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!"

Wendy and Ophelia jumped, then Wendy started screaming, "what on Gaia's green earth do you think you're doing breaking in like that!"

"I didn't want to miss putting Ophelia to bed." He gasped for air as if he had just run a marathon, "why didn't you come get me?"

"You just said to bathe her and show her to her new room, besides I assumed you were busy since you finally got off your lazy butt and started doing your Guild master duties." Wendy spat.

"Okay, you win, I'm sorry. Can I put my daughter to bed, now?" Calloway pressed his hands together and bowed his head.

Wendy was reminded of her own circumstance, she was still married to Peter and she sincerely missed him. Even though he was only one building over now he still felt a million miles away.

He hadn't spoken to her much since they moved in but she remembered long ago when he also begged her to let him put their daughters to bed. Her heart softened and ached at the bitter sweetness of the memories.

"Fine do what you want." Wendy waved him off.

Calloway slid over and kneeled by the bed with his daughter. "How do you like your new family?"

"I think I like them, Calico was so fluffy."

"I know right! It's like touching a cloud!"

"Papa, where's mommy? Is she coming to tuck me in to?"

Wendy painfully watched as Calloway's eyes drooped. Wendy understood Cal's situation a little better now. His shame and disconnect from the princess. She wondered how Calloway was going to handle that question.

"Sometimes mommies and daddies have to do hard things and they can't always be around each other. Papa did something very very bad, and now he has to do some hard things so that mommies and papa can be together."

"How hard are they?"

"They could be the hardest thing I've ever done, but you need your rest, so you can help me do hard things, okay?"

"Papa, do you only like me because I'm a cursed child?" Ophelia played with her blanket.

"Of course not, hey look at me. I haven't known you for very long, but I have more than enough reasons to like you. Let's see how do I- oh, how did you feel when I fed you sandwiches?"

"Good."

"And how did you feel when I asked you to join my family."

"Happy."

"And when you got to pet Calico?" He tickled her nose with his own.

Ophelia giggled, "So happy!"

"You make me feel that way whenever you smile, whenever you laugh, and call me papa."

"How about when I hug you?"

"Especially, when you hug me."

"Can I hug you?"

"You don't even have to ask."

Calloway leaned over and gave Ophelia a hug and a kiss on the top of her head. "if you need anything at all I'll be in the room next door, just come right in I'll leave the door unlocked just for you." He tucked her in, "good night."

"Good night, papa."

Wendy and Calloway left together.

"I think you held it together rather well, you know for your first time." Wendy complimented and teased him.

"Thanks, well I'm going to go to bed now, I'll see you in the morning." Calloway closed his door behind him.

Wendy let out a long breath, she was at her emotional limit. The pain of being separated from her husband dulled over the year, but there were moments like these that drove that dagger back into old wounds. She didn't regret her decision, but she did wish that Peter would get his act together a little faster.

Wendy closed the double doors to the second floor and entered the stairwell that connected the whole building. Her ears pricked up as she heard footsteps come up the stairs. Who could that be?

An Elf holding a bundle of roses and a small box hung his head as if counting every step and every petal marched up the stairs. He didn't notice Wendy until he reached the landing and turned to see her.

"Peter?"

In the semi-lit hallway, Peter's face cycled through a carnival of emotions until he just turned red. Peter's mouth opened and closed nearly two dozen times, sometimes noises or air came out but nothing reminiscent of language. He shook so uncontrollably that one of the petals of the roses fell to the ground.

"..."

"..."

After almost an hour of silence Peter mustered his courage, he stormed forward awkwardly and just shouted, "For You!"

Wendy took the box and the roses, but before she could respond Peter disappeared in a hasty flash.

At first Wendy couldn't even form a thought, she had to lean up against the wall for support and ended up sliding into the corned before falling to the ground.

She looked at the roses and smelled them out of reflex. The smell sent memories of happier times through her head, memories of her family. After the day's stress, she finally reached her limit and the flood gates opened. She buried her face in the roses as her emotions finally erupted from within and she could only think of one happy thought.

He finally tried. He tried. He tried. He tried.

*

Shayley couldn't calm herself, her bare legs covered in huntress tattoo kicked excitedly at the air as she hugged her pillow. In the privacy of her room she could wear clothes that showed off her arms and legs without embarrassment.

When she hunted in the wild and they were also a form camouflage that activated with her killing intent. Normally she'd hunt half naked covered head to toe in dirt to hide her sent.

Now that she lived in a city around so many elves with unblemished fair skin she found her freckles and tattoos embarrassing to show in public.

She was originally part of a rare race of elf that followed different ideals about being in harmony with nature than the traditional high elves or dark elves. Although they didn't completely conflict with many of the beliefs of the nature pacifists, who lived a strict vegan diet and refrain from killing, they never really got along.

And although the dark elves who were normally considered to be profane for their particular uses of magic and consumption of meat, Shayley's race believed in the moderation of both beliefs. In an eat or get eaten environment the Dravenkin, as they were called, cultivated many talents for survival in place unwelcoming to the gentle hand of the high elves or the brashness of the dark elves.

But now as the feral warrior queen living in the domesticated city of Pearls she felt largely out of place. Although she did hold some pride over taming it after Calloway left and learning her fair share of manners she was beginning to feel distanced from her roots. At least until Calloway challenged her to a duel, he was so strong!

Shayley kicked her legs again, he was good strong prey.

A feral growl built in her heart, after being docile for so long to engage in a fight where she had to push herself to her limits. And then tonight when Ophelia called her mommy and he didn't correct her.

Then he held her hand, and kissed her, and called her the woman he loved! And- and then when he was so manly and scary when he said Ophelia wasn't a cursed child! Just thinking about the frightening pressure had a physical effect on her body.

"Grr-"

Shayley covered her mouth the stop her accidental purring growl. She kicked her legs in excitement again.

Calloway was every bit the marvel she remembered and more. She only had on a pair of boy short and what resembled a tank top but even those felt like too much while thinking about having her Calloway back.

She rolled around on her bed swooning. When a knock came at the door.

"Come in!" Shayley chirped.

"I heard you were in a good mood, but I had to see it for myself." Sinder waltz in, she had a mature mischievousness to her. She was the Sylvan Knight of fire, she was responsible for the fire clan of the city and led their warriors in battle when they came up. Since the city was so peaceful she normally found her days lazily gossiping with Silvia and the Fire high elemental Diana.

With the Princess's patio doors open she didn't shiver at the breeze, even though her attire wasn't that much more modest the Princess's. Sinder closed the door behind her and hopped in the bed with the princess, as was their custom whenever they traded gossip.

Shayley bit her lip.

"Girl, you are as red as your hair! I heard some from Vee and Clera, but you have to tell me the dirty details now." Sinder was as enamored with gossip as Silva, who she called Vee to hide Silvia's secret duties. She straightened her face, "did he touch your butt?"

Shayley's downcast eyes let off more of her disappointment than she planned with her, "nooo... and considering our skill level it's not like I could 'accidently' knock him over to get an accidental grope either."

Sinder shoved her playfully, "you dirty skank! So, what did he do?"

Shayley did her best to explain what had happened but there were a few times that she blushed so deep that Sinder couldn't help but tease her.

"I don't know girl, it's been so long since he's been around. With his attitude, do you really think he's just going to come after you and ask you on a date?" Sinder was worried about her friend getting her heart broken. She had been really weird since Calloway came back, she had bouts of depression from the canceled engagement and manic rays of sunshine whenever the gossiped about him.

"Oh Sin, that's where we differ. I had forgotten it since I've been away for so long, but amongst the Dravenkin, we hunt our lovers. And Calloway is my prey." Her green cat eyes glowed a faint light as her excitement built over seeing Calloway more often.

Sinder giggled until she noticed something outside of the window, "What's that?"

Shayley sat up enough to see that there were going rings of magic appearing and disappearing in the air somewhere in the distance. "Those are-" her voice caught in her throat as she realized what direction they were coming from. "- wide area healing magics."

She dashed out to her balcony.

"They're coming from Cal's guild building!" there was only one reason to use area effect spells like that and that was to heal a large group of allies that were under attack.

Someone was hurting her family.

Even though there was no binding commitment between her and Calloway and she had no blood relation to Ophelia she still considered them her direct family. It was her right since she'd claimed them, even if they didn't know that yet.

Someone was in terrible danger, they were endangering the prey of a Dravenkin huntress. This time Shayley did growl, her tattoos were activated by her bloodlust.

[Huntress tattoo's] Bloodlust has unleashed the potential your immortal soul though your tattoos.

Health increased by 200%

Dexterity increased by 200%

Intelligence decreased by 30%

Wisdom increase by 250%

The Dravenkin understand the true nature of a beast's rage, it is a terrifying and magnificent sight to behold and when that nature is channeled it can be as decisive as a well-placed arrow or as destructive as a tempest.

Motherly instincts unlock [Mother Bear] by fretting over child's safety, whether blood related or not, your affection toward a child who you have claimed as your own has unlocked this powerful skill.

[Mother Bear] activated ability. Costs 500 mp per second.

Increased stamina recovery by 1000 sp per second

Increases maximum health by 50%

Shayley's monstrous power just exponentially grew more than two-fold. Without a second thought she leapt from her seven story balcony and made her way to her lover's side to defend her family.