Author: I hate to admit this but... I actually forgot about this story until a friend of mine asked me if I had read the NNT update. XD Sorry.
"Lady Guinevere is such a wonderful person," noted Elizabeth, admiration flashing in her eyes as she watched said princess wield a sword in the training ground. "She is very good with that sword, is she not?"
Meliodas, who sat beside the princess of Liones, agreed with a nod. "She has gotten better, I'd say." Just like King, Merlin and Gowther, Guinevere had kept safe the weapon given to her by the king of Liones. Although it was but an ordinary sword, nothing like their sacred treasures, she still had decided to keep the weapon instead of exchanging it for a better one. Perhaps it had a sentimental value, like the weapon he received from Liz.
"I want to be of help to you, Lord Meliodas," Elizabeth continued. "I want to become strong like Lady Guinevere..."
"Don't."
The princess glanced at the Sin in question, and she saw a serious expression drawn over his face. It only lasted for a mere second though, and she lost sight of it as Meliodas looked at her with his usual grin, "Because she's a sucker for Merlin's words. She'd believe and do anything, even to unhealthy extents, as long as it's from Merlin. She would obey without any question." Meliodas could very well remember how they used to fool around with her by inventing the game Merlin says, just for giggles. It was like that until Diane and Merlin took pity of her and abolished the game. "Which reminds me, how are Diane and King holding up?" King had arrived from wherever he went to see Diane, only to be greeted by an amnesiac giantess.
Both their attention spun back to the training ground after hearing Arthur yelp and fall back with a thud. His cross-hilted sword flew from his grip, and the pointed end of the blonde princess' sword was only a few inches from his throat. "Wow," the young boy grinned. "I didn't know you were good at this."
Guinevere pulled her weapon back and stretched out her free hand to the king. "Don't make a scene, King Arthur." Too late, for as soon as the boy had made a grab for her hand, he pulled her down on the ground with him. She yelped, losing her balance completely and falling into his arms, with Arthur's grinning face before her.
"Oops."
The only thing she did was pay that grin with a smile, before she flicked his forehead and stood up with a huff. Not that she hated what he did, but a time like this is not for fooling around. This time, Guinevere refused to offer him her hand, so Arthur stood up on his own and picked up his sword, slipping the weapon back to its sheathe. "Don't get mad at me, Gwen!"
"Tch. I'm going to see Diane and the others."
Merlin's soul was still inside her own sacred treasure, Morning Star Aldan, where Guinevere found comfort conversing with whenever she needs to. "Lilith..." Blue eyes glanced at the orb with a faint smile now on the princess' lips. "Mere swordfighting wouldn't be of much help to the Seven Deadly Sins."
"I never said I'm doing this for the Sins." The brush gently made its way through her silken blonde locks, as the princess brought all strands in front, loosely tying them together. Guinevere had figured that Merlin would probably be raising her brow at her. "I have to grow stronger too. Using magic and powers in battle is like controlling a wild beast caught in the hunt: the larger the beast you wish to control, the harder it would be. One must be strong enough to overpower it, so that it would not bring forth unwanted casualty." Carefully, she arranged the roses to her hair, setting them in their proper places. "I learned, Merlin."
Aldan glowed a faint blue, but no words were heard.
"Making the same mistake would be crucial."
For that one moment, the usual gleam of her blue eyes had vanished in thin air. Her lips pursed to a straight line, as she stood up from her seat before the mirror. One final glance at her reflection, and she took glimpse of the orb glowing deep blue, slowly becoming a silhoutte. When the glow died out, Merlin's image became clear. It was an illusion, the sorceress explained, and a better way to have conversations with everyone. "Regarding Diane, I think it would be best if we let her be. The blow to her head had caused memory loss, you know that."
"I know," the princess sighed. She lifted her head and parted her lips to say something else, but was interrupted with the doors being forced open. "D-DIANE'S GONE!"
The fairy king panicked, his arms flailing as he floated about. Left and right, left and right he went, screaming about how the giantess had disappeared without a single trace. "King, calm down a bit, would you?" Guienevere told him with a sigh. And the fairy king bumped onto a wall, forcing him to sit still as Merlin's magic enclosed him inside a Perfect Cube.
With the remainder of the Sins gathered, they began to discuss the little problem in their hands. Although her memory was still unclear, Gwen was fairly sure she had been with Meliodas since he began searching for his own team of Holy Knights. And like Meliodas, she was certain that there was no other place Diane could have gone to.
The princess of Cameliard watched as the Captain ran off with Elizabeth, Hawk and King, in search of their lost comrade, before she approached Gowther who had fallen after being brutally attacked by Chastiefol due to King's rage. "Taking something a person considers precious... It's theft, Gowther. Despite your given ability, to mess with people's memories just to satisfy your lust for answers is simply wrong." The Goat's Sin of Lust only stared back at her with the unwavering unfazed gaze. It would be trouble to make Gowther understand, and fulfilling his lust for answers would most likely take forever. Besides, there is Arthur, and the kingdom that she should prioritize.
Arthur pouted at his desk in the study, staring at the wall before him (and that fine portrait of the princess hanging on it) with a bothered expression drawn all over his face. "Why, of course it would worry her," said Merlin, whose form stood by the window, gazing at the scenery on the other side. "After witnessing the strength of a Ten Commandment, anyone would be worried for the well-being of Sir Captain and the others."
Finally, the boy picked up the book that had long been resting above his desk. "But if it is Sir Meliodas, he can win over anything," he reasoned out to his teacher.
"Arthur, have you forgotten about what you have learned from Geography?"
"I haven't. I could recite to you all significant places over Britannia if you wish."
"But you seem to forget that Sir Captain's destination lies past Edinburgh, where we suspect the Ten Commandments are."
The king flinched, not wanting to remember the terrible sight his own eyes had witnessed. Against one, they lost. Against ten? He could only heave a helpless sigh. Why is he so useless? What is the good of a jeweled crown and a mighty sword if he is of no use to the people who had helped him and his kingdom? "But I suggest you insist that she must not follow the Captain and the others to Edinburgh and past. I believe the Captain himself would say so too. Once I heard him say that it wouldn't be good for Lilith - Gwen to meet him."
"Him?" He had no idea how long had Guinevere been living but Arthur had long accepted the fact that he may not be the first person she ever loved. Still, the idea of having a new rival (even if he has so many already) made the young king frown.
"One of the Commandments, I assume, but I can't entirely be sure. Amongst the Seven, only the Captain knows of the Eighth Deadly Sin well." Wait, does this put his marriage with Gwen in grave danger?! He can't- He can't- He can't- HE CAN'T LOSE!
Merlin smirked, knowing how his student was already internally panicking with only a few right words. "Ah, there. That kind of expression should make Guinevere let out even a hearty laugh."
"W-What...?" Arthur stared at the sorceress in confusion, but soon brought his eyes back to the book, eventually placing it down. "A-Anyway... I'll go see Gwen."
What could have Merlin meant by that? An expression that would make Guinevere laugh? He never really bothered with it before since Gwen was an all-smiles type of person, and seeing her as worried as she is now was a rare occasion. His study had quite a distance from the princess' room, so Arthur had plenty of time to think of an idea to at least cheer her up. He was only a hall away when he had finally come up with something, and in excitement, he ran to her room and burst open the door. "Gwen!"
What met him were the surprised eyes of Guinevere, who was reddening as blood rushed up her face. Time seemed to have stopped as both of them stared at each other in great shock. The next thing he knew, black flames came surging towards him, causing him to fly backwards. He wiped the blood under his nose as he sat up. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He told her repeatedly.
"I don't care if you're a king or not: KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING!" And the large doors of Guinevere's room went tightly shut before his face and his still bleeding nose. "Gwen, I'm sorry, really! I didn't mean to! Come on!" He called out. "Trust me! I didn't mean to bust in!" But no matter how hard he banged his fists against the doors, Guinevere refused to open them, much less talk to him. Did he made her furious? Well, of course, any woman caught in that state would be mad. But she was being unreasonable, not listening to him at all!
Although it really was his fault. And she has every royal right to be angry. "But I didn't know you just finished bath!" He reasoned out in a tone so desperate to be forgiven. "Really!"
Author: Sorry for the late update! I gotta rewatch NNT again to get a hold of all their characters so they don't get OOC here.
