The Knight Princess

Chapter 4- Stronger Than She Looks

Diane and Meliodas were running and Meliodas was whispering to Armella as she was unconscious, "Diane! Let Elizabeth and Hawk find a doctor. If you run in there we won't find one.", the giant nodded and they slowed down a little bit has the princess and pig ran further into the town, "Is she going to be okay?", Meliodas nodded, "She's suffered from worse. It's just been awhile since she's fought.", Diane nodded and the princess came back with a doctor. They quickly rushed to get her healed.

"How does such a young girl get an injury like this?", thankfully Armella's common armor has changed to her everyday outfit, "This will help her. She'll need rest.", the doctor put the medicine on her and wrapped her wound. He left and her wound glowed rainbow for a moment before she woke up with a gasp and began to cough. Meliodas sprung forward and hugged her, "Something is wrong.", Meliodas watched as she took off the bandage and the area of the wound was healed close but surrounded by black veins. "Poison.", Armella clenched her jaw as her small hunting knife appeared and she stabbed her wound area with it and cut it back open, she grabbed the water pitcher and poured it over her arm and her bag appeared. She pulled a small white flowering weed from it and chewed it up before placing it in her wound and wrapping it again. She sighed as she sat back and her arm glowed a soft white after 20 minutes and she huffed as she took the bandage off, her wound healed. Diane and Meliodas smiled and the three nodded at each other before feeling a source of power nearby. "Meliodas, take Elizabeth and Hawk. Find out why the doctor poisoned me. Diane and I will head toward Baste.", he nodded and Armella stood, her outfit changing to her black and red two piece outfit that was fitted and the top cropped. She had two gold bracelets on and her ears were adorned with gold hoops and a bar. She climbed out the window and jumped down onto Diane's shoulder and the two women left the small town.

Diane glanced at Armella, "Why are you so nervous?", Armella looked at Diane, "It's been ten years. I've changed, Diane. And he's in Baste simply because he wanted to get caught because he was bored. It's been five years. Why didn't he come seek me out? I searched for him and when I found out where he was and why he was there I.", she glanced down, "I guess I just worried that he was only with me because I was part of the team and he was bored and now that the team isn't together. He won't want me anymore.", she glanced down, "I'm not sure he even wanted me then.", Diane frowned, "Why would you say that?", Armella's eyes were filled with tears and as she blinked one fell and Diane's eyes widened, in all her years of knowing Armella she had never know the red-headed warrior to cry. "Ella?", the red head wiped her face as she sat down on her friend's shoulder, "I wasn't who Ban wanted.", and her mind flashed back to right before the Grand Master was killed.

10 Years Ago

"Do you think there's a way to bring people back from the dead?", Armella paused in her actions and she pulled her lips away from her lover's body. "What?", he glanced down at her, "Do you think there's a way to bring people back from the dead.", she frowned, "Who would we be bringing back?", Ban glanced at her, "Your family?", she softly smiled, "Ban, my people do not see death as a sad thing. With us, it happens rarely. My grandfather was nearly 6,000 years old. My parents 5,000 years old, I'm 3,000 years old. Some of my people viewed death as a blessing. Others saw it as a way to the next world. We didn't mourn death. We celebrated it. Which is morbid and wrong, but with us. It was almost an escape.", she softly smiled, "But why do you ask?", Ban sighed, "I wasn't always like this. I was once just a human. Then I wandered into the Fairy King's forest.", she tilted her head and frowned, "I wanted to drink from the Fountain of Youth but this girl, Elaine, she was guarding it and wouldn't let me. So I gave up. But I stayed in the forest and ate the berries and made friends with the girl. One day I had walked away and when I came back she was talking about wanting me to take her away and show her the world.", Armella sat up, "I told her I would. Her brother had abandoned his post as Fairy King and now she was stuck doing a job she wasn't equip for. Then a red demon attacked. The forest was in flames.", and Armella spoke, "The Lady Elaine was killed by the demon and so were the people of the forest, the elves. Thought to be a race wiped out.", Ban's eyes widened, "You are an elf of the Fairy King's Forest?", she swallowed, "I'm guessing the want to bring someone back to life isn't for a family member.", she sat up quickly and left the bed, making Ban jump up, "Mella.", she raised a hand, "I knew you called me Elaine the other night.", her eyes were watering, but no tears fell, she clenched her jaw, "Was any of this real? Or did you know and you wanted to use me for my Elven Magic. The dead can't be brought back, Ban. Their souls have left this realm. It's impossible. And even if it were, what's brought back wouldn't be your loved one.", Ban frowned as her tears refused to fall, she wouldn't cry in front of him, "Mella.", she screamed and one of her swords went through his body. He grunted and she sobbed, "You knew that wouldn't kill me, don't pout.", and she shook her head, "I was hoping it would hurt you more.", her outfit changed to an all black outfit and her sword disappeared.  "Answer me. Was any of it real?", Ban frowned, "Yes.", and she glanced down as a single tear fell, "Why don't I believe you?", and she left the room. Meliodas has heard her enter her room moments later and he frowned as he heard her throw things and she had a breakdown. He sighed as he closed his eyes after she quieted down and a few moments later his door opened, "Meliodas.", her voice was cracked and her face red. "Armella?", he jumped up and she glanced down, "Can I stay in here for the night?", he nodded, "Mel, what happened?", she swallowed as they laid down in his bed and he held her to his chest, "I don't want to talk about it.", he nodded and kissed her forehead, "I'm here when you want to.", she softly smiled, "Thank you.", and the two fell asleep.

Present

Diane frowned as Armella had been quiet for a few moments too long but then the girl jumped from her shoulder and walked away. "Ella?", the red-head glanced at the Giant, "I need to go clear my head before we get to Baste. Stay safe.", and Diane nodded. She wasn't going to question her friend. Only one person could ever get Armella to talk, and that was The Captain.

Elizabeth glanced at Meliodas, who was deep in thought, "Sir Meliodas? What's wrong?", he sighed, "I'm worried about Armella.", Hawk frowned, "What? Why?", he looked at the pig and the princess, "10 years ago, the night before Zaratras was killed, Armella came into my room in tears and a mess. There's only one person who'd be able to do that to her.", Elizabeth frowned, "Who?", Meliodas looked at the princess, "The same person we're going to break out of prison.", Elizabeth frowned, "But why would Sir Ban be able to make Lady Armella that upset?", Meliodas frowned, "Because, Armella loved him with her whole being and after an incident she began to question if his love for her was even real or if he was using her for her Magic. She never told me what exactly happened, but I know it wasn't good. And that's the reason I never told anyone where I would be taking her or why I was taking her. The next morning, she woke up like everything was fine and she went to training. I had a meeting with Zaratras earlier in the day, he was worried about her. She was too focused and aggressive against the Holy Knights. She wasn't herself. And when we were called again, I figured it was about Armella. But it wasn't. She knew we had been set up and she was willing to die for us to get away. I have wondered for the last 10 years if that's because she knew what had happened or if she was ready to die. And Armella could never die by old age or illness. She has to die from battle.", Elizabeth frowned, "Why?", Meliodas looked at the princess, "Armella isn't a human. She's an elf, and she's 3000 years old, at least.", and the two that didn't know gapped, "But she'd been alone for years before I found her. Her race, all but her, was killed by a demon. She'd been wandering the world and finding small jobs and living in different woods before I found her. We got close and she became like my little sister. When I brought her to Liones she immediately wanted to be a Holy Knight, and she quickly became one, so when I formed the Sins, she wanted in. But I would never charge her with a sin, because what she carries isn't a sin. It's guilt. I thought maybe being with the Sins would help her, and in a way it did. It gave her a family and a place to belong. But I think it also made it worse, she wasn't willing to see any of us hurt or near dead. She became selfless and she cared too much. She'd been on a bed far too many times than I can count taking hits for us, but when her and Ban got together. Something changed and she wasn't as willingly to step in front of the blades and hits for us, though she did sometimes. Then after one break down she was ready to die for us.", Meliodas looked up, "I never found out what he said to her to make her so upset. But I swore I would. So I mean too. And when I do, I'll let it go. It's been 10 years. But if he doesn't feel guilty for hurting her, I'll let her handle him. She never wanted anyone to fight her battles for her. This battle is hers. And I can't decide how she'll fight it.", and they began walking back to Baste, running into Diane; who wasn't quite herself.