A few days later, La Muerte decided to take a look at the wine cellar (she wasn't surprised Xibalba had one, the dark god was very fond of wines), and found it was very big. There were various types of wines stored in there, all of them in elegant bottles and carefully accommodated in alphabetical order, and by color. Lorenzo was making her some company, since the other lizards were busy doing other chores, though all of La Muerte's efforts to make him speak up to now had been fruitless. HE was a good guy, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"I've never been in a wine cellar before." La Muerte stated, running a hand over the branded bottles.
"Nope?" Lorenzo inquired.
"My father has never liked that Aimé or I drink too much wine. He says it's not lady-like, can you believe it?"
Lorenzo thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Eyup."
La Muerte sighed internally when he simply replied with one word, as usual. Still, she continued examining the bottles curiously, seeking to learn all she could from the years they were made and calculating how many years they had been kept. She had to admit, wine intrigued her to some extent, all that process to make a single drink. It had to be the most sophisticated drink in the whole world, after champagne, of course.
"You've lost your touch in taking me by surprise, you know.
Lorenzo had no idea who she was talking who, but soon he understood the comment when he heard his master's low chuckle. "I didn't mean to, my dear. If I wanted to take you by surprise, you wouldn't have even felt me coming." Xibalba retorted, approaching his wife from behind and staring at the wine shelves she was looking at. "I see you're very interested in the rosé wine."
"It's my favorite. And yours?"
"I drink of all sorts, but my personal favorite is red wine."
"You only like wine?"
"Most of the time, but I do enjoy a glass of champagne or tequila every now and then. How about you?"
"Well, my father says alcoholic beverages are much better at special occasions, but even then one shouldn't overdrink."
Xibalba sighed, partly irritated at the mention of Sol. "For once, I agree with your dear father. Wine is an elegant, sophisticated drink but even it can drive people mad if abused. I'm not happy to say I've done quite… reckless things under its effects."
La Muerte glanced at him. "Define reckless."
"I'd rather not, if you don't mind." He took out one of the bottles and examined it. "1683. Bad harvest." He glanced at La Muerte. "Have you ever tasted wine?"
"Not that way." La Muerte grew nervous when he grinned. "Why?"
Xibalba placed the bottle back on its rack and motioned her to follow him, leading her to a small oak table with two chairs, where he pulled back a hair for her to sit down before heading to one of the racks of wine to look for a suitable bottle for her. After searching through the shelves thoroughly he finally found an appropriate brand, a dry rosé wine. Grabbing two glasses as well, he went back to the table and placed the bottle and the glasses on top of it. La Muerte took a look at the brand.
"Sabor a Rosas?"
"It's one of the lightest I have, I guess it would be perfect for starters. Besides, the last thing I need is that you get drunk."
La Muerte blushed. "I've never gotten drunk before."
"That's more of a reason I should be careful in which things I give you to drink, my dear." Xibalba prepared to open the bottle. "Get close when I open the bottle and take a sniff."
"A sniff?"
"The preliminary sniff, it's a good time so later you can compare its fragrance."
La Muerte didn't like the idea of sniffing but a bottle, but nevertheless when Xibalba uncorked the bottle she leaned her nose closer and took a sniff. She quickly pulled back and took a hand to her nose when a smell of fire invaded her nostrils. "It smells like it's burnt."
"It's normal. It should fade in a few minutes, I just opened the bottle, remember? It needs to take a breath after being in there for years." Xibalba filled the glasses to a quarter, then he placed the bottle aside for the time being and handed one of the glasses to La Muerte. "Check the colors, I'll be easier if you tilt it by the light. It should not be murky or cloudy."
She obeyed, and distinguished a deep pink tonality in the drink, or maybe briht red copper. It glistened beautifully in the white light. "What's next?"
"Swirl it like this." Xibalba gently swirled the wine in his glass, and La Muerte could notice the liquid sliding down the glass rather quickly. "It lets oxygen in and helps the aromas open up, and you can check on the viscosity."
"Let me guess, I'm supposed to sniff it again?"
"You guessed."
Sighing, La Muerte swirled the wine in her own glass, and at closer look she saw that the pinkish liquid was taking about two seconds to roll down the glass again, meaning it was not that thick. Once more she neared her nose to the edge of the glass, and a few seconds later she dove it a few inches into it, not too much. A pleasant smell overcame her. "It smells like fruits."
"It's Sangiovese rosé wine, it's mostly fruity. Its main ingredients are fresh strawberries, green melon and yellow peach with a touch of roses, complimented with mouth quenching acidity." Xibalba stated. Staring at the wine in his glass.
"How did you…?" she couldn't believe he was able to tell what this drink contained if he didn't even smell it.
"Let's say I have a gift for these kind of things. Like I told you, I'm very fond of wine." He held up his glass. "Now comes the best part, my dear." He grinned, taking a sip from his drink.
The goddess took a sip from the wine, but her tongue burned at the dry taste of the liquid, but she didn't have time to react and it went down her throat, leaving a burning sensation. She grew angry when Xibalba started to laugh. "What's so funny?!"
"The look on your face-!" Xibalba tried to contain his laughter with little effort. "Really, preciosa, I've seen people reacting badly to their first tasting, but never one like you!" His humor disappeared when La Muerte grabbed the bottle and poured herself a bit more, taking it in one gulp; her features were twisted by the sour flavor, but she served himself another glass. "What are you doing?"
"Showing you I can drink like anyone else." Was all she said, taking another gulp-small, this time- and her palate was starting to get used to the flavor.
"I don't think that' a good idea, my dear-"
"Don't underestimate me." Despite her husband's protests, she continued to drink the bottle of wine. It couldn't be that bad.
How right he was.
Five minutes later, La Muerte had drunk the whole bottle, and was giggling hysterically speaking incoherencies that sent shivers down his spine. Heck, even Lorenzo was subtly freaked out by how different she was from that kind, sweet goddess when drunk.
"I have to 'hick' admit, Xibalba. This was 'hick' not so bad as I 'hick' thought." La Muerte laughed, her face all red and her eyes disorientated for the time being.
"La Muerte, I think that's enough drinking for one night." Xibalba was quick to take the bottle away from his wife's grasp before she could take another gulp.
"Oh, come ooooon, 'hick Xibalba, don't be a party pooopeeeer 'hick'." She tried to take the empty bottle back from her husband, but he barely manage to keep her away.
"That's enough, mujer!" Xibalba snapped at her, snapping his fingers and making the bottle disappear. He glanced at Lorenzo to find some sort of support. "Lorenzo, do something!"
The lizard shrugged.
"I don't know! Anything!"
"Don't' be 'hick' like that, Xibalba…" La Muerte leaned against him and ran her fingers up his chest with a goofy but seductive grin. "Pleeeease?"
Although he blushed at her contact, he decided he had had enough. "That's it, mujer!· he picked her up bridal style and held her tightly against his chest, making her let out a cry of surprise. "You're grounded!"
"You 'hick' can't ground meee! You're not my 'hick' daddy!" La Muerte protested
"Maybe, but I'm still your husband."
"It doesn't count!"
"It does for me."
He didn't say anything else as he carried his wife out of the wine cellar. La Muerte pouted and crossed her arms, still hiccupping. After a while he walked into La Muerte's chambers and closed the door behind him, then headed for the bed to lay her down; but as he lay her down on bed he was caught off guard when suddenly she pulled him down and kissed him; though he liked it to some extent, he pulled back and stared down at her with wide eyes. "What was that for?"
"Ay, Xibalba, you 'hick' didn't stop saying 'hick' you wanted to 'hick' taste me as a woman!" La Muerte giggled childishly, before pulling him down by the beard and giving him a seductive grin. "Well, let's do this."
Once more he was pulled into a clumsy but passionate kiss; Xibalba was torn on what to do, but once he tasted her cherry-flavored lips he could not resist, and he returned the kiss. Finally, this was the chance he wad been waiting, he would finally make her his, and only his. He felt her hands run down his neck and her legs wrapping around his waist clumsily to pull him closer. Tired of the lips, he opened her mouth and introduced his tongue into it, tasting her palate and intertwining his tongue with hers. She was so sweet, she was not made of sugar for nothing.
His hands ran through her hair as his nose took in her smell of marigolds and sugar, but as he was about to undress her, suddenly something came over him when La Muerte let out a whimper, perhaps an unconscious reaction from her rational side overcome by the effects of the alcohol. She was not herself, this was not the La Muerte he wanted. Once he was knocked out of his dazzled trance he immediately pulled back form La Muerte's drunken form.
"Xibalba…?" she asked him, apparently hurt that he pulled back, but she could do nothing as he touched her forehead, and everything went black.
Once he was certain she was asleep, Xibalba tenderly accommodated her in bed and pulled the sheets over her, making sure she was warm enough. She would wake up with a splitting migraine, and hopefully she would not remember what transpired tonight. Still, now that she was asleep, he could examine her closer. Truly she was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he ever met, but she was also the purest he ever met. Epona forgive him, but not even she could hold a candle to the purity of this goddess he was proud to call his wife.
Tentatively, he removed one of his gloves to stroke her cheek and feel her warmth. La Muerte stirred unconsciously when she felt his bony hand touching her, making him pull it back, startled. When he was certain she wasn't stirring awake, he brushed a few hairs from her face and caressed her head tenderly, his heart beating like mad. He didn't know why, but just being with her made him feel… happy. Sure, she often drove him mad with her temper and stubbornness (though he couldn't blame her for the last one, he was quite stubborn too), but she also made him laugh, she comforted him.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt… in case if she needed something. He would make sure to wake up before she did so she wouldn't notice. Silently, Xibalba lay down next to La Muerte and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in an embrace, then he covered her with his wing. Once more, La Muerte stirred when she felt his touch, but this time she unconsciously shifted closer to him, snuggling into his warmth. Xibalba blushed deeply, but he remained silent.
Now it would be best to go to sleep.
The first thing she felt when she woke up was a splitting migraine, so the first thing she did when she regained awareness was to cocoon herself into her blankets. She couldn't recall what happened last night; the last thing she remembered was tasting some wine with Xibalba… everything after that was a blur. For a few minutes, she just stayed in there, she didn't have the strength to move. Wherever she tried to peek outside her cocoon everything would be too bright (ironical, since this place didn't have much lighting) and she'd retreat back into her sanctuary. She did manage to see a glass of water on the nightstand.
Her throat was very dry. Tentatively, she reached out her hand and started looking blindly for the glass with her touch. When she managed to grasp the glass, she brought it into her small sanctuary and drank little by little, refreshing her throat and tongue, though her headache was still there. She didn't know how much time passed, to her it felt like hours, but suddenly her stomach churned inside her and she felt like last night's contents wanted to come out. Immediately, she turned into a trail of marigold petals and dashed towards her bathroom, her toilet specifically, just as she felt the burning sensation of vomit coming up her throat and being expelled through her mouth, into the toilet. When everything was out she was left with an stomachache to make her feel worse; La Muerte barely managed to stand up and flush the toilet before it started to stink. Her legs wobbled as she made her way back to bed and lay down.
She covered her ears when the door creaked open-her migraine made all sounds louder tenfold, no matter how faint they were-and her still blurry vision managed to make out a dark shape approaching her.
"You're awake." Xibalba spoke as lowly as he could, knowing she probably had a headache right now.
"Would you stop yelling?!" La Muerte retorted, flinching.
Eyup. Just like he guessed. "I'm not yelling, my dear. You're in the middle of a hangover."
La Muerte noticed he was holding a cup of tea in his hands. "What's that?"
He sat down at the edge of her bed and handed her the cup. "It's for your migraine. Be careful, it's hot."
The goddess accepted the cup and took a small sip. Somehow the scent of the herbs it was made of made her muscles relax, and diminished her migraine to some extent. But she still had questions that needed to be answered. "What happened?"
"Let's say your first tasting went a little too far." Xibalba chuckled, but flinched when his wife frowned at him.
"I don't find it any funny!"
"I'm sorry, my dear, but I have to admit I never thought you could get that crazy when you got drunk. Heck, you even freaked Lorenzo out, and that's something very hard to do."
"Oh, cielos." La Muerte groaned, still drinking from her tea. "When Father finds out about this he'll kill me."
"Come on, La Muerte, you didn't kill anyone, you just got drunk. It happens to everyone at least once."
"I know, it's just… Well, I don't like the idea of getting drunk like that, it's not right."
"Nobody's perfect, La Muerte. Not even such a good person as you." The two remained silent for a few moments, before he spoke again. "Are you hungry?"
"Sort of, but I threw up a few minutes ago and I wouldn't like to do it again."
"Don't worry about that. That tea is also for your stomach, you should have no problem after all." The dark god stood up. "I'll go get you breakfast." As he was about to walk away, something clicked in his mind. "Oh, before I forget…" Xibalba slid a blue envelope from his chest armor, and held it out for La Muerte. "A letter arrived for you a few hours earlier. I think it's from your sister."
La Muerte accepted the envelope. "Gracias." As her husband left the room and closed the door silently, La Muerte opened the envelope and slid out the letter to read.
Big sis
Thanks for writing as soon as you could, I love reading your letters. I even have them stacked in my nightstand. Anyway, Father has been rather grim these days, I think that seeing you made him miss you even more than before. I even overheard him talking with Lord Tezcatlipoca, he is still asking if there's no way to annul your marriage with Xibalba, no matter how many times he is told it can't be done, that he should know better than anyone that marriage between gods is lifelong. He is convinced that Xibalba is a brute and that he mistreats you, but if you tell me he hasn't even laid his finger on you, I do believe you, Muertita.
By the way, I asked the Candlemaker about what you told me. But it's bad news, he says he cannot speak about other gods' pasts just like that without their permission. He couldn't tell me anyone about Xibalba's parents, the only thing he could tell me was that he has had a difficult life, that's why he is the way he is now. I think the Candlemaker is the only one other than you that doesn't think Xibalba is a heartless monster, he sounded like he felt sorry for him. I also learned Epona is not the only European god your husband is acquainted with, he has connections with the Egyptian, Norse and Japanese gods as well. I bet you didn't expect that.
Anyway, have fun down there, or find a way to have fun, at least.
Amy.
La Muerte let out a disappointed sigh, but she still smiled at her little sister's concern. Not even the Candlemaker could tell her about Xibalba's parents, but she was glad that at least she learned he didn't hold the dark god in a negative light like most of the other gods. And she never imagined Xibalba had so many contacts in the European pantheons, it seemed he wasn't as antisocial as she thought either. She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt something under her body. Shifting uncomfortably, La Muerte searched beneath the blankets and felt a ticklish sensation as she found the object stuck underneath. As she took it out, her eyes widened.
It was a black, burnt feather.
Her heart skipped a beat. How had it gotten here? She only knew of one person who had feathers like this. Could it be possible? Had he dared…? But she didn't feel any changes in her womb nor her vagina, she sensed she was still a virgin. Then what had transpired last night that Xibalba's feather was just in her bed? The door creaked open, and once again Xibalba walked in, this time carrying a tray of food. He noticed the black feather his wife was examining in her hand, and flinched internally when she glared at him.
"Would you mind to explain to me what is your feather doing in my bed?" she hissed.
"It's not what you have in mind, my dear." Xibalba managed to reply, warily going closer to bed. "You got so crazy last night that I had to put you to sleep with a spell, and I thought I should stay with you in case you woke up. Like I told you before, my dear La Muerte, even I have my principles. I'm not the kind of man to take advantage of a woman in her weakest."
The embers of her wrath extinguished. At least he hadn't tried to look for an excuse not to try to change the subject, it meant that he had been sincere. She didn't say anything else as Xibalba sat down in the edge of bed and carefully placed the tray unto her lap. An omelet with mushrooms and cheese, some bacon and a glass of orange juice. It looked delicious. Xibalba cut off a slice of bacon and held it up a few inches away from his wife's lips. "Open wide!"
La Muerte rolled her eyes with a small smile as she accepted the mouthful of bacon. There was a party of flavor in her mouth as she chewed and swallowed. "Gracias."
Xibalba returned the smile. "De nada." He cut a slice off the omelet and held it up to his wife's lips once more. "Don't forget to chew before you swallow."
