CHAPTER FIFTY
THE WITCHFINDER ( ii. )

Aredian's chambers are tailored to inflict fear in any who cross through the door. His table is scattered with papers, and beside them rests an open skull, which holds the ink for his quill. The Witchfinder watches Calliope with keen eyes, expecting her to flinch at the gruesome display, but all that crosses her face is boredom. She picks at the dirt underneath her fingernails, sighing quietly and mumbling about how this is all one big waste of her time.

He's not used to people being so relaxed around him. Calliope almost smirks as he seems unsure of how to proceed with her. Any intimidation tactics he was planning on using against her must be thrown out the window. He needs a new way to approach this situation.

Underneath the table, Calliope crosses her ankles. A hand is resting near her belt—one motion and the dagger she needs will be in her palm. She can puncture his throat, drag his body down empty corridors, and leave him to the animals of the forest, but she'll hear what he has to say before she jumps into impulsive action.

The Witchfinder clears his throat, trying to present a strong front, grasping for the upper hand, "I understand you've only been in Camelot a little over a year. Where were you before then?"

Calliope leans an elbow against the arm of the chair, tilting her head, "I thought we were having a discussion about uncovering evil magic, not a walk through my traveling history."

"I'm merely curious."

"You're lying, but I'll tell you anyway," she says, her eyes shifting back to the skull, which is so obviously fake. "My parents died when I was young. I've been a sort of wanderer ever since. Gaius is my only family, so I finally decided to settle here."

He writes something on a piece of parchment, "I also must ask about an interesting story I was told—that you killed the Red Dragon and finally brought him to justice," her face gives nothing away as he searches for any sign of alarm. "I wonder, how does a girl find and kill the most elusive assassin in the world? No bounty hunters, king's guard, or mercenary have even been able to even get a glimpse of his face, but you track him down and defeat him?"

She nods, "He came to Camelot to kill the king. It appeared to be his end goal."

"And what of the body?"

Calliope shrugs, "I left him in the forest, a few hours south. Probably eaten by wolves and other animals by now."

Aredian leans back in his chair, "It's just rather odd."

"What is?"

"That around the same time you came to Camelot, the assassin stops leaving bodies across the Five Kingdoms."

Her hand inches a bit closer to her dagger, "If you're going to accuse me of something, go ahead and do it."

"Oh, that's not my intention," he says. "You have a mysterious past. No one seems to even know that much about you. Well..." he trials off, deciding to test out a theory, "except for Prince Arthur."

Calliope will not let him uncover that weakness, so she just shrugs, "I work with him every day to help out with training. It's inevitable that we know a few things about each other."

"Hmm," he sets the quill down. Calliope's eyes track every small movement as his gaze drops to her neck, where her silver necklace dangles—a crescent moon clipped to the shiny chain. Her only possession related to her birth parents. "Did you know many suspected the Red Dragon to be an evil sorcerer?"

Calliope nods, "Just rumors, I'm afraid."

"I don't think so," his eyes snap back to hers. "Don't all rumors have a small amount of truth hidden within them?" Calliope's lips press into a hard line, uneasy at the way he's focused on her necklace. "That's an interesting necklace."

"Now you want to discuss jewelry?"

"The crescent moon symbol is thought to be tied to an ancient, dark magic few are familiar with," Calliope furrows her eyebrows. "Did you know that?"

"No," she shakes her head. "But, unlike you, I don't base my life on rumors." The chair skids against stone as she stands up. "Now, I have actual important duties to get to."

"Of course. Thank you for your time," Aredian gives her a small smile. "It was very...illuminating."

A chill skips down her spine as she turns, feeling his eyes boring into her back, like he can see all the way down to her skeleton. She leans against the wall when she gets into the hallway, placing a hand on the sudden, rapid rising of her chest. She's confused by her body's reaction. Aredian doesn't scare or intimidate her, but when he mentioned her necklace, something shifted inside her. Like she has some secret she doesn't even know about hidden in the depths of her mind that could destroy everything—that could destroy her.

Calliope squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. Breathing in and out slowly, she steadies her heartbeat. When her eyes open again, the world is still and quiet and all of the panic has faded away into nothing. Her hand delicately reaches to take the dangling moon between the pads of her fingers. Most of the time, she forgets she's even wearing this. It's been with her since birth. It's like a natural part of her body, and she never thought something like that could be used against her. The crescent moon symbol is thought to be tied to an ancient, dark magic few are familiar with. Aredian's words are stuck on repeat in her mind. She's never heard of any half moon symbol, or of dark magic being tied to it, and surely, if there is truth to this, Gaius would have mentioned something to her. He's seen her necklace hundreds of times. Unless...he does know something and is hiding it from her. No, Gaius wouldn't do that, would he?

The moon drops back onto the skin of her chest, and Calliope jumps when she hears someone calling her name.

"Cal!" She turns on her heel, where Merlin peeks out from behind a long curtain by a window.

"What are you doing?"

"Spying," he answers, grabbing her arm and dragging her into a less busy corridor. "Do you think Aredian knows your secret?"

"Does he know yours?" Calliope questions.

The young sorcerer's shoulders drop, "I hope not. I tried to answer all his questions, but I think he suspects me."

"He's persistent," she says, looking over her shoulder. "He won't leave Camelot until someone confesses to being a sorcerer." Merlin huffs in agreement. "Did you hear him talking about my necklace?" His head shoots up, his eyes widening.

"Uh—yeah. Why?"

"Well, have you heard of anything relating a crescent moon to dark magic?"

"No," Merlin says—a little too quickly, fidgeting with his tunic. "Nope."

The assassin raises an eyebrow, "Merlin, what do you know?"

"Nothing," Calliope gives him an unconvinced stare. "Look, we'll talk about it later, okay?"

"Merlin!" she calls after him as he turns and walks away briskly. "Goddammit."

♛ ♛ ♛

Not even twenty-four hours after the Witchfinder's arrival in Camelot, he calls for a public audience with the King to reveal his findings. Calliope doubts he actually has anything of importance to share this early in the investigative process, but alas, she is forced to stand in the council chambers beside Gaius and Merlin. Another huge waste of her time. Time she could be spending slicing through more practice dummies, or researching this half moon theory that hasn't left her mind since her unnerving conversation with Aredian. If there is some sinister meaning behind her necklace, she will find out.

And if Merlin knows anything about it, she'll get it out of him. He will cave in under five minutes because he's a terrible liar, and Calliope can be scary when she wants to—even to her best friend.

Once the entire royal court has gathered, Calliope sighs, wishing Aredian would get on with this revelation of his. From the front of the room, the assassin catches the Prince's gaze. Her eyes linger on his for a moment, remembering their dance, but she forces herself to look away.

Three young women stand before the King in a line. All of them have their heads down as Aredian paces behind them.

"Speak. Do not be afraid."

"Why...I was drawing water from the well, Sire, when I saw them." the first speaks with a shaky voice and teary eyes. "Faces in the water, Sire. Terrible faces. Like people who were drowned, screaming, screaming!"

Calliope rolls her eyes, leaning over to Merlin, "What a load of shit."

"Shh," Gaius shoves Calliope's shoulder.

Aredian moves on to the next girl, "Tell them what you saw."

"A goblin dancing on the coals. It was dancing in the flames, and it spoke, Sire. My heart neat stopped for fear of it."

Shock emits from Uther's face, as well as a hint of fear and anger for not being more vigilant in his fight against magic.

"As you've heard, my Lord, the incident in the woods was only the beginning."

The last girl straightens her back, "There was a sorcerer, Sire, in the square. There were creatures jumping right out of his mouth."

"What manner of creature?"

"Oh, toads, Sire—"

Calliope laughs out loud, and as people turn towards her, she stifles it with a cough, muttering a quiet apology. The King noticed her mockery, and he presses his lips together in irritation.

"—great, green, slimy things. As big as your fist."

"The sorcerer laughs in your face!" Aredian exclaims. "Even now, magic flourishes on the streets of Camelot."

"I scarcely believe it," Uther says. Yeah, he's not the only one.

"Yet it is the truth, my Lord. Fortunately, I utilized every facet of my craft to bring this matter, as well as another mystery, to a swift conclusion."

Uther furrows his eyebrows, "What mystery?"

Aredian locks eyes with Calliope, "Despite what you may have been told, Sire, the Red Dragon is indeed still alive," Gasps and whispers of fear resound in the room. Calliope's eyes widen in alarm. "And I regret to say that the assassin stands with us in this very room, along with this evil sorcerer disrupting the peace of Camelot."

Shit. Shit. Shit. I should have killed him when I had the chance.

Calliope should have slit his throat and let his body to the animals of the forest. Why did she talk herself out of it? God, things are so much easier when she just lets herself kill first and ask questions later.

Now, if she kills him, she'll only confirm that she's the Red Dragon.

"My methods are infallible—my findings incontestable!" Arthur meets Calliope's eyes again. he looks even more worried than her. His hand is drifting close to his sword. Oh no, is he about to do something stupid? Sweat breaks out on Calliope's brow. Merlin and Gaius exchange a glance. "The facts point to two people, and two people alone! One, a sorcerer, and the other, a cold-blooded killer."

Aredian turns, extending his arm and pointing right at his targets, "The boy, Merlin!"

She waits for him to also name the assassin, but silence envelops the room.

"Merlin?" Arthur asks, not too keen on Aredian's findings. "You can't be serious."

"This is outrageous. You have no evidence!" Gaius exclaims.

"The tools of magic cannot be hidden from me. I'm certain that a thorough search of the boy's chamber will deliver us all we need."

Uther looks to the accused, "Merlin?"

With confidence, Merlin nods, "I have nothing to hide from him."

"Very well. Guards, restrain the boy. Let the search begin."

"Do you not wish to also hear the identity of the assassin?" The King pauses, and Arthur is the first to speak out.

"The Red Dragon is dead. I was there when he was killed."

Aredian smirks, "And yet, I'm afraid you have been deceived. As have you all, for over a year by this master of manipulation and lies."

Stay calm. He has no proof. Acting out will only cause Calliope to look more guilty, so she elicits a look of boredom, leaning casually against the wall.

Once again, he dramatically points to his suspect, "Calliope is the Red Dragon!"

"This is outrageous!" Prince Arthur stands up.

"I second that," Calliope raises a hand, looking as calm as ever. "Once again, you have no proof of any of your claims. It's honestly quite boring."

The King has his brows furrowed, unsure what to believe, "Do have proof of this, Aredian?"

"I can get you a confession," he says. "If you allow me to interrogate her properly—"

"Absolutely not," Arthur steps down from his throne, face-to-face with Aredian. "You will not touch her if you value your life."

"Arthur!" The King grabs his son's shoulder. "This is not up to you."

Calliope brings her fingers to the bridge of her nose, sighing, "Like Merlin, I also have nothing to hide, and would love to take part in this interrogation because Aredian will most certainly look like the biggest fool in the kingdom once it's over."

"Cal, his methods are brutal—"

"It's nothing I can't handle, Arthur," Calliope says, looking away from the Prince and locking eyes with Aredian. "So, shall we begin?"

♛ ♛ ♛

For the first time since her arrival in Camelot, Calliope is thrown into the dungeons for her true identity. It's dark, smelly, and wet down there, and all she has to sit on is an old pile of hay. The assassin brings her knees to her chest as she rests her back on the stone wall. Rats scurry across the floor, and several guards stand watch outside her cell. She awaits this brutal torture from Aredian, but it can't be worse than anything she endured during her training with Sepharin. Block the pain out. Lock emotions away. Focus on a set point. Deny everything. Act indifferent.

No one could step in to save her from this. She has to go through the interrogation and prove she's innocent if she wants to crush all suspicion. However, she can't say that Uther would protest much if she did confess. Although he knows she's important to keep around for the protection of his son, having her be executed would easily solve the problem of his son's resistance to marry Victoria because of her.

Any sane person would be afraid right now, but all Calliope can think about is her damn necklace and it's significance. If she wanted to, she could break out of the cell. She's already picked the lock on her handcuffs.

Approaching footsteps cause her to stand, and she expects to see Aredian on the other side of the bars. Instead, she sees no other than the King of Camelot approaching.

Her muscles stiffen, but her face gives nothing away.

Uther's eyes drift to her wrists, and she shrugs as she lets the metal cuffs hit the ground. The King only sighs, "There are times I would have probably rejoiced at the idea of your demise, Calliope."

Oh, the feeling is mutual, "I don't doubt that."

"Is it true? Have you deceived us all this time? Deceived Arthur?"

Actually, your son knows I'm a wanted assassin, but that's a conversation for another day. "No, but I've heard of Aredian. He's a man who gets paid for forcing confessions, not solid proof. Besides, Arthur was with me when I killed the Red Dragon. Aredian just wants to stir up trouble, so he can get extra gold. That's all." Uther shifts his weight, contemplating. "I know his type, trust me."

The King takes another step forward, his eyes drilling into Calliope's as he stands on the other side of the cell, "This interrogation will show who I can trust. No one has ever withstood his methods, and no matter how strong you may believe yourself to be, you too will admit to the truth."

Calliope narrows her eyes, "You have no idea what I'm capable of, my Lord."

The King steps back, "Arthur believes you are innocent, but I fear he may be blinded by his feelings for you. Perhaps, getting rid of you will solve several of my problems."

"I intend to stick around as a problem for you as long as possible, respectfully."

Uther laughs in disbelief, "Your worth is nothing more than your skill with a sword. That is easily replaced."

"Once again, with respect," Calliope smirks. "You could never replace me."

♛ ♛ ♛

Calliope finds herself strapped to a wooden chair and completely soaked from head to toe with cold water. Her clothes are sticking to her skin, and her back is starting to hurt. She'll have to endure many more hours of this before the Witchfinder is prepared to give up. Calliope will have to outwit him, and make him so frustrated that he's begging to get away from her.

Across from her Aredian paces. Behind him is a table full of all kinds of torture devices, but he hasn't picked one up yet. The assassin stays strong with her sense of boredom and calm aura. It only angers the Witchfinder even more as he questions her over and over with the same old shit. She actually is kind of bored, so it doesn't take much acting.

"Go on, throw another cold bucket of water on me. I'm sure it will work this time," she says, sarcasm lacing her tone as he indeed, throws more water in her face.

"Confess!"

"Okay, okay!" Calliope breathes in deep. "I actually do have something to confess." She motions with her wrist, and he comes closer leaning down to her level. "One time, several years ago, an old lady offered me a homemade pastry, and I lied and said it was good, but it was actually the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted."

Aredian lets out a frustrated yell and slaps her across the face. Her left cheek burns an angry red, but the assassin only laughs.

"Enough with the games! I know you're the Red Dragon."

"Actually, you don't. You think I'm the Red Dragon, and you are so very wrong." With another frustrated yell, he turns to the table and grabs the pliers. "Oh, are you going to rip off a fingernail? How original."

The pliers clatter back onto the table, and Calliope smirks, "Wait, I'm going about this all wrong." Aredian turns to her. "You won't respond to physical pain, no, you've been trained not to succumb to that." The Witchfinder leans down, a grin tugging at his lips. "How about we make this simple, Calliope?"

"Sounds like a lovely idea."

"I found a magical amulet in Gaius's chambers. I know it's Merlin's, but Gaius has taken the fall, and I'm getting ready to interrogate him too," No, no, no. He definitely planted the amulet, but what can she do about it from inside a cell? "He'll confess to save Merlin, just like you'll confess to save him." Aredian straightens his back. "Tell the truth, and I'll let Gaius go. I'll tell the King I was mistaken."

Calliope glares at him, "You're lying. You won't stop until everyone you deem as guilty has confessed. You'll wait until I'm dead, and then you'll go after Merlin and Gaius."

The Witchfinder returns to his table, grabbing the pliers, "These won't work on you, but I think I'll try them out on the old man next door. What do you say, assassin? You're an expert on torture as well, aren't you? I'd like a second opinion."

"If you hurt, Gaius, I'll—"

"Kill me?" Aredian laughs. "Yes, that is your first nature, isn't it—killing? It's the only thing you're good at."

"You're wrong." Calliope lifts her eyes to his. "There's something else I'm better at than anyone."

Aredian raises his eyebrows, "And what's that?"

An evil, cold smile crosses her lips, "Revenge."

♛ ♛ ♛

this chapter was supposed to cover the rest of the episode, but i really wanted to give you guys an update this week since i've been so busy and not able to be as active. so, i hope everyone enjoyed! we are getting closer to finding out the mystery!
also, I found some art on pinterest of daenerys that actually exudes cal energy:

like you can't tell me that's not how you imagine our baddi assassin??? all credit to the artist who created these images , i can't find their username, but this is awesome character art.

remember to vote and leave your thoughts in the comments :)