La Muerte and Xibalba had been gone for two days.
Emilio rarely had free time, he was too ridiculously addicted to work and order to even enjoy whatever few minutes he managed to have sometimes. He always made sure Xibalba's study was perfectly organized, paperwork in order and without any speck of dust. And with the knowledge a baby would arrive in a few months, down in one of the less appropriate realms for infants, he spent most of the time counting all the sharp corners and dangerous areas for his master when he came back.
He usually never expected any visitors, considering Lord Xibalba rarely received visits unless the Kings wished a word with him, or one of his acquaintances paid him a visit.
So naturally, he nearly dropped the glasses he had been wiping with a napkin when suddenly the doors of the main hall burst open soundly, echoing in the castle. Shortly after, a great roar of anger echoed in the halls.
"XIBALBAAA!"
Emilio dropped the glass this time due to the fright, it shattered into tiny pieces across the floor, but at the moment that was the least of his worries. Forgetting about the broken glass, he rushed towards the lower levels of the castle and into the throne room, where most of the other lizards had already gathered, all around two very familiar, and angry, gods.
As soon as King Sol saw Emilio coming into the throne room, he teleported in front of him in a burst of wind and lighting, his voice like thunder. "WHERE IS SHE?!"
Emilio wanted to break into tiny bits himself at the loud volume, but he still managed to answer. "I'm v-very sorry, M-My Lord, b-but…. Lord Xibalba is not h-here…"
Itzlacol walked closer, frowning. "And La Muerte? Is he keeping her here? Where does he have her?!"
Regina rescued Emilio, seeing how he was near melting anytime soon. "None of them are here!"
"And Lord Xibalba is not hiding La Muerte anywhere!" Roberto snapped, crossing his arms.
"Ah, so she was here!" Sol retorted in realization.
"We cannot say anything, for out Master is not present, and this is a matter that only concerns him." Emilio stated, calmly this time.
Itzlacol narrowed his eyes, however. He could tell they were hiding something. "When did he bring her here?! Where has he been keeping her?!" When the lizards didn't utter a word, he realized they did know where Xibalba and La Muerte had gone, but it seemed they would not speak.
"That confirms my suspects. He kidnapped her, didn't he?" Sol hissed at the lizards, clenching his fists.
"No he didn't!" Roberto growled.
Luis crossed his arms. "If there isn't anything we can do for you, My Lords, we have chores to do around here."
Sol glared at him. "I will not be dismissed by a servant of Xibalba!"
Emilio glared at Sol, offended. "While Lord Xibalba is absent, I am responsible for anything that happens here!"
Itzlacol took another step forward to defend King Sol, if he was to remain in his good graces he had to play the part perfectly. "Don' you dare speak to King Sol like that, lagartijo!"
"Say that again! I dare you!" Juarez's fins bristled as he and the other lizards tensed at the insult. Even Lorenzo looked like he would lose it at any moment now.
Surprisingly, though, Emilio kept his calm. "I just pointed out the truth. Lord Xibalba's orders were clear, no one comes into the castle if he's not present. It has always been this way."
"Listen here, you! If you don't tell me where he has taken my daughter I will bring the Kings down here!"
Emilio shook his head. "I cannot answer you that. Like I said before, this question has to be addressed to Lord Xibalba personally, and since he is not here…"
"You're only trying to delay the inevitable."
"And that would be?" Emilio was ignoring his fellow lizards' motions to make him stop.
"Rescuing my daughter from that monster's clutches and having him executed!"
"My Lord is not a monster! And there's no need to save La Muerte, she's safe and happy now!"
Itzlacol scoffed. "Please! Surely you must be his accomplices."
"We are his servants. Accomplices at what would that make us?"
"Kidnapping!"
"Kidnapping is taking someone away by force and illegally." Regina growled. "Lady La Muerte was not kidnapped! She came on her own account!" She knew she had spoken more than she meant to when King So and Itzlacol looked at her in shock. She cursed herself mentally.
"What do you mean?!" Sol asked. He grew despaired when none of the lizards responded, which further made him think his daughter was in danger. Impatient, he picked Emilio by the collar of his jacket and glared at him. "Answer me!"
"I can't… And I won't…!" Emilio managed to say through his trembling and stuttering, then yelping in pain when Sol dropped him.
"Answer me or I'll tear this castle apart until I find a clue to my daughter's whereabouts!"
"Lady La Muerte came here on her own… Lord Xibalba did not kidnap her."
Itzlacol noticed the doubt starting to make its way into Sol as his glare softened and a look of astonishment replaced it instead. He was slipping out of his grasp, he had to regain control. "Why should we believe anything you say? You could be covering him up. Like you yourselves said, you are his servants."
"For goodness sake, we are telling the truth! Xibalba would never do such a thing!"
"How can I believe you…?" Sol's doubts about Xibalba receded for the time being as he went back into defensive mode. "Itzlacol is right, you have no choice but to obey everything Xibalba orders you!"
"No, we can decide if we listen or not!" Emilio's raised his head fin, baring his teeth. "Of course it comes with the punishment, but Lord Xibalba is not the monster you and everyone think he is!"
"As if!" Itzlacol stated dismissively. "We know what he did to La Muerte!"
"He loved her and still does! He makes mistakes, that's true, but nobody is perfect! And at least he tries to correct them!"
"Please! Nobody does that to people they love!"
"He didn't do it because he wanted! He was… scared about the future, he wanted so much that she was the happiest woman in the world that he let her go, only to realize what she was and is happy with him, and him alone!" Emilio glanced at Itzlacol with a deep frown, but his confidence started to crumble when Itzlacol's hair and eyes started to turn into flames.
"Please! That doesn't even make sense!"
Sol's patience was wearing thin. "If you don't tell me here my daughter is right now I'll-!"
"She is safe." Regina repeated. "That's all we can tell you. Both she and My Lord's child are safe. Didn't you see how well he treated La Muerte as Osvaldo? How kind he was? How much in love he was with her?! Why would he want to kidnap her? If he had done it, it would have had repercussions on the baby! He would never put the life of his wife and child's life in danger!"
Sol was speechless. Emilio took advantage of the silence to speak. "Any other questions?" he stated, crossing his arms with a frown.
When King Sol spoke again, his voice sounded calmer. "When will your master return?"
"He didn't say for how long he will be absent."
Itzlacol snapped. "So we just wait?"
"It would seem so."
Before Itzlacol could say anything, Sol nodded solemnly. "Very well, then. We shall retire for now, but as soon as your master returns, I ask you that you inform me." Much to his surprise, Emilio shook his head. "What?"
"I'm afraid I'll only be able to do so with both Lord Xibalba and Lady La Muerte's permission.
Surprisingly, King Sol understood the situation better than they thought. "As you wish."
"Is there anything else we can help you with?"
"Nothing else for the time being. Thank you for your time."
Itzlacol realized the doubt in Sol was growing, he was backing away. He was going to try to solve things the peaceful way, a very annoying weakness he had. He couldn't leave without knowing La Muerte's whereabouts, he couldn't let Xibalba win! "If your master has touched La Muerte in any way, I swear I-!"
"He never touched her worse than you did…" Roberto muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing…"
"Itzlacol, let's take our leave." Sol said softly.
"Shall I show you the way?" Regina inquired.
King Sol shook his head politely. "No, gracias. We know the way out. Thank you."
Emilio calmed down, and gave a small respectful bow. "Your welcome, My Lord." He remained stoic as Sol and Itzlacol left, but as soon as they were gone, he started to panic. "Hurry up! Shut all the doors and windows!" in a matter of seconds, he had already gone to the kitchen and returned with boards and nails. "And we have to warn Lord Xibalba about this!"
"Are you nuts?!" Roberto cried, quickly helping Emilio with the boards before he slipped from so much weight. "If the see a raven flying out of here they'll realize we lied to them!"
"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing either!" Once he was free of his weight, Emilio paced around in worry. "Ayayay… We are in so much trouble!"
Lorenzo nodded. "Eyup."
"I said too much, right? I mean… things we were not supposed to mention!"
"Eyup."
Roberto nodded. "You certainly did."
"Well... At least they're gone now, and let's hope Lord Xibalba will understand. I insist we have to inform him about this somehow!"
"Well, like Roberto said, we can't use a raven or they will know we lied." Regina stated.
"Lord Zipacna could help us." Emilio pointed out.
"How?" Roberto inquired.
"He had a great part in this, but… oh, demonios! Xibalba didn't tell us what to do if this happened! If we send a message, King Sol and Itzlacol could intercept it and we're done for, but if we don't Lord Xibalba might not be able to prepare for the worst…"
The other lizards just exchanged looks and shook their heads as Emilio continued with his ranting.
After a tasty breakfast consisting on a few Indian dishes like kadhi bari and jalebi, Xibalba asked his wife to meet him in the courtyard in half-an-hour. La Muerte had the feeling they would go to the beach, so she changed herself into a red bikini (she wanted to enjoy the freedom she had before the baby grew along with her stomach), with a golden semi-transparent beach robe. When she was ready, she carefully walked downstairs and went into the courtyard; much to her amusement, Medianoche was waiting along with Xibalba, though the horse's mane and tail were braided and adorned with flowers. The horse didn't look happy, but he put up with it.
Xibalba smiled. "Milady, your transport awaits."
La Muerte giggled as she approached Medianoche and stroked his neck. "Aww, he looks handsome. But I think Bianca could come with us as well. I think they would love to spend time with each other, they didn't see each other for quite a while.
"I know, but that wouldn't be as romantic, would it? Besides, she got ahead of us." At that proclamation, Medianoche snorted in annoyance.
La Muerte giggled again. "What's wrong, Middy? Don't worry, you'll meet her later when we arrive…. " La Muerte glanced at her husband. "And where are we going exactly?"
"That's a surprise, my dear." Smiling again, Xibalba carefully helped his wife unto the saddle, then he climbed behind her, leading Medianoche out of the villa and down a sandy path surrounded by exotic flowers. As soon as they got to the beach, La Muerte felt the pleasant air refreshing her, even Xibalba felt relieved at the cool air coming from the ocean. It was just the perfect day to spend at the beach. Medianoche walked towards a small spot underneath a palm tree, where there was a square-shaped flowery blanket with a basket on top of it. Like Xibalba had said, Blanca was already trotting around happily, snorting and jumping around. Xibalba dismounted and helped his wife dismount, then patted Medianoche's rear signaling to go enjoy some free time. La Muerte took her hands to her abdomen happily as she watched Medianoche trot after Blanca with a snort, and then he started chasing after her playfully. La Muerte could tell the baby was pleased. "Ay, Xibalba… This is so tranquil, relaxing and beautiful."
"That's the idea, Asclepius said you needed to relax as much as possible, my dear" Xibalba said as he helped her sit down on the blanket. Then he took out some eggfruit, coconut juice, pitaya, papaya and star fruit among other snacks.
"There are lots of fruits here." La Muerte took one of the slices of star fruit and gave it a bite. "It's delicious." She felt the slightest movement from the baby. "Looks like the baby agrees too."
Xibalba took a whole slice of star fruit into his mouth. "Juicy and sweet. How wouldn't she like it? She got papi's sweet tooth, didn't you?" he leaned his head closer to La Muerte's abdomen, whispering to the little one.
La Muerte giggled. She stared at Medianoche and Blanca as they trotted around the beach, though Medianoche seemed to be a bit more active. He was jumping around and bucking while letting out loud neighs directed at Blanca.
Xibalba chuckled at his horse's antics. "Looks like someone's on a very good mood."
"Yeah…" La Muerte sighed, leaning against her husband. "Blanca has been a bit moody and tired. I don't know what could be wrong with her, maybe we should call Epona to check on her when we go home…" She could tell Blanca was in a good mood right now, but that was because Medianoche was making her feel safe.
"She doesn't look ill to me…" Xibalba commented as he served some apple juice on her glass.
"No, but there is something off with her…" The pregnant goddess picked the glass and took a sip of the juice. "I mean, she doesn't get tired that easily usually."
"I guess you're right, Medianoche has never been tired like that, not even when I wear him out considerably. It takes him lots of work to get tired…"
"But I just went for a walk with her and she was exhausted after a few minutes…" La Muerte noticed Xibalba was getting a bit nervous for some reason. "Anything in mind?"
"I'm okay, my dear…" the dark god did his best to dissimulate.
"Are you sure, my love?" she placed her hand on his chest upon noticing he was turning nervous. "You look worried and stressed, what happened? I know you after so much time."
He melted at her touch, but he kept his composure. He tried to think of something to say. "It's a surprise, I will tell you later." He tried to change the subject, that was the only tactic he knew. "Do you know how to swim?"
"I do." La Muerte glanced at the ocean, then at him with a playful look. "It's been a while, why?"
Xibalba smiled as he helped her up. "How come we go dip our feet?"
The idea was so appealing she didn't protest as she left her flats near the blanket before they walked towards the water. It wasn't as cold as she thought, it was rather refreshing and warm at the same time. She could feel the sand moving underwater as the waves crashed gently against the shore before retreating back into the ocean. "It's quite warm… and the sand is soft." She whispered.
Xibalba, on the other hand, was shivering lightly. "I feel it cold."
"Cold?" La Muerte thought for a minute. "Maybe because of the tar of your cloak? I might feel it warm because the tar in your cloak warms the water up."
Xibalba lifted his cloak reluctantly, and shivered more notably this time. La Muerte took a step away, and noted the water was still the same temperature as before.
"Better? Or still cold?" she asked.
"Still cold." Xibalba retorted as his wings ruffled in discomfort.
"Well, I know what would warm you up…"
Xibalba blushed deeply when his wife placed her hand on his chest while giving him a sly grin. Still, he had the feeling of what was going to happen, and so he placed his hands on her hips as he leaned in for the kiss, but before their lips could touch, suddenly he was abruptly pushed into the water, though he released La Muerte before he could drag her down with him. Xibalba flapped his wings in alarm as he emerged form the water seconds later, panting heavily for precious oxygen. La Muerte was laughing, Medianoche was a few steps away, neighing loudly in the manner of a laugh. Xibalba glared at his horse as he flapped his wings mildly to have them dry, before quickly wrapping them around himself.
"Well, Middy, you were faster!" La Muerte laughed a bit more before managing to speak calmly, though she still giggled. "How's the water, Xibalba?"
Xibalba gave a few coughs, still glaring at Medianoche. "It wasn't funny!" Brrrr! He was freezing!"
"It depends on the perspective. From here it was quite funny!" She glanced at Blanca as she gave laughter-like neighs, stomping her hooves on the sandy ground. "If Zipacna had seen this… Epona would be proud, though." La Muerte patted Medianoche's nose.
Xibalba sneezed, and he glared at Medianoche again. "If I get a cold, you can forget about your sugar cubes!" The sun was already at its cennit, so he would probably get dry soon. "Well, my dear, we should go look for some shade before you sugar turns into brown sugar."
"You mean caramelized…" La Muerte smiled. "But you're right."
They got out of the water as Medianoche trotted away to look for some tasty grass. They went back to their spot under the palm tree to sit down and rest. Thankfully, there was a generous shade protecting them from the sun, though soon La Muerte felt a bit fatigued and had to lay down, placing her head on Xibalba's lap, her head a bit dizzy.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, just a bit dizzy…"
"Do you want to lie down?"
"I think it would be good…"
Xibalba helped her sit back up momentarily before helping her lie down. He lay down next to her, wrapping his still slightly-humid wing around her so she would be comfortable.
"This is so relaxing…" La Muerte admitted. "You have no idea…"
"Are you having a good time?"
"Good can't describe how well I am right now, here… with you…"
Xibalba smiled as he planted a kiss on his wife's forehead tenderly. "Me too.
La Muerte looked up at him. "Xibalba, promise me something…"
"What is it?"
"I know you already did, but I want to hear it again… That you absolutely will never let me go."
"I promise I'll never let go of you again." Xibalba whispered to her, smiling as he placed his hand on her abdomen once again. "I'll always be there for you and the baby."
La Muerte glanced down at his hand resting on top of the unborn baby. "You know, the day after I left I kept thinking about the possibility of remaining pregnant after our… night. I tried not to think about it because I was very hurt, the idea of a child from you seemed… horrifying at that time. I was blinded and angry… but when I found out that I was really pregnant… I just…" her eyes were swelling up with tears. "I never felt so happy in my entire life."
"I wish I wasn't so foolish. I would have liked to be present when you found out…" Xibalba sighed sadly. "I admit, I was a bit afraid at first, but in the end a baby brought us closer together…"
"Back together, you mean… My first thoughts were how to keep you from finding about the pregnancy, and away from me in general. Father freaked out, he thought the baby was the result of a… defiling. He thought you forced me into it."
"I'd never do that. I mean, I do admit I was a jerk, but I would have never done that even back then."
"Really?" La Muerte raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What about the first days when I was at your castle? Remember? At the stables, before our first race." She imitated his voice as she gave her husband a playful look. "'You are my wife, you do as I say'."
Xibalba blushed in embarrassment. "My voice doesn't sound like that."
"No one can mimic your voice. It's deep and strong but also gently and soft at the same time."
"Really? I always thought I sounded like a grumpy person."
"And aren't you?"
"Sometimes."
"Well, not with me…"
They continued to chat underneath the palm tree, mostly about the baby, potential names they could pick, and other things. They lost track of time as the sun set, the once blue sky turning into an harmonious blend of warmth and coldness as the sky started to darken, the breeze turning colder as the sun hid behind the ocean. La Muerte glanced at the scene, sighing. "This is so beautiful… The way the colors blend in the sky, the calm… If sunset were a feeling, what would it be? I've been trying to find the answer for so long."
Xibalba glanced at her, smiling. "Love."
La Muerte looked back at him. "Yes, love would fit best."
"La Muerte…" Xibalba helped his wife stand up. Maybe now was the perfect occasion to ask her, the atmosphere was as romantic as possible. "There's something I have to tell you."
"What is it?" she asked.
"La Muerte, I…" he was nervous as if this was, and it was, the first time, but he managed to calm himself down. "I can't describe how happy I am that you came back, I simply cannot imagine life without you anymore. You are the best thing that could have happened to me, even if I didn't see it at first…"
"And with you I shall remain forever…" La Muerte stroked his cheek tenderly, smiling sweetly. "..whether you like it or not."
"I know I made mistakes in the past, but you have my word that I won't make them again as long as I live…"
La Muerte was surprised when he kneeled down, holding her hands. "Xibalba?" Her surprise augmented, changing into shock and wonder when he took out a small black box, which he opened revealing a simple but beautiful gold ring with a matching tiny flower on top of it.
"That's why I ask you, mi amor…" Xibalba whispered, smiling at his beloved as he looked up at her with all the love in the world. "Would you grant me the honor of becoming my wife once again?"
La Muerte gasped in surprise as she took one of her hands to her lips, her eyes swelling up with tears. She just… She didn't know what to say, was this why he had been so nervous? He was proposing…? She was so moved by this gesture that she looked at him with eyes full of love. La Muerte calmed herself down enough to give an excited nod.
"Y-Yes…! S-Sí! I do!"
He was the happiest man in the Thirteen Realms when he heard that wonderful word leave his wife's lips. He went back on his feet as he carefully plucked the ring from the box and tenderly slipped it into La Muerte's finger. "It looks so beautiful on you… I just wish we hadn't started with the wrong foot…" he couldn't finish the sentence, for he was pulled into a passionate kiss, his wings flaring out in surprise. Son he was returning the kiss, pulling his wife closer by the waist, while feeling her hands running down his neck. Finally they retreated from the kiss, both blushing and panting to recover their lost breath.
"Mi amor… You just made me the happiest man in the world again…"
As they stared into each other's eyes, La Muerte found something familiar yet again in her lover's gaze, there was something about that tenderness and love that reminded her of… could it be? After so may years was it possible? Xibalba noted her expression was turning into one of shock. " What is it?"
"…Balby…?"
He was baffled when she called him by the name his mother used to call him. He had never told her about it, had he? Then how did she know…? He was about to ask her when suddenly he found her gaze very familiar, as if he had seen it before… Realization came over him as he made a mental comparison of her with the sweet girl he had met so long ago… dark hair, white skin, sun-like eyes…
"S-Snow white…?"
Judging by his expression, she could tell maybe he remembered, but... There was only one way to be certain. She and Balby had shared a sort of handshake only they knew. When La Muerte grabbed his hand, he knew exactly what was going on, and before long he found himself doing that special and simply complicated handshake he and his friend had shared… only to realize she had been here all along.
La Muerte found it hard to believe that the man she had initially thought a jerk and a monster, the man she had come to love so madly was that shy and timid boy she had loved so much. "It is you…!"
"Snow White…" tears were trickling down Xibalba's face as he stroked her cheeks. "My Snow White…" How hadn't he noticed before? Why was he so blind?
"Yes, it's me…" La Muerte whispered, taking his hands on her own. She didn't know he called her that, he had never talked back then, but she didn't really mind.
"All this time…"
"I can't believe I didn't realize until now."
"Me either, and I hurt you so much…"
"It's in the past, it doesn't matter anymore…"
Still, Xibalba planted another kiss on her forehead, pulling her close with his wings. "I'm so sorry, my sweet Snow White…"
"Sweet?" La Muerte smiled slyly at him.
"You're still as sweet as the day you found me hidden in that tree."
"I was so happy to have found a playmate, but when I went to our meeting place a few months later you never showed up, in the next days I didn't see you…" she recalled he had mentioned that in their game a few days ago. "Your father…?"
Xibalba sighed, nodding. "My father forbad me from leaving the castle. He locked me up like a bird in a cage…"
"Well, what matters is that we're back together now…"
The sun had already gone down, making the surroundings darker, and the temperature had decreased significantly without the warmth of the sun. Xibalba pulled his wife close and wrapped his wings around her to keep her warm when she shivered lightly, soon Medianoche and Blanca approached as well, snorting and shaking their heads. He placed the now-empty plates back on the basket and picked the blanket up to place it on La Muerte's shoulders. "We should go." He said, to which La Muerte nodded.
Picking up the basket, Xibalba motioned Medianoche to come closer. La Muerte felt something different about Xibalba's touch; it was even more tender and gentle than before, he held her as if she was still the little girl who once played with him in the meadows of Aztlan. As he helped her climb unto Medianoche and climbed behind her, he wrapped his wings on top of her to keep her warm and comfortable.
Soon she lay her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she fell asleep listening to the sound of Xibalba's heartbeat, recalling the long gone days when he'd hold her just like this as a sweet little boy.
