CHAPTER TWO
THE DRAGON'S CALL ( ii. )

The air is inky and hot. Everything around her is an orange, angry glow. A hand grips her, the flesh is melted down to the bone, and Calliope screams.

"Save us," the ground opens up and the burned person holding onto her tightens their grip. "Why do you get to live while the rest of us burn!?"

Calliope surfaces from the tail end of her nightmares, shaking and covered in cold sweat. She places one hand over her racing heart, and the other runs through her damp hair. The assassin closes her eyes. Just a dream, just a dream.

Just another nightmare.

This is why she has insomnia. And why she needs a stiff drink. The more she drinks, the less vivid her nightmares are. Last night, she hadn't had a drop of alcohol, so the victims of the village massacre haunted her with a tense presence.

Calliope changes clothes before she sits across from Gaius at breakfast, trying her best to seem normal and unbothered and unlike someone who had outlandish nightmares about dead people. Her blue eyes glance around his chamber as she eats her porridge, which is pretty bland and soupy, but she's grateful to not be sleeping on the ground or on the run or alone.

Every aspect of the physician's chamber looks exactly as she remembers: random potions of all kinds of colors scattered on the tables, unlatched books lying on the dusty floor, odd objects sitting around on messy shelves. Gaius has always been terrible at keeping his things neat and organized, which often irks Calliope. She hates seeing the room such a chaotic and rumpled state, but the physician seems to be able to sort through the confusion as if it perfectly placed in alphabetical order.

Merlin is still fast asleep, unbothered by the upheaval of the chambers. In fact, his snores kept her up half the night before she was finally able to doze off for a few hours.

Gaius notices the bags underneath her blue eyes. She knows he contemplates ignoring them because he's aware she doesn't like prying questions.

"You never told me why you came here."

Calliope's tired gaze moves to him as she leans back in her seat, "Gaius, you're the only one in this world that knows everything about me; the good, the bad..." she glances over Gaius's shoulder to make sure Merlin still hasn't stirred. "The Red Dragon."

"I've always wanted you to give up that life."

Calliope exhales, "Well, today is your lucky day because that's exactly why I'm here...Sort of."  Gaius raises his white eyebrows in doubt, "I've been looking for the same person for nearly a year. If I hit one more dead end, I may lose my sanity completely."

"And your mother?"

Calliope's breath hitches. Her heart clenches from all the failed attempts and false information she's received about her mother the past few years.

"I'm taking a break from searching for now. Until things cool down, at least."

"So, what will you do?"

She shrugs as she stands up, "Don't worry, Gaius. I'm sure I'll find some trouble to get into."

He laughs, "Yes, you've always been good at that."

Calliope washes out her bowl, sensing his eyes on her back and a silence that always meant the physician was deep in thought. Sighing, she turns, resting against the wall, "I know there's more you want to say—there always is."

"You have a home here, Cal, and a job," says Gaius. "You don't have to live so close to the edge of a blade; you can choose something different."

She wants to laugh in his face. Doesn't he know choice is not something that's ever been in the cards for her? Especially now, so far down this path, where there's no turning back or erasing everything she's done to ensure justice for those she loved. To give up now—to throw it all away, all those years spent fighting and clawing for what she wants—well she might as well die instead.

Her jaw clenches, eyes flashing with the ghosts that haunt her still, "Can I give you some advice?" His eyebrows raise as the assassin chews on the inside of her cheek, sucking in a breath. "Don't paint some unrealistic picture of me—it'll just make everything easier for both of us."

Gaius knows her better than anyone, including her tendency to mask every emotion that tries to rise past her mask. She likes to think that part of her is detached, like a satchel she can let go of and tuck away for no one to see.

A few minutes later, Merlin finally emerges from his heavy slumber. His hair is sticking up and he has lines on his face from his pillow. Calliope clears her throat as her eyes flicker to Gaius one last time before getting in a playful job at the sorcerer to lighten the mood around them.

"God, you were sleeping so heavily I thought you were dead," She calls out as she strolls past him.

Merlin sits down with a heavy thud, "Morning to you too, Cal."

"I'd love to stay and chat with you two, but I have some important things to do today," Calliope states as she weaves her hair through her fingers into a loose braid, knowing if she stays any longer, Gaius will assign her a list of chores, but Merlin hasn't learned how to elude his constant assignments.

Gaius gives her a knowing look, "I'm sure you do."

Calliope moves to the door after she finishes braiding her hair, "I guess that leaves all the work with Merlin... Sorry, wizard boy."

"Wait what—" she closes the door behind her before Merlin can get out another word.

Calliope is aware that she has to start working with Gaius soon if she wants to earn her keep in Camelot, but this is the first full day of her break from hunting down the man with the phoenix tattoo. She's spent the last nine years running and fighting. She deserves a day off; a day full of peacefulness.

And she does a good job of staying calm and peaceful as she strolls through the streets with the radiant sun warming her tan skin. She takes her time gliding through the markets and talking with several townspeople about their fresh goods. Passing by the butcher, she offers a quick glance at the bloody meat sitting on his display table. She isn't interested in buying raw meat, so she moves on to the greengrocer, scanning over his array of juicy apples and pears. Eagerly, she buys a handful of the delicious fruits to snack on as she continues her nice pleasant walk on this dawning summer day with her worn brown boots tapping lightly against the even cobblestone path.

Calliope's chest feels relieved of burdens after a few hours of the simplicity of town life. She misses being surrounded by the tranquility of farming and kind neighbors. She would give anything to go back to that time in her life. Remembering her father's face at the sight of budding vegetables; signs of a fruitful harvest, makes her chest clench and her insides twist as grief threatens to take hold of her mind. If only she could go back and save him.

But unfortunately, she knows going back in time is impossible. Her fingertips ghost the half-moon on her chest. The only constant thing in her life. The only thing that hasn't faded away. It's her lifeline, her grip on reality when everything else falters and jumbles and doesn't make sense. The steel symbol is all she has sometimes, especially late at night when she is shrouded in darkness; a delicate veil of shadows and fragmented starlight. Those moments are when the whispers of her past creep up the most. The ones she's loved and lost seem closer at night. Like the day chases away ghosts. As if they can't walk when dawn strikes the horizon. Calliope drops her hand, shaking those thoughts away. It's useless to mull over them, as if she could change what's already been written.

She focuses on more pragmatic things instead. Like how long she needs to stay here before moving on. Last time she needed to lay low, it only took a few weeks before she was tracking down another lead.

Three weeks. Then she'll reevaluate.

As she makes her way back to the courtyard from the low town, tossing the last apple core away, Calliope notices a group of boys around her age standing on the other side of the long path. They joke and laugh with one another while Calliope keeps her eyes forward, knowing that from the looks of them, they're sons of noblemen—people of which she has no intention of having a conversation with.

But, apparently, her intentions don't matter to the universe.

"Hey!"

Calliope keeps walking, unaware that one of them is calling out to her.

Then, she hears an arrogant, familiar, voice, "Hey, sweetheart, I'm talking to you!"

Calliope comes to a brisk stop. Did he just call her sweetheart?

She turns her head—blood boiling— her expectant gaze landing on the last person she expected. Him. The drunk man who wanted to know who she was, and somehow, in the sunlight, his features strike her even more.

He's tall with honey-kissed blond hair and blue eyes that seem to spark at the sense of her irritation, standing in front of her with a playful glint in his expression.

Suspiciously, she raises her eyebrows for an explanation.

"So, it appears I do remember you," he says, lips turning up, leaning forward and looking down at her as he stands at least six inches taller.

"I'm shocked. You were so drunk I didn't even think you'd remember your own name." Her tone sharp and quick like a dagger piercing him.

"That's quite bold of you to say."

She throws a glance at his group of friends watching their exchange as they chuckle in amusement. Her eyes shoot back to him, her mind bursting with an urgency to either hit him or walk away.

"Is there a reason you wanted to talk to me, or can I continue my walk?"

Surprise flutters through his features. He crosses his arms over his chest and pushes his shoulders back, wondering if he has stopped the wrong girl, but his confidence doesn't waver. Something about her crystal gaze intrigues him, like he's staring into deep, uncharted waters. Through the flicker of sparked, unspoken words, he senses much more from her. An aura of darkness that only draws him further in.

"We want to invite you to watch our target practice," Calliope follows the path of his eyes back to his friends as their stares scan over her figure in an unpleasant way.

Calliope curls her lips in disgust, knowing they want more than someone to watch their target practice, "I'm not interested in watching you trying to impress me because you will most certainly fail."

The man blinks in confusion, taken aback by her words, "Are you saying no?"

"Did that sound like a yes to you?"

He lets out a quick bark of laughter, "It takes extreme skill to throw daggers. You should be honored that I asked you to watch." Honored? "Just one throw... Come on, sweetheart."

Blinding anger tries to rise in her gut as she imagines taking the dagger in his hands and shoving it into his throat, but she pushes down her intrusive thoughts and breathes deeply, "Fine, one throw." Just so he'll leave her alone.

She hears his friends laugh again. Calliope crosses her arms over her chest as the man leans over and grabs a few more daggers from the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Merlin standing on the other side of the path. He must have just got done with the work Gaius tasked him with.

The man focuses on the servant standing in front of him, "Where's the target?"

Her eyes flicker to the servant as he points at two circular targets across from the man, "Over there, Sire."

"It's into the sun."

The servant's voice cracks with nerves, "It's not that bright."

"A bit like you then?" The blond-haired man taunts. Calliope rolls her eyes, knowing this is a waste of time.

The men around him throw their heads back with laughter as the servant glances at the target, "I'll put the target down on the other end, shall I Sire?"

The blond man gives him a small nod as the servant hunches down to pick up the target, but as soon as he has it in his calloused hands, the man throws a dagger in one swift motion. It lands right in the center of the target while the servant is still holding it.

"Hey! Hang on!" He yells in distress.

The man looks at Calliope with a grin, "Impressed yet?"

Her pointed, narrowed gaze is enough of an answer.

He holds out his arms as he looks back to the servant, "Don't stop!"

The servant moves over a little, "Here?"

"I told you to keep moving!"

The man throws another knife at the target in the servant's hands, "Come on!" The servant looks around as the man laughs at him. "Run!"

This is getting too embarrassing to watch.

The servant begins trotting back and forth as the man continues to throw knives at him while everyone around him makes fun of the servant, "We want some moving target practice!"

After a few more throws, the servant accidentally drops the target and falls to his knees roughly, struggling to grab onto the target that rolls across the path to Merlin's feet.

"Hey," Merlin grabs the man's attention. "Come on, that's enough."

The man tilts his head to the side, "What?"

Oh no.

"You've had your fun, my friend."

Calliope takes a few steps closer to the two. Maybe she should step in before Merlin gets punched in the face. Well, that may be fun to watch...No, she can't let him get punched in the face.

The man walks up to Merlin, "Do I know you?"

Merlin holds out his hand, "I'm Merlin, so I don't know you."

"Yet you call me 'friend'."

"That was my mistake."

"Yes, I think so."

Merlin nods with a sly smile, "Yeah, I could never have a friend that can be such an ass."

Calliope finds herself behind Merlin as everyone around them gasps at his comment, "Hey, Merlin, maybe you should just walk away from this one."

The man's eyes land on Calliope with a hint of amusement, "I think you should listen to your little girlfriend."

Her eyebrows pinch; her gaze drilling into him, "Excuse me?"

The man ignores her. He moves around her to face Merlin, as if she's invisible "Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?"

He is such a prat.

"No."

"Would you like my help?"

Merlin shakes his head with a chuckle, "I wouldn't if I were you."

"Why? What are you going to do to me?"

"You have no idea."

The man holds out his arms to Merlin with challenge flickering on his face, "Be my guest. Come on! Come on!" He continues to taunt him. "Come on."

Calliope taps Merlin on the shoulder, "Maybe we should just go—"

It's too late. Merlin throws a very weak and uncoordinated punch. The man grabs Merlin's arm and twists it around his back at a painful angle. Merlin's face scrunches up in discomfort.

"I'll have you thrown in jail for that."

"Who do you think you are—the King?"

The man leans down towards Merlin, "No, I'm his son, Arthur."

Shit. The Crown Prince of Camelot? No wonder he seemed so confused by her rude tone. She had no idea she was interacting with royalty, and yet, something had been familiar about him.

Calliope shifts her gaze to Merlin, "Yeah, I can't help you with this one. Maybe if you had thrown a better punch, but Merlin," he glances at her, "you punch like a weak, uncoordinated child."

Arthur laughs, "Ouch, it must hurt when your own girlfriend knows you're weak."

"Hey, I'm not his girlfriend, Your Highness," she tells the Prince, eyes narrowed.

He finally returns his gaze to her, a smirk lining his lips, "Well, that's the best news I've heard all week, sweetheart."

Calliope clenches her fists. No fighting. No fighting. No fighting.

She releases a frustrated breath, "My name is Calliope, not sweetheart."

Arthur flashes a cheeky grin, "Calliope...a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

Calliope almost throws up. Can the Prince of Camelot not come up with a better line than that? What a joke. She can't help herself.

"God, why don't you shove those ridiculous lines up your royal ass!"

She storms away, but no one comes after her. Prince Arthur is too taken aback to send his guards to arrest her for the rude insult. Merlin; however, gets thrown in jail.

♛ ♛ ♛

The next day comes and Calliope stands in the streets with laughter consuming the air around her.

She finds more amusement than she should in watching people gather outside the courtyard to throw rotten fruit and vegetables at Merlin as he stands in the stocks. This is his bargain for getting out of the cell Arthur threw him in for attempting to punch him; attempting, but not succeeding because Merlin is very uncoordinated. Calliope realizes that it's a good thing he has magic to protect himself because his fighting skills... Well, they need a lot of work.

"I see you laughing, Cal!"

"Oh, I'm enjoying this," Calliope shouts back with a grin. "Besides, I'm not the one that took a shot at Prince Arthur the Asshole."

Several children continue to giggle as they throw heads of lettuce at Merlin. Calliope leans down to pick one up that tumbles to her feet. She shrugs her shoulders and takes her own shot at the young sorcerer. The lettuce smacks him right in the head.

"I'll get you back for this."

"I'm sure you will."

She eventually moves on from watching Merlin get pelted with food and decides to roam throughout the castle to familiarize herself with the winding corridors and hidden alcoves perfect for a quick escape if necessary. It's been a long time since she's walked through the ornate halls, and she doesn't really have anything better to do until Gaius finally catches her and puts her to work.

The blonde passes by marching guards. Each one gives her a sharp side-eye as they continue their duties. Around her, thick pillars made of steadfast marble hold up the ceiling, and carefully crafted statutes that have been there for decades—maybe even centuries—stand tall with a confident presence. The castle is definitely a beautiful place—there's no denying the fact. The people inside it; however, that's a different story. Calliope wishes royals weren't so entitled. She wishes they didn't treat most people like second class citizens. They all bleed the same, royal or not.

As Calliope turns a sharp corner, she runs right into someone. The person lets out a startled breath, "Oh, sorry," Calliope says as she looks at the woman wearing a long purple robe; her hair is wavy and dark. Her eyes seem almost calculated, but hollow and cold at the same time.

But Calliope gets a weird feeling from this woman—almost eerie. A voice in her head tells her to get away; to flee as fast as she can from this woman. One word reverberates through her entire being: Run. Like a chill skating down her spine.

"It's alright," the woman responds as her dark eyes lock with Calliope's like she can sense her alarmed thoughts.

Calliope is still confused by the feeling in her gut as she immediately turns and walks away, but the feeling only gets stronger with her hurried steps that grow quicker and quicker with each stride. Her palms are sweaty, and she wipes them on her trousers

She's trying to shake it off as she turns another corner. She starts to feel hot— panicked, so she searches for an unlocked door. Goddammit, why are none of these doors opening? Calliope knows she needs to calm herself down; that she can't let these unnerving outrages push her into a full out breakdown.

Why was she feeling like this? Why would that woman cause such an unsettling sensation?

As sweat cakes her body, Calliope finally finds a doorknob that will turn. She lets out a breath of relief as she pushes the wooden door open. She doesn't pay attention to anything in the room. She just closes the doors behind her, and she instantly feels better. Her breathing returns to normal as the rapid heaving of her chest subsides.

Then, someone clears their throat from behind her.

"Can I help you?"

Calliope spins around on her heel, ready to defend herself, but she immediately regrets choosing this room when she sees no other than Prince Arthur the Asshole standing beside a long, decorated table as he sticks his hand into a bowl of green grapes and pops one into his mouth.

"This is your room?" Of course it is. Because the forces above just love fucking with her for fun.

Arthur nods as he chews, "Yes, and why are you in it?"

Calliope sighs, running her hands through her ice-kissed locks, "I don't know. I guess I got lost."

"You're new to Camelot, aren't you?"

"Yes, well...Kind of," Calliope admits, but she doesn't want to talk to Arthur because his presence seems to bring about unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger, which she doesn't need to entertain. "Well, sorry for interrupting. You seem like you're in the middle of something very important," her voice is laced with sarcasm as she motions to the grapes. "I'll just be on my way."

"Wait."

Part of her just wants to keep walking, but her feet still. She's surprised when she turns around to see him walking towards her. This is the first time Calliope actually takes a few seconds to really look at him; his toned muscles underneath the low-hanging neck of his shirt, his calloused hands from years of holding a sword every day, and his sky blue eyes that analyze her with hidden curiosity.

"Calliope?" she nods, pressing her lips into a firm line. For a moment, they seem to be sizing each other up. Like they are weighing a challenge, one eager to outdo the other. Arthur takes his first strike. "Since you are new to the city and how things work around here, I am willing to forget about our little...disagreement and start fresh, but I do ask for an apology."

"I won't apologize for something that's true."

He quirks an eyebrow. No one ever refuses to apologize to him. He almost doesn't even know how to proceed. Usually, he would send someone so rude to the stocks or the dungeons, but once again, he is entrapped by the mysteries dancing within her sharp stare.

"Well—then... I demand you to apologize."

Calliope scoffs. He can't be serious, "You demand me?"

Arthur crosses his arms over his chest, standing his ground against her deafening gaze, "Yes."

Calliope leans closer, speaking a word he hardly ever hears, "No."

"No?"

"Maybe you should be the one apologizing for that god-awful line you tried to use on me yesterday."

"It was meant to be a compliment!"

"Well, if making me want to throw up was the goal of your 'compliment', congratulations, you succeeded."

Arthur shakes his head at her in utter disbelief, eyes blazing "You are, by far, the rudest girl I've ever met. I can't believe I thought you were a Lady that night we met. I should—I should throw you in the dungeons!" In fact, he's about to call for the guards. Until—

"Go ahead. I've been to worse places. Maybe I'll actually get a good night's rest without having to hear Merlin's obnoxious snoring throughout the entire house," The dungeons actually sound like a good idea to her.

Arthur, once again, is unsure of what to say, "You're... insane."

Calliope nods, "Well, insane is a step up from whatever you are, Your Highness." And then she says over her shoulder. "And the night we met, I actually thought you were a pleasant person, so I guess we were both wrong."

She hears him let out an annoyed breath as she steps into the hallway, and by the time he thinks of something to say back, Calliope is already gone.

♛ ♛ ♛

When Calliope's third day in Camelot arrives, she is no longer let off the hook.

She has to help Merlin deliver potions and medicines to people throughout the royal court. She starts her day with an early morning, her yawn echoing off the walls as she knocks on the door of the first person on her list: Lady Morgana. A few quiet moments pass followed by the shuffling of feet on the other side of the door before it's swiftly pulled open.

A girl around Calliope's age is greeting her with a smile. She has smooth, moon-kissed skin and eyes of shining emeralds. Her black hair falls in waves around her face as she brushes through it with her polished fingertips.

Calliope holds out the small bottle of dark liquid, "This is from Gaius."

Lady Morgana takes it gratefully, but is unsure who the person before her is, "Thank you..."

"Oh, I'm Calliope," she replies, "but most people just call me Cal."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Cal."

Before Calliope can answer her, another girl strolls to the door carrying a tray of various breakfast foods that make her stomach grumble.

Smooth, curly hair surrounds her flawless brown skin, and a constellation of freckles lines her cheeks. Her dark eyes are full of an unspoken kindness that makes Calliope feel welcome.

"Gwen, have you met Cal yet?"

The servant, Gwen, shoots her a smile, "No, but I've seen you around with Merlin. You're staying with Gaius right?"

"Yeah, he's a good friend of my family."

Gwen looks between Calliope and Morgana, "I heard what you said to Arthur yesterday."

The blonde girl shoots a clever grin as Morgana glances to her with curious eyes, "And what did you say to our wonderful Prince?" She draws out the word 'wonderful' with icy sarcasm.

"Well, I kind of told him to shove his ridiculous lines up his royal ass."

Morgana and Gwen burst into barks of loud laughter, "That's amazing! I bet the look on his face was priceless. I think I'd pay a whole trunk of gold to see it."

Gwen tilts her head in a small nod, "It was a very nice amusement."

Morgana places a hand on Calliope's shoulder, eager to learn more about the girl who faced off with the stuck-up Prince, "You know, Cal, I think we can be good friends."

The three girls continue to chat about how arrogant and infuriating Arthur can be, and Calliope is moderately surprised by how normal Morgana acts with her and Gwen. Even though Gwen is a servant and Calliope just works for Gaius, Morgana treats them like they're all equals, which is rare for someone of her status.

Calliope says goodbye to the two girls and has to leave to continue her stops for the day. She reaches into her satchel, grabbing the next bottle of medicine, and drops it off with the royal chef, who suffers from terrible back pain. Then, she moves throughout the winding hallways and staircases that make up the never-ending maze of the castle as she loses count of the number of vials she drops off. Did Gaius do all this himself and tend to the medical needs of the palace? She can't believe he still gets around so well.

After dropping off the last vial of medicine, Calliope begins walking home. Her feet yell in protest; aching to sit down and rest, but she's thankful for the work. It keeps her mind off more troubling things in her life—like the fact she can't seem to get a good night's rest. It doesn't matter how brave or strong she might be. Nightmares are not something she can fight off.

The sun has just reached its peak in the afternoon sky without a cloud in sight to block its glowing warmth. Calliope is about halfway through the courtyard when she hears shouting and crashing from the marketplaces.

What now?

When the blonde briskly jogs out of the courtyard, she finds no other than Merlin and Arthur swinging maces at each other, and Merlin is barely dodging attacks that could cut off his head. Calliope leans against a wooden post with a long sigh.

"You've got to be kidding," she lets out under her breath.

Calliope watches as Merlin falls down and drops his mace, but somehow Arthur's own weapon gets caught in a hook. Calliope squints her eyes to look closer. Is Merlin using his magic? In public?

Arthur runs into a wooden plank that has mysteriously been moved right in his path. Little objects like this keep getting in his way as Merlin grins. Calliope looks around to see if anyone looks suspicious, but the crowd seems to just be enjoying the fight.

"I'm surprised you're not in there with them," Calliope turns her head to find Gaius observing the fight.

Casually, she shrugs her shoulders, "I told you that I've given up fighting for now. Besides, Merlin started this, and he can get himself out of it."

"It looks like we have a handful with that boy."

"Yeah, he's pretty stupid," Calliope says, "but he's brave too. Not many people will go up against the Prince like this."

Merlin finally has Arthur trip over a bucket, and he falls onto stacked bags of grain, "Do you want to give up?" Merlin asks in a loud, taunting voice. "Do you want to give up?"

But then, his gaze moves over to Calliope and Gaius. The physician shakes his head at Merlin, causing him to realize how stupid the fight with Arthur really is—how childish and unimportant.

And while he's distracted, Arthur grabs a broom that's leaning against the grain bags beside him. He uses the broom to hit Merlin in the side, then the gut, and finally, right on the forehead.

Merlin falls over, but guards immediately grab him and pull him to his feet in front of Arthur, still dazed from the hit.

"Wait," Arthur says, holding up a commanding hand, "Let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one." Then, as the prince starts to walk passed Merlin, he takes one last look at him with furrowed eyebrows. "There's something about you, Merlin... I can't quite put my finger on it."

Arthur steps away from Merlin, moving through the crowd with his guards as the young sorcerer breathes heavily from the fight. Everyone steps back out of the way to make a path for Arthur, but when the Prince spots Calliope—the girl unafraid to be blunt and rude to him—he comes to a contemplative halt that lasts a few seconds. Calliope observes him carefully, wondering what could be going through his mind.

Coming to a decision that Calliope suspects will be him finally throwing her the dungeons, Arthur tells his guards that he will catch up with them soon as the crowd around them disperses to continue their day of work.

"Nice to see you again, sweetheart. Feel like apologizing yet?"

A flame of anger flashes in her gut as he stops in front of her—eyes glinting, "I told you I'm not apologizing."

Arthur's blue gaze locks with hers, "Well, you're the first girl I've ever met that responds rudely to being called beautiful."

With an eye roll, she shakes her head at him, "But you said it in a very arrogant tone as if I was just supposed to fall at your feet and swoon over you like some ridiculous princess."

"Well, most girls do swoon over me."

Calliope scoffs, "I can't imagine why."

Arthur chews on his lip, contemplating, "Usually, I throw people in the dungeons for treating me this way, but..." he glances over her with a smirk. "I'm curious about you, Calliope, so I'll make you deal."

"What kind of deal?" She's already preparing to tell him she's not interested.

"I have some free time before Lady Helen's performance tomorrow night. Give me a few hours to prove I'm not as bad as you think I am, and I won't throw you in the dungeons."

Spending time with Prince Arthur the Asshole? No thank you.

"And, at the end, if your opinion changes, you have to apologize to me, but if it doesn't, I will apologize to you. Deal?"

A suspicious glimmer shines in her eyes, "Why do you care about changing my opinion of you?"

He shrugs his shoulders, "I just like to prove people wrong who think they know everything about me."

Calliope takes a moment to think, but she knows he won't leave her alone until she agrees.

"Fine, but you better have one amazing apology, because I highly doubt you'll be able to change my mind about you, Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur flashes another wide grin at her, "Whatever—just try your best not to fall in love with me."

"Oh trust me. That won't be an issue," Calliope fires as he starts to back away. "In fact, I find you quite repulsive."

"Well, then I'm sure you won't be too devastated to hear that the feeling is mutual."

"How could that be when not long ago you were calling me beautiful?" She snaps, thinking she got him with that comment.

He shrugs, "True, but then you opened your mouth, and I discovered much more fitting adjectives."

Calliope clenches her fists. His smirk widens, her anger giving him much more satisfaction than he could have imaged.

She hears him say one last thing as he turns, "I'll see you tomorrow then, sweetheart!"

am i stretching episode one into three chapters? yes, because there is so much introductory information, and cal has to meet everyone so there are several extra scenes i have to add besides the scenes i want to include from the episode :) please leave your thoughts in the comments and thanks for reading <3
graphic by sixty6ix