got any favorite historical hetalia subjects or periods? ❤️
Hiii🥺
From a US perspective: I find the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era to be super underutilized time periods. Always go crazy for fanfics or fanart set in the 1920s or 1930s. And I would be lying if I don't eat up every Rev. war fanfiction that is published
From a non-US perspective: the War of Roses+Tudor era for England. Have been thinking a lot about France during the first French revaluation and how that changed him/how he interacts with his environment. I've reading a lot about the wars in mainland Europe in the late 1600s/early 1700s in connection to immigration to the British Colonies in America. But it's been making me think a lot about the history of nations like Spain, France, and Prussia/the German kingdoms
I also adore all ancient nations. But the ones who own my heart are the Inca and Aztec Empires
Summary: For @historical-hetalia-week day 3 (I’m very behind). Aztec starts building her new home in a new place. She makes an unexpected acquaintance along the way.
Characters: Aztec (Tenochtitlan), Texcoco, and baby Mexico. All are OCs.
Period: 1326/1500, for 1000-1500, for the prompt Adventure
Word Count: 2.2K
1326
If Aztec could have guessed where the gods would send her to build a city, this would have been the last place she would have imagined. The little island off the shore of a large lake was not a hospitable place. It was often warm and wet, and the wet mud liked to shift under foot.
When Aztec had come across the prophesied eagle, she had started for several minutes trying to completely comprehend what the gods were showing her. An island with so little to offer hardly seemed like the best place.
But, she was aware that there were powerful cities around the rest of the shore, and she would need to build her own stable base to contend with them. And even then, she knew that she would have to be canny in her politics and aggressive in her own defense.
After a year, there was enough of a start for people to begin to live comfortably. There was still a modest settlement, but it was better progress than the rudimentary homes that they had built at first.
Aztec thought, as she walked between people working on building, that this was a test from the gods to test her resolve. The prophesy had said that there would be shining city on this spot, but she had underestimated the amount of work it would take. It should have been more apparent to her from the beginning since the gods granted nothing without work and sacrifice.
She could feel the blisters on her hands from the day before healing as she ran her opposite thumb over them. Even years of holding a spear and fighting had not given her the callouses to withstand the work of building. Over time it would come, and it would be easier to build the city.
But the way that her skin healed over the blisters so quickly told her that her people were strong even with the trial of having to build a city from the group up. It was reassuring to know that the trek to the lake had not destabilized her, and she felt a certainty in her destiny even with the work.
Mexica had been sleeping comfortably in the fabric sling on her back with his small head on her shoulder. But, as she walked, he started to stir like he was waking. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him open his eyes and rub them sleepily with his little hands.
She knew that within minutes he would get restless, since his energy ebbed and flowed. When he was not sleeping, he wanted to be running around. Once he started the process of waking up, it was predictable that he would want to be on his feet.
She was certain that she would be able to put him down and let him run once she reached her goal. It was easy to let him wander when he wanted to because he still could not get too far away. His little legs were still limited, and it also limited the trouble that he could get into.
She reached her goal: A freshly planted plot on the water. It was intended to be a way to grow crops to avoid the problem of limited land and limited agricultural resources. It had been built by driving poles into the lakebed to extend the arable land. With the slowly growing population, they would need to expand beyond what the island could produce.
She took the boy down and set him on the ground. He immediately turned his little face up to her and smiled. She said, “Just a moment, my jaguar cub.”
She kept an eye on him, but only in her peripheral vision. She focused instead on the beginnings of the new crops. The recent rains had done much for the sprouts. She could see the little green maize sprouts pushing through the dirt.
She touched one as softly as possible. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally pull it out. It was a fragile new sprout and it needed to be treated with care. The little leaves felt soft under her fingers, but also hearty. It was heartening to see that there was growth, even though it was small.
Small growth would soon be able to grow into enough to sustain a city. It would take patience, diligence, and the help of favorable weather. But she was prepared to take the time.
Her attention was on the rows of small sprouts until she heard a splash followed by the sound of childish babbling. The two sounds immediately told her that her attention was needed elsewhere.
She turned in the direction that Mexica had went. Her gaze lighted on him sitting at the edge of the water. She was relieved that he had not fallen into the lake, which would have been worrying.
She let out a relieved breath, until she noticed that there was a pink tail wriggling in his little fist. The little fist was also moving quickly towards his mouth.
She moved quickly to put her hand between his hand and his mouth. He looked up at her with an expression of confusion and said the only word his childish mouth was capable of, “Mama?”
He looked genuinely puzzled that he was not permitted to put a lake creature in his mouth. She gently took his hand and unwrapped his little fingers, and said as she did so, “You must not eat these.”
A slightly alarmed axolotl wriggled out of his hand and fell with an unceremonious plop back into the lake.
Little Mexica looked confused and stared at his mother for an explanation. She kneeled next to him so that she could look him more directly in the eyes and said, “I know you want to see the world, but it should not go in your mouth.”
It was not the first time that she had to say this to him, since he had reached the stage in his young life when he most wanted to use his mouth to test everything. But there were few things that were safe for him to test so indiscriminately.
She wanted to let him run but it seemed that it must be necessary to limit him until he would learn to be more discerning. She picked him up and fit him comfortably in the sling on her back. For the moment he needed to be watched, lest he wander off and try to eat something else ill advised.
He was a little uneasy, but it was only a few moments before he settled.
She intended to return to inspecting the emerging sprouts, but there was the sound of someone approaching quickly. It told her, even before the messenger got close enough to speak, there was something that urgently needed her attention.
She recognized the man as a scout, which meant that someone had gotten close to the settlement when they shouldn’t have. It was confirmed when the scout said to her, “There is a man observing us. We believe he is another city.”
She was glad that the scout was speaking quietly so as to not raise any alarm. She responded just as quietly, “Is he armed?”
There was a world of difference between approaching out of curiosity and approaching as a threat. She waited with bated breath for the answer, thinking of what she would need to do if they were under threat. The scout answered, “He does not seem to be.”
Aztec nodded. It meant that there was not yet something to be worried about. But even a curious tribe could turn into an enemy if not dealt with. She intended to leave no doubt about her strength, and what she was willing to do to stay on her island.
Once the scout had told her the direction of the interloper, she retrieved a spear. Though the unknown person may not be armed, she would certainly be. There was no way that she would approach a stranger without some ability to protect herself, and more importantly protect her son.
The man was standing just outside the settlement, looking as though he was merely curious. Aztec tightened her hand on her spear as she approached. No matter how non-threatening he may seem, she was not willing to take any risks.
She stepped closer, she said, “Who are you?”
He turned towards her and raised an eyebrow, though he had the look of someone intrigued more than anything else. He said, “You are the one who just arrived. Who are you? I have lived on the other bank for a century.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to decide how to take the comment, and eventually decided on saying, “I am Tenochtitlan. The gods granted me this land and I intend to build on it.”
The name rolled off her tongue comfortably, though it was the first time she had introduced herself with the name that she had decided on for her city. It felt like it fit as soon as she said it out loud.
The man had the lightest hint of a smile on his face as he replied, “And I am Tetzcoco. I rule the opposite bank of the lake. I took notice of your presence.”
She wasn’t sure what to make of his answer. If she wanted to hear a threat, it would have been easy. But nothing about his demeanor seemed to indicate that there wasn’t one.
She felt Mexica stir against her back and decided that it was best to be clear. She asked, “So what do you intend to do? Will you attempt to drive me out? I warn you: that will not be easy.”
She tightened her grip on the spear, fully prepared to react to whatever he said. There had been enough hostility for her to expect a fight. He shook his head and said, “I have no desire to fight you. I think that you should be careful, because Azcapotzalco is much closer to you and will not be so kind. They are just there.”
He pointed at the horizon towards the shore. Aztec turned to look, and already began to consider what to do if a threat came from that direction. She heard Tetzcoco let out a soft gasp.
She immediately realized that he had seen Mexica when she turned body to reveal the child on her back. She turned, raised the spear, and pointed it at him, making sure that he would get no closer. She said, “If you get any closer, I will kill you.”
She meant it completely in earnest. If the man took any interest in her child, she was ready to strike. But instead, he raised his hands in a way that clearly communicated that he was not trying to get any closer or be a threat. He said, “Do not worry. I will not touch him.”
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1500
Aztec was exhausted. After a long and very fruitful campaign, she looked forward to being home. Tetzcoco met her in her private quarters while she busied herself with removing her battle regalia.
It felt like she was stripping away the legendary warrior to return to being only a friend and a mother. Tetzcoco had little Mexica in his arms, who seemed to be fast asleep. He smiled at her, since he knew how she looked forward to returning home.
He spoke softly so that he didn’t wake Mexica, “He was trying to stay awake to see you return, but he failed.”
The boy was curled up against his chest, eyes closed. Aztec wasn’t surprised. It was late and Mexica ran out of energy on a predictable schedule. She extended her arms and Tetzcocco deposited the sleeping boy gently in her arms.
She instinctively cradled him against her chest, and he mumbled in his sleep, “Mama.”
Holding him always felt like returning home. Outside she may be a warrior and an empire, but with her son she was just a mother. It was good reassurance that she was building an empire to keep him safe and to give him a powerful position to inherit.
Tezcoco asked, with the air of someone who already knew the answer, “Did our conquest go well?” He had offered to stay with Mexica while Aztec and Tlacopan undertook the battles for this conquest. It was their normal procedure between them to make sure that one of the three was always in the capital, and they traded places when needed.
She could tell by the way that he asked that he already had complete confidence in her abilities. She answered, “It went to plan. I couldn’t have asked for better results.”
Though she had many stories she could tell, she was too tired to do it at the moment. Instead, she asked, “And how was my jaguar cub?”
She glanced down at Mexica as she said it to see that he was happily sleeping against her chest. Teztcoco replied, “He was well behaved as always.”
Aztec softly stroked her son’s hair, proud of him as she always was. Teztcoco paused for a moment before saying, “There is something that I must tell you.” His tone was not ominous, so Aztec was not immediately concerned. But she did ask, “What is it?”
He drew in a breath like he was thinking deeply about what to say. After what seemed like a long silence, he said, “He called me ‘dad’ earlier today.”
He seemed nervous to say it. It seemed that he worried that she would object to it.
But she could understand it to an extent. Teztcoco had taken the duty of looking out for Mexica in stride and did seem that he loved the child like a father would. To a young mind that was enough to make him a father.
She answered, “I can understand his confusion. He knows that you love him. One day we will explain it to him but let him think that for now.”
Summary: This is for the first day of @historical-hetalia-week . The representation of the Mayan civilization is blindsided by the incursion of another nearby civilization. He learns that he may not be alone, and may need to reconsider his diplomacy.
Characters: Maya, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Aztec, and Zapotec. All of these are OCs for obvious reasons.
Year: 378 AD
Word Count: 1.6K
The messenger was out of breath. Maya waited impatiently for him to take a couple breaths before finally managing to say, “The king of Tikal has been murdered.”
Maya’s eyes widened as he processed the information. It was sudden, and it was strange. As far as he knew, all his composite city states were stable. It was just as strange that he had not felt anything if there was turmoil. It was possible that it had just been the actions of one ambitious prince, but his gut feeling told him otherwise.
He asked, shortly but leaving no doubt about the urgency, “What happened? Tell me. Quickly.”
His mind was reeling, since he did not understand the circumstances. But he was also certain that something else must be happening. The messenger took another deep breath to calm himself enough to provide an answer that would be understandable. Only after drawing in several breaths did he say, “The exiled prince killed his brother with the help of outsiders.”
He seemed to be trying to gather his thoughts about how to explain the situation. Maya suspected that the situation must be something exceptionally strange. The messenger finally managed to say, “The prince was supported by warriors from a city in the North.”
Maya pressed the tips of his fingers together and let out a long breath. It sounded to him like there had been a targeted attack with the specific goal of destabilizing his network of cities. It was something that he could not afford to ignore.
He only said, as he stood up, “I will get my cloak.” He fully intended to reach the root of the problem immediately. With that in mind, he set off to Tikal.
The city seemed strangely calm for a place that had just experienced an overturn of the government. Trade seemed to be continuing as it should, and there were people on the streets. It had taken time for the messenger to reach him, and time for him to travel to Tikal. So, there had been time to reestablish calm, but he was still shocked by how cleanly everything must have happened for there to be little carnage in the streets to clean up.
Maya thought to himself that whoever had orchestrated this had been careful to make sure it was a quiet palace coup. He could appreciate that it was clever, but he would appreciate it significantly more if it did not directly impact him. Whoever had done this was smart enough to do it without causing much stir. Smarter than all of his own rivals as far as he knew.
As he approached the palace, he felt a sense of foreboding. There may be no explicit threat, but the coup was enough to send him a message: this city wasn’t just his and could be taken from him.
Though he read an implicit threat in the action, he had brought his own warriors. If he understood the game, then he did not expect to be attacked. He was proven correct when the warriors guarding the doors did not react to his presence with hostility. Rather, they stepped aside like they had been instructed to welcome.
Though he had expected that there was some reason to be open to him, he was surprised when there was another messenger waiting just beyond the doors who spoke as soon as they laid eyes on him, “Finally you have arrived. She has been expecting you.”
Maya paused and glanced behind him at the two warriors that he had brought with him, to reassure himself that he was prepared if he was walking into some sort of trap. He turned back to the mortal and said, “Who is ‘she’?”
He had few guesses since none of his enemies on the peninsula or even in the highlands would be so bold. The mortal looked unperturbed as he responded, “The kingdom of Teotihuacan. She predicted that you would come, and she has been waiting to speak to you.”
Maya kept the thought to himself that staging a coup was a particularly strange way to start a conversation. Instead, he said, “Very well. I will speak with her.”
She was in the throne room, comfortably seated in a position of authority. As Maya entered the room, she locked eyes on him and slowly rose to her feet. She was a striking woman, tall and handsome with the faintest lines on her forehead to show her age. She seemed older than he was, with a kind of political savvy behind her eyes that he could only guess at. There was a vibrant cloak wrapped around her shoulders.
Maya spoke first, “It is rather strange to invite someone to speak to you when you’ve just stollen their city dishonorably. What are your intentions?”
He knew that he was being inflammatory, but he intended to see how she would react. It would speak volumes about how aggressive this unknown presence. She did not take the bait, and said rather impassively, “I have not stollen anything from you. The new king is still one of your people.”
Though it was technically true, Maya still found it to be an odd caveat. He countered, “But under your influence. He will always owe you for this crown.”
That did bring a slight smile to her face, and she descended from the throne. She said, still seemingly calm, “Yes, he does. But this is not a conquest. If I wanted to conquer, I would have placed one of my own people on the throne.”
As she drew nearer, he realized how tall she was, and the strength that she carried in her shoulders. He was given the impression, rather suddenly that she could carry out the implied threat if she chose to. Though he only vaguely knew that she was from a valley further North, but the impact of her presence was enough to give him pause.
He still did not fully understand what the purpose of this visit was, or of the coup itself. He asked, letting his frustration slip through, “So, what is your goal here? Is it the wealth of the city?”
It was the closest that he could guess, since there was much in Tikal that could make someone rich. She shook her head and stepped closer to him. Maya realized that he was tilting his head up to look at her.
She answered the question, “It is true that the trade will be welcome. But, no, I did this to show you that I can.” He drew in a sharp breath through his nose. He hadn’t anticipated that this was a show of force for the sake of making a point. She heard him and continued, “You have done well for yourself so far, but you should not forget that there are those who are just as powerful as you.”
Something about her cool delivery sent a shiver down his spine. Maya clenched his teeth and said, forcing himself to sound calm, “You have made your point.”
She responded with a smile, “Good. Then you should think of a way that we can be friendly.”
With that, she walked past him, leaving him alone to contemplate.
Teotihuacan opened the door to the sound of at least one child at play. She smiled to herself. It sounded like they were having fun, and it was late enough in the day that she did not expect discipline from any of them. Discipline was for the school day, not nights alone with their family.
As soon as she opened the door completely, she heard the shout of, “Mama!”
It was the voice of Zapotec, her youngest daughter. She looked up to see that the child had tossed her doll aside and was running towards her. She also saw, with some amusement, that the girl had seemingly slipped past her eldest’s grasp. Toltec looked like she had intended to catch the girl before she launched herself at her mother.
Teotihuacan easily caught Zapotec in her arms and lifted her up to rest her weight comfortably against her hip. She said, “Have you missed me, little one?”
Zapotec nodded enthusiastically. Her other two daughters had stood up and Aztec, her middle daughter, replied, “Yes, we have.”
Teotihuacan walked over to one of the comfortable seats on the floor and sat down. She patted the space next to her on the floor and said, “Come speak with me. I have missed you all dearly.” She nuzzled her youngest and said, “I would stay here all the time if I could.”
The elder two settled themselves around her. Toltec said like she was curious but trying to be polite, “How was your trip?”
Zapotec cuddled closer against her shoulder, which made Teotihuacan’s heart feel warm. She did dislike how much time she had to spend away from her girls. She thought it would get easier once her girls were old enough for school and training, since they were no longer babies that needed her. But she still ached for them when she was away.
She answered, “It went well. I achieved my goal, so I could come home to you.”
Aztec’s eyes were alight with curiosity. She was always the most curious of the three about the everyday life of an empire. It seemed to fascinate her. She asked, “What did you do?”
Toltec shot her a cautionary glance like it was an inappropriate question. But Teotihuacan already knew how to answer without telling them anything that wasn’t appropriate at their age. She said, “I sent someone a message about power. I think he understood me.”
Aztec tucked her hands under her chin and said, “Will you tell us a story about your trip?” Teotihuacan glanced at all three of them quickly.
They all looked interested in the story, so she said, “Very well” before settling in to tell the story.
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Historical notes:
- This was based off of a coup that happened in Tikal in 378. The historical record suggests that a small group from Teotihuacan supported the coup.
- This led to a split in the Mayan civilization between Tikal and Calakmul, with Tikal’s dynasty favoring Teotihucan.
- Teotihuacan also had significant trade and influence in the Yucatan peninsula as far as Guatemala at its peak.
Summary: For the second day of @historical-hetalia-week. In the wake of the Classical Mayan collapse, questions of destiny hang in the balance. Toltec gives her sister some insight into the future.
Characters: Toltec, Aztec, and a very young Mexico.
Period: Late 10th century (900s)
Content Warning: Discussion of death and grief.
Word Count: 1.5K
The water in the bath was pleasantly warm, and the smile on little Mexica’s face told her that he was enjoying the feeling of it. Aztec took a cupped handful of water and gently poured it over the child’s dark hair. He continued to smile and babble happily.
She could feel her own heart beat faster at the sight. For everything that had changed, he was still smiling the same way that he always had. Toltec, who was sitting nearby, just be the edge of the water, commented on the same thing, “He looks like he is still a happy baby.”
Aztec ran her fingers softly through her son’s hair as she spoke, “I do not know that he completely understands what has happened. Perhaps it is better this way.”
As she said it, the images crossed her mind again. Maya’s slow collapse as the illness took him. She could distinctly remember the slow wasting, and the way that the vitality had left his face. Through the whole process, she had done everything to keep Mexica’s young eyes from seeing the worst of it. She had felt like it would be the worst thing she could have thought of would be for him to live with those images in his mind.
Toltec trailed the tips of her fingers along the surface of the water, sending out little ripples. They moved gracefully across the water until they ran into the erratic splashes that Mexica was causing with his little fists. She said, speaking pensively, “I do believe that he will forget. He may forget all the pain since he is so young.”
Aztec ran her thumb softly over her sons face and contemplated his smile. It was strange to think that he would not know what had happened to his father. But it also had such an incredible bitterness, that the years of her marriage would not leave an impact in her son’s mind. She said, asking her sister a question she feared, “Will he remember his father at all?”
Toltec was quiet for a moment. It seemed like she was weighing something heavy that she would rather not say. She finally said, “These are heavy questions to think about, and it will not do you good to contemplate it.”
Aztec felt like it was a dodge, but she was not going to press. Her older sister had become an empire and her offer of an open door was a welcome opportunity. Though she wanted to pry into what her sister knew or foresaw, she knew that it was better not to pry. If Toltec thought it was best to tell her what the future held, then she would.
Aztec finished rinsing her son’s hair and started to rinse the last of the soap from his skin. She said, looking at Toltec, “I hope that he remembers only the good. Such a young boy deserves to be happy.”
She brushed his hair back one more time and said, “My little jaguar cub.”
He smiled an adorable toothy smile back at her. His sunny little face gave her the impression that, for the time, there was little to worry about. She lifted him out of the water and said, “Will you take him for a moment?”
She wanted to wash her own hair, but it was impossible to do so while she was holding her son. Toltec moved closer and took the boy in her arms and said, “Of course. Our little jaguar cub can always spend time with me.” She turned to him and said, “You love your aunt, don’t you?” He reached out and took her finger in his own tiny hand in response.
Aztec dipped her head back so that she could wet her hair. She sank into the water and wished that she could stay there for a time. There were so many questions that still seemed like she would never resolve. There were many who had resented Maya and would not welcome his widow or his young heir.
Though, she did not need their welcome either. Once the grief had faded, she would start to train again until she was strong enough to shrug off all of their scorn. She ran her hands through her hair as she thought about it.
But that still left the question of how to achieve a new start with a son who needed to be cared for. She also could not hesitate forever since he deserved something to inherit. Voicing her thoughts, she said, “What do you see for him? Will he grow into an empire like you?”
As soon as she said it, she knew that it was too much to ask. Her sister had told her many times that she should not ask for such important answers. She expected to be told off again, as her sister often did. She kept her eye closed as she floated in the water so that she did not have to see the disappointed look on her sister’s face.
She did not expect to hear her sister answer, “No, he will grow into an empire like you.”
Aztec sat upright immediately, sending a wave of water over the edge of the bath. She said, “What do you mean by that? I do not have anything close to an empire. You are, and our mother was.”
She stared at Toltec as she waited for an answer. She could feel the water running down the back of her neck as she waited. Toltec was still looking at baby Mexica, and playfully tugging her finger against his hold. She said, “My dearest little sister, you know that you are welcome here as long as you would like. I feel much safer with a warrior of your caliber by my side. But I do not pretend for a moment that I think it is your great ambition to stay here and protect me. Eventually you will want to build your own power.”
Aztec chewed on her lower lip as she thought through what her sister had said. It was true that she was comfortable living in Tula with her sister, but she did not anticipate it to be her final destination. But all of that ambition did not mean that she would have the success of becoming an empire.
She said, trying to get some clarification, “But an empire?”
Toltec was silent for a moment, and then said, more seriously, “When you are done with your bath, there is something I must tell you. It is important.”
It took Aztec a few minutes to dress and join her sister. The promise of information on her future was enough to motivate her to move quickly. When she returned to Toltec, her sister was speaking quietly and sweetly to little Mexica. Aztec said, “You must tell me what you know. You cannot tell me that without explaining.”
She hoped that she did not sound like she was demanding to know, but the promise was far too enticing. Toltec didn’t respond immediately, and instead took time to hand little Mexica to his mother. The boy immediately cuddled up against his mother’s chest; it seemed to be his favorite place in the world
Finally, she said, with the air of someone delivering very serious information, “I had a vision about the future, and I feel like you must hear about it.”
Aztec tucked her son’s head against her shoulder. He seemed like he was beginning to get tired, like a prelude to a nap. She asked, anxious for the answer, “What did you see?”
Toltec heard the anxiety in her voice and smiled encouragingly as she said, “It is good news. I saw you building a glittering city in a place that the gods have chosen for you.”
Aztec smiled. It was incredibly good news to know that she would carve out a place in the world. She asked, unable to contain her curiosity, “Where will it be?”
Toltec answered, “You know as well as I do that these things are rarely that clear. What I know is that you will know that you are in the right place when you see an eagle consuming a serpent on a cactus.”
It sounded vague, but Aztec nodded and glanced at her son. Whatever came in her future, it would also impact his future. She stroked his hair and said, “I would like to seek out that place, but I feel like I should not leave until he is bigger. He’s still so young.”
Toltec reached out and stroked Aztec’s hair lightly as she said, “You do not have to leave now. Not for a long time if you choose to but know that you both have a destiny beyond here.”
She took a deep breath through her nose before adding, “But he will not grow quickly until you both have a place to represent. When you build your city, then he will grow into it.”
Aztec nodded, and continued to stroke her son’s hair. She said simply, “Thank you for this.” In response, Toltec leaned forward and kissed her sister softly on the forehead.
