The Prince and the Coyote: Prologue–Chapter 5

by David Bowles
Based on the life and poems of Nezahualcoyotl, this historical fiction is told from the perspective of the 15th-century king of Tetzcoco, as he goes from being a teenage crown prince, to hunted refugee, to triumphant warrior and family man.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–14, Chapters 15–25, Chapters 26–32, Chapters 33–40
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. vanguard
    the leading units moving at the head of an army
    The procession begins at the palace, wending its colorful way through the streets of Tetzcoco like the tail of the Feathered Serpent himself, elite troops arrayed behind the vanguard of musicians and ministers.
  2. burgeon
    grow and flourish
    Working-class houses, clustered around shared patios, echoing with the shouts of children, the yips of dogs, the cackling of turkeys. Merchant estates, guarded warehouses burgeoning with precious goods. Aristocrat mansions, white stone walls sprawling silent in the shade of cypress trees.
  3. consort
    the spouse or companion of a reigning monarch
    Some shout praise for the Queen Consort, but the majority chant my name.
  4. deference
    a courteous expression of esteem or regard
    Though they nod in deference, I see their smiles shift as I turn away.
  5. imposing
    befitting an important, distinguished, or powerful person
    As I knelt there, my father—sturdy as a ceiba, tall and imposing—placed the coronet upon my brow.
  6. conniving
    acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end
    My conniving half-sister or cruel half-brother may decide to arrange my death.
  7. faction
    a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
    The palace is often more dangerous than the battlefield. Alliances shift. Jealousies grow. Only one prince can become king at a time, after all. Being so close to that ultimate power is intoxicating. It’s no surprise royal families disintegrate into factions bent on betrayal and assassination attempts.
  8. veneer
    an outward appearance that is deliberately misleading
    I turn to face the Queen Consort, who continues waving without dropping the veneer of her smile.
  9. vassal
    a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
    To his left comes a similar group led by my maternal grandfather, the king of Tenochtitlan, vassal of the Tepaneca Empire that has waged war on us for fifteen years.
  10. fray
    a noisy fight
    Our soldiers enter the fray alongside the king’s guard, clashing with the traitorous Mexica as Father continues to force Grandfather forward, toward the city.
  11. harbinger
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
    Overhead, an owl wings its way over the city.
    Harbinger of death.
  12. regalia
    paraphernalia indicative of royalty or other high office
    My father’s brother-in-law is unarmed, but his bright regalia and authorative voice are as good as any shield or weapon.
  13. tenuous
    weak or unstable
    Coatlichan is ruled by Paintzin, my father’s maternal uncle. Beyond culture and homeland, our cities are bound by family ties, albeit tenuous ones.
  14. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    Lord Tochinteuctli is also a formidable warrior who caught Emperor Tezozomoc unawares, distracted by his attempts to shape the outcome of the succession deliberations in Tenochtitlan.
  15. causeway
    a road that is raised above water, marshland, or sand
    The villa sits on the shore, not far from the causeway that joins Tenochtitlan to Tlatelolco.
  16. behoove
    be appropriate or necessary
    Still, it behooves neither you nor me to speak outside these walls of anything they might find shameful.
  17. ornery
    having a difficult and contrary disposition
    As for me, I’m reluctant to give my brothers cause to rid themselves of an ornery older sister.
  18. fractious
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
    “It is, after all, your home. We are grateful for your hospitality in these fractious times.”
  19. speculation
    a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
    After the delicious midday meal and a conversation that favors family reminiscence over political speculation, Zacatl stands and gestures to me.
  20. brackish
    slightly salty
    “The causeways,” I say. “They’re acting like dikes, aren’t they? Keeping the brackish water of the eastern side of the lake from filtering in as easily. These gardens are greener and lusher than the rest of the city.”
  21. remiss
    failing in what duty requires
    “I don’t have four hundred voices yet,” I say, “but I can speak six languages and switch between a dozen dialects of Nahuatl. Tetzcoco is a diverse city, and its crown prince would be remiss if he couldn’t communicate with all of his subjects.”
  22. mimesis
    imitative or realistic representation in art and literature
    My sandals scrape against the planks in mimesis of the winds slipping down mountain slopes, the ripples of water on Moon Lake.
  23. languid
    lacking spirit or liveliness
    A more languid drumbeat begins, marking the beginning of the closing ceremony without calling attention to itself.
  24. gaudy
    marked by conspicuous display
    A procession of soldiers, the elite brotherhoods with their gaudy uniforms and banners, makes its way to the pyramid, and marches up the steps until they’ve lined each side.
  25. flourish
    a short lively tune played on brass instruments
    A flourish of trumpets, then my uncle Chimalpopoca emerges.
  26. proffer
    present for acceptance or rejection
    If anyone in Tenochtitlan might consider Father’s proffered alliance, it would be him...if he thought the House of Acamapichtli could benefit as a result.
  27. tutelage
    attention and management implying responsibility for safety
    As now, the city was awash with joy: the king’s three sons—born the same day from three different queens, a sign from the gods—were leaving their father’s tutelage and coming into their own, the cusp of manhood.
  28. expediency
    the quality of being suited to the end in view
    The hereditary traditions of rulership are a divine gift of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, who values order and continuity. Yet they are balanced by the need for expediency, for strength and wisdom, for the willingness to do whatever is needed to protect a kingdom.
  29. despotic
    having the characteristics of a tyrannical ruler
    It is the cruel and despotic Maxtla, King of Coyoacan, son of Emperor Tezozomoc and therefore my uncle Chimalpopoca’s uncle.
  30. dais
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
    They walk us to the dais where Chimalpopoca sits glorious and haughty upon a glassy black throne.
  31. schism
    division of a group into opposing factions
    You’ve managed momentarily to stave off a schism in Acolhuacan. Maintaining unity by appointing as commander of your troops the Crown Prince of Coatlichan? It’s a sound strategy, as that city is more powerful than yours, more respected.
  32. ply
    keep offering or supplying something desirable to someone
    “But the Emperor—my grandfather, recall—has many allies in Acolhuacan, and even now they ply King Paintzin of Coatlichan with gifts and threats. How long can he withstand?”
  33. livid
    furiously angry
    Any remaining shred of kinship I still felt for the House of Acamapichtli now boils away in the fire of my heart.
    “I am no Mexica,” I snarl, puma livid in my veins. “I am Acolhua. Toltec and Chichimec blood co-mingled, both wildness and wisdom.”
  34. scion
    a descendent or heir
    And by my eighth summer I had been assigned a teenaged tutor and surrogate elder sibling—Izcalloh, scion of my father’s best friend—who drilled me in the history of our royal family and gently corrected my courtly behavior.
  35. subjugate
    make subservient; force to submit or subdue
    He subjugated cities on the eastern and western banks of Moon Lake. Established new ones. Forged an empire. Began the fusion of Toltec and Chichimec.
  36. zealous
    marked by active interest and enthusiasm
    Soldiers keep the most zealous citizens at bay.
  37. fervor
    the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
    He will speak hard truths to them, while also working them into a patriotic fervor. Few can move a crowd the way Ixtlilxochitl does.
  38. quarry
    extract from or as if from an excavation
    Wanting to give them some privacy, I walk toward the gardens, running my fingers over white stone quarried from distant hills, transported block after block and lifted skillfully into place to create a sprawling space full of elegance and light.
  39. dint
    force or effort
    And he is our Overlord, the Chichimeca Chieftain, ruling the fourteen allied cities by dint of his wisdom and skill.
  40. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    Still, like a fleeting dream
    we cling to friends and fame,
    we laugh and love and weep
    because we are alive
    and that’s what humans do.
Created on Mon May 27 08:58:27 EDT 2024 (updated Tue May 28 09:24:01 EDT 2024)

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