The next chapter should be up by next Wednesday. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far.

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(Jace Beleren)

My head is pounding. I should lay off the scotch, I know this, but it numbs the images that seem to be cemented to my mind's eye. I breathe in and place my hand on Liliana's hip, careful not to wake her. She's so beautiful, her curves mesmerize me just like they always do. Every fiber of my body wants to hold her close to me, but I can't allow myself to hurt her again. Hearing her sob after she lost the baby, our baby is enough to be a nightmare in itself. I move her hair off her shoulder, smelling it, and I let my hand trail from her shoulder down to her hip. She smiles in her sleep, and her mouth moves, forming a word.

"Jace.." She rolls over and goes directly back to sleep.

"I love you, Lili.."

I look at the clock on the wall and see that I have to get up and moving if I want to get to the council meeting on time. I get up, dress, and shave. When I make my way back into our room, I shake Liliana just enough to rouse her from her slumber. I run my thumb across her lips, but she's not really awake. I peck her softly on the lips.

"Go back to sleep, my love."

"Jace.."

"I'll be home soon, okay?"

I pull a pad of paper from my desk and scribble a note for Lili.

Good Morning, beautiful.

Gone to the Conclave for the council meeting.

I love you more than you know.

-Jace

I know that I upset her pretty badly yesterday. That's an understatement. I hate fighting with her, but I'd rather her be safe and angry than kidnapped. I don't think she's weak or that she can't take care of herself, I know how strong she is. However, if she goes out alone, she can easily be overpowered and taken.

When I get to the council room, I look around at each of the guild representatives. I need to go around to each of the guilds and speak with each of the paruns and champions. Thinking that I may start that within the next week, and take my place at the table next to the Selesnyan guildmage. Emmara would be the representative, but Trostani has her running ragged between the guilds. We haven't really spoken since before the Garruk incident, since Lili and I have come out into the open with our relationship.

Anyways, maybe Lili and I can take a few weeks and go to each of the guilds. I know we need to talk about what's going on with us right now, what happened with the baby, what I saw in the maze, and what exactly happened while she was locked in that room. I can't bear to burden her any more than she already is, I've heard the helplessness in her thoughts. I know that she's hurting over losing her child, our child. If I had been quicker, it might not have happened. I shake the thought.

"It is time for me to bridge the gap between the guilds. While I do keep the peace now, we need to begin to work together so that Ravnica can thrive and not just exist. We can no longer let events come to pass like what has happened in the past three weeks. There will be rules and consequences that each guild will help draft. The terms and conditions of this pen and paper agreement are up for discussion but the agreement itself is not. I cannot continue to pull every side of my life apart for the sake of the city. I love this city, it is my home, and I wish to see it returned to its former glory very much. However, there is another issue that must be addressed. Let me make this clear as I possibly can. Liliana Vess is not your bargaining chip. She is my fiancée and I expect to have her treated with respect, and not as a pawn in your plans. Events that have come to pass in the past few weeks and month cannot be allowed to happen again. Garruk was contracted by the Dimir, because they knew that he would ravish this city looking for her. The tenth guild, again, kidnapped her. This will not happen any longer."

Teysa raises her hand, I acknowledge her.

"Jace, I think that this is a good idea, having an agreement on pen and paper. However, I think that you, as guildpact have overstepped your boundaries. You cannot go around kicking swords through representatives, no matter what they have said to you. I'm not saying that the brute didn't deserve it, but you stepped out of line. You, as our leader, have to be the guildpact and Liliana's fiancé separately. You have to leave yours and Lili's life in the door when you step over that threshold. I agree that the events that have come to pass in the past few months should have never happened."

I give Teysa an incredulous, indignant look. We've always been friends. Surely she saw and heard what was going on, what Domri had said about Lili. I clear my throat.

"Be that as it may, I plan going to each of the paruns of all ten guilds, including the Dimir. They can't be allowed not attend council meetings anymore. We have to work together if we want to be prosperous once more."

Teysa raises her hand again.

"Jace, I think you are the best person to lead Ravnica. I was part of drafting the original guildpact, and I think this well keep those who wish to cause trouble in Ravnica at least a little at bay. If I can say something, though."

"Of course, Teysa."

"Jace has given up so much to keep Ravnica together. The least you brutes can do is to leave the man's wife out of this."

Exava speaks.

"All this talk of piece and a constitution of sorts, but what are we to do with you, Beleren, when you so obviously favor the mad dragon and the Warleader? This contract is not going to be fair and you know it!"

"That is the point of me going to the paruns, Exava. No one guild will be favored over any of the others."

"Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it, Beleren."

She gets up and walks out and I adjourn the rest of the meeting.

I step out of the room and nod at Gideon and Ral. They approach me.

"How're things, Jace? We've seen neither hide nor hair of Liliana since the attack."

"She's rather upset with me at present, if you must know."

"Because of you sending the scouts after her yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Did you expect any different, Jace?"

"No, but I at least expected her to understand my reasoning."

"How'd that go?"

"Not too well, if I'm being honest with myself. She told me if I wanted her to leave then to not leave a note today."

Gideon lets out a low whistle and I grimace.

"Yeah. My thoughts exactly."

I say this as I walk toward the guildhall and purchase myself a drink. Gideon and Ral do likewise and we sit. I really don't want to go home and face Lili. I know that we have some talking to do and I'd like to postpone that as long as I possibly can.

"Why haven't you tried to talk to her?"

"Because after we got home, I couldn't even help her get cleaned up. I couldn't bear to see her in so much pain. And when I read her thoughts, she was thinking about her dead brother and paralleling it between what had while we were in the maze. Her sobbing, it was too much. Liliana doesn't cry, she's never cried in front of me. But she was sobbing, not crying. I can't bear to hurt her more or make this mess even worse."

"That is the most selfish thing to ever come out of your mouth, Beleren."

"I know. I can't though. I just can't. I'm powerless to help her pain and I can't deal with that!"

"Jace, by ignoring her you're making it worse!" Ral says.

"What do you mean?"

"Jace, do you love her?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I love her. She's my heart."

"Then you have to talk to her! By ignoring her, you're making her feel unimportant and like you don't trust her. And when you lose trust, you're completely fucked. The relationship will go to shit, mark my words. Plus, if you haven't addressed the miscarriage, you need to do it now or she's going to start blaming herself, or thinking that you blame her."

"When did you become the relationship guru, Ral?"

"When I decided I wanted to date Emmara."

"What?!"

"Yep, we actually had a relationship whilst you were on Zendikar after Liliana."

"She never told me that!"

"We'll just say it didn't work out. Plus, I'm seeing someone else now."

Ral just smiles. The alcohol that is burning my throat every time it goes down is a reminder that I'm still alive.

"You can't put this off much longer, Jace. I may not know Liliana all that well but she won't take kindly to the way you're acting."

I hate to admit it, but he's right. I say goodbye and begin the trek home. I don't know what I'm going to do, I can't bear to hurt her more than she's already hurting. She can't possibly think that I blame her for losing the baby, do I really come off as that much of an ass?

When I walk through the door, she smiles a little smile as she's making lunch. By the Eternities, she is beautiful. I walk over to her and give her a soft peck on the cheek, then kissing her lips tenderly.

"We need to talk, Jace."

"I can't, Liliana. Not right now."

So much for being a man, she called me the correct name last night. I'm acting like a coward. I turn toward my study.

There I go again, making a fool out of myself whilst hurting the only person that I love.

There's an indignant look on her face when I call her Liliana instead of Lili or sweetheart.

"I'll be in my study drafting the constitution for the guilds. Knock if you need me."

"Jace, please don't run from this, don't run from us. Please. This is me shelving my pride and literally begging you to open up to me. Not to be manipulative, but you owe me the truth. No secrets, no lies. Remember?"

The look in her eyes is tearing me apart. Her thoughts are loud and very full of hurt. I can tell she's projecting them so I can hear them, but the thought of physically sitting down and recounting what happened in the maze is too much for me right now. I give her a look that hopefully says that I love her, but I can't do it.

"Not right now, Liliana. I can't."

"To take the words from your mouth, After everything we've been through, I don't even merit the truth from you?"

"Jace! I was carrying your child. We can't pretend this didn't happen. I understand that you're hurting. I don't know what you saw, I don't know what they did to your mind."

"Liliana! Do you think I don't know? Stop pushing me! Your relentless nagging is not helping either one of us!"

"Jace! Why are you doing this to me? To us!"

"What part of stop is so difficult for you to comprehend? Liliana, I can't!"

"You won't Jace Rahl. Don't play me for a fool."

"Lili, please. Don't. If you love me and value my sanity, please. Don't."

She nods and drops her head.

When I get in my study, I lock the door. It is not long before I hear a knocking at the door.

"Jace Beleren, you owe me the truth. Please don't shut me out!. A marriage can't be built on a foundation of half-truths and mistrust."

I sink to the floor by the door. I can feel a lump forming in my throat and my eyes begin to sting. Ral's words echo in my brain, and I know he's right, but I don't know what to do or how to do it. I hear yet another sob wrack Liliana's body.

"I give up, Jace. If you want to forget what happened, fine. If you want to negate the existence of a part of us, then fine. I can't make you care."

I put one thought in her head.

I'm so sorry, sweetheart.