Can I Keep You?

Chapter 8

"Elizabeth...."

Elizabeth groaned in her sleep as she became aware of someone calling her name.

"Elizabeth... it's time to get ~up!" The voice was whispering as it coerced her from her dreams, soft yet excited, singing the last word.

She hummed as she opened her eyes, "S-Sir... Meliodas?" she grumbled in her stupor.

The form in front of her visibly pouted at first then grinned as she began to focus, "No, silly!" Diane's voice rang out as she leaned with her elbows on the plush bed and her face pressed to her palms.

"Oh! Diane!" Elizabeth was quick to sit up, a fresh blush adorning her cheeks from having called out the captain of the sin's name. How could she have mistaken Diane for Sir Meliodas?

Diane chuckled lightly, the sound always managing to bring a smile to Elizabeth's face as she listened, "I've come to help you get ready!"

Today the giantess seemed more eager than usual as she bubbled and bounced on the side of the bed, her hidden strength causing the mattress to spring Elizabeth a few feet into the air.

"AH! H-Help me?" Elizabeth came crashing back down to the bed, "But, why? I can get dressed on my own Diane." She smiled at the obvious excitement on the Giantess' face.

"Today's special, though! We have to look our best for going to the castle!"

Elizabeth's face fell into a confused stare. Castle? But... they were nowhere near...

Glancing out the window, Elizabeth gasped at the change in scenery. When she had gone to bed the night before, she had a view of the forest and the little town they had stopped by. Now, there was a sprawling city just beyond large walls, surrounding a grand castle in the distance. "But... when?"

Diane crawled on to the bed on hands and knees to look out at the city as well, "Captain must have moved the tavern in the middle of the night! None of us even noticed till this morning!"

Elizabeth smiled brightly at her, "Where is Sir Meliodas this morning?"

"Huh? Oh, he wasn't here when I woke up. Merlin said he had a meeting with King Arthur early this morning, and that he wanted us to meet up with him later." She had pressed a finger to her chin in thought as she recalled her conversation with the mage.

This piqued the silverette's curiosity, "Oh? So Sir Meliodas knows the King pretty well then? Why did he have to meet with him?"

Diane merely shrugged, seeming less curious than she was. "Don't know. But it was probably boring stuff." With that she bounded off the bed and grabbed Elizabeth's hand, "Come on Elizabeth! I've already run you a bath!"

Bath?

The grin on her face faltered at the mention of a bath, and those dreadful memories flashed behind her eyes. She found herself resisting Diane's tug making the giantess turn to look at her confused, pigtails swinging as she turned. "What's wrong Elizabeth?"

She wasn't quite sure, really. There was a queasiness in her stomach now that she couldn't ignore and it was only building at the thought of returning to those memories.

Diane seemed to register her unease then, as she loosened her grip and bending with arms clasped behind her back to look directly into Elizabeth's down-cast eyes, "Are you afraid?"

Surprised blue eyes flew up to meet Diane's question. Afraid? Was she afraid? Afraid of what though, the bath or what the bath reminded her of? She found herself nodding shyly, and the giantess' face softened before she smiled brightly at her, "I have an idea then. We can take a bath together! The Bathtub is big enough that we could both fit! It'll be great!"