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

54. Family Meeting, Second Wife

Both Shayley and Selene kneeled on the ground apologetically in front of a frustrated Cal. Both of them had a lump the size of a baseball on their head while Cal tapped his foot with angry steam coming out his head.

Cal's left hand up to his elbow was covered in a magical blue tattoo that matched Selene's hybrid Dravenkin and priestess tattoos.

"I can understand needing to bite me to mark me, but why mark me? And Shayley why did you have to bite me 87 times? Yes, I counted! I know that I heal super fast, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel pain. And you already marked me as your prey!" Cal crossed his arms and tried to contain his anger.

"Selene is my new hunt-mate, I have decided that it would be best if she came with us back to Calphian." Shayley answered unapologetically while taking Selene's hand. "I admit that sharing prey isn't something I had planned on doing, and I may have gone overboard while taking out my frustration on you."

"Shayley, you know I am unendingly faithful to you. You know that you are the only girl for me, so why drag Selene into all of this?" Cal asked.

"You know as well as I do that Selene is a product of your own oversight, first of all you must take responsibility for her feelings since she has already sworn herself to you. Second of all, we need her. Without the priestess of past you could die!" Shayley stood her ground.

"Priestess of past? Is that from one of Ophelia's prophecies?" Cal pinched his nose.

"Why are you saying it like that?" Shayley growled.

"That girl, what am I going to do with her?" Cal pinched his nose even harder, that was just one more thing he had to deal with. "I give up, I'm too stressed and tired to put up with anymore today." Cal sat down on his bed. "Hifumi, I need a cuddle."

"Wait, who's Hifumi! I agonized over Selene, your childhood friend, being your second wife and you already added some nobody harlot to your harem without my permission!" Shayley shouted but then noticed a tiny griffon floating into Cal's waiting arms. "... who's that?" She pointed at the griffon.

Cal grimaced and sniffled. "This is Hifumi. She's my new familiar. And she's not a harlot, she is a cute and soft precious member of my family!"

"And when did Hifumi join OUR family?" Shayley asked narrowing her eyes and poking Cal's leg.

Cal pressed his face into Hifumi's softness before answering. "Last night when I was helping Seamus right before I had a run in with Fand, Raijin and Azuras."

Both Selene and Shayley paled. But Selene was the first to speak up. "You met with Azuras? Are you okay?"

Shayley piped up next, "what about Fand, you didn't accept any dinner invitations did you? And why didn't you tell me?"

"Azuras was a little cold but she seemed more scared of me than anything, and of course I turned down Fand. I am happily engaged to marry the woman of my dreams." He looked at Selene. "Women of my dreams? I don't even know any more. All the stress I burnt off with the raid just piled back on." Cal fell back on his bed with swirls in his eyes he began mumbling about everything. "Gods, girls, and familiars, I have to keep up on Yvette's training and I have to make sure Naomi is experienced enough for what I have in mind. Cabin boy is still hopeless he has no attachment to Gaia or her creatures. Plus I have the ships, the crew, the other crew, the world trees, the dark guild, new quests for the guild, new policies for the new races, the plans, other plans, and back up plans. Then there is Ophelia and her training and nutrition, the research I have to do on gods. Building relationships with Elf, Sea, and dragon gods. Not to mention relations with the dragons in the dark woods, keeping the knights busy, not to mention all the moves the nobles will be making, the Dragoonia citizens who know my secret, my undead parents, the refugees moving in. And I'm still so worried about Ophelia is she getting along with her new friends?" Cal jabbered while clutching Hifumi who squeaked when he squeezed too hard.

Selene panicked, "What is going on? Shayley what's he mumbling about?"

Shayley made a sad face and rubbed Cal's knee. "This is why I need your help, it hasn't even been a day and he has already fallen apart. He is a unique existence and he is trying to take on a whole world of issues for my sake. It's not even his world." She leaned her face on his free knee and looked at Selene while Cal was still mumbling. "He is a mess, but in the month and a half that he has been back he turned the city into a kingdom, breathed life into everyone, and even dug the up the rot killing the city from the inside out."

"Month and a half?" Selene asked.

"Cal is a man with as many secrets as myths, I don't always know which are which. This is the same man who will claim to be of no consequence and change history in the same breath. He is a man of many masks, but the man underneath is still just a man. He can work miracles, but he still falls apart under pressure just like anybody else." Shayley sighed, "Here let me show you how to shake him when he gets like this."

Shayley, pulled the limp Cal to a sitting position. "Don't hold back."

CRACK!

Shayley slapped him so hard that the curtains over the window swayed.

Selene squeaked, but then Cal was back to normal.

"What was that for? Didn't you already get all your frustrations out when you bit me!" Cal shouted.

CRACK!

She swatted him again. Cal stared for a second like he had shut down and rebooted. After a few seconds the lights flickered in his eyes.

"Better?" Shayley asked.

"Once more!" Cal said.

CRACK!

It took a few more seconds but the light finally returned to his eyes. "That's IT!" Cal hopped up. "OH OH OH!" Cal hopped from one place to another around the room. Then he paused and looked at Selene. "Oh..."

Shayley jumped to her feet and began shaking him. "Nonono, I just got you back I need you for a few more seconds." She pointed at her chest. "First wife," then she pointed at Selene, "Second wife. We already got it figured out. Ophelia, Selene, and I are going to alternate every third day with you. Obviously, Ophelia gets you at night, and Selene will be around more than I can, but I get your first child." She turned to Selene, "We're losing him! Selene, it's your turn!"

Crack.

"You have to hit him harder than that!"

CRACK!

Gerald sighed outside the door. Poor Cal. He almost felt sorry for him. Almost.