Calliope stood in the doorway with her sword drawn, her eyes flicked down to the Captain’s nakedness and then across to the bodies that lay on the bed. She arched an interrogative eyebrow as Markus finally manage to get his trousers up.

“Hmmm,” she commented neutrally before shooting her sword home into its scabbard.

“This is going to be a problem,” she opined. A clatter of wood upon wood out in the courtyard took her across the grizzly scene to peer out through the large arabesque window that looked out over a small balcony.  In the moonlight courtyard a figure could be seen creeping across the courtyard in a posture of stealth so dramatic as to actively call more attention than simply walking would have done.

“It’s Achmed,” Calliope hissed, drawing back from the window in chagrin. Markus didn’t panic, no one who spent their life upon the ocean panicked at bad news but his eyes widened. Being the guest of the Sultan wouldn’t save them if it was discovered they had apparently murdered his bride to be. Calliope wasn’t certain what had occured but brutal though he was she doubted Markus was the sort of man to murder a woman. Had the assassin been with her? Waiting for a moment to strike when Markus’ guard was down? Or had he been sent to follow her and just gotten unlucky. It hardly mattered right at this moment. There was no chance they could get to the Witch and get her to sea if the crime was discovered, even assuming they could round up the crew, who, if Calliope was any judge, would need to be roused from every bar and brothel in Dalib Sahara. 

“Ok,” she said, thinking rapidly. The first step was to get rid of the bodies, no the first step was to side track Acmed.

“I’ll see what I can do to take care of the Prince,” she said crossing back over the room and slipping out the door. She heard the door bolt behind her as Markus locked it from the inside. What they were going to do with two bodies she had no idea but that was a problem for Markus, or for later. Hastily she unbuckled her weapons and dropped them into a large ceramic amphorae. The pots contained water and the condensing effect cooled the inside of the stone structure, then she put on a deliberately dreamy expression and began to saunter down the hallway. 

Achmed stepped around a corner so suddenly that Calliope nearly ran into him, as it was she pirroutted gracefully, a dreamy giggle bubbling from her lips.

“Lady Calliope?” Acmed gasped, straightening to his full, not particularly impressive, height. Calliope giggled again and began to circle Acmed dreamily.

“My you are handsome,” she breathed, forcing her eyes to dilate as though she had been partaking of opa or some other mind altering drug. She giggled again, trailing a finger over Acmed’s shoulder as she circled him like a stalking cat. Acmed laughed an oily laugh.

“I knew you couldn’t resist me,” he said with false confidence, “I could see it in your eyes at the feast.” Calliope resisted the urge to snicker with a heroic effort.

“Mmmmm, did you come to see me?” she purred, pressing her lips close to Achmed’s ear. The prince nodded eagerly, trying to reach for her but she continued to circle, slipping out of his grip.

“Come,” she breathed, taking him by the hand and leading him towards her chambers. Acmed trailed eagerly along behind her as she pulled him through the door and closed it behind her, needlessly loudly so that Markus would hear it, then shot the bolt closed.

“Do you need to lock the door…” Acmed began, but Calliope crossed the floor and kissed him, cutting of the words. Acmed stiffened and then returned the kiss inexpertly. Calliope wondered if a downside of having harem girls is that they told you that everything you did was wonderful. With the same slow dreamy movement she had been using she began to undress him, sliding off his turban and slipping a golden medallion over his head. His hands moved over her back, unfastening the silken cloth and freeing her breasts, his fingers rising to caress them.

“Mmm,” Calliope moaned and pushed Achmed back onto the bed. He fell upon the silken sheets, eyes wide and excited.

“Basos,” Calliope muttered. There was a flicker of arcane power and the prince’s eyes glazed and he toppled forward onto his face. Sleeping spells were tricky if your opponent was wary, but if their guard was down they could be tremendously effective. She lay the medallion, doubtlessly a ward that would have prevented just such an attack down on the bed by the Prince, then quickly unlocked the door and hurried back out to see what Markus had concocted.