33

The door to Calliope's bed chambers flew open, causing Calliope to jump from her chair. She met Mido's furious gaze.

"Come on in," she muttered, turning back to the roaring fire. The sun had just begun its descent, casting the land outside in orange and gold hues; the shadows of the world stretched across the surface.

"What the hell happened?"

"Nothing."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

Mido closed the door and stood in silence for a moment. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softer; concerned.

"I'm fine," she said, turning back towards the fire.

Mido sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ian told me what happened."

"Then why are you asking me?"

"I just want to make sure you're all right."

"I said I'm fine."

"King Sloan said they will be banished."

"I know."

Mido walked towards her and knelt beside her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"It's not your job to be there. You're a soldier, Mido, you have responsibilities to your king."

"Yeah, well-"

"Well nothing." Calliope met his gaze for a moment and forced a smile. "Besides, it was Ian's turn today."

Mido turned to the flickering flames and nodded. "Yeah. I already yelled at him." He turned back to her and returned the smile, just as forced. "There's a trial tomorrow."

Calliope nodded.

"I'll be there with you."

"I'm not going."

Mido said nothing. He understood the war she battled in her mind; she didn't want to be treated as a human, but she didn't want to be different, either. Despite the kingdom's acceptance of her, she couldn't help but feel like a burden. Mido sighed. "Okay."

"Thanks."

Mido stood and left her alone in the darkening room.

*****

The next morning, Calliope wandered the castle halls. The warm, morning sun streamed through the windows, making warm patterns along the cold stone floor. Her footsteps echoed off the bare walls. She peered out one of the windows; the once busy streets whispered to each other in the still air, yearning for their citizens to return to their comfortable routines. Instead, they waited anxiously behind stone walls, eager to hear King Sloan's decision on the two men on trial.

Calliope leaned against the wall and let the morning air warm her face. She closed her eyes, soaking up the sun's rays, and sighed. She turned and continued her stroll. She considered going to the stables, but in order to do so, she would have to pass the throne room where Barric and Carsen's trial took place.

She dragged herself through the castle, feeling trapped. She needed to get out of its stone walls but couldn't bring herself to pass the throne room. She tried to stall until the end of the trial; she busied her mind with each window she passed, taking in the sights of the kingdom and watching the flags blow in the wind. But before she realized it, she had rounded the corner to the throne room. She could hear King Sloan's angry voice echoing off the walls. The citizens murmured their disgust with the two men on trial. Calliope stood around the corner and listened.

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" King Sloan's voice said.

"You're leading your kingdom to its defeat," Barric hissed.

"She will betray you," Carsen's voice echoed.

People murmured and shouted. Calliope strained to make out what they were saying, but their voices thundered together in the large room. What questions and doubt would this cause the citizens of Librona? She held her breath and continued to listen in as the voice's quieted.

"Calliope is loyal to this kingdom.," King Sloan said. "Without her, the kingdom would not be standing today. We owe her our lives. She will forever have a home within our borders."

"You will regret that," Barric said, his voice hard and strong in the room.

"I pity that you cannot see the good in her," King Sloan said. His voice truly sounded as if he pitied them. Calliope leaned her head against the wall. "But your actions will not be tolerated – towards her or anyone else in this kingdom."

The room grew quiet as they listened to his decree.

"You are banished from the kingdom of Libona."

The room erupted once more; citizens shouted at the two men. Calliope leaned against the wall, holding back her curiosity. She imagined that the king's guards had arrested them. Would they be brought to the dungeons? She hid around the corner as shadows grew into the hallway. She listened as footsteps shuffled down the hallway towards the dungeon. Her eyes searched the stone floor for a moment before she turned and hurried back down the hallway.

King Sloan beckoned to Mido. Mido approached his king.

"I want you to join the escort tonight," he said. "Bring them across the borders to the ocean. There will be a ship waiting to take them. The navy will take it from there."

Mido nodded and bowed to his king. He exited through one of the back doors and hurried up the stone staircase. He knocked on Calliope's door and let himself in when there was no response. The room was empty. He closed the door and made his way down the hallway. He rounded a corner and found her sitting on the hard floor. He sat beside her and leaned against the wall.

"They'll be gone tonight," he said to her. When she said nothing, Mido sighed. "I think you need a drink."

"A drink?"

Mido stood and stretched an arm towards her, lifting her to her feet.

"A drink of ale."

"What's that?" Calliope followed him through the castle halls.

"It's a drink that will make you feel better."

"Like a potion?"

Mido laughed. "Yeah, something like that. It's our own kind of magic."

Calliope raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled.

"You'll see. It's what we humans drink when we need to forget all the shit going on."

"You sound experienced with ale."

Mido bobbed his head as he considered this, his mouth crooked in thought. "I've had my days."

"You need to forget a lot?"

"I'm going to need to forget you if you keep pestering me." He shot her one of his crooked smiles and winked. Ian greeted them as they made their way out of the castle.

"Where are you two headed?" he asked.

"I'm going to teach Calli to drink."

Ian looked amused. "This I have to see."

"Should I be worried?" she asked.

Ian smirked. "Probably."

The city bustled with life once more now that its citizens returned to their daily routine. The children watched from a distance as Calliope walked through the crowds. She caught their glances and smiled, snapping her fingers at her side. A monarch butterfly took flight from her palms and fluttered around the children's amazed faces.

Mido stood off to the side, holding a door open to a dim tavern. Men sat together in groups around tables while women served them heavy mugs of unknown beverages. They greeted and nodded at Mido and Ian as they navigated through the tavern and to a table at the corner. Calliope sat with them, her eyes taking in the unusual scene around her.

"This is where you drink ale?"

Ian laughed. "I'll get us something good." He stood and made his way to the bar.

"This has to be one of the strangest things about humans."

"You want to fit in, don't you? Learn about our ways."

"Why can't I just be who I am?"

"You hardly even know who you are."

Calliope considered this and shrugged. Ian approached with three mugs and passed them around. Calliope peered into her mug. The smell was strong; she wrinkled her nose and Mido laughed. The two men raised their mugs and bumped them together.

"Cheers," Ian said.

Calliope mimicked them and raised her own. She watched as the two men downed the ale in their mugs. She peered inside her mug once more and pressed it to her lips. She lifted carefully and waited for the liquid to reach her mouth. She took a small sip and swallowed. She winced as the liquid burned her throat and she coughed. Ian and Mido laughed as she choked.

"This is disgusting," she said, pushing the mug away. "Awful. How can you enjoy this?"

"You get used to it," Ian said with a shrug.

Calliope pulled the mug to her once more and watched the liquid swirl inside. She pinched her lips together, considering another drink.

"When will it make me feel better?"

"Oh, you're going to need a lot more than that," Mido said, bringing his mug to his lips once more.

"Once you start acting like that guy, you'll be there," Ian said, nodding to an older man at the other end of the tavern. He raised his mug and stumbled around, singing and laughing loudly.

"He's foolish," Calliope said in disgust.

"He hasn't a care in the world," Ian explained. "He's forgotten all his worries."

"He looks ridiculous."

"He doesn't care what he looks like."

"Ale did that to him?"

"Yup."

Calliope watched as the man danced and stumbled. He looked genuinely happy. It had to be the result of some magic.

"Another?" Ian asked Mido as he stood. Mido nodded and watched as Ian walked back towards the bar.

"I don't understand," Calliope said to her mug. "Why would anyone want to drink something that makes them so foolish? How could anyone's day be so bad that they would want to behave like that?"

"I don't understand how someone like you could have gotten by without ale."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Wouldn't you drink this stuff every day if it could make you forget what Scarletta put you through?"

Calliope considered this for a moment. "I don't think anyone here has suffered like that."

"You don't know that. You don't know what that man has been through."

"How have you suffered, then? Why do you do this?"

Mido grew quiet. "We all have something," he said, staring inside his mug.

"Is it because of me?"

Mido smiled and met her gaze. "Only a little bit."

"I don't want you to do this because of me."

Mido chuckled and lifted the mug to his lips. "Don't worry," he said after taking a sip. "You're the least of my problems."

Ian returned with two more mugs. "I'd pay to be as happy as that guy right now."

"What on Earth could you possibly be upset about right now?" Mido asked, switching his empty mug for the new one.

"I don't know. Maybe the fact that she's been eyeing you since we walked in and I haven't gotten so much as a 'how do you do.'" He gestured to a woman leaning against the bar. "I even offered her a drink."

Mido laughed.

"What's going on?" Calliope asked, confused by the interaction.

"She's a pretty gal," Ian said looking the woman over. "And she's not interested in me."

"Are you interested in her?"

"I'm sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. She's gorgeous."

"What if she's mean?"

Ian laughed. "If I could take her home, it wouldn't matter how mean she is."

Mido raised his mug to her and the woman winked at him.

"Why would you take her home?"

"He's a lonely bastard," Mido said.

"Does he want a wife?"

Mido laughed. "Something like that."

Calliope's eyebrows knit together in confusion. The woman approached them and leaned against the table.

"Hiya, soldier," she said to Mido.

"Hey, there," Ian said, leaning around to catch her attention.

"I don't want your drink," she barked at him.

"All right, enough, get out of here," Mido said. The woman scoffed at them and left.

"Don't be mean to her," Calliope said, taken aback by the interaction.

"She's a whore," Ian said.

"A what?"

"She sells her body to the highest bidder."

"Excuse me?"

Mido sighed. "Just drink," he said to her.

Calliope peered at her drink, shrugged, and took another burning sip.