Summary: A mystery surrounding Princess Elizabeth has Meliodas questioning everything he once believed about himself and everyone around them. What is causing this break in his life? Are things really as they seem? Or is something more sinister going on? The more Meliodas works to uncover the truth, the more it becomes clear that the truth is not as simple as it once was.

A/N: Wow! I cannot believe I am finally publishing this story. This is something I have been working on for months, and writing for nearly two months solid, with just a few breaks in between. This fic is... very dear to me, and I am excited and nervous and terrified to be sharing it with the world. So please, enjoy, and feel free to let me know what you think. I always respond to reviews and messages, and always glad to hear your thoughts.

There are two people I must thank for their assistance with this fic. Woundedowl, thank you for reading every version and giving me your honest feedback and advice. You helped me work out many difficult angles and I'm so grateful to have you as a friend.

Also, Vetur02, your enthusiasm and beautiful heart gave this fic life when it was on life support. I'll never be able to thank you enough for getting me through the writing of this. And thank you, once again, for providing me with a masterpiece when I came crawling to you with a sketch of yours in hand. I don't know what I did to deserve such beauty in my life.

Thank you all again for giving this fic a try. I will be publishing a chapter every Monday, so please look out each week for the next part. I have several other things in the work right now as well, including one coming later in the week, so please check my profile for any updates to my publishing schedule. This is a wonderful community and I am so proud to be able to share my work here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Part One: Waiting

Meliodas laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Slowly he breathed in and out, focusing hard on keeping the room from spinning. When he was certain he could move without falling over, he pushed himself up on one hand, dragging himself into a partial sitting position.

He closed his eyes and swallowed for a moment. Thankfully, the world remained steady, and pleased with this development, he leaned over to the table. A half-filled mug sat there, surrounded by empties, and he gripped it by its handle and brought it eagerly to his lips. After taking a long drought, Meliodas sighed and slid up to lean against the pillows. He was careful to stay on his side of the mattress, careful not to touch the pillow that lay pristinely next to his own.

His head thunked against the wooden headboard of the bed. His stomach was twisting a bit, and Meliodas couldn't remember for a moment the last time he ate. Was it yesterday? The day before? Ban had brought a bowl of something, probably, but he didn't know or even care when that had been. Before that it was King, and before that Gilthunder, maybe. Or was it Howzer? Hawk? Trying to remember made him queasy, so he tipped the mug back and took another drink.

He supposed he should go and find something to eat, maybe splash some water on his face. But that would require getting up, and walking, and probably having to answer questions that he was not interested in being asked. He turned and looked out the window, noting the sun was going down. Good. If the Sins were opening the tavern, that meant it would be less likely that one would stop him to give advice or concern or a scolding when he went down to refill his drink.

Meliodas focused back on his breathing as he slowly drained the cup. Another day had slipped by in a haze of alcohol, which made him grateful. Several weeks ago he had concentrated on getting blindingly drunk, and had continued to maintain a perfect level of numbness since then. He hadn't slept much, worried about sleeping off the bulk of the intoxication; so when he felt too sleepy to continue he would prop himself up in bed or on a stool downstairs. That way, if he did manage to doze off it would not be a sound sleep.

The lack of sleep and food, combined with the alcohol, had made him an unpleasant companion. Meliodas was well aware of this, and so spent the vast majority of time in his room, drinking alone. Plus, this allowed him to stumble to the washroom or the window or the bed when he needed, often not requiring any assistance. He didn't bother with a lock on the door, knowing that any of the others could get in whenever they wanted anyway. But they didn't try too terribly often, at least not after the first few days, for which he was glad. It was probably only when Diane or Gil got frustrated enough with his state of intoxication to push one of them up the steps with a plate of food and a fresh change of clothes.

He took another drink, and then another. The mug was almost finished, and then he'd have to make the trek back downstairs, carrying all the cups he could manage to in his arms. He would refill and carry it back to the room, avoiding the questions and concern. Sometimes Ban would help him bring it all up, and even stay to share a drink in silence before leaving him to his misery.

But what the others didn't understand was that he didn't feel any misery. He felt nothing at all, except for tired, or hungry, and once in a while, dizzy. Meliodas was comfortably numb, and it was the perfect state to be in to keep from missing Elizabeth too terribly. He had spent nearly three days methodically getting himself completely and utterly drunk; since then, he had been able to maintain a very nice balance of intoxication that kept the anger and despair at bay.

There had been enough protests when he had announced his plan to get drunk and stay drunk for the foreseeable future. King had gotten angry, and Diane had fretted, and Merlin had pointed out the lunacy of such a plan. Only Ban had clapped him on the back and toasted his very good decision, even agreeing to help him make such a bold goal a reality. He had helped him procure a ridiculous amount of alcohol, the strongest ale in Britannia, and they pledged the first drink to the princess, both draining their cups together in solidarity with one long drink.

It had taken Ban no time at all to pass out with such strong ale. But Meliodas had soldiered on, drinking more than he had ever done in as long as he could remember. And he had a very, very long memory.

He took another sip, then another, and Meliodas sighed, leaning back on his pillow. His stomach rumbled again, and he wondered if he should bother to eat something. Like everything else, eating and sleeping and pretty much anything that required moving seemed like a waste of time. Anything more vigorous than bringing the mug of ale to his mouth, or heading down the stairs to refill, basically. Every time he tried to do any activity, one of the others would start in on him, when was the last time you… don't you think it's time you should… do you really think Elizabeth would want this…

There was only one swallow left in his mug, and he closed his eyes and whispered her name to himself as he always did right before he ran out. It was important to remember, he figured. He didn't want to forget Elizabeth. He just didn't want to feel. It was a very big difference.

For a bit he laid there on the bed, listening to his own breathing, feeling the warm breeze of the early autumn evening coming in the window. He hadn't shut the window once, some kind of weird superstition taking over his reasoning when he still cared enough to care. Now it was more of a habit, having long accepted the truth that none of it mattered. A habit left over from when Elizabeth was still there, like tucking the blankets under the pillows instead of over, or turning his socks inside out before putting them in the laundry basket.

There was a sudden pain in his lung, and Meliodas winced. He had laid there too long, and now the alcohol was wearing off a bit. The emptiness of the room was beginning to be noticeable, and the familiar ache of not hearing Elizabeth's voice or seeing Elizabeth's smile or feeling Elizabeth's warm presence next to him creeping into his chest. He needed to get up and go get more before the feeling took over. Before the vacuum became overwhelming, and the loneliness and fear and turmoil became real again.

But before he could stand, the door to his room opened with a bang. It startled Meliodas enough to make him snap out, "What the hell do you want?"

He looked up at the intruder, and saw to his surprise, it was Ban. Of all the Sins, he was the last one Meliodas expected to disturb him. His friend stared at him in shock for a moment, looking completely disheveled and frantic and completely not Ban. There was a heavy silence until finally Meliodas growled, his impatience clear, "Well?"

"Captain," Ban finally breathed out. "They… they found her."

It had been ten months since Meliodas had last seen Elizabeth. Three hundred and two days, to be exact, since they had cleaned up from service and gone upstairs and changed into their bedclothes. Seven thousand, two hundred forty-eight hours since she had turned down the covers and kissed his forehead and reminded him that there was a delivery coming in the morning. Since he had made her laugh by doing an impression of one of the customers. Since he had asked her if she wanted the window closed.

Three hundred and two days. The number replayed in his mind has he ran up the steps of the castle. Three hundred and two days since he had looked up her skirt. Three hundred and two days since she had sewn a rip in Gowther's uniform. Three hundred and two days since she had exclaimed in delight over dessert. Three hundred and two days since she had asked him to leave the window open.

Three hundred and one days since he had woken up to find her gone.

Meliodas was nearly frantic when he finally found the king in his private sitting room. "Where is she?" he shouted when he burst through the door. Baltra had stood and started to speak, his eyes shining; but Meliodas did not hear a word of it, because at that moment, he spotted her silver hair.

"Elizabeth!" His voice was so strange and twisted, hoarse and emotional and very unlike the Dragon Sin of Wrath should sound. Then Meliodas stumbled forward, a sob escaping him as she turned to look at him from her seat on the couch. Her smile was so warm, her wide blue eyes so familiar that he launched himself at her. He grabbed her and hauled her against him, his face pressing against the top of her head as his hands wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

Meliodas inhaled and exhaled slowly, simply breathing in her scent and pressing his fingers firmly into her back. It was so overwhelming to just hold her that he felt lightheaded for a moment; then he realized it may be more the fact that he had consumed his weight in alcohol since that morning. He stepped back slightly, grabbing the sides of her face and tilting it up. A sense of lightheadedness hit him again, but Meliodas could not help the laugh that huffed out of him.

Her hands went to his wrists, and her touch made him shiver. "Sir Meliodas?" she said softly.

"I can't believe it," he said, and then looked up at the king. "How…? Where…?"

"She was found outside of Gouren," Baltra answered. His smile and his eyes were kind, and Meliodas was thankful for his graciousness at that moment.

"Gouren," he murmured, looking back down at Elizabeth with a frown. "We looked there. We looked." He couldn't stop touching her hair, stroking her face, wanting to feel the warmth of her skin to prove that she was there. "Why were you in Gouren? What were you doing there?"

Elizabeth shook her head. He felt her thumb stroke along his skin. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

But Meliodas continued, "We looked in that town. We looked in every single town. I— I looked there. Where were you?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but Baltra said, "She doesn't know. She doesn't remember."

"What?" The air was oppressive now, and a wave of dizziness sent him reeling. Elizabeth caught him by the arms and he sat down heavily on the seat next to her. Her palm was cool against his burning cheek, and Meliodas looked at her in a daze.

A calming energy washed through him, and Meliodas realized she was healing him. The vertigo subsided immediately, and his nerves, which had been on edge since the moment Ban had burst into his room, were soothed until he could breathe again.

Elizabeth looked at him sadly, her smile soft. "I'm so sorry to have worried you," she said.

"You've been missing," he said, still not quite believing the sight in front of him. "I woke up and you were gone. We didn't know where you were."

She nodded. "Yes, they told me."

Meliodas swallowed. "The window was left open. I think that's how—do you know who it was? Who took you?" The princess only shook her head in response. "Elizabeth," he said. He searched her face for answers that were not there. "You really don't remember? Not anything?"

The princess shook her head, and the king said, "She didn't even know any time had gone by."

Meliodas grit his teeth, wishing Baltra would leave, or at least stop interrupting. He wanted to know everything, to understand this mystery of where she had been and what she had been doing. He needed to hear from her what she knew, any little detail or memory or dream from the past ten months could be the clue he needed to find who had taken her. The sudden urge to draw his sword made his fingers twitch.

"Come on," he said, swaying a bit as he stood. "Let's get you back, and then we can go over everything."

She gave him another smile, this one pure happiness, but the king said, "Go where? She's not going anywhere."

"To the Boar Hat," Meliodas answered evenly. He took Elizabeth's hand and pulled her up to stand. "I'm taking her home."

"She is home, and she just got here. You aren't taking her anywhere. She needs to see a doctor and get rest and—"

"We are going home," he said.

"Sir Meliodas," Elizabeth said, her hand going to his shoulder. He glared at Baltra for a moment before turning to look at her. "Will you stay here with me tonight?"

The king began to protest, but she interrupted him by saying, "I will stay tonight and see the doctor and do all things you've asked. But only if Sir Meliodas can stay with me. And then…" She smiled down at him again, and he felt his chest flutter. "Then tomorrow, we'll go home."

Elizabeth was yawning by the time they retired to her bedroom in the castle. Meliodas had never been to it before, and he actually felt a twinge of nervousness as she moved around the unfamiliar room. Her family had hovered over her throughout the evening, and he had to practically shove the king out of the bedroom door after he had sent away her sisters and the fussing servants.

Now they were alone, and he watched her gather nightclothes and brush her hair and pull extra pillows from the closet. He nervously went to the window when she disappeared into the dressing room to check that it was closed and locked. Meliodas let his eyes travel around the room, taking in the vanity and the rich fabrics of the curtains, the thick rug on the floor and the ornate chair. The sounds from the washroom stopped, and Elizabeth emerged in her nightdress looking just as lovely as he had remembered.

She smiled at him sweetly and walked towards him, carrying a bundle. Meliodas cleared his throat and stood up a bit straighter. Why was he so skittish now? Was it because she was there in the flesh after all that time? Was he afraid this wasn't real? Maybe he had fallen asleep on the pillows after all, and when he woke up, he'd have a terrible hangover outmatched only by the pain of discovering Elizabeth was still missing.

But she pressed the bundle into his arms and pushed him gently towards the washroom. "These are fresh clothes," she said, and he frowned in confusion even as she steered him into the room and closed the door. He was supposed to be taking care of her, not the other way around!

Meliodas caught a sight of himself in the mirror and instantly understood why she had felt the need to be concerned for him. His skin was pale, eyes sagging and purple, rimmed with red. His hair hung limply in strings around his face. His clothes were dirty and disheveled, as if he hadn't changed them in days… which was probably the truth, now that he thought about it. He flushed a bit with embarrassment to think that this was how she had seen him for the first time in ten months. Quickly he poured himself fresh water and grabbed the soap to freshen up as best as he could. The shirt and pants she had given him were a tad bit loose, but comfortable enough, and in a few minutes he felt a hundred times better than he had in a long, long time.

Eagerly he returned to the bedroom, and the sight of her nearly took his breath away. Meliodas practically ran to snuff out the light, climbing impatiently into the bed next to her. Before, when they would go to bed, Meliodas would tease her a bit, trying to sneak a squeeze or a pinch, and Elizabeth would blush and laugh at his antics as they settled down. Sometimes she would give him a kiss on the forehead or the cheek, flushing a beautiful color pink, before pulling the blankets over them and sinking against the pillows. There were some nights when it would take Meliodas some time to fall asleep, and he would watch the steady rise and fall of her shoulders, or trace his eyes over her silhouette; but never would he dare to touch her or hold her, even when the longing he felt to do so became a tender sting.

After all, Meliodas had always figured there was plenty of time for all of that.

Now, he knew better. He pulled her against him with his arms tight around her, ignoring the gasp of surprise at his seemingly bold move. Without Hawk there to object, he was free to cradle the princess against him as much as he liked. Meliodas pressed her head down until it was settled on his shoulder, and he heaved her body up until she was nestled between his legs and he could feel every solid inch of her against him. Her whispered question was feathery against his skin, her own hands tentative as they finally came to rest around him.

"I missed you," he said thickly, his voice clouded with threatening emotion.

Elizabeth sighed, the contented sound instantly setting him at ease. "I'm sorry," she murmured. She was apologizing a lot, he realized.

"It's not your fault," he insisted. "I should be the one who is sorry. I should have found you. I tried so hard to find you."

She nodded, and he tightened his arms around her for a moment. "You don't remember anything?" he asked.

"Nothing," she breathed. Elizabeth shifted a bit, and once she was settled against him, she continued, "I remember being at the tavern, and going to bed, and then… I woke up, and I was walking on a road I had never seen before."

"You woke up and were walking?" asked Meliodas with a frown.

"I… I think so?" Elizabeth's voice was small, and shook a bit. She tried to sit up, but Meliodas brought his hand to her head, stroking her hair soothingly. "I'm sorry, I… I don't know what happened to me…"

"It's okay, Elizabeth," he shushed her. Tentatively he brushed his lips on the top of her head, not wanting to push, but needing to comfort her. His hands were steady and firm as they pressed against her back, trying to calm her trembling.