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"ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪꜰ ɪ'ᴍ ɢᴏɴ' ʙᴇ ᴀʟʀɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʀʏ."
ᴛʀᴇᴠɪ ᴍᴏʀᴀɴ
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"(Y/n) of the Dark Shadows, will you marry me?"
"No."
"Damn, I love it when you reject me."
Shooting the youngest son of the Demon King an incredulous look, I try my hardest to not laugh at that dreamy look on his adorable face.
"Forgive me when I say this Prince Zeldris, but I may puke if you continue," Lenora murmurs as she finishes braiding my hair and I burst out in laughter at her boldness. She seems to be getting more confident as each day passes by.
Zeldris pouts at this statement. "I really think (Y/n) is a bad influence on you. You seem to have gotten crueller ever since you met her."
"Oh, you think I'm cruel?" I question as I cross my arms over my chest. "Aww, I'm hurt."
Zeldris grins crazily. "Perhaps I should use the word wicked. That would be more suitable."
I grin back at him and then raise a certain finger in his direction. Lenora slaps a hand over her mouth as she hastily pushes my hand down but we can still hear her shocked but disapproving giggles.
"Hmm, what about the word vicious?" I suggest and then playfully poke Lenora's side to inform her that I can do whatever I want with the leader of the Ten Commandments.
Zeldris rolls his dark eyes. "Call yourself whatever you want, but you'll always be wicked in my eyes."
Closing my eyes, I poke out my tongue at him and when I open them, I see Zeldris doing the same.
"Your Majesty?" someone gently calls out at the same time there's a loud knock at the door.
Zeldris straightens himself quickly and tries to make himself look presentable while sitting at the end of the bed by my side, saying, "Come in."
The door swings open to reveal two Demon maids and I immediately recognise one of them.
Lenora speaks up as she gracefully walks to my side, "Ladies, perhaps you should—"
"Hey," I drawl out the word and then wave my hands around like a child. "If it isn't Juro!"
While the other maid tries to hold back her laugh, Juno's right eyebrow twitches as she says tightly, "It's Juno, (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows."
"Huh? Is it?" I scratch the top of my head with a finger. "Sorry, Jude."
Juno forces a tight smile on her face as she repeats, "It's Juno, (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows."
"Is that so, Judo?"
Opening her mouth once more to correct me, the young Demon maid freezes when she finally realises why I keep mispronouncing her name.
She licks her lips before saying slowly, "Yes, Lady (Y/n)."
Finally. "Apologies, Juno."
The fake smile on her face suddenly turns into a real one and I can't help but smile as well.
"Prince Zeldris," the other maid speaks up shyly, "the Ten Commandments are awaiting your arrival at the throne room."
Said Prince lets out a string of curses under his breath as he swiftly jumps off the bed.
He must have forgotten about the meeting he was meant to have with them about their final decisions on the attack on the Kingdom of Liones which is to take place today.
I gently pat Zeldris on the cheek and then say, "Off you go, shorty."
"I'll be back, pretty," he murmurs as he presses a quick kiss on my forehead and then rushes out of the room with the two maids swiftly following him.
"Are you worried?" Lenora asks me once they are gone.
Slowly standing onto my feet, I then answer her, "Of course. I always worry. But I'm trying to put all of that at the back of my mind right now."
"Prince Zeldris will bring his brother back," Lenora promises as she reaches out for my hand and tightly holds onto it. "Nothing will stop him from doing this."
"I'm not so sure about that," I say quietly, furrowing my eyebrows.
When Lenora's lips part in shock, I quickly elaborate, "I know Zeldris will do his best. I have no doubt about that. However, The Seven Deadly Sins are at the Kingdom of Liones along with a handful of Holy Knights so I'm wondering if Zeldris and the Ten Commandments will even get to him. Zeldris himself also confirmed the fact that no one can find Elizabeth and Mel's tavern. And in the end, I don't even know who should be the one protecting my best friend's body; the Seven Deadly Sins, or the Ten Commandments. Both are terrible yet the appropriate choice."
"And the Ten Commandments will refuse to protect Prince Meliodas's body," Lenora points out.
"Which means Zel will need to obtain and hide his older brother's body by himself," I say, letting out a long sigh as I pull my hand away to rub my eyes. "Easier said than done."
"Let's not worry about that for now," my maid hums. "Why don't we instead—"
"Have you ever fought before, Lenora?" I abruptly ask, playing with the sleeves of my top.
"(Y/n)?" Lenora says my name hesitantly.
"You know, fighting like a warrior?" I elaborate.
"I have, but I prefer not to," she responds quietly.
Nodding my head at this understandable reply, I look down at my sleeves and continue to mess around with them. Two pale hands spread over my own and my gaze shoots up to be met with gorgeous blue eyes watching me carefully.
"Hey," I whisper and then grin at her.
"Are you offering to teach me, my lady?" Lenora questions.
Damn, I really can't stop her from addressing me like that, can I?
"Maybe," I mumble my response.
"Perhaps you can teach me tomorrow?" Lenora suggests.
"Yeah," I say and then shrug. "Yeah, that sounds good. Actually, you know what? Invite all of the maids. They should learn as well."
Lenora gasps lightly at this but her eyes are sparkling with delight as she says, "Truly?"
"Yup." I give her the thumbs up. "We're gonna have a whole brigade of fighting maids."
My maid chuckles and then nods her head, saying, "That sounds wonderful."
When a satisfied smile stays on my face, I can't help but examine Lenora once again. Everything is right there in front of me; kindness, maturity, intelligence. But there's just something off.
"What's your name?" I ask quietly.
The wide smile on Lenora's face is wiped off immediately and pure fear flashes across her cobalt blue eyes for a brief second.
"My lady, I—"
"Am I interrupting something?"
We turn around to see the youngest Demon Prince standing at the entrance of the room.
"Well no, not really," I say very slowly but then shoot Lenora a look that means we are definitely talking about this tomorrow.
"If that's the case, Lenora could I have (Y/n) for a minute?" Zeldris asks as he strides towards us.
Lenora bows her head lightly and walks out of the room without once glancing over at me.
How much fear does she have for the name her parents bestowed upon her at her birth? Is it truly that terrifying for her? Is there maybe more to it?
"How did it go?" I ask Zeldris as I run my hands up and down his arms.
"Well enough, I suppose," he grunts and his eyelashes flutter as he leans against my touch. "Without Gloxinia and Drole, we should be able to bring down the Kingdom of Liones."
(Y/n), please wake up soon.
Ah, the two Commandments who unexpectedly disappeared after my best friend's death.
Drole and I are heading off to another location and we're planning on training two particular Sins.
I'm the only one who knows about their plans. At least, I think I'm the only one.
We're going to need you in this war, (Y/n) of the Dark Shadows.
And I suppose the two of them are planning to train the Grizzly Sin of Sloth and the Serpent Sin of Envy. It only makes sense since one of them is a Fairy and the other is a Giant.
See you soon, (Y/n).
But if the two of them are discovered, the consequences could be treacherous.
"Derieri nearly ripped off my brother's head in the meeting," Zeldris mutters.
I blink in confusion at this sudden statement before nodding my head, understanding.
He's talking about Estarossa right now. For a second there, I thought he meant Meliodas.
"What did he say?" I ask through tiny giggles.
Zeldris scoffs, "You don't even want to know."
Catching me off guard, he suddenly pulls me in for a hug which means I have to rest my chin on his shoulder and wrap my arms around his slim waist.
"Whoa, easy," I say, chuckling softly.
"(Y/n), I have to go now," the Commandment of Piety says seriously.
I frown. "Now now?"
He exhales a laugh before confirming, "Yeah, now now."
The invasion of the Kingdom of Liones.
The Seven Deadly Sins.
Elizabeth.
Meliodas, my best friend.
"See you later then, you little goofball," I whisper fondly into his ear.
Zeldris chuckles lightly and he still holds onto my hands as he pulls away. He drags his fingertips along my palm unto my own fingertips, the feeling causing shivers to shoot down my spine.
"(Y/n) of the Dark Shadows, will you marry me?" he quietly asks me the very same question he's been asking a thousand times for the past couple of days.
"Maybe one day," I breathe and then remove my fingers from his, relishing in the shocked look on his face. "Maybe one day, Zel."
My answer has always been 'no' until this point, not until he completes all of the tasks I've set out for him. But with the answer I gave him right now, there's hope.
After all, I've always had faith in the youngest son of Demon King.
Don't let me go.
I never have. And I never will, (Y/n).
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