CHAPTER NINE
THE POISONED CHALICE ( i. )

7 YEARS AGO
MERCIA

"Pick up the pace, girl!"

A harsh hand on Calliope's bruised shoulder jolted her forwards as she walked along the cobblestone path caked with dried mud from the previous week's stormy weather.

The town of Calchester in Northern Mercia wasn't a dream destination for anyone. The stench of body odor and horse manure floated through the damp air as Calliope moved through the overcrowded streets. The loud clucking of chickens hurt her sensitive ears. She turned her head to the annoying noise, watching as a man exchanged his chickens for pieces of silver.

After spending the last few weeks chained in a dark cave, the bright sunlight and constant commotion of the day created a raging pounding in Calliope's already aching head. Her eyes darted to the other side of her, lurking on the man holding a sharp whip in his right hand. Even though Calliope was only eleven years old, she knew he was a man who forced people into slavery; selling them at auctions to rich men who saw slaves and servants as nothing more than animals. He had captured her about six months ago when she tried to steal food from him, which ended in his whip colliding with her back too many times to count.

Calliope kept her head held high; her back straight. The other women and children walking with her had their shoulders hunched, trying to hide the deep scars on their faces, but not Calliope. She wore her scars proudly as if saying, "I can survive anything."

What kept Calliope going was the thought that her mother was still out there somewhere. She knew her mother was alive. She could feel it.

And one day, she's going to escape and rescue her.

Standing at the edge of a staircase that led up to the auction stage made Calliope's heart pound in fear of what cruel man would be buying her that day. Her eyes scanned the audience as rich men from all over reached into their satchels, ready to see who their next slave will be. The auctioneer motioned for the first woman in Calliope's group to step forward, separating her from her crying daughter around Calliope's age.

"Don't let them see your tears," Calliope whispers as she stands behind the girl.

The girl's mother sold to an old fat man with a long beard for thirty gold pieces. Her daughter was next, selling to a different fat man for twenty gold pieces.

Were all rich men fat? They seemed to be. Maybe it was because they never did anything except sit on their expensive couches and let their slaves do everything for them.

"You're next," Calliope's captor said with a scowl. "I'll be lucky to get ten gold pieces for a little bitch like you."

Calliope kept eye contact with him, gathering saliva in her mouth and spitting it right in his face. With an angry yell, the back of his hand made contact with her cheek, but she did not fall or let her eyes tear up from the sudden pain. She turned her head back to him as he pushed her onto the stage.

"And here we have number three," they didn't even give her name. She was only a number. "She's a small child, but she looks strong enough; good for housework" The auctioneer turned his attention to the crowd. "Let's start the bidding at... ten gold pieces."

The same man that bought the girl before her raised his hand. He scanned over her body in a disgusting way that made her skin crawl, but she kept her strong gaze forward.

"Anyone else?"

Silence. No one raised their hands.

"Going once... Going twice... And sol-"

"Twenty gold pieces," A deep voice from the crowd caught everyone's attention. Calliope scanned the audience, but she couldn't tell who had spoken up.

The auctioneer shared her confusion as the disgusting man rivaled him, "Twenty-five."

"Fifty."

The crowd gasped at the sudden rise in price as the man finally showed himself. Calliope took in his strong features; the tribal tattoos on his bald head stood out. His figure was lean and muscular, and his ocean blue eyes were focused on Calliope.

The auctioneer was silent for a moment, "Okay, fifty gold pieces for number three. Can I get fifty-five?"

The disgusting man raised his hand, but the man with the tribal tattoos simply smirked as he said, "One hundred gold pieces."

Another sharp gasp from the crowd. Calliope couldn't believe this man wanted to pay one hundred gold pieces for her, but the way he looked at her wasn't like anyone else. There was more respect in his eyes; more curiosity.

"One hundred gold pieces for number three. Going once," The disgusting man shook his head. "Going twice," No one else spoke up. "And sold to the man with the tattoos!"

Calliope gulped as she was led off the stage. She tried her best to keep her fear hidden. Her captor exchanged a few words with the man as he handed him a thick pouch full of gold pieces. She was led towards the man, her captor glancing at her with malice.

"Careful with this one. She's a defiant one, but maybe after a few good beatings, she'll come around."

Calliope narrowed her eyes at him as he walked away, leaving her alone with the man that had just bought her. He didn't say anything for the first few moments. He just looked over her with intense curiosity.

Then, he finally spoke, "What's your name?"

"Calliope," she answered strongly.

The man flashed a small smile, "It's nice to meet you Calliope," he held out his hand. "I'm Sepharin, and I can help you change your life."

♛ ♛ ♛

PRESENT DAY
CAMELOT

The distant memory of the first time she met Sepharin dances through Calliope's thoughts as she stands in the corner at the brilliant feast thrown in celebration of the end of a war between Camelot and Mercia. Lord Bayard leans over the peace treaty, every pair of eyes following the movement of the quill in his right hand.

Calliope's eyes flicker to Merlin, holding in a laugh at his ridiculous outfit. A tall hat decorated with a fluffy feather sits on his head, and a robe with a long collar hangs on his body, obviously too big for him.

"Nice hat," Gwen lets out with a quiet chuckle from the other side of Merlin.

"Thanks," Merlin says, embarrassment covering his voice.

Calliope glances at the hat, her tone laced in mockery, "Yeah, it's a very flattering look for you, Merlin."

He sighs, "Shut up, Cal."

As Uther takes the quill, Arthur turns around, offering Merlin a sly smile of amusement for making him wear the costume.

Merlin glances across the room, sliding his hat off moments later. Calliope follows the path of his eyes noticing a girl staring back at her with striking blue eyes and silky, dark hair. Calliope furrows her eyebrows. Something about her; the look in her eyes just doesn't sit right with Calliope.

"She's pretty isn't she... for a handmaiden," Gwen says.

Merlin smiles, "She's pretty for a princess; let alone a handmaiden."

Crossing her arms over her chest with her narrowed expression still glued on the girl Merlin is crushing on, Calliope watches her body language. Her focus isn't on the treaty like everyone else in Bayard's party. She's pretending to listen as she glances over at Merlin occasionally. She has her body turned at the perfect angle, positioning herself in a place where it would be impossible not to notice her.

She wants to be seen, which is odd for a handmaiden. Most handmaidens stand back and never gather any attention.

A roar of applause echoes through the Hall as Uther finishes signing the treaty. He shakes hands with Lord Bayard, a proud smile covering his face.

Uther turns taking his seat at the head of the table with Arthur next to him. Bayard turns to his crowd, his voice booming above the clapping.

"People of Camelot, for a great many years we have been mortal enemies, and the blood of our men stains the ground from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia, and though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them," from the back of the room, a handmaiden carries a large brown box towards Lord Bayard. "As a symbol of our goodwill, and of our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets, to you, Uther, and to your son Arthur in the hope that our friendship may last."

Bayard holds out two beautifully crafted silver goblets, but Calliope notices the handmaiden Merlin has been staring at all night coming near them. She stops next to Merlin, a worried look flashing in her eyes.

"Merlin, I need to speak to you."

Calliope raises her eyebrows at the girl, "What's wrong?"

She ignores Calliope, her gaze fixed on Merlin, "Not here, please. I don't know who else to tell."

The handmaiden grabs Merlin's hand, and he looks to Calliope, "I'll be right back."

"Yeah, yeah, go run off with your new girlfriend. I won't rat you out."

Acting casual, she watches Merlin and the girl go out of the room, but her instincts are telling her something is off about that handmaiden.

As Bayard goes on and on and on with his speech about friendship and war, Calliope keeps her eyes glued to the hallway where Merlin exited. Her guard is up, a feeling that something bad is about to go down arising in her gut.

"...And may the differences from our past remain there," Calliope returns her attention to Lord Bayard as he raises his glass towards the King. "To your health, Uther," Everyone stands, raising their own glasses for this extremely long and boring toast. Will this guy shut up already? "Arthur... the Lady Morgana..." he turns to the rest of the people around him. "The people of Camelot."

"And to fallen warriors on both sides," Uther finishes the toast, respect reflecting from his eyes.

After a solemn nod from Bayard, everyone begins to raise their glasses to their mouths.

"Stop!" Merlin's urgent voice fills the room. "It's poison! Don't drink it!" Calliope widens her eyes as Merlin runs to Arthur and grabs his goblet from him before he can take a sip.

"What the hell is he doing now?" Calliope mutters to herself as she walks up to Gaius and Gwen, who look just as puzzled and worried as her.

Uther looks at Merlin, "What?"

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur asks.

Merlin turns to Lord Bayard, "Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison," he announces to the entire room, causing gasps and whispers to escalate from each startled voice.

"This is an outrage!" Bayard pulls his sword, every knight on both sides following his action.

"Order your men to put down their swords," Uther commands as guards fill into the hall around Bayard's party. "You're outnumbered."

This doesn't make any sense. First of all, Lord Bayard seems genuine about this peace treaty, and why would he travel all the way from Mercia with a party that is outnumbered just to poison Arthur? People would obviously suspect him, and he would never get away with it. Secondly, a man so traditional and brave would not kill his enemies with poison. If he wanted to challenge Uther or Arthur, he would challenge them to a one on one fight in the arena.

From all her years of being an assassin and meeting fellow assassins, she has learned a lot, and one thing that is true almost every single time is: Poison is a woman's weapon.

Lord Bayard is not behind this. Calliope knows that for sure. Maybe someone in his party could have done it, but Bayard knows nothing of it.

"I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!" Bayard yells.

"On what grounds do you base this accusation?" Uther questions Merlin.

Arthur moves from behind the table, "I'll handle this," he walks to Merlin. "Merlin, you idiot, we've been at the sloe gin again?"

"Unless you want to be strung up, you'll tell me why you think it's poison now," Uther says lowly, a hint of genuine concern in his voice.

"He was seen lacing it."

"By whom?"

Merlin swallows nervously, "I can't say."

Calliope glances around, not spotting the handmaiden from earlier anywhere in sight as Bayard speaks up, "I won't listen to this anymore."

Uther walks from behind the table, "Pass me the goblet," Arthur hands him the goblet as he walks to Bayard. "If you're telling the truth—"

"I am."

Uther meets his eyes, "Then you have nothing to fear do you?" Bayard lowers his sword and tucks it away in its sheath. He motions for Uther to hand him the goblet. "No," Uther says. "If this does prove to be poison, I want the pleasure of killing you myself." He turns slowly, holding the goblet in Merlin's direction. "He'll drink it."

Shit.

"But if it is poisoned he'll die," Arthur protests as Uther keeps his gaze on Merlin.

"Then we'll know he was telling the truth."

"And what if he lives?" Bayard asks.

"Then you have my apologies, and you can do with him as you will."

Merlin takes the goblet in his hand, his expression fearful as he looks into it, "Uther, please he's just a boy. He doesn't know what he's saying." Gaius says from the crowd.

"Then you should have schooled him better."

Worry and panic and tons of other emotions fly through Calliope's mind as the horror that Merlin could die dawns on her. She looks to Gaius, but there's nothing either of them can do in this situation.

"Merlin, apologize!" Arthur insists, seeming to be almost as worried as Calliope. "This is a mistake," Then he reaches for the goblet. "I'll drink it!"

Merlin shakes his head, moving the goblet out of his reach, "No, no, no, no. It's alright," Merlin keeps his eyes trained on Bayard.

Calliope can see the acceptance of death in his eyes as he raises the goblet. Then, he turns to her and Gaius, as if he's saying goodbye. With his hands shaking slightly, he raises the goblet to his lips, and Calliope inhales a sharp breath, forgetting to breathe as the liquid enters his system.

Everyone in the room is completely silent as they wait to see what happens. Please don't die. Please don't die. A few intense moments pass as Merlin seems to be fine. He offers one last glance to Bayard before looking back to Uther.

"It's fine."

Uther raises his hands, "He's all yours."

Right as Calliope begins to let out a loud breath of relief, Merlin brings his hand to his throat, struggling to breathe. The sound of his body collapsing to the floor echoes in the room, and Calliope rushes to him along with Arthur.

"Merlin!"

"It's poisoned. Guards, seize them!"

Arthur and Calliope lean over Merlin with panic as Gaius joins them, "Merlin, do you hear me?" No response. Gaius looks to Calliope and Arthur, "We have to get him back to my chambers. Bring the goblet. We need to identify the poison."

♛ ♛ ♛

As Arthur carries Merlin's body into Gaius chambers with Gwen and Calliope right behind him, Gaius motions to the bed in the room.

"Lay him on the bed, quickly. He's struggling to breathe," Arthur lays him down. "Gwen, fetch me some water and a towel."

"Is he going to be alright?" Arthur asks.

Calliope kneels beside the bed, her mind racing. Of course, Merlin has to be the hero. He has to rush in and save the day, and now that trait may get him killed. Calliope honestly doesn't think Bayard did this, but there are so many people with him... It could have been anyone that didn't want peace between Camelot and Mercia.

"He's burning up," Gaius states as he feels of Merlin's forehead, which is caked in sweat.

Gwen rushes back into the room with a bucket of water and towels, "You can heal him, can't you, Gaius?"

"I won't know until I can identify the poison," he looks to Calliope. "Pass me the goblet."

Calliope hands him the silver goblet with urgency, and as he examines it, he notices something, "Ah, there's something stuck on the inside."

Calliope and Arthur stand up, "What is it?"

"Looks like a flower petal of some kind."

As Gaius raises the flower into the light, Calliope immediately recognizes it, "His brow's on fire," Gwen says from behind them.

"Keep him cool. It'll help control his fever."

Calliope motions to the flower, "I know what this is." Gaius and Arthur look to her expectantly. "It's a petal from the Mortaeus flower. Someone poisoned by it can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the same flower."

She knows of assassins who like to use this poison to give their victims a slow and painful death.

"Okay, where do we find it?" Arthur questions as Gaius flips through one of his books.

"Only in the caves deep beneath the forest of Baloch. It grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree."

"Calliope's right," The three of them look over the pages in his book about the flower.

Arthur puts his finger on a drawing of a giant lizard-like beast by the picture of the flower, "That doesn't look particularly friendly."

"A cockatrice. It guards the forest. This venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death," Gaius says as he begins to read from the page. "Few who have crossed the mountains of Isgard in search of the Mortaeus flower have made it back alive."

Arthur steps back in contemplation as his eyes fall to Merlin, "Sounds like fun."

"Arthur it's too dangerous," Gaius insists.

"You're right," Calliope looks between Gaius and Arthur. "Which is why I'm coming with you."

"Absolutely not."

"If we don't get the antidote, Merlin is going to die a very slow and painful death. He has four-five days at best," Calliope looks into Arthur's eyes as he shakes his head.

"Calliope, no."

She steps in front of him, "You're not changing my mind," He opens his mouth to protest again. "Besides, what I do isn't up to you. I'm coming with you, and that's the end of the discussion."

She turns her head to Gaius, and he sighs reluctantly, "It's our only shot at saving Merlin."

"Okay then," Calliope says. "I just need to get one thing first."

Calliope walks into her room, leaning down to look under her bed. She reaches underneath it, pulling out a long, decorated sheath. She walks back into the main room as Arthur meets her eyes. She pulls out her long, metal sword that hasn't been used since she stepped foot in Camelot. Arthur glances over her sword with a shocked expression.

"Now I'm ready."

guys I love this episode of merlin so much, and I love writing calliope in it. i hope you guys enjoyed the little scene of the beginning of her backstory with sepharin! as always, remember to vote and leave your thoughts in the comments :)