A/N: GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! My new wonderful computer has arrived, and it is glorious. This chapter was absolutely fun to write, let me tell you. My lovely most beautifully most mature Lickitysplit was under the influence of wonderful fruity martinis for most of this chapter for once, the first scene was a trip, which means I was the designated driver instead of the other way around. Me? Yes me. It's never been a good idea to have me as the voice of reason.

CaptainTwiggy0928: My love, may I just say I want to marry your user name. We are very happy you are happy that they are happy. This story is packed full of things and there is no time for this "take it slow" business, and we blew your mind? That's great!

BettyBest2: Yes, Elizabeth had it rough last chapter. We were a bit worried about introducing Elaine into the story, but then we thought, if the readers don't like her, she could always die again. (Shrugs) She's apparently on a roll with the whole dying thing lately.

SirenEye91: Why does everyone have these awesome usernames? What memo did I miss? We are so happy that you are super excited, and your needs are very close to mine. This is good we can work with this! Hahaha

Cerulean Grace: You may have privately PM'd me about this review, but it is still absolutely funny to read it. Estarossa? You think I would have Estarossa just wondering around, I love you love. We am so glad you are hooked on this story.

Vhosek: This chapter will hopefully heal the harsh wounds on her heart, my dear. Thank you, we are literally murdering our laptops to get this done! We are so glad you like this story!

Kristine: FINE FINE!

Chapter eight: A Close Encounter


Meliodas shot out a hand, grabbing hold of his wife's waist to steady her, but Elizabeth is far too busy staring at the man in the doorway. He looks down as she sputters, noticing her white knuckled grip on his forearm as her other hand clasps over her mouth, and he can see her mind racing, her eyes rapidly going over the young man's features before snapping back to stare at his own face.

"Elizabeth?"

Her chest heaves as his lips tingle, and her eyes keep shooting back and forth between the two again and again. A small shiver shakes her frame, her shoulder quaking, and finally she can whisper, "I- I'm sorry," she says as he places her back on shaky feet. "You just look so… so much alike…" Her head swivels to Meliodas, who is looking at her with deep concern. "You look so much alike, you could be brothers." She grips his arm, her fingers tightening with fear.

"Oh," Meliodas says, before startling. "Oh," his eyes wide with understanding. "No, Elizabeth. There's no need to worry."

Right. He should have thought of that.

He is going to have to think in past tense for awhile. Back… Twenty five years. A grimace shoots across his face for a moment, the face of Zeldris flashing across his mind before he hides it, keeping a hand on her waist as she opens her mouth, then closes it, and then opens it again.

He had not wanted this. He most certainly did not want to do this, and he knows he has a million reasons not to; he can make up twenty on the top of his head right this moment. Not even regarding the dire warnings Merlin- that old witch- had given him topped his first ten reasons, and he could always give a quick, simple, and absolute reasonably believable lie-

"Then who...?" Elizabeth turns her head to look at each of them again, her brow creasing, before she looks at him directly with those blue eyes, and damn it, he is not going to be able to lie.

"Alright," He watches her for a moment more, before scratching the back of his head. "Well, you would have learned about this eventually." He waves a casual hands towards the other man as he taps a foot, smiling brightly to help, and he does a small mental cheer as Elizabeth takes note of his reaction, relaxing even just the smallest bit. She watches as the other man steps closer, her eyes obviously roaming over every little thing about him; from how they have the same height to the same build and muscle mass and face and… he really hadn't thought this entire situation through.

"Elizabeth, this is Tristan. Tristan, this is Elizabeth, and she has no clue who you are. Behave." He makes the entire situation light and easy, as little tension as possible. Good. This was good, it would be like he was introducing two normal people, not two of the most important people in his life.

He could handle this.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Tristan crosses his arms over his chest as he gives a small bow, a little tilt of the head as he smiles. He is wearing a black sleeveless shirt, shin length brown pants that were tucked into a pair of metal armor plated boots, and one metal arm guard on his right arm, reaching his elbow. His left shoulder was bare of any tattoo, and she looks up from it as he gives her a warm smile, almost identical to Meliodas' own, before turning towards the King with a frown. "I heard from Hawk. Or more like, I got screamed at by Hawk. Wasn't expecting any of this after only being away for half a year."

"All the important things happen when you're not here." Meliodas shrugs.

A tense silence fills the room as they both turn to look at Elizabeth in sync, making her jump. Meliodas barely has time to take note of the flicker of annoyance that goes through her eyes, before a rapid fire montage of emotions spanning from fear to confusion to wonder makes him squeeze his hand resting on her waist slightly.

Elizabeth blinks.

"So, you're related?" she tries again softly, frowning, and Meliodas nods as Tristan shifts uncomfortably beside him. The silver haired man clearly does not know how to handle this, her blank unknowing look, and was now in a similar position he himself could remember from the day prior.

He can handle this.

"Elizabeth, Tristan is our son." Meliodas braces himself, wondering if she would faint or scream or fall to the ground. To his surprise, she does none of those things. Her face is strangely serene; except for her eyes, which had widened in panic and surprise. He can always tell how she was feeling by her eyes.

"Our…" she whispers, and he moves the hand on her hip to her back, pressing firmly to steady her. Elizabeth looks at him and opens her mouth to speak before promptly closing it again. Her gaze shoots down to stare at her lower abdomen, resting a hesitant hand there. Meliodas can see as the questions rise up in her eyes, and he's quick to cut off the torrent that was sure to come.

"Maybe first," he points up at the ceiling, and Elizabeth jerks as, suddenly, the room feeling far smaller, "Let's head to dinner? It's kind of claustrophobic in here."

She hesitates before finally, slowly, nodding and giving Tristan a final very long look before walking out through the doorway. The two men watch her leave before turning towards each other. "She really doesn't remember?" Tristan asks, hissing under his breath.

Meliodas shakes his head, before letting out a puff of hot air. "She thinks she is seventeen. She has no memories of-well, anything." He lowers his voice before continuing, "When she asks her questions, don't go into much detail. Keep your answers simple. In fact, just let me answer."

Tristan's brows pull down. "Why?"

"Just trust me." Meliodas leans over to grab his wife's wedding dress, neatly folding it to go back into its box, and he smiles dryly at the question. "We can't reveal everything to her yet, alright? But I need you on my side on this one."


Elizabeth is staring.

She knows it is rude, but, how could she not? She is supposed to eat? The three of them are sitting at a far smaller table then the grand dining hall; it was compact, having less of a traditional feel and far more homely. The maidservants and chefs had all left, leaving the family to eat in peace, but surely… how is she supposed to lift the fork off her plate with pieces of her meal on it when, across from her, is Tristan Lioness?

She is being absolutely rude. Tristan, on the other hand, seems to have impeccable manners. As a princess of Lioness she had met many young princes and noblemen who were rude or slouched or acted like animals. Many were entitled and held their chins up high, even as they made people drop to their knees or starve simply because they could. Being royalty didn't mean someone was just. Her father had always said that manners were the way you could show others that you cared, and as princesses it was their job to care about everyone. Elizabeth can not help but have a small smile at the memory, wondering if it was she who had taught Tristan how to fold his napkin, or keep his elbows from the table.

Of course it wasn't you, she scolds herself. You aren't the queen, remember?

"Elizabeth?"

She jerks at her name, the piece of meat on her fork going splosh back onto her plate, and she notices they're both looking at her. She raises her eyebrows in question as Meliodas continues, "Did you need more of anything?"

"Oh, no," she says a bit sheepishly, quickly picking up her spoon. "I'm fine, really." She swirls around the food on her plate, not exactly hungry, and decides to ask one of the hundreds of questions that have bubbled to the surface since meeting Tristan. "Do we have any other children?"

Meliodas chokes around a potato, and he quickly swallows, snatching his glass from the table. "I have a sister," Tristan offers gently, and she sees Meliodas glare at him as he takes a sip of water.

She turns back to Tristan, hopeful, "And she is…" Elizabeth pauses, her brows pulling down as she tries to find the right way to ask him, about well, everything.

"Yes, she's yours too," Tristan finishes helpfully. There is a thump under the table and he jumps, turning his head to glare at Meliodas, who returns the scowl back at him.

Elizabeth looks curiously between the two before continuing, "How old are you, Tristan?" She watches Tristan with wide eyes, absolutely transfixed, and finally brings her fork up to taste her dinner as the two men have a silent conversation with their eyes alone, and it's actually extremely delicious. She'd have to thank the kitchen staff.

"I turned twenty last month," he answers. There's a shuffle under the table, something that sounds vaguely like feet stamping the ground, and Tristan winces.

"Twenty," she says a bit dazedly, taking another bite of something else. Her son is older than she is? She quickly shakes the thought away before it has a chance to be fully realized. "So you're the same age as Lancelot."

How... strange, but somehow appropriate. That meant Tristan and Lancelot grew up together. She'd have been pregnant alongside Elaine and surely, she had no doubt that Ban and Meliodas had these two boys joined at the hip before they could speak.

Tristan laughs, and she is amazed as Meliodas' voice comes from his mouth. "Oh, you've met Lancelot? I will apologize in advance then."

"Why?" She frowns slightly, tilting her head to the side. "He seemed perfectly nice."

The both look at each other in confusion, until Meliodas interrupts, "Lancelot means well, but he can get himself into trouble pretty easily. You'll have to get used to it over time."

"That's putting it mildly," Tristan says around his glass, earning another thump from under the table. Elizabeth giggles and covers her mouth, and Tristan seems to jump at the sound, putting his glass down hard on the table. He is looking at her differently, and after a moment she bites her lip, wondering if she has done something wrong.

There is a brief silence as they all return to their meals, Tristan looking back down at his food, and then Elizabeth leans in towards Meliodas. "What is the name of the- of my- I mean, our-" She sputters a bit, unable to get out the right words.

"Our daughter?" he says. His smile is kind but his eyes show a bit of pain. "Her name is Lynette. She is a year younger than Tristan, and she is on the other side of Lioness, training to be a Holy Knight."

Elizabeth nods, considering this idea for a moment. Her daughter was a fighter, a Holy Knight apprentice. Which meant she could wave around a sword and fight her own battles. She had always pictured herself having a daughter, a beauty like Margaret but fierce like Veronica. Suddenly she frowns. "Sir Meliodas, where is Veronica?"

"Sir?" Tristan blurts out with a laugh, but Meliodas ignores him. "Oh, she's rarely in the castle these days. She's a Holy Knight now herself, and always off on some adventure or another. I believe she might be with your uncle now."

Elizabeth nods. That does sound like Veronica, although it is strange to her that she would be without Griamore. It's just one more thing she has missed in twenty-five years.

There is a knock and all three look up at the doorway. Lancelot is standing there, leaning into the room as his head pops through the door's opening, a grin on his face. "Hey! Sorry to interrupt," he says, strolling into the room. He has a black eye, for some reason, and he comes over to the table and continues, "Your Majesty, they need ya-hey! Tristan!" Lancelot's smile goes even wider as he claps the prince on the shoulder. "I didn't know you were back. Why didn't ya tell me?"

"I just got here," he answers. His voice is even, still with impeccable manners, but warm. "I thought you were staying at the Boar's Hat?"

"Yeah, I was, until, uh…" He tilts his head, gesturing in a not-very-subtle way towards Elizabeth, and she blushes, quickly looking back down at her plate.

"Lancelot," Meliodas says in a warning tone, before sighing, "What is it you want?"

"Oh yeah, my dad wanted you for something. He's down in the meeting room. The, uh, the big one, I think." Lancelot turns his grin to Elizabeth, who can't help but smile back as he scratches his cheek like his father always does.

Grumbling, Meliodas stands. "I'll be back," he says to her, looking over at the two boys before he stalks out of the room. Pouting. As soon as he is gone, Lancelot drops into his seat. "What'cha eating?" he asks, rubbing his hands together. "Smells delicious." He grabs Meliodas' utensils, immediately digging into the king's dinner.

Tristan chuckles and shakes his head before turning back to Elizabeth. "Is there anything else that you needed? Any other questions I can help answer?"

"Ask me too," Lancelot says around a forkful of food. "I can tell you about everybody in this place."

Elizabeth flushes again. "I'm not really sure… Is there anything else you think I should know?"

"Well, actually," Tristan says, clearing his throat. "Lynette isn't my only sibling."

Elizabeth gasps, but before she can say anything, Lancelot lets out a huge laugh, slapping the table. "Ya didn't even tell her about all her kids! What is wrong with you?"

"All of my kids?" she says tightly, her hand clenched around her fork in an iron tight hold. "Exactly... how many do I have?"

"Just three," Tristan assures her quickly, shooting daggers at Lancelot as he puts down his napkin. "I have a younger brother as well. Jason is six."

"He was your surprise baby! He's at Camelot," Lancelot offers as he takes a long sip of Meliodas' wine. "With Tristan gone and then Lynette leaving, and then apparently you've been working just as late as His Majesty, the little guy's been feeling lonely. He kept wandering off and worrying everybody, wasn't really himself, so you sent him down to Camelot to spend time on a little surprise vacation with Arth-ow! That hurt!" He throws his dinner roll at Tristan as another thump sounds under the table. "What ya do that for?"

"You ass," Tristan hisses. "You ask what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you!" He leans over the table and flicks Lancelot in the ear.

Lancelot howls, jumping up with a shout as he pushes Tristan off, rubbing his ear angrily. "Damn you and your demon hands!"

With one last pointed glare Tristan turns back to Elizabeth, an apology for his behavior already ready. But he draws up short when he sees that she's not even paying attention to them.

Elizabeth sits slumped back in her chair, staring down at her fiddling hands. There is this family, this entire life that she is supposed to be living… it seems perfect, it is perfect, the perfect life she could have only ever wish for. She- she had Meliodas by her side. And a family she had created with these hands? She had everything the both of them may have ever wanted for in their entire lives. So why- why does it still seem so wrong? She turns her hands over, looking at her palms. Is this really her life? Did she use these hands to hold her children once? Did she rock them, and tickle them, and wipe away their tears?

She squeezes her fists tightly, letting out a breath.

Merlin… Merlin had said that this was a symptom, hadn't she. That a feeling of disconnection would appear over and over, until… until she lost her mind. She had to stop herself from focusing on it, stop herself from believing it. Every time this illness made her feel hopeless or confused or afraid she had to… to what? Ignore it? How, when it was this overwhelming?

"Mother?" The word jolts her out of her thoughts, and when she looks up, both boys are staring at her in concern. "What's wrong?" Tristan says, a deep line in his brow.

Everything, she thinks, but instead she says, "Nothing at all."


Only a little while later Elizabeth finds herself in her bathroom, her stomach full and her head reeling. She sighs loudly as she sinks into the hot water of her bath, slowly with a shiver, until it reaches her chin. The soap bubbles are a nice touch, the scented salts soothing. She sighs again, sinking down lower into the water until she blew little bubbles, threading her fingers through her hair, and then she pulls it up into a neat twist on the top of her head before settling back against the tub, closing her eyes.

The image of Tristan enters her mind.

Tristan, her son. With his silver blond hair and his intuitive glance and how the top of his head almost reaches her chin, even his relationship with Ban's son; and even though she could see Meliodas in everything he does.. She could still see something else. Something her. She could barely bring herself to even say the words. She had had a baby, three babies, with Sir Meliodas…

Elizabeth flushes with embarrassment, her body tingling, before sliding under the surface of the water to cool her burning skin. She can not even think about that piece of the puzzle right now. She does not dare risk becoming more overwhelmed.

Instead, she thinks about Tristan, and Lynette, and Jason. Tristan had seemed like a perfectly nice young man. She feels a bit proud of him, truly, although that makes little sense to her. It had been so strange to watch him at dinner, so many little things reminding her of Meliodas, she decides that Tristan is exactly who the Dragon Sin would have been, had he been raised as nobility in Lioness. In a safe, comfortable life without the hardships that brimmed his past. And she finds herself proud of that fact, that she could give her son this type of life.

The other two children remain mostly a mystery, even with the tidbits of information Lancelot had offered. Elizabeth imagines her daughter to be a tall beauty like Margaret, but with a fierce spirit like Veronica. And training to be a Holy Knight? That seems astounding to her, to have two children with such power. However, it is also the tiny, incremental details that are starting to drive her mad, and she runs a hand over her stomach again, imagining what she might have looked like with the swell of life there, heavily pregnant, she decides she must know more.

Finally her mind drifts to Jason… little Jason, who is living in Camelot. Tristan had assured her that it was something that he had done as well when he was younger, but Elizabeth can not help but feel that there is more to the story. Her heart feels a strange ache for this little boy she has never even laid eyes on, and that makes her a bit frightened. He's.. six years old, and already wandering to different kingdoms and meeting kings? She doesn't know what to do when a sudden overwhelming need to find this one child starts, to wrap him up tight, to keep him close.

The door opens and Elizabeth bolts up into a sitting position. Her eyes and mouth go wide as Meliodas enters, walking leisurely through the washroom to open a small closet on the opposite wall. Quickly she ducks back under the water, leaving only her head exposed, as she frantically scoops the bubbles closer to cover her body.

"Sorry that took so long," he calls from behind the closet door. "Ban was making the arrangements for all the travelling supplies for tomorrow, and the stables didn't know how many horses, and then there was some confusion about who was going where…" Meliodas steps back out, now only wearing a pair of shorts, and Elizabeth dips even further down, sputtering garbled words under the water, trying to hide the heat crawling up her neck and cheeks. She had seen him in different states of undress before, surely, as they had shared a room at the Boar Hat; but he had always at least kept his shirt on!

Meliodas continues talking, coming to sit on the side of the tub, and Elizabeth skirts a little away, trying to gather as many of the remaining bubbles as she can. He notices the splashing and stops mid-sentence, looking at her curiously. "Is everything-oh," he breathes, they lock eyes as her head almost combusts, his face cringing with an apology. "I did it again, didn't I?" Hastily he jumps back up with a small laugh, turning around, completely unsure of what to do. "I just-you know, we usually-"

"Sir Meliodas?" Elizabeth says in a tiny voice, cutting him off as he looks back at her. "Can I have a minute to get out?"

"Sure. Yes. Great." He looks around one more time, "Right, I'll be out in, well, I- I'm going." and then he spins in a circle before exiting the washroom in a couple large steps. Seconds later, the door clicks shut behind him.

Elizabeth can't help the giggle that erupts from her now that she is alone.

She climbs out of the tub and quickly dries off, wringing out her hair before slipping on one of the dozens of gowns that she had found hanging in the closet, a fluffy large gown that goes down to her ankles but wonderfully comfortable. She peeks out of the bathroom door, and sees Meliodas nervously tinkering with something on the side table, his back to her.

With a smile she comes over to the bed, pulling back the covers and folding them, the same routine they had always shared in the Boar Hat, and Meliodas catches sight of her over his shoulder. He smiles, standing with his arms folded as he watches her familiar movements, and when the bed is ready, he jumps in, flopping down face first before he wiggles under the blankets, making Elizabeth laugh. That at least has not changed in twenty-five years.

Delicately she climbs in next to him, the king laying on his stomach as she sits up with her legs tucked underneath her. "Sir Meliodas?" she says as he looks over to her. Her cheeks are still flushed from the bath, her hair slightly damp, and he runs his eyes over her form with a hum. "I have a few questions."

His eyes widen slightly, even as he keeps the mild smile on his face, "You do huh?"

Elizabeth nods, "Yes. I- It was such a-well, it was a shock to meet Tristan today, and I'd rather not have that happen again." Meliodas begins to offer an apology, but Elizabeth waves her hand to stop him. "No, no, it's all right. I know that this is…" She sighs and looks at him tenderly, "This is difficult for you too, Sir Meliodas. And you've done nothing but try to take care of me, but I have not been very understanding with you."

"Hey," Meliodas sits up, looking at her seriously. "I would do anything for you, anything."

She smiles and places a hand briefly on his cheek. Gently, she rubs her thumb across his skin, and a shiver runs across her own skin. "I know," she says quietly. It seems almost surreal, how he leans just a bit into her hand.

A moment passes before he relaxes and smiles at her. "Fine, then, what is it you want to know?"

"Can you tell me more about the-uh, the- my children?" Elizabeth forces the words out, annoyed with herself for blushing again, but Meliodas does not seem to notice as he settles back against the pillows. He looks up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"Well," he begins, "you've met Tristan. He's nearly finished with his training, he'll be a Holy Knight by the end of the year. He's progressing, and that's where he has been for the past six months, out completing his required service." He pauses a moment before continuing, his brows pulling down, shrugging a bit, "He's always been talented, ever since he was a boy. Everyone says he's just like me, and I suppose that's true enough. But every time I look at him all I see is you."

Elizabeth opens her mouth, but then closes it promptly, not sure of what to say as Meliodas' expression changes, and a bit of warmth softens his eyes. "Lynette, now, she is definitely your daughter. She looks just like you, I mean, you could be sisters." He gives a chuckle. "But where Tristan has always been one to please, one to be the best at everything, Lynette could not give a damn. The two of them butt heads over everything. She wants to do her own thing no matter what anyone else thinks. In fact," he stresses, pointing at his hair, "before she started on her training she chopped off all her hair so she could start just like all the other new apprentices and no one would know who she was. She came back home the first day with a black eye and I think you've never stopped worrying ever since." His smile widens, and Elizabeth can't help but smile too, seeing the pride in his expression as he laughs. She lays down under the blankets, getting comfortable as she subconsciously wiggles nearer. He moves closer, until they are only a few inches apart as she facing him. "She's powerful too, even more than Tristan, but don't tell him that. She would do anything for anyone. Unless you are trying to tell her what to do." Meliodas gives her a sly look. "Yes, definitely just like you."

Elizabeth gives a little cough, her heart fluttering in her throat, and her fingers curl around the sheets. "And-and Jason? Lancelot said he was in Camelot?"

"Yea," Meliodas nods as Elizabeth watches, entranced. "You sent him there not long ago, actually. He's been there for four days, although I don't know why, you didn't want to wait until he was ten like Tristan was to meet Arthur. He's a quiet boy, a bit shy, except around his brother and sister. They both bring him out of his shell. Those two…" He trails off as Elizabeth rests her head against her pillows, any tension she had left fading away as Meliodas trails off. But she keeps her eyes open, as focused as she could on the conversation. "Those two, they have a bad tendency to get pretty protective of him. He hates conflict, or seeing anyone hurt." He gives a small smile. "Once, he and Tristan were out and a storm came in really quickly. They got caught in it, and on the way back Jason found a kitten that was hurt on the side of the road." Meliodas shook his head at the memory. "He took his shirt off to wrap around it, and by the time Tristan got them both back he was sick half to death and already running a fever. But all he cared about was getting that kitten back here so you could heal it."

Elizabeth smiled warmly, an image of a soaking wet and shivering boy appearing in her head, but all he cared about was the life of something so small? "That is very sweet." she whispers, now noticing how heavy her eyes felt, and she fights to keep them open, thinking of all the other questions brimming in her mind.

"It was. But do you know what the strangest part was?" Elizabeth shakes her head slightly, as Meliodas intertwined their legs under the covers. "...By the time they got back, the kitten was already healed."

Her eyes snap open, and Meliodas stretches his arms back behind his head as her mouth drops open in surprise. He chuckles. "Yeah, it's something really. All three of them are just like you, and we even have a healer. I barely had anything to do with it. For all I know, Gilthunder could be their father."

"W-wha-" Elizabeth gives a gasp of shock, jerking up before he is laughing and pulling her down to lay next to him. "I'm just joking," he assures her. "Can we go to sleep now? I am heading out tomorrow too with the others."

Elizabeth lays on her side, facing him, and he links his arm with hers. Briefly she thinks about the kiss they shared earlier, and is glad that they have returned to more familiar territory, as thrilling as it had been for her. "I really want to go with you," she says as he puts out the light.

"I don't think so," he says with a sigh. "I need you to stay here and focus on just getting better."

She bites her lip but stays quiet, listening to his breathing begin to even as he falls asleep. He is still acting like there is something wrong with her, that something's been done to her, but after everything that has happened today, Elizabeth is even more convinced than ever that she is the one who does not belong here.


The next day, while eating lunch with Lancelot and Elaine, Tristan watches the door nervously.

They aren't that far from his mother's room, just down the hall, where they had left her shortly after the king's departure. He and the Seven Deadly Sins, along with the Grand Master and several other Holy Knights, had set out to find the other victims afflicted with memory loss.

His mother had seemed annoyed again. He was not sure why, but suspected that she was upset at being left behind. Tristan and Lancelot had been pulled aside by the king first thing in the morning, Lancelot barely conscious, and been given very explicit instructions not to leave the queen alone for any reason whatsoever. Even for a simple hour, and they had agreed, of course, but his mother's darkening mood in the morning had given him pause. His father had also arranged for her to see the physician again, so when she had insisted that she did not need them to hover, and Tristan agreed. What his father wasn't here to see wouldn't hurt him, and if leaving her alone for just an hour helped her it was the least he could do. They promised they should meet up again for lunch, and there really wasn't any way she could get into any trouble inside the castle, after all.

So when she fails to appear he stands, finally unable to wait anymore as the minutes tick by agonizingly slow, almost to mock him, "I'll be right back. Mother should be by now." he announces going to check on her.

Elaine takes of sip of tea as he stands. "That's a good idea," she says with a bit of worry in her voice, but Lancelot just shrugs. "She's probably just asleep," he grumbles as he helps himself to more food, mumbling about the lack of ale, but Tristan just moves briskly through the castle.

However, as soon as he reaches his parents' room he knows something is wrong. The sounds of clattering and yelling comes from inside, and he quickly pushes the doors open and steps in to find the physician frantically rushing around, his assistant glaring at the now empty bed. "She was right here!" he cries in a frenzy, but when he spies Tristan he freezes, paling. "H-h-her Majesty is gone!" The prince whirls around and bolts from the room, the physician crying after him, "Please don't throw me out the window!"

With a growl Tristan practically runs back to the dining hall, and Lancelot sits up when he sees the look on his face. "What's wrong?" he says, standing.

"She's gone!" Tristan whispers fiercely, looking around to see if anyone overheard. Elaine gasps while Lancelot mutters a quick, "I'm going to get blamed for this, I just know it."

"You have to go and find her," Elaine urges them, quickly standing and ushering them towards the hall. Pushing them forward. "Go, now, before she gets too far."

"But where?" Lancelot hisses. "We have no idea where she is heading!"

Tristan thinks for a moment, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "There's been no word from the guards, which means she's still in the castle somewhere. Unless-" His eyes widen as he remembers something. It was a leap, yes, but if she wanted to hide it might work. "Come on, let's go."

He leads Lancelot out, moving through the hallways quietly but quickly, until they get to the courtyard, and they slip out the back without alerting anyone. They head out the gatehouse and around the southern side, making their way through the narrow city streets that run into the castle walls. "Where are we going?" Lancelot protests, but Tristan presses on, running lowly as he hopes, truly hopes, they get there in time as they dodge through the common people and duck around street corners. He keeps an eye out for any Knights, making sure to keep out of their sight.

There is a small alley hidden by a busy marketplace, and they slip down it unnoticed by anyone. Shifting behind boxes and storage barrels, at the end they uncover a grate over a large opening in what looks like part of the castle wall. "What is this?" Lancelot asks in confusion.

"A tunnel," Tristan answers, and then cannot help the small smile that forms on his face. "It leads all the way back inside the castle. My mother used it to escape when she was seventeen, and the royal family was arrested." He flashes Lancelot a grin. "She left the castle so she could go and look for the Seven Deadly Sins. Alone, in a suit of armor."

Lancelot raises his eyebrows, "That was true?" he has a mixture of admiration and surprise on his face, as the two of them sit against the grate to wait for the queen to complete another daring escape.