Chapter 7

That same day, as per usual, Elizabeth sat in the meeting room during the morning, discussing possible demon attacks and retaliation plans. They were going on about how demons were acting strangely by not attacking at all in the past few weeks.

The conference room looked a lot like heaven's theater with its wide arches, adorning statues and large columns with detailed carvings. This only spurred on Elizabeth's day dreaming about a certain blonde demon whose smile could light up a thousand suns.

She remembered the day she'd hurt him in their sword practices. She knew it was a bad idea when he'd asked her not to hold back, but she really couldn't say no to that face. Plus he seemed to be putting in a minimal effort whenever they fought, which made her think he had the upper hand. He seemed so confident about her inability to hurt him. But then she did…

…

Elizabeth thrust her sword at Meliodas's chest, using a stance that allowed her to place her whole weight on the attack, but Meliodas easily twisted his sword around hers in a way that had disarmed her instantly in the past. However, Elizabeth had learned from her mistakes, so she let go of the handle for only an instant, allowing her to use the spinning motion of the sword to grip the hilt like one would a dagger. Then she used the momentum to slash at her opponent. Meliodas was quick to dodge, but not quick enough. Elizabeth had managed to cut him just above his right elbow, where he'd folded his hands over his chest protectively as he'd jumped away from her attack.

"Oh shit!" he said, holding his elbow to check the wound.

Elizabeth gasped! "I'm so sorry! I thought you would dodge!"

"Well you sorta caught me off guard, I was supposed to disarm you."

"No! I told you I could hurt you! That's it! No more sword lessons!"

"Aww… what excuse would I have to see you now?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Let me see the wound. Does it hurt? Is it deep?"

"Oh yes~ I need comfort!" Meliodas placed his head underneath her skirt in a dash, bringing a rose color to her cheeks.

She patted his head over the cover of the skirt and said, "There, there." A mixture of embarrassment, guilt and a weird spreading warmth caused her to react as such. She felt like she was responsible for his pain and had to makeup for it. "Me-Meliodas, please let me heal you. I'm so sorry I- EEP!" Meliodas was shaking his head no, causing his nose to rub against some uncharted territory. Elizabeth quickly pushed his head away in embarrassment at her own reaction.

Meliodas lay comically on the ground, appearing as small as a fairy. Without attempting to lift from his face-down position he explained in a muffled tone, "Elizabeth, if you heal me, I won't have any proof of your achievements."

"But- but… I hurt you…"

"I'm fine! It's nothing but a scratch." He said as he stood up.

"Can't you at least use your demon powers to heal it…?"

"No way! I'm actively holding them back! I could, however, use some more of that comforting we were doing… ni shi shi."

"Umm… Oh! I know!" She flew gracefully towards him and practically lifted him up towards the steps. She then sat down and laid him so that his head rested on her lap. "Is this better?" She asked a very flabbergasted Meliodas.

"Are you kidding? This is the best view ever!" He was looking up at her and she knew that he meant the view of her breasts. She simply blushed and looked away, slightly used to his innuendos and inappropriate touches. At least he had the decency to not take advantage of this position.

They stayed quiet for a while. Elizabeth kept glancing at his wound and grimacing, while Meliodas seemed to be asleep.

"Stop looking at it or it'll never heal."

"Oh! I thought you were asleep."

"Mmm… I could very well be. This is the most comfortable I've been in my whole life."

Another long silence passed between them.

"You smell amazing."

"Huh?"

"Your scent. Demons have a heightened sense of smell and from this close it's like I'm drowning in it." His eyes were still closed as he talked and his lips were pulled up in a smile.

"I-I –aah… I don't know wh- well… ummm-" Elizabeth was beyond flustered.

Meliodas turned his head so his face was pressed against her stomach. He inhaled dramatically and then let it out with a sigh. "It's like a meadow with the most beautiful flowers, or maybe a bowl with the most exotic fruits. I can't place a name on it but it's fresh and warm and colorful… I love it."

Elizabeth could feel her heart in her ears at his words. It was beating so fast she was sure he could hear it from this distance. He'd actually said 'love', and even though he was talking about her scent it felt like there was a deeper meaning to it.

She was suddenly very aware of her hands, and had no clue were to place them. At the same time she felt the urge to be closer to him. His words had warmed not only her face but her heart as well.

Taking advantage of the renewed silence, she studied his peaceful face. His features were ironically angelic when his eyes were closed, hiding the physical manifestation of the Demon King's power that was leant to him. She wondered how he'd look with his regular green eyes. His face would probably look even kinder without the dark orbs he bore now.

His lips where slightly parted as he breathed slowly and as Elizabeth's eyes trailed over that particular area of his face, an abnormally large amount of saliva accumulated in her mouth, forcing her to swallow.

Then she noticed his hair, blonde and unruly. She couldn't help herself as she raised her hand to run it through the blonde mess. She'd feared he would react badly to her bold gesture, but he simply hummed and settled deeper into her lap. Seeing as she hadn't been rejected, she ran her hand through the blonde locks again, this time gracing his scalp with her nails.

He groaned, "Please keep doing that…"

"O-okay!" she responded, slightly embarrassed at her own daring actions.

More silence ensued as Elizabeth ran her hand through Meliodas's mane, scratching his scalp slightly and pulling deliciously at the hairs on the back of his head.

"Meliodas…"

"Hm?"

"What do you do? I mean… when you're not training goddesses."

He made a grunt that sounded like a laugh. "I well… I am the demon prince." He answered, still refusing to open his eyes, as he seemed to be in heaven.

"I'm aware."

"I'm also the leader of the Ten Commandments."

"Yes. We've established that. I want to know how your daily routine goes."

"Well I get up and take a shower: naked~. Ni shi shi!" He waited for Elizabeth to form a mental picture and then continued, "Then I sometimes train with Chandler. Other times I have meetings with the Ten Commandments to assign them a mission or to hear their reports. Recently I've been trying to catch meals with Zeldris and it's given me a chance to really get to know him. Sometimes you live with someone and assume that means you have a relationship or see enough of each other, but it could be like you're two strangers who just happen to rent a room right next to each other. I've also been taking trips to Earth..." He finally left his trance and made eye contact with Elizabeth. Although he would sometimes close his eyes when Elizabeth's ministrations to his scalp forced him to do so.

"Why?"

"I've been to some human settlements. I was looking for something- or rather someone."

"Who were you looking for?"

"Well that letter I sent you before, it came at a price. I promised this very powerful magician that I'd find him a student. So I did a recon of some villages, looking for someone who's magic stood out, but I found none. It did give me a chance to get to know the humans though! Turns out when you're not trying massacre their villages, they are a very interesting race."

"Who would've thought…" Elizabeth answered sarcastically.

"Hah! I even had some of that ale they make. Man! That was good stuff." Meliodas continued with his story, "I'd heard about Belialuin, a city filled with magicians. I wasn't sure I'd be welcomed there or that I could find someone willing to head to the underworld for magic lessons. To my surprise, on my way there I came across a girl who was being chased by the magicians of Belialuin. I intervened and saved her."

"Meliodas…" Elizabeth said with a proud tone.

"Yeah, I'm a regular knight in shining armor! Anyways, she told me how she was forced to train magic day and night due to her innate abilities. She'd tried to run away, but the magicians in Belialuin found out and attacked her. That's when I showed up! So I brought her with me and now she's studying with Gowther."

"Gowther… that name sounds familiar."

"Yeah I've told you about him! He's one of the Commandments."

"You mean the dangerous magician who the Demon King himself imprisoned?"

"Yeah!"

"And now a small child lives in the underworld training much the same as she did in Belialuin? The place where she ran from?"

"Hm… I feel like you're trying to tell me something…"

"Meliodas!"

"Relax Elizabeth! I wouldn't put a child in danger. She uses magic to protect herself against the miasma in the underworld and I bring her with me to my journeys to Earth so she can get any food she likes or breath fresh air. Also Gowther is not like the other Commandments. Yes, he is imprisoned because his magic is too powerful, but it's also because he opposes the demon king. He is a very kind and wise men who I even consider my friend."

"Oh… I guess it doesn't sound so bad. But still… she's a child. She should have a decent home, a family and love and…why are you looking at me like that?"

"Hm… I love how much you care for others."

Meliodas was looking at her with tender half lidded eyes and Elizabeth was having a hard time handling the force of his gaze. Her heart picked up again in an uneven rhythm, half wanting to stop flat at the intensity of the moment and half trying to surpass the beatings per second record of the world.

In a moment of panic she used both hands to cover his face to put an end to her bodily reactions.

"Hey!"

"Sorry! I was just- you, you were looking funny at me!"

"If you wanted to touch my face all you had to do was ask. I know you were staring at it a while ago."

"Y- you! Your eyes were closed!"

"So?"

Elizabeth was very flustered in that moment. Squirming in her seat.

"I'll close my eyes if it makes it easier." Said Meliodas.

As promised, Meliodas closed his eyes and silence reigned over Heaven's Theater again.

After a while Elizabeth began studying his face again and did not miss his subtle smirk. A myriad of thoughts passed through her mind, 'Would he really not mind if I touched him? Would he like it? Is it bad that I want to? What if he was only teasing me as always?'

She gathered up all the courage she could muster and brushed a single finger through his forehead. He didn't seam to react so she moved on to his temple, then his cheekbone, up the side of his nose and then through his eyebrow. Emboldened, she placed her whole hand on his cheek and he hummed in pleasure. Using her thumb she traced both of his eyebrows, and then tenderly caressed his closed eyelids. She mapped the curve of his nose until she could describe it in exactitude to a sketch artist or even draw a portrait of it with her eyes closed. When she was satisfied, she delineated his jawline and stroked his cheeks. Her index finger moved to outline his lips, sending jolts of electricity through her from the intimate contact.

Meliodas's breath caught and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at her with a depth she wasn't accustomed to. The movement of her hand did not falter, now using her thumb to brush over his lips. She felt him shudder and suddenly it seemed like all the sounds of the world… stopped.

Elizabeth's lips felt extremely dry and she couldn't help herself from using her tongue to wet them a little. This turned out to be a bad move. The look Meliodas was giving her turned from loving to lustful and dangerous.

In a flash, he was sitting up. Far to fast for Elizabeth's vision to catch it, leaving her stunned. Elizabeth's hand remained over his cheek, while Meliodas moved his hand to grab behind her neck, pressing their noses together. Elizabeth squeaked in surprise and fear at seeing the demon mark on his forehead.

"Please try not to tempt this demon. There's only so much I can take." His tone was lower than usual, dangerous even. But Elizabeth barely registered his words, being distracted by his breath ghosting over her lips.

She licked her lips again in a nervous fashion, earning a growl from Meliodas and a tightened grip on the back of her neck, which caused a sound of complaint at the extra pressure.

In a second flash she was left alone and he was on the opposite side of the Theater, taking shallow breaths.

"M-Meliodas?"

"Sorry Elizabeth… I need a /breath/ second here."

After a while Meliodas was back to normal, offering no explanations on what had happened. They soon said their goodbyes till next week.

When she got home she was battling conflicting emotions of want and worry, and to make matters worse there was someone outside her house waiting.

"Where were you Elizabeth? And don't give me some excuse. I want the truth. I know you've been sneaking out once a week." Jelamet looked green with anger.

"I… umm…" Elizabeth didn't know what to say but she definitely didn't want to lie.

"Have you been seeing him?"

"Him…? I don't know wh-"

"Mael. Have you been meeting with Mael?"

"What? No!"

"Oh no? You expect me to believe you? Cause when I asked him he was very avoidant on your whereabouts." Mael knew about her meetings with Meliodas. She'd ended up having to tell him when he also noticed her weekly absences. He wasn't thrilled about it. Actually that's an understatement; he looked very sad to find out who she was meeting with. He'd asked her to be careful and not to trust him too much. It wasn't the best reaction but at least he didn't yell at her again.

"Jelamet. I've told you Mael and I are nothing but friends."

"Oh, really? Do friends lay on each other's shoulders in a meadow?"

"What?"

"I saw you Elizabeth! With Mael, a few weeks ago. Don't tell me you don't remember."

"That's not what you think."

"And I thought you were my friend. Silly me."

...

Since then Elizabeth has been avoiding Jelamet. She couldn't really answer her questions on where she disappeared to, and her friend wouldn't listen to the half-truths she could muster.

The rest of the day went by in a flash. The meeting with the council went well, or so she hoped, since she'd been daydreaming through most of it. Practice also went well, but Mael was being very nonchalant, as he tended to be on the day Elizabeth met with Meliodas. Finally it was that time of the day when she could slip away for a few hours.

Meliodas made her feel free. She felt like she'd been in a beautiful bubble her entire life and now Meliodas busted her out of there and showed her all the things she was missing. She also felt comfort in Meliodas's presence. He just made her happy, happier than any other friend she'd had.

She was flying in a daze, a big smile plastered on her face. She'd missed Meliodas terribly this week. It felt like every week they spent apart was harder on her. The longing to see him grew the more time they spent together.

A blast to her right took her out of her daze and made her turn towards the source of the attack. A man was flying above her, preparing a second sphere of power to launch. The assailant had pale skin, long slick black hair similar to Ludociel, red eyes and pointed fangs; clearly a vampire.

Elizabeth Quickly drew a light shield to protect herself from the attack, but the force of the black beam pushed her until she crashed on the steps of Heaven's Theater.

The man flew to stand in the center of the stage. Elizabeth grunted from the pain of crashing into the steps as she rose to defend herself.

"Kuh! That's a pretty good shield to resist my night ray. We vampires are nocturne creatures. I hold the power of the night with me. Your holy magic won't stop me."

"Don't take me too lightly. Ark!"

The vampire dodged the ark expertly and created a dark whip. He sent an attack towards Elizabeth and she managed to dodge the initial assault, but the movement of the whip was too unpredictable. It was like it had a life of its own. She got caught in the backlash and screamed as the whip ripped into the skin of her arm.

"That's more like it princess."

He took another hit, this time at her back, wounding her wing, which made her screams louder. Elizabeth threw a couple more arks at him, but it was fruitless with his speed.

The man had a gruesome smirk on his face as he picked Elizabeth up by the neck and said, "It's been a while since I've had goddess blood…"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and waited for the pain on her neck that never came.

The horrible man's hand was no longer crushing her airways, but rather she was being held tenderly in another's arms. She opened her eyes to find Meliodas's enraged face bearing the demon mark while holding her bridal style. He leaned in close so that their foreheads were touching and said, "Elizabeth… I'm sorry I'm late. I'll finish this in a second."

The man was on the other end of the theater, logged against a column from the strength of Meliodas's punch.

Meliodas set Elizabeth down with as much care as one would a sleeping infant before his power flared.

"I-I was told you wouldn't be here." The man stuttered.

Meliodas's scowl increased impossibly more, "WHO?! WHO TOLD YOU THIS? WHO SENT YOU?"

Elizabeth couldn't advert her eyes even if she wanted to; she held too much concern in her heart for the one who'd saved her. Meliodas and the vampire fought brutally. At first the man got a few hits with his whip. It seemed Meliodas had as much trouble as Elizabeth dodging the random movements of the weapon. However it wasn't long before he adapted to it and turned the fight one-sided.

With every punch Meliodas tried to pry the truth about who'd sent him to hurt Elizabeth out of him. The man could only grunt in pain, refusing to entertain Meliodas with his knowledge. Finally Elizabeth had enough, she couldn't handle watching her Meliodas enjoying himself while hurting someone, even if it was an assassin. "Meliodas! …please stop," she pleaded.

Meliodas instantly realized he'd shown Elizabeth a side of himself she shouldn't have seen, but the wrath he felt could not be contained. He decided he wasn't going to get any answers from the man by punching him and he couldn't torture him in front of Elizabeth. He thought about taking him back to the castle, but doubted Elizabeth would agree.

"Elizabeth, close your eyes." He ordered and she complied.

Meliodas used the time to throw a final punch at the man who'd hurt his Elizabeth, adding to it enough demon power to disintegrated that lowlife and leave no evidence of his existence. It was over.