Tales of the Pearly Kingdom (Pearly Tales Vol. 2)

43. The Night the Queen Changed History

Shayley returned to her room with dread in her heart. She bit her nails in worry. That woman was going to try and steal her Calloway away from her. She had to get out of here, Cal was right they should leave first thing in the morning if at all possible. She couldn't let Selene get close to her fiancé. Prophecy or not, she'd find a way to save Cal. Ophelia couldn't always be right.

"Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY!" Ophelia's panicked screams came from their room.

Shayley ran so fast to her room that she left her footprints in the ground. She threw open the door to see Ophelia crying into her stuffed fox on the bed. Shayley leapt to the bed and swept the sobbing girl into her arms.

"It's okay baby girl mommy, is here." Shayley pet Ophelia's tangled rough hair.

"No mommy it's not. You need to take it back." Ophelia begged in her hysterics.

"Take what back?"

Ophelia eyes glowed as she looked into Shayley's eyes. "Without the Priestess of past to help, you break your promise and die. Take back your promise, don't put your soul on the line. Take it back, take it back take it back take it back!" Ophelia grabbed the front of Shayley's shirt and shook her hysterically. "Don't lose your soul, don't die, take it back take it back. I'm sorry, I didn't meant to kill you. Take it back."

"Ophelia calm down. Calm down. It's going to be okay we are going to figure it out." Shayley attempted to calm Ophelia.

"This is all my fault, no wonder people hate me. Before... you just hated papa... now you hate him and die... I'm sorry mommy don't hate me. I'm sorry I killed you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Ophelia cried.

"Ophelia calm down, tell me what happened."

"I can't, I'll just make it worse again. You and papa, you're not strong enough to change his fate. And now I just made yours worse. I'm sorry mommy, I'm sorry I stole your soul." Ophelia sobbed and clutched onto Shayley.

Shayley hushed her, she wasn't good at the mother thing. All she could do was hold the small girl. She felt grief in her heart. Ophelia was an Oracle, for longer than Shayley would care to admit Ophelia and her predictions were all rejected by everyone. Out of no where Cal believed every word she said without hesitation, he even prepared to take his entire nation to war based on the word of one little girl. And here Shayley couldn't even keep her one promise to her. These were not the hysterics of a girl taught to manipulate people. These were the honest feelings of a child who desperately wanted what was best for her family.

Shayley reprimanded herself for even doubting Ophelia for a second. Cal had done so many things based on her words. When he revealed the dark magic that he was prepared to wield she understood just how important her words were. And to what lengths Cal was willing to go through to protect his city and Ophelia. He was fully prepared to implement some of those forbidden curses and if he had... well she can understand how that would have negatively impacted their relationship. But when he confessed them to Shayley, it showed just how much faith he had in Ophelia and her.

Cal was still hiding things from her, he had told her as much. But from the relief in his eyes she could tell that anything he was planning to do were secrets that she could easily forgive him for. Or so she hoped. But if there were still some danger after all Cal had done, maybe it wasn't him who needed to act? After all, it was her promise that put Ophelia at ease the first time. Something must have happened tonight.

Something she had done, something she had promised to do, even if it was only in her heart.

"Ophelia," Shayley put her pride aside. For her family she would do anything to fix what she had just broken. "I'm going to keep my word." She looked Ophelia in her puffy eyes with as much seriousness as she could muster. "Tell me what to do."

"But I already told you and it wasn't enough." Ophelia sobbed rubbing away her tears and snot with her hands.

"Tell me again. I'm listening, I'll fix this." Shayley promised to do anything. She had to show the same reckless determination Cal always showed.

Ophelia struggled to take a deep breath. Her eyes glowed again while she spoke the familiar lines. "Unless the Queen of Peril and the Priestess of Past remain his close allies, the house of Calphius will be lost before it begins. Heed this warning, those who cherish him, to forsake the Saint of Peril is to invite his death."

Shayley's heart caught in her throat. This wasn't a prophecy for just her, it was for anyone who cherished Cal. And now she knew of one more person who cherished him as deeply as she did. The Priestess of Past, Selene Thetis. And if it involved the 'House of Calphius' there was only one kind of alliance that could mean.

Tears of dread and conviction poured from her eyes. She didn't want to share Cal, but if it meant the alternative was losing him... then she'd do anything.

Ophelia felt Shayley's fingers digging into her shoulder. "Mommy?"

Shayley smiled through her tears. "If we need an alliance with the Priestess of Past, then an alliance I will forge. I swear to you, I will not allow the House of Calphius to fall on my account."

Ophelia gasped. "You did it... mommy how?" Ophelia looked dumbstruck as easy hope began touching her soul again. But mostly it was shock.

Shayley wiped her tears and then proudly declared. "With reckless ferocity just like your Papa. I'm going to break down someone's door, start shouting, and then pick a fight with the first person I see." Shayley sniffled then picked up Ophelia and her stuffed fox.

"Now let's go get our own room. I don't want my resolve shaken by Cal's goofy face tonight." Shayley said as she carried Ophelia to the desk. She jotted down a note for Cal and left it on the bed before she carried Ophelia off.