"Elizabeth, if you disappear from my life, I'll have no reason to live... So please, live for me." He wasn't prepared to say this yet, he didn't want to tell her yet. He sort of worried she would panic, think it was too soon. For her it was soon. But he had loved her much longer, in her current form since the day he met her. But he had loved her long before that day.

Meliodas knew the moment that she walked into his tavern that she was Liz. Her short red hair was gone, replaced with long silver hair but it was still her. Her eyes, her lips, her face, and of course her body. It felt like Liz's death had just happened, that the destruction of Danafor had just happened. But sixteen years feels like nothing when you are three thousand years old. 'You always said we would meet again'

He watched Elizabeth, as she cleared the tables from the nights business, while absentmindedly wiping out a mug he was sure had been dry for a while. He was in awe of her. She didn't panic at all. He knew she heard him. Within seconds she began to glow and her injuries disappeared. Once they were gone she simply opened those bright blue orbs and smiled slightly, a light blush on her cheeks. She was much sweeter and kinder than Liz, grabbing her ass almost wasn't even fun, she never fought him off. Of course Hawk was there to say something when she didn't. But in no way did that mean she was weak. She alone had journeyed to find the Seven Deadly Sins. And in the last battle she alone had healed all of them. He had never felt anything like it. The warmth, surrounding him. Comforting him.

Even now, their journey is far more dangerous, but Elizabeth gladly chose to follow Meliodas and the other Sins. He had debated this decision a lot. As much as he wanted to always be by her side, he also wanted her to be safe. No matter what everyone seems to think beside Meliodas would never be the safest place. A painful image passed through Meliodas' mind. The image of Liz beaten and bloody up against that tower. The image that plagued his mind almost every day. His sin to bear.

Elizabeth looked up towards sir Meliodas. Usually their eyes would connect and sometimes she would blush and turn away. This time she was disappointed to see he wasn't even looking at her. He appeared to be lost in thought, staring out the window beside her. She knew he was probably thinking about his old love. She knew he had someone else before. That he had failed to protect her. She blushed slightly, looking back down and wiping the table with the damp cloth in her hand. She secretly hoped he was thinking of her, especially since her talk with Diane. But she knew that wasn't the case. She thought about the end of the battle. What he had whispered to her while she was fighting to survive her injuries. How it had made her so happy that her magical energy was replenished. Why would he say that then, if he didn't mean it. She glanced at him again, but he was still spaced out, finally setting down the cup he was holding and simply staring into the distance.

Before she realized what was happening Elizabeth caught the edge of the table on her foot and fell to the ground with a shriek. The mugs she was holding clattered to the ground around her while the remnants of Vanya Ale splashed onto her uniform.

"Elizabeth! Are you alright?" Meliodas had already begun picking up the mugs scattered around her, after feeling her ass, to ensure she was okay of course.

"Si-sir Meliodas, thank you! I was... I mu-must have been distracted." Elizabeth blushed a deep crimson as she started to stand.

"That's okay as long as you are alright. Let me finish washing up, you go on upstairs." She nodded quickly then turned to leave. "If you need any help undressing I'll be right there!" Meliodas grinned as Hawk shouted from behind the bar at him. Elizabeth tripped slightly on the stair when he said this and scurried away blushing a bright red. She passed Ban on the stairs without even looking up at him.

"What did you say to her now Captain?" He drawled while taking a seat at the bar and simultaneously opening another bottle of Vanya Ale.

"Hm? Oh nothing." Meliodas grinned, opening a bottle for himself. He quite enjoyed rounding out a busy night with an Ale with his close friend. Ban had returned two nights ago, with King following close behind. He often said he would be leaving again soon, still searching for a way to resurrect Elaine. The rest of the sins were slowly making their way towards Camelot, while attempting to gather information on Escanor, thought they hadn't heard anything so far. Meliodas was delaying the trip, hoping Merlin could find something out about the Coffin of Eternal Darkness.

"Hey! Are you even listening Captain?" Ban's voice brought Meliodas out of his thoughts. "Jeez you are spacey lately." Ban grinned then opened another Vanya Ale.

"You know I would like to keep this place running." Meliodas grumbled taking Ban's empty and tossing it.

"Hey just consider this my pay Captain!" Ban laughed. Meliodas smiled in return. His thoughts wandering to the princess sleeping upstairs. "What is it with her? You are completely- Does this have to do with what happened at Danafor?" Ban asked.

"Ah ah ah, rule number three of the seven deadly sins-"

"Yeah yeah we can't ask about another persons sin. Though I don't see how it would be relevent. That happened before the princess was even born."

Meliodas knew that wasn't true. She was born in Danafor. She was an apostle to the goddess. That day Danafor fell. He could have killed her... He exhaled deeply, pushing the thought from his mind. He turned to Ban and smiled. "Well I have a princess waiting in my bed for me." He winked then headed up the stairs, leaving Ban to his Ale.

Hawk was waiting at the top of the stairs, rope next to him on the floor. Meliodas could see Elizabeth breathly softly. Her chest rising and falling with each sleeping breath. Once 'safely' in his restraints he quickly drifted off to sleep.

'Meliodas.' He heard his name like a whisper. When he opened his eyes he found a castle standing before him, not his bedroom on the second floor of the Boar Hat. Meliodas looked around for the voice but saw nothing. He decided instead to walk towards the castle, it seemed to be the only thing around afterall. He had only taken a few steps when he noticed a familiar dark figure standing with his back to Meliodas. A figure he hadn't seen in 3000 years. And there in front of him was the small crumpled form of his beautiful princess. Without a second thought he had begun running towards them. His blood boiling.

As soon as he started running the image changed. Now he stood in a rocky gorge. This place he didn't recognize at all. By his feet he saw the tiny piece of blade from his own dragon hilt sword. This was bad. Before him he saw Dreyfus. He was sure Dreyfus was dead yet here he was. Placing the key into the coffin of darkness. This was very bad.

'No Dreyfus stop! Don't do this!' Meliodas shouted out but Dreyfus did not respond. Meliodas reached out and tried to touch him but again nothing. So what was this? A vision? He glanced around again and smiled slightly to himself. No sign of Elizabeth. They can't do anything without her blood right?

'Don't worry brother, we will get her. It is destined.' Meliodas snapped his head around. Directly behind him was the castle image again. Elizabeth was on the ground, barely breathing. This time the rest of the demon clan was behind her. The Ten Commandments. He comrades, when he was still with the demons. He watched as her limp body was lifted into the air. Dangling my her wrists, though nothing was holding her. Blood was gushing from her side, along with many other wounds around her body, just like back in Liones. He felt himself growing hot. Like flames were licking at his skin, erupting from his heart.

"ELIZABETH!" Meliodas sat straight up, his fists in front of him, the ropes shredded to pieces around him. His right fist was black, his demon blood had come through, from a dream. This concerned him. After a few deep breaths he could feel the fire receding back into his heart. He looked down at Elizabeth.

"I-is everything okay Sir Meliodas?" She whispered. It was still dark out, she was worried about waking up the other sins. Though given the shout he had just released he was sure they were already up.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Meliodas asked, quieter than usual as he lay back down, rolling onto his side to face her.

With as much confidence as she could muster, given they were both laying in bed together, Elizabeth whispered "no of course not. You could never scare me."

Meliodas smiled slightly. He knew that wasn't true. He would scare her. She doesn't even fully know what he is. She doesn't yet know that he is a demon. The one race that was thought to be wiped off the planet. Ban was the only one who knew. Well Meliodas was sure Merlin knew, but she kept to herself just the same. He rolled onto his back, thinking about telling Elizabeth. But he just couldn't do it. He didn't know what her feelings for him were yet, and he wasn't ready to let her out of his sight. Especially given when he had just seen. In the morning he would talk to Merlin, she could tell him about his dream.

Elizabeth watched Meliodas, lost in thought again. He had surprised her when he shot up in bed shouting for her. She wondered what he had dreamed about. It must have been about her. But what kind of dream she wondered. She blushed lightly, thankful for the darkness in the room. As he rolled onto his back she watched his face. It could always be a different Elizabeth. Though she hoped that wasn't the case. His face looked pained. Maybe he was thinking about that other woman again. His sin. She reached out and lightly pressed her fingers to his arm, then after receiving no response she placed her palm on his arm, to comfort him. Whether he was thinking about her or not she hated seeing that look in his eyes. She only ever saw it at night, when no one else would.

Meliodas sighed slightly before smiling at the Princess' touch but he didn't look at her. Afraid she would press him about what had just happened. Soon he drifted back to sleep, this time a dreamless one.