Chapter 7: The Sleeping Beauty and The Wrathful Beast Part 3

The first thing she registered was the fact that it was that her back was warm and her front was not. The next thing she noticed was the fact that the air around her smelled damp, moist even. Her side ached and it felt as if she was sleeping on a rock. Once she pried her bright blue eye open she confirmed that she was in fact sleeping on a rock. She was in a shallow cave with a burned out fire a few feet in front of her and someone softly snoring into her neck. She stiffened as she felt whoever it was snake their arm around her waist and pull her against them gently. In the back of her mind she was going over what all she could remember from before she fell asleep; Hawk had been hurt and a mage had surrounded her with purple mist, Sir Meliodas had been running towards her and-

She peeked over her shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his messy blonde tresses. It was Sir Meliodas spooning her in the cave. He must have come to her rescue and hid out here with her until the mages spell wore off. She closed her eyes and leaned back to rest her head alongside his once again as another relieved sigh escaped her lips.

"Elizabeth." His voice close to her ear cause her to peek her eye open once again and turn to face him.

"Sir Meliodas thank you for saving," she stopped as the sight of the black markings above his eye caught her like a vice. The dream came back to her in waves then and she found herself fighting against his strangely strong grip to get away from him. His eyes popped open then and in that second the mark vanished completely. She was met with those deep emerald pools that could swallow her up if she looked into them for too long.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked softly, pulling her back into reality and back into the cradle of his arms.

"Where are we?" She asked softly rather than answering his question. The sight of him consumed by darkness still lingered in the back of her mind as she looked into his eyes and reminded herself over and over again that it was just a dream, it wasn't really him.

"Camelot." He stated as his fingers found and squeezed her butt cheek softly then a bit harder. She could feel herself blush as he massaged her bottom and fought against the urge to hide her face in his neck as his answer sunk in.

"We are already in Camelot, but, but it's only been a day!" She stammered out as his hand slid up to rest at the small of her back. He smiled and leaned up on his elbow to look down at her as she struggled with her response.

"It's been about a week, and we didn't stop anywhere." He explained slowly. She paled at the information, how had it been that long?! She could clearly remember that she had discovered Hawk injured the morning before and that she was almost captured when she saw him running. It was so clear in her mind and it had to be right.

Because if it wasn't all that remained was the vast empty darkness.

"A week?" The sound that she managed to wrangle from her throat was barely more than a squeak as she asked the question. He sat up then, gently removing her from his arms as he pulled up his knees and rested his elbows on them. The look on his face then was confusing to her, a mix of emotions from Anger to concern to sadness that caused his usually boyish features to look sharper in the mid morning light.

"Yeah," he stated after a pause so long that she began to worry he was not answering her at all, "the mage that was with those knights, she put you under some sort of sleeping spell that we couldn't break in Lyoness without taking you back to your father. We decided that since you couldn't go back there and take the risk of being captured as well we would bring you to Camelot so that Arthur could-" she could hear him swallow the lump in the back of his throats as he turned his face farther away from her. When his messy blonde hair was all she could see he continued, "so Arthur could do the one thing that would save you from it." She watched his hands ball into fists as they hung in the air and felt her heart break at the sight of him so broken before her, "I couldn't do anything to help you, I watched over you the entire time and I couldn't help you because I wasn't good enough. I failed at protecting you and I failed at saving you." He turned back to her and she pulled him into her arms, not even caring in that moment that in doing so his face would be pressed into her chest, not caring that he may not have wanted her to do that.

He did want her to though, in fact he needed it. After seeing her being kissed by another man his rage had exploded inside him, it had taken over every aspect of his being and he lost control. The fact that he caused the cave they now rested in to form by punching the side of a mountain to relieve himself of the pressure the rage built up inside him was evidence enough of that. She didn't need to know that though, she the perfect vision of a woman in front of him who was willingly pulling his body into hers did not need to know that barely six hours before he was ready to behead the king of the fucking country because he couldn't stand seeing him kissing her. She didn't need to know about the demon roaming inside the deepest recesses of his mind that just wanted her to be his and only his because that was how it was meant to be.

"Please don't feel like that Sir Meliodas. You stayed with me and watched over me even when I couldn't thank you for it. By doing that you protected me and asked noting of me in return. You are still with me even after everything and all you asked was if I was okay! How could I ever repay you for your kindness?" She was nearly in tears as she asked this and the faint sound of it in her words caused him to look up into her face. He could still smell the kings lips on hers at the close distance that they had ended up being from each other. He didn't want her to smell like that man anymore. His hands slipped around her back and one slid down to rest on her bottom while the other stayed firmly on the dip of her back.

"I have an idea," he began, his voice growing just as he looked steadily into her eyes, "but I only want you to do it if you want to do it." She nodded firmly at him with a fresh fire of determination in her eyes, he had to close his own for a second and talk down his second head before he could continue, "i, Elizabeth the only thing that I want you to do, the only thing that I want right now is for you to kiss me." Her eye widened for only a split second before she gave him another determined nod. He felt like he could fly in that moment, watching her uncertainly closing her eyes and puckering her lips only slightly as if she was afraid she would do it wrong sent waves of happiness rolling through him. How could this lovely image before him ever do anything wrong? He felt like chuckling but held it back as he leaned up to press his lips against her own.

It was heaven, her lips were like smooth silk flowing over his own and tasted like warm milk and honey. He did not understand how she could taste so good when all she had for nearly a week was meat broth, but he knew he wanted more. His hands found their way to her cheeks and he gently leaned forward, deepening the kiss and forcing her back onto her back as he did so. He dared not break the kiss out of fear that this would be it, the first and last kiss that he would share with this beloved goddess on earth that had stolen his head the very first time she managed to squeak out "thank you" after he felt her up and used a silly excuse like checking for her heartbeat. His hands found their way down to her chest and lightly squeezed her breast carefully as he tested the waters. She let out only the softest of moans but that was enough for his manhood to fully awaken. He dived in for more by allowing one of his hands to slide down to grasp her upper thigh as his tongue gently prodded her lips to ask for entry.

Her lips parted and he felt like he could die in that moment and be completely happy. His tongue explored the inside of her mouth as if it was a treasure trove, it rolled over her own and the two preformed a short dance of sorts as his rolled around hers over and over before flicking up to lick the roof of her mouth slowly. Another moan, louder this time, left her and he drank it up as if he were dying of thirst and her moans were the life sustaining water that he needed. He could not think of anything that could ruin the euphoria that he felt in that moment, she could pull away and slap him across the cave that very second and it would not ruin his mood in the slightest, she could hate him, far all he cared, after this and he would still be able to go on knowing that for one moment she was truly all his.

What he did not expect in that moment was a massive ball of pink slamming into his side and causing his body to form a small crater in the back of the cave. He also didn't expect a pink haired doll and an light chestnut haired fairy to then help his Elizabeth to her feet and gently urge her to the front of the cave where a white haired beast and a brunette miniature giantess waited for them.

"What the hell do you think you were doing with Elizabeth!?" Hawk, the ball of pink that had sent him flying, demanded as he glared up at Meliodas who was busy dusting himself off while keeping his eyes locked on her silver tresses.

"I don't know what you mean." He stated as cheerily as he could while his demon screamed in his mind that they were taking his Elizabeth away from him.

"You were taking advantage of her!" The pig accused.

"No I wasn't," he explained, "I asked and she accepted. If you don't believe me just ask her." He was so proud of himself for showing restraint for a second in that moment, because he could say the one thing that the overprotective hog could not have a comeback for.

"We will see about that," the pig seemed to carry a warning in his tone as he trotted up alongside Elizabeth and glared at him over one shoulder. He shook his head and smiled at the short lived memory before retrieving his vest from where he had laid it out for her to sleep on and slipped it over his shoulders. It smelled like her. He was in heaven once more as he practically slipped up to his companions that were waiting by the mouth of the cave.


He was placed in a room far away from her as soon as they arrived at the castle. He did not fight it because of the immense regret he held within him for his actions the previous night. He also did not fight it when the menacingly calm mage stepped into the room and shut the door tightly behind herself. His palms were sweaty and his foot would not stop bouncing as his nerves peaked up at the sight of the large leather bag that she carried in her right hand. The others had not been around Merlin as long as he had, sure they had an idea of how she worked but he had actually experienced it first hand. He knew that she was going to use him as a test subject and he knew it was because he had given in to his demon the previous night.

"So, how long has it been hmm dear Captain?" She asked as she practically glided over to the table by his bed and set her bag on its surface.

"Three, maybe four hundred years? I don't know it all kind of blurs together after a while." He begrudgingly answered as he glared down at his still bouncing foot. She let out a soft tsk sound as she opened the bag and pulled out a large needle and a vial that she laid out on the table. The vial gave off a soft white glow in the near darkness of the room and he could already feel himself tending at the thought of that being shot into his veins.

"Do you remember what made you, oh what was the term we decided upon again?" She asked as she carefully filled the needle from the vial without looking up at him. He tapped his fingers on his knees to try to relieve some of his nervous energy as he concentrated on what she was saying.

"Raging out." He stayed with a frown.

"Yes, that's right, Raging Out. Do you remember what made you rage out?" She asked as she turned to face him and flicked the bend of his elbow sharply.

"I guess it started when I saw a holy knight holding Elizabeth like he was carrying her after they-"

"Bridal style." She suggested, cutting him off before he could finish. He nodded firmly as he looked down at his hands.

"Yeah like, that. Then it just got worse and worse, slowly though. It wasn't like last time so I couldn't control it most of the time." He frowned as he spoke and clenched his fingers against the fabric covering his knees.

"Hmmm, interesting. It seems almost instinctual. I have a theory." She almost seemed giddy as she slid the needle into his skin and shot the goddess spring water into his veins. He winced and jumped a bit at the burning pain that rolled through his body but felt relieved when the demon in the back of his mind grew quieter and quieter until he could hear it no more.

"Do tell." He hissed as he pulled his arm up to rest his fist by his face.

"Well considering the, position that you were in when we finally found you my educated guess would be that you are going through a form of a heat cycle. A Demonic rutting if you will." She stated with a smirk.

"Okay, so what I wait a few weeks and then we go back to normal?" He asked as he looked up at her.

"No." the mage daedpanned him, "going off of all that I know about your kind, things will last a lot longer than normal for you."

"How much longer?" His voice was low and demanding as he spoke.

"A rough estimate? Hmm maybe a hundred years maybe more." His jaw dropped. There was no way that he could avoid Elizabeth for the rest of her life all because he was going through what he assumed was Demonic puberty? He was brought out of his troubled thought with her next statement, "however considering how you have reacted to both Diane and myself within these couple of days I do not believe that it exactly like any heat that has gone documented before. It is more like you have marked her and it is causing you to become obsessive and possessive at the same time."

"What does that mean?" He asked cautiously.

""Well my dear captain, it means you have made a subconscious decision to mate with her, and as far as I know Demons tend to mate for life. As in they live and die with their mates." She stated slowly.

"You mean," he began but couldn't bring himself to finish.

"Afraid so my dear Captain, since the moment you decided she was your mate, be it consciously or not, you sealed your fate. You will live as long as she does and vice versa."

"Fuck." He breathed as he fell back to lay across the foot of the bed. How was he supposed to tell Elizabeth this, how could he tell her? This was very much in the realm of things that she did not need to know, however now that he knew they had this connection he couldn't just hide it from her, right?

"There is a silver lining here." Merlin brought him out of his thoughts once more by speaking in her intently interested voice.

"Oh yeah?" He asked without taking his eyes off of the ceiling above him.

"There are old writings from the Holy War, women who were raped and impregnated by Demons who went on to live hundreds of years after childbirth. It seems to me that the demons blood remained in their bodies and sustained them as said demons mate." He could practically hear the smirk in her voice so it was no surprise to him to see it when he propped himself up on his elbows.

"You WANT me to fuck Elizabeth?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"That's up to you Captain, that is if you want her to live longer than what, hmm seventy, eighty more years tops." The mage gave him a gentle pat on the head as she stood to leave, "feel free to join us when your ready for dinner." She stated before turning on her heel and sashaying her way out of the room. Her allowed himself to fall back once again and stared up at the ceiling once agin.

It was possible he could get her pregnant but how would he explain to her why he was doing that's things that he would have to, nay that he was currently very happily fantasizing doing to her in order to make that happen. He couldn't help the small smirk that danced across his lips as he allowed his eyes to slip closed and just remembered the way she sounded, felt, tasted, hell he didn't even care that he was rudely knocked off of her by Hawk. He was just happy that he had those memories, no matter how short they may have been lived. His body felt lighter than ever as he pushed himself up to his feet in one clean motion and slipped his hands into his pockets as he moved to the door. The goddess spring water coursing through his veins was acting like a muzzle on a feral beast. The demon inside him was still there, but it was silenced for the most part as he made his way down the winding hallways towards the dining hall.


"Princess," she turned from where she sat before the vanity to see the auburn haired king standing in the doorway to the room she had been given in a very fine gold lined suit with a deep red fur lined cloak over top of it. His hands where behind his back and his face was a kind mask aided by a gentle smile that he aimed her way. She could feel her cheeks heat up at his gaze as the thought that it was the same way that Gilthunder looked at her sister Margret when he thought no one was looking at him crossed her mind.

"Good morning your majesty." She stated as she stood and gave him a small curtsy out of habit. He chuckled as he made his way into her room and bowed to her in return.

"Good morning Elizabeth, can I call you that?" He asked as he met her eyes.

"Y-yes that's fine." She stated as she looked down at her interlocked hands. She had decided to dress herself in one of the many fine gowns that were hanging in her wardrobe when she was shown into when they had entered the castle. It was long, brushing the floor where she stood, and was the color of warm honey with a white lace border along her collarbone and sleeves. There were pairs of shoes lined up in the bottom of the wardrobe that matched each dress, the ones that matched her particular choice had two inch heels and were wrapped in what she assumed was actual gold.

"I was wondering if you would like to take a tour of the gardens, the view of the flowers in the mid morning light is truly amazing." He stated after coughing nervously into his fist. She smiled at him then and released the death grip that she had on her own hands before smoothing out the skirt of her dress.

"I would love a tour of your gardens your majesty, I hear that Camelot has the finest of the surrounding kingdoms and have always wanted a view of them." She answered and returned the bright smile that he flashed her. She thought it was a bit strange that the king was the first to check up on her after how Hawk was acting when they had led her from the cave, however with it being his kingdom she had no right to turn down his simple invitation. She soon found herself slipping her arm through his offered one and following his lead out of her room and through the castle. They passed the dining hall with its wide open doors and she caught sight of the Sins all being loud and seeming to have the time of their lives as they ate and drank together. She saw Meliodas in the center of them all, being held by the neck by Ban who was halfway through giving the small captain a nooggie as the two of them smiled. All traces of how the others had treated him just hours before was gone, causing her to imagine them as more of a family than a band of outlaws as she moved past the door and lost sight of them.

They continued through the castle until they came upon a pair of large curve topped doors which he pushed open for her and held open until she was past him and admiring the lush plant life that spread out before her in his gardens. It was lovely, hundreds of thousands of flowers in every possible color she could think of and surrounded in the brightest greenery made long flowing lines between white brick walkways and curved up and around columns and arches that seemed to be made out of ivory itself. She turned to see him studying a rose bush nearby and smiled sweetly as she slipped into her royal mindset and training.

"Your gardens are certainly something to behold. They are quite lovely." She stated as she looked about them in awe.

"Thank you Elizabeth," he seemed to be testing her name as he spoke and returned her smile with one of his own, "I enjoy walking through them when I have a lot on my mind. I find the scenery relaxes me and makes it easier to think over hard situations." She nodded at his words and clenched her fist behind her back. It was the time to tell him about what she had heard the night that her sister was snatched from the room right next to her own.

"Your majesty I actually have something that I need to tell you." She began as she pulled her hands around to clench her fingers together before her skirt.

"Feel free to tell me anything Princess." He urged with a warm smile and a gentle hand on her shoulder.


Chapter 7: End

It's October first everyone! that means that Halloween is only 30 days away and I am just ecstatic because that is my favorite holiday! I hope you all have a wonderful October and that you all get to go out and find that perfect Halloween outfit for you! If you decide to leave a review why don't you tell me what you want to be for Halloween? You aren't required to, I would just like to know what my readers are all into and what you all want to be.

Much Love,

Added-OC