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

26. Another day in Paradise

Peter was up early to help his early morning staff with opening the tavern. While he was wiping down the tables he had an unexpected visitor.

Ever since the day Calloway had talked with him, Peter started reevaluating everything. He decided that he didn't care about who he thought he was, he was going to become who he wanted to be.

He was going to carve his own path and take some chances. One thing he knew for sure was that he wasn't truly happy without his family. But after all this time he didn't know how to approach them. Last night he was planning on leaving a present on their doorstep but he had met Wendy on the second story landing. Without any kind of backup plan he made a fool of himself by shouting at her and running away.

"I'm such an idiot." He moaned.

"I won't argue there."

Peter jumped and saw Wendy holding a steaming cup of lavender tea and a plate with some breakfast food.

"I wanted to thank you for the flowers and the tea." Wendy held up her cup. "I figured that you still skip breakfast in the morning so I made you a little something." She handed him the plate. "You can just bring the plate back whenever."

Wendy smiled and left, on her way out of the tavern she sipped at her tea and let the warmth wash over her.

Then she saw Calloway come around the corner looking like an unholy mess as he walked into the kitchen. She followed him and watched him set three tea pots to boil on the stove and pulled out three pots of water as well.

"You're up early, rough night?" She sipped her tea, she didn't know what it was but she did like to see him squirm.

"You have no idea." He pulled out some tea.

"that's a lot of tea."

"I make tea when I'm stressed."

"Stressed?"

"The princess and Ophelia begged me to let her stay the night, obviously, I was out voted. But I didn't imagine they'd fall asleep in my bed. I woke up on the floor this morning. Not that I mind the floor but being kicked out of your own bed is embarrassing."

"You better get used to it," Wendy laughed to herself as she drank her tea.

"What was that?" Cal's sleepy eyes showed that he really hadn't heard her, or cared.

"I said it sounds like you need a bigger bed, I also noticed that you've been acting really awkward around her, I thought she was 'the love of your life?'"

"She is, pretty girls make me nervous."

Wendy gaped.

"Don't take it like that, you're married to Peter and Peter is a friend. Besides, Shayley is something special. That's what makes it so hard." Calloway yawned.

"I guess I let that slide, I do think loyalty is a valuable quality."

Bang Bang Bang.

Somebody was knocking at the door.

"Just what I need." Calloway left the water to boil. He unlocked the door and peeked out of it.

"I'm Sinder of the Sylvan knights, I'm looking for Princess Shayley." Sinder wore her royal mage armor, she didn't normally wield a sword in combat since her spell power was so potent, but she wore a thin blade for show none the less.

"We are closed, come back in an hour." Calloway yawned and shut the door.

Sinder couldn't believe him, she knocked on the door and tried to be calm for the princess's sake.

The door cracked open to show the same sleepy eyed Calloway as before. "if you persist I will have to file charges."

Slam.

"Why I outta." Sinder's temper flared and the edges of her hair began to glow as if on fire. Calloway might be near invincible but that didn't mean his guild was.

Calloway returned to the kitchen and pulled out another pot.

"Who was that?" Wendy asked.

BOOM!

The building shook as a fiery explosion struck the front door.

"Sylvan Knight. Today is going to be a long day." Calloway yawned.

Wendy's eyes bulged and she ran to the unscathed door, on the other side stood a charred Sylvan knight with her hair sticking out in every direction in a burnt mess.

"I'm so sorry about my Master, please come in and have a seat." Wendy opened the door wide enough for her to enter.

"Thank you." Black smoke came out of her mouth when she coughed.

"Damn it. Wendy! We're running out of pots." Calloway bellowed from the kitchen.

** ** **

"I refuse." Calloway said looking at the dozen castle maids.

"But Master, the Princess-" the head maid tried to argue.

"I said no, tell the princess that I don't need a dozen maids."

Companions rejected. Royal Eleven maids.

After Sinder had escorted the Princess back to the castle, the princess decided that it would be a good idea if Calloway had more help, so she sent an army of maids.

An hour after he sent the maids away, Princess Shayley stormed the Guild hall.

"People are going to get suspicious if you keep showing up here, unannounced." Calloway said while playing a card game with Ophelia, and Naomi. Naomi was losing terribly. "I thought you'd be better at cards considering who your mother is Naomi."

"It's not my fault I'm playing against a cheat and an oracle!" Naomi protested as she continued to lose.

"Hey, that's offensive! How do you know Ophelia is using any of her oracle power to beat you, maybe you're just bad at this?" Cal retorted.

"That's the offensive part? So you don't deny that you've been cheating this entire time!"

"It's only cheating if you can prove it... and I win," Cal won the game with flying colors.

Naomi gasped, "how did you do that, it's not possible!"

"Sea turtles, mate."

"That doesn't even make any sense." Naomi sobbed in defeat.

"There, there noob. You'll just have to learn how to cheat as well as we do." Ophelia patted Naomi on the head while she wallowed in defeat.

"I sent a dozen of the finest maids in the kingdom to help you raise our daughter, why did you send them away!" Shayley slammed her hand on the table.

"Mommy can be scary," Ophelia whispered, ineffectively, to Calloway.

"No kidding." He whispered back.

"Answer me!" Shayley insisted.

"Alright, geez." Calloway held his hands up in surrender. "Look, I'm running a Guild not a five star hotel. I don't need a bunch of stuck up Elves telling me going outside is too dangerous."

Shayley glared at him. "Then what would you have me do? I can't always be here, and you won't always be here. Someone's got to be qualified to look after Ophelia in case something like last night happens again and we aren't around."

Calloway sighed. "Okay I see your point, then there is only one maid from the castle that I'll allow in my guild." He smirked.