DON'T SKIP THESE NOTES. (I totally get skipping author's notes at the beginning of chapters but there is some important information you might want.)
First, THIS CHAPTER IS RATED T, (for some foul language in another language)
Second, this chapter has two parts, this is PART 1. It sort of took off on me and in a blink it was over twice the size of the other chapters(and still growing), so for that reason, I have opted to break it up. I will try and get part 2 out within a couple days, hopefully no later than Monday.
Third, this chapter contains some french. Not a huge amount, some is close enough to english that it's understandable; some you can infer its meaning from the reactions of the characters; and some you aren't supposed to (or don't need to) know the meaning of in the moment. That being said, everything will be translated at the very end. And, if you can, please try and read that character with a French accent. ;) Also if you speak french and my translations are horrible, please let me know how I can fix them :)
Thanks for taking the time to read this. For the sake of brevity, I'll do the thank you's at the end this time.
Enjoy!
Chapter 4 (Part 1): Lost
Meliodas lay in the grass of the garden one arm tucked behind his head. This had become the usual place to meet her. This afternoon, just like every Tuesday afternoon, was Margaret's and Veronica's Latin lessons, a time that had proven impossible to keep little Elizabeth from becoming disruptive and/or "escaping". Disruptive he could see, but it still baffled him how they could so easily lose track of her. He'd never lost her once over the last two months, why did Margaret's and Veronica's nannies have such a hard time keeping track of the girl?
Hopefully, when a new nanny was hired she would have better luck. Though, after two months he wasn't holding out much hope that it would happen anytime soon. Apparently, nannies/bodyguards that weren't psychopaths or already employed were difficult to find. As far as Meliodas was concerned there wasn't any rush, he was enjoying his current role. He was even trying to figure out if there was a way he could still spend time with her after the nanny was hired and he was no longer strictly necessary. Who else was going to take her to climb trees?
"Mel," Elizabeth called from across the garden. He didn't respond deciding to tease her a little by pretending to be asleep.
"Mel!" her voice was louder and a little more insistent. He kept himself from grinning and focused on keeping his breathing even. Maybe he would jump up and surprise her once she got closer.
"Mellllll!" she whined, that was impressive, she wasn't usually that whiny. Meliodas could feel her standing right next to him now. She grabbed the arm that lay across his stomach, he left it relaxed, keeping up the sleeping act. What he expected was for her to try to wake him up by pulling on or shaking his arm, what he didn't expect was to feel teeth sink into his forearm.
Meliodas' eyes shot open and locked with hers. Elizabeth froze, teeth still embedded in his arm. "Are you biting me?" he asked in disbelief. At his words, she released his arm, jumped back, stumbled, and landed on her bum. She stayed there watching him with wide eyes, waiting for his reaction.
He intentionally didn't move except to inspect the tiny teeth marks imprinted into his arm, wondering just how much force she had to use to leave such a deep mark. If he was human, she probably would have broken the skin. He smiled, Tough little brat.
"So, did you miss lunch or something?" he asked her jokingly.
Apparently reassured that he wasn't going to get mad at her, she pouted at him, "You weren't listening! And it's important!"
"What's so important you needed to bite me?" he asked, once again inspecting the teeth marks. It might actually bruise.
"I need your help!" she said emphatically.
That got his attention and he turned to look at her fully. She was leaning forward on her hands, her bottom lip quivering and tears in her eyes.
Meliodas immediately sat up, giving her is full attention, "What's going on?"
"She's missing?!" Elizabeth cried and the tears began to fall.
"Who's missing?" he asked calmly, while he thought through a myriad of things, including how he hadn't heard of any disappearances and that he was only armed with the dragon hilt right now.
"Dolly." she sniffled.
"...Who?" He couldn't think of anyone named Dolly. Was he missing something here?
"My Dolly!" she said insistently, looking at him like he should know who she was talking about.
"….your...dolly?" he repeated, then it clicked. Right. Four-year-old girl. He relaxed, feeling his power settle into the background once again. Standing, Meliodas offered her both his hands, smiling down at her, "Come on Princess. Let's go find your doll. " She grabbed his hands without hesitation and he effortlessly pulled her up, deliberately lifting her slightly off the ground before allowing her to setting back on her feet. It had the desired effect and she giggled, despite the tears on her cheeks.
Elizabeth peeked around the corner of the stairway that the servants used, confirming that no one was around before she stepped into the hall. There weren't usually many people around here at this time of day, but it was still good to be careful. The halls down here were a lot narrower than the ones upstairs, so it was harder to hide. And having Mel with her this time, made it impossible.
"When was the last time you said you had your dolly?" Mel asked from behind her.
"Last night" she answered. She had Dolly with her when she went to bed and she had Dolly with her when she got out of bed during the night. But she couldn't remember if she still had her when she went to bed again. She'd been so tired, she didn't really remember going to bed the second time. But Dolly was gone when she woke up in the morning.
"So shouldn't we be looking in your room?" he questioned, sounding confused.
"No, I looked there already," she answered simply. "And you said I should…" she thought about how he had worded it, "retrace my steps. Right?" she smiled up at him.
He smiled back, "I did." he confirmed but she caught him frowning while looking around.
As they got closer to their destination she could smell baking bread. UhOh, Jack could be very focussed when he was baking and cranky about having people he didn't know in the kitchen. She eyed Mel, who was following one step behind her, she didn't want to get him in trouble. At the door to the kitchen, she turned around, putting her hands out she pushed against him to stop him. "Wait here" she instructed.
Mel gave her a funny look that she didn't understand. "You were down here in the kitchen last night?"
Elizabeth held up her finger and shushed him with a stern look, this was for his own good. "Wait here." she reinforced, pushing him back from the doorway.
He smiled at her and there was something about it that made her feel like he was laughing at her even though he wasn't actually laughing. "OK Princess, if that's what you want. I'll be right here if you need me." He relented, leaning his shoulder against the wall.
"I'll be right back," she reassured him and entered the kitchen alone.
The ovens were going, she could smell wood smoke beneath the smell of baking bread, and the whole room was hot despite the big doors to outside being open. There were only a few other people in the room and she slipped through the kitchen, keeping her head ducked down below the height of the work tables that ran the length of the room, trying not to attract any attention. The room was long with a round ceiling, halfway down she passed the stoves and the doors to outside. Her destination was at the far end, where his big work table sat near the baking ovens.
When Elizabeth reached the work table she pulled her wobbly stool out from under it so she could see over the top. Even with the stool, her chin was only just level with the table top. The table was made especially for him, so it was extra tall. She used to think that Jack was what a giant was until she met Mel's friend. She gripped the edge of the table and waited for him to notice her. She knew better than to interrupt Jack when he was baking.
On his one side, there was a large bowl of dough, on the other, there were a bunch of metal trays covered with cloth. She watched him as he tore off a chunk of dough, smacked it down onto the table(stirring up a cloud of flour), ground the heel of his hand into it, flipped it over, rolled it into a ball, and dropped it onto a tray. Jack repeated this over and over until the bowl was empty and the trays were full, then he draped a cloth over it and wiped his hands. It was only then that he saw her.
"Ahh. Bonjour, ma petite Princesse!" he greeted with a huge smile.
Elizabeth beamed back, enjoying the sound of his usual greeting for her. She liked his accent and how he used pieces of his language, it always made her feel like she stepped into a whole different land when she visited the kitchen.
"Hello Jack." she returned the greeting.
"Jacques, it's pronounced Jacques." he corrected her.
"Sorry Jack." Elizabeth apologized, she'd never been able to say it the way he did.
He dragged his hand down his face and sighed, before smiling at her again. Leaning over, he let his forearms rest on the wide table so he was looking her in the eyes and not down at her. "What brings you to my kitchen this afternoon? Are you hungry?"
"No." She shook her head, "I'm looking for Dolly. She's lost. Have you seen her?"
"Ohhh," He looked up and frowned, and she could tell he was thinking really hard about it, "My apologies, I have not." he responded sadly.
"Alright, thank you." Elizabeth looked down, disappointed. She was sure if Dolly was anywhere she would be in the kitchen.
"Un moment" he smiled at her, before he straightened, looked down the expanse of the kitchen and yelled "Attention -vous merde manger fouteurs de porc! Avez-vous vu la poupée Princess'?" She didn't understand what he had said but it was funny to watch the cooks jump when he yelled. She giggled, she never understood why they were afraid of him.
The cooks looked between each other before one replied to him, "No Chef, we haven't seen it."
Jack sighed "My apologies once again. But we will keep watch for it." he reassured her before yelling down the length of the kitchen "n'est-ce pas!?"
"Yes chef!" the cooks replied in unison.
Elizabeth giggled again.
"So," he settled his arms back on the table, "when was the last time you remember having your dolly?" he asked her almost the same question Mel had.
"Last night," she answered, without thinking. Then she realized what she had said, and ducked below the edge of the table.
"Hmmm, Then why….would your dolly be here?" he asked her in a tone far too sweet.
She'd been caught.
He clucked his tongue at her and she peeked over the table top at him in time to see him shake his head. "Ma petite princess has been escaping at night again?" he asked.
Elizabeth ducked back down. She didn't know why he was asking, he already knew the answer.
"I have told you before, if you must come to the kitchen, then come in the early morning or during the day, when I am here. You should not be down here at night." He stressed.
"Sorry." she apologized peeking at him over the edge of the table again.
Jack sighed, "It's alright ma petite choux." Then out of nowhere he shot upright and clapped his giant hands together. The sound echoed down through the kitchen making her jump. "Have you checked with the maids?!" he asked excitedly. "If your dolly was misplaced somewhere the maids may have already found her!"
She brightened and straightened up so she could better see him "No I haven't!"
"They should be finishing their lunch in our dining room about now. I will go with you. You are on your own again this afternoon, no?" Jack asked, taking off his apron.
"No, she's with me."
Elizabeth turned and to see Mel walking through the kitchen towards them. His hands were tucked in his pockets and he seemed to be taking in everything, his eyes looking everywhere but where he was going.
She blinked at him.
"I got bored," he explained innocently.
Right away she noticed was that Mel was the same height as the table, standing on the stool she was actually a little taller than him. Then she noticed that Jack was looming over him. She leaned over, setting a steadying hand on his shoulder when the stool wobbled and cupped her other hand so she could whisper in his ear, "Be careful, Jack doesn't like people he doesn't know being in his kitchen."
He returned the action and whispered back "Thanks for the warning." winking at her before he turned his attention to Jack. Mel extended his hand.
"I'm Meliodas, Captain of-"
"I know who you are," Jack interrupted leaning forward to take Mel's hand completely encompassing it and shaking it firmly. "You are... how do you say?... le tuteur de la petite princesse." Jack smirked down at him.
"That's one way to put it," Mel shrugged. Elizabeth frowned, did Mel just understand what Jack said?
Jack looked surprised, or maybe confused, he had his head tipped sideways and he was frowning at Mel.
"This is Jack" Elizabeth introduced because he had forgotten, "He's my friend."
"It is pronounced Jacques, and I am also the Palace Chef." Jack clarified, apparently remembering his manners. She knew how to introduce herself, why was it so hard for Jack?
"He's my friend too" Elizabeth added, pointing at Mel. So Jack would know who she was talking about.
"And he is nicer than your last nanny?" Jack asked.
"Not a nanny" Mel objected.
Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically, "a lot nicer!" Elizabeth hooked her elbows on the table and pulled herself up so her feet dangled above the stool. "He's helping me find Dolly."
"Then you should hurry or you will miss the maids. You know where you are going?" Jack confirmed.
"Yes! The dining room around the corner, right?"She beamed at him and excitedly swung her legs above the stool.
"Oui! Off with you then" Jack made good-natured shooing motions at her.
Elizabeth moved to step back down on the stool but in her excitement, her one foot missed the stool completely and the other only just barely caught the edge causing the stool to slide forward and her to fall backward. Then Jack's hand was wrapped around the entirety of her forearm, and Mel had his arm around her back and a foot on the stool to keep it from completely sliding out from under her. Simultaneously Jack pulled and Mel pushed and she was steady on her feet again, at least as steady as she could be on the wobbly stool.
"Bon prise" Jack addressed Mel.
"I could say the same to you" Mel responded with a grin.
"Thank you." Elizabeth breathed and then giggled, as her heart rate slowed down. Alright, that had a been a little scary.
"You're very welcome, ma petite choux," Jack responded with a little bow. "Now don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Right! Come on!" she grabbed Mel's arm to steady herself as she hopped off the stool and started pulling him out of the kitchen.
"Un moment, s'il vous plait," Jack called, they both paused. Elizabeth could tell by his tone of voice what he meant, "May I have a word with your friend?" Jack asked her.
She looked at them and frowned. Why did Jack want to talk to Mel? Was he going to tell on her about exploring at night?
"You go ahead, I'll catch up in a minute" Mel encouraged.
"Alright. The dining room is that way," she pointed. "You'll hear them"
Meliodas watched her hurry down the hallway, and around a corner, then a few seconds later a collective joyful squeal of women's voices could be heard. I guess that's what she meant by I'll hear them.
Satisfied that Elizabeth was alright for the moment he went back to address the french chef. He was surprised by the cold and assessing look the man gave him as he approached. He had been nothing but smiles and warmth while speaking with Elizabeth. "Quoi de neuf?" he asked the mountain of a man casually.
"I don't meet a lot of people who speak my language," he said, voice thick with suspicion. "The only reason these morceaux des merde do is because they have no choice," he indicated the cooks.
Meliodas shrugged him off, "I learned some a long time ago, I'm as surprised as you that I still remember any. So," he prompted again, "What's up? or was that it?"
The man stared at him for a few seconds as if assessing the validity of his answer before he finally responded, "Merci beaucoup."
"For what?" Meliodas questioned. What could the man be thanking him for?
"For getting rid of la salope."
"La salope?" He hadn't been a fan of the horrible nanny but he hadn't expected the cook to come right out and call her a bitch.
"Oui, la salope." Jacque confirmed. "I thought I was going to have to poison her food to get rid of her."
"Remind me not to get on your bad side." Meliodas joked before his tone darkened slightly "but..what exactly did she do?"
"She was, not a good person." Jacque answered cryptically, "La petite princesse has been much happier since she has been gone."
Meliodas eyed the man, a little annoyed that he wouldn't be more upfront. Jacque ignored him and started pulling bread from the oven. Meliodas filed it away for later, la salope was gone and it was nice to know that Elizabeth was happier. He turned to leave then he remembered something he'd wanted to ask, "Oh yeah, you mentioned earlier that she "escapes"? How often does she do that?"
"Not as often as she used to." Jack responded vaguely, "I wish she did not do it at night. But there is no need to worry for her during the day, we down here are used to it. Once she is seen she is accompanied. She is our little Princess, we are happy to look out for her. Right now the maids are probably organizing a search party for her little doll. You should hurry Tuteur or they will take your task from you." he teased practically singing the last part.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" Meliodas asked. He didn't think the chef would know anything but it was a suspicious choice of words.
"It is true is it not? Or would you prefer I call you "nanny"?" Jacques smirked at him evilly.
"Are those my only options?" Meliodas raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Oui," Jacques nodded unapologetically.
"Then Tuteur is it." Meliodas shoved his hands in his pockets and left to go catch up with Elizabeth.
To be continued in, Chapter 4(Part 2): Found
So what did you think? I have no idea where Jacques came from, I just sent them looking for her doll and the next thing I knew she's in the kitchen, and what's a castle kitchen without a giant foul-mouthed french chef ;)
Thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed.
And a special thank you to the people who took the time to review.
Cerulean Grace: Sorry, I had to make her a little whiny in this one because it fit the situation ;) I thought of your comment when I was writing that part.
"Guesty": Thank you for the review :) I hope you are just as pleased with this chapter as the previous ones.
peacerockgirl123: Welcome. Was that a quick enough update for you? ;)
lickitysplit: Welcome and thank you for your review for chapter two. I always thought her story about her father falling out of the tree was missing something. I had a hard time imagining a kid calming climbing down a tree in that situation.
Translations
Bonjour, ma petite Princesse! - Hello, my little princess
Un moment - One moment
Attention -vous merde manger fouteurs de porc! Avez-vous vu la poupée Princess'? - Listen you shit eating pig fuckers! Have you seen the Princess' doll?
n'est-ce pas!? - Isn't that right?
ma petite choux. - my little cabbage
le tuteur de la petite princesse. - The guardian of the little princess.
Oui! - -Yes!
Bon prise - Good catch
Un moment, s'il vous plait. - one moment, please
Quoi de neuf? - What's up?
morceaux des merde - Pieces of shit
Merci beaucoup. - Thank you very much
la salope - The bitch
Tuteur - Guardian