THE FINAL CHAPTER...

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
CHILD OF THE BLOOD MOON ( iii. )

Calliope's hands wrap around a steaming cup of aromatic tea. Her eyes are dull and trained on the opposite, paneled wall of the Night Wagon. Everything is quiet, the doors locked and shutters closed. For the first time, the tavern is still, stifle. At the edge of Finley, near the rolling hills, Ezlyn's ashes cover the ground. Just as Calliope's mother's had months prior when she burned on her funeral pyre.

To the assassin's surprise, Sheena was prepared for the loss of her daughter. Ezlyn had left her a note explaining everything—that she probably wouldn't return and not to worry for her. She had made peace with her death and would proudly go to the grave defending one of her closest friends. I should be the one dead, Calliope thinks. I should've died in that mountain, not her. A tear falls onto her cheek, but Calliope barely notices. It's been two days, and she still can't force herself to pull it together or eat or drink anything but this calming tea because she can't stop seeing Sepharin—his smile as she killed him, like this was what he had wanted all along. She fell right into his trap, right where he's been scheming for her to land.

Near the open door, Kazimir stares at the mix of rain and snow drizzling onto a muddy path. Merlin sits at the bar, staring into his own cup of tea. He's washed his hands over and over, but they're still stained with Ezlyn's blood. Neither of them has pressured Calliope to leave Finley yet. She's pretty sure they're waiting on her to decide where she wants to go next. She chews on her lips, trying to force herself to get up and speak. She needs to talk with Kazimir—her father. She needs answers, closure, and an explanation for why he abandoned her, beyond just her safety. Most of all, she needs to figure out how long he's known that she's his daughter.

Standing, the chair beneath her skirts against the floor, causing Kazimir to look over his shoulder.

Merlin clears his throat, grabbing his cup, "I'll just...go somewhere else."

His footsteps retreat out of the tavern and towards the inn, leaving Calliope alone with Kazimir. For a moment, the only sound is the freezing winds and patter of rain against the slated roof.

Calliope walks to the door, choosing to stare outside because that's easier than looking at Kazimir.

"I have something for you," his rough voice startles her, and she glances over as he pulls her necklace out of his pocket and holds it out to her. "Thought you might want it back." Her hand ghosts her bare neck, but she doesn't take it. "Calliope, you need to put it back on soon—"

"How long have you known?" she cuts him off, her icy eyes catching on his silver necklace dangling beneath his gray tunic. He swallows, closing his hand around her necklace. "Did you know when we first met?"

"No," he shakes his head. "Well, there was no way to be sure. I felt this...familiarity with you, but I didn't know who you really were until Sepharin and his assassins captured me while I was on a scouting mission. Once he figured out the dagger was from our bloodline, it didn't take him long to piece the rest together. The sorcerers he consorted with used the blood in the dagger to track down any living relatives of yours, and the spell led him straight to me."

So, he was just as blindsided as her? All this time, he thought his daughter was living peacefully in a faraway land or village, safe from the truth and those who want to kill her for it.

"Kathe Isobel Zalaeph," her eyebrows pinch, and he lets out a shaky breath, as if he'd been holding in those words for the two decades since he gave her away. "That's the name we gave you. You're the sole heir to our family's name. Your brother was Kade, your mother Isobel. You have an uncle, Draven. He's still alive." The names sound familiar, like they're buried within faded recollections of grief. "For the past twenty years, we've been rebuilding Lucindria together as its leaders. Dex is our right hand—your cousin. Her mother was also killed in the massacre."

Calliope tries to process all the information, nodding, "That's where you're heading?"

"Yes," he replies, "and I hope you'll come with me."

Go with him? To Lucindria, to where she was born?

She opens her mouth, but he stops her from saying anything, "You don't have to answer right now. I just want you to know that our family has led our people for centuries, and you and Dex are our legacies. If you want, you can take your rightful place amongst our people and help us heal from the wounds of our past."

"How many survivors are even left?"

"Only a few hundred out of thousands, but our city has become a sanctuary for all those cast out by the world—especially those with magic fleeing Uther's kingdom," says Kazimir. "You were born to be a leader, Calliope. It's in your blood."

"So is violence," she takes a step back. "I'm not sure they'll want me."

His hands are on her shoulders then, and when she looks into his amber eyes, she sees the fondness of a father speaking to his daughter, "We have a way with forgiveness. It's something you learn quickly when your ancestors were crazed killers, especially learning to forgive yourself."

"I...I have to go back to Camelot first," she wraps her arms around herself.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kazimir shifts. "Until you're ready to put your necklace back on, you shouldn't be anywhere near Uther." Putting her necklace back on means that her feelings will no longer be dulled, and she's not sure that she's ready to deal with that yet. "I'm assuming Gaius told you everything about what happened?" Her silence is enough of an answer for him. "Look, it's a lot to hear, but our people want to live in peace. Killing him would just start a war we're not equipped for."

"How can they live in peace while he's still alive?" Calliope says, her voice raising. "He slaughtered thousands of innocent people just because of what happened centuries ago! If he finds out you're rebuilding the city, he'll do it again! You don't know Uther like I do. You haven't seen how paranoid he really is."

"Oh, I know Uther Pendragon," Kazimir spits, his eyes narrowing at the name. "I did try to settle on a peace treaty between Camelot and Lucindria but..." Calliope raises her eyebrows, "It's not important. I don't want to anger you further."

"No, I want to know. I deserve to know the full fucking truth."

Kazimir clenches his jaw, "If I tell you, you can't do anything rash."

"Just spit it out!"

"Uther and I were in talks for a peace treaty, and I extended the invitation for him to visit Lucindria to see how beautiful the city was—that we really were just living in peace and trying to do better than our ancestors," Kazimir's eyes fall to the floor. "But his side of it was a deception. He did it so I'd let my guard down, and then he sent his entire army to slaughter us all while we slept the night before the peace summit in Lucindria."

The weight of it is still on his shoulders, and the realization causes Calliope's jaw to hang open as it all locks into place. She remembers the vision of her people being slaughtered—the one Deathbane showed her—and it feels even worse now. They thought Uther was coming to make peace. Instead, he betrayed them, and didn't even spare the children. The blood of an entire civilization is on his hands. The blood of her mother and brother and aunt. How could they not have retaliated by now, or at least killed Uther himself? It'd be so easy for one of them to do it. Uther wouldn't stand a chance against their blades.

Why is the King still alive? After everything he's done to anyone with even an ounce of magic in their blood, he deserves to burn in hell for all eternity.

And Calliope wants to send him there herself.

Kazimir grabs her arm, bringing her eyes back to his, "I know that look. You want to kill him, don't you?"

"Of course, I do! The question is, why don't you?!"

"It's useless. It won't solve a thing. It's just more blood spilt and a certain path that leads us right into a brutal war we won't be able to win."

Calliope rips her arm out of his grip, "I don't care. All I care about right now is shoving Deathbane into his cold, dead heart."

"You can't do this, Calliope."

"Oh, I can, and I will. It's what he deserves!"

Kazimir shakes his head, "It won't change the past. What's done is done. Revenge won't solve this! It's why I never sought him out."

Without her remorse or humanity holding her back, killing Uther will be the greatest and easiest thing she's ever done.

Calliope's simmering gaze locks onto Kazimir.

"This isn't revenge," says the assassin. "It's justice."

♛ ♛ ♛

Turns out, Kazimir had already warned Merlin of Calliope's plan. When she went into the inn to pack her things, he was waiting for her, eyebrows raised. He'd enchanted her weapons with some stupid spell that made her hands sting with burning heat when she touched them, and he refused to lift it until her necklace was around her throat once again. Why did they think that putting on the necklace would change her mind? She's sure it wouldn't. Besides, she's doing just fine without that piece of jewelry. Her emotions are hidden behind a wall, and she can choose to lift it up and feel what she wants, or to not feel anything at all. There's still a lurking darkness and occasional voices in the back of her mind, but she can fight them.

When she tried to make a break for it on her horse, she found Kazimir already there waiting. He had tilted his head, and she sent a string of curses flying at him. It was pointless to try and go on foot. They'd catch up to her the second they noticed she left because they would have their horses. With Kazimir and Merlin watching her every move, she had no way to go to Camelot unsupervised.

You're a master at disappearing, surely you can think of something, the voice soothes. Maybe...knock them unconscious and wait until you get to Camelot to grab a weapon.

Calliope paces, shaking her head until the voice goes away.

Or maybe, you should just kill them. They're in your way—

"Shut up!" She screams, picking up a vase and throwing it at the wall. It shatters into tiny pieces. Calliope puts her head in her hands and sinks to the floor. She rocks back and forth, murmuring to herself.

She can't put the necklace back on. She knows as soon as she does, every bad thing that has happened will hit her all over again, and she'll feel the full weight of every part of it.

The necklace will destroy her.

A knock at the door makes her stand up. She smooths down her hair and wipes her eyes just as Merlin peeks his head inside the room. The sorcerer offers her a kind smile, she doesn't reciprocate it.

"Cal, if you'd just put the necklace back on, we could go home."

"I don't know what home is anymore, Merlin," she thinks she says it, but she's not sure. He just furrows his eyebrows and steps through the doorway. "I had one—a home, with a big, happy family and a city of happy people who let their guards down because they wanted to be better, to be good, and look where it got them!" Calliope doesn't even realize she's yelling. "And it's all his fault! Uther fucking Pendragon, what a joke for a King. I need to kill him, Merlin. I need to see him die. I need him to look into my eyes as I shove my sword into his fucking heart!

"Cal, you don't sound like yourself—Cal! Cal! Snap out of it!"

Her eyes are glowing again, and Merlin shakes her shoulders.

Calliope breathes heavily as her irises shine blue again, and she falls to the floor with Merlin kneeling beside her.

"I'm sorry," she says, catching her breath. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he sits down across from her on the wooden floor. "You know, Ezlyn made me promise her something before she died. Do you want to know what it was?" Calliope's eyes meet his, and she bows her head in a small nod. "She said that she knows you're good, and that I can't let you forget it."

"That sounds just like Ez."

"Yeah, so that's what I'm doing now by not letting you leave Finley until you agree to put the necklace on. I'm keeping my promise." The floor creaks underneath him as he stands. "Sheena is almost finished with dinner. You need to try to eat."

"I'll be down in a minute."

Now's your chance. Calliope watches as the door shuts behind him. Do whatever it takes to get to Camelot. You have to kill Uther. He needs to pay for his crimes.

The assassin's footsteps are silent as she cracks the door open and listens. She hears Merlin's voice as he praises Sheena's vegetable stew, and Kazimir as he asks Merlin how Calliope is doing. They're all in the kitchen.

"Yeah, she's...well, she'll get through it. Cal always does."

"Is she going to eat tonight? She hasn't eaten in days."

"I think so. She'll be down here soon."

Calliope quietly closes the door and glances at her weapons. It's no use trying to grab any of them, even Deathbane. Not with Merlin's wards on them. The magic of a sorcerer is too powerful to try and trick, especially when she needs to make a quick exit. Besides, all Calliope needs is one sword to get the job done.

Walking to the window, she pulls out her hairpin and begins to struggle against the sealed latch. She chews on her lip until she hears a soft click, and then, the window swings open. A gust of wind shoots into the room and bites against Calliope's skin. She can see spirals of her breath against the falling snow.

The stables are a few buildings down. Any horse will do, and she doesn't need a saddle. That will take too long. If there isn't a horse already tacked up, she'll ride bareback if she has to. Even a ten-minute head start will be long enough for her to get to Uther. No one in Camelot will stop her. They all trust her.

Calliope grips onto the overhang of the window as she climbs onto the snow-laden roof. Her foot slips at first against the icy layer, but she uses all her upper body strength to keep herself from sliding off. Calliope closes the window behind her and looks down at the drop. Well, it's about fifteen feet, but if she has good technique when she lands, she won't get injured at all. Calliope takes a deep breath, and she doesn't let herself think. She just jumps.

And as soon as her feet hit the ground, she breaks into a sprint.

She's at the stables in under a minute, and she goes from stall to stall, finding not one horse tacked up. Damn it.

"Bareback it is then," says the assassin as she finds her horse. "This is going to be a rough ride."

And just as Merlin climbs the stairs to check on her, Calliope is already heading for Camelot, riding through darkness and snow and frost-biting winds, her necklace still resting in Kazimir's pocket.

♛ ♛ ♛

There is a slow, torturous nature about dark magic. It's a force as gentle as a soft whisper in the night, a natural flow as it twists and corrupts within something. Invisible and unrelenting, it grips its prey and holds on for dear life. The dark magic needs a host, and a willing one, to be powerful. To Calliope, it just feels like the edge of a blade on her throat, but with a forbidden, exhilarating sting. Without the tether of her necklace, the light bleeding into darkness to keep it at bay, she's free. This is what she has needed all along. Why didn't she take off that pesky piece of jewelry sooner?

In the distance, she can see the snowy peaks of the castle shining against the dawning sun. She rode through the forest all night, not stopping even once. Her body is as cold as ice underneath her black cloak, but Calliope couldn't care less. Nothing will stop her from her mission, least of all the weather.

Merlin and Kazimir are probably a few miles behind her, so she'll need to head straight for Uther. This early, he'll be in the council chambers for his morning meetings. She can get a private audience with him, kill him, and sneak out of the city before anyone discovers the King.

His life is yours to take.

When Calliope was tasked with killing a Pendragon, she'd thought the Prince would be the one falling under her blade, but this is far more fitting.

"Cal!" Calliope dismounts her horse by the stables. "Bloody hell! Do you know how worried we've all been—?!"

She turns to Leon in the courtyard, her expression flat, "I need to see Uther."

"Okay...it's nice to see you too. Glad you're alive." Calliope doesn't respond, and Leon stands in a confused state of shock. "Should I get Arthur?"

"No need," she calls over her shoulder. "It'll be quick."

Quick indeed. King Uther Pendragon will be dead in a matter of minutes. She feels...nothing, except the desire to complete her task. The unsuspecting guards nod at her as she and Leon enter the castle together. They walk briskly through the corridors, and she can sense the knight glancing at her every few seconds with his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

They stop outside the council chambers. The doors are shut with two armored guards standing watch, gripping their long spears.

Calliope's heart pounds as she awaits the doors to be pulled open. Adrenaline rushes through her, and when she reaches behind that wall for emotion, she seeks one thing: her rage. And she finds a large supply of it. Enough to make her clench her fists so hard that she draws blood from her palms.

When she is granted access to the room, Calliope sees Uther for the first time since leaving Camelot, and as soon as their eyes lock, the pain, suffering, and loss of her people slams right back into her like she's holding Deathbane again.

"Calliope?" He says in disbelief. "You're alive."

"I have a matter I'd like to discuss with you," she steps into the room, all of the councilmen watching her, "regarding the task you assigned me with."

He nods and orders for everyone to leave them. Perfect.

The last thing she sees before the doors closed behind her is Leon's worried face.

Then, it's just her and the King, alone in the council chambers, and he stands like a bear in a trap, her trap. Calliope's eyes narrow as she walks closer to him, lacing her hands behind her back.

"Well? Did you find the gang of mercenaries and dispose of them like I asked?"

She nods, "I did." The sheath that contains Uther's sword is resting on the table beside them. Her hand rests on the wood, just shy of it, and she leans her weight onto it. "They're all dead—slaughtered in fact."

Her tone is dangerous. A sultry, lethal tone that has the King taking a few steps away from her, "Good. That's good news for the kingdom."

Calliope lets out a low chuckle, "Yes, I brutally killed each and every one of them on your order. Just like you had everyone in Lucindria murdered."

"Luc—Lucindria?" His eyes widen. "How do you know about that?"

"Oh, I know much more than you can imagine," Calliope says through a sneer.

"The people of Lucindria were born of dark magic. It was a vital decision in the war against evil."

The assassin nods, her hand running over the sheath, "You know, after my time here, I've realized there's truly only one evil plaguing this kingdom," her eyes lock onto his face as her fingers makes it to the handle, "You."

The ringing of steel echoes around them, and Uther puts his hands up, "What are you doing?"

"What I should have done a long, long time ago," Calliope walks closer to him and he retreats. "And don't even think about trying to call for your guards. I'll have your neck sliced before you can utter a word." His throat bobs, and he can only back away as she advances on him, "There's something you need to know about me before I kill you though. Well, two things actually," Uther stumbles as he runs into his throne. Fitting for him to meet his end on it. "First, I want you to die knowing that you failed to kill everyone in Lucindria. I'm Kazimir Zalaeph's daughter, and I'm going to claim justice for my entire family."

The pieces are put together in his head, his eyes widening with realization, "No, I had his child killed."

"You were misinformed. My brother was murdered, but I was smuggled out of the city," Calliope grins, leaning down to press the sword against his chest. "And...I want you to know that I fooled you. I gained your trust, trained your men, and slept in your castle. An enemy, right under your nose all along," Uther shakes his head as Calliope delivers the final blow. "I'm the Red Dragon."

"You—you?" Uther stutters, unable to move.

"Yes," Calliope answers, leaning closer to him. "How does it feel? To be made a fool? To know that you failed to protect your kingdom from me?" The look on his face is almost enough to stop her from killing him, but the satisfaction only urges her on further. "Now, Uther Pendragon, it's time you pay for your crimes."

He shuts his eyes as she raises her sword. She can already imagine him, slumped and dead on his throne, blood pooling on the floor around him. Maybe she'll take his crown and deliver it to Lucindria.

His life is in her hands, and she lives for the thrill of it.

The double doors bang open. Calliope and Uther both look to the doorway, and she lets out a breath as she sees Merlin, Leon, and Prince Arthur standing there.

"Calliope, don't—!"

She turns her focus back to Uther. Hurried footsteps sound behind her.

"Stop her!" Someone yells. "Protect the King!"

Arthur is here. Arthur...What will this do to Arthur? No, kill him! Kill Uther!

I love you, Calliope. It's you and me, and it always will be.

It's like everything around her is in slow motion as she looks into Uther's panicked eyes. Guards have almost reached her, Merlin is yelling something, but all Calliope can hear is her own mind warring with itself.

Her gaze hardens.

She lets out a scream that echoes through the entire room, and she brings her sword down with all her strength. Everyone gasps, stopping in their tracks.

Calliope falls back, and stares at where the sword is impaled on Uther's throne.

The King looks between her and the sword with shocked eyes that are now becoming overwhelmed with anger.

He stands and points to the assassin.

"Arrest her!"

She doesn't fight back as she is pulled to her feet.

As Calliope is dragged out of the room by the guards, she finds Prince Arthur's gaze. His eyes are stone cold, and she isn't sure if she'll ever see love from them again.

♛ ♛ ♛

The dungeons are a lonely, chilling place when you're the one behind the bars.

All Calliope can do is stare at the ceiling with her knees tucked to her chest and wait. Will her execution come the dawn of the next sun? How will they do it? The gallows? A fire? Calliope has always known that death is inches away, especially in her trade, so she thought she'd be prepared for when it comes.

But as she awaits news of her own fate, she can't stop thinking that she doesn't want this to be the end. Her emotions are still on pause, but something has come through that she can't fight against, and it's threatening to take over. It's the way Arthur looked at her as she was dragged out of the room. She can't get that image out of her head.

When Merlin comes to visit her, they just sit in silence. Every time he tries to say something, she turns away, and eventually, he leaves.

Hours pass. Guards come and go. Calliope doesn't move. She barely even blinks. There's no way out of this one. She has sealed her own fate. Uther knows who she really is, and he won't let her go.

Parts of her wish she would've killed him. She wanted to, so badly, if only Arthur hadn't come into the room. He is what stopped her. The flashes and memories that hit her when she heard him yell at her not to do it. Even without her necklace, she couldn't do it.

And it has her thinking, that maybe, after all this time in Camelot, Prince Arthur has become her true tether.

Footsteps coming from down the hall cause her to tense. Are they here to drag her to the execution stand? Calliope prepares herself for the worst, but the shadow that steps into the light is Arthur Pendragon.

Calliope's breath is knocked out of her at the sight of him. She immediately stands and brushes dirt off her pants, walking to the bars so they are face-to-face.

His expression is tight—conflicted with a hard frown.

"Merlin told me what happened. All of it."

All of it?

When his eyes fall to her neck, she knows that he's aware of the full truth.

"Why, Calliope? Why would you do this?" he asks in a pleading voice.

"Your father is a terrible, evil man, and he deserves to die," Calliope answers, trying to keep her voice calm. "Do you know that he lied to the people in Lucindria? Told them he wanted peace? Then, he sent his army to fucking murder all of them."

"Oh, and killing him is such a great solution?" Arthur asks, his tone rising as he steps closer to the bars. "Look at what you've done, Calliope! Look at where we are!" He runs his hands through his hair. "My father has..." he almost chokes on the words. "He's ordered for you to be executed at dawn for numerous crimes against the kingdom." She's honestly surprised he's waiting until dawn. Calliope knows he wants to get rid of her as fast as he can. "Look, I know the King has made terrible mistakes, but he's still my father, and I can't change that."

"Mistakes?" Calliope scoffs. "He massacred an entire civilization, Arthur! My people!"

"Oh, your people? You don't even really know them, Calliope. Your people—the people you love—are here in Camelot." She can see all the words he wants to say in his eyes as they search hers for any sign of the girl he loves. Arthur takes a small step, and his fingers close around the metal bars. "The part that hurts me the most isn't that you tried to kill my father. It's that you were willing to throw away everything we have for your revenge. That you didn't think about us for one second before making your decision."

"This isn't about us!"

Arthur bangs his hands against the bars, "That's what you don't get! I never would've done something like this to you! I don't care what the person has done to me, if it meant hurting someone I care about, I wouldn't even entertain the thought of harming them!" His chest heaves, and Calliope's throat is tight. She can't say anything. She's rendered to a painful silence as tears pool in his eyes. "I'd choose you over anything, and now I know you'd never do the same."

He's right. And it hurts. It hurts so much that not even her wall of nothingness and dark magic can cushion the pain. Yes, she loves him more than she's ever loved anyone in her entire life, but she can't choose him over this. She can't ignore what his father did and move forward like none of it matters. She can't continue living in his castle, helping the man who is responsible for her family's destruction.

And she can't be with his son. She won't brush it all under the rug for the sake of love.

Some things are more important than romantic love. This is a fact Calliope has been aware of her entire life, but a lesson the Prince has yet to learn.

With a sharp inhale, Calliope gathers her strength and nods, "So why are you here then? For a teary goodbye? I'd rather not."

"I don't even recognize you like this," he says, venom in his voice. "This isn't who you are. If you'd only listened to Merlin and put the necklace back on—"

"What would that have changed? You'd still be the son of the man who had my family murdered. You'd still be defending him, and I'd still be here, behind these bars," he has to look away from her, away from her icy gaze. "I guess love really doesn't conquer all, does it?"

He swallows, clenching his jaw, "So, that's it then?"

Something in her chest breaks, but it's distant, almost hollow.

What's the point in saving their love when she's already dead?

It'll be easier for him to move on if he hates her.

"You're finished with this? It's completely over for you?"

Over. Washed away like footprints in sand. Calliope considers his words and how to reply to them. How can he ask that? Isn't it over for him? How could they ever most past this?

There is no way forward for them. Not even if Calliope managed to escape. She'll be hunted by his people, and she'll never be able to return to Camelot.

Calliope blocks every emotion behind the wall as his eyes rise to hers, awaiting her answer, and she finally makes herself speak.

"Yes."

That single word makes his expression crumble.

But before she can see him break completely, he walks away and storms out of the dungeons.

Calliope crawls back to her corner.

And she waits for the end.

♛ ♛ ♛

It's the middle of the night and her fate is only hours away. As soon as the sun rises over the castle, Calliope will be led to the execution stand, and she will take her final breath. At least she was able to kill Sepharin and his followers, leaving the world a safer place for Arthur and the others. That small fact gives her solace in the darkness.

She lies on a pile of old hay, but she doesn't sleep. Trying to escape has flickered through her thoughts, but all the fight within her has died. What's the point anymore? Arthur hates her, and they'll never be able to be together again. Ezlyn is dead. She has betrayed everyone in Camelot that cares about her. All that remains of her is a gaping hole in her chest that will never mend. If she had her necklace, she would be an emotional wreck unable to even think or breathe.

Thinking and breathing. It's two simple tasks that shouldn't be so hard, but even with it all so hazy and distant she has to remind herself how to do both.

Calliope pushes herself to a sitting position when she hears coughing from the entrance of the dungeons. She squints through the faint light of dying torches and notices small spirals of thick smoke expanding from where the guards are posted. Seconds later, the echo of their bodies hitting the ground causes her to stand and move to the bars. Who's here for her?

Footsteps move around the guards' bodies, and a tall figure emerges from the shadows, removing a cloth from around their mouth and nose.

"Kazimir?"

He rushes to her, keys jingling as he unlocks her cell, "I told you not to do anything rash."

"One thing you'll learn about me is that I don't listen very well," she glances around them to the fallen guards. "How long do we have before they wake up?"

"Not long enough. Merlin and Gaius helped me get into the castle. They're waiting for us at the edge of the forest. Come on."

For a moment, she hesitates. When she leaves this cell, she will never be able to return to Camelot again.

But Kazimir is pulling her down the hallway before she can think about it any further, handing Calliope her belt of weapons. She directs him towards the fastest exit and waits to hear the familiar ringing of the warning bells throughout all of Camelot, but it never comes. They descend into the tunnels of the burial vaults, jogging through a short layer of half-frozen water, and Calliope looks over her shoulder every few seconds. That voice in her mind is angry—furious that she's leaving Camelot while Uther still remains alive, but that is a fight for another day.

At the edge of the tunnels, Kazimir forces the rusted gate open. He looks around for any stray guards, and then he motions for Calliope to step out. The chilly night air gusts around her as she stares at the edge of the forest.

Gaius and Merlin await them with two horses and satchels packed with supplies. Both of their expressions are solemn as Calliope approaches them. She's not sure what to say.

Luckily, Gaius speaks first, "There's enough rations in here to last all the way to Lucindria."

"Thank you, Gaius," says the assassin with a sudden lump in her throat.

Gaius reaches forward, pulling her into a surprising hug, "We'll meet again, Calliope. I know it," she pulls away, looking into his kind eyes. "I have always believed in you, and no matter what, that will never ever change. Your story is far from over."

Calliope had started to believe she would never have to say goodbye to Camelot or its inhabitants ever again, so she isn't prepared for any of this. She wants to find a way to stay—to overcome the obstacles in front of her, but with a death sentence and her identity exposed, leaving is her best option.

She will go to Lucindria with Kazimir, and she will get to know her home and her people. She'll help him and what's left of her family rebuild their great city.

When Merlin pulls her in for a hug, she fights back a wave of tears, "I'll miss you, wizard boy."

"I'll miss you too, Cal," he says, "maybe I can come visit you."

"Definitely."

Kazimir nods, "You will be welcome in Lucindria any time Merlin," then he looks to Gaius. "Both of you."

Goodbyes have never been easy for Calliope. She never knows the right things to say or do. But, in her heart, she knows this isn't goodbye, not truly. Those who she cares for will always be with her, even if they're miles and miles away. She will never forget her time in Camelot, and she will always be grateful for everyone who supported her through some of her darkest times. She is leaving this city a different person than when she first arrived.

As Merlin and Gaius' figures fade on their walk back to the castle, Calliope turns to Kazimir. He hands her the reins of her horse, and she smiles at him.

Until a voice drifts to her from the shadows.

"I knew you'd find a way to escape."

Unsheathing her sword, she turns to the exit of the tunnels, and her breath catches as Arthur stares at her, but his weapon isn't drawn. His arms are crossed over his chest as he observes her and Kazimir with a blank expression.

"The warning bells won't ring until you're long gone," Arthur pushes himself off the gate. "Leon won't do it until I give my order."

"You...you're letting us go?"

He nods, breaking eye contact, "For the sake of everything we shared, I won't stop you. Even under the worst circumstances, I just can't let you die, Calliope." She opens her mouth and closes it again, letting the hand holding her sword drop to her side. What could she say to give him solace? Nothing, there's nothing more to be said. "But you can never return to Camelot. Ever."

For a second, she just stares at him.

Calliope blinks several times, finding her voice, "Don't worry. You'll never have to see me again."

The Prince swallows, unable to look at her, "Go," his quiet voice is barely audible before he says with more force. "Go before I change my mind."

She can't look at him any longer either. Calliope turns her back on the Prince, and her hands squeeze the reins for strength.

Despite the protests in her mind, she chooses to give one last glance over her shoulder, but when she does, Arthur Pendragon is gone.

The gate is closed, as if he was never there at all. She starts to wonder if she had hallucinated the whole encounter, but when she catches Kazimir looking at her with a concerned expression, she knows it was real.

"Are you ready?" He asks her, mounting his horse.

As Calliope settles in the saddle, she thinks about the journey that lies ahead of her—the promise awaiting her at the city she was born in. A birthright she never knew she had. A purpose beyond revenge or righting her many wrongs. For the first time in her life, Calliope is on a path that doesn't scare her.

She'll still feel the darkness creeping in. She'll still wake from horrible nightmares and wear the scars of her past. The Red Dragon will always be a part of her, but there are much worse monsters to face.

Kazimir extends his hand. In his palm rests her necklace.

She reaches across the space between them, and she clasps the piece of jewelry around her neck.

Calliope breathes in as she replies,

"I'm ready."

END OF BOOK ONE

♛ ♛ ♛

I'M CRYING RIGHT NOW.

AND NOW I MUST RANT AND RAVE ABOUT ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL READERS!!

this book is complete and it's so bittersweet! thank you 1000x times for reading along, and my beta readers. thanks to everyone who has voted or commented and thanks to everyone who was sent me such kind messages about your enjoyment of this story and calliope's character. you are truly the reason i was able to finish the book <3. originally, i was rewatching merlin in 2020 and thought "hey, wouldn't it be cool if there was an assassin character in this?" then after a rewatch of a few episodes of game of thrones, the story became alive in my brain, most of all, calliope's character. while this is a merlin fanfiction with an arthur romance, it is first and foremost calliope's story. and don't worry, there is still much more to tell...

i could go on and on about my gratefulness to you guys, but i will just leave this here instead: THE COVER OF THE SEQUEL which is titled "THE EXILED QUEEN" !!!!!!!

i'll see you guys for season 3 in BOOK TWO

until then...thanks again everyone! please leave any thoughts, questions, comments below and have a great holiday season!