Tales of the Pearly City (Pearly Tales Vol.1) [Completed]

23. Cal's daughter

Wendy washed Ophelia's Dryad hair while the girl sat in the bath tub. When she lathered her hair with soap Wendy paid special attention to not pull on any of the leaves that snaked through her hair like ivy.

Ophelia was using a washcloth to wash away the dirt and grime from her pale green skin. When she suddenly stopped scrubbing, Wendy stopped lathering to see what was wrong.

"Papa is really scary, isn't he?" Ophelia observed.

Wendy smiled and continued to lather, "he can be when it comes to defending his family, or the city he loves so much. But more than that he is kind, and generous. Do you know that he saved my daughter's life?"

Ophelia's eyes shined with wonder, "He did?"

"Yep, my daughter sometimes acts without thinking and gets in trouble. Finally, after doing a lot of bad things they finally caught her and put her in prison. It made me really sad that my daughter kept doing bad things and that she was in prison. When he saw me crying he said he would go get her, he marched right in to the castle, and fought the Sylvan knights and the princess."

"Even mommy?"

Wendy's eye twitched, only Ophelia could talk about that sensitive topic without fear. "Even mommy, and when he won he said: 'give Naomi back to her mommy.' One day after he said he would save my daughter he came back to my door and do you know who was with him?"

"Naomi?"

"Yep, we were so grateful to be reunited that we now help out your papa as much as we can."

"Wow, Papa is so cool!"

"Yes, he is, hold your breath." Wendy poured water on Ophelia's hair to rinse out the soap. She had purposefully left out the slavery part, and a few other choice details because she didn't want to ruin her image of her new father on the very first night.

"Wendy, is Papa the strongest?"

"Yes I imagine that he is, but he doesn't like to show it."

"Why not, if he's the strongest it means people won't pick on him?"

"That's a good question, I think it's because your Papa would rather have friends instead of followers."

"What does that mean?"

"It means he wants friends who like him because he is fun and nice, instead of friends who just like him because he is strong."

"Ohhh. Do you think Papa likes me because I'm fun and nice or because I can see the future?"

"I think your Papa just likes you the most, more than anyone, as much as he likes mommy."

Wendy's heart sank she truly didn't know, she avoided answering it directly because after today she truly didn't know who her master was. Was he the lazy and clever pirate, or the sanctified kind hearted druid from the statues?

"Time to get out." She took the wash cloth and scrubbed the spots that Ophelia missed and pulled her out of the water.

After drying her off she put her in some fresh clothes she had left over from when her daughters were young and led her upstairs to her room.

Since this was Wendy's first night, her room didn't have much more than a bed and a small night stand.

"This is your room now Ophelia, if you need anything at all I am right upstairs just let yourself in, and your papa is just next door. Sleep tight little miss." Wendy kissed her forehead and tucked her in.

WHAM!

There was a loud crash and Calloway burst through the door wearing his eyepatch again. "I didn't miss it, did I!"