"How did I ever let you talk me into this?"

"Because we're friends and I care for your mental health."

"My mental health is perfect, Ronas."

The nobleman opposite him rolled his eyes and held up his mug of mead. "You need to live, Edmund. You're the only king probably in history who chooses to spend his free days in his solar instead of out here."

"Because here is loud and crowded," Edmund scowled and nursed his own mug of mead. "I can't believe-"

"Stop talking and try to enjoy yourself," interrupted Ronas. He took a gulp of mead and smiled lopsidedly at his friend. "The barmaid is eyeing you."

Edmund groaned and buried his face in his hands. "The barmaid?"

"Actually, I just come out and help wait on customers when its rush hour," the familiar voice made him want to bang his head against the stone wall. "Though I suppose being called a barmaid should be flattering; healers don't often get such attention."

"Healer Liana!" Ronus wanted to fall to the floor and die; Edmund could sense it. He couldn't wait to tell Lucy; she loved to annoy Ronas about his lack of propriety. "I do apologize, I didn't-"

"Stop speaking, Ronas, the amount of times I've had to be summoned to your chambers after some woman has thrown something at you, I would expect nothing less," interrupted Liana. Edmund felt her tap him on the shoulder. He refused to move from where he had buried his face into his folded arms on the table. "Oh my, he does seem miserable."

"He doesn't agree with my methods of entertainment."

"I can't imagine why."

"Thank you!" Ronus sounded triumphant.

Edmund snorted. "She's making fun of you, Ronus," he raised his face and met Liana's amused gaze. "It's what she does best."

"Aren't you a charmer?" murmured Liana, more to herself than him. She raised her eyebrows at his questioning stare. "How's your battle wound, King Edmund?"

"What wound?" asked Ronus curiously.

Edmund didn't look away from Liana and waved his hand at his friend's concern. "I would hardly call it a wound. Perhaps a scratch," he broke her gaze and took a gulp of mead. He would need it to deal with Liana. "The blade wasn't very sharp."

"I seem to recall it being incredibly sharp."

"I beg to differ."

"What do you know of begging?" for the first time, he detected a hint of bitterness in her tone.

This wasn't right. Liana made him want to tear his hair out and batter logs with an axe until his muscles screamed in protest. She made him want to set a room on fire and throw her inside just so he could be the one to save her. She made him want to go to war, lose a limb and have her nurse him back to health. He didn't want to feel sorry for her.

He chose not to answer her question and took a gulp of mead. Liana obviously didn't need any encouragement and resumed talking, though the strange bitterness was gone now.

"Of all the taverns in Narnia, you choose this one?"

"It was his idea," like an annoyed child, Edmund pointed to his friend, only to find that Ronas had disappeared. He frowned. "Where did he go?"

"He has friends here, Edmund. He's here almost every night."

"How do you know that?"

"I live here."

Edmund frowned and swiped Ronas's abandoned mug of mead. He took a gulp and looked at Liana in confusion. "Healer's receive houses. Cottages. We approved them a year after the coronation."

Liana smiled. "I know."

Edmund waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he finally asked, "Why don't you live there?"

"Because this tavern is in the village, where my sister-in-law lives," her hands absently tapped out a tune on the table-top. "She does not know I am here, because her home is small and my brother is away. So I visit her whenever I can, and its easier to manage when I live close by."

She stopped talking suddenly. The crowd was getting rowdy; apparently a haggling match seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. Someone bumped into Liana on his way towards the thick of the disturbance and she winced, wisely choosing to slide into the booth opposite Edmund. He didn't comment and twirled the mug absently between his fingers. His head felt heavy; Narnian mead was incredibly strong and he rarely had it, though he couldn't remember the reason anymore.

"Edmund?" it was Liana. He turned to look at her and the room spun. Her forehead was creased with worry. "You don't look very well."

He snorted. "I'm well aware of how you think I look, Liana. Forgive me if I don't care for my ego to be further bruised tonight."

Liana frowned. "Edmund, I'm serious. I think you should-"

"Leave? Where? Back to that lavish palace that you obviously detest me for living in?" he suppressed the urge to snort again and grabbed Ronus's mug, downing it in one gulp. "Save it, Liana. I don't enjoy being insulted."

Her frown deepened. "You're drunk."

"Yes, funny how I always seem to end up drunk when you're around."

"I have nothing to do with your low tolerance for alcohol."

"Your presence is intoxicating enough."

Liana didn't answer and merely reached over, grabbing his wrist and checking his pulse. Edmund wrenched his arm away and gave her an incredulous look. Her eyes narrowed. "I don't know how you got drunk on that amount of mead, but you did. I don't want a repeat of the Spring Gala, Edmund. Go home."

Edmund smiled lopsidedly. Liana's severe expression faltered; for a second, it looked like she would smile back. Sometimes he forgot that she wasn't much older than him. At the Gala last year, she had barely been nineteen, while he had just turned twenty. She had as many responsibilities as him, perhaps more. But she was still more a girl and less a woman but, he noticed with some surprise, she was definitely getting there.

Liana noticed where his gaze was going and slapped his arm. "Watch your eyes."

Edmund winced and rubbed his arm. "Sometimes I wonder why I don't treat you like the rest of them," he made a face at her and almost succeeded in dropping his mug onto the floor. He managed to steady it just in time and looked up with a sheepish grin to see Liana fighting hard to control her smile.

She raised an eyebrow at his statement, eyes still sparkling with amusement. "Like the rest of them, King Edmund?"

"All those other women," he gestured with his hands idly. "The ones Peter thinks I like."

"You mean the ones who stroll with you in the grounds every Sunday."

"Have you been watching us, then?"

"Not at all. You just almost always reduce one to tears and more often than not push another into the lake and I have to be summoned to soothe hysterical maidens."

Edmund burst out laughing. "No wonder you dislike me so much!"

Liana frowned. "I don't-" she was interrupted by her landlord, the owner of the tavern, who had pushed his way towards their table and suddenly demanded all of her attention. "Yes?"

"Healer, I am afraid we have a problem," the portly man twisted his hands nervously as he glanced from her to her companion. Liana gave him an encouraging smile and he continued, "I'm afraid one of the men from out of the village offered my boys a great deal of money for a room, and in their greed the boys gave him yours. Now the man is dead asleep up there and we can't begin to move him because of all this ruckus," he gestured helplessly to the gambling party. "My dear, could you-"

"She will stay at the palace," interrupted Edmund joyfully. Liana gave him a look, which he returned with a wink. "Don't worry, Master, she'll be well looked after. See that my friend there gets my bill!" he gestured to Ronas, who was obviously chatting up the real barmaid. Liana shrugged helplessly to her landlord, who merely bowed to Edmund and scurried away, obviously too overwhelmed to argue.

"I do not have to stay at the palace, Edmund, I can stay at my brother's home," Liana didn't move from her seat and smiled slightly. "It was very nice of you to offer, but-"

"Nonsense," Edmund stood up and felt around for his sword. Satisfied that he was still wearing it, he held out his arm for Liana. "Lucy will enjoy your company."

Liana stood up and took his arm. Her touch was much gentler than normal; compared to the last time, when she had held a knife to his throat, this was practically a caress. Edmund noticed, realized that she was practically carrying all of his weight instead of the other way around, and tried to resist. A bout of dizziness followed, making Liana hit him upside the head and by the time that dizziness had cleared, he was already astride Philip, with Liana sitting behind him, gripping his waist.