Itzel

In 738 AD, an unwanted marriage agreement and an arranged pitz Mayan ballgame provokes the kidnapping of K’awiil, also known as Eighteen Rabbit, the King of Copan, Honduras, and his daughter princess Itzel by the Quiriguan forces. Quirigua, Guatemala is at that moment a vassal city-state of Copan, but the relationship between both cities has deteriorated, as the Quiriguans do not appreciate the totalitarian government and the tributes imposed by Copan. Itzel escapes but her father is beheaded. While fleeing, Itzel suffers a series of ordeals. She witnesses a pitz game where her future husband plays to win the right to marry her or else he dies. A traitor, who is among the participants, and a shadow lead the princess to her future.

In 738 AD, an unwanted marriage agreement and an arranged pitz Mayan ballgame provokes the kidnapping of K’awiil, also known as Eighteen Rabbit, the King of Copan, Honduras, and his daughter princess Itzel by the Quiriguan forces. Quirigua, Guatemala is at that moment a vassal city-state of Copan, but the relationship between both cities has deteriorated, as the Quiriguans do not appreciate the totalitarian government and the tributes imposed by Copan. Itzel escapes but her father is beheaded. While fleeing, Itzel suffers a series of ordeals. She witnesses a pitz game where her future husband plays to win the right to marry her or else he dies. A traitor, who is among the participants, and a shadow lead the princess to her future.

Marlon Hernandez is a highly competitive Sales and Marketing professional with an MBA who loves research. Born in Honduras, a Mayan country, he always wanted to write a fictional story about his culture at Copan as he was fascinated with the ballpark and steles scattered all over the ruins located in that Mayan city. With the help of his numerous visits to Copan, Google and the Mayan exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, 2012, Marlon compiled this extraordinary short story.