A/N: So... I'm like going through a little patch of writer's block right now. Great, isn't it?

Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter my lovelies. I put my heart and soul into this, even though I struggled intensely because of the damned writer's block! Also thanks a ton for all the support. All of it keeps my tired brain going.

Till next time,

D.L.D

~~~~~Obedience~~~~~

Time passed at a tortuously slow pace after Elizabeth's encounter with the General. After delivering her grim and important talk on correct demon etiquette and behaviours, Jezabel had made sure that Elizabeth would never come into contact with the General until Klaus had arrived. The risk was too great, she had said. Elizabeth was just too friendly and forward to truly succeed at talking to the General again.

So for the next while, Jezebel kept a close eye on Elizabeth, keeping her busy and away from the General. Ranging from talking to a few other customers, to getting her something from the barkeep or even going for a little walk outside had been used to occupy Elizabeth. All the while Jezebel continued to talk about how things were different now, how the demon realm would not be as forgiving as the environment in the bar. And all Elizabeth could do in return is nod and hum, allowing the words to drift into one ear and out of the other.

After the obvious blunder that was her first encounter with the General, Elizabeth had noted her mistakes. From that one conversation she had gathered that her usual approaches at befriending someone could not be used with demons. Unlike humans and the few goddesses she had met, demons were a lot more sly and calculated in their decisions. Trust was earned - not given from kind acts - and she would do well to remember that.

An hour passed before Klaus had arrived, the night continuing without a hitch despite Elizabeth's obvious babysitter looming behind her every move. Patrons had grown more numerous and merry, many of them starting to put together some sort of game of cards. A few were still drinking, some quiet and solemn and others loud and raucous as they called for refill after refill of frothy ale. Barmaids and servers fluttered in between the patrons, smiling and grinning and joking as they were handed tips, served trays or sneaked upstairs with a few other grinning faces.

True evening, true happy hour, was coming upon them. Soon the bar would be filled to its limits, people crowding every table and ordering every possible item on the menu. That would mean a lot of noise and hubbub would fill the air, as well as a lot of distraction. A perfect mask and cover for an important conversation between a small group. Bustling settings, after all, were often the best for maintaining a low front.

Releasing a silent sigh, Elizabeth allowed her mind to drift as she combed a hand through Minx's dark fur. Even when Klaus had finally arrived, brightly beaming and his chest puffed with pride, things had fallen short in brightening up. With Klaus' arrival came the next move in their plan - organizing Elizabeth's passage into the demon realm. That meant she'd have to endure what was probably another hour of being watched over.

Unsurprisingly, that is exactly what happened.

After entrusting Jezebel with a bag, Klaus had immediately steered Elizabeth and himself toward the General. As he did, bits and pieces of information drifted to her ears - much of it being about how he was some kind of revered war and hero - and she did her best to absorb those small glimmers of the General. However, all that information fell short once Klaus had come to a stop, his information soon changing into a joyful greeting.

"Ah, General Meliodas!" Klaus had beamed, his lips fixed into a wide grin. "What has a it been, a good fifty years?"

At Klaus' familiar and friendly tone, Elizabeth had thought that something bad was going to follow. When she had gone for a similar approach, boldly taking a seat by him and trying to strike a conversation, she had been harshly dismissed and put down. Jezebel had to save her from whatever was going to follow. Yet when Klaus did it, he got a small grin out of the General, a short breath that sounded a bit like a laugh.

After that exchange, Elizabeth was once again thrust into unknown territory, forced to follow the lead of her guide. So silently, just as Jezebel had instructed, she took a seat at the table and mindlessly listened to the conversation.

Uncomfortably sat within her veins, making her muscles tense and her posture impossibly straight. Once again, Elizabeth felt the uncomfortable sear of a watching gaze, feeling as if something could read her without giving any true reaction as she sat at the table. As if sensing her discomfort, Minx had settled in the hybrid's lap, purring softly as she nudged her head against her stomach. Immediately, the soft vibrations soothed Elizabeth's darkness, allowing it to settle and relax in her veins.

However her nerves would just not settle.

"Here's Jezebel with the booze!" Klaus suddenly announced, his hands clapping with glee as he spotted his companion. A smile sat on her face as she brought the group a tray, plonking herself down on a chair.

"I figured we could all use a good drink," Jezebel sniffed, a proud grin forming on her lips. "They do say that it calms the mind."

No argument was offered to correct her and the group took their fill of ale. So that left Elizabeth where she was now, stroking Minx and keeping quiet as she took sips of her drink. Admittedly, she was a little bit tipsy, definitely having a decent amount of alcohol in her system, but it was hidden by her quietness. Only the tell-tale blush on her cheeks betrayed that Elizabeth was not in her most sober state - but one would only know that if they knew her personally.

Jezebel was definitely drunk, the female grinning like a cat that caught the canary at every person in the room. Humming a little, she watched all passing individuals, her fingers tapping against the tabletop as she took hearty gulps of her tankard. Klaus and the General, in contrast, were much more sober - despite drinking way more - and were more focused on the topic of whatever discussion they were having at the moment.

Elizabeth herself was following the example of Jezebel, watching the people about her but definitely not in the same way as Jezebel. Instead she looked at them and wondered about what sort of people they were. Over in the corner, she spotted a young couple hiding in the back and thought of them to be the happy type with simple lives and simple wishes; further upfront, near the bar, she spotted a man slouched over in his seat, asleep. She thought of him as a hard-worker, someone who spent all day working away in order to survive.

"Alright, enough talking!" Jezebel suddenly announced, her words a little slurred. Wavering, she lifted a hand into the air. "We need to talk about business. Klaus and I have to get Lady Elizabeth to the demon realm, but you know that people will get suspicious if she just pops up from nowhere. We need solid entry plan. Some sorta way to her valuable to the crown..."

At Jezebel's words, Elizabeth perked up a little. Now the conversation was something she could understand. Finding her way to the Demon Realm was something she could help with, especially since she had been taught about all the different ways of entry as a child. With that knowledge, combined with the knowledge of the demons here, she could find a way to work herself up in the ranks. She could find a way to the prince.

"Making Lady Elizabeth a servant to the crown wouldn't be a wise move," Klaus spoke, his voice calm and level as he sent a soft glare to his partner. "You know why that is Jezebel. That would have her placed among the lowest ranks of the demon army."

"Ah, yes," Jezebel nodded, humming. Suddenly, she frowned, rolling her eyes. A small snort escapes her lips. "You know, cause the low ranks of the army are so bad. I'm sure the little witch can survive a week there, it's not like they'll eat her alive."

"They probably would," Klaus responded, shaking his head. Tiredly, he swipes a hand over his face, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Plus working for the demon army is not a proper place for someone like Lady Elizabeth. Or did you forget that she's your sister, Jezebel?"

"Maybe so," Jezebel grins before looping an arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. Forcibly, she pushes Elizabeth against her side, trapping her in a tight and uncomfortable hug. "But hey, I always wanted an older sis who could fight. One of us had to take up dad's old legacy right? Why not have the first daughter do it?"

Confused, Elizabeth frowns at Jezebel's words. From her mother's vague talks about her father, she knew that he had been a war commander. Elizabeth knew that she was from a high ranking demon family, one that had been trusted by the Demon King. What Elizabeth didn't know was that her father had other children besides herself. Naively, innocently, she had figured that she was her father's only child. That was how it often went with her mother's suitors, the god always choosing lovers who often ended up dead after giving her a child.

So to hear that Elizabeth's father had multiple children, many that did not take up his legacy, struck some sort of chord in her. A pretty sad chord. After all, it made her realise that she knew nothing about her father's side of the family.

"Um... excuse me," Elizabeth broke into the conversation, her voice soft. Warmth spread on her cheeks, much like when she had been caught stealing cookies as a child. "But I wouldn't mind joining the army actually."

"Oh Elizabeth- "

"Well, you're speaking to the right person if you're interested in fighting," The General spoke, his tone entirely serious and earnest. Something like an amused grin was on his face as he raised a brow at her, "But what makes you so sure that you're what the army's looking for?"

'Ah, a challenge,' Elizabeth supposes. This moment is her first chance to prove herself to someone who can help her to get close to the demon prince. That thought, that prospect, excites her, causing her darkness to thrum within her veins. It had been a while since Elizabeth had been offered something such as a chance to prove her combat skills. It had been too long since she had used one of her weapons to do something worthwhile.

"I'm really good a sword fighting!" Elizabeth answered eagerly, puffing her chest with pride. A confident smile sat on her pretty face, fueled by the darkness that nudged her more into boasting about the skills she had perfected during her childhood. "I was also taught how to use a bow and arrow. Oh and I can use daggers, which I much prefer to swords. I was also extremely good at hand to hand combat- "

"It's all good if you say you know this stuff, princess," The General cut her off, seeming to be unimpressed by her tangent of explanations. "But where's the proof?"

Without another word, Elizabeth hopped up from her seat, pulling a dagger from a heel in her boots. Then, with the precision and grace of a well-practiced ballerina, she pulled her arm back, aiming for her target, and threw the weapon forward. Thud! Wedged deeply into the wall, the blade almost completely buried, it stuck out just above a shocked patron's face. And in Elizabeth's hand, ready to go for another throw, was a new dagger.

"Is that enough proof, General?" She asks, still looking ready to throw another dagger. Sweetly, she smiles, "Or would you like me to show you more?"

Beneath her ribs, the hybrid's heart beats at a face pace. A mixture of intoxication and her own darkness makes her brain unaware of her decisions, completely cancelling out her inhibitions and self-consciousness. Usually, Elizabeth wouldn't ever dare to address someone of such importance so casually. Usually, she would be embarrassed at the prospect of causing such a scene in a public setting. Yet right now, with her darkness thrumming through her veins and a dagger clutched in her waiting hand, she would readily prove her point once again.

All of her life, Elizabeth had always been underestimated. Due to her dainty ways and manners, people always assumed that she could never be a battle-ready Maiden and Battle. In others' minds, Maidens of Battle were women who did not fit the caste of the more docile and motherly female. Maidens of Battle had no qualms in showing much more flesh than was proper; Maidens of Battle did not faint at the sight of blood and guts and gore; Maidens of Battle did not care for etiquette.

Elizabeth was the opposite of most of these things. Although she knew that it was rather inevitable, she liked to conceal herself in a modest fashion. Blood and guts and gore did unsettle her stomach, no matter how much she was exposed to it. Elizabeth cares a hell of a lot about etiquette. Being raised by the leader of the goddess race, Elizabeth cared a lot about being as close to a typical and more motherly woman as she could. She had always striven to be what was 'proper' in the eyes of humans.

However, when someone tried to make it seem like she was incompetent or unable of defending herself, she let them know that she could. Maidens of Battle, after all, did not let others take advantage of them.

"Looks like we have a fighter!" Jezebel cackled, slapping her thigh. Gleefully, she let out a content sigh, calming down a little. "By the looks of it Elizabeth could probably rival one of the best fighters we've got. Hell, she might just become a Ten Commandant!"

At Jezebel's comment the rest of the table all looked at each other. Elizabeth keenly studied the General, who had yet to respond to her question, and Klaus cautiously eyed the pair. Darkness still thrummed in her system, curling about her spine and whispering in her ear, and she could still hear her heart hammering away in her chest.

Truthfully, Elizabeth wanted to join the army in order to find a way to get closer to the prince. If she joined the army, then she would be around the castle much more and therefore much more likely to encounter her target, the first demon prince. However, from the looks of it, the General did not look entirely impressed with her act. No doubt he had noted her skill, as any good general would, but her act had lost her points in relevance and obedience.

With how Elizabeth figured that her first impressions went with the General, she knew that he wouldn't want her within the army. Too friendly, too eager and definitely too innocent, she would be lucky if he even considered the idea.

Yet, as she held her breath and hoped that he would give her a chance, the General left her with nothing but bitter disappointment.

"You're right Klaus, the army is no place for her," He sighed, shaking his head. "That place would probably be her deathbed."

~~~~~Obedience~~~~~

This time Elizabeth awakens in a room that feels strangely familiar but not. Like her room at home, light streams in from almost every possible corner, filling the room with a warm and vibrant atmosphere of life and nature. But unlike her room at home, large windows lined along a wall allowed more strips of light to fill the room, bright and blinding and carrying the sound of early morning birdsong. Curtains were draped along them, but the material was thin and sheer, like cotton or tulle.

Frowning, Elizabeth sat up in bed. Soft and gentle, the mattress cradled her body, a network of plush pillows pressing into her back as she sat up. On her lap was a thick duvet, also feeling as soft as a cloud of a fresh cotton or squishy marshmallows. Yet another thing that Elizabeth did not recognise.

"Lady Elizabeth!" A voice she recognises, Ludociel, comes from behind the closed door. Along with it was a heavy knock. "You have some business to attend to. Your mother called for your presence immediately."

Blinking, Elizabeth slipped out of the impossibly soft bed. Her mother? Why would her mother want to see her? Just a few hours ago, she had been with Jezebel and Klaus, calling it a night after talking with the General. Today she was meant to journey to the demon realm. Today was when she would actually start to infiltrate the castle and work her way towards gaining the trust of the first demon prince.

Yet today Elizabeth was here, in a room she did not recognise, filled with things that were awfully pleasant but definitely not hers. This awakening, this room, was the complete opposite of what she had expected. This whole scenario was something she had never expected to be a part of.

Carefully, the hybrid made her way to the closet. As she did, her fingers trailed along the smooth surface of a desk, marveling at the cool sensation of the marble and the gentle dip of the velvet seat. All of these things, all of these objects, were things that she could never have. As a Maiden of Battle, as a goddess, she was raised to believe in frugality and simplicity. Fine and fancy things were all human desires - lesser desires.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel amazed by all these fine things, captivated by how the felt and looked and smelt. Raised in a human village, the young woman was well-used to the scent of grass and earth and horse manure. Flowers and expensive scents such as spices from abroad or the aroma of exotic fruits were things that she didn't get to smell very often. Roses and posies were things she got to smell if she was lucky. But this room absolutely smelt like fresh flowers.

"Lady Elizabeth," Another knock. This one was much more abrupt. "This is serious. Your mother has called for a meeting."

"I will be there," Elizabeth responds, knocked out of her wonder by the reality of the Archangel's voice. Her hand fixes upon the handle of the closet's door. "Tell her that I will be ready for the meeting in fifteen minutes."

"Very well."

Nothing else was said, the faint sound of fluttering wings coming from behind the closed door. As they faded, Elizabeth allowed herself to release a small sigh of relief. Ludociel was always rather harsh on her, being extremely strict on her management of her demon side. To him, her mixed heritage could be seen as unstable and uncontrollable, the clash between light and dark being too powerful to ever contain. As a result, he pushed for Elizabeth to have complete control of her light. He named her darkness the cause of her troubles.

A shiver brushes Elizabeth's spine. If she ever lost control of herself, Ludociel would be the one to slay her. No doubt was ever present when she thought about that possibility. Ludociel would easily slay her without remorse, seeing her darkness as something that made Elizabeth a lesser being. A lesser life. The only reason that she lived, that she was allowed to live, was because she dedicated herself to her goddess side. That faith kept her alive.

However, that faith also made her a slave to her own kind.

Another shiver. A shake of the head. She needed to focus! She needed to stay on track! If Elizabeth wanted to effectively do well and please her mother, then she needed to make sure that she was doing her job right. That meant attending the meeting and not getting distracted.

Brushing her many twisting thoughts aside, Elizabeth pulled open the closet doors. Instantly, her breath was taken away by the various dresses, gowns and tunics that were all hung within it, many of them in bright and vibrant colours. A few flashes of gold and silver caught her eyes - belts and armbands and embellishments sewn into the material - but she easily bypassed those for the more simpler and comfortable clothes.

Never before had Elizabeth seen such a wide selection of things to wear. Usually, she would make do with what she had, sometimes mending or making things herself from material she bought or found in her village. Once she made herself and Dinah matching skirts out of an old curtain. Both girls had sported it around the village the next day, prompting for everyone to admire Elizabeth's sewing skills. That old thing was now stuffed in Elizabeth's travel pack, waiting for the right moment to be worn on her journey.

"Just where exactly am I?" Elizabeth breathed, taking a plain white dress and deciding that she would wear that. White meant purity and innocence - two things her mother valued.

Wasting no time, Elizabeth grabbed herself a matching pair of black leggings and a magenta ribbon to tie in the dress' collar. She then took a quick wash and threw on her clothes, combing her hair before bursting out of the room and rushing down the hall. Easily, she passed multiple doors and turned down various hallways and stairways, before ending up close to an exit. It was only once she had gotten out of the building that Elizabeth remembered that she knew nothing about the place.

"That wasn't a very smart move," Sighing, the hybrid sat down on the front steps, surveying the gardens sprawled before her. Healthy green sprouted from the green, little dots of colour splashed in between as flowers and other plants. "Now I have to wait for someone to find me..."

As if summoned by her words, another person appeared, their figure hidden by a few hedges. However, Elizabeth could see the top of a sword poking above the plants, the blade large and catching the rays of the sun. Carefully, she watches as the sword moves around the hedges, as if on a certain route. A guard, she supposes, someone who had to do a patrol and keep watch of that area of the building. Guards were nothing new to her.

However, surprising her, the supposed guard took an unexpected turn in their route, exiting the hedges and coming directly into Elizabeth's line of sight. As soon as she spotted them, the hybrid froze, her eyes wide as recognition flooded her brain.

"It's you!" She cries out, surprised that this person is in her dreams again.

Like all the other times she has seen him - in both her dreams and real life - he was blonde and boyish. This time, however, he wasn't dressed in a really formal way, instead wearing a white coat and some matching black pants. In his hands was a giant broadsword, the blade ginormous and appearing as if it could weigh a ton. Yet the man easily held it, resting the mighty blade against his shoulder as he looked at her.

"You know if you're just going to wait for me every time I leave you might as well start coming along," The man says, looking playfully exasperated as he rolled his eyes. Something like amusement passes over him as he spots Elizabeth stiffen on the steps, her muscles seizing with unexpected embarrassment.

"Wait for you?" Elizabeth blinks, her face filling with a strawberry blush. Confusion is the prime feeling in her system, but instead she expresses annoyance. "I was not waiting for you!"

"It's really unbecoming for a goddess to lie," The stranger continues, stating it simply as if it were a fact. Effortlessly, he pulled her up from her impromptu seat, lacing their fingers together. Grinning, he places a kiss on the back of her hand. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you did."

"But I'm not lying!" Elizabeth splutters, her face filling with even more redness. Confused would not even cover how she felt right now. Frowning, she pulls her hand from the stranger's, staying rooted to her spot outside on the steps. "I don't even know who you are."

"Sure, princess," He laughs, seeming to humour her.

"Princess?" Elizabeth echoes, her eyes wide. Strange memories flicker through her mind, scenes from past dreams and glimpses of things she had seen in her life. None of them click. "What is going on here? First I wake up in a strange room, then I'm told to go to some meeting and now this! I'm not even a princess. And who are you? How do you know me?"

For a moment, the stranger says nothing. Instead, he stares at her, his green eyes filled with careful thought. For a moment, it feels like he is taking her seriously. For a moment, it feels like he will finally give her an answer into who he is and why he keeps appearing in her dreams. But that moment is broken and before Elizabeth can demand for an answer, the stranger hoists her over his shoulder, along with his gigantic sword. Instantly, Elizabeth attempts to get out of his clutches.

"You," He says, delivering a swat to her wiggling ass. "Need to get some rest."

"Let me go!" Elizabeth shrieked, entirely against the idea of this man carrying her somewhere. She had two perfectly good legs as well as four perfectly good wings. Walking was not beneath her, nor was flying. She could go anywhere she wished without his help. But despite her protests, the man would not let her go, instead chuckling at her actions as if it were something he was well-used to whenever he was with her.

For a while they walk, Elizabeth still protesting and the man content with taking her blows and screams. They pass through the gardens, along the maze of hedges and rows of towering trees, heading toward the back of the building that Elizabeth had exited. All the while, the stranger reveals nothing, his footsteps filling the silence that fell between them once Elizabeth had stopped trying to worm her way out of his hold.

"Give me one good reason," The man finally says, coming to a stop. He glances up at her, raising a brow.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth asked, confused by what he had just said.

"Give me one good reason why I should let you go," The man repeats, his gaze serious as the words leave his mouth.

Silence filters between them once more, Elizabeth trying to wrack her brain for any reason why this man should let her go. At the moment, she had no clue what she was meant to do. Sure, she was told that she had a meeting to attend, but the female was unsure as to whether that was urgent or not. Plus with how easily the man had managed to take her away and how long it had taken for someone to come and find her, Elizabeth assumed that her presence wasn't as mandatory was Ludociel had stressed it to be.

Once the meeting was stripped away, Elizabeth wasn't too sure about what she was meant to do. So far the only other person she had encountered was this man. He was the only person who had actually captured her attention in these weird dreams.

"Well..." Elizabeth began, pressing her lips. "I - "

"Elizabeth!" Thunder rumbled in the distance - the beginnings of a furious storm. No doubt that was her mother, enraged at her tardiness as well as her apparent disappearance. As if to prove that theory, speckles of rain began to fall.

"I have that meeting..." Elizabeth groaned. "That's my reason."

However when she looked around to see if the stranger was still there, she was standing in her room at the bar, looking out of the window. Soft thunder rumbled in the distance, making her aware of her watching mother. Minx was curled up on the windowsill.

"Just another dream," Elizabeth sighed, her hand pressing against the window. "Another strange dream..."

Shaking her head, the female went back to the bed, tucking herself back in for the night. Just as she was about to drift back to sleep, she spotted the windows; rain was racing down the window pane.