CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH ( i. )

The words from the dragon persist in Calliope's mind for the rest of the week; she can't shake the reality that in order to stop the blood wraiths and Sepharin, she will have to die.

Three weeks left to live; twenty-one days. How do you fit a lifetime into twenty-one days?

Merlin is determined to find another way, but Calliope knows in her heart that it's useless. She must pay the ultimate price for everything she's done. When making deals with the devil, there can never be a happy ending. You have to face the hell you've created.

She shouldn't be surprised. After all, in Calliope's line of work, most end up on the wrong end of a blade eventually. Being a wanted assassin is not exactly a job with the guarantee of a happy life, but for a short while, she thought retiring could bring that for her, and she couldn't have been more wrong.

But, there are always other dangers to keep her mind off the impending doom heading her way. The current problem at hand came to Camelot last night as Merlin's mother brought news that her village is constantly under attack by a band of entitled assholes that collect far too many taxes than necessary.

And they are part of Cenred's kingdom, and that man only cares about making himself richer and more powerful. The every-day matters of his civilians don't concern him in the slightest.

Hunith's only option now is Uther, but Calliope doesn't expect him to offer any form of support.

"The winters are harsh in Ealdor, and there are many children. Some of them just won't be strong enough to survive. We barely have enough food as it is, and if Kanen takes our harvest..." Hunith trails off, surrounded by the entire royal court on the throne room. King Uther sits with his crown on his head while the prince stands beside him listening intently to Merlin's mother. "Our children won't live to see another summer. Please, we need your help."

Calliope is focused on the large bruise around her right eye-- no doubt from this thug Kanen. Her blood boils at the thought of a man like him persecuting a helpless village for his own amusement. It brings back haunting memories of her own village being slaughtered.

Her hands ball into fists; her fingernails digging into her palm as she tries to keep the flashing moments at bay in her mind.

"Ealdor is in Cenred's kingdom," Uther finally says. "Your safety is his responsibility." That response is not surprising. Calliope thinks as she rolls her eyes.

Hunith nods, "We've appealed to our king, but he cares little for the outlying regions. You're our only hope."

The king takes a moment to ponder the problem laid out before him. His eyebrows pinch in thought before he inhales deeply.

"I have the deepest sympathy for you and would have this barbarian wiped off the face of the earth."

"You'll help us?"

"I wish I could," Uther replies.

Arthur, who is in disbelief at his father's words, turns to him, "Surely we can spare a few men."

"Resources are not the problem," Uther says, leaning back in his throne.

Morgana speaks up, "Then what is?"

"Ealdor lies beyond the ridge of Aesctir. For an army of Camelot to enter--it would be an act of war."

With the hope of Uther's help fading further away, Hunith falls to her knees, desperation overtaking her voice.

"I know you're a good king. A caring man," Calliope raises her eyebrows, wanting to make a snide remark, but now is not the time. "I'm begging you, please, help us."

But, no matter how convincing Hunith could ever be, Uther will not budge, "The accord we've struck with Cenred was years in the making. I cannot risk hundreds of lives for the sake of one village. I'm afraid Camelot cannot help."

Morgana shoots the king an unsatisfied look, walking over to help Hunith back her feet. She leads Merlin's mother out of the throne room as the royal court disperses to chat amongst themselves.

Out of the corner of her eye, Calliope can see Merlin standing near the wall with his eyebrows furrowed, and she knows there's no way he's accepting Uther's decision. Of course, Calliope can't let him get into trouble alone, so she walks up to him.

The younger sorcerer turns his head to greet her, "So," Calliope says as she leans against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. "When do we leave?"

"I am leaving this afternoon with my mother," he answers. "You don't have to come, Cal-"

Calliope holds up her hand, "I'm just going to stop you right there. First, if you're going to be facing some dickwad with an entire army, you're going to need all the help you can get, and I don't know if you forgot, but..." she leans closer to whisper. "I'm kind of the best assassin in the world."

"Well, that's fair, but--"

"Secondly," she says, cutting him off, "I don't like being all sappy, but you're like my best friend, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you do this alone, okay? So stop bitching, and let's get packed."

There's no way Merlin can argue with that, so he lets out a long sigh and nods, motioning for Calliope to follow him back to Gaius's.

In the back of her mind, she can't stop thinking about her village; the overwhelming feelings that arose after hearing Hunith's plea for help, and she is determined to stop Kanen.

Calliope is not nine anymore; she's older and stronger and wiser, and she will not stand by and watch another village burn.

♛ ♛ ♛

After promising Gaius she would make sure Merlin didn't do anything too stupid, Calliope stands by her favorite horse in the stables, saddling her up and tucking a few more supplies into a satchel. She has no idea how long they will be gone, but with their luck there's always complications, so Calliope packs a few extra rations.

It's nice to have a task to focus on to keep her thoughts away from the ticking clock on her life. She welcomes anything to keep her moving because when she stops and has a moment alone with her mind, the darkness and anxieties try to take over.

Calliope takes a deep breath, shaking her head and telling herself to be strong for Merlin and his mother. She might be the only one there trained in combat, so killing Kanen and his men may be a task she mostly has to bear alone.

She's good at that; it might be the most useful thing Sepharin taught her--how to tuck away emotions in a neat box and lock it tightly.

"You're going then?"

The blonde turns her head to see Prince Arthur leaning against the stall across from her. Calliope nods, fastening the last buckle of the saddle.

"Of course I am. Unlike you, I don't need daddy's permission for everything."

Arthur scoffs, "Don't worry. I'm not here to stop you."

"Honestly, Arthur," Calliope turns to him with the reins in her hands. "I'd love to see you try. Seriously, it'd be really entertaining."

He pushes himself off the stall, ignoring her clever remarks, "I just want you to be careful. This Kanen guy sounds like he's really ruthless."

Calliope puts her hand over her heart sarcastically, "It's so cute how you're worried about me," the prince rolls his eyes, "and I appreciate it, I really do, but let's just say I've dealt with his type before, so there's really no reason to be concerned."

"I know you are more than capable to take care of yourself," he says, his eyes locking with hers. "but that still doesn't stop me from worrying."

The moment they shared in his room last week flashes in her thoughts: his hand on her face; their lips so close.

Put your feelings in the box, she thinks to herself, and lock it goddamn tight. But it might take one thousand locks to shut these feelings away.

"I'll be fine, Arthur," she finally says, breaking his gaze and motioning to the sword on her side. "Kanen is the one who really needs to be worried."

He follows her out of the stables as she leads her horse to the cobblestone path, "Yeah, he has no idea what's coming for him."

When Calliope climbs into the saddle, their eyes meet one last time, "I'll see you soon."

Arthur nods, his heart tugging as she kicks the sides of her horse, "See you soon."

As the blonde rides away to catch up with Merlin outside the city walls, she feels Arthur's eyes on her back until she's out of his field of vision.

Maybe a break from the prince will be good for her. Maybe she can sort out how she wants these next three weeks to go, and what she should say to him because she has always been terrible at goodbyes. Her version of goodbye is usually just leaving in the night as an easy cop out, but she owes him more than that.

When Calliope sees Merlin and his mother waiting on their horses at the tree line, she's surprised to also find Gwen and Morgana with them. Calliope tilts her head to the side as her horse comes to a halt in front of them.

Honestly, she shouldn't be surprised. Morgana is just as stubborn as Uther, and there's no way she could stay at the palace with the thought of innocent people suffering, and Gwen is brave and noble--just as any knight in Camelot--  and she always wants to do what's right.

Light rain starts to prickle against the earth as Calliope looks between her companions. This is the calvary coming back to save Ealdor. They may not look like much, but all of them will put up one hell of a fight.

Calliope's gaze flickers over to Morgana, "You know this is probably going to piss Uther off right?"

She grins, "Well, I can only hope so."

"Morgana, I respect you more and more every day."

"Pissing off the king is one of Cal's favorite past times," Gwen explains to Merlin's mother.

Merlin chuckles as Hunith looks to Calliope with a proud stare, "It's good to know Camelot has such strong women to advocate for others."

"Yeah, Cal never backs down from a fight," Merlin says. "She's a good friend."

Calliope offers him a thankful smile, and then, the group begins their journey to Ealdor as a blanket of rain falls on the grass.

She turns her head to the cloudy sky, letting the cool droplets coat her face. Calliope relishes in these small, simple moments; even something as simple as a refreshing rain because she knows that soon, it will all fade away.

♛ ♛ ♛

Calliope has spent her fair share of nights sleeping on the ground with nothing more than a small patch of leaves as a pillow, but she has grown accustomed to her bed back in Camelot, so falling asleep on the cold, hard dirt proves to be an impossible challenge.

With a sigh, she tosses and turns every few minutes, adjusting her blanket to try to cover more of her body. The sounds of the forest-- insects chirping, a twig snapping every now and then-- distract her mind from sleep.

Everyone else seems to be in a deep slumber, getting rested up for their last day of traveling tomorrow, but no matter how long Calliope lays with her eyes closed, she cannot go to goddamn sleep.

Then, she hears the faint pounding of a horse's hooves against the earth. The sound gets closer and closer, and the blonde tenses up, glancing over at her sword which sits right above her head. Calliope reaches forward and closes her palm around the handle.

A hushed voice calls over to her, "Cal," she sits up, turning her head to see Merlin standing up by the dying fire. "You hear that too?"

"Yeah, sounds like it's only one rider," she answers. "I'm sure it's just another traveler, but we should probably check it out to be safe."

Calliope stands, motioning for Merlin to walk behind her as they step further into the dark woods. Echoes of branches snapping and leaves rustling filter to her ears as she keeps her head on a swivel, watching for any sudden movements.

From behind her, Merlin has his own sword out, holding it in front of him like a lifeline. Calliope could sense his nerves from a mile away.

Suddenly, she hears him stop walking. Calliope furrows her eyebrows, wondering if he found something, until she hears a familiar voice speak up.

"I'd ask you for money, but I know you don't have any."

"Arthur!" Merlin turns sharply, swing his sword and nearly taking off the Prince's head, but Arthur ducks just in time. Calliope chuckles, shaking her head.

A look of annoyance overtakes his expression as his eyes go from Merlin to the sword.

"Put the sword down, Merlin. You look ridiculous."

Calliope tucks away her blade. The prince walks past Merlin offering Calliope a greeting nod as they head back towards camp.

She nudges his shoulder, "So, what will Uther think about this rebellious phase?"

"Shut up."

They settle around the crackling embers, the dying heat providing a small amount of light amongst the darkness. None of the others were woken up by the commotion, but it's probably best to just let them sleep for now.

Arthur sits between Calliope and Merlin, fiddling with a small stick he picked up from below him. Calliope turns her head, glancing over him. It seems like he enjoys proving her wrong; that he wants to show her he's not just a clone of his father, but there's also something deeper. Even though he gives Merlin a lot of shit, deep down, the prince does care for him and considers him a friend. It's so obvious, and Calliope wishes he could just admit it, but maybe he struggles just as much as she does with expressing feelings.

He splits the stick in half, throwing it into the fading fire, "So, how much further is it?"

"Maybe a few hours."

Arthur nods, "How many men does Kanen have?"

A quiet sigh passes through Merlin's lips, "I'm not sure. From what my mother says--maybe forty."

"We can take them," Calliope says, a small grin lifting her lips as she offers a voice of reassurance.

The prince glances at her, "We should get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

A moment of silence falls on them, and then Merlin looks to Arthur before he gets up to settle down for the night, "Thank you," he says. "I know you didn't have to come."

Arthur stands from the log, "Get some sleep."

He grabs his rolled up blanket and crosses the small campsite, rustling with the foliage to find a semi-comfortable place to sleep and leaving Merlin and Calliope by the fire.

"He's too full of himself to admit it," Calliope says quietly, her eyes flickering to Merlin, "but you're not just a servant to him, Merlin. You're his friend, and he came here to help you."

The young sorcerer stands, about to head over to try to get a few hours of sleep, "Well, you're here too."

"What do you mean?"

Merlin rolls his eyes,  leaning forward to whisper, "Don't play dumb, Cal. I see right through both of you."

And before Calliope can retort, Merlin is walking over to his blanket by his mother. She lets out an agitated huff at how Merlin thinks he has everything figured out, and she treks over to her own blanket, which happens to be right across from where Arthur settled. Of course.

Calliope picks up her blanket, dusting the dirt and sticks off of it, and she stretches it over a patch of greenery. Her satchel acts as a pillow as she lays her head against it, staring at the canopy of branches above her. The sky is freckled with stars, and their light peeks through the swaying leaves. There's a simplicity in the peace of nightfall. She's always loved the company of the stars.

Then, she feels a pair of eyes on her. Calliope's head falls to the right. Her gaze mingles with the intense blue of Arthur's eyes--her heart clenching in her chest at the way his gaze makes her insides want to melt.

But nothing can ever happen between them, especially with the clock ticking on her life.

So, Calliope inhales deeply, breaking his gaze and turning her back to him in the moonlight. She closes her eyes tightly and soon, finally drifts off into a restless sleep.

♛ ♛ ♛

It's in the early hours of the morning when the sun has barely even began to peak over the horizon, that Calliope is woken up, feeling like she barely got any rest at all, and she quickly starts to pack up her gear into her satchel. She rolls up her blanket and ties strings around it to keep it in place on her saddle.

Everyone else is doing the same, not talking much as they are all still trying to wake up. A loud yawn leaves Calliope lips. She takes a big swig of water from her canteen, and then she puts her right foot into one of the stirrups. She hoists herself up into the saddle, and fights to keep her eyes from closing again. As she stretches her arms out, she realizes how sore her back is from sleeping on the ground, and she curses under her breath.

It takes everyone a few more minutes to get ready for the rest of their journey to Ealdor, but as soon as each person has mounted their horses, they immediately pick up a fast pace. Kanen said he would be back to collect more from the village today, and they have to beat him there, or he might start slashing through the villagers with no one there to stop him.

As they get closer and closer, they urger their horses to go faster, their hooves kicking up dirt everywhere in their path. The village is just out of reach--just a few more miles.

After about half an hour, Calliope's horse breaks through the tree line with Arthur close behind her. In the distance, she sees Merlin's small village; the houses made of straw and uneven stone; the gardens if vegetables and pins of pigs and goats. It looks so much like her own village on the outskirts of Camelot.

Amongst the villagers are men with weapons, thundering through houses and collecting food and valuables. And in the middle of the chaos stands a man clad in armor with a large ax in his hand. That has to be Kanen.

He brings the hilt of his ax against one man's gut. The villager falls over, and as Kanen raises his ax to deliver the final blow, Arthur reaches to his side and pulls out a dagger, throwing it with force. The dagger flies right by his face and lands in the post of the the gate right beside him.

Kanen jumps back in shock, his wide eyes going to the people riding up the village.

Calliope and Arthur jump down from their horses at the same time, fighting back to back as Kanen's men charge at them. Calliope's sword clangs against the metal of another blade belonging to a tall man with a dark mask covering most of his face. She brings back her sword, stepping with all her strength as her next blow comes right for his arm. He hisses in pain, dropping his weapon, and not even having time to react as the blonde sinks the sharp end of her blade into his chest.

She has no time to rest. Another man comes at her with an ax. She dodges each swing to her neck, elbowing the man in the nose. He stumbles back, blood flowing onto his hand as he covers the injury. Calliope lunges forward, but his ax deflects her attack.

"Kill them!" she hears Kanen yell.

A second man comes at Calliope with a sword, and then, she's jumping and ducking and deflecting every second. Calliope kicks the one with the ax in the knee and spins to block a dangerous blow near her side.

As she is fighting the man with the sword, the other main regains his balance and manages to catch a painful slice to the back of Calliope's shoulder. She cries out in pain; blood flows from the wound, staining her shirt.

Her eyes narrow. Now she's pissed.

"Okay, this is getting old," she says as she swallows the pain and punches the man in the face with the hilt of her sword.

As he's caught off guard, she stabs him in the stomach, pulling her blade out and spinning around to kick the remaining man in the neck. He gasps, unable to breathe, and then her sword slices his throat open. He sputters blood, falling over to the grass and taking his last breath.

Calliope turns to everyone else. Only Kanen and one of his men that came to terrorize the villagers remain. They jump onto their horses, scanning over the attackers.

"You'll pay for this with your lives. All of you!" Kanen yells in a threatening tone before kicking his horse's sides and riding away. Calliope watches him until he finally disappears into the trees.

The blonde leans against a near by house, wincing as the burning pain from her wound increases. Shit, she needs to patch it up before it gets infected.

While Calliope is trying to gauge the seriousness of the blow, Arthur instructs Merlin to get the villagers together. The prince stands by the well, facing the crowd that is gathering around him, their eyes expectant and curious for what he has to say. Some of them eye him with suspicion--unaware of his true motives.

But, as blood continues to flow from her shoulder, Calliope realizes she cannot stick around for Arthur's motivational speech. It would be really unfortunate for her to bleed out against the side of this house while Arthur has his big moment.

Calliope walks over to her horse, grabbing her satchel, and then she steps into the closest house. She can feel herself becoming light headed as she fumbles through her bag, finding a cloth, needle, thread, and a small bottle of alcohol, which she was saving for fun not for her medical needs, but alas, the universe loves messing up her plans.

A table sits in front of a very dusty mirror, and Calliope plops down on the surface, pulling her bloody shirt over her head. The action causes a searing pain to shoot through her shoulder and she lets out a loud string of curses.

Calliope lifts her undergarment. She takes it off and leaves the garment pressed against her chest to cover herself as she squeezes her eyes shut tightly, taking a deep breath before pouring the alcohol over the cut that goes down to the middle of her back.

"Fucking hell," she says through clenched teeth as the alcohol burns through her skin with a very unpleasant sting.

As she looks in the mirror, she feels relief flood through her at the realization that the cut isn't deep enough to have to sew back together, but she will need to dress it properly to avoid a nasty infection.

"You're hurt."

Arthur's voice filters in from the doorway. Calliope doesn't look over her shoulder to greet him, "I'm fine," she says as she tries to change the subject. "So, did you dazzle the crowd?"

His eyes trail from the long cut on her shoulder to the intricate dragon tattoo spiraling down her back. He can't pull his gaze away from it--it's just so...alluring. But alongside the tattoo are marks in the shape of a whip. Some barely discernable while others still have a red hue to them. A slaver's whip. Arthur swallows thickly at even the thought of her having to endure something like that.

"Most of them want to fight," he finally says, snapping himself out of his trance and trying to ignore how much of her bare skin is showing. Then, she hears his footsteps coming closer. "But, Merlin's friend, Will, doesn't think I should even be here. He seems like he really hates me."

Finally, she glances back at him, noticing his wandering eyes glued to her tattoo.

"Have you never seen a girl with a tattoo before?" She asks, quirking an eyebrow playfully as she strains to press the cloth against her wound. "Or have you just never seen a girl half-naked?"

He tries to hide the blush covering his cheeks, "I-um-uh..." she grins as he trails off. "No, not exactly....to the first one. I mean I have... you know what, never mind." The prince sees Calliope struggling to apply pressure to the bleeding wound, and he lets out a gentle sigh. "Just let me do it. Your arms are too short."

"No, I don't need your help," she fires back as she tries to stretch her arm further.

"Damn it, Calliope, you're going to bleed out on the table, just--" without waring, he snatches the large cloth from her. The blonde rolls her eyes and lets out a defeated huff. "Let me help you."

Finally giving in, Calliope turns her head away from the prince and grips the edges of the table as she feels the soft cloth press against her wound. She bites down on her cheek to avoid crying out from the harsh pressure.

Arthur can feel how tense she is, "You don't have to pretend like it doesn't hurt."

Ignoring him, she hands him a few bandages, "It needs to be wrapped so I don't get an infection."

Shaking his head at how stubborn this girl is, Arthur grabs the bandages. Calliope sits in silence as she feels him put the cloth in place, his fingers brushing lightly against the bare skin of her back. Her breath hitches at the sensation.

She tries to focus on something else--anything else to avoid the way his touch makes her heart beat one thousand times faster than it should.

Arthur begins wrapping the bandages, having to step closer to bring it around the front of her shoulder. She can feel a natural warmth radiating off him, and she can't control the tingling feelings taking over her chest. I'm a fucking ruthless assassin and this is what stumps me? Calliope wants to slap herself in the face. She's not supposed to care this much.

"All done," he says in a gentle tone.

Once the bandage is in place, Arthur can't help himself. His fingers trail to her tattoo, creating goosebumps down her spine. She feels him trace the patters of the ink, and she knows she should stop him, but she can't bring herself to move. As his fingertips descend lower on her back—to the dragon's long, winding tail—Calliope feels like she may burst from the inside out. She can't hide the shiver that goes through her body as his hand gets to the end of the tattoo.

"Thank you," she is finally able to say in a breathless tone.

When his hand falls, Calliope turns her body, swinging her legs around the table so she is face-to-face with the prince. She can see him struggling to keep his eyes from wandering down to her chest; the only thing keeping it from being completely exposed is a thin undergarment Calliope has pressed against herself.

"Another one?" he asks, pointing to the Latin words right above the undergarment.

Calliope nods, holding up her right wrist to show him the blue jay, "I have a thing for tattoos."

"Don't they hurt?"

She shrugs, "Someone once told me that tattoos are like armor to protect us from our true pain."

Arthur blue eyes lock with her own; their gazes dancing as he continues the impossible task of tearing down her walls.

"So, what's your armor for?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Calliope can feel the tension in the air between them; it's almost too hot to withstand.

"I would," he answers in a genuine tone, looking into her eyes deeply.

Her restraint is a tiny, tiny thread on the verge of snapping. Would it really be so bad to just lean forward and finally know what his lips taste like against her own? Her gaze flickers between his eyes and lips; back and forth, wondering if he will make the first move.

"Arthur! Arthur--"

Merlin has great timing. He stands in the doorway, looking at the scene before him with wide eyes and a ghost of a smile. Arthur steps away from the blonde, clearing his throat, and giving Merlin a very annoyed stare.

"My bad," Merlin says stepping away, awkwardly. "Didn't mean to interrupt."

The sorcerer hurries away, laughing to himself, as Arthur turns back to Calliope.

"He's such an idiot."

"Trust me, I know," Calliope answers with a small smile.

"Um, you need a new shirt," Arthur says as he begins digging through his own bag. After a few seconds, he pulls out one of his simple dark blue shirts and offers it to her. "Here."

She takes the piece of clothing, "Thanks."

And then, he clears his throat once again, "I'll just let you get changed."

The prince walks swiftly out of the house, and Calliope releases a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

This is just getting more and more complicated.

♛ ♛ ♛

hey everyone! here's the next chapter! i know you guys are dying for cal and arthur to finally kiss, but this story is a slow burn...however, (small spoiler alert) i will say that you won't have to wait until part two (season two), hehe.
remember to vote and leave your thoughts in the comments ;)