Elizabeth woke up.

And the feeling of dread, fear and confusion lingered to her very core. She was hyperventilating as she took in her surroundings, blinking furiously and grasping the blankets that enveloped her.

She was back home in Liones, laying on Meliodas' bed. She glanced at the window quickly to orient herself what time of the day it was, and outside she saw the velvet blanket of the night as stars twinkled, and a foggy haze far beyond their lands thundered, where Camelot was due.

Elizabeth put a hand to her chest, feeling her quick heartbeats. She remembered her dream, her afternoon with Elaine, the voice that kept calling her, the strange creatures in her dream, and the confusing things that Meliodas was saying. It was all converging on her, and it was driving her mad. Not to mention, her growling and complaining stomach.

What day was it? Has she been out long? She had to find Elaine and Ban and ask them not to mention anything to Melidoas before he came back. If he were to find out that she had been sick again, he would get even more worried and might cause more delays than she already has. As soon as she was about to bolt right towards the hallway, the wooden door opened, and she met the golden eyes of her unexpected guest.

"Princess?" Merlin, the Boar Sin of Gluttony held the door with a shocked expression.

"Lady Merlin?" Elizabeth gasped; she had not expected the Sins' return for a few more days, unless she's been knocked out for that long. So that would mean Meliodas has already gotten back? Had someone already told them about her? Elizabeth attempted to straighten herself up when she realized that her brows were almost knotting in her confused and panicked state.

"Are you alright? Ban and Elaine told me what happened to you yesterday."

That answered her question. But yesterday? She's been asleep that long? But even so, they weren't supposed to come back until tomorrow or the next day. What had happened? Had they failed? Has someone been hurt?

"Where is Meliodas?" Elizabeth asked, completely ignoring the question.

"He's with your father" Merlin answered.

"And everyone else?"

"Everyone has safely returned home. And we've also succeeded in securing the reinforcements that the kingdom will need, so you may rest easy." The mage reassured.

Elizabeth felt her chest lighten and her shoulders relax. It was indeed a relief to hear that they had succeeded and all of them had safely returned home, but something still felt off. Elizabeth did not know The Boar Sin of Gluttony well, since the mage only speaks to her occasionally, but there was just something different about the way she was looking at her. Merlin always had a curious look about her, but it seems different when she was at the receiving end of those calculating eyes.

Elizabeth felt a sudden surge of impatience, because it was odd how Merlin was here, instead of Meliodas. She wanted to shake the feeling away, but the ache in her heart that he would go to a briefing first before seeing her was becoming more prominent, and the wave of her dizziness from her hunger and the ever-lingering confusion was not helping at all.

As much as she had wanted to be polite, Elizabeth already found herself speaking before she could even think. "Why are you looking at me like that, Lady Merlin? And where is Meliodas"

The Boar Sin of Gluttony didn't want to be caught off guard, but Elizabeth saw every inch of shock and...amusement? Within the lines of the mage's beautiful face. If she did not know any better, Merlin looked rather impressed at her rudeness, rather than being offended by it.

Merlin chuckled, but her face remained concerned and thoughtful. "It's alright, princess. The other Sins just got back an hour ago and your father wanted to meet with them urgently."

"Then why isn't he here? Has something happened to him?"

"The captain is fine. I'll call him as soon as I've examined you" Merlin assured. The mage closed the door behind her and lightly rested her hand on the princess' back. "Now, why don't you sit down for a moment and tell me what happened to you yesterday."

Elizabeth wanted to protest, but realized she wouldn't be let go that easily, so she allowed herself to be guided back to the bed. As she sat on the edge, the mage's hand was already suspended above her head, palms down.

"So, Elaine told me you felt rather unusual yesterday" Merlin started.

Elizabeth wasn't sure if she would disclose everything, from the voices to the dreams. And if she would blabber on about them, A lot of things could happen that she wouldn't want to; one was causing trouble for them. So instead of the Sins focusing on their mission to Camelot, they might waste their time tending to her like some invalid. And therefore, if she continued on being like this, she would understand if they would not want her to come at all. They were going to save a kingdom and fight the Ten Commandments. Bringing a dead weight like her would be detrimental. So, there would be no point in lying. But there were some things she had to keep for herself. It was all too confusing, and it scared even her.

"It was nothing, my body just felt unusually hot, and it made me a bit dizzy. I probably had too much to do that day" Elizabeth shrugged and hoped her tone was convincing enough.

But the mage did not look the least bit convinced but decided not to say anything about how bad of a liar she was. "Elaine also told me you were hearing voices when you were in the garden. Is that right?"

Shoot. Elaine had beat her to it before she could ask the favor. Elizabeth had hoped Elaine wouldn't say anything about the voices yet, but of course she would tell Ban out of concern. It was one of the things she wouldn't want Meliodas to find out. She could always ask Merlin the favor, but she doubts that The Boar Sin of Gluttony would disobey an order form her captain. And she didn't want to make Elaine look like a liar either. "Yeah...but it was probably just the heat that made me hear things."

"And what did you hear?" Merlin pressed.

"Just a voice calling my name"

The Boar Sin of Gluttony did not show any sign of emotion, which made it difficult for Elizabeth to gauge the situation. "Did you recognize this voice?"

Yes, she did, she thought to herself. But throughout the chaos of her pain, suffocation, and confusion that afternoon, she couldn't put a body on the voice she had heard. With all the people she had met, all the voices she had heard, it belonged to one of them, she was sure of that. But she just couldn't pinpoint which one. But it was definitely not the voice of someone she heard every day, that she was sure of.

"Not really." She lied, but Elizabeth just convinced herself that she was telling a half truth, which wasn't so bad, she guessed. "I was just in so much pain I couldn't think straight anymore."

"Pain?" Merlin caught.

Great. She slipped. Elizabeth tried to control her instinctive habit of biting the bottom of her lip whenever she lies. She looked guilty enough as it is.

"It just got a bit difficult to breathe which felt a little painful" She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. The pain she felt wasn't connected to her breathing at all. But how else would she de-escalate the situation if she were to tell Merlin that her skin felt like it was blistering from the sun's touch when it had been cloudy the whole afternoon.

"Are you in pain now?"

"No, I feel absolutely fine." She lied again. Although her body felt no pain anymore, her disorientation and confusion were enough to split her head in two, but she wasn't about to say that. But then again, it wasn't in her nature to be a liar, and it felt wrong to keep lying to someone who was just concerned about her. So, she added "Just a little disoriented and confused"

The Boar Sin of Gluttony pressed her lips, and Elizabeth didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one. A moment passed, and the mage had stopped questioning her, which Elizabeth felt thankful but absolutely horrified at the same time. Merlin obviously had not believed a word she said, and she feared that her lying could lead her to even more trouble.

"All will be explained. I just had to be sure of something" Merlin said as she lowered the hand suspended above her head. "I gave you a pill this afternoon the moment I got here, that could be a probable cause to your disorientation right now."

"This afternoon? I'm sorry, I don't remember any of that."

"Yes, well, the emergency magic suppression pills had a higher dosage in cases of our absence. That's why you were asleep for so long." the mage explained.

Elizabeth felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Magic suppression pills? Was that what they were giving her? She feels somewhat betrayed that they haven't told her that. But what really bothered her was that she could be a potential danger to others and they weren't telling her that either.

"Lady Merlin, what's happening to me?" She lowered her head in shame. "Have I done something wrong? H-have I hurt anybody?"

Elizabeth couldn't see the expression on the Boar Sin of Gluttony's face as she kept looking at the whites of her knuckles while she gripped her knees. She felt like she was eight years old again, being scolded by her sisters when she had climbed the tree that led to her father's fall. It was that feeling when you thought you were just doing something natural, harmless. But in reality, she was just young and foolish, and had caused trouble for others.

"There's nothing wrong with you" Merlin answered, and her tone was neither soft nor comforting. It was stern and sure, like she was angry about the question itself. "Your powers emerged rapidly before you could even control it, that's all."

"Why isit growing?" Elizabeth asked frantically. "And what can I do to stop it, so this won't happen again"

"Stopping it won't help, that I am sure of." The mage paced, and stopped when she was near the window, looking beyond the horizons of the night sky. "We need to put it to use, like what I told you back in Camelot."

"How?" The silver haired princess finally looked up with tears forming in her eyes. "I failed my test back in-"

"You can do more things than growing mere seeds.'' Merlin cut her off. "Druids have other abilities as well."

"I-is that what I really am? A druid?"

"Only druids are entrusted by the gods to heal amongst the other races. But they are also granted and taught other abilities." Answered the mage, quite vaguely, Elizabeth noted.

"Gods? And what other abilities?"

"It's a long story, but one we can discuss another time" Merlin evaded. "But for now, you have to rest. I'll call the captain for you."

Elizabeth gripped her knees again, feeling frustrated that her questions weren't answered at all. She thought asking Merlin what was wrong with her could finally bring light to her questions, but the Boar Sin of Gluttony had also said a lot of things she didn't understand, adding more questions to her overwhelming list. But she wasn't the type to press when there's no hope of getting any answers. Plus, she was well aware that the Sins had just gotten back from Bernia and needed rest as well.

"Thank you, Lady Merlin. I'm sorry if I had been a bit rude earlier." Elizabeth apologized.

"It's quite alright. "The captain might take a while, there is something we need to discuss first."

Elizabeth said her thanks before the mage left her alone in the room. The princess waited for a moment, and then when she couldn't bear her impatience and growling stomach, she too left their chambers in her thin nightgown and bare feet.

"Are you insane?!" Meliodas exclaimed. The timber of his voice vibrated the walls of the great hall, where he and Merlin were having a heated discussion by the grand fireplace.

"Then what else do you have in mind?" Merlin said in a whisper, trying not to meet the Dragon Sin of Wrath's anger. But the exhaustion and impatience were evident on the mage's knuckles as she stood with her arms crossed.

The both of them had gotten no ounce of rest since their return from Bernia. Despite being sent ahead, Merlin had to take care of Elizabeth the moment she arrived and had to clear out the growing ecosystem in their room before Elizabeth could see it. And Meliodas, aside from the detestable meetings, couldn't see Elizabeth until they were sure it was safe.

As for the Merlin's assessment, it was without a doubt that Elizabeth's memories haven't returned. But the silver haired princess was lying about a lot of things and was keeping information that of course none of them knew about. It was as if the already steep path they were treading had grown ever more perilous. And prying her for the things she wasn't answering could be a double-edged blade that Meliodas knew very well not to repeat anymore.

It's been nearly an hour since Merlin had checked on Elizabeth, and the mage insisted that they talk first before he could see her.

And Meliodas didn't mind that at all. If it was mean to delay triggering Elizabeth's memories, even if he had wanted to see her so badly, it was a small sacrifice he was willing to make. And it wouldn't be the first time in 3,000 years.

No, it was what Merlin proposed to do that made his blood boil, and why they have been in a heated argument for almost an hour.

"It's like you're asking me to kill her myself!" Meliodas fumed, he was very much aware that his exhaustion caused him to be more irritable than usual. But it was also without a doubt, emotions and stamina aside, Merlin's reasoning was beyond ludicrous.

"There is no difference from then and now!" Merlin's voice rose an octave higher. The mage was clearly losing her ability to stay rational and composed, but she was still a living being herself, not impervious to exhaustion. "We are just going to teach her properly, and she clearly needs it. Her powers are begging to be let out, and we cannot contain it any longer."

"You know, I haven't even gotten you yet for encouraging her about her powers back then with Arthur. You know every well I would be against it."

"And you know well that her powers would aid us against the Ten Commandments."

"Welp, it's down to my two brothers, now. We won't need to put her in danger, Merlin."

"Even if it were down to your two brothers, you and I both know they're a handful all on their own."

"I'm the handful that taught them everything, I'm enough for the two of them."

"Don't be cocky." Merlin scolded. "Your brothers have the whole demon army at their disposal. And all we have is a human army, if-"

"Enough of this." Meliodas interrupted. "Why are you so persistent with Elizabeth and her powers? I didn't even want for her to accidentally let her powers lose back with Hendrickson. And I had no choice but to let her keep using it since she wanted to help other people."

"Even if Sis-sis ended up healing this whole kingdom herself, the magical output still wouldn't be enough" the mage argued. "What we saw back in her room was enough evidence to determine the severity of our situation. What would you propose then if that were to keep happening?"

Meliodas rarely disagreed with the answers Merlin provided. They have often proved to be right, logical, and always efficient towards the the goal they had set. The mage that Meliodas has come to know for thousands of years rarely involved her emotions to her assessments, making them all the more credible. No matter how untrusting he was of her, he had admitted a long time ago that the mage had too brilliant of a mind.

But damn it all! Merlin was proposing that they train Elizabeth into using her powers. Train was not technically the term Merlin used, that was putting it too mildly. She had suggested that Elizabeth needed to let her powers out. Not just her fundamental healing powers, but everything a goddess was capable of doing.

"If we let her or even teach her an ounce of her powers, there's no telling how soon she'll remember!" Meliodas argued back. "It's no different from telling her that she's a goddess, let alone the Supreme Deity's daughter at that!"

Merlin sighed. "We don't know that. Powers shouldn't coincide with memories. And just as long as we play it safe if ever she asks about her other abilities."

"Then we aren't sure then! I don't want to take risks for your baseless experiments!"

At the back of Meliodas' head, he was kind of taking it way too far. Merlin had done nothing but help him and Elizabeth throughout the years, and he was being an absolute ass right now. But he wasn't ready to take the risk, especially now.

Despite his harsh words, Merlin stayed composed and didn't flinch in the slightest from his hostility. "It's better than giving her pills that don't even work. Pills that make her feel like she's a freak who needs to be controlled."

Meliodas felt like he was punched in the gut. He had been listening to them in the other room when Merlin came to check on her. Elizabeth's unsure and shaky voice when she had asked what was wrong with her and if she had hurt anybody. And he, out of anyone in Britannia, should understand what it's like to have power like theirs. Him and her, children of the strongest beings on earth.

It's difficult to say, 'fine, let's do it', when he was unsure whether he would lead her to her death or not. When his very existence, their very meeting of each other was what drove her to such a terrible fate.

"We just have to be careful from here on out" Merlin broke the silence. Meaning, no more accidents, Meliodas thought. As if they weren't being careful from the very beginning.

He didn't answer.

"And Sis-sis' powers are a huge advantage; you cannot deny that." Merlin added.

No, he can't. In a battle against the Ten Commandments, Zel, and the whole demon army, she alone would change the tide of the battle that's to come. It was hard not to think about it, but if Elizabeth did learn the full extent of her powers, the whole demon army wouldn't even be fighting at all.

But he wouldn't let it get to that point. What they were doing was merely a remedy to their current ordeal, he was going to make sure of that.

"As if I'd let her be on the battlefield." Meliodas muttered.

"We won't. If she practiced her healing enough and supported us from afar, it will be more than enough."

Meliodas grunted. He's about to agree on 'teaching' Elizabeth more about her powers, he was not about to agree on letting her participate in slaughter, let alone having his brothers and her breathing the same air.

"Enough. I'm not agreeing to that. I'm only agreeing to this, so she won't lose control anymore." He took a deep sigh in defeat. "How safe are we doing this?"

At least Merlin wasn't the type to gloat from winning arguments. She always stayed logical and didn't waste any time. "We'll let her practice with just us. No other witnesses."

"And if she asks?"

"We lie, of course" The mage simply answered. But it's not simple enough. How can they answer Elizabeth if she asked why is she the only druid who can do the things she could do, and if she really were a druid, why hasn't she been lumped together with Hendrickson, why hadn't the druid leaders help her if she was so special?

So many questions that they had to be careful answering on the spot, and it's not like they could blame her if she started being curious. Hell, there would be something wrong if she wasn't the least bit curious about it.

But before Meliodas could retort, he heard her soft in the far hallway. "Meliodas?"

She started looking for him. They had taken too long.

He took a deep sigh. "We'll continue this in the morning."

"Alright." Merlin agreed. And Meliodas could see it in the mage's eyes the relief of finally resolving the matter and finally being able to rest. "But we have to start as soon as possible, because giving her any medicine won't be helpful anymore."

"Fine."

I'm really really really sorry that I updated so long. I've just been so busy I couldn't find the time to write and it sucks.

This chapter was a little short compared to my usual chapters lol, and not very eventful. But I hope you enjoyed some Merlin and Meliodas banter. I also felt like the previous chapter wasn't all that great, I don't know, I could be overthinking.

But the next chapters will be more exciting and hope I can post them soon. And just to set the record straight, even if I update way too long, I enjoy writing this too much to put it down. I'm also planning on some other fics, one that I already started writing, and just need some free time to finish/start lmao.