but the room was full otherwise, of priests, officials, and Lizhe's family group or the royal Allyu.
There was a group of musicians sitting against the wall, playing haunting music on pipes and small drums. The Villac-Uma signalled them to stop playing, and Dom glanced around the room. He saw, kneeling in front of the Inca's golden chair, what at first looked like a man and a woman, but who were, Dom realised, Tupac and his new lover.
Dom schooled his face into a look of bored disinterest, but was concerned - he knew not why - to see that Tupac was an exceptionally handsome man, firmly muscled and lithe, with a slightly sardonic look in his eye and a humorous turn to his lip.
Following Rimac's lead, Dom sat on a small chair next to Lizhe's throne, and stared at the man, who, instead of kneeling with head bowed as he should, gazed back at Dom with a speculative air. Dom knew he was not a handsome man - not near as striking as this one was - and stiffened as he realised that Tupac, having examined him, had found him wanting, and had turned his eyes to the king's face.
The Inca had not put on the mask. He handed it to Rimac, who had no difficulty holding it in one hand and the golden rod in the other. Dom was grateful it had not been passed to him as his arm was already aching.
Lizhe deigned to glance swiftly at Tupac, but his eyes went straight to the exceptionally beautiful lad kneeling at his side. His eyes widened. "Boy - God would know your name!" he said, in tones as sharp as a razor.
The boy stared straight at the king, a proud lift to his chin. "Yupanque, Lord, wife of the Auqui Tupac."
"So I see...wife, indeed. Stand, wife of Tupac, and come to me."
He went to Lizhe willingly enough, standing confidently before the throne .
"How old are you, wife of Tupac?" the Inca enquired with a look of spurious interest.
"Sixteen years, Lord. I think..." The boy seemed unsure. The king let it pass.
"Young to die, then. You have hardly seen anything of life, and now you will see no more. Strip him!" The Sapa Inca's voice changed, and a hard edge was added to it.
The boy was white with shock, as his clothing was carefully removed by the priests and he stood, naked and vulnerable before the court. "Lord, what have I done...?"
It was obvious to Dom that the boy knew nothing of the crimes he had committed. Instead of answering him, Lizhe asked in more moderate tones, "Where were you born, wife of Tupac?"
Yupanque's voice trembled. " I was born near Cuzco, Lord, where my parents kept the herds of vicuna which provide wool for the royal cloth, but now we live in the valleys beyond the mountains."
"Ah!" Lizhe smiled grimly. "So you know of that, do you? Of the Royal cloth? Who told you could wear this ...gown?" The Inca pointed to the discarded clothing in the arms of a senior priest.
"My...husband told me I was now a royal lady...a queen...and could wear it." The boy turned to seek confirmation of Tupac, who merely stared silently at Lizhe, no expression on his face, except for a slight question in his eyes.
"I see. Did he also give to you the head-dress with the feathers?"
The boy gazed at the article, which, for some reason he did not comprehend, was being held reverently by the Villac-Uma.
"Yes, Lord, he did."
Lizhe pursed his lips. "The crime deserve death," he said, and the boy, not understanding, cried out for Tupac to aid him.
"But..." Lizhe put up his hand... "God is not a Barbarian nor a savage to kill without good cause..." here he paused to let Dom take heed of the full meaning of his words ..."for he sees there is no guile in you. You did not take the feathers of the sacred Coraquenque, which only God may wear, nor put them on display on your head against the laws. Nor did you take the cloth to make your gown of vicuna wool, stuff fit only for The Sapa Inca. Did you?"
The boy trembled, and looked with reproachful eyes brimming with tears, at Tupac, who did not even spare him a glance. "No, Great Inca, I did not. He said they were gifts of love ..."
"No, boy, for boy you are in spite of your assumed title of wife, as all here can plainly see - the crimes lie solely with your mate. And God tells you now, the Auqui Tupac cares little for any man except himself. If he acted as he did hoping to discompose God - it takes a better man than is he to distress me."
Dom lowered his gaze, and stared at the floor.
"Therefore, God will not punish you as he should, because the fault lies elsewhere. Instead, you will walk about the city naked, as befits a herder's son, until you are given leave to don more suitable clothing."
The boy bowed low. "I understand, great God. I am not clever, but neither am I stupid. He does not love me - he has lifted me up to make a fool of me for his sport."
Lizhe nodded, not unsympathetically. "So I believe."
The boy burst into tears. The Inca signalled to the priests, who took the weeping lad out of the chamber.
The Inca brought his attention, and the considerable force of his gaze, to Tupac.
"What did you hope to achieve, Auqui, by this...imposture?"
Tupac stared wide-eyed at his former lover, and spoke for the first time. "Great God, I had hoped to make you...jealous." he said, the barest hint of humour in his rich-toned voice.
The Inca's voice was reproving, and cold. "You deserve to die, Tupac. Make no mistake, you will have to convince me to change my mind. I will see you in my rooms after the evening meal, where you can give me your report, and your excuses - if you have any."
"I am not to be used for any man's sport, as you will discover to your cost. Punishment will be forthcoming, for no-one, not even a Ray of Inti dares challenge God and expect to retire from the encounter unscathed. Carefully consider your words before you speak tonight, for I mean what I say - your very life depends upon them."
Dom, as well as recognising the threat to himself in Lizhe's remarks, noted the informal way Lizhe addressed Tupac, and the slight, very slight trace of an unnamed emotion in his voice. Dom felt the stirrings of a strong dislike for the errant Prince, and that surprised him. He was not used to such harsh feelings against those he did not know.
The Inca rose abruptly from his seat and swept out of the room. Dom and Rimac followed him to his chambers, where, at the doorway, Lizhe said, without turning, "You have God's leave, Dom Domingo," and propelled Rimac into the room before him.
Dom, as disturbed as he had ever felt in his life, returned to his chamber, and with the help of the priests, disrobed.
*****
He spent a restless day and an even more restless night. In the morning. a glance in his silver backed hand mirror told Dom all he wished to know of his unsettled state of mind. He was pale and dark circles edged his reddened eyes. He ate very little breakfast and, as he drank the cool mountain water he determined to seek out Villac at the earliest opportunity to see how he stood in the God-King's eyes, Lizhe himself being denied to him.
But before he could leave on his quest, a servant came and knelt before him.
"You are commanded to the Inca's rooms, Auqui, without delay."
With a light step and even lighter heart, Dom walked in to the unguarded rooms, and finding no-one in the outer chamber, walked into the bedroom.
He stopped dead in his tracks as he found, lying at ease on the bed, not Lizhe as he had thought, but Tupac, naked and uncovered even by a sheet.
Dom bowed as to an equal. "You - let us say - requested my presence, Auqui?" Dom said reprovingly in perfect Quechua, much to Tupac's surprise. The prince had not risen as he should have when Dom appeared, and Dom had let it show in his tone.
Tupac insolently ran his eyes over Dom, and fixed them firmly on the Spaniard's angry face.
"When I heard he had taken a new Ray, I wondered what attributes you had that spoke so strongly to him, as his bed mates have been few indeed - except for those virgins taken out of duty, there are only six of us. I remember his father, great God as he was, had hundreds."
Tupac's eyes rested carelessly at Dom's groin. "Perhaps it is for attributes other than your obvious lack of beauty that he has chosen you," he mused, plainly, thought Dom, trying to anger him for reasons best known to himself.
"If you have only invited me here to insult me, Prince, I must reluctantly take my leave of you," Dom bowed.
"I sent the guards away last night, as I dislike people overhearing my...sport. He wept in my arms, if you would know. Never has he had a lover such as me."
Dom folded his lips firmly. He would not rise to this man's bait, tempting though it was to do so. He had to learn to govern his temper. Here was a good place to begin.
"He is with the children, now. If he returns and you are still here, I shall deny sending for you. Then you will be punished for disobeying his command. Now, what sin did you commit, I wonder, to be denied his bed? Whatever it was, his tastes must have coarsened if he has taken you as a lover, for I see you are a plain man with nothing to recommend you to a God. Forgive me, I must prepare myself for him."
Tupac grasped himself and ran his fingers up and down his swelling flesh, languidly teasing, staring defiantly at Dom, who bowed once again, and strode from the room without another word.
*****
"God's teeth, Dom! What a prime article he sounds! What did you do, then?"
Will had stopped his work and was sitting on a stool next to Dom, staring in disbelief into Dom's distressed countenance.
"Oh, I went outside and smashed a few stones against the wall, as any Spanish prince would," Dom snarled, gritting his teeth, and folding his arms protectively over his chest.
Will laughed. "Aye, keep a sense of humour, lad. You'll need it, with that prize gowk about the place."
Dom, relaxing a little, sent his friend an answering grin. "And there was I thinking I was the only gowk of your acquaintance, William Boyd!"
The Scot clapped Dom on the shoulder and returned to his bench, a design for a small cupboard burning a hole in his mind.
"Och, stow your whist, Dom Domingo! There's plenty of room in ma heid for another!" He grinned absently at his friend, the charcoal already skimming over a board on the wall beside him.
Dom went to find Villac, Tupac's words echoing in his heart. He wept in my arms, if you would know. He wept in my arms...
*****
"...very, very saddened, and angry, Dom. He cannot understand what made you so impassioned. God thought you were more...sympathetic of our ways. Oh, I know what it was, friend, do not interrupt me...it is just that he knows much of the customs of your homeland - for Father Manuel left his country because of the Inquisition. He could no longer bear it. Did God not tell you that?"
Dom shook his head. "No, Villac, but to be honest, I did not give him a chance to speak. I was like a man possessed."
"I know, so he told me. But it was not that you lost your temper, Dom - we had, do not forget, experience of a fiery Spanish temper amongst us for many years - but the immoderate language you used, the insults, the accusations, the fury, the scorn. He was, and still is, very much disturbed by it."
Villac picked up a tomato, looked at it distastefully and put it down again. "He tries very hard to be a benefit to his people, but lately there have been...problems. One of them you found in his bed this morning; but I will not speak of that. It is his burden alone. And his son, Hualpa, as you know, is far from well. And now the Coya has lost the child she was carrying. It was a girl, too, a wife for little Hualpa, should he live..."
Dom was devastated. Poor Coya, and Lizhe was indeed trying to be a benefit to his people.
"The Condor blesses the Land, Dom. When the people see it flying high in the sky they take it as a sign that all is well. Its absence spells foreboding. It is the people who wished him - God - to choose a wife for the God Viracocha. The people expect God to do those things that benefit the Land. When the announcement was made that one would be chosen to go up the mountain, the mood lifted. People became happy, knowing that The Creator God would send the bird again as a reward for his new bride. Do you see?"
Dom did not ask what would happen if the sacred bird did not come in answer to the sacrifice. Religion, of any kind, was, he realised, a far and distant country - where he had no real understanding or strongly felt beliefs. His was a nebulous God, with whom he spoke rarely and relied upon less.
"I see. Villac, I am a fool. How is the Coya, now?"
"She is far from well, Dom. She is distressed in her mind, over the loss of the unborn child, Hualpa's sickness and her husband's ...pain. Lizhe will take the leaves for her tonight, hoping to find a cure for what ails her. It makes him ill, as you saw, but he will do it, gladly. God speaks clearly to him when he takes the leaves."
Dom sighed, wanting desperately to make things easier for his lover.
"Would it be permitted for me to see The Coya?"
Villac smiled. "She will be pleased to see you, Dom. She has a great fondness for you, seeing how, lately, you have eased the God's burdens..."
"...and also thoughtlessly added to them." Dom continued, angry, now, with himself. "I will go to her, and hopefully, I will tell her I am a fool, which she already knows, and she will forgive me and smile and feel better."
*****
"...and in trying to lift the box I fell over the wood, put my foot through a carved board and dented Will's newest creation. He cursed me roundly and told me I was as useful as a cock's egg, which I did not dispute. He threw a chisel at me, but luckily he missed. He said it was no great matter had it struck me, for my head was thicker than was the wood."
The Coya clapped her hands and laughed loudly, and Quisbe beamed at Dom for bringing a smile to her beloved's face.
She was lying in a bed made by Will and David's workshop, and Dom thought that soon every member of the royal Allyu would be possessed of one.
Dom saw she looked pale and very frail. She was a tiny thing and looked to him as if a strong wind might blow her away. He was glad to be able to amuse her, as she had been very kind to him.
Quisbe proudly pointed out to Dom the fine lawn sheets upon the bed and told him she had ordered many more following the pattern of those upon God's bed that had been removed for laundering, and she had measured them and examined their thickness to have others made. She had, she said, pleased with herself, given orders for six pairs to be sent to Dom's room, together with the pillow cases.
He thanked her and kept the smile on his face at the mention of Lizhe's name, but it struck his heart hard that there was another man now in his lover's bed. He did not feel that about Villac or Rimac, but the new arrival had caused the greatest turmoil and unease in his breast. He wished he knew why this should be.
He went for a walk in the lower hills to calm his troubled thoughts.
******
It was much later in the afternoon that Rimac found him. The young man was panting and pale with stress. "You must come, quickly! God waits for you and his anger is great. You could not be found..."
Rimac gasped for breath as he dragged Dom along the corridors into a room Dom had not entered before. Sitting around the walls were the highest in the land, all composed, all stern-faced, all dressed formally except for him. Even Quisbe was present. Some, whom he had not before seen, stared at Dom as he entered with Rimac. Both knelt before the Inca's chair.
"I am sorry, my God that it took so long..." Rimac gasped, still out of breath.
The Inca waved his hand, indicating no apology was needed, and stared hard at Dom, who was kneeling at Rimac's side.
"You, Auqui," Lizhe snapped at Dom, "will sit where you are commanded - in silence, if you value your life - and leave when the punishment is over. Bring him in!"
Dom, puzzled, followed Rimac to a seat and looked towards the door as Tupac was brought in by four guards, bound by ropes fastened to his wrists and ankles and stripped naked. He gazed at Dom with a face incandescent with fury. He did not speak.
The Inca indicated that Tupac be tied to two upright wooden staves fixed into the floor in the centre of the room, and stood, surveying him coolly.
"The Auqui Tupac has offered me his explanation and his excuses for his crimes against God. Neither was satisfactory. It is no light thing to attempt to anger God. He will suffer for it. God will punish him where it will vex him most. He is a vain man. He will be whipped until the Villac-Uma, who understands these things, is satisfied the marks of the whip will never fade from his skin. As soon as he can walk he will leave this place for his home in the mountains, never to return. He is no longer Ray of Inti. God shall not see his face again."
"You, Dom Domingo, will count the blows, and in doing so, will come to understand clearly what it means to anger God who will not stay to witness the punishment. That pleasure is left to you, Auqui. God goes to his wife, who is ailing. He has no time to waste on ingrates. Begin the punishment!"
Lizhe quickly left the room without a further glance at anyone present, and the priest allotted to perform the punishment, rose from his knees and came forward, flicking his oiled whip to release its coils with practised ease.
Tupac glared at Dom, his teeth bared. Why he was so angered with him Dom could not even hazard a guess. Rimac felt for Dom's hand as the whip came hissing down, cutting deep into both skin and flesh. Tupac screamed.
Dom, trembling with emotion, swallowed hard.
"One," he said.
Thanks to
ladysunrope for her beta skills...Part 12 - Tupac
Dom was confident that Lizhe would send for him the next morning when he had had time to sleep on it. No such call came. He hovered about the area, waiting and hoping, but when he did see the Sapa Inca in the corridor, the man swept past him as if he did not exist.
Dom, bowing low, saw only the feathered Condor cloak as it rounded the corner. He sighed, distressed, for he missed Lizhe's company, and there was a hollow hole in his belly that made him refuse breakfast that morning.
He wandered moodily in and out of David and Will's newly acquired workshop, picking up bits of wood and interrupting the work, until Will, harassed by an order for a chest from the Inca himself, told him to "shog off and find something useful to tax yer heid wi'!"
He spent the day wandering aimlessly about, visiting the children, listening to the musicians practise, hoping against hope to get a glimpse of Lizhe - not able to give his mind to anything. He was now heartily sorry he had given in to the fire in his pure hidalgo blood. A calmer discussion might have provided a more beneficial outcome, and he could have maintained his stand in a more...decorous and seemly manner; but still Dom could not get out of his mind the happy little girl and her soon-to-be cold death on the mountains.
That night, returning to his room, he met Rimac in the corridor. The man said he had been looking for him, and they went in together, and Dom sat in his chair and Rimac on the bed, staring at each other. Neither was pleased with what they saw.
Dom looked pale and heavy-eyed and Dom saw that Rimac had a bruise on his shoulder and that his eyes were red-rimmed, and weary.
"You have hurt God, Dom. He is very sad." Rimac did not meet Dom's eyes. The Spaniard carefully examined Rimac's bruise. It was big and purple and showed up plainly on the clear skin of the young man.
"Did he do that, Rimac?" questioned Dom, softly, pointing to the injury.
Rimac shook his head. "It was not his fault. He was angry and asked me to leave him, and I, not listening, tried to...comfort him. Not wishing to show his feelings before me he pushed me away and I fell against the bed. Then he went very quiet, and told me what you had said to him. Did you mean all those things, Auqui? Do you truly think him a savage monster?"
Dom remembered only too well the insults he spat at Lizhe in his fury, and at the time he had sincerely meant them. But now...he was not sure.
"It is futile," David had said, "to judge other men's behaviour by your standards which do not exist in their lands."
"I...I meant it when I said it, friend." he said, tempering his words, remembering to whom he was speaking. "I was angry. I have repented of my wrath since."
The young prince came and took Dom's hand in his. "Come and walk with me, Dom. You are still too heated for sleep. It may be the cool of the evening will help."
It did help. Although it was long in coming, he did sleep eventually, and Dom felt rested, but uneasy, as he finished washing in the bowl of water the servant had brought him in the early morning light. He longed for the hot spring, and, what was more important to him, for Lizhe to sit beside him whilst he revelled in it.
He was just about to dress when two priests and a servant came rushing in. "Tupac has been seen on the high road. He will be here shortly. God commands your presence in his apartments as soon as you are robed," the man panted, quite out of breath.
In a very few minutes Dom was clothed in the garb of the Ray of Inti, the blue skirt with its heavy gem-studded bullion fringe hanging below his knees, the jewels and the fantastic feathered head-dress. He was also given a golden rod to carry, which was about two feet long and studded with gems. It was so heavy he could hardly hold it in one hand, but the priest showed him how to carry it resting over his inner arm to lessen the weight, and it was thus that Dom entered Lizhe's rooms for the first time since the confrontation.
Dom stopped dead as he saw Lizhe, for it was not his bed-mate that stood before him, but a cold stranger dressed in the most beautiful robes of blue and gold, with a head-dress of thin beaten golden spikes spread about his head like the rays of the sun, and the Condor cloak over his shoulders. He carried the jade mask in his hand.
Dom bowed low before God. The king's face was set and pale as he looked at Dom. "Behind me!" Lizhe snapped, curtly. "Do not dare to speak, do not question. Do nothing."
Rimac took his hand as Dom went to stand beside Lizhe, and slowly they walked into the large reception chamber where Dom had first met the Inca. He wondered where the Coya and Quisbe were, for there was no sign of them, but the room was full otherwise, of priests, officials, and Lizhe's family group or the royal Allyu.
There was a group of musicians sitting against the wall, playing haunting music on pipes and small drums. The Villac-Uma signalled them to stop playing, and Dom glanced around the room. He saw, kneeling in front of the Inca's golden chair, what at first looked like a man and a woman, but who were, Dom realised, Tupac and his new lover.
Dom schooled his face into a look of bored disinterest, but was concerned - he knew not why - to see that Tupac was an exceptionally handsome man, firmly muscled and lithe, with a slightly sardonic look in his eye and a humorous turn to his lip.
Following Rimac's lead, Dom sat on a small chair next to Lizhe's throne, and stared at the man, who, instead of kneeling with head bowed as he should, gazed back at Dom with a speculative air. Dom knew he was not a handsome man - not near as striking as this one was - and stiffened as he realised that Tupac, having examined him, had found him wanting, and had turned his eyes to the king's face.
The Inca had not put on the mask. He handed it to Rimac, who had no difficulty holding it in one hand and the golden rod in the other. Dom was grateful it had not been passed to him as his arm was already aching.
Lizhe deigned to glance swiftly at Tupac, but his eyes went straight to the exceptionally beautiful lad kneeling at his side. His eyes widened. "Boy - God would know your name!" he said, in tones as sharp as a razor.
The boy stared straight at the king, a proud lift to his chin. "Yupanque, Lord, wife of the Auqui Tupac."
"So I see...wife, indeed. Stand, wife of Tupac, and come to me."
He went to Lizhe willingly enough, standing confidently before the throne .
"How old are you, wife of Tupac?" the Inca enquired with a look of spurious interest.
"Sixteen years, Lord. I think..." The boy seemed unsure. The king let it pass.
"Young to die, then. You have hardly seen anything of life, and now you will see no more. Strip him!" The Sapa Inca's voice changed, and a hard edge was added to it.
The boy was white with shock, as his clothing was carefully removed by the priests and he stood, naked and vulnerable before the court. "Lord, what have I done...?"
It was obvious to Dom that the boy knew nothing of the crimes he had committed. Instead of answering him, Lizhe asked in more moderate tones, "Where were you born, wife of Tupac?"
Yupanque's voice trembled. " I was born near Cuzco, Lord, where my parents kept the herds of vicuna which provide wool for the royal cloth, but now we live in the valleys beyond the mountains."
"Ah!" Lizhe smiled grimly. "So you know of that, do you? Of the Royal cloth? Who told you could wear this ...gown?" The Inca pointed to the discarded clothing in the arms of a senior priest.
"My...husband told me I was now a royal lady...a queen...and could wear it." The boy turned to seek confirmation of Tupac, who merely stared silently at Lizhe, no expression on his face, except for a slight question in his eyes.
"I see. Did he also give to you the head-dress with the feathers?"
The boy gazed at the article, which, for some reason he did not comprehend, was being held reverently by the Villac-Uma.
"Yes, Lord, he did."
Lizhe pursed his lips. "The crime deserve death," he said, and the boy, not understanding, cried out for Tupac to aid him.
"But..." Lizhe put up his hand... "God is not a Barbarian nor a savage to kill without good cause..." here he paused to let Dom take heed of the full meaning of his words ..."for he sees there is no guile in you. You did not take the feathers of the sacred Coraquenque, which only God may wear, nor put them on display on your head against the laws. Nor did you take the cloth to make your gown of vicuna wool, stuff fit only for The Sapa Inca. Did you?"
The boy trembled, and looked with reproachful eyes brimming with tears, at Tupac, who did not even spare him a glance. "No, Great Inca, I did not. He said they were gifts of love ..."
"No, boy, for boy you are in spite of your assumed title of wife, as all here can plainly see - the crimes lie solely with your mate. And God tells you now, the Auqui Tupac cares little for any man except himself. If he acted as he did hoping to discompose God - it takes a better man than is he to distress me."
Dom lowered his gaze, and stared at the floor.
"Therefore, God will not punish you as he should, because the fault lies elsewhere. Instead, you will walk about the city naked, as befits a herder's son, until you are given leave to don more suitable clothing."
The boy bowed low. "I understand, great God. I am not clever, but neither am I stupid. He does not love me - he has lifted me up to make a fool of me for his sport."
Lizhe nodded, not unsympathetically. "So I believe."
The boy burst into tears. The Inca signalled to the priests, who took the weeping lad out of the chamber.
The Inca brought his attention, and the considerable force of his gaze, to Tupac.
"What did you hope to achieve, Auqui, by this...imposture?"
Tupac stared wide-eyed at his former lover, and spoke for the first time. "Great God, I had hoped to make you...jealous." he said, the barest hint of humour in his rich-toned voice.
The Inca's voice was reproving, and cold. "You deserve to die, Tupac. Make no mistake, you will have to convince me to change my mind. I will see you in my rooms after the evening meal, where you can give me your report, and your excuses - if you have any."
"I am not to be used for any man's sport, as you will discover to your cost. Punishment will be forthcoming, for no-one, not even a Ray of Inti dares challenge God and expect to retire from the encounter unscathed. Carefully consider your words before you speak tonight, for I mean what I say - your very life depends upon them."
Dom, as well as recognising the threat to himself in Lizhe's remarks, noted the informal way Lizhe addressed Tupac, and the slight, very slight trace of an unnamed emotion in his voice. Dom felt the stirrings of a strong dislike for the errant Prince, and that surprised him. He was not used to such harsh feelings against those he did not know.
The Inca rose abruptly from his seat and swept out of the room. Dom and Rimac followed him to his chambers, where, at the doorway, Lizhe said, without turning, "You have God's leave, Dom Domingo," and propelled Rimac into the room before him.
Dom, as disturbed as he had ever felt in his life, returned to his chamber, and with the help of the priests, disrobed.
*****
He spent a restless day and an even more restless night. In the morning. a glance in his silver backed hand mirror told Dom all he wished to know of his unsettled state of mind. He was pale and dark circles edged his reddened eyes. He ate very little breakfast and, as he drank the cool mountain water he determined to seek out Villac at the earliest opportunity to see how he stood in the God-King's eyes, Lizhe himself being denied to him.
But before he could leave on his quest, a servant came and knelt before him.
"You are commanded to the Inca's rooms, Auqui, without delay."
With a light step and even lighter heart, Dom walked in to the unguarded rooms, and finding no-one in the outer chamber, walked into the bedroom.
He stopped dead in his tracks as he found, lying at ease on the bed, not Lizhe as he had thought, but Tupac, naked and uncovered even by a sheet.
Dom bowed as to an equal. "You - let us say - requested my presence, Auqui?" Dom said reprovingly in perfect Quechua, much to Tupac's surprise. The prince had not risen as he should have when Dom appeared, and Dom had let it show in his tone.
Tupac insolently ran his eyes over Dom, and fixed them firmly on the Spaniard's angry face.
"When I heard he had taken a new Ray, I wondered what attributes you had that spoke so strongly to him, as his bed mates have been few indeed - except for those virgins taken out of duty, there are only six of us. I remember his father, great God as he was, had hundreds."
Tupac's eyes rested carelessly at Dom's groin. "Perhaps it is for attributes other than your obvious lack of beauty that he has chosen you," he mused, plainly, thought Dom, trying to anger him for reasons best known to himself.
"If you have only invited me here to insult me, Prince, I must reluctantly take my leave of you," Dom bowed.
"I sent the guards away last night, as I dislike people overhearing my...sport. He wept in my arms, if you would know. Never has he had a lover such as me."
Dom folded his lips firmly. He would not rise to this man's bait, tempting though it was to do so. He had to learn to govern his temper. Here was a good place to begin.
"He is with the children, now. If he returns and you are still here, I shall deny sending for you. Then you will be punished for disobeying his command. Now, what sin did you commit, I wonder, to be denied his bed? Whatever it was, his tastes must have coarsened if he has taken you as a lover, for I see you are a plain man with nothing to recommend you to a God. Forgive me, I must prepare myself for him."
Tupac grasped himself and ran his fingers up and down his swelling flesh, languidly teasing, staring defiantly at Dom, who bowed once again, and strode from the room without another word.
*****
"God's teeth, Dom! What a prime article he sounds! What did you do, then?"
Will had stopped his work and was sitting on a stool next to Dom, staring in disbelief into Dom's distressed countenance.
"Oh, I went outside and smashed a few stones against the wall, as any Spanish prince would," Dom snarled, gritting his teeth, and folding his arms protectively over his chest.
Will laughed. "Aye, keep a sense of humour, lad. You'll need it, with that prize gowk about the place."
Dom, relaxing a little, sent his friend an answering grin. "And there was I thinking I was the only gowk of your acquaintance, William Boyd!"
The Scot clapped Dom on the shoulder and returned to his bench, a design for a small cupboard burning a hole in his mind.
"Och, stow your whist, Dom Domingo! There's plenty of room in ma heid for another!" He grinned absently at his friend, the charcoal already skimming over a board on the wall beside him.
Dom went to find Villac, Tupac's words echoing in his heart. He wept in my arms, if you would know. He wept in my arms...
*****
"...very, very saddened, and angry, Dom. He cannot understand what made you so impassioned. God thought you were more...sympathetic of our ways. Oh, I know what it was, friend, do not interrupt me...it is just that he knows much of the customs of your homeland - for Father Manuel left his country because of the Inquisition. He could no longer bear it. Did God not tell you that?"
Dom shook his head. "No, Villac, but to be honest, I did not give him a chance to speak. I was like a man possessed."
"I know, so he told me. But it was not that you lost your temper, Dom - we had, do not forget, experience of a fiery Spanish temper amongst us for many years - but the immoderate language you used, the insults, the accusations, the fury, the scorn. He was, and still is, very much disturbed by it."
Villac picked up a tomato, looked at it distastefully and put it down again. "He tries very hard to be a benefit to his people, but lately there have been...problems. One of them you found in his bed this morning; but I will not speak of that. It is his burden alone. And his son, Hualpa, as you know, is far from well. And now the Coya has lost the child she was carrying. It was a girl, too, a wife for little Hualpa, should he live..."
Dom was devastated. Poor Coya, and Lizhe was indeed trying to be a benefit to his people.
"The Condor blesses the Land, Dom. When the people see it flying high in the sky they take it as a sign that all is well. Its absence spells foreboding. It is the people who wished him - God - to choose a wife for the God Viracocha. The people expect God to do those things that benefit the Land. When the announcement was made that one would be chosen to go up the mountain, the mood lifted. People became happy, knowing that The Creator God would send the bird again as a reward for his new bride. Do you see?"
Dom did not ask what would happen if the sacred bird did not come in answer to the sacrifice. Religion, of any kind, was, he realised, a far and distant country - where he had no real understanding or strongly felt beliefs. His was a nebulous God, with whom he spoke rarely and relied upon less.
"I see. Villac, I am a fool. How is the Coya, now?"
"She is far from well, Dom. She is distressed in her mind, over the loss of the unborn child, Hualpa's sickness and her husband's ...pain. Lizhe will take the leaves for her tonight, hoping to find a cure for what ails her. It makes him ill, as you saw, but he will do it, gladly. God speaks clearly to him when he takes the leaves."
Dom sighed, wanting desperately to make things easier for his lover.
"Would it be permitted for me to see The Coya?"
Villac smiled. "She will be pleased to see you, Dom. She has a great fondness for you, seeing how, lately, you have eased the God's burdens..."
"...and also thoughtlessly added to them." Dom continued, angry, now, with himself. "I will go to her, and hopefully, I will tell her I am a fool, which she already knows, and she will forgive me and smile and feel better."
*****
"...and in trying to lift the box I fell over the wood, put my foot through a carved board and dented Will's newest creation. He cursed me roundly and told me I was as useful as a cock's egg, which I did not dispute. He threw a chisel at me, but luckily he missed. He said it was no great matter had it struck me, for my head was thicker than was the wood."
The Coya clapped her hands and laughed loudly, and Quisbe beamed at Dom for bringing a smile to her beloved's face.
She was lying in a bed made by Will and David's workshop, and Dom thought that soon every member of the royal Allyu would be possessed of one.
Dom saw she looked pale and very frail. She was a tiny thing and looked to him as if a strong wind might blow her away. He was glad to be able to amuse her, as she had been very kind to him.
Quisbe proudly pointed out to Dom the fine lawn sheets upon the bed and told him she had ordered many more following the pattern of those upon God's bed that had been removed for laundering, and she had measured them and examined their thickness to have others made. She had, she said, pleased with herself, given orders for six pairs to be sent to Dom's room, together with the pillow cases.
He thanked her and kept the smile on his face at the mention of Lizhe's name, but it struck his heart hard that there was another man now in his lover's bed. He did not feel that about Villac or Rimac, but the new arrival had caused the greatest turmoil and unease in his breast. He wished he knew why this should be.
He went for a walk in the lower hills to calm his troubled thoughts.
******
It was much later in the afternoon that Rimac found him. The young man was panting and pale with stress. "You must come, quickly! God waits for you and his anger is great. You could not be found..."
Rimac gasped for breath as he dragged Dom along the corridors into a room Dom had not entered before. Sitting around the walls were the highest in the land, all composed, all stern-faced, all dressed formally except for him. Even Quisbe was present. Some, whom he had not before seen, stared at Dom as he entered with Rimac. Both knelt before the Inca's chair.
"I am sorry, my God that it took so long..." Rimac gasped, still out of breath.
The Inca waved his hand, indicating no apology was needed, and stared hard at Dom, who was kneeling at Rimac's side.
"You, Auqui," Lizhe snapped at Dom, "will sit where you are commanded - in silence, if you value your life - and leave when the punishment is over. Bring him in!"
Dom, puzzled, followed Rimac to a seat and looked towards the door as Tupac was brought in by four guards, bound by ropes fastened to his wrists and ankles and stripped naked. He gazed at Dom with a face incandescent with fury. He did not speak.
The Inca indicated that Tupac be tied to two upright wooden staves fixed into the floor in the centre of the room, and stood, surveying him coolly.
"The Auqui Tupac has offered me his explanation and his excuses for his crimes against God. Neither was satisfactory. It is no light thing to attempt to anger God. He will suffer for it. God will punish him where it will vex him most. He is a vain man. He will be whipped until the Villac-Uma, who understands these things, is satisfied the marks of the whip will never fade from his skin. As soon as he can walk he will leave this place for his home in the mountains, never to return. He is no longer Ray of Inti. God shall not see his face again."
"You, Dom Domingo, will count the blows, and in doing so, will come to understand clearly what it means to anger God who will not stay to witness the punishment. That pleasure is left to you, Auqui. God goes to his wife, who is ailing. He has no time to waste on ingrates. Begin the punishment!"
Lizhe quickly left the room without a further glance at anyone present, and the priest allotted to perform the punishment, rose from his knees and came forward, flicking his oiled whip to release its coils with practised ease.
Tupac glared at Dom, his teeth bared. Why he was so angered with him Dom could not even hazard a guess. Rimac felt for Dom's hand as the whip came hissing down, cutting deep into both skin and flesh. Tupac screamed.
Dom, trembling with emotion, swallowed hard.
"One," he said.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2006-06-23 10:57 am (UTC)I get the feeling Tupac said something about Dom that displeased Lizhe. Looking forward to the next chapter very muchly.
Thanks Issi. ♥
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Date: 2006-06-23 02:35 pm (UTC)I hope Lizhe does not regret letting Tupac keep his life. But I imagine deep inside, he still has feelings for the ingrate. Poor Dom. What a hard way to learn that he musn't mess with Lizhe.
"One" *cringes*
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Date: 2006-06-23 02:40 pm (UTC)"Lizhe put up his hand... "God is not a Barbarian nor a savage to kill without good cause..." "
Good one, Issi. Methinks Lizhe is learning, but I'm not so sure it's a good thing in this case. It certainly is confusing him and making him reassess things, perhaps to the detriment of them all. Time will tell, I am sure!
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Date: 2006-06-23 02:44 pm (UTC)I don't think I blinked or even BREATHED while I was reading....
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Date: 2006-06-23 02:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-23 04:11 pm (UTC)Lizhe sure can be wrathful if he wants to be. Wouldn't want to make him angry...
I can't wait to see what's in store for Dom (and us) next!
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Date: 2006-06-23 05:07 pm (UTC)I had very naughty thoughts of the Villac-Uma with a whip in his hand!
A fabulous chapter.
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Date: 2006-06-23 06:00 pm (UTC)Love the way Lizhe is making Dom 'pay' for his outburst. He was obviously very hurt. The balance of power between them is intriguing and so very sexy!
Felt so sorry for the Coya. Dom was so sweet to her - Lizhe will love him all the more for this, and will, I hope, forgive him soon!
I haven't mentioned before, but I think your dialogue is wonderful; particularly Lizhe's. It's so characterful and consistent.
Gorgeous chapter! Thank you!
:D
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Date: 2006-06-23 06:25 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-06-23 06:39 pm (UTC)I do wonder if Tupac thought he could get away with everything because he was the "favorite" of god at one time? Dom should learn a valuable and humbling lesson from that. Don't take the God too lightly or He shall smite thee! :)
I'm sorry about Coya and her miscarriage. It's good that Dom tried to cheer her. Also glad to see that he and Rimac are becoming friends.
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Date: 2006-06-23 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-24 02:34 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-06-24 09:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-24 06:13 pm (UTC)I have the same feeling when I'm reading a chapter of this fic. I LOVE IT. God I love your stories, Ru. Really! ♥
My poor Dominic. I could so feel for him! I mean. He was quite nasty with Lizhe... but... everybody deserves another chance!!!
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Date: 2006-06-24 06:37 pm (UTC)Now here we go...and again, Lizhe is laying the law, showing his hand and power without hurting. Giving Dom that warning although I do hate the control but it is his right as a God. There is so much to uncover regarding where they came from, Lizhe's parentage. I hated Tupac and his "cocky" attitude...ick...nasty. I was glad he was getting it...
You can see how low Dom is getting also, depressed...he is getting so attached. (WHO WOULDN'T!!!)
love itloveit!!! xoxo
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Date: 2006-06-24 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-24 07:08 pm (UTC)I'm glad you love it - thank you! xxx
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Date: 2006-06-24 09:26 pm (UTC)You have an excellent writing style, dear Issi, so perfect for this type of fic set in AR ancient times.
Lizhe angered is awesome and powerful.
Lizhe the man probably wants to forgive Dom, but the Sapa Inca cannot be seen to without suitable punishment.
Wondering how the two can be reconciled...
PS
Date: 2006-06-24 09:27 pm (UTC)*hugs*
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Date: 2006-06-24 10:13 pm (UTC)*hugs*
:D
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Date: 2006-06-25 08:01 am (UTC)I was so pulled in with this chapter; all the emotions being felt, the tenseness of the meeting with Tupac, Dom's regret and longing to make things right again with Lizhe, the powerful presence of God, all the goings on. I simply can not wait to read more! :)
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Date: 2006-06-25 08:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-25 11:11 am (UTC)It's strange how I find Lizhe so sexy when he's strong and scary! Must be because I want to be *Dom-inated* :p
*hugs you back*
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Date: 2006-06-25 11:23 am (UTC)Sounds like you'd be *Inca-pable* of resisting his charms!
*g*
*hugs again*
:D
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Date: 2006-06-25 01:05 pm (UTC)LOL!
Very *punny* ;D