"Ah, I'm flattered you remembered me, Sis-Sis," Merlin says with a smile.
Elizabeth couldn't believe her eyes nor her ears. Was Merlin really standing before her in a bar the Sins owned? Elizabeth couldn't help herself; she pulled the ravenette into a tight embrace and Merlin returned it. "I can't believe it's really you," Elizabeth whispers. But then it hits her. What in the world was Merlin doing here? She wasn't a Sin too, was she? There's no way! She's so young, she's probably barely twenty right now - what is she doing here?
The silverette breaks the hug to grip Merlin's shoulders and looks at her beloved friend in the eyes. However, before she could say anything, Merlin spoke. "How's the president doing? And your sisters?"
She gapes at her before her lips part in disbelief. "I - My sisters are fine, I haven't really spoken to my father in these past few weeks - what are you doing here, Merlin?" Her words come out of her mouth quicker than she can process in her own brain, but she needs answers. Merlin, the teenage girl she met in school that was so shy, yet so fucking smart and talented is the same woman standing before her right now.
It's almost unbelievable. She's grown so much.
"It's simple, really," Merlin replies, that smile still hasn't wavered. "I'm here to help."
Elizabeth's grip on the ravenette's shoulders tightens, but if it bothers Merlin, she doesn't show it. "Help?" The silver haired woman repeats. Merlin only nods in response. Help... Merlin isn't one of the Sins, is she?
"Oh, there you are Merlin!" A male voice Elizabeth is getting so used to hearing says. She turns her head only to see Meliodas accompanied by a man with shoulder length dark pink hair and another male with short ginger colored hair. The blonde's piercing green eyes bore into Elizabeth's cool azure orbs, only causing Elizabeth to slightly blush. There really isn't a moment where Meliodas can't make her blush.
"Hello, Boss," Merlin's words come out as cold and stiff. Elizabeth removes her hands from Merlin's shoulders but proceeds to embrace the woman once more. She still can't believe after all this time, Merlin's here. Returning her warm embrace. The silverette nuzzles her head into the crook of Merlin's neck, enjoying the sweet scent of green apples that radiates off the ravenette.
She hears footsteps near the two, then a voice that she recognizes as Meliodas speaks once more. "It's been a few months seen you've seen us and that's how you greet me, Merlin?" He softly clicks his tongue, showing a sign or a hint of some sort of disappointment. "And why are you hugging Elizabeth?"
"Can I not hug someone dear to me, Boss?" Merlin quips, her hand rubbing up and down Elizabeth's back. It's quite soothing.
"Hey, uh, Merlin," Elizabeth hears Ban say, his tone questioning. "Why do you call Princess 'Big Sis-Sis'?"
Merlin softly chuckles, "Why do you call her 'Princess'? She hates silly nicknames and pet names like that," Merlin states and Elizabeth flushes from slight embarrassment as she pulls away. The silverette straightens any wrinkles she may have in her skirt as she sits down next to King by the bar. She glances at him, and he gives her a quick and short smile.
"But I guess I never told the story, hm?" Merlin continues. "Maybe you should tell the story, Sis-Sis," the ravenette suggests as she turns the Elizabeth, who now has her eyes wide, not expecting Merlin to want her to explain anything, but fine by her, she supposes.
Soon enough, everyone sits down, whether it be by the bar with Elizabeth and King, or on the seats by the tables where their customers would sit to drink and eat. They all have their eyes on Elizabeth, including the ginger haired man and the dark pink haired man.
She clears her throat, not exactly loving the attention she's getting from all of the Sins, but there isn't exactly a way of getting out of this. "I guess it all started when I was a senior in high school, and Merlin was in seventh grade. We went to the same school - and it was once of those schools where it was mixed with both middle and high school grades - and I saw Merlin sitting by herself during lunch," Elizabeth explains. "I guess I acted out on an impulse of pity, I guess? I-I just felt bad she was by herself, so I sat with her."
Elizabeth glances to Merlin, who just nods as she crosses her arms. The silverette's eyes then dart to everyone's faces, their expressions mostly neutral. "Regardless if it was an act of pity, I'm glad I was there to talk to her. We would hang out after school sometimes and I would help her with any major projects she had. Hell, she helped me with some of my homework," Elizabeth chuckles, "she's so smart. And I guess she looked up to me like I was an older sister. Ah- God, I'm sorry, I'm not good at telling stories," she says with a laugh.
Everyone chuckles, though the first one to speak is the man with ginger hair. "I don't see why she wouldn't look up to you. You're the president's daughter and you seem like a very gorgeous and generous woman at that as well." The silver haired woman smiles in response, not exactly feeling deserving of such words.
"Ban, you didn't tell my why you call her 'Princess'," Merlin coldly states.
Ban smirks at the ravenette, "I call her Princess 'cause it's what Boss calls her," his answer is simple and short. Elizabeth turns her gaze to Merlin, who's eyebrow twitches. A smile appears on her lips, but Elizabeth can tell it's not because she's happy.
"Boss calls her Princess?" Merlin's golden eyes land on the blonde, who, for once, has a slight look of fear in his eyes. "If I may ask, why?"
Meliodas attempts to shrug it off. "Doesn't she look like a princess? And after all, isn't she always treated like one?"
Merlin looks about ready to beat the absolute living shit out of him, and Elizabeth knows why. Elizabeth has always been sheltered for most of her life - growing up wise, at least - thus, all the "princess-like" behavior. She was always babied, and she always felt like she couldn't be independent. So, contrary to what people may think, being treated like a princess in the way Elizabeth was isn't ideal.
Elizabeth stands up and places a hand on Merlin's shoulder to make sure the woman doesn't do anything rash. She feels Merlin relax under her touch, and a wave of relief washes over her.
"If I may," the dark pink haired male speaks, "why were we gathered here, Boss?"
Meliodas pulls out his phone, and sets it on the counter of the bar by King. "I had King convert the recording he and Ban were able to get into a compatible file we could listen to on a phone and I figured all of us could all have a little listen to it. I just had a feeling you three might need to hear whatever they got recorded," he says, his tone something between serious and tired.
It doesn't take long for everyone to gather in a small circle around the blonde's phone, listening closely to the conversation Elizabeth took a few photos of a few hours prior to this moment.
"-Jesus, it sucks doing shit for the Archangels," a voice she recognizes as Hendrickson say.
"You do realize Mael is the only one doing this type of stuff, right?" Dreyfus reminds the silver haired man.
A scoff. "Yeah, and the other angels wouldn't be apart of it? Bullshit."
"Hendy, you can be so frail sometimes, you know that?" The soft closing of a car trunk is heard.
"Yeah, frail, stupid - whatever; I don't care. But Dreyfus, don't you see how wrong this is? I mean - trading the failed drug experiments for another component to improve the drug he's already been using? It's ludicrous! And to think Mael was the good one out of the four of them..."
Dreyfus merely chuckles, though it doesn't exactly sound like a happy one. "Hendy, once it's over, we don't have to worry about it anymore."
Hendrickson scoffed once more. "Even so, but what if it's affecting the president? What would Lady Elizabeth do if she found out her father turned out to be sick because of this?"
His question is met with silence. Elizabeth wouldn't blame Dreyfus for being silent. Though the topic at hand makes Elizabeth want to throw up. A drug Mael's already been using? Oh, by the Gods above, she prays he hasn't used the drugs on her father. Just the thought of Mael doing something so cynical to her own father makes her feel sick to her stomach.
She doesn't even realize her breathing's become a bit harsh.
"She's a good kid," Dreyfus simply states. "Remember how she would call us Uncle Hendrickson and Uncle Dreyfus?" The brunette male laughs.
Hendrickson chuckles then hums in response. "Yeah. Hell, I looked after her like she were my own kid. She's really grown into a wonderful young woman. I wonder how she's doing now, though. When was the last time she even visited?"
"I don't know. I think it was a few months after she broke off that engagement. She seemed - really dull, almost. I never got the chance to ask or even comfort her," Dreyfus replies.
"Oh yeah. What was the boy's name? Jeremy, was it? I was never fond of him."
"You weren't fond of any of the men she dated," Dreyfus playfully retorted. "But I can't blame you, Hendrickson. Even now, she still hasn't found the right person. You know, it broke my heart seeing her so sad the last time she visited. It sucks we couldn't even do anything to help her." It warmed Elizabeth's heart that the two men still thought of her like that. Definitely still one-hundred percent uncle material.
Hendrickson sighed, however. "I know, Dreyfus. But on the bright side of things, I think she's been doing better. I'm pretty sure she has a new boyfriend, too."
Dreyfus made a confused sound at the mention of a boyfriend. "Really? Since when?"
Hendrickson merely chuckled once more, "I'm not too sure. I heard from her older sisters the other day when I was supposed to drop something off at the president's office. They happened to be there and told me that she was supposedly dating someone but was being secretive about it? I guess."
Dreyfus hummed in thought. "Peculiar. Maybe she doesn't want to make it out to be a big deal like it was with Jeremy. We all know how that turned out," the brunette sadly sighed.
Hendrickson sighed as well. "I just hope she and her family will be fine once the president's term is over." Dreyfus hums his agreement. "Ah, here she comes."
All that can be heard is the slam of a car door and the openings of briefcases. "I'm probably not supposed to tell," a woman say, her voice obnoxious in Elizabeth's ears. "But this shit just makes the whole addiction to the drug worse. So, you basically wouldn't be able to put the drug down."
That was when Elizabeth couldn't listen anymore. What if Mael really was forcing her father to take that terrible drug? Is it the reason why her father is the way he is now? So mean, cold and demanding when he's normally a kind-hearted man? The thought of someone like Mael - who Elizabeth thought was sweet, and maybe a bit naive - would do such a terrible and gruesome thing to her father, and the president of the country for that matter?
Sick. It's just so fucking sick.
The silverette barely registers the touch of a hand on her cheek and another on her shoulder. "Elizabeth," she hears voice that belongs to a familiar blonde say, "are you okay?" Her blue eyes meet a concerned and worried emerald gaze that stares deeply into her eyes. She tries to smile and nod reassuringly, but finds that she can't. His thumb wipes away at a tear she didn't realize had escaped her tear duct.
"I don't know," she mumbles, and it's all she can say. In regards of her father unwillingly taking a drug that's likely made him the way he is right now, made her sick to her stomach. But also the fact that the two people she saw as uncles talked about Elizabeth's last relationship, too, made her want to just curl up into a tight ball and cry her eyes out until her tears ran dry.
He was nothing more than a good-for-nothing piece of shit that took advantage of her love.
"Hey, Elizabeth?" A voice Elizabeth recognizes as Diane says, and her eyes soon find the brunette's as Meliodas turns around to also look at her. "They said something about an engagement, if I'm not wrong. What were they talking about? A-And it's fine if you don't wanna talk about it!"
The silver haired woman looks around the room until her eyes find Merlin's, her golden gaze seeming a bit worried. Elizabeth flashes her a quick smile, telling the ravenette it's going to be okay. She turned back to Meliodas and Diane, and the rest of the Sins that stared at her. Her smile slightly widens, but by judging everyone's looks - especially the people she'd been staying with - they could tell it was a sad smile. The story she was about to tell them all wasn't a happy one. No matter how much her smile would demand otherwise.
"I guess it all stared senior year of high school, some time after I met Merlin," Elizabeth began as Meliodas sat next to her, keeping his hand on hers. "It was probably the second week of school, and Merlin couldn't come because she got sick, so I sat alone during lunch for the week. Or, that's how it would've turned out. I don't know if it was act of pity or what, but he sat next to me. We hit it off pretty well - we would get along pretty great. It didn't take long for me to catch feelings and vice versa. He confessed to me about halfway through the school year. I was so happy and content that I ended up telling Merlin, but she was skeptical about it. Though, after all that's happened, who could blame her," Elizabeth continued sadly, glancing at Merlin who just had a blank look on her face.
Elizabeth brought a hand up to her face to wipe a tear she felt rolling down her cheek. "After high school, we moved in together when I decided to go to vet school. He was so supportive of me when it came to my academic stats and shit like that. When my father became president, I graduated from vet school and he decided to throw me a party to congratulate me. All of our friends decided to get drunk, including Jeremy and myself. God knows what I did that night," she softly chuckles, "I can't remember anything from that night. The next day though," she paused for a moment, her eyes darting around the room in an effort to stop the tears she felt coming.
She sighed, feeling Meliodas's hand squeeze hers. "He took me out to a park and he proposed to me under the stone gazebo, and I still remember his words. He'd told me 'this is where I want to marry you and make you mine forever'. I felt so so happy having that priceless ring on my finger, knowing that I'd feel loved for the rest of my life. Until one night," her voice quiets down, tears on the brink of falling and spilling onto her cheeks.
"I was at work and I couldn't come back home 'til the next day. So I texted him, saying I wouldn't be home for the night. But me, being the hard worker I am," Elizabeth chuckles sadly as she stares at her lap, or more specifically, the hand holding hers. "I got my work done and I could go home. But... When I got home," the tears falling onto her cheeks, "I heard him groaning, so I thought he hurt himself somehow, but oh! How wrong I was!"
She took a minute to level her breathing before continuing. "He was having sex with another woman and I felt so... hurt. And betrayed. I didn't even walk into the room. I just left, slamming the door on my way out. I think he knew I heard because the minute I got into my car, he called, but I ignored. I went to my sisters and told them everything and they let me stay with them until I felt better."
Hearing herself talk, her voice cracked on nearly every word. But she couldn't help it. More tears spilled onto her cheeks but she didn't care if the Sins saw.
"He got annoyed that I kept ignoring him, though. He had the audacity to drive to my sisters' place and demand I come back home with him. But I refused and asked him, 'Did you really think I would just be okay with it?' and I guess he thought I would since he tried to shrug it off like nothing happened. And I got so angry and upset. I took my ring off and threw it at him. I yelled at him to just leave, and when he wouldn't, my older sister's boyfriend had to kick him out. The last thing I ever heard from him was him calling me an inconsiderate whore."
Elizabeth softly hiccuped a bit. "I-I ended up getting fired from my job because I felt so unmotivated," her voice breaking because of the tears, "and the entire time I kept thinking about what I could've done wrong that would've led him to cheat on me like it was nothing - wondering why I just wasn't enough for him."
Now, the silverette just let the tears run as she turned to Meliodas and gripped his shirt before burying her face into his chest, the material of his shirt soaking up her tears. He placed an arm around her shoulder and a hand on her head, slowly stroking her hair as she wept into his chest. She kept sobbing until her hiccups sounded like she was gasping in pain.
"I'm so sorry," Diane says, standing up and placing a hand on Elizabeth's back, rubbing up and down trying to comfort the silver haired woman. "You didn't deserve that. It's his loss, Ellie. He doesn't know what an amazing woman he let go of." Once Elizabeth's sobbing had died down, she let go of Meliodas and turned to Diane.
The brunette pulled her into a hug that Elizabeth was more than happy to return. They stay like that, hugging each other until Diane breaks the hug. When their eyes meet, Diane has a large and comforting smile on her face. Elizabeth finds herself smiling, too.
"I don't want to leave all the work to you, Diane," the silverette says, her voice hoarse from crying. "But would it be okay if I just went to bed for the night?"
Diane waves a hand, "Of course, you can! I would need a break too after telling a story like that," the brunette states, and Elizabeth is thankful. She doesn't think she'd be able to think straight.
Elizabeth stands, turning to Meliodas and gives him a reassuring smile. His green eyes flicker between worry and hate, and she could tell he was hesitant to say something, but he ultimately smiles back.
And with that, she walks to her room. Once her person is fully inside the room and closing the door behind her, she quickly changes from her uniform into a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. She sits on her bed, gripping her pillow and holding it close to her chest. More tears threatened to spill, and she let it happen. She quietly sobbed into the pillow, the case of it soaking up her tears.
She kept crying until she felt like she couldn't shed another tear. Pulling the pillow away from her, she softly laughed before sniffling as she stared at the large damp spot she left on the pillow.
Then her door opened, and her attention snapped to the door slowly opening. Merlin stood in the threshold, softly smiling at her. "How you holding up, Sis-Sis?" She asks, walking a bit further into the room, leaving the door open by just a crack. Elizabeth shrugs, not really sure how to answer Merlin's question. The ravenette merely hums.
Merlin proceeds to sit next to Elizabeth, placing a hand on Elizabeth shoulder. Elizabeth's aqua gaze meets a warm golden. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I leave with Gowther and Escanor," she states, and the silverette gives Merlin a confused look. "Oh, the dark pink haired man and the ginger," she answers Elizabeth's unspoken question. Elizabeth gives her a smile before Merlin smiles widely before giving one last pat to the silver haired woman's shoulder and stands up.
Before Merlin leaves the room, Elizabeth speaks. "What do you do to help?" Her question is kept simple. Merlin turns around and grins at the woman.
"I'm working on making an antidote to reverse the effects of the drug. So, an anti-drug, so-to-speak."
Elizabeth sounds an 'oh' before her lips twitch into a small smile. "Good night, Sis-Sis. I hope to see you again soon," Merlin says her goodbyes before she inevitably leaves and softly closes the silverette's bedroom door, leaving Elizabeth alone.
A sigh leaves her lips as she falls back onto her bed. She throws the pillow into a random corner of the room and tries to sleep. She covers herself in her blanket and rests her head on the pillow she didn't cry on.
But instead of getting any shut-eye, she tosses and turns for what feels like hours. And she can tell that it has been hours because the second she looks at her window, there's absolutely no light coming through the slits in the curtain. Groaning softly, Elizabeth kicks the blanket off her body and stands up, stretching her tense muscles before she leaves the room as quietly as she can.
She quietly walks into the bar, hoping to see someone, but it's dark and no one is here. Elizabeth sighs. She walks over to the bar and sits on one of the stools. Elizabeth places her hands on the counter of the bar, and just stares at her somewhat long, but dainty fingers. Her eyes, however, fixate themselves on her left ring finger. Remembering what it was like to be worthy of having a ring on that finger before her trust for that person was completely shattered within a single night. The silverette scoffs.
I just wasn't good enough.
If he hadn't even loved her, why didn't he just end it? Why give the time and effort to prolong it if he'd fell out of love with her? Why make her think she wasn't good enough from the start, when really, he'd fucked up and let an amazing woman go?
Why did he make her feel like it was her fault? Did she do something wrong and she hadn't realized? Why did he have to go and cheat on her? And in her own fucking apartment, too. Pathetic. It's all he is. A pathetic excuse of a man that managed to make Elizabeth love him for four years. And for what? It was all a waste. But, she supposes, it doesn't matter anymore. She has people that care about her, like her older sisters, Gil, hell even Hendrickson and Dreyfus. And the Sins.
And Meliodas.
Elizabeth blushes at the thought of the blonde. It's nearly been three weeks, but it feels like she's known him for so much longer than that. Maybe she's just lost track of time lately. At the same time, though, she feels so... strongly about him. Hell, it takes her ages to figure out her feelings for a guy, but... She might actually like the blonde.
Especially the way his green orbs pierce into her soft blue hues, or when they're alone and the way his hands find themselves on her hips. Even the way his soft luscious lips press into her milky skin.
"Princess?" A voice says, startling Elizabeth as she quietly gasps. Her gaze finds that familiar emerald she was just thinking about, and her blush only worsens. Meliodas walks over to her, and smiles at her. She smiles back before she's tugged onto her feet. She feels the warmth of his hand on hers and finds herself enjoying the contact.
He pulls her into a protective hold, a hand on her waist and the other still holding her hand. Elizabeth feels herself relaxing into his hold, sighing as she lets her head rest on his shoulder and arms wrap around his own shoulders.
"Why are you awake?" He asks, breaking the silence in the room. They sway together to no particular rhythm or music, but Elizabeth enjoys it nonetheless.
"I couldn't sleep," her answer is simple of soft. He hums, holding her a bit tighter against his body. Her eyes drift closed, basking in the feeling of his warmth against hers.
His thumb traces small random shapes on her hip, a touch she happily welcomes. "Are you okay after that story you told?" Elizabeth almost hesitates to answer his question, but finds herself answering anyway.
"Yeah. It just hurts to talk and think about, I guess," her voice gentle.
"I'm always here if you need a shoulder to cry on, okay?" Elizabeth smiles, knowing Meliodas cares about her. He's always so kind - when he's not being cocky, which he hasn't really been lately - and yet, Elizabeth still doesn't feel worthy of being showered in this kind of affection. She just feels like a royal fuck-up all the time. And still, just a simple glance from this blonde holding her somehow makes all her doubts and worries disappear like she never had them in the first place.
He moves them to the couch and lays down so Elizabeth can lay on his chest. She's wrapped in his warmth, and she can't stop the smile that tugs on her lips. His fingers run through her hair and a sigh escapes her. He has an arm wrapped around the small of her back, and she melts into his touch. Meliodas is so gentle with her, it's almost as if he's handling her like she's fine china.
"Is there anything you wanna talk about?" Meliodas asks, once again breaking the silence, but Elizabeth doesn't mind.
"Mm, who are Gowther and Escanor?"
Meliodas hums, continuing the pace of his fingers in her long silver tresses. "Gowther's good at tracking people and finding information about them. Escanor mostly just helps Merlin with her stuff but he's good for other things, too." His answers are vague, but with the information he provided, she doesn't really see an easy way of explaining the things they do.
"Is Gowther the reason why you were able to meet me in Arthur's bar?" Elizabeth asks as she nuzzles her face into his chest. She relishes the way his chest slowly rises and falls every time he inhales and exhales, and the soft heartbeat she hears.
"Yeah. Sorry that was the way we had to meet, Princess," he apologizes.
Elizabeth furrows her brows together, but doesn't move her head to look at him in the eyes. "Why?"
The blonde simply shrugs. "I don't know, to be honest. I saw you on TV once and I thought you were one of the most beautiful women to ever exist. I had Gowther track you down because I thought we would need you to help us expose the government - or at least, specific people - for the awful shit they're doing."
Elizabeth flushes at his words. It's not the first time he's called her beautiful, but she takes it to heart every time. But, how would Meliodas know about the whole drug situation? "Why would you want to expose the government though?"
Meliodas hums. "When I was a little boy, I was pretty happy with my family. My mom was the kindest out of everyone in the family though. She was nice and considerate and would always take care of me and my younger brother when we'd get sick. Or, at least, she was that way. She ran for president and got elected. And because of that, she couldn't visit us. My dad would take me and Zeldris to see her, but she didn't act like the kind woman that raised me."
His words are soft, but the silver haired woman could hear the pain behind them. "She seemed like a completely different person. She became really dismissive and she didn't care about anything I told her. I knew something was off, so I told my dad, but he told me that I was just overthinking it and shrugged it off. But I knew there was something wrong with her; there's just no way she would go from this nice lady to someone that wanted to watch the world burn. Even my younger brother could see she wasn't acting herself."
He paused for a minute, but Elizabeth continued to stay silent until he carried on with his story. "A day or two after her term, she came back home, and I hoped she would go back to normal, but she didn't. She didn't seem mean or negative or anything, but she seemed really... dull and lifeless. It hurt me to see my mom like that. Knowing she wasn't happy. Knowing that she probably wasn't even feeling anything. It was almost like she was under a magic spell or some stupid shit like that," he sighed. "A few days later though, she died in her sleep. And I knew the government had something to do with it. She didn't interact with anyone besides the people she worked with in office and my dad and younger brother. It's why I decided to even start this gang in the first place."
Elizabeth almost couldn't believe the words she was hearing, but she continued to listen to Meliodas ramble about the Sins, changing the topic, until she fell asleep in his arms.