CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN ( ii. )

The spirits of everyone in the crowd are high the next day as the semifinal jousts occur. Sir Alynor advances to the final, riding with elegance and grace as he acknowledges the crowd. Arthur will face Sir Leon, and he will find out if the knight is truly better than him.

Calliope isn't sure who to cheer for as she watches them face each other. The flag dances in the wind before it hits the dirt and her eyes go back and forth from Arthur to Leon, standing on her toes to see everything unfold. The two race at one another, keeping their lances drawn in the perfect position. It's impossible to tell who has the advantage until Arthur jolts his lance forward with all his strength. It collides with Sir Leon's armor and sends the knight reeling backwards.

Everyone around the arena jumps up in celebration as William quicky becomes the fan favorite. Calliope feels her heart tug as she watches Arthur ride his victory lap, knowing how much this really means to him.

She goes back to the tent to greet Merlin and William.

"Congratulations," Calliope says, patting the farmer. "You're in the final."

Merlin grins widely as William nods his head in excitement. The prince enters the tent, tossing him his helmet, "Go on then. Your people await you."

With victory still fresh in his eyes, he points between Calliope and Merlin as Sir William greets his adoring fans, "No one can say Sir Leon let me win this time."

The sorcerer glances over his shoulder at the roaring crowd, "It seems the crowd has really taken to William."

"That will change when I reveal my identity."

Merlin's eyes squint as he looks at the prince, "You really miss getting all the attention, don't you?"

"That's what I said," Calliope adds as Arthur shakes his head.

"Just go and water the horse, will you?" An annoyed sigh heaves through Merlin's lips as he exits the tent.

As Arthur stays in the tent to take off his armor, Calliope heads back to Gwen's house for the night. When she arrives, she does her best to tidy the place up so that when Gwen returns, her house will not be in disarray. The blonde sweeps in the back where she has been sleeping, and she gathers the pile of dirty clothes in the corner to put back into her bag. Tonight is the last night they will be staying here, and then, things will go back to normal.

The thing she's dreading the most is having to go back and check on Lady Victoria every day and hear her constant boasting about wedding planning and how rich she is. Calliope really could get rid of her...No, that's the old Cal. The new Cal has more patience. Sort of.

She's so in thought about debating killing Lady Victoria, Calliope doesn't notice Arthur coming into the house. The broom falls from her hand when she hears him call her name, and she fumbles around to try and hide the fact that she's been sleeping with the grain and potatoes, but it's too late.

Arthur stops, looking around in the back with furrowed eyebrows. He glances from her to the blanket over the thick sacks, "Where's your bed?"

"Gwen only has one, and you've been sleeping in it."

He crosses his arms in front of him, "Why didn't you say something?"

"Well, you just assumed the bed was yours, even though this isn't even your house."

He glances over his shoulder at the bed, "How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?"

"I don't know—maybe you should try being less of a selfish fucking prat. How about that?"

Arthur tilts his head to the side, his eyes locking onto her fiery, piercing gaze, "Please, continue, I know you have much more you want to say to me."

She takes a step closer, the air between them rising one hundred degrees, "You have no idea, Pendragon. You literally walked in here—to Gwen's house which she is kindly letting us use for four days, acting like it was no better than sleeping in the woods. We are her guests, and you still can't stop being arrogant and entitled! If you really care about proving that you are more than just a title, then maybe you should stop acting like a goddamn spoiled Prince!"

Heavy breaths flow from her lips as he stares at her with raised eyebrows, "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Yes, but we don't have enough time of day for that."

Nodding, he lets all her words sink in, his expression changing slightly as he realizes the truth behind them, and how she is calling him out on his actions not matching his words, "You're right," he says, surprising her and causing her hostile expression to fade. "We are Gwen's guests, and I have behaved poorly," she shrugs, agreeing. "I make up for it—tonight. I...will cook you dinner."

She lets out a sound mixed with disbelief and amusement, "Arthur," she says. "You don't know how to cook."

He places his hands on her shoulders and begins walking her towards the door, "I'm sure I'll manage," he grabs her cloak, extending the fabric to her. "Now you can go stab things or whatever it is you like to do in the evenings."

"Stab things?" She asks as he opens the door for her.

"What else do assassins do for fun?"

"Well, actually I like to read. I do have hobbies besides just 'stabbing'."

"Then go read," he ushers her out the door. "Dinner will be ready when you return."

With her mouth still agape, the rest of her words dying as he closes the door, Calliope shakes her head in disbelief as she pulls her hood over her head.

She spots Merlin as she walks through the low town, "Cal, where are you going?"

"Apparently, to go stab something," she says, eliciting a look of confusion from the sorcerer. "Arthur's cooking dinner for me."

"Arthur's cooking?" Shock emits from his face as his head turns to Gwen's house. "Bloody hell."

"Make sure he doesn't burn the place down, will you?"

♛ ♛ ♛

Calliope sneaks into the palace unseen, heading for the library where she settles in a small, hidden nook. She lets time fade away as she gets lost in a book, reading about the ancient myths and adventures of a young warrior in a distant land. She lets her own reality dissolve until the pieces are fragmented and she is in her own world of peace and tranquility. Here, in this still moment, all her troubles can be washed away with the sea of her mind.

She barely notices when the library starts to grow dark and candles are the only light keeping the words in front of her visible. Calliope lets out a content sigh as she closes the book and stands to stretch her stiff muscles. She quietly places the book back where she found it, and then, she slinks through the palace like a cat, allowing the growing shadows to shield her from passing guards. She successfully makes it out of the courtyard, not one guard even realizing she has been in the palace.

Her stomach grumbles for food as she sees Gwen's house in the distance once she is outside the citadel. The moon is high in the sky, and most people have vacated the streets for the night. Calliope inhales sharply as she stops outside the door, not sure what she's about to walk into. She's expecting the entire place to be wreck since Arthur probably had no idea what he was doing.

When she pushes the door open, she is shocked by the scene that greets her. Candles are lit around the room, and there is in fact, not a mess anywhere to be found. Arthur stands by the stove in a fresh shirt and his hair is brushed back neatly. He gestures towards the table where two plates of chicken and peas awaits them. This is definitely way more than the blonde expected from him. Her heart melts at the thought put into every detail.

"Calliope, perfect timing."

She hangs her cloak in the dresser by the door, still trying to take everything in like it might vanish and she could wake up from a really, really good dream.

"I'm impressed. I kind of expected to come back and see Gwen's house up in flames." Arthur presses his lips together at her playful jab as she walks to sit. She freezes as he reaches down beside her, giving him an weird look. "What are you doing?"

He just stares at her, "I'm...pulling the bench out for you."

"Alright," she says cautiously, slightly freaked out by how polite he's acting towards her as he sits across from her.

She's also pleasantly surprised by how good the chicken is. The meat is cooked perfectly and seasoned, and the vegetables taste fresh, as if they were just picked from a garden this morning. She can't help but scarf the meal down from being so hungry.

Arthur takes a sip from his metal glass, a smirk on his lips "So, how did you like it?"

"It was really good," Calliope answers, letting herself relish in this—being able to have a meal together— just the two of them without outside eyes or opinions. It's just him and her in this simple house, pretending to live simple lives. "I am pleasantly surprised."

"I'm glad," he says, giving the blonde a genuine smile. "Can I ask you something, Cal?" She nods as she takes a tip of her water. "Do you see yourself staying here in Camelot...long term?"

That definitely isn't the question she expected to get from him, "Um," she sets down her glass, looking to the table as if it could answer for her.

"Sorry, Merlin told me how much you've traveled, and I'm just curious. He says this is the longest you've ever stayed in one place."

Damn it, Merlin. Calliope isn't even sure of the answer herself, and she doesn't know what the prince wants to hear from her, "Well, I used to always have to move around for...obvious reasons, and settling down has always felt like this unreachable concept," she starts as he listens intently. "Camelot is different because I have attachments here, and that's not something I'm accustomed to. I was always taught that attachments are weak—that they hold you back from your true purpose."

"Sepharin taught you that?"

Mentioning his name causes her to stiffen, but she nods, "Yeah."

"And...do you agree?"

She chews on her lips, "In some aspects, it's true. Caring about people can really get in the way of things sometimes, especially for the life I've lived," Her words are nothing but the truth. For a long time, she really did believe caring made her weak; that to be strong and powerful, she had to forget about forming attachments to anything or anyone. "When you don't have attachments, you can keep moving. You can keep surviving. But, everything comes with a price, and sometimes the price of surviving is slowly killing the parts of yourself that make you feel truly alive."

In a way, this is the most she's ever opened up to him, and he appreciates her allowing him a small window into her soul, "Being the Red Dragon is how you survived."

"I spent months with slavers who beat me every day," Arthur is familiar with the subtle scars around her wrists. She doesn't have to lift her shirt for him to know about the whip marks and faded burns around her back and torso, "...and when I got a chance to escape and try to make a name for myself, I did," she says, cringing at the harsh memories. "I thought avenging my family was my only purpose," he studies her face as her eyes drift up from the table. "You know why they called me the Red Dragon? Because when the blood wraiths first met me after I joined them, they said they could see my future, and that it was covered in red. Rivers and rivers of red."

He sees her for who she really is: a girl who faced horrors no one should ever have to even know, and instead of caving to the horrors, she found a way to escape them, but the darkness still followed her, and she has to fight every day to shield herself from it.

Reaching forward, he covers her hand with his own, squeezing it gently to make sure she knows how much this means to him, "Thank you for sharing this with me. I hope you feel like Camelot can be your home—for good."

Silence envelopes them, and she struggles to answer because they both know that is a promise Calliope can never make. Instead, she squeezes his hand back as a gesture of thanks for his comfort.

Then, she lets go, and he almost seems disappointed—like her touch has faded too soon. She stands to start gathering the plates, but Arthur reaches out to stop her.

"Here, let me."

She looks at the plates for a moment as Arthur takes them, standing up with pinched eyebrows as she finally makes the connection, "Are those plates from the palace kitchens?" He opens his mouth, and she points at him harshly. "Don't even try to lie to me."

"Fine—yes, they are."

And there it is: waking up from her dream. She should have known it was too good to be true, "You are so full of shit."

He breathes through an exaggerated sigh, grabbing her arm before she can storm away, "I can't cook, okay? We had a nice meal together. Why does it matter where it came from?"

"Because I thought, that for once, you actually took the time to do something nice for someone other than yourself, and that you actually put some work into it instead of letting Merlin do everything for you!" Calliope exclaims. "And that maybe, you were starting to learn some humility."

With a shake of her head and a hurtful expression, she tries to walk away from the prince, but his grip on her arm only tightens, and when she turns to face him again, he's moved closer—so much so that she has to crane her neck to look up into his eyes. Her breath catches in her throat. Suddenly, she's frozen underneath his stare.

"Calliope," he says. "I know I have much to learn. There are some things I'm terrible at, cooking being one of them," their eyes dance, and Calliope knows she should shove him away because being this close to him only brings back memories of their kiss in the caves, and there is a line that should be drawn now that's he's engaged. But, she still is trapped within his gaze. That line seems a lot more blurry "but also—knowing what to say to someone I care about."

They're both teetering towards an edge they'd never be able to recover from falling off, and he doesn't let go of her arm. Instead, his thumb rubs circles on her skin, sending shockwaves through her entire body. She can't look away from his captivating gaze. She's drowning in his ocean of raging blues. All she can think about is his touch and his scent and how she just wants to kiss him again so bad.

But Merlin barges in—as usual— and they jump away from each other as if they'd been burned by some painful fire. Merlin doesn't seem to notice that he's intruding as he breathes heavily, looking to Arthur.

"There's an assassin in Camelot."

Arthur nods, "Yeah, she's right here."

"Not Cal," Merlin says. "It's someone else, and he wants to kill you."

Shit, Calliope steps back, worry overtaking her expression as her mind filters through all the assassins she knows of and which one would be bold enough to take up a hit on the Prince of Camelot. That list is very small, and all of them are very good at what they do. Even though Arthur is not supposed to be in the kingdom, it won't be too long until they find his hiding place.

Arthur paces around the room as Merlin explains the situation, "The assassin killed a guard. Your father said Odin sent him."

Calliope looks up, "Why would Odin want you dead?"

"Because I killed his son," the prince answers lowly, causing Calliope to be taken aback. "Odin's son challenged me to a fight. I had no quarrel with him. I asked him to withdraw. Perhaps, he felt he had to prove himself," Arthur's gaze drifts away from them. "I still see his face. He looked so scared."

"Blaming yourself won't bring him back. It'll only eat you alive from the inside out. Trust me, I know," Calliope says, catching his gaze again.

Merlin steps forward, "No one but us and Gwen know where you are. If the assassin can't find you, he can't kill you."

"Is Gwen okay with us continuing staying here?" the blonde asks.

Merlin nods, "As long as you need."

Arthur places his hands on his hips as he turns away from them, "I'll sleep on the floor tonight."

"Are you sure?" Calliope questions. "The final joust is tomorrow."

"I'm sure," he answers with a small smile. "Goodnight, Calliope."

Her heart flutters from the kind gesture, "Goodnight, Arthur."

And that night, for the first time in three days, she gets to sleep in a bed. Arthur, however, forces Merlin to bring him a mattress from his quarters.

♛ ♛ ♛

Calliope and Arthur's stay in Gwenn's house has come its end. The next morning, after breakfast, the blonde makes sure everything is neat and orderly, exactly as they found it while Arthur prepares for the championship match. He reaches into the dresser, grabbing his blue cloak and tying the string together.

In a few moments, they will step through the door, and then, later, they will go back to their normal lives. Arthur will once again be a prince with a betrothed, and Calliope will be an assassin turned ally of Camelot. She tries to think of a few parting words to say to him before he leaves, but nothing comes to her mind. As she finishes making the bed, she turns to the prince and walks across the floor to stand in front of him with soft rays of  early morning sunlight peeking through the tainted window behind them.

Arthur's eyes flicker over her face as he finishes tying the string of his cloak, "One more match and the tournament will be over."

"Yes, and things will return to normal," Normal, she never thought she would a hate a word so much as it leaves her lips. "You can be Prince Arthur again."

A heavy silence falls between them as she looks down and feels his gaze on her. Calliope clears her throat as she reaches to her belt and unhooks her dagger—her favorite dagger. The one she always has with her. It's like her shield of protection against the darkness of life.

She offers it up to the prince, "Most girls give knights favors, but maybe this will work too," he glances from her face to the dagger, eyebrows raising in disbelief. "You should take it—for luck."

"But, that's your favorite dagger. You threaten to kill anyone that tries to touch it."

Calliope smiles, "I know." His hand clasps around the handle, brushing her fingers as he takes it and fastens it to his own belt. "I do expect it returned after the joust, though."

"Of course," he answers, and once again, as his eyes raise to meet hers, she is too entranced to look away. "Thank you, Calliope."

She nods, breathlessly, "You're welcome."

When he takes a step closer, she nearly forgets how to breathe properly. She feels the temperature around her rising as their breaths mingle. All she can see is blue, goosebumps tickling every inch of her skin. His hand moves to her face. He tucks a strand of her icy hair behind her ear, and her heart pounds at full speed against her ribcage, her senses on fire as his hand descends lower to brush her neck and collarbone.

She needs him to stop. He can't—they can't do this. But when she tries to voice it, her throat is tight, and all she can manage is his name.

"Arthur," she manages to say in a low, whispered tone.

"Hmm?" He hums as his attention stays on tracing her bare skin.

She inhales, feeling like her legs may give out if she lets him touch her any longer, "I don't think friends do this."

His hand stills, his fingers ghosting the side of her neck. As his eyes lock with her own, he shakes his head, "Fuck being friends."

And then, she is swept up into his hurricane as his lips crash onto hers. Suddenly, she isn't just drowning in hues of blue. She's drowning in every aspect of him. And she never wants to come up for air again.

This kiss is different from the one in the caves. It is not soft and delicate and mixed with teary goodbyes. If that kiss was the moon, shining light into darkness, then this kiss is the sun—full of heat and passion and a promise of more.

More is all she can think about as his hands grip her waist, and he pulls her tighter against his body. She holds onto his cloak, before letting her hands drift up until they are tangling in his hair. For all the times she's imagined kissing Arthur Pendragon, nothing could have ever prepared her for this. For the heat spreading from her stomach to every vein and nerve until she's completely consumed by it. It's like a wildfire coming to life within her. She thinks the flames may burn her alive as he backs her into the nearby dresser.

The desire is overwhelming her. The kisses becoming deeper as he cradles her jaw with one hand and keeps the other gripping her waist. She can't control the small gasp that leaves her lips when his hand makes contact with her bare skin as her tunic has risen up amongst their heated encounter.

That brings reality settling in.

They both freeze, and Arthur releases her. He practically stumbles away, and Calliope stares with wide eyes at him and his lips, which she can still taste against her own.

Both of their chests heave as they breathe wildly, their minds still reeling from everything that just happened. Calliope struggles to think clearly—to even remember how to form words as he steps back.

"I must go," he says through labored breaths.

And then, he leaves her alone in the house to process what just unfolded between them.

Calliope runs her hands through her hair, "Fuck."

♛ ♛ ♛

Calliope lingers in the house longer than she should have, but she's still in a huge state of shock from their heated kiss. She can still feel the ghost of his lips on hers, his hands trailing over her body, leaving little fires in their wake.

What did it even mean? How are they going to navigate through the fact that he's literally supposed to marry someone else? Maybe, this was another kiss of goodbye—an ode to everything they can never have. He wanted one last taste of her lips before fate pulled them apart once again.

By the time she arrives at the arena, Arthur is already on his horse ready to face his opponent, Sir Alynor, in the final match. The crowd is all on the edge of their seats, anxious to greet their new victor. Calliope stands by the tent closest to the arena, her hood concealing her face as she stares at the prince, watching him grab his lance.

The flag drops, and a thunder of hooves engulfs the arena. Calliope feels her heart lurch as she watches Arthur's horse charge at Sir Alynor. Time stills when she hears the crash and splintering. She fights a rising panic as Arthur's body is thrown back on his horse in a painful angle. Her fear spikes when she sees his hand cradling his side where blood drips down his armor, but he doesn't fall off his horse.

Calliope sprints to him as his horse halts by the entrance of the arena. He grunts in pain as his feet hit the ground, and without the blonde there to steady him, he would have fallen to the dirt. She supports as much of his weight as she can as she leads him into his tent, and he sits down on the bench, his face scrunching in pain.

"His lance," he says through struggled breaths as Calliope examines the wound near his side, "it pierced my armor."

She grabs a cloth and applies pressure to stop the bleeding, and he winces, but it's not enough. The wound is too deep, "You're losing too much blood."

"Do what you can. I must be back on the course in five minutes or I forfeit the match."

"Five minutes?" Calliope shakes her head. "That's not long enough to stop the bleeding. You can't joust like this."

The prince manages a small chuckle through his pain, "I have never withdrawn from a match. I do not intend to start now."

"Goddamn your pride, Arthur," Calliope answers, her eyes locking with his. "You have nothing to prove, especially to me."

"I have everything to prove," he says, refusing to back down, "to myself."

He motions for William to hand him his helmet, and the farmer obliges. Calliope puts her hands behind her head, in disbelief that he's still going to joust. With the amount of blood he's losing, he may fall off his horse before they even drop the flag.

But, she knows no one can talk him out if this, so she helps him mount his horse outside the tent. He holds out his arm, "You'll have to hand me my lance."

She grabs the long, wooden lance from where it rests with the others, raising it so he doesn't have to reach far to grab the handle. Once he has it in his grasp, Calliope looks over him, unsure what kind of advice to offer except for him to change his mind.

"Try not to bleed to death," she says.

Arthur nods, kicking the sides of his horse and racing to make it back to the arena before the five minutes are up.

"Cal!" Calliope whips her head around. She spots Merlin running through the tents, and he stops beside her. "Where's Arthur?"

She points to the arena, "He's about to joust."

His eyes widen, "He's jousting against the assassin."

"Shit," Calliope lets out through clenched teeth as Merlin sprints to the arena. She looks around everywhere for an adequate weapon, and as everyone is distracted by the second round of the joust about to occur, she swipes a bow and arrow from a weapon's stand.

Calliope slings the quiver around her back and she runs away from the tents, finding the back entrance to the stands that overlooks the course, which is just a thin ladder for guards to climb. She straps the bow around her with the quiver and begins climbing. This plan was made in the heat of the moment, but she will not let Arthur die. If it looks like the assassin is about to make a final blow, she'll send an arrow into the small sliver of skin on his neck that's exposed between his armor and helmet. She knows Merlin has a plan of his own, but she won't just sit around and hope he succeeds.

Her feet hit the wooden planks of the stands silently, and she ducks down behind the cheering fans. Calliope needs to find a place she can draw her bow back without alerting attention.

Scanning her surroundings, she sees a thick wooden pillar protruding from the roof of the arena. She doesn't hesitate as she wraps her arms around it and uses all her strength from her legs to give herself a push of momentum. Her hands grip the roof as she pulls, her arm muscles aching, until she can put her toes on the pillar and get into a crouching position. From this vantage point, no one will see her aiming at the assassin.

Reaching back, her fingers grasp an arrow and she knocks it into the bowstring. Calliope watches carefully as Arthur and the assassin begin charging at each other. The prince struggles to raise his lance.

As they come closer and closer, she draws back the bow, squinting her eyes as she sees the perfect opportunity to shoot at her target. She's about to let the string go as a strap on the assassin's saddle snaps. Putting down her weapon with a breath of relief, she watches as Arthur sinks his lance into the assassin's chest, splinters of sharp wood delivering a killing blow.

Merlin saves the day again.

Calliope climbs down from the pillar and makes her way down the ladder, returning her weapon unseen as she jogs to catch up with Merlin and Arthur in his tent.

When she pulls the flap back, she sees the prince sitting down covering his wound.

"You were jousting against the assassin," Merlin explains. "He killed Sir Alynor and took his place," the sorcerer looks over his shoulder as the words sink in, listening to the beckoning crowd. "The people are waiting for their champion. It's time to reveal yourself."

Calliope raises her eyebrows expectantly as Sir William awaits Arthur's decision. The blonde is awe-struck when he says, "You must go and collect the trophy."

"Isn't this your big moment of glory?" She asks.

Their eyes meet, his gaze is softer than usual. There is something about the way his eyes stare into her own that she knows he saves only for her, "Perhaps, this is a time for humility."

As her lips lift in a smile, Arthur gestures for William to leave the tent to claim his victory.

The three of them stand by the arena, Merlin grinning as Calliope and Arthur are shielded by their cloaks, clapping while William receives all the glory of his adoring fans.

♛ ♛ ♛

Standing before the royal court for Arthur's "return" to Camelot after their fake trip to slay some mysterious beast, Calliope feels Lady Victoria's eyes drilling into her. No doubt, she was anticipating their return, ready for the two to be separated again. She wonders what the Lady would do if she found out about their kiss; probably go as far to try to have Calliope executed.

It gives Calliope a sense of solace to know that Arthur's feelings for her haven't faded even as he faces an engagement.

"The assassin attacked us as we were returning to Camelot. I was injured while Cal and I killed him," Arthur explains to his father as he stands before him in the Throne Room with Calliope at his side. His arm is in a sling with blood staining the area near his wound.

A flicker of anger is present on King Uther's face, "Odin must pay for this. We must strike back at him."

"Surely you understand the grief he feels for the loss of his son. We should try to make peace with him. There's been enough bloodshed."

Uther nods, "Perhaps you're right," he leans back in his throne. "How was the rest of your trip fruitful?"

The prince and Calliope exchange a quick glance. He clears his throat, "Very. I learned a great deal." Lady Victoria is looking between the two, suspicion in her eyes. "How was the tournament?"

"Excellent. We have a new champion. Sir William of Deira."

He smiles, "I'm sorry we missed all the excitement."

The court disperses once Uther waves his hand of dismissal. Calliope leaves the Throne Room, turning to walk down the hall so she can go back to her room and take a long nap in her comfortable bed. She also needs to catch Quinn up on everything that happened over the past four days. She's very invested in her relationship with Arthur.

When she arrives in her room, she throws down her bag on the bed with a tired sigh and she has barely begun unpacking as she hears a soft knock on her door. Calliope sets down the clothes in her hands and glides across the floor to pull the door open.

Prince Arthur stands in the hallway before her, eyes sparkling with nerves and memories of their kiss. He hasn't even changed out of his armor yet, as if when he saw her leave, he went straight after her.

He doesn't say anything to her. Instead, he reaches to his belt, unhooking the spot where the dagger she gifted him for luck had previously dangled. Arthur holds the weapon between them.

"I thought I should return this," he says as her hand wraps around the dagger.

"Thank you," Calliope answers, replacing her prized possession in it's usual place.

When her eyes return to his, Arthur seems to be fighting a battle within his own mind, fidgeting with nerves, "Calliope, what happened earlier..." she awaits his next words, her heart clenching. "I'm afraid my father would never understand."

He wouldn't just not understand. He already had explained to Calliope what would happen if she let anything romantic occur between her and Arthur, but she's already started down that path, and she's not sure she can stop herself from tumbling the rest of the way.

The assassin crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the doorway, "So what then? Does this mean you wanna be friends? I don't think that will work out the way you think, Pendragon."

Fuck being friends. His words echo between them. "I don't..." he trails off, letting out a frustrated breath. "I don't know what I want." Without warning, he takes a step closer, his eyes overcome with a hungriness that can only be tamed by her touch. "All I know is that when I'm around you, I can't think straight, and when I kiss you, I don't want to stop."

Calliope swallows. The heat returns to her—every inch of her skin aflame as she imagines just what might happen if she lets him into her room. Flickering eyes and heavy breathing take over as she replies, "Then don't."

As he takes a step to close the space between them, another voice filters through the hallway, "Arthur?"

Both of them freeze, looking around the corner to see Lady Victoria standing outside her room, arms crossed over her chest, observing them.

Calliope releases an annoyed breath as the prince steps away from her, greeting his betrothed with a forced smile.

"My Lady."

Her heels click against the floor as she walks across the hall, "I would like a moment with Calliope, if that's alright, my Prince."

Arthur nods, shooting a quick glance at the blonde as he walks away. Calliope stands up straight as she faces Victoria, wondering what this might lead to.

Lady Victoria looks Calliope up and down. The contrast between them is striking; her lacy, yellow gown, adorned with bright jewelry and her hair styled perfectly versus Calliope's black tunic and leather pants accompanied by her belt where her dagger and sword dangle, ready to inflict killing blows—a doe and a hunter circling each other.

"I don't know what you think you may have with Arthur," Victoria starts, "but nothing will change the fact that I'm his future bride, and one day, you will be nothing more than his discarded whore." Molten anger rises with Calliope. Fury roars through her mind, "So, put a stop to this ridiculous affair or I will."

Inwardly, she is seething, but on the outside, she exudes a calm energy as she looks Lady Victoria in her eyes and smiles lightly, "Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me," and then, the beast of her rage comes to the surface as Calliope slams Lady Victoria in the wall, her dagger drawn and pressed to her throat. The Lady's eyes are narrowed, but she can't hide her fear, "Let me give you a little lesson on threatening people. This is a threat," she increases pressure on the dagger. One more tiny motion, and it will prick her skin. "You have no idea what I'm capable of, and if you ever even think about telling the King anything about me and Arthur, I will show exactly what those capabilities are."

"You wouldn't dare harm me. Uther adores me and my family," she shoots back.

Calliope leans forward, "I don't give a fuck about the King. Killing you would be the easiest thing I've ever done," Lady Victoria realizes the truth behind this threat, her blood going cold as Calliope releases her and brings her dagger down to her side. "So, think about our little chat. I really think you'll have a change of heart."

The blonde leaves Lady Victoria in the hall, still gripping her throat, blood oozing from a small cut she hadn't even realized the assassin had caused.

♛ ♛ ♛

HOLY SHIT i loved this chapter. so much happened. i hope you guys enjoyed as well. cal really popped off to victoria lmao
also many of you have been like, damn you're updating fast, and that's because my foot is still broken and most of the time, i have nothing to do because i don't go back to work until september 6th. but once i start back to work, i'll also have to balance it with school, so that's why i'm trying to get out as many chapters as i can while i still have the free time.

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