A/N: I'm not gonna lie, this wasn't my best. Buuut c'est la vie

3rd POV

Meliodas was scared, he could feel his hands shaking. He heard Elizabeth screaming and whimpering in the next room, yet he couldn't move. Elizabeth's sisters were in the room with her, trying desperately to help her. Meliodas had a good amount of confidence in the eldest as she had received the best training from midwives around the kingdom for the occasion. Diane stood outside the castle walls, unable to stand the thought of Elizabeth in pain. King had been floating around her head in futile efforts to cheer her up under the star lit winter sky for a long time now. Ban sat on Meliodas's right hand side while the rest of the Seven Sins waited at the Boar Hat making preparations.

"You scared cap'n?" Ban asked leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, eyes lazily drawled towards the back of his head. His eyes flickered to his captain's right hand and saw subtle shadows crawling up his fingertips that was grasping the arm of the chair. Meliodas took a stiff breath and willed the black markings to fade into his skin.

"Of course. I'm terrified. That's my wife in there. How would you feel if that was Elaine in there?" Meliodas felt frustrated that he couldn't be in there with Elizabeth, his wife. It had taken him a while to actually accept that Elizabeth wasn't Liz. To accept that he could love again and that he wasn't betraying Liz. The only thing he hated about the situation was that it took him so long to realize it. But now…

His thoughts was interrupted by another ear splitting scream. Meliodas couldn't take it anymore. The demon instincts threatened to take over his body. He wanted to burst in the room and take Elizabeth away, didn't matter where, just away. But his rational side knew that would result that Elizabeth dying if he tried to move her right now. It sucked, but it was true. Meliodas froze when he heard Elizabeth wailing like nothing he had heard before and frantic, panicked whispers from her sisters.

Dread continued to weigh down his stomach like a stone as he sped walked to the door not even hesitating when he opened the door and in an instant Veronica was there in the door frame blocking his view. Meliodas ignored the Princess Veronica's cries of protests and claims that a man shouldn't be in here. It took all he had not to just push her out of his way and run to Elizabeth.

"M-Meliodas? Is that you?" Oh god, it broke Meliodas's heart to hear Elizabeth so weak. "Oh Sister, please let him in." Veronica whirled her head around to Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth…" Veronica started, though she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence.

"Veronica, I understand your concern for tradition but Sir Meliodas deserves to see his family." Margaret's surprisingly stern voice rung throughout the room. Veronica let out a sigh before turning back to Meliodas.

"Ugh, fine. But listen, whatever you see in there - - you keep a level head or else you're out of here." Veronica whispered so neither sister could hear. Meliodas could immediately tell that this was serious. Veronica, albeit reluctantly moved out of the way.

The first thing Meliodas met with was the scent of sweat and tears. Elizabeth was laying on the bed that had been stripped of their sheets wearing a gown that had been pushed up to her waist. A blanket meant to keep the princess's modesty had long been pushed away in favor of not being smothered. Margaret was sitting next to Elizabeth's legs on the bed, obviously taking a break from being the midwife in this situation.

Veronica immediately went to Margaret's side. Elizabeth, who would usually be mortified for anyone beyond her sisters to see herself in this kind of compromising position. Though from what Meliodas could see, Elizabeth just didn't care.

"Meliodas?" Hearing Elizabeth's pain laced voice snapped him back to reality. Taking long strides Meliodas pulled a chair to Elizabeth's side and grabbed her shaking hand.

"Hey honey. How are you?" Meliodas said trying to lighten the mood. "You hangin' in there?"

"Everything should feel better since you're here S- Meliodas." Elizabeth said gazing into his eyes with her bloodshot orbs until Margaret cleared her throat.

"Ellie, you're finally dilated enough to start pushing but not until I say. Veronica I want you to brace her legs, Sir Meliodas keep her motivated. Ready, now Ellie push!" Margaret's voice was clear and had lost all trace of the soft spoken little girl from so many years ago.

Veronica was keeping her little sister's legs steady as another contraction ripped through her body. Elizabeth gripped Meliodas's hand with an amount of strength as she willed her body into an impossible to describe action of pushing. This process continued for what felt like hours and Meliodas felt so powerless. All of Britannia knew that Meliodas the Dragon Sin of Wrath was the strongest man in the realms, and yet here he was so useless to help his princess except hold her hand and wipe the hair that had stuck to her forehead. What a man he was.

"Alright Ellie, I know you're tired but the baby is almost here. I need you to keep breathing and keep calm. Small pushes now." Margaret said looking up at Elizabeth who took a long shuddering breath before looking down to her eldest sister and nodding in affirmation.

And so Elizabeth continued to give small pushes until Margaret called for a final push. "One last push! I can see the head, one last big push!" Margaret said, better positioning herself to catch the child. Elizabeth heaved and as that instinctual push overcame her, Meliodas gave a small wince at the amount of force in which she squeezed his hand. He really didn't expect that.

Margaret gave a little chuckle when the push finally ceased, she stood up with a small bundle wrapped by a little mauve quilt. A small cough resounded through the room followed by small cries for someone to cradle.

"That's our baby Meliodas, our baby. Do you think it's a boy?" Elizabeth said laughing, straining to see past Margaret and Veronica washing the viscera and other gunk of the newborn. "We're a family now. Can't believe it..." Elizabeth's voice grew quieter and weaker with each syllable until she finally wilted like a flower. Meliodas finally snapped from the drone of his child's cries when feeling his wife's limp hand in his.

"Elizabeth? Hey." Meliodas gave Elizabeth a look over, kicking himself for not noticing how pale she had gotten. "Princess Margaret, I think we have an issue over here." Meliodas tried to rouse her by lightly slapping her face and whispering in her ear.

"Sir Meliodas, I'm going to call for the Royal Doctor. You'd best take the baby and wait outside." Margaret said putting her most controlled smile in an attempt to help calm his nerves. The eldest princess gently shuffled the whimpering infant into its father's arms.

Meliodas walked past the door frame looking back inside looking at Margaret sending Veronica out for more assistance. Before closing the door he heard Margaret call his name. "Sir Meliodas, congratulations. It's a girl." That was the last thing he heard before the door closed on him and his new daughter.

Feeling numb the knight sat in his original position next to his right hand man, who was completely fallen asleep at this point, stared into space willing the shadows to quell. Under him he heard a subtle gurgle and he finally looked down. His eyes met eyes just like his own with a bushel of silver hair to compliment them. He gave her a little smile and she gave what sounded like a giggle in return.

The baby blinked and her right eye was the goddess's color with the mark replacing her pupil. Not a moment passed and her eye flickered to its original color. Where one would have been surprised, or even mildly concerned. Meliodas only gave a small chuckle.

"You... you really are her daughter," Meliodas said his voice barely audible. The infant gave a whine when a tear landed on her forehead. For once he let go of the need to silence his inner demon. Father and child sat together, surrounded by sweet shadows.