I Thought I Knew You

Is This Love?

Elizabeth's (normal P.O.V)

"After that I was found by King and rescued by the Sins," Elaine sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. She then sent me a smile. "I started here and settled in, eventually finding Lady Gerheade again, and everything's been ok ever since."

I sit there, eyes slightly widened and lip between my teeth. Elaine's whole story had seemed like it weighed a lot, the past being something that influenced her even now. But that would make sense since her soul is no longer her own. It belonged to Melascula, one of the students who were known to avidly collect souls and bring back the dead. It was a hobby of the demons, that had marked her as powerful among the race and therefore became a trademark. A dangerous trademark. Now it seemed that most owed their soul to Melascula and only a few were lucky enough to get them back.

However, I shake my head of those thoughts and instead focus on what I had gathered from Elaine's story. Of what could help me. 

From what I could comprehend, the fairy had trusted Ban with the fountain as she knew that he'd be the only person there who could look after it if she couldn't. In fact Elaine had insisted that he took it instead of her. She was willing to die there and then just to make sure the fountain was safe.

But why?

Protecting that fountain, guarding it, had been the cause of her misery. All the loneliness and isolation she went through was because of the fountain. Why didn't she just give it up? Why did she gift it to Ban?

"How did you know that you could trust Ban with the fountain?" I find myself asking before thinking, the words tumbling out. I blush at my forwardness, just about stopping my hands from covering my mouth out of shock.

Elaine laughed at this, a spark of amusement in her eyes. "Because I knew that he would do it right for me," She shot me a smile, warm and welcoming. A small blush formed across her features as she seemed to recall something distant, most likely those seven days when she first met Ban. "Ban's always been by my side, even when I thought he wasn't, and so he's never broken a promise. Even now he's working to get my soul back from Melascula and it's been a few years since I first came here."

I nod at this, beginning to understand how her trust for the Fox Sin had been forged through him always remaining by her side. Through their undying loyalty for each other. But how could I know that I had that same loyalty with Meliodas? Or even know if it was right to base trust off something like loyalty? They were two completely different virtues, after all; not to mention someone could be loyal but not trustworthy. There was no way of knowing if you could trust someone over something like that.

"You're overthinking it, Liz," Elaine gave a mock tut, before she laughed. The sound was warm and musical, calming after the stormy evening I've had. A nice way to end it really.

Elaine then grinned at me, the warm blush on her cheeks dying as she shook her head at me. From that look alone I could tell that she knew I was overthinking it all and was overlooking what was right in front of me. The thing that would help me to decide more than anything else. A thing that was so simple and yet invisible to me, and me alone.

"Trust me, Liz, if you love someone it's worth taking the leap of faith," She looked at me, her gaze clear and sincere as she placed a gentle hand upon my shoulder. She then winked, nudging me a little. "Sometimes they'll surprise you."

With that the fairy left my side, deciding to clear up the long discarded cake plates. Once she had stacked them, Elaine disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me alone in the living room.

I sighed at this, my bottom lip finding its way between my teeth once again. Worrying my lip, I take in Elaine's words, seeming to know but still not comprehend how it could help me with my dilemma. So many of the things she said depended on the situation. It all depended on how it could be applied to the person and their specific struggle. Plus love was a strong word to put into use. I wasn't entirely sure of what it could mean. Of how I could apply that to someone.