❝ when she looks into his eyes, she feels the gripping temptation to tell him all her darkest secrets; the names of the men she has killed, but she learned a long time ago that the only people who can keep secrets are resting in overgrown graveyards...
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN ( i. ) i know you've all been waiting for this episode hehe
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It takes Calliope an entire week to be able to even speak to Arthur again, and not because she's angry with him. Every time she sees him, she is only reminded that now, he is promised to another, and the small glimmer of hope within her that they could...be something, is crushed. They were just starting to mend their relationship for good, and then, Uther delivered the killing blow.
Having to check on Lady Victoria daily doesn't help. Calliope has to restrain herself from slitting her throat every time she speaks. The brunette's favorite hobby seems to be bringing up the fact that she's Arthur's betrothed, even having the audacity to ask for Calliope's opinion on wedding plans.
The assassin knows Arthur will put this off for as long as humanly possible, but one day, the time will come, and Calliope will just have to learn to live with it, which will be an extremely hard task.
The other day, Calliope was watching over some of the new potential knight's sparring while Arthur took Victoria for a late afternoon ride, per the request of his father. Watching them return, smiling at each other and laughing caused Calliope to accidentally stab one of the poor boy's arm with her sword in a flash of anger. She quickly apologized and stalked off, taking out her anger on a nearby tree that now has so many slash marks that it may topple over in the next strong thunderstorm.
It's obvious, but Calliope is not taking the engagement well.
As she stands beside Merlin a few days later, watching Arthur and some other knights prepare for the upcoming jousting tournament, she cannot peel her hateful gaze away from Lady Victoria, who sits with Morgana in the stands to watch their practice. It seems Uther is not only forcing Arthur to spend time with the dreadful Lady.
"Cal."
"What?"
"You um..." Merlin notices the path of her gaze. "You have that murderous look in your eyes, and it's scaring me."
While the prince and his opponent mount their horses, Calliope brings her eyes away from Victoria, "Don't worry, wizard boy. You're not the one I want to murder today."
"Lady Victoria," even hearing her name makes her skin crawl with anger. "News of their engagement has spread throughout the whole kingdom, but Arthur isn't happy about it."
Calliope watches as Arthur and his opponent begin riding towards each other, lances pointed to try and find their target. Arthur's lance drills into the knight's chest, sending pieces of wood flying. The knight falls off his horse, and the prince rides up to Calliope and Merlin with Lady Victoria's clapping echoing through the arena.
He pulls up the metal flap on his helmet that shields his face as merlin gestures to the knight, who struggles to get up, "That has got to hurt."
"That's the point, Merlin. It's not a pillow fight," Arthur answers as he shoots a quick glance to the blonde. She doesn't meet his gaze, and she hears him sigh. "Fetch me another lance, will you?"
