Enslaved

Chapter 21

Balthazar's POV

I had just finished a meeting when I received a call from Lui's Head Master at school, requesting I go to the school. I went to the kitchen in my wing where Azula was pulling cookies out of the oven. "What's wrong," she asked me. "I got a call from Lui's Head Master, requesting to see us," I told her. "Did they say why," she asked concerned. I shook my head, "They did not." She turned off the oven and washed her hands, "Okay well let's go." 

Mokoto got the car ready while Azula changed from the flour covered clothes she was wearing. We get to the school and are lead inside. Lui was sitting in a chair in the head master's office with a busted lip and bleeding knuckles while the boy across the room had a black eye and dry blood around his nose. The Head Master stood in front of his desk, "I did not expect for you to come along Princess Azula." "You called with a concern about my son, of course I am going to come," Azula told him. 

The Head Master nodded, "I am waiting for Yulen's father to arrive." We waited for Lord Talio to arrive. He took one look at his son and sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose before he turned to us, "I am sorry for Yulen's behavior." "This is Yulen's fifth fight this month. This time, he decided to fight with Prince Lui," The Head Master said. "I understand your son is grieving for his mother, but I can not over look this. I'm going to need to expel him." "Please sir," the Lord tried. "How did the fight get started," Azula asked the Head Master. "Yulen was mocking Lui for having a mother that didn't want him and for having another who wasn't a demon. Lui then provoked him by saying at least he had a mother," The Head Master said. Azula shot Lui an icy glare and Lui shrunk in his chair, eyes wide. I also noticed Lord Tolio and the Head Master looked uncomfortable. "We will have a talk when we get home," she told him. She then turned back to the Head Master. "Instead of expelling the boy, why not community service?" "What kind of community service," The Head Master asked her. "We have some dragons back home in need of a bath to help shed their scales, as well as their field can use some cleaning," she told him. "Of course Lui will be taking part since he too is at fault." "Yes ma'am," Lui said without protest. 

"Of course they'll be under supervision since the males aren't so nice when it's bath time," Azula said. "And if the boys decide to fight again, we have plenty of warriors who need their swords polished." She then pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and folded it in her hands before freezing it and going over to Yulen, "Press that to your eye, it'll help with the swelling." Yulen took it, "Thank you." He pressed it to his eye. 

"This will be your only saving grace Yulen," Head Master said to the boy. "Princess Azula was kind enough to offer you an alternative." "He will be forever grateful," Lord Talio said with a bow. "We are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience." "I am sure you're doing the best you can Lord Talio," Azula said to him. "And we are terribly sorry for your loss." He nodded, "Thank you, your highness." She then turned to Yulen, "After school on Friday when Mokoto comes to pick up Lui, he will come to pick you up as well so make sure to bring a bag of clothes for the weekend." "Come on Lui," I said while turning to leave. Azula gave the Head Master, Talio, and Yulen a kind smile before following us out. 

In the back of the car there wasn't a single smile on her face. "I am very disappointed in you Lui," she said, arms crossed. "He started it though," Lui argued. "Right now though, he doesn't need someone to fight with, he needs a friend," she told him. "He only said what he did because he lost his mother and she will never be coming back, while although Evaline disowned you, you still have me. In moments like these, you need to really listen to things a person isn't saying." "Listen to what they aren't saying," Lui asked in confusion. She nodded, "As a ruler and as a warrior it's very important to listen to the things they're not saying. Body language, their mannerisms, they can tell you what a person isn't saying. You need to pay attention and listen." 

"Are you mad too father," Lui asked me. "I stand by your mother on this one son," I told him. "He may have started it, but you had the chance to put a stop to it instead of provoking him. However, if you boys continue to fight and act like brawling warriors trying to prove who is better, I'll throw you with the Legion and see how long you last then." Lui looked down at his hands then and Azula looked at me then. 

The Legion, really?  

I shrugged, My father did it when my brother and I were constantly fighting. It could do the boys some good to straighten out their attitudes. 

She raised an eyebrow at me and I heard her scoff, Excuse me if I don't approve of his parenting method, but it clearly didn't work where your brother is concerned. They're kids Balthazar, use the threat if you'd like to strike fear into getting them to listen, but if I find out you went through with it, you'll have to find somewhere else to sleep for a few nights. 

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow at her, Now who is the one making threats? 

She then smirked at me, I don't make threats my love, I make promises. 

After that our telepathic conversation ended. "When we get home, go straight to your room to do your homework," I told Lui. He nodded, "Yes sir." When we got home, Lui kept his head down while he walked to his room while I went to my office to finish the paperwork I had waiting for me. 

Azula's POV

After dinner, I poked my head into Lui's room where he was sitting on his bed. "Want a cookie," I asked him. He got up and hugged me tightly, "I'm sorry mother." I smiled softly as I sat the plate of cookies on the dresser and hugged him back. "I am not the one you need to apologize too," I told him, while running my fingers through his hair. He nodded, "I understand." We then sat on his bed and ate a few cookies. "So besides your altercation today," I said to him. "How was the rest of your school day?" "Well, they announced our school dance coming up to celebrate the  Goddess, Valibee since her birthday is coming up, and well there is this girl I want to ask to the dance," he said looking slightly embarrassed. The boy is eleven, I thought, and he is already asking girls to dances. Then again, it was a holiday celebration, and dances are a pretty normal thing for demons. 

"What's her name," I asked him curiously. "Laceria," he told me. "She's the smartest girl in the class, and she sometimes gets picked on because a lot of my class mates don't think she's all that pretty, but she has these really beautiful eyes that remind me of sun stones." Sun stones are a special stone that look like they are having their own sun rises inside them. "It's just that every time I talk to her, she makes me feel stupid. It's not something she does on purpose or anything, but she just does, and I don't know how she does it. Today I saw her reading a book on star charts and yesterday I saw her reading a book on the God Tyre." Tyre was the God of Night and Nocturnal beasts. "Just go up to her and talk to her, let her make you feel stupid," Balthazar said while leaning in the doorway. "Your mother does it to me all the time and I enjoy every second of it." 

I rolled my eyes, my cheeks warming up, "I do not." "When you talk about Fae traditions or how to cook special dishes, I feel stupid every time, but I love hearing you talk," Balthazar said as he came in. He took a cookie from the plate, "I wondered where these went." Balthazar then ruffled Lui's hair, "Let her make you feel stupid son. She may enjoy the chance to talk to someone about something she loves." I then kissed his head, "Get some sleep Lui, we'll see you in the morning." I tucked him in and we left his room. Balthazar wrapped an arm around my waist, "You are truly an amazing woman." I shook my head, "I am not." He kissed the top of my head, "You are and I will spend every second of our lives proving that to you." I felt my cheeks heat up more and he chuckled softly. 

We went into the room and I saw he had gotten a hot bath with some wine ready for us before he came to Lui's room. We undressed and got in. I relaxed into him with my wine in hand. "Deckland has been seen coming and going from the palace at the strangest of times," Balthazar informed me and I became a little tense. "So please be careful and do your best to avoid him at all costs." I nodded, "I already but I'll put in even more effort." He wrapped an arm around my waist, "I don't want to ever know the kind of pain Lord Talio and Yulen are going through right now. I think I would destroy the world if anything ever happened to you." I tilted my head back to look up at him, "Then I guess it's a good thing I have the best warrior in the world to protect me." "That it is," He said before kissing my lips.