"Lord Havenworth, there is a messenger at the main doors who is requesting your urgent attention!"
A pounding on his study door jerked the prince from his train of thought and he groggily looked at the door with narrowed eyes. He had told them specifically not to interrupt him while in his study for the next few weeks yet here they were bothering him so early in the morning. With a grumble he stood, making sure his chair screeched loudly against the floor, and strode over to the door. The pounding continued and he swung the door open so fast the servant nearly stumbled inward, catching themselves at the last second.
"I have told you to not interrupt me in my study yet here you are doing just that. Explain yourself." Cornelius snarled and the man before him bowed profusely while apologizing.
"F-forgive me, My Lord, but there is a man requesting your immediate attention. He showed up saying he had a direct message only for your ears."
Cornelius paused. Could it be one of his scouts whom he had sent out weeks ago and never heard from? There was still the chance it was a trap but he couldn't blow his cover by denying the man so with a heavy sigh he nodded. "Bring him to my study. Discretely as possible."
"Of course, sir." The servant bowed again before taking off down the hallway and disappearing around the corner. Cornelius ran a hand down his face before returning to his office, slamming the door shut. There was very little time left before his plan was set to begin and every little distraction like this was threatening to push it further behind. Just in case it was someone not involved in his discrete plans, he shuffled the papers around to conceal the sensitive information. It didn't take more than a few minutes before there was another rapping at his door and this time he just called out for them to enter.
"L-Lord Havenworth, forgive me!" A sniveling voice pleaded and he swiveled around in his chair. The man he had hired to kill off Meliodas and Ban after sending them far East was bowing pathetically against the floor, his body trembling in fear.
"Why have you returned? You were instructed to never return to this area yet here you are, sniveling on the ground like a slum rat." Cornelius took slow steps towards the mercenary with his heels clicking against the marbled floors. "I paid a lot of good money for you and your men to travel for days in order to reach the Sin of Wrath and the Sin of Greed. Why are you here acting like a pathetic animal?"
"I-I…they took out my men, all of them, in tha blink of an eye," The man stuttered out. "Then he sent me with a message to give to ya."
"And what message would that be?" Cornelius stopped with a foot of the man and looked down upon him with barely pacified rage.
"The Dragon's Wrath is coming."
The prince froze in place, eyes widening the slightest. He underestimated the mercenaries and now the Dragon's Sin of Wrath was coming for him directly. It was a possibility he had accounted for, albeit a somewhat small one, now he had no doubt the man was coming for revenge. Cornelius clasped a hand over his mouth in panicked thought. Increasing security would be the first step to all of this but he had no doubt the knight would find a way to worm his way into the castle. He needed a trump card, something, anything to hold over the man's head and force him into submission before him yet that was easier said than done.
"How long has it been since you saw him?"
"W-what?"
"Are you deaf? How many days has it been since he sent you running back here with your tail between your legs?" Cornelius snarled as he stomped his foot on the mercenary's back, pinning him to the floor.
"A-a day and a half, maybe at most. I c-came straight here, I swear!"
"I see. You are dismissed then, I have no further use for your pathetic life." The prince lifted his foot and began walking away when a thought struck him. "Lift your head."
"I-I'm sorry?" The man blinked in confusion before slowly looking up at the prince.
With a sharp thrust of his blade, Cornelius stabbed the man through the eye and pierced completely through his skull, killing the man instantly. A sharp twist removed the blade and he flicked the blood across the floor carelessly. It wasn't the first time blood had been spilled in his study and it wouldn't be the last. Glancing at the desk filled with war tactics and treaties, Cornelius grimaced at it before heading towards the door. There was no focusing on it now that he knew one of the most powerful knights in all of Britannia was on his way here to kill him.
"Clean that up." The prince casually waved a hand at the bloody mess as he passed a handful of servants, their gazes fearful. "I expect to not be disturbed anymore from now on unless Lady Elizabeth herself is upon my doorstep."
The staff quickly moved in to remove the body and clean the study before he returned, all remaining silent as they worked. Cornelius sighed heavily as he glanced out of the massive windows adorning the corridor, the sun rising higher. He would attend breakfast with his father and then retire for a few hours, exhaustion dragging at his mind. Planning a large scale invasion was a more delicate process than he thought and although his army had been built up, along with nearby potential threats destroyed, there were still risks to consider. Most likely two of the Seven Deadly Sins were on their way to the castle, unknown if they were bringing back-up or not, with the intent to slay him where he stood. His control over Liones had failed two years prior, their highly trained knights swiftly taking down his men without a second thought. Lady Elizabeth had still failed to present him with an answer and he was growing rather agitated with her. Once he had control of her, Liones would bend to his will or face complete destruction.
"Cornelius, good morning." King Everardus greeted his son cheerfully as he strolled into the dining hall. The servants scurried around to prepare the mornings meal and set it out. "You look tired, have you been staying up all night in your study again?"
"I just had some matters to handle, Father, everything is fine. I will get some rest afterwards for a few hours."
The prince settled heavily into the chair beside his father, grabbing his napkin and snapping it out before tucking it into the collar of his black tunic. He could feel questioning eyes burning into the side of his head though he ignored it. His thoughts were swarming with back-up plans in case Meliodas came storming into the castle and burned it down. One of the biggest problems was his father. With him constantly around it made it difficult to get away with less honorable tactics that would otherwise bring a swift end to the issue.
"Your Majesty, here are some parcels that have arrived for you." A maid handed the king his stack of envelopes with a smile, the old man returning one with a thank you. "Lord Havenworth—"
"Do all of you enjoy bothering me at all times?" Cornelius lashed out and the girl jumped in surprise, holding the envelopes close to her chest.
"Cornelius, watch your tongue. She has done nothing wrong to you." The king spoke lowly with a cold glare and the prince clenched his jaw.
"W-well, My Lord, we have just received a letter from Liones…addressed from Lady Elizabeth herself." The young girl spoke quietly, shakily holding out a royal envelope addressed to him. "It h-has just arrived by carrier."
Cornelius snatched the envelope from the terrified girl who shrieked before swiftly moving to hide behind another servant, trembling in fear. The prince tore the parcel open and quickly scanned the enclosed letter, the grin on his face growing wider. This was it! This was his ace! That damned Meliodas wouldn't be able to lay a single finger on him now! "Send word back to Liones that a carriage shall arrive within two days, by morning. It seems we are going to be holding a wedding soon."
"A ride?" Cornelius raised a brow in questioning as Elizabeth stood before him in his personal study, looking the slightest bit antsy. "For what reason would you want to go on another ride? You have taken at least two a day for the past three days. Surely the stableboy can handle such a menial job."
"Forgive me for the repetitive requests, My Lord, but Hawk tends to be less anxious when I ride him twice daily and it makes it easier for the stableboy to handle him. He is very picky with who can touch him." Elizabeth explained quietly, hoping to be free from Havenworth's eyes for even an hour alone. They had arrived four nights ago and there had been no sign of Meliodas, Ban, or King Arthur anywhere on the property. She was beginning to lose hope they would ever show up as the wedding date drew near.
"I am swamped in paperwork but I suppose I shall join you on yet another meaningless ride. Noon is generally my busiest time but if it is what you desire." The prince sighed as he made to stand, shoving the stacks of papers to the back of the desk. Elizabeth lightly placed her hands on his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
"You need not force yourself, My Lord, I can take Diane with me. We will not leave the property and be back within an hour."
"Lady Elizabeth, what kind of husband would I be if I were to just let you go out into the woods without adequate protection during these troubled times? We shall make this a fast trip and then I must return to my papers, understood?" She nodded slowly before turning and leading the way with her head held high. He refused to let her go anywhere without his permission, either inside the castle or out, constantly keeping a sharp eye on her regardless of what King Everardus previously said. The prince had even attempted to banish Diane from being her shadow and she slammed her foot down on that one. Elizabeth refused to go anywhere without Diane and had even threatened at one point to return to Liones and call off the engagement if he continued to try to remove her. After a tense stare down he gave in, giving her a smile and bending to her word.
It was a constant power struggle between them and Elizabeth was worn down before retiring each evening, even Diane getting exhausted by his constant controlling ways and snide remarks. Merlin returned to the room approximately the same time they did having finished scouring through the entirety of the castle in search of answers. So far nothing was turning up but she had her suspicions about the area behind the stables. The problem was, there were always more guards swarming outside at night making it nearly impossible for the maid in disguise to scope out an entrance. Elizabeth let out a silent sigh as she pushed open the doors, instantly locking eyes with Diane who stood opposite with her arms crossed over her chest. A quick study of the princess revealed it was to be an accompanied ride and the knight merely pursed her lips in disapproval before sidling up next to her, hand resting on her Holy Knight sword's pommel.
"I believe it will be a nice ride today, Diane." Elizabeth casually started as they slowly made their way down the corridor, Cornelius not too far behind.
"The weather has been holding nicely for the past few days, surely a stop by the river would be relaxing." Diane commented back, hearing Cornelius grumbling under his breath about a waste of time.
"Is that not a wonderous idea, My Lord?"
"It is just water, there is nothing spectacular about it. We are to do a short ride with no extra stops." The prince retorted with the slightest bit of bite to his tone and Diane sent him a nasty glare. "Fine, perhaps a few minutes break would be acceptable. I shall meet you at the stables in just a moment, dear."
As soon as he diverted towards the throne room, both girls picked up the pace, no longer stalling the prince. The faster they got out of there the more time they would have to talk without his persistent eavesdropping. Diane grumbled under her breath a few choice words as they walked, Elizabeth raising a delicate brow.
"You know how I feel about him, Elizabeth, not my fault he's the world's biggest slimeball." The knight made a face as they reached the main stairs, grasping Elizabeth's hand before descending. "He's become extremely controlling and it makes it difficult to do anything without him there watching. The only thing keeping him busy is mountains of paperwork and the minimal wedding planning he does."
"My feelings are not that much different than yours, Diane, I have to constantly remind myself why I am doing this. If it means keeping my people safe in the war then I will sacrifice everything for it." Elizabeth responded quietly as they passed by servants, ensuring they didn't hear anything. There was no point in trusting anyone within these walls, not even King Everardus, for it was dangerous territory like a lion's den.
"I'm getting worried about the captain, there's been no sign of him and the wedding is in a few days. Havenworth is getting suspicious of you taking Hawk out twice a day to search for him and I can tell he's increasing the security daily. We're trapped here, Elizabeth." Diane whispered as the main doors were pulled open, the two women passing by without so much as a second glance.
"We will just have to believe in Meliodas."
Brisk air greeted them as they stepped down the front steps, the signs of changing seasons upon them. It always gave her a bit of melancholy when everything died off, the world becoming blanketed in a sheet of white and bitter cold. The cycle of life and death was never ending as new life soon blossomed into the spring, flourishing into new leaves, vibrant flowers, and the warmth of the sun. She had decided long ago that it was necessary for the world to go through such darkness in order to return as a brilliant light, giving hope to those who had fallen into despair. But currently, her feelings were spiraling down into the depths of the darkness, no light source to be seen and it hollowed out her core with a deep, cold ache. The two followed the stone pathway that led to the stables in silence, their thoughts weighing heavily on them. Elizabeth refused to show on the outside that she was panicking over the upcoming wedding date, though both Sins knew exactly what she was feeling from the emotional breakdowns once she returned to her quarters and she often wondered if she would have to formally go through with it. She was hoping Meliodas would swoop in to save the day and take down the borderline abusive prince yet there was zero sign of him anywhere and she began to accept he may never arrive with a heavy heart. Security had become tight as the days passed and Elizabeth felt a bad omen swirl over the castle, her prayers to the heavens remaining unheard as if the clouds themselves were blocking the path. Diane tapped on her hand and the princess dragged herself back from the depths of her thoughts.
"There are even knights guarding the stables, maybe we should turn back and call it a day." The Sin suggested lowly as they slowed to a leisurely stroll, eyeing the crowd of men with distrust. Some of them even leered at them with lustful eyes and Elizabeth wanted to immediately turn around and leave.
"Perhaps you are right. I am sure My Lord will be thrilled to return to his paperwork. I do not believe we are welcome—"
A startled neigh cut off Elizabeth and she watched in muted horror as knights began flying backwards into the dirt, a few landing face down in the manure piles. Hawk kicked a path free around his post, eyes wild as he tried to free himself. Waldo followed his friends lead and started tugging at the post with all his might, kicking out at anyone around him. Before Diane could react the princess was running to her steed, kicking off her heels in the process. "Hawk! Calm down, please!"
"Elizabeth, back away from him! You'll get hurt!" Diane cried out as she scrambled to follow, her armored feet slipping in some mud and sending her crashing into the substance. With a string of choice words she rolled to her knees, intending to stand up when a heavy foot slammed her back down, pinning her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Taking care of a woman who doesn't know her place, that's what I'm doing." A knight sneered above her as others gathered around, sickening grins twisting on their faces.
"Elizabeth, run! Take Hawk and go!" The Sin cried out as she jerked herself up once more, the man above her suddenly losing his balance and slamming his head on the ground. "I can handle myself just go!"
"Diane!" Elizabeth cried out as she loosened Hawk's reins from the post, the horse calming down the slightest bit before kicking up another fuss. "Hawk, please, calm down! You will injure yourself!"
He suddenly lashed his head out and barely missed hers, instead striking out at a man who was sneaking up behind the princess. With a heavy nudge against her side the horse pushed Elizabeth towards his back, chuffing angrily. She whirled around and approached Waldo, the horse calming enough for her to yank his reins from the post and free him. Both saddles were already placed and secured, unusual considering no one could have known they would be riding at this time, and with a swift push from her leg she swung herself into Hawk. The moment she landed, Hawk took off running, knocking any knight in his way to the ground and Waldo followed suit. Men yelled after her but she kept her head down as the horses took the lead and escaped.
Diane ensured she was safely on her way before removing Gideon from her back, letting the heavy weapon drop to the ground with a wet thud. The horses freaking out reminded her of what happened two years ago after Liones was attacked and she knew exactly why they had gotten riled up and took off. About fifteen knights surrounded her on all sides and the Holy Knight cracked her knuckles, a grin sliding onto her face. She had been needing to blow off some steam.
"You boys picked the wrong day to mess with me. I'll show you the true strength of a Holy Knight of Liones!"
The horses began slowing to a trot after a good few minutes of running, their ears swiveling around wildly as they traversed the walking path towards the water. Elizabeth let out a shaky sigh and glanced back, noticing they weren't being followed. It was highly unusual for both horses to freak out like that, mainly Hawk was the problem child and Waldo was the calmer of the two, so she wasn't entirely sure what was wrong with them.
"You boys are in trouble when we get back, you could have injured yourselves or the other knights. Lord Havenworth will not allow me to ride you again, Hawk." The princess chastised her brown horse and earned an indignant snort in return. "No extra treats for either of you then as punishment."
After a few more minutes of silently walking down the carved pathway, both horses perked their ears to the left and began changing direction, heading through the dense trees with purpose. It almost sounded like a whistle pierced the air though it was hard to tell for sure where it was coming from as Elizabeth gripped the horn of the saddle tighter, the terrain began sloping upwards and she slid backwards in her seat, bare feet slipping from the stirrups. The thick winter dress she was wearing wasn't meant for anything more than a casual ride on a flat surface and her legs had trouble squeezing against Hawk through the heavy layers. Tugging on the reins did no good as her horse ignored her, shaking his head and continuing on. She dodged most of the low branches but felt one scrape against her cheek, the wound stinging in the cool air. Waldo let out a snort before walking faster, Hawk immediately following his lead and jerking Elizabeth around on his back as he changed course.
"Hawk, slow down, you are going to…"
"Who goes there?"
The princess looked up as they emerged from the dense trees to see an armored knight sitting around a fire, his eyes wide in recognition as the meat skewer fell from his hands. He looked surprised to see her, as if her arrival was unexpected, and quickly scrambled to his feet to greet her. His flaming wild hair and innocent demeanor struck a cord in the princess' memory and she stared at him with disbelief.
"King Arthur? What on earth are you doing in the middle of the forest?" Elizabeth breathed as Hawk finally jerked to a stop, his ears swiveling around. Could he be…?
"I should be asking that of you, My Lady, why are you on a horse? With no shoes if I may add." The king gestured to her bare toes sticking out from beneath her dress.
"I was to ride with My Lord when Hawk began throwing a fit, Waldo as well. We escaped while Diane…" Elizabeth trailed off, thinking of her poor friend surrounded by all of those knights. "She was left to fend off a number of men who were waiting at the stables. I should return to her, she may need assistance."
"No need for that, Lady Elizabeth, it's been taken care of. I'm glad to see yer still in one piece." Ban grinned at her as she whirled her head around, tears forming in her eyes.
"Sir Ban," The princess warbled as compacted emotions began slipping out like the tears down her face.
"C'mon, let's get you off that reckless horse." The knight held out his arms for her and she carefully slipped from the saddle, his strong arms catching her with ease. Hawk nipped at Ban who retorted by sticking his tongue out at the beast. "Did you throw yer shoes again?"
"Running in those pinching heels does no good other than hurt my feet." She let out a small, amused huff, wiggling her toes beneath her skirt as he carried her over to the log King Arthur had been sitting on. Her toes were beginning to get the slightest bit cold.
"Ah, you have a small cut on your face, Lady Elizabeth." Arthur pointed out as Ban set her down carefully on the trunk, standing to grab his travel pouch. "I may have some bandages in my travel bag."
"Oh, a branch scraped against my face on the way," She dragged her fingers absentmindedly over the wound and frowned when she pulled back, skin stained red. Lord Havenworth would throw an absolute fit and banish her from leaving the castle ever again. "Please do not worry yourself over such a small thing. How long have you been out here? Diane and I have been worried sick you did not make it at all."
"About two days now I think, we've been keeping an eye on the castle from a distance since Havenworth keeps building his knights up. I'm surprised you're even allowed to be out here, Princess, or did you sneak away?" The Sin of Greed plopped down next to her, his long legs stretching out in front of him.
"I was to ride with Lord Havenworth who said he would meet up with us at the stables but we were confronted by a group of knights. I believe they intended to harm us both." The princess looked down at her lap, lightly twisting the top layer of her dress. She still feared for her friends life and debated whether or not to run back to her with Ban and Arthur in tow.
"Which is why I went back to check on Diane." Elizabeth's eyes went wide and she jerked her head up in disbelief, tears already overflowing. There he was, standing before her with those vibrant green eyes and messy blonde hair, a small smile on his face.
"Meliodas…" The Sin grinned boyishly at her while crouching down, his winter coat shifting slightly.
"Yo, Elizabeth—"
Meliodas barely had enough time to brace himself as Elizabeth flung herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she cried. They both landed on the ground, the knight taking the full force of the blow, and Ban cackled while Arthur panicked, asking if they were both unharmed. He returned the embrace just as tightly, relishing in the heavily missed warmth while nestling into her neck. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Elizabeth."
"I was not sure…if you would ever show up…" Elizabeth breathed out between sobs. "We had not seen or heard anything…"
"It's too dangerous for us to get that close to the castle right now so we're staying out here. We've been watching over you the entire time though, thanks to Merlin." The princess slowly pulled back after a minute and wiped at her face with the backs of her hands, the knight keeping a gentle hand on either arm.
"Merlin?" She asked, looking at Meliodas with a puzzled look.
"Alongside with snooping around for my own guilty pleasure, I've been in constant contact with the captain since he arrived. I wasn't able to tell you, Elizabeth, since it could have jeopardized the whole mission." Merlin appeared from behind Ban with Diane in tow, the knight covered in mud and sweat but seemingly uninjured. With a grin she held up Elizabeth's muddy shoes and Meliodas snickered.
"What number does that make this one, Elizabeth?" She flushed and thought about it for a moment as she settled onto the hard ground.
"I believe well beyond sixty at this point, Meliodas, I just cannot seem to keep them on my feet." Elizabeth giggled as she wiggled her freed toes for him to see, the knight shaking his head. "The ones Lord Havenworth provide are even more suffocating than those back home, their heels are higher and cause more pain than those of my own."
"The moment she enters her quarters they go flying," Merlin chuckled dryly as she popped a seat next to Arthur, crossing her legs as she stared at the two on the ground. There would be no separating those two again for quite a while judging by the way they were sitting so close. "Princess even whacked an unsuspecting maid in the back with one. Poor girl never saw it coming."
"I did thoroughly apologize to the young girl and even offered her the shoes as compensation." Elizabeth mumbled in embarrassment, covering her face with her hands while the others laughed. Meliodas chuckled and sat up, shifting his leg to rest behind her while he folded the other.
"Ban and I were worried about you picking up a sword but I never expected you to start using your shoes as weapons, Elizabeth. I would say I'm disappointed but you do seem to have impeccable aim with those things."
"I'd watch it, Captain, because I can easily toss them back to her." Diane teased as she shook the muddy heels in her hands.
"All joking aside now," Merlin interrupted, all eyes turning to her. "The wedding is scheduled two days from now and we still don't have a plan to stop it. If Elizabeth becomes legally married then the chances of Havenworth using her to control Liones is a high possibility. If Liones falls…"
"Havenworth will win." Meliodas finished. "We can't afford to lose the castle so we need to do our best to take down what forces are here first then go from there. It'll be hard, but not impossible. Arthur has a few squadrons of men on their way now to aid with the fight."
"My men are some of the most skilled in all of Camelot, I know they will not fail in battle." King Arthur puffed up a bit with pride. "I have sent letters to other allies asking for their aid and my generals will instruct some of them to head here and the others to make for Liones."
"What if we get outnumbered?" Elizabeth asked quietly as she looked at the captain with unease. "The number of men on the property grow daily and they can be fairly aggressive without provocation. Lord Havenworth has even become more agitated than usual lately, spending a lot of his time in his study."
"He's been taking it out on Elizabeth by using harsh words and being extremely controlling. King Everardus gave all three of us permission to go wherever we wish within the estate yet Havenworth refuses and stalks Elizabeth like a hawk." Diane input and Meliodas stiffened the slightest.
"Has he laid a hand on you, Elizabeth?" Meliodas asked softly and his heart sunk a bit when she slowly nodded, quickly waving her hands as she tried to explain.
"It was not intended for me but for a young maid, Aya, who has been aiding us in answering our questions. She dropped some cups of tea and they happened to spill onto Lord Havenworth's shirt in the dining hall. He went to strike her and I moved her out of the way to take her place."
"King Everardus witnessed the entire thing and immediately kicked the prince from the room before attending to Elizabeth. There was a bit of a mark remaining although my medicinal lotions have healed it quite nicely." Merlin let out a heavy sigh, knowing the darkening look in Meliodas' eyes all too well.
"Elizabeth—"
"You do not have to say, I know what you are thinking." She placed a hand against his cheek and his instantly covered it with his own. "That was the only time he has touched me and he expressed his remorse immediately afterwards. I would rather I take the hit than a young girl being forced into servitude. You need to know something about her, Meliodas, she came from Arvendon."
"Arvendon?" The knight looked at her with a bit of surprise as he turned her cheek to look at the scratch, lightly touching the area with a frown. "What's she doing way out here?"
"She was there when Arvendon collapsed," Merlin filled in for the princess, narrowed gaze watching the flames lick hungrily at the branches fueling it. "Some survived, some didn't, but just from the bits and pieces I was told we can guarantee Havenworth was there just before it happened. She recalled seeing him briefly from when she worked under King Berengar."
"Aya confided in me that he had offered her a position here in Celnair Keep if her current position ever disappeared. Two days later and the castle had fallen so she eventually made her way here with nowhere else to go." Elizabeth finished.
"What reason would he have for bringing her here? There's gotta be something she must have that he needs." Ban tossed out in between bites of his food, smacking Hawk away from his lunch. While the brown horse turned his head away in annoyance, the Sin tossed Waldo a bit of his meal, eating it quickly before Hawk noticed.
"Perhaps we should see what else she—"
Meliodas was on his feet in a second, staring off into the woods in the direction of the castle with his hand hovering above his blade. The other Sins looked alert while Arthur glanced between them in confusion as even the horses stilled save for their ears. Elizabeth had barely opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when she was pulled up from the ground and promptly dropped onto Hawk's saddle sideways.
"You need to go, now." Meliodas said lowly as Diane tossed her shoes to him, the knight quickly fitting them back onto her bare feet. "He's on his way with more than a few men. Stay by Diane and Merlin's sides, don't leave them for a moment."
"W-wait, Meliodas…" Elizabeth stuttered out as he handed her the reins. "Where are you going to go?"
He gave her a brief smile and kissed her knuckles lightly before stepping back. "We need to leave but we'll be back, I promise. I won't forget you here, Elizabeth."
"Meliodas, please—" The princess' pleading was cut off as the knight slapped his hand against Hawk's flank, sending the horse galloping away towards the water. "Meliodas!"
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," Meliodas said softly as Diane tore past on Waldo, the knight waving farewell as she followed the princess. Merlin quickly saddled her own horse, one of Lord Havenworth's finest, and took off towards the castle, sticking to the denser part of the woods.
"Cap'n, we gotta go!" Ban kicked the fire out as Arthur scrambled around grabbing their supplies and tossing them back onto the horses. Meliodas waited until they were both out of view before turning and mounting his horse, everything packed up and the campsite destroyed. They would have to move further away from the castle in order to avoid being detected but moving too far would put both their mission and Elizabeth in jeopardy.
"Let's retreat to the other side of the river for now to lose the horses' trails and throw them off. I'll circle around and keep them off of you two for a bit, I'll find you later." Meliodas ordered and the men took off in the same direction as Elizabeth, dust flying as they urged the horses to go faster.
With a kick of his heel he was off. They had scouted out the entirety of the area in the middle of the night after arriving and mapped out entrances, exits, guard shift beginnings and ends. He had even marked where Elizabeth's room was and found a way to climb up if need be. Of course now that she knew he was out here it made things more complicated. Meliodas had no doubt Havenworth would become even more paranoid and lock her in the room until the day of wedding, possibly even speeding up the process in order to have a hold over him and Liones. King Baltra had been addressed a letter explaining what happened after they left and the knight was sure he was preparing to send every available ally to Celnair Keep to bring down the rampaging tyrant. A noise caught his attention and he slowed the horse down, taking cover behind some thick bushes. Moments later a handful of horsed riders came trotting through, searching the area for any signs of activity.
"I don't see nothin'. Why is he making us do this? There's no way anyone could survive out here in the freezin' nights." A knight complained as he put a minimal amount of effort into searching the area.
"You wanna be killed by 'im? I sure as hell don't, so shut up and look a little further." Another knight snapped back at the first. "We're already gonna be killed in this stupid war, may as well prolong our lives if we can."
"Can't we just say we looked? How the hell is he gonna know the difference? He's got the castle on lockdown since the princess' knight went berserk back at the stables. She's probably gonna be hanged." The group of men laughed as they slowed to a stop, their horses snorting in protest.
"Hell, I don't wanna miss a great Holy Knight being hung. Alright, let's just head back and tell 'im we searched and couldn't find nothin'." The second knight turned his horse around and began leading the way back to the castle, the others following suit. Meliodas watched with hard eyes as they disappeared back the way they came. He waited a few more minutes before slowly beginning to move, ensuring there were no stragglers milling behind. Things were going to be progressing faster now that this incident happened and Meliodas knew his window of opportunity was becoming slim. Once he returned to the castle, he was going to search behind the stables even if he had to take out the men guarding it.
~B~
"Princess Elizabeth!"
Upon hearing her name, the princess looked up from her spot nestled on a large boulder by the rivers shore. They had only been there for a few minutes since fleeing from the depths of the woods and Diane had suggested acting like they had been there the entirety of the time to follow the story they gave Havenworth. Elizabeth tried to keep her mind off of Meliodas, their reunion short yet sweet, and she hoped to see him again sooner rather than later. The prince yanked the reins back on his black steed and quickly dismounted, a plethora of men riding up behind him. Elizabeth braced herself for the oncoming outburst.
"What happened back at the stables and why is your face injured?" He demanded angrily as he jogged over to the ladies, jaw clenched the slightest bit. "Why did your knight attack my men?"
"Excuse me?" Diane said lowly as she shifted in front of Elizabeth as she stood, glaring up at the arrogant prince. "Your men attacked me while I was downed! They had the clear indication to harm either me or Elizabeth! What kind of knights would do that under the prince they are serving?"
"I have had enough of your insolence!" Havenworth snarled as he unsheathed his blade, Diane instantly grabbing the shaft of Gideon in response. "I have been kind enough to allow you to follow Lady Elizabeth around like a lost puppy but no more. You are to be charged for conspiracy against Celnair Keep and sentenced to death by hanging."
"Enough of this!"
Elizabeth stepped in between the two knights, arms out to separate them both. Her patience had worn thin and she looked up at her husband-to-be with a barely concealed cold fury. Diane blinked a few times before releasing her tight grasp on her weapon while Havenworth was looking rather startled that the princess had thrown herself into the middle of the argument. "Lord Havenworth, your men created an unsafe environment by surrounding the stables and acting out of line when we approached. Diane was forced into the ground by one of your knights who rallied others to join while I escaped with the horses. I have felt unsafe with the increasing amount of men you have on the property since arriving mere days ago and I will be bringing this to the attention of King Everardus."
"My Lady, surely we can come to a reasonable agreement here—" Havenworth started only to have her jab a dainty finger into his chest.
"I will not stand for your aggressive manners much further, My Lord, and I am beginning to regret accepting your proposal. Diane and I will be returning to the castle together and I expect to not be disturbed in my quarters for the rest of the evening." Elizabeth gave him one more jab to make sure her message got through before turning on her heel and grabbing Diane by the wrist, the horses moving to meet her.
Havenworth stared, baffled, as the princess and her personal guard trotted past him with their noses turned up. He had never expected her to snap in such a way and he hadn't the faintest clue on how to react to it. The knights following him glanced at one another uneasily, the atmosphere now awkward as they awaited further orders. The prince slowly sheathed his blade and ran a hand through his hair, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Well, this day certainly hadn't gone the way he had planned.
"Your Majesty, should we…return to the castle?" One knight hesitantly asked.
"Get rid of the knights who were stationed outside of the stables during the incident and loosen security a bit. If she is going to be my wife I suppose I shall start taking her advice lest Lady Elizabeth never speaks to me again." Cornelius let out a dry laugh before remounting his steed, the creature snorting and shaking its head. "Inform me when the problem has been taken care of."
"Yes, sir!"
The prince waited until they had departed before his horse trotted closer to the river for a drink, deep in thought. Things were beginning to get messy between him and Elizabeth, not like they were the closest 'couple' to begin with, and with the wedding taking place in less than two days now, he was beginning to panic. Everything felt like it was unraveling; he still hadn't found where Meliodas was hiding, his father was constantly hounding him about his secretive behaviors, Lady Elizabeth was now furious with him and threatening to call off the engagement, and to make matters worse? The men he had promised food and shelter for were now beginning to become antsy, disobeying direct orders and failing to watch the territory properly. There could be whole platoons of men on their way if word had gotten out to Liones or any of the Northern territories, not to mention any allies affiliated with the kingdoms.
Perhaps he should speed up the wedding to tomorrow and earn control over Lady Elizabeth and Liones faster as a precaution. With a yank of the reins he turned his horse around and kicked him to move at a trot. He noticed the cut on her cheek and briefly wondered how that could have happened when a thought struck him. How would she have gotten a cut on her if she had just made her way to the river? And with a Holy Knight as a bodyguard no less? Another yank on the reins stopped his horse, Albion, in his tracks. Something wasn't adding up and the prince, already paranoid about the Dragon's Wrath coming to kill him in his sleep, dismounted his horse once more and began looking around. He walked a good bit back down the path searching for anything that would hint at anything out of place and he was about to turn back around when some diverted tracks and trampled grass caught his attention. Without a second thought he began traversing through the woods, following the crushed brush with quick steps. A low branch whacked him in the head and he snapped it off with annoyance, tossing it behind him. He stopped and turned around to look at it, the gears in his head clicking into place. A branch…a branch could cause a cut if she was unable to avoid it on horseback. With cautious steps he continued onward, the dense trees slowly beginning to open up into a thinned out area.
Cornelius stumbled out of the tree line and brushed himself off before looking up. His eyes widened considerably as he looked over the quickly covered up campground, hoof tracks and footprints scattered around the dirt. A fire was still smoldering and he crouched down, placing a hand just a few inches above it to see how hot it was. It had just been put out recently, some embers still bright red as they tried to stay alit beneath dirt. He quickly stood and began counting the number of tracks littering the ground, the number quickly rising to at least six different sets of footprints. Four sets of horse tracks seemed to lead to towards the river and he assumed two were Elizabeth and Diane's horses while the other two were unknown but going the same direction. Two more sets caught his eye, the tracks leading into another denser part of the woods to the left of where he entered and he froze as dread settled deep in his stomach. They had been mere minutes away from the castle the entire time, watching over everything, keeping track of who was in the area. He was being watched like an unsuspecting prey, the predator remaining in the shadows while it stalked him relentlessly.
"They have been here for days already…watching, studying…" Cornelius breathed as he stared off into the woods, his heart pounding painfully against his chest. "I have to lock down the castle, send out any and all guards to look for them..."
The prince let out a sharp whistle to recall his horse and cautiously scanned the area, highly paranoid that he was currently being watched. Albion finally appeared through the trees and he immediately mounted the horse and kicked him off, heading back to the castle at full speed. This was bad, really bad. The panic was setting in and he tried to think of a way to stop his years of work from unraveling in a matter of moments. Meliodas was out there, that he knew, and he must have had contact with Lady Elizabeth, surely telling her he was going to rescue her any moment now. First things first, he was going to lockdown the entire castle then warn the guards to search the property thoroughly and kill anyone suspicious. His father would surely force his title from him if he figured out what was going on, if he hadn't already, so that was another thing to take care of.
Cornelius would usually rejoice at the fact of becoming King of Celnair Keep under normal circumstances but a day of triumphant celebration was about to turn into a day that would mark his name in the books of history for decades to come and he couldn't wait to get it started.
Elizabeth paced around her quarters with jitters, her nerves getting the best of her. What she had done back there was beyond reckless and the repercussions could be severe, the thought sending her into a panic. Merlin had thankfully gotten back before them and rushed the two into the room, heavily locking the door with pieces of furniture blocking the entrance. Diane had gone to take a bath while Elizabeth settled for heavily pacing.
"What if he finds out they are here? My Lord could send his men to hunt them down and if they were to get hurt because of my incessant need to use Hawk to find him—"
"Elizabeth, calm down." Merlin stopped the antsy princess with a firm hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out, don't worry. Captain knows how to proceed from here but we have bigger problems now."
"You mean the fact that the wedding could possibly be pushed up sooner?" Diane asked as she exited the shared bathroom while drying her hair with a towel.
"I will speak with King Everardus immediately to inform him of My Lord's plans." Elizabeth let out a heavy breath, twisting her hands nervously. "Things have become too dangerous, maybe it would be best to withdraw immediately and return to Liones."
"If we do that then he'll suspect us and order for our heads to be removed." Merlin pointed out bluntly and both girls flinched. "I will meet up with Captain and the others in a few hours once things have settled down, but we need to resume our lives like normal. No more leaving the castle, always go together, do not leave the room unless you have been officially summoned by the prince or king. If he tries to separate you two, return to the room immediately. This has become the worst case scenario we were trying to avoid at all costs."
"Forgive me, if I had not been so insistent on finding Meliodas…" Elizabeth muttered with her head down, ashamed her actions had caused such adverse reactions that affected her friends.
"It's not your fault, Elizabeth, the fact that we made it this long without it happening means we did better than expected!" Diane pointed out cheerfully, resting the damp towel over her shoulders.
"She has a point, princess, we did manage to survive in the lion's den much longer than anticipated," Merlin tossed in her two cents as well. "But now we need to start being active about finding a way to stop all of this. I'm sure Lord Havenworth is beginning to panic that his plan is about to unravel and will begin taking drastic measures. If I get captured then I need you two to try and escape the castle grounds, understand?"
"What are you talking about, Merlin? We won't just leave you here!" The Sin of Envy protested, Elizabeth nodding eagerly in agreement.
"I can always escape if need be but Elizabeth can't and she needs you by her side, Diane. Captain already knows if either of us gets incapacitated then he is to move in and end it." The Sin of Gluttony sighed with her arms over her chest.
"You mean…kill him?" Elizabeth whispered with wide eyes, glancing between the suddenly quiet Sins.
"Yes. He has proven to be too much of a threat to Britannia and needs to be stopped. Elizabeth, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but even you have to agree that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants and that's all of Britannia under his reign. We don't know how many more men he has under his control, it could be thousands by now, and they will most likely launch an attack on Liones."
"I do not like the idea of taking ones life but I also understand the need to save the people across the continent." The princess' words wavered but she let out a deep breath before continuing. "If…that is what must be done, then so be it, but I wish to speak with King Everardus first this evening."
"We need to go now then, it's been hours since our return and that's plenty of time for Cornelius to try something." Diane rushed out as she reached for her armor, tossing the towel aside carelessly. Merlin strolled over to one of the
Armoires and threw the doors open, revealing a set of armor. Elizabeth swallowed hard but said nothing. All bets were off now as the two Sins donned their armor, Merlin somehow fitting hers beneath her maid's outfit with ease.
"Should we find and alert Meliodas?" The princess asked nervously as the Boar's Sin strapped a large blade to her thigh, fluffing her uniform out to conceal it.
"We don't have time to find him, he's most likely preoccupied trying to enter the area behind the stables." Merlin strolled past the princess and flung open the balcony doors, the cool air rushing. "Diane, grab that small red cloth from my bag along with the string and small vial. We're going to give him a signal that things are progressing faster than planned."
"Here." Diane handed over the supplies and Merlin got to work, quickly yanking out the cork of the vial with her teeth and grimacing as she soaked the rag in it. Both girls quickly covered their faces as the smell hit them, Diane attempting to waft it away from her. "What is that stuff? It stinks so bad!"
"A special herb mix that we have used in the past to signal the captain to our location without giving us away. After a few minutes or so it turns into a sweet smell reminiscent of a baked good. He only needs to get a bare hint of it and he'll come running."
With the cloth tied securely around the string, the herbalist waved the rag in the air a few times in the direction of the stables before securing it to the railing. "This should be good. Let's go."
With Diane leading the way and Merlin trailing closely behind, the three exited Elizabeth's quarters and made their way towards the throne room. Normally King Everardus would be going about his business throughout the castle though lately he had been spending more and more time hidden away in the throne room as tensions increased across the lands. It was oddly silent as they walked and the princess had an uneasy feeling resting in the pit of her stomach. The lavish and extravagant paintings of Cornelius and King Everardus on the wall seemed to watch them as they passed and a shiver ran up Elizabeth's spine.
"Where did all of the staff go?" Diane asked lowly as they glanced around, not a soul in sight.
"Either hiding or running for their lives." Merlin responded tightly as she fiddled with her sleeves, the bare tip of a blade protruding. "If anything happens, try to get away as fast and as far as possible, Elizabeth."
"I understand." Elizabeth agreed quietly, her nerves making her hands shake. The unease only seemed to grow as they neared the throne room, no guards stationed outside like usual. The others seemed to share her apprehension.
"Are we ready?" Diane asked as she slipped Gideon into her armored palms, earning a nod from her two companions.
With a nod herself, Diane grasped the handle of the door and pushed on it. It failed to budge and she tried again, throwing her body weight against it to try and loosen it. Again and again she tried, slamming her shoulder against the solid wood door with little effect. She motioned the other two to step back and raised the war hammer in her hands into the air. "Ground Gladius!"
The doors exploded into splinters as the hammer made contact, the noise nearly deafening. Elizabeth lowered her arm the slightest bit, straining to see through the cloud of dust. Diane stepped through first, shoving the debris aside before helping Elizabeth through.
"King Everardus, I wish to speak to you urgently." Elizabeth called out as she strolled towards the throne, her shoulders squared as her knights flanked either side. "It is in regard to your son—"
"I am afraid he is no longer taking messages, Lady Elizabeth." Cornelius slowly slid out from behind the back of the empty throne with his hand lightly tracing the hand carved wood, his other hand hiding behind his back. He was fully suited in his royal armor save for his helmet, his sword resting against his hip. Blood stains were splattered against the front of the chair and Elizabeth's eyes widened at the amount pooling in the seat. "You see, he decided to oppose my idea and well, he was getting up there in age and had become quite unreasonable."
"So, that was your plan all along? To remove the biggest obstacle in your path so you could reign over Celnair Keep in order to start the largest war in Britannia." Merlin hit the bullseye as the prince gave a crooked grin.
"You are a smart one, Boar's Sin of Gluttony, Merlin. And you, Serpent's Sin of Envy, Diane, certainly like to challenge authority. I can see why Lady Elizabeth has chosen you both to provide her protection but as you probably know by now, I am a man who knows how to get what he wants."
"Why would you do this, Lord Havenworth?" Elizabeth looked up at him with burning eyes, the tears threatening to overflow. Had he truly become such a monster? "What would possess you to do such a cruel thing? Just so you could start the largest war in Britannia?"
"My Lady, while you may not see the vision currently I assure you that you will be safe within these walls as my new queen." Cornelius walked down the steps leading up to the throne and Diane readied Gideon by swinging it back over her shoulder. Merlin slipped the blade fully from her sleeve and flung it without hesitation. The prince swung his hidden hand out and the object he was holding caught the weapon. Elizabeth slapped her hands to her mouth to muffle the horrified screams, stumbling backwards. Diane let out a curse while Merlin glowered at the prince.
"You're sick!" Diane screamed as she rushed forward, swinging Gideon with all of her might. Cornelius dodged the heavy blow and slammed his fist into the Sins' face, a pained cry escaping her mouth.
"Elizabeth, we need to go, now!" Merlin yelled as she yanked on the princess' arm and began dragging her away. Elizabeth couldn't take her eyes off of the object now resting on the floor, the blade protruding dead center from it.
"H-he…his head…"
"Don't look at it, focus on me! We're going to get out of here." Merlin yanked hard on her uniform, tearing it off from her body and she slipped the large dagger from its leg holster.
"I do believe we still have a wedding to have, Lady Elizabeth, so where are you going?" The prince laughed manically as he began his pursuit after kicking the Sin to the side. "Come now, you agreed to become my wife in order to save Liones, did you not? I know all about your other little friends that were hiding out in the woods earlier, surely my knights have done away with them already."
"You sick bastard," Merlin growled as she dodged through the doorway, ensuring Elizabeth was still following closely behind, and took off sprinting. "Elizabeth, don't listen to him, he's lying! The captain and the others won't go down that easily."
Elizabeth couldn't hear anything over her heart pounding loudly in her ears, stomach churning violently as her mind focused on the severed head of King Everardus, his lifeless eyes staring straight into her soul. Her foot caught on the rug and she stumbled, her grasp slipping from Merlin's and she hit the floor hard. The Sin yanked her back in time to avoid a fatal blow from Cornelius' sword, the metal slicing through the rug as if it were paper.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Diane screamed as she darted from the throne room, purple eyes ablaze with anger. With a yell of effort the Sin spun around with her war hammer before releasing it and sending it sailing through the air at a high rate of speed. Cornelius looked up in time for the weapon to slam into his chest plate, knocking him into the opposite wall with a thunderous crash.
"Diane…get away from him…" Elizabeth rasped as she swallowed the rising bile in her throat. "Hurry…"
"I can handle him, Elizabeth, you need to get out and find the captain!"
"We're almost outside—"
A loud explosion shook the castle's foundation causing the two to lose their footings just as they reached the top of the main stairs. Merlin locked her body over Elizabeth's as they began falling, bracing for the inevitable fall. The hard impact of the marble stairs knocked the breath from the Sin and she let out a strangled gasp when a rib fractured from the hit, Elizabeth muffling her name against her armor. After a few more bounces, the two rolled to a stop at the landing. Elizabeth quickly untangled herself from the wheezing knight, panicking as Merlin laid motionless.
"Merlin? Merlin, I need you to look at me!" The princess cried as she tried to wake the older woman, lightly shaking her shoulders and pressing against her face. "Please wake up!"
"Elizabeth, what happened?!" Diane appeared at the top of the stairwell, eyes going wide as she noticed the scene. "Merlin!"
"You should know better than to look away during a battle."
Cornelius appeared behind Diane, the Sin whirling around to face him when his foot collided with her chest plate and she too began her fall from the stairs. Elizabeth screamed helplessly as the knight rolled down the stairs with grunts of pain, Gideon cracking the stone loudly at the landing just before its owner did the same. She scrambled over to the second knight, falling to her knees as she checked on Diane.
"Diane, are you alright? Has anything broken?" Elizabeth panicked and waved her hands uselessly over her friend, tears flowing freely down her face. The knight sucked in a heavy breath of air and her eyes shot open wide.
"F-fine, just had the wind knocked from me. Thanks to Merlin's ability of making strong armor." Diane wheezed as the princess helped her to a sitting position. "You need to leave, Elizabeth, you can't stop him. I'll protect Merlin until Captain shows up."
"I cannot leave you two! You are getting injured because of me!"
"I will be sure they have an honorable death, My Lady, as tribute to their service for you." Cornelius slowly walked down the stairs, one hand against the indent in his armor while he dragged his sword down the stone, sparks flying. Blood trickled from his hairline and down his face, the red giving him a more menacing appearance. "My men have been ordered to begin heading towards Liones in order to force it to the ground though it seems there is some opposing resistance outside."
"You gave me your word! You swore you would not touch Liones!" Elizabeth cried as she grabbed Merlin's dagger and swayed to her feet, Diane struggling to stand beside her.
"Did I now? Surely you must have misunderstood, Elizabeth, for since your knight in shining armor is here to kill me, I have changed my mind. I will kill these two knights closest to you then force you to watch as I kill your lover Meliodas. I declared the proposal null and void when I spoke with my father just before lopping his head off." The prince gave her a charming smile with wild eyes and Elizabeth quickly shifted in front of her downed knights, dagger raised high.
"I will not allow you to go through with this, Lord Havenworth."
"You are but a mere weak princess, Elizabeth, what could you possibly—"
Elizabeth darted forward and swung the blade upwards, grazing the prince's cheek enough for the skin to split and bleed. Just as she made to turn around and strike again, a hand latched around her throat and the weapon dropped from her grasp. Cornelius looked at her with mild distaste and squeezed harder, lifting her body from the ground to gaze at her from his level. "I am going to assume your precious knight taught you that trick? Pity, sullying your royal ways for a low-life criminal. How far you have fallen, Elizabeth."
"I do not…care what his past held," Elizabeth rasped as she clawed at the hand around her throat, kicking his armored legs viciously. "All that matters now…are his good deeds…upon the people he has sworn to protect…and…I will only hear the truth from his mouth…and no one else's."
The prince gave her an unamused look before carelessly tossing her aside. She hit the marble floor with a cry of pain, Diane calling out her name in response. "Leave her alone you monster!"
He turned his attention to Diane once she finally managed to get to her feet, Gideon scraping loudly against the stone as she readied the war hammer once more. As his back was turned to her, Elizabeth removed one of her shoes and aimed for his head since the blade had slipped too far from her grasp. As he raised his blade to the Holy Knight, she let the heel fly. It contacted with a thunk and the prince glared back at her long enough for Diane to swing the hammer against his side and send him flying towards the front doors. The force was enough to send him tumbling against the floor before crashing through the enormous front window, glass raining down over the floor. Elizabeth dropped the other shoe she was preparing to hurl at him and let out a shaky breath.
"Gods…" Elizabeth wheezed a bit as she crawled over to Merlin, tapping the unconscious knights face lightly. "Merlin…wake up…"
"That blow should have crippled him the first time and there's a chance it critically injured him the second but I don't want to stick around and find out." The Sin dropped her weapon heavily, leaning on it as she tried to catch her breath. She was pretty sure her nose was broken judging by the blood flowing down her face. Elizabeth noticed and quickly ripped a section of her overcoat off with her teeth, handing it to the knight.
"I know he will be fine, I am more worried for Merlin right now. She will not wake up."
"L-Lady Elizabeth! Y-you should not be in here!" A voice squeaked out and the two women blinked at one another before turning towards the source. Aya popped her head out from around a corner, quivering in fear as she looked around warily.
"Aya! Why are you still in the castle?" The princess limped over to the young girl, opening her arms for her. Her leg and hip had taken the blunt force of the fall and she was sure it would be heavily bruised by the time she checked.
"I-I could not leave without knowing you were safe!" The servant cried as she latched onto the young woman with a tight grip, nestling herself close.
"We need to get out of here, the castle's going to lose stability with those explosives." Diane warned as she grabbed Merlin's arms and began pulling her up, apologizing as the knight groaned in pain. A smaller tremor through the building loosed small chunks of rocks and the girls shielded their faces. "I'll get Merlin, grab the girl and let's go. You know another way out of here?"
Aya nodded quickly, green eyes wide. "I c-can show you the way through the kitchen."
"Take us, Aya." Elizabeth placed her hands on the girls shoulders and nodded for her to lead.
Once Merlin was situated on Diane's back, the servant began leading them through hidden hallways, constantly checking around corners before waving them on. Elizabeth stayed just ahead of Diane with Merlin's blade clenched tightly in her hands as she remained on high alert. Although she was beginning to really feel the pain of Havenworth's hand around her throat and the impact against the solid floor, she had to remain strong for herself and the others. It hadn't hit yet that the man she was supposed to marry in order to help the people of her kingdom had suddenly turned on them and attempted to kill them without batting an eyelid. And King Everardus…he was an extremely kind and caring king to both his servants and citizens yet he suffered the worst of his sons wrath. Elizabeth wasn't so sure she would be able to sleep well for the next few weeks.
"Here, this leads to the back of the property and you should find your captain nearby, at the stables." Aya popped open an exit door in the back corner of the kitchen, looked around outside, and gave an all clear for them to proceed. Diane squeezed by first and turned right, Elizabeth close on her heel.
"Thank you, Aya, for helping us escape. Will you come with us back to Liones?" The princess slowed down as Diane suddenly tensed up and turned to look at the servant with hard eyes. "Diane? Is something wrong?"
"We never told her who we were searching for. How do you know his identity and where he is?"
"Elizabeth! Get away from her, she's working for Havenworth!"
Elizabeth whirled towards the familiar voice and found a slightly dirtied Meliodas sprinting towards her in clear distress, his hand raised out to her. Her emotions went from relieved to confused to twisted in pain as something pierced her side and she looked down to see a sharp blade protruding from her abdomen, her light colored dress staining darker with every second. The princess slowly looked behind her to see Aya standing there with an indifferent look, much different than the scared, young girl mere moments ago. "A-Aya?"
"Nothing person, Lady Elizabeth, this is merely me tying up loose ends per Lord Havenworth's orders. For Avondale." Aya monotoned before yanking the blade out in one swift movement and plunging it into her own heart. Her eyes closed and she fell backwards to the ground dead.
"Elizabeth!" Diane cried out in alarm as she watched the princess stumble into the wall for support just before her legs gave out and she hit the dirt. Meliodas shot past the knight and crouched in front of Elizabeth, quickly shifting her on her back and began pressing against the top of the wound with a shredded section of her overcoat. It appeared to be a clean cut through and through but without actually taking her clothes off to check he couldn't know for sure. He shifted more of her jacket to the back of the wound to slow the bleed.
"Elizabeth, I need you to try to stay awake for me right now. Where the hell is Ban?" Meliodas glanced around, searching for his friend before letting out a long, high pitched whistle. "Diane, what happened to Merlin?"
"Her rib is broken," Elizabeth breathed out as a wave of dizziness washed over her and she closed her eyes. "Because she protected me from Lord Havenworth. We fell down the stairs when an explosion went off."
"Where is he now?"
"He was tossed from the front windows during the fight, Captain, he decapitated King Everardus." Diane said quietly as she shifted Merlin on her back. "He's finally lost it. The men he hired were told to begin heading towards Liones."
"Then he must have found out I was here and that we made contact. He got spooked and now he's rushing everything in an attempt to save his plan to conquer Britannia." The captain bit out as his hand became coated in blood. "Arthur's men arrived just a short bit ago and they're fighting off the hired men, that's probably when you heard an explosion. They had heavy artillery weapons hidden behind the stables and I left Ban to deal with them."
"Meliodas…" Elizabeth spoke tiredly, her eyes barely cracked open as she placed a hand against his arm. She could feel her lifeforce slowly beginning to drain away as the blood pooled around her, the hot liquid rapidly turning cold. He looked down at her with pained eyes.
"Save your energy, Elizabeth, it'll be okay once I can get Ban and Arthur here. I won't let you die here, I promise." Slowly she shook her head.
"Take care…of Merlin first, she has yet to awaken." The princess took a slow breath in, fighting the urge to give into the welcoming darkness growing in the corners of her vision.
"We'll take care of her but you need urgent medical attention right now." The knight could tell she was growing tired from the blood loss and loss of adrenaline. Arthur had medical supplies in his pack but they had all gotten separated when Havenworth's men fanned out over the territory and began hunting them down.
"I never…got to give you my answer…" Elizabeth coughed a bit then winced, the motion sending searing pain through her body.
"You'll give me your answer after everything is over with so promise me you'll hold on until then. I've been waiting weeks for it, Elizabeth, it's what's been keeping me going through the hardest of nights away from you." Meliodas spoke softly, lovingly placing his clean hand against her face and stroking her cheek lightly with his thumb.
"If I die now…I do not…want to regret not telling you…" She spoke barely above a whisper as the darkness began enticing her in with a crooked black finger.
"You won't die, I won't let you. Promise me you'll hang on for a bit longer."
The strength drained from her body and the last thing she saw before the darkness pulled her under was the terrified green eyes of the knight she loved so dearly.
Man that took a bit. Hope you enjoyed!