Decided to post another one-shot cause why not? Lol, I'd update Highschool Daze but I'm kind of stuck right now trying to type another chapter so enjoy this for now I guess!

xxx

Elizabeth woke up to the sun shining onto her face. Squinting her eyes, she slowly rose from the bed yawning and stretching. She then rubbed her eyes and sighed with a content smile. She glanced over to her side and frowned slightly at the empty space. 'How does he always manage to get up earlier than me?' She thought before shaking her head and getting out of bed.

She showered and did her usual morning routine before walking back into the bedroom with her towel wrapped securely around her. 'I wonder what I'll do today...' The princess thought as she slid into her clothes. She then hung her towel back in the bathroom before making the bed and leaving the bedroom.

The scent of food lingered through her nose as she descended down the steps. "Good morning Elizabeth!" Diane's usual cheery voice greeted. "Good morning!" The said girl hummed back, taking a seat next to the giantess whose size was shrunken to human once again.

"How'd you sleep?" "Well, and you?" "Pretty good," Diane scooted closer to me and brought her voice to what seemed as though a whisper. I didn't understand why though, it was only us two and Ban that was cooking in the kitchen.

"King and I got to cuddle last night," She said before giggling. I looked at her surprised, "Really?" I asked and she nodded her head. "Yes!" She squealed, "We managed to hold each other the whole night! And ended up waking up, we were still holding each other." Elizabeth squealed along with Diane, the both of them a squealing fit.

"I can't believe it! You guys are getting so close!" Elizabeth sighed dreamily, wishing her and a certain messy haired blonde could do the same. Of course, the two were indeed close to each other but they never experienced any sort of semi-physical contact. Okay sure, the groping that Meliodas would do every now and then could be considered physical contact, along with a few of their hugs but that's about it.

Elizabeth wanted them to be closer than what they were-she wanted them to be romantically close. She loved Meliodas and wanted to get onto a more deeper and personal note with him but he kept her at an arms reach. And for what?

'Maybe he doesn't feel the same way I feel about him.' "Hey, Elizabeth? Are you okay?" Diane asked, placing her hand on top of the princess'. She noticed the sudden change in her emotion and wanted to know what caused them to flip?

"Oh, um, yes. I am fine..." Elizabeth hesitated, her eyes darting from her hands to the table. 'Elizabeth...' The giantess thought, looking at the girl with a pout. "You know you can talk to me about anything," Diane said, rubbing her hand now.

Elizabeth blinked a couple of times before sighing, "It's just...I just wish me and Sir Meliodas could be as close as you and Sir King have gotten." She admitted. "You and the Captain are pretty close though, right?"

"Well yes, as close as a knight and his princess should be. Or even friends, but I...I want something more with him. I want to be closer to him, romantically."

Diane nodded her head in understanding, "Well..." She searched for the correct words but came up with nothing. "He keeps me close but yet so far away at the same time." Elizabeth continued, "Maybe...it's because he doesn't feel the same about me..."

Diane's eyes widened at the princesses words, "Woah now! I don't think that could be it!" She interjected, "Look I'm not too sure on how to help with this problem because well, I never got to see the Captain deal with his own emotions."

"He's never vocally admitted how he feels about anyone, but Elizabeth, when he looks at you I can see how much he cares for you." Diane explained, "Any of us can see it, the love he has for you is there."

"He probably doesn't know how to voice it." Diane finished. Elizabeth took in the words that were said and nodded her head. "Hmm, I can see that." Elizabeth agreed. She knew the wall Meliodas kept built up around him and the holes he left open in his past. She always wanted to know more about him but felt as if she would push too hard and he'd tell her off.

Unsure of what to do with this, Elizabeth groaned in frustration. Why did she have to fall for someone that was so to himself? Diane saw the groan and bit her lip, trying to find a way for Elizabeth to smile once again.

A mischevious idea appeared in her mind causing the giantess to smirk, "Say, maybe you should make him want to confess to you!" Diane offered. Elizabeth looked at her in confusion, "How would I do that?"

"You should ignore him, well not really. Of course, you'd speak if he spoke to you but you shouldn't give him the attention you give him normally. And make him want you."

Diane then clasped her hand together, "Yes! We should totally do that! And then you should totally spend the entire day with me. We'll spend the afternoon shopping and return later on tonight." Elizabeth nodded her head, understanding her words. "That way he'd get jealous because you haven't talked to him all day and he'd be forced to talk to you."

Elizabeth bit her lip, uncertain of the plan. It sounded pretty good and would give her the outcome she'd wanted but witnessed Meliodas' when he was upset and she was pretty sure this would drive him into a rage.

But for some odd reason, it made Elizabeth smirk evilly. To see the man she loved to get jealous over her? It is a sight she'd like to see. "Alright! Let's do it!" Elizabeth agreed with a grin, and Diane laughed along with the princess.

Ban entered the tavern holding trays of food, pausing slightly as he watched the two girls giggle maniacally. 'What did I just walk into?' He thought. "And what are you two laughin' about over there?"

The two girls jumped at the new voice but relaxed only realizing it was Ban. His eyebrows rose curiously as he noticed whatever the two were giggling about earlier was pretty personal. He then grinned, "Ooh~ What were you two talkin' about?"

"It's none of your business Ban!" Diane humphed before grabbing two plates for her and the princess to eat. "Awh, you guys are no fun." He pouted playfully before taking a seat at the bar.

The taverns door opened and in floated King on his chastiefol. He breezed to over where Diane and Elizabeth were sitting and greeted the two. "Good morning Elizabeth," He said before a blush crept onto his face, "G-Good morning Diane,"

"Good morning, King," Diane said with a wink. The boy's face only flushed more but he managed to keep his cool.

"And behold! Your true Captain of the Scraps Disposal, Sir Hawk!" The large pink pig said as he walked into the Boar's Hat. He was about to speak until a loud squeal erupted from him. "Do you ever learn how to shut it swine?" Meliodas' voice asked smoothly as he gripped onto the pig's cheek aggressively.

"OW! Stop it Meliodas!" The poor pig squealed. Elizabeth watched the scene with a small grin. Hawk's eyes landed on the princess and he charged over and cowered behind her seat. "Save me Elizabeth!" The pig squealed. Elizabeth only pets the pig's head lovingly.

Meliodas caught eyes with the princess, causing her heart to flutter and squirm in her seat. He smirked lightly before strolling over to where she was sitting. 'Okay Elizabeth, remember Diane's words!'

Diane even nudged the girl without being seen. Elizabeth nodded her head and began eating her the food from her plate once again.

"Yo, Elizabeth!" Meliodas approached, resting his chin onto his hand as he sat in front of the princess. "Good morning, Sir Meliodas," Elizabeth responded, "How are you this morning?"

"Ah, I'm okay. I could be better though..." Meliodas trailed off. "And I know just what to do to make it better." The words didn't get a chance to register into Elizabeth's mind and before she knew it, her breasts were being groped. She had blushed but didn't flinch. She could admit that she had gotten used to his grabbings.

"Mhm, I'm feeling better already!" Meliodas said as he blew on her neck, watching her slightly jump. "Meliodas you perve! Why do you always have to touch the princess?" Hawk growled, pounding his pig feet into Meliodas'

"It is fine, Sir Hawk." Elizabeth managed to keep her voice even. "I am glad you're feeling better Sir Meliodas." She said after her blush had calmed down on her cheeks. Meliodas' grabbing seemed to come to a halt and eventually, they slid off. He stood behind her and watched her body curiously. He was waiting for her to squeal and jump at his touch, her pitch raising two octaves higher as she would cry out "S-Sir Meliodas" but it never happened.

'Huh,' He thought as eyed the princess. "You feeling alright Elizabeth?" He questioned. "Yes Sir Meliodas, I am feeling well," Elizabeth replied, continuously eating her food. Ban blinked at the two while Diane smirked knowingly.

"Well, Elizabeth I was wondering if you wou-" "Hey Elizabeth! How about we go out into the village together!" Diane offered. Meliodas growled internally at him being cut off. He was just about to ask the princess if she'd wanted to go with him to the village for some personal alone time but it seemed as if Diane beat him to it.

"Alright!" Elizabeth cheered, standing from her seat. Meliodas pouted for only a moment and then smiled, "Don't be late coming in! Tonight should be busy."

"We won't," Diane replied before dragging the small princess out of the tavern's doors. Internally, Meliodas was annoyed but wasn't about to let his fellow comrades see it.

King sighed as he watched Diane leave. He too was hoping to get some alone time with his crush but of course, failed. He was hoping the cuddling from last night would make the two of them closer but it seems as though they remained at the same state they were originally in.

Meliodas, feeling sneaky, nudged the fairy king's shoulder. "Say, King, how 'bout we go into the village hm?"

"Oh hoh! Are you trying to stalk the princess cap'n?" Ban teased as he took a seat at the table King was at. "Who said anything about stalking Elizabeth? I had originally planned to go into the village anyway!" Meliodas defended.

"I'm not mad at Elizabeth at all for leaving with Diane. It was probably a way to get away from you and your perverted antics!" Hawk cried out. Meliodas ignored the pig and continued on with his lie. "Look, I needed to restock the ale supply in the back and this would be the perfect time to!"

"Then why didn't you just ask Elizabeth and Diane to grab some?" Ban pondered. "Because they had already left before I could ask! Besides, that'd be too much to carry back. Probably not for Diane but for Elizabeth."

"But haven't you sent them on this sort of task before?" King asked. Meliodas huffed and crossed his arms behind his head. "Fine then, I'll just go by myself." He said before walking off.

"W-wait!" King jumped up, his chastiefol following close behind me. "I'll come." He said, causing the captain to smile. "Now that's the spirit! How about you Ban?"

"Mmm nah, I'm not following you punks to go stalk your girlfriends." He answered. King blushed at the word girlfriend while Meliodas shrugged. "Alright, how about you Hawk?"

"You think I'd miss out on an opportunity to clean up scraps right now? Especially Ban's?" He answered, his mouth full and his face messy from the leftovers he was eating.

"Suit yourself," Meliodas said before exiting the doors with King behind him.

xxx

It was indeed a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and there was a warm breeze flowing through the air. The Seven Deadly Sins had parked into the city of Camelot and were currently resting there until further notice. Elizabeth and Diane walked through the village, spending their weekly earnings on all sorts of things.

The two were currently sitting outside enjoying sundae's they had bought at a nearby ice cream parlor. "This was so much fun!" Elizabeth cheered. "Mhm!" Diane agreed as she licked the contents off of her spoon. "But the day isn't over yet! I told you we'd stay out the whole day, remember?" Elizabeth remembered, internally pouting. Don't get her wrong, spending time with Diane was beyond amazing but even though she was trying to get at Meliodas, it seemed as if it did more damage on her then the princess herself.

"Right!" She then responded. "So, where should we head next?" "Oh! That store we passed with the sundresses!" Diane exclaimed. "Alright."

The two girls had packed their things and began walking to the store, bumping into someone on the way. "My sincerest apologies," The person politely apologized.

"Oh it's fine, do excuse us." Elizabeth apologized as she dusted herself off. "Lady Elizabeth?" The person had asked. Elizabeth had looked up to see, "King Arthur?" Diane said surprised but then remembered the town they were in. "And Lady Diane!" Arthur greeted and smiled. "How great is it to see you both here!"

"Yeah! We haven't seen you in a while!" Diane said as she hugged the young king. "How is being King going?" Elizabeth asked as she was pulled into his arms for a hug. "Ah, well it isn't as easy as some people think." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it!" Elizabeth reassured.

"So what are you ladies doing in town?" He asked. "We're just having some girl bonding," Diane said as she linked arms with the princess. "That's great," Arthur replied, his eyes catching Elizabeth's. His cheeks burned a bit as he sheepishly looked away. He had a liking to the young princess. He thought she was beautiful and admired her beauty and grace. He also found her interesting and believed she would fit the perfect role as a queen.

'Just how do I get closer to her?' He would often ask himself. "Well, it was nice seeing you again but Elizabeth and I should get going," Diane said, pulling the princesses arm. Elizabeth then felt her arm being tugged in the opposite direction. "Princess Elizabeth,"

Elizabeth turned around to see the young King looking at her with a faint blush. "M-May I talk to you alone for a moment?"

Elizabeth turned to Diane to see her eyebrows winking at the girl. "I'll be at the store when you're done!" She then skipped off, excited that the plan the two of them created was only getting better.

"Yes, Lord Arthur?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes meeting his. She watched as he squirmed around nervously and his hand scratching behind his neck once again. She couldn't help but find the reaction...cute. It reminded her of herself. She then wondered if this is what Meliodas would see whenever she'd needed to talk to him about something.

"I was wondering if you'd want to," He coughed, clearing his throat and gathering his thoughts. "I was wondering if you'd want to accompany me in the Crocus Festival tonight."

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, 'Did he truly just ask me?' "L-Lord Arthur..." Elizabeth struggled as his face flushed even redder. "It's fine if you don't want to! I'll understand."

...

"Captain, why haven't we gotten any ale yet?" King asked, his tone laced with boredom as he floated instead of walking. The two had set foot in the village but passed by every booze store in it. "Because I'm searching for a certain one." Meliodas hummed as he looked around for his silver-haired princess.

'This is exhausting, to think I'd actually help with something like this.' King thought as he held his chin in his hand. Meliodas continued to hum his tune, looking around at every person in the village. 'Where could the two of them be?' He thought as they walked deeper into the village.

"Say Cap'n. Are we really here lookin' for booze?" King asked bluntly. "Nope." Meliodas responder, his response blunter as he searched the crowd. "So Ban was right wasn't he? I knew it was all a setup!" King groaned as he fell into yet another antic.

"Relax King! The minute we find them, we'd both be able to spend some alone time with them." Meliodas explained, "Besides, I know how excited you were to get closer to Diane last night~" He teased. The fairy King jumped, nearly falling off his chastiefol. "Wh-What are you talking about?"

"About you and Diane cuddling! It was the cutest thing!~" "Wh-How do you know about that?!" "I saw you guys, it was a pretty cute sight too."

"What do you mean you saw it? Were you watching us?!"

"No, I had come to ask you a question and the door was a bit open so I peeked in,"

"That doesn't give you the right to peek in!"

"Ah, your probably right." Meliodas sighed as he continued looking for the young girl. King whispered cursings to himself before deciding to look along with the captain.

Suddenly, he was snatched out of the air and thrown behind a brick building. "What th-" "Sh!" Meliodas hushed as he peered around the wall. King huffed in annoyance but peered around as well. There he spotted princess Elizabeth speaking with Arthur.

"You don't have to come! I was just wondering, I didn't know how long you guys would be in town and well...I wanted to make your visit worth a while." The King had reassured the princess.

"N-no! It's not like I don't want to go..." Elizabeth said as she held her hands together and squirmed. "It's just, I wasn't expecting the sudden question." She bit her lip.

Arthur looked at the princess with hope, closing the small amount of space that was between them as he grabbed onto the girl's hand. King had watched the scene, slowly getting nervous for the King as his eyes landed on the captain.

Meliodas was trying his very hardest to keep his calm; he wasn't upset at all. No, he was perfectly calm. The definition of it, he is calm. Even though his lover is standing way to close to a man that wasn't him and allowing him to hold onto her hand. Nope, he was good. Great, chill.

"C-captain?" King said, unsure of his reaction. "Hmmm?" Meliodas hummed as his eyes remained on the scene.

"Well? Princess Elizabeth?" Elizabeth kept a soft hold onto the King's hand, her heartbeat steady. She couldn't help but feel watched and it made her extremely nervous.

"I-I..."

"Yo!" Meliodas said, calmly, as he appeared. Elizabeth squealed and jumped, causing her to move closer to the King. Arthur, surprised himself, had wrapped his arm around the princesses' waist and brought her closer to him. He then relaxed but held his arm in the same spot. "S-Sir Meliodas!" He said, happy to see the man.

Meliodas was irritated and wanted to slap Arthur's hand away but remained solid. "What's up, Arthur! It's nice to see you again." He then turned to face Elizabeth with his usual grin, "Hey Elizabeth!"

"Hello, Sir Meliodas," Elizabeth responded well, surprising herself. "What are you doing in the village?" She asked curiously, wondering if he was following her.

"I was out with King, getting some drinks to restock the tavern with," Meliodas answered smoothly. He eyed Arthur's hand that was still wrapped around the princesses waist and noticed how she didn't mind it at all. 'Was this a way for her to get back at me about something?' He asked himself, 'Or was this some sort of sick game?'

"That's great! I'm glad to see that the Seven Deadly Sins are in town!" Arthur jumped in. "We didn't have much time to bend the last time you all were here."

"Yeah, you're right," Meliodas said as he rubbed his chin in thought. Elizabeth cleared her throat, deciding to kick the plan Diane and her discussed up a notch. "Well, Sir Meliodas if you'd excuse us. We were having a private discussion." The words seem to be thick and hit Meliodas because his eyes widened at the words. Arthur had looked at the princess in surprise himself, "W-Well it wasn't all to private." He laughed nervously.

"I believed it was," Elizabeth said, her tone flirty. The King gulped at the young girl's sudden boldness and Meliodas could only watch. This had to be some sort of game, some sick, twisted and fucked up game that Elizabeth was playing with him. He had growled again as Elizabeth took the King's hand and pulling him away. "Goodbye, Sir Meliodas!" She waved behind her.

King, after watching the scene unfold, carefully floated out into the area. "Captain?" He urged again. His eyes were covered by his long bangs; they managed to cover the feelings he was feeling at the moment. 'Why is she doing this?' He asked himself as the anger and damned envy rise into his chest. 'Why is she just pushing me to the side like this?'

"I think we should head back to the bar..." King suggested. The captain only nodded his head and followed behind the fairy king. Whatever games Elizabeth was playing with, they were beginning to get to him.

xxx

"Oh my gosh! Are you serious!" Diane gushed as she sipped onto her drink. The two girls were currently in the store Diane suggested for them to go into much earlier. Elizabeth was explaining to the girl how King Arthur asked her out to the Crocus Festival and Meliodas randomly appearing.

"Yes! And I walked away with King Arthur too!" Elizabeth shouted. Diane gasped as she oogled the princess. "Elizabeth, you're amazing at this! Who knew you would be so good?"

"I wasn't expecting myself to be good at this either," Elizabeth admitted as she held up dresses up to her. "Well, now you totally have to go! And you gotta look hot too!" Diane said as she scanned through the racks of dresses. Elizabeth nodded her head but truly felt awkward. She had felt as if she betrayed Sir Meliodas and hurt him in some sort of way.

'I wish he wasn't so well at hiding his emotions.' She thought as Diane picked up many dresses and shoved them into her arms. 'Maybe I should stop this.' She continued to think as she entered the dressing room and undressing herself to try on the clothes. 'Although, making him angry like this is sorta...fun.'

'It also gives me an opportunity to attend a festival with a new face. Not like I was tired of seeing the same faces but it would be refreshing to get out and be with someone new.'

Elizabeth slipped into first dress, which had happened to be a long floral tank dress. It came down to her knees and would swish when she walked. "Well,?" Elizabeth said as she stepped out of the room.

"Mmm, cute. But nah," Diane disagreed and Elizabeth re-entered the room to try on yet another dress. This time it was a tube dress with a short front and long flower back. The tube top of the dress was white and the skirt part was yellow. Elizabeth stepped out and Diane eyed it curiously before shaking her head no and sending the princess back into the dressing room.

"You don't think I should stop do you, Diane?" Elizabeth asked as she slid out of the dress and grabbed another to try on. "Of course not! If the captain needs to know that just because you two have a deep connection, doesn't mean another person can come in and swoop you off your feet." Diane argued, crossing her arms.

Elizabeth nodded her head and slipped into the last dress. It was cute and complimented her body well. She had stepped out and Diane gushed as she eyed the princess. "This is it!"

The dress was a short red halter dress; it reached mid-thigh and was able to show off her curves. "Not only will Arthur be able to keep his eyes off of you but so will the captain!" Diane spewed. Elizabeth nodded at her reflection nervously. "Alright." She agreed before following her up to purchase the dress.

...

The two girls had arrived back at the Boar's Hat rather late but didn't have much time to talk to anyone. Diane had to go make sure the princess was ready for her 'date' and keep her nerves in line. "I truly am nervous," Elizabeth admitted as she was forced to step into the shower. "Relax Elizabeth! Trust me, Meliodas might just realize what he feels and swoop in to end the date." Diane reassured before closing the door behind her.

Elizabeth sighed and undressed before stepping into the shower. She scrubbed herself clean before stepping out and drying herself. The princess then headed out to see the dress and matching red heels that went along with the dress.

Elizabeth dressed into the dress quickly before heading into the bathroom to style her hair. "Elizabeth, please breath!" Diane asked before laughing. "Trust me, everything is going to be fine!"

Elizabeth took in a deep breath before joining Diane in her laughter. She was overreacting; surely Meliodas' reaction wouldn't be as huge as she thought it would be.

Once her hair was done, Elizabeth took one final look at herself in the mirror. She smiled, pleased, and followed Diane down the stairs. The tavern was opening rather soon. Whistles were heard as she stepped down the last step. "Well, well, well princess. Don't you like nice~" Ban complimented and caused Elizabeth's smile to widen. "Thank you Sir Ban."

"So where's the captain takin' ya?" "O-Oh, Sir Meliodas isn't taking me anywhere..." Ban stared at the princess, his eyes widening a bit and looking a bit taken back.

Elizabeth took a seat, waiting for Arthur to arrive while Diane went to her room to change into the bar uniform. Ban remained completely still, the words that left Elizabeth's mouth confusing him.

Before he could say anything else, the said man entered the room his eyes landing on Bans. "You alright there buddy?" Meliodas asked, still not seeing Elizabeth. Ban cleared his throat and gave the captain a slight grin. "Sure am Cap'n," He replied before heading into the kitchen.

Elizabeth bit her lip as she watched Meliodas shrug and turn around. He glanced around the room before his eyes landed on hers. She straightened up a bit in her seat and tugged at the end of her dress.

Meliodas took in a sharp breath as he looked at the princess. 'For goddess's sake...' He thought before clearing his throat. "Hey, Elizabeth!" His casual happy tone easing in. "You look pretty nice."

"What's the big event?" He asked, heading behind the bar and beginning to wipe a mug. "Thank you, Sir Meliodas." Elizabeth said before hesitating, "It's...well, Sir Arthur asked me to attend the Crocus Festival with him tonight."

"I should've told you earlier, but I'll be missing my shift tonight." She made eye contact with the man, hoping to get a kick or some sort of reaction from him.

Meliodas rose his eyebrows but managed to keep the same grin, "Really?" He replied. On the outside, he looked perfectly fine but on the inside, he was cursing a storm. The grip on the mug hardened, "That's...great."

"Y-yes," Elizabeth agreed. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stood up. "U-um, is that fine Sir Meliodas?"

"..." He was trying to focus on remaining normal. He wanted to share a couple of words with the King but he couldn't do that. Arthur had grown a large liking in Meliodas and practically looked up to him. Besides, it wasn't as if Meliodas and the princess were dating.

Although he wanted the princess to himself, he had to keep her at an arms reach. It was so he wouldn't lose her again. 'It's for our own good,' He trained himself to believe. But he couldn't bear to see this-to see the girl he loved walk off with another man. It didn't feel right.

Arthur was a good guy and Meliodas was sure he'd make a woman extremely happy one day but it couldn't be her, it couldn't be his Elizabeth.

"Sir Meliodas?"

"Hmmm?" He hummed, looking up at the princess. She was leaning over the bar and her breasts were practically spilling out of the dress she was wearing. Meliodas couldn't help but stare, 'Damnit!' "Sir Meliodas...?" Elizabeth repeated. His eyes finally tore away and looked into her eyes. "Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Yeah!" Meliodas said, chuckling lightly. "Never better!" "Are you sure?" The door had knocked, making the two flinch. Well mostly Elizabeth, Meliodas winced because he knew who was behind the door. "I see King Arthur is here already," Elizabeth said underneath her breath before turning to the man. "Are you sure you are alright Sir Meliodas?" The princess pressed, hoping he'd say the words so she can end this game.

Meliodas looked down to finish wiping the mug he'd been wiping but noticed it had been crumbled underneath his hold. "Ah," He sighed before sitting the wipe down. "Just...came back soon okay? And be safe." Meliodas said and internally face-palmed himself. 'Dummy, you don't want to see her with another man but here you are, sending her off with one.'

"Oh..." Elizabeth said lowly her gaze lowering. "Of course," She then turned around to head to the door. Meliodas watched the princess open the tavern doors and hug the boy. The two had turned around giving their final goodbye, which Meliodas played off cooly, and the door shut.

His head slammed onto the counter causing a loud smack. 'This is great,' He thought. 'This is perfectly fine, it's better this way anyway.' He continued to lie to himself.

'That way...neither of us can be hurt.' 'Of course, you'd be able to see her and guard her still. You did vow to protect her life so you'd be apart of it.'

'Things will just change a bit.' Meliodas turned over so now his cheek was pressed onto the table. He stared out of the window, the night stares capturing his gaze. 'It's not like you'd be out of her life completely. She could probably still work at the tavern, maybe not all the time but well we can make a schedule.'

'You can always visit her in Camelot,'

'But the adventures...well she probably would be too busy to come to those...'

His cheek felt wet and Meliodas lifted his head, bringing his hand up to his cheek to feel the teardrops that were slipping out of his eye. "What the..." He breathed out as another leaked from his eye. 'No, no. Pull yourself together Meliodas!'

'This has to be done! It has to be this way!' But he didn't want it to be this way. He wanted nothing more in the world but to be with Elizabeth; he would officially claim her as his and show her off to any and everyone that saw them together.

At night, he'd cuddle her to sleep. Both of them would wake up with content smiles on their faces after spending the night wrapped in each other's arms. To picture Elizabeth doing it with another man-

His fists slammed against the counter, another slam. He couldn't live knowing she would be with anyone else but him.

"Is everything alright out here, Captain?" Diane asked, entering the front with her full uniform on. She noticed that he was the only one out here and assumed Elizabeth had already left with King Arthur.

"Captain?" She asked once again, taking another step towards the bar. His fists were slammed against it, little cracks formed underneath his balled up hands. His bangs were once again covering his face, allowing his emotions to be hidden by everyone else. Meliodas took a large breath before straightening up. "Hey Diane," He said calmly, walking around the bar.

"Hey..." Diane said, her eyebrows still rose. "Are you okay-" "Listen, the bar's gonna be opening a little late today."

"Why's that?" She asked as she watched him walk over to the door. Meliodas had stood there for a moment, his hands crossed behind his head. "Well, we can't open the bar without our best waitress!" He called out before exiting.

Diane watched the doors slam shut and began to smirk. The plan was finally working.

xxx

The Crocus Festival was a stunning sight to see. Many vibrant colors illuminated the sky and everywhere you stepped was a pile of rose petals. King Arthur had informed Elizabeth about the hard work that was put into creating the festival and Elizabeth could only awe. The work the villagers put in was clear.

The night for the two had been really joyful. They stopped at nearly almost every vendor, sometimes talking and other times purchasing things. Arthur was doing anything to keep the same smile Elizabeth had on her face for the rest of the night. She looked ravishing in her dress and his mind had gone blank for a minute when he first saw her.

She looked like an angel sent from the gods themselves. And he was sure he wasn't the only one that could keep his eyes off of the princess. Everywhere the two had walked, they seemed to have catch looks. It was really Elizabeth, but she was too captivated with the festival's beauty that she didn't notice it.

After spending a long time walking, Arthur guided her to a bench that sat right in front of a water fountain. The princess sighed in relief when she had finally sat down-the walks taking their toll on her. Arthur sat down right beside her, not too close but not too far away either. "King Arthur," Elizabeth started, catching the man's attention. "This has truly been a wonderful night."

"Yes, I agree." Arthur nodded his head. He looked at the princess to see her gaze focused on the water. "T-thank you for joining me tonight, Princess Elizabeth."

"No thank you for asking me." Elizabeth grinned at the man, causing him to enter a blushing fit. He had cleared his throat before opening his mouth to speak again. "Princess Elizabeth?"

"Please, call me Elizabeth. You don't have to say princess each time." Elizabeth reassured, settling her gaze back onto the water fountain. "Right, Elizabeth, have you ever..." He trailed off, trying to find the right words to say.

He felt like this would be the perfect moment to confess. "Have you ever...been in love?"

"In...love?" Elizabeth repeated the words as her gaze dropped lightly. She knew the feeling far too well. "Yes," Arthur squeezed out, waiting for her response.

Elizabeth sat quietly as she stared at her hands. She had been in love, in fact, she is currently. She's in love with a man who is she believed did not want her back. It was shameful and almost pitiful to bee in love with someone like that. But she couldn't help herself.

Throughout all of the men she met in her life, she's never felt this heart-tugging feeling she felt in her chest. She only perceived it when she was with Sir Meliodas. He stayed on her mind, heavily. Whether it be her concerned about his safety or just day-dreaming.

"Yes," She said, her voice only above a whisper. "I have,"

How so badly the princess wanted to be with the ex-demon king. She yearned for him, wishing to snuggle into his arms at night or just being closer to him. She wanted him in more ways than one.

Thinking about today's events, she suddenly felt wrong. Like she had...betrayed him. Sure, she didn't know of his feelings and only assumed what he felt about her but it didn't mean she could walk into another man's arms. Not when she still cared and loved for him.

She felt like the plan Diane created for her was doing more damage on the princess herself then Sir Meliodas. He had hardly reacted to anything that happened today and yet here she was. Hurting but still wanting him to love her.

"Elizabeth?" Arthur asked softly. He didn't mean any harm by asking the question. He had hoped this would be the perfect way for him to confess his feelings but it was clearly going downhill. The stare she held on her hands never broke and Arthur felt his heart weigh. "Princess Elizabeth?" He called out again.

Elizabeth jumped this time, his hand resting upon hers. When she had blinked a tear rolled down her cheek. Had she been crying this entire time? She wouldn't even know. She was too concerned with her thoughts. "I'm sorry," She breathed out, using her free hand to wipe her cheeks.

The King had felt guilty and responsible for bringing the tears to her eyes. "No, it's fine. There's nothing you have to apologize about." He used his thumb to caress her cheek and wipe away the falling tears. Clearly, the topic had been a sensitive one for her and decided that it would be best to stray away from it.

"Sir Arthur-" "No, it's fine Elizabeth." He reassured. In fact, the King wasn't entirely dumb. He witnessed the way Elizabeth and Meliodas acted around each other. The look in her eyes every time Elizabeth would glance at the Captain was the same look he used with the princess. A look of longing. He knew that she had loved him but he thought he'd at least give it a shot. "I understand."

Elizabeth looked up at the man and felt like she had used him. Feeling the guilt eating at her, she needed to do something. Something to caress or comfort him. She had grabbed his hand and squeezed it before leaning over.

"Thank you," She whispered into his ear. Arthur blushed but smiled faintly. Elizabeth then placed a chaste kiss onto the King's cheek, causing his already pink cheeks to darken.

His eyes had widened when the princess leaned back and he slowly registered what had happened. Elizabeth smiled lightly before standing. "Do you mind walking me back to the tavern?"

"N-no!" He said, scrambling to get up. He brushed through his hair as he laughed lightly. "I wouldn't mind at all," Elizabeth took his hand and the two of them walked back to the Boar's Hat.

...

Once Arthur had returned her safely, Elizabeth stepped into the Boar's Hat. She was expecting to hear a lot of noises and sounds but she was met with silence. 'Did they ever open?' She asked herself and closed the door behind her.

The place was empty; 'Huh,' She thought before walking up the steps. "Hello?" She called out but received no response. 'Where could everyone be?' She questioned before stepping into her bedroom.

It too was empty. Elizabeth sighed and closed the bedroom door before stripping herself from the dress. Did they all leave somewhere? Did something come up? The princess continued to create theories as she hopped in the shower once again, cleansing herself from the sweat and dirt from outside.

She wrapped herself in a towel securely and headed back into the room. She was too lost in her mind to notice that the bedroom door had reopened and closed once again. She didn't seem to hear the shutting sound of it either.

She was searching through her dresser for her nightly gowns when someone called out to her.

"Elizabeth,"

The princess stopped in what she was doing, feeling a tingle run up her spine from the voice. Had she been dreaming someone said her name? "Elizabeth," The voice repeated once again and it confirmed her that she was not dreaming at all.

It was dark and breathy, almost husky. It almost sounded too familiar to it but the princess couldn't bring herself to turn and see who it was.

Meliodas stared at the girl and watched her breathing grow uneven. He had spent the night searching for her and had finally found her at the festival, leaning over the King of Camelot.

He had watched her kiss his cheek and felt his anger rising into him once again. It burned and itched to be released but he managed to keep it under control. He followed them back to the tavern and had waited for the right moment to reveal himself.

His urges to confess to her and mark her as his only grew as he watched her in her towel. Her scent was intoxicating and filled up the room. He stalked towards the said girl and stopped when he was only a few steps away from her. "Elizabeth," He called one last time.

Elizabeth looked at her side this time, gasping slightly at the sight of him. "S-Sir Meliodas..."

"How was your date, Elizabeth?" The words spat out at her and she flinched at the intensity of them. "D-date? W-well..." "Didn't you enjoy yourself? It had been such a 'wonderful night' right?" He mimicked her voice, the anger welling up inside of him again.

"Right?" His voice grew a little louder. He wanted to hear her response. "N-no..." Elizabeth answered timidly. The sight she was witnessing was a sight she had never experienced before with him.

"No?" The man scoffed as he trudged around the bedroom. "You've been ignoring me, hardly giving me any attention today. When I had tried to ask you a question earlier you put me off to the side as if I had done something wrong. And then! You decide to just..." Meliodas bit his tongue, trying to keep his cool. But he couldn't keep his cool. Not when the woman he loved was under another man's arms.

"You just up and leave with him." The words came out broken. He was grateful that his back was facing her. "You just left."

"I sat here and tried to figure out if I had done something to you, something wrong and vile. But...nothing came up. My only assumption was..." He had cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the itchiness in it. "That you weren't happy here anymore,"

"That you weren't happy...with me."

The words broke Elizabeth's heart as she stared at the man's back. More tears welled up in her eyes but she allowed them to fall this time. "Sir Meliodas, please look at me." She pleaded.

She had been selfish the entire day and realized everything she was indeed doing was driving him mad. "Please, Sir Meliodas." She whispered as she walked towards the man. Meliodas stood still for a moment before turning around slowly. "I don't make you happy anymore...do I?"

"Of course you do Sir Meliodas!" She sniffled as she brought her arms around his neck. "You make me feel as if I'm the most important thing to you."

"Then...why?" He had asked, his voice a tad muffled. More tears leaked from the princess' eyes. "I watched you the entire night Elizabeth! You looked happy with him! You looked perfectly fine! Especially when-" The image of Elizabeth kissing the King's cheek caused him to remove himself from her hold and walk away from her.

The princess hiccupped as she watched the man pull and tug at his hair. "I couldn't bear to see the damned sight. I went through the day believing it was some sort of fucked up game you were playing with me. But then the reality came knocking at the door when he whisked you away." Meliodas ranted.

"Forcing myself to just accept it and be okay with it, I believed that he'd make you happier than I could ever do! But then there was a glistening shine of hope calling out to me, 'Maybe, just maybe I'll have a shot."

"I could bring her back home. And I believed it until I caught you two..." He had trailed off again. "I felt...played." The words left his mouth coldly.

Elizabeth walked nervously to the man and flung her arms around him. "I'm sorry..." She whispered the words ever so softly into his ear. His hearts thrummed against his chest as she repeated the words. "I didn't mean to hurt you," She admitted.

"I was being selfish," Indeed she was. She believed that everything she was doing caused no harm to the captain when it did in fact. It caused more harm than she thought. Meliodas remained still as she continued to speak.

"Sir Meliodas, I..." She sighed out before opening her mouth again. "I did this because I...thought you didn't love me." There she had finally said it. Meliodas pulled away from the princess, staring at her wide-eyed. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I...I love you Sir Meliodas," She confessed finally, "So much that I wanted you to feel the same for me. So I..." Meliodas brought his hand to cover her mouth, shushing her. "Can you repeat what you just said?"

Elizabeth nodded her head and he removed his hand. "I love you, Sir Meliodas."

The words sent his hearts beating at much more faster speed. His stomach filled with flutters as he stared up at the princess. Deciding it was better now than never, he took her hands into his.

"Elizabeth, I love you too."

The princess gasped, taking a step back. He watched her, slightly amused. "You do?" She whispered and he nodded his head. "Can't you see how crazy I was going?" He said, chuckling lightly.

"I love you," He repeated. Elizabeth's eyes welled up again and she had pulled him into her chest. Squeezing him close to her, she felt like she was on the clouds. The man she loved did love her back! She was rejoicing in her mind and felt like she could do anything.

Meliodas, relishing in the feeling of her soft chest, pulled away and smirked. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we need to talk about your punishment."

"P-punishment?" The princess repeated, fear taking over her body once again. The captain smirked before picking her up and tossing her onto the bed. The night was still young and it was going to be an extremely long one for the two.

The End!

And that's a wrap! I hope the ending isn't rushed I was so excited to put it out! Let me know if you want me to continue it with Elizabeth receiving her punishment ;) I hope you enjoyed!