.

Prologue

Lullaby For a Princess

.

4-years-old Elizabeth blinked her eyes with a curiosity of a child, hugging her teddy bear and looking straight to his back that somehow looked sad and lonely "wonder why papa's friend looked so sad like that?".

Wind of the night blew his blonde hair. She could have sworn that for a moment, he stared down with such bitter and despair she had never seen from anyone else. When he tightened his grips on the fence and leaned his body further, Elizabeth lunged into him and dropped her teddy bear in the process. She wrapped her hands around his legs and he froze.

Looking behind over his shoulder, Meliodas seemed startled at first before he grinned "hey, good night. What's wrong, princess? Are you lost?".

"ah", Elizabeth immediately let him go and stuttered "no, I thought... you were gonna jump. Sorry...".

Whops. Just barely. Meliodas realized the stare as sharp as a dagger that coming from Merlin who hid behind the pillar. He contemplated it for a second, remembering his deeds to his little brother and such after he met with his little brother's lover, the vampire. The suicidal tendency was so tempting.

"be careful. Get yourself together", Meliodas dropped one knee in front of her and ruffled her head "no problem. Of course, I wouldn't jump".

Merlin picked the teddy bear and cleaned the dust off of the teddy bear before she offered a sweet smile to Elizabeth "you dropped this. Here".

Elizabeth who was carried by Meliodas now, accepted her teddy bear from Merlin's hands before she hugging her teddy bear "thank you".

"Anyway, what are you doing here? I believe you should be asleep now", Meliodas tilted his head "did you just sneak out of your room?".

Elizabeth hid her face with her teddy bear. Gotcha.

Meliodas chuckled and handed her to Merlin "I think it's better if you bring her back to her chamber, Merlin".

"sure, Captain", Merlin obliged but she raised her eyes pointedly "and... don't you think you can run away from me after this. We need to talk".

"I get it", Meliodas lifted his hands in surrender, fully aware that he couldn't avoid her this time before lifting his head up. He ruffled her head, giving his broad smile to Elizabeth "good night".

Wrapping her hands around Merlin's shoulders, Elizabeth waved her hand "bye-bye".

Merlin chuckled "princess, when someone says good night to you, say good night to them, too".

Elizabeth nodded, rubbing her eyes sleepily "okay".

It turned out that Elizabeth was precocious, could be rebellious sometimes and stubborn. Every time she got the chance to meet and spend her time with Meliodas, she would do it. Like this time, when she found out he was around (and hopefully not in a mission for several weeks later, which impossible), she would sneak out of her sister's watch (mostly Veronica. Geez, she was the stubborn one, and persistent. Why would she always say bad things and prohibit her to meet Meliodas, she wondered?). Elizabeth heard from Gilthunder and Margaret, that Zaratras would meet with the Sins at this old castle on the outskirts of the town after they went back from their mission on Isthar, the Holy land of Druids.

She just wanted to turn into another hallway of the Castle but she yelped when someone grabbed her wrist "KYA!".

"princess, it's just me".

"Gelda! You scared me!", Elizabeth gave her best pout to her nanny "what are you doing here?".

"I believe it's my words, princess", a blonde-haired woman crouched in front of her and pinched her nose "what are YOU doing here? I've been looking for you, for an hour".

Elizabeth scratched the back of her head and smiled sheepishly "hehe, forgive me, Gelda. I came here because I overheard from Gilthunder and Margaret's conversation, that Sir Zaratras will meet with the Sins here, so I came".

"to see Sir Meliodas", Gelda raised her eyebrow and sighed knowingly. Of course. Gelda stood and she reached out her hand "very well, you can meet him. Later, on the Castle, after they finish their meeting".

Elizabeth whined "Gelda~".

Gelda narrowed her eyes. When she agreed to Meliodas and Merlin's terms and created the pact with them, Gelda could accept it when they said she would work in the Castle as Elizabeth's nanny and the maid as a cover when in fact, Gelda worked as a spy for King Baltra with a condition, she had to be Merlin's familiar like Orlondi. At least, her fate was better compared to her poor comrades. However, Gelda did not expect this at all, that she would be the caretaker (temporarily though) of the princess. Reincarnation of Meliodas' lover, still an under-age brat.

"Why am I doing this, I wonder...", Gelda thought before she sighed "fine, but we have to wait until Sir Zaratras finish the meeting with the Sins, then you can see Sir Meliodas after that. Understand?".

Elizabeth exclaimed in joy "yes!".

However, it didn't turn out well. They felt the earthquake and Gelda persistently asked her to leave this Castle with her. However, Elizabeth ran to the hallway near the weaponry instead because she saw them from the corner of her eyes. Two of the Sins who had been her favorite people. Merlin and Meliodas.

"Merlin! Mel!".

Both Merlin and Meliodas looked paler than before when Gelda arrived here with Elizabeth but it was Meliodas (always him) who asked, "what are you two doing here!?".

"the princess persisted to find you", Gelda sighed "what happened?".

Merlin told them to run "explanation later".

Gelda nodded "got it".

"I know where is the nearest hidden passageway from here!", Elizabeth pulled Meliodas' hand "the entrance is there! Follow me!".

As usual, Meliodas was worried "Elizabeth, no!".

In the halfway, the explosion shattered the weaponry and the weapons inside the room scattered, flying everywhere. Gelda and Merlin could easily dodge it, but Elizabeth was only a child and she froze when she saw the spears flying towards her direction. Meliodas gritted his teeth, he pushed her, toppling her over to the floor and towering above her. Be it accidental or coincidence, those seven spears embedding on Meliodas' torso, perfectly piercing his seven hearts.

Both Gelda and Merlin screamed in shock "Meliodas!".

Elizabeth gasped in horror, her breath stuck in her throat as the droplet of blood from the corner of his mouth fell to her face "Mel—!?".

Meliodas smirked bemusedly before his body staggered and fell to the side. Lifting his bloodied hand, he smiled weakly and cupped her cheek "forgive me... for... leaving you... behind...".

The streak of blonde hair entered her sight as Gelda wrapped her arms around Elizabeth's torso to catch her body. She pulled her backward after she covered her eyes and hugged Elizabeth's tiny body which trembling "princess, close your eyes!? Don't look!?".

Elizabeth fell unconscious due to great shock at such a young age.

"...it's too late...", Merlin whispered and covered her mouth. She blinked away a single tear as her body trembled greatly "you jerk... you planned this, to die with protecting her from the first place, right?".

In her dream, she felt like Merlin or Gelda singing the lullaby for a princess like her when Meliodas carried her, swaying her body. Oh, how peaceful her sleep was!