Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 819 - 450: The Sacred Wedding Part 2

Chapter 819: Chapter 450: The Sacred Wedding Part 2

The morning sun rose with the song, gradually ascending to the zenith. The second prelude to the wedding ceremony was the gift-giving from various states!

Envoy teams from various states of the alliance and different tribes under the heavens, guided by royal warriors, carried chests of precious gifts, making their way from outside the capital city. They opened the chests, displaying lavish gifts, walking from the civilian district to the central palace district amidst the admiration and attention of countless capital city citizens.

The delegation from the Kingdom of the Lake was especially long. Two thousand imperial guards carried hundreds of chests of precious tributes, thousands of sets of brand-new armor and weapons, and dragged forty huge bronze beasts, coming from the north along the White Dike Long Bridge. In the golden sunlight, numerous bronze items gleamed magnificently, attracting much attention.

The crowd along the way gathered together, exclaiming in surprise and making the broad streets appear narrow. Along the streets of the capital, pine trees stood tall, vivid flowers laid below them, and bright cloaks hung on the pine branches! This was a traditional custom of the alliance: flowers symbolized beautiful love, while cloaks represented perfect marriage.

Bertade, with a serene expression, led the kingdom’s envoy team all the way to the center of the palace district, before the king’s palace. The royal wedding was not held atop the towering Great Temple, but in the palace of the bride’s father, the king.

Envoy teams from various states halted outside the king’s palace, leaving hundreds of chests of gifts. The warriors and servants who transported the gifts did not stay but were led away again by the royal warriors. Envoy representatives from each state, in order of closeness, entered the royal palace in turn to offer respectful blessings and precious gifts to the exalted Mexica King!

As the representative of the Kingdom of the Lake, Bertade was the first to enter the royal palace. With a serene expression, he surveyed the arrangements within the king’s palace.

The king’s palace was divided into two levels, with all windows and curtains opened for the convenience of the envoys presenting their gifts and saluting the nobles in the palace.

King Aweit sat on the throne on the second floor of the king’s palace, his face expressionless and his back straight. His Highness Xiulote, somewhat nervous, with slightly vacant eyes, sat dazed in the side hall on the left on the first floor. Princess Alisa smiled beautifully, serene like a lotus, quietly seated in the side hall on the right on the first floor.

At a glance, the three of them wore royal robes and were seated in the royal palace in positions forming an equilateral triangle, symbolizing their distinct statuses and ranks.

Bertade looked calmly at His Highness on the left, then bowed to the ground. He held up a wooden box high and presented the kingdom’s precious gifts.

"The Kingdom of the Lake presents several Divine Revelation Albums, a hundred varieties of rare flowers and plants, an exceptional fire opal, a pigeon’s blood ruby, a pair of jade bracelets!..."

The elder Cacamatzin, with a kindly smile, stood before the king’s palace. He accepted Bertade’s gifts, read them aloud, and then had the guards carefully store the gifts in the newlywed couple’s quarters.

According to traditional Mexica customs, the segment where guests present their gifts usually takes place after the marriage ceremony, before the second banquet, when the newlyweds sit side by side at the feast. However, this grand royal wedding was not merely a wedding but an important ceremony to display royal authority, so the gift-giving segment by the various states was moved to the forefront.

Bertade bowed deeply three times before standing up and standing on the left side of the royal palace. Next, envoys from the great nobility of various alliance states proceeded in turn, presenting their valuable gifts, bowing deeply three times before also standing on the left or right sides of the palace. As for the ordinary alliance nobles, they did not even have the qualification to present gifts inside the palace.

"The Vastec Alliance presents a pair of flawless white jade, two-foot-high corals, and ten large pearls!..."

The elder Cacamatzin nodded slightly and waved his hand. The Vastec envoy respectfully bowed deeply, then went to stand properly on the right side. In such a grand wedding ceremony, they naturally would not offer various dancing girls and musicians as usual.

"The Otomi Alliance presents a pair of white deer antlers, ten red fox furs, and ten jins of black corn!..."

Upon hearing this, Cacamatzin’s eyebrows slightly raised. The Otomi people were truly impoverished, offering merely some northern specialties. The deer antlers and fox furs had pleasing colors, barely qualifying as auspicious. The black corn, however, was a spirit communication item, considered a precious religious herb... Cacamatzin waved his hand, and the Otomi envoy quickly stood up and stood in the sunlight.

"The Mistec Alliance presents a golden tree, ten silver flowers, and a hundred Quetzal feathers!..."

Hearing this, the envoys present murmured in low astonishment, their expressions moved. The Mistec envoy gracefully saluted with his arm raised. Servants then presented the splendid golden tree, silver flowers, and the even more precious hundred Quetzal feathers before everyone.

These Quetzal feathers were not ordinary feathers but the only pair of long, splendid tail feathers that could grow up to 90 centimeters long from male Quetzals, symbolizing divine blessing. Each jade-like tail feather was priceless, at least exchangeable for a jin of gold dust!

Cacamatzin glanced at it, nodded satisfied. The Mistec envoy was then guided to a shaded spot on the right side to stand properly.

"The Zapotec Alliance presents a bag of gemstones, ten bags of rouge, and twenty bags of various spices!"

The Zapotec Alliance was located in the southern rainforest, producing gemstones, rouge, and spices. Of these, the special cochineal dye was the most precious, highly valued and favored by noble ladies.

Cacamatzin nodded and waved again, letting the Zapotec envoy stand with the Mistec envoy.

"The Totonac Alliance presents an ancient Olmec clay pot, blessed by the ancient agricultural god! This ancient magic artifact ensures a perfect marriage, leading to a bountiful birth of offspring!"

Cacamatzin, his face unchanged, carefully took the ancient clay pot from the envoy. The pot had a rustic shape, with many places worn smooth, and its exterior was inscribed with the image of a corn god, indeed symbolizing the blessing of the agricultural god.

"...Cunning Totonacs, always liking to make up for the quantity with indistinguishable ancient items!"

Cacamatzin cursed silently, but maintained his smile. He raised the ancient clay pot to show everyone, then had the guards carefully store it. The Totonac envoy was guided by the guards to stand with the Otomi envoy in the sunlight.

"The Tekos Alliance presents ten gold wine cups, ten obsidian necklaces, and ten water opals!"

Cacamatzin nodded slightly, and the Tekos envoy respectfully stood up and carefully stood aside.

The so-called Tekos Alliance envoy actually came from the Fire River City, representing the great tribe of Colima. The Colima envoy came not only to witness the royal wedding but also to gather intelligence on the Mexica Alliance’s eastern expedition.

"The northern Maya city-state presents ten bags of divine smoke, ten bags of emeralds, and ten feathered ceremonial attires!"

Mayan merchant Tikalo knelt on the ground, respectfully presenting the gifts. These gifts came from the Mayan trading group and were presented under the name of the northern Maya city-state. In reality, Tikalo, as a direct descendant of the Kokom Family, indeed had claims to the territories of the large city-state Tutulxiu in northern Yucatan.

Cacamatzin waved again, the Mayan envoy stood aside. With this, all foreign envoys had finished presenting their gifts.

Xiulote sat in the side hall, observing the foreign envoys dressed in varied attires. He suppressed the wedding’s anxiety and excitement, falling into contemplation of the situation.

"...Not only have the envoys from Tlaxcala not come, but even those from the Holy City of Cholula have not arrived!... It seems that the alliance’s impending eastern expedition has indeed greatly displeased the Holy City of Cholula. And their absence from the royal wedding is an expression of this displeasure!...

The envoys from various states exchanged glances, their expressions also changing. For such an important alliance ceremony, even distant Tekos and Mayans had representatives come, while the nearby Holy City of Cholula had sent no envoy?!

Cacamatzin’s eyebrows slightly furrowed but quickly smoothed out. His kindly face turned solemn, and he raised the scepter in his hand high, chanting a spirited speech.

"With the end of the gift-giving by the various states, the royal family accepts the gifts with gratitude!... With the Chief Divine’s protection, the ancestors’ blessings, the royal family will hold a sacred ceremony!... Under the blessings of the Chief Divine and ancestors, witnessed by the divine descendants of various states, the valiant hummingbird perched on the pure lotus!... A sacred and beautiful marriage is imminent, just as the solid roots of the cactus will bind His Highness Xiulote and Princess Alisa together forever, never to part in this lifetime!"