Enslaved

Chapter 26

The rest of our vacation was amazing. We took so many photos and we had so much fun. We did have fun with Lui and Yulen as well. One night we even had a fire and made s'mores. While we were there, Mokoto and Sarshay had also completed their mating and I was incredibly happy for them. When we got home, I saw that some photos Lui had posted of us all having fun on social media were trending. One of the photos was of Balthazar and I walking on the beach, our marks on full display. I was wearing a bikini, but the bottom half of me I had a sarong wrap over my bottoms. There was a lot of talk around our new tattoos. Some of the other photos were of Lui, Balthazar, Yulen, and I having fun playing ball on the beach that Mokoto had taken for Lui. Another was of Balthazar and I kissing in front of the sun set. Another photo was of us by the fire the night we had s'mores. 

I loved the photos. The showed what our family was really like. We are close, and we have fun. There was controversy over them though. Some are declaring that the photos are just for show. Some are questioning what the tattoo I gave Balthazar says. There are a lot of people requesting interviews and such to discuss them to get the story behind them. Balthazar thought it best for he and I to do the news interview instead of a talk show. So here we are, about to go live for the entire kingdom to see. 

I sat beside him and he laced one of his hands with mine. When we went live I smiled at the man and woman who would be interviewing us. "It is an honor that you accepted our request to answer some of the questions many people have regarding the photos your son posted," the woman named Tara, said. "Your son has a knack for taking great photos," Mace, the man, said with a nod. 

I nodded, "That he does." "Many of us can read what your mark reads Princess, but we are puzzled as to what Prince Balthazar's says," Tara said. "Can you explain it to us?" "It's in my native tongue," I shared with them. "It translates to a warning much similar to the one I wear. It's, This is my King. Death to those who do not heed my warning. I would have included my god like he put my goddess, but in my native tongue, there is no word for god. We did have beings of higher power, but god is not what we called them at the time. We called them the gifters, which doesn't sound right when not said in my native tongue." "Why do it in your native language," Mace asked me next. "Because I wanted it in her native language. From the beginning I wanted to include parts of her traditions into our relationship, because one day we will have children and I want them to know the two halves they come from. Plus I enjoy it when she speaks it." 

"Is tattooing each other a Fae tradition or is it something you felt like doing," Tara asked us. I nodded, "It's a Fae warrior tradition." "The Fae are huge on equality. There are no set roles in the relationship. They hunt, fight, care for the children together. Mates who were warriors tattooed each other because when training, many males train shirtless, and the women's training clothes were much like what women work out in at the gym. The tattoo was the only verbal warning you got if you were caught staring at another's mate. Fae are incredibly territorial. Being with Azula, has taught me that they're more territorial than demons," Balthazar explained to them. "I wanted to have the tattoos done because there have been times during training, I thought I would end up having to stop my mate from killing the on lookers," he said with a small smile. "Although it isn't a language anyone really understands, it's in white, which is a warning itself since the markings Neve has given my mate are also white." 

"Would she really kill them," Mace asked curiously. "I am not too sure," Balthazar said. "But I have been on the receiving end of her anger towards being watched." 

"What are some other traditions that you follow," Tara asked us. "Azula cooks all of our meals," Balthazar answered. "It's uncommon for the royalty of our kind to cook, but after I did some research, I learned that even the Fae royalty cooked for their own families unless there was a large celebration being held. It's because it's instinct to take care of your mate and children, which includes feeding them. It's incredibly offensive for another to do it because it means that person doesn't think you can take care of your family better than you can. Since we started following the tradition, it has allowed me to have a closer relationship with her and with our son Lui. It's nice to just sit down and talk. I'm not able to help her with the cooking, but I do help her with the clean up."