A New Plan
Meliodas pored over a map of Britannia. He used a pencil to mark the path the Boar Hat had traveled since leaving the capital city weeks before. They had been heading in a southeasterly direction, but there had been absolutely no sign of the creature that had flown from the capital the day of Hendrickson's defeat. No one they had met had seen or heard it, either. Meliodas tapped the pencil on his chin, thinking.
Suddenly the pencil was gone from his hand. Meliodas looked up and saw Ban tossing it up and catching it with one hand. The captain raised his eyebrows, and Ban tossed it back to him. Meliodas easily caught it and went back to making a note on the map, when the pencil was snatched again.
Meliodas sighed in aggravation. "Is there something you want?"
"This is boo-ooring," Ban complained. "Are we just going to sit around here until the princess decides to come back?"
"We're nearing the border of Liones," Meliodas said. "Before we go marching into another kingdom, I'd like to know we're going the right way first."
"What difference does it make?" he laughed, throwing the pencil back at Meliodas. "Baltra knows what we're doing."
Meliodas caught the pencil mid-air. "That doesn't mean we'll be welcome everywhere else, and I'm not trying to start any trouble for the king."
"Since when do you care about making trouble for the king?" Ban smiled and crossed his arms. "Oh, wait, let me guess. Probably about the time his youngest daughter—"
"I'd be careful with the way you ended that sentence," Meliodas said pleasantly, making another note on the map.
As Ban laughed long and hard, King floated in, hugging Chastiefol. "What are you so happy about?" he muttered.
"Aw, come on, King," Ban grinned. "Are you really this bent out of shape that you didn't get to go too?"
"No," King scoffed. "I'm the King of Fairies. What do I care about a stupid human castle?"
"But I bet Baltra throws some great parties. Is that why you're upset?"
"I'm not upset!"
"I got it. Gilthunder and Howzer came looking for the princess, and you were hoping they were looking for you—"
"Shut up!" King shouted, sending Chastiefol flying.
Ban ducked and it pierced only his shoulder instead of his chest. He pulled it out and teased, "You know, for someone who's not upset—"
"I mean it, Ban!"
"—you are awfully testyyyy." He aimed the spear back at King and threw, but Chastiefol changed back into the pillow as it sailed through the air. "This is lame," he complained. He stood over Meliodas, looking at the map. "Now that we don't have a princess to worry about, we should be doing something fun."
"We have just as much to worry about, if not more," Meliodas answered. "I'd like to remind you that the Coffin of Eternal Darkness is missing."
Ban huffed. "We already defeated one demon. So what if more show up?"
"You wouldn't say that if you had more experience with them," King observed.
Ban's neck stiffened, and he turned towards King. "What would you even know about it? I don't think you were around the last time one showed up. Where was that again? Oh, yes, the Fairy King's Forest."
King clenched his fists, shaking with rage, but before he could react, Gowther entered the room. "I detected elevated levels of stress," he said, looking between his companions. "Is there going to be a fight?"
"Gowther!" Ban exclaimed. "Do that thing where you look in King's brain and see if he's mad he didn't get to go to the capital, will ya?"
Gowther pushed his glasses up and pointed two fingers at King, who shrieked, "Gowther, don't!" Chastiefol burst into the Guardian and lumbered towards Gowther, knocking over tables and stools as it crashed through the room.
"King, stop!" Meliodas shouted. The furniture went flying, and Gowther was swept up by the Guardian. The Sacred Treasure caught his arms and legs in a tight hold, but the Goat Sin tilted his head as if listening and said, "Yes, Ban, I believe King is upset."
"Gowther!" King growled. The Guardian popped out an extra arm and shoved the point into Gowther's mouth.
Ban's staff flashed, and Gowther was pulled from the Guardian's grip. Ban reached out and easily caught him by the arm. "There we are. Please, Gowther, continue."
"Would you two—" Meliodas began, but was interrupted as dozens of spear points shot through the room. Ban and Gowther were both run through with King's treasure. Ban shouted in anger, the points bursting from his body. He ran at King and punched him in the face, slamming him into the floor.
Gowther stood and pulled out each point one by one. "I thought that sharing your feelings with your friends helped make things better," he said to Meliodas.
"King didn't share," Meliodas explained, picking up the stool he had been sitting on. "You looked in his mind. I told you before that's not a good idea."
"I see." Gowther turned back to the two fighting Sins. Ban had King in a headlock. King pushed off the floor and they both darted into the air, slamming against the ceiling. "Should I take it away then?"
"Don't bother," Meliodas said. "Ban was looking for something to do anyway."
.o0o.
When Merlin arrived hours later, the Boar Hat had turned quiet again. King was napping on his pillow, Ban was sleeping on the outside hammock, and Gowther was reading Meliodas' map. She surveyed the damage to the tavern and chuckled, "Is this what happens when the men are left alone?"
"Something like that," Meliodas replied, popping a leg back into an overturned table. "How was the king?"
"Physically, he is fine," she said, leaning against the bar and watching the captain continue straightening up. "In fact, he has the vitals of a much younger man."
"That's a good thing, right?"
Merlin nodded. "One would think. However, his… attitude is also that of a younger man. He is not the same King Baltra that has ruled these many years."
"Hmmm," Meliodas murmured. "Any idea what caused the change?"
"I scanned him for any enchantments and found none. Whatever it is, it's not a spell."
Meliodas nodded and walked over to the table holding the map. "Come look at this." He and Merlin stood around Gowther, and Melidoas pointed to a note. "Heading east, we are three towns from the border, then it's the Great Sea. If we go north, we run into the Kingdom of Marakia. If we go south, it's Edinburgh. Neither of those sound like good options."
"Edinburgh is still deserted," Merlin commented. "It may be a good place to hide."
Meliodas shook his head. "It's deserted, but all the power is depleted. Anyone trying to use the Coffin is going to need more power than that place has left."
"It seems as if our search has concluded," Gowther said.
Meliodas patted him on the back. "I completely agree! Looking for this thing aimlessly hasn't done us a bit of good. I propose we go back to our original quest."
Merlin looked at the captain with lips pressed into a thin line. "Don't tell me."
"Yup! We need to finish finding the Seven Deadly Sins. We need to find the Sin of Pride, Escanor!"
"Are you serious, Captain?" Ban hung inside the window, yawning. "He's got more problems than Gowther and King put together. How exactly is he going to help?"
"No idea," said Meliodas, folding up the map. "But it's something to do, anyway. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Ban shrugged. "I was thinking more along the lines of finding some new places to drink, but I guess this will do."
"How will we find him?" Gowther asked.
"No idea!" Meliodas laughed.
.o0o.
Everyone worked on preparing the Boar Hat to move the next day. There were supplies to find, water to restock, and firewood to replenish. Once night set in, everyone started to go to their own rooms. Meliodas had made it clear they were moving at first light.
Meliodas and Merlin were the last two in the main room, and before she could retire he asked her to talk for a moment. "How did Princess Margaret seem?"
Merlin tilted her head in thought. "Preoccupied with the king's antics, certainly. She has quite a bit to learn if she is to be queen."
"Well, you've already made one kid into a king. Perhaps you should lend your skills to make a queen next."
"Perhaps." Merlin smiled, and then hesitated.
"What is it?" Meliodas asked.
"There is still no Grand Master," Merlin said. "The king has yet to name one, so there has been no vote."
"Howzer mentioned that yesterday," Meliodas mused. "I wonder what's taking so long?"
"The Holy Knights will get restless without a leader," Merlin said. "They need someone to keep the factions from turning on each other."
Meliodas gave a humorless laugh. "Are you nominating me?"
"No," Merlin chuckled. "You're already promised to Arthur anyway." There was another pause. "I think Gilthunder has his sights on the appointment."
"Over Denzel, the king's own brother?" Meliodas considered a moment. "It makes sense, him being Zaratras' son. I guess either would do."
"It's good the Knights have the repairs and security of the kingdom to focus on for now," Merlin continued. "But eventually, Liones will return to peace, and if the Grand Master has not been established, there could be trouble."
Meliodas sighed. "This is why I don't get involved in these things. Are you confident the capital is secured, at least for now?"
Merlin nodded. "Diane has things well in hand. The princess will be safe."
"Of that I have no doubt," he answered. "I wouldn't have let Elizabeth go otherwise."
Merlin laughed as she started up the stairs. "You? Defy a royal summons?" Meliodas didn't answer, not that he needed to; Merlin was well aware of what his answer would be.
Meliodas finished his last few items, and then headed up to his room. It was eerily quiet without Elizabeth there, and emptiness felt heavy without her things around or her voice greeting him. He changed clothes and started for the bed, but then paused. Elizabeth always turned down the covers, but the bed was still as perfectly made up as it was that morning. He was loath to disturb the last little sign that she had been there, so instead he sat on the window seat, stretching his legs out and propping his back up against the wall.
He removed the twin coin from his pocket and flipped it through his fingers. It stayed stubbornly quiet, and of that he was only mostly glad. He laid it on the ledge of the windowpane and stared at it long into the night.
