"Liana!" Mr. Tumnus tumbled over his own hooves as he ran at full speed towards the healer. Liana swore as she dropped a crystal vial in her surprise, but quickly masked her expression when she saw the fawn's face.

"What happened?" automatically, she grabbed her sash from when she had hung it on the back of a chair and followed the fawn out of the healing chambers. She passed Lucy and hurriedly called out, "Handle the patients, little Queen, I will return shortly!"

"I am so glad you didn't tell Lucy," panted Tumnus. Liana gave him a look. He gestured his hands in the air helplessly. "He can barely speak and all he kept saying was to find you, so the High King assumed-"

"Tumnus, who are you talking about?"

"King Edmund!" Tumnus looked surprised when her face paled. "Well, surely you knew he was going out with a hunting party to check the legends of the manticore in the caves?"

Liana shook her head, but sped up nonetheless. She made sure her voice wasn't shaking when she spoke next. "He was supposed to have taken a healer with him."

"We thought he had come to you."

"He didn't."

Tumnus wisely didn't say more, leaving Liana in thought. Her pulse was racing, she could feel sweat forming on her brow and her hands were shaking as she fumbled with her sash, trying to knot it into place. She was worried sick and she couldn't understand why. She had nursed all the royals at one point or another. She was good at what she did, and taking Lucy under her wing had been a wise move. She had power, she was respected, and most of all she was now the best. Edmund's injury shouldn't make her so afraid. She was handled worse, she was sure.

Steeling herself against all negative thoughts, she followed Tumnus at a brisker pace. He led Liana past a row of several guards, and the further they went into the palace, the more Liana realized where she was going. "Tumnus, where are you taking me?"

"Into Edmund's chambers."

Liana started. He must be severely injured if he was letting her in. "That is highly unethical. I shouldn't even be here. Surely they can-"

"Liana!" the familiar voice made her halt in her tracks. She hurriedly bobbed a curtsey to High King Peter, who stood a few paces away from her. His face was deathly pale.

She tried to speak. "Your Grace, I-"

"Please, Liana," the king's voice was breathless. He grasped her hand and squeezed it. "I know you would never do this, but please just look in on him. The soldiers say the manticore horn pierced him through the shoulder, but he won't let Lucy's cordial be summoned because he's the one who gave orders that it must only be used for battles. He says you can fix him."

Liana bit her lip, but didn't argue. Peter stepped back from the door and opened it, ushering her in. He closed it behind her. Liana took a deep breath before fixing her horror-struck expression and turning around.

The room was large, but not ostentatious. The tapestries were neutral and the carpet was the same crimson in all the royal rooms. She barely had time to examine it properly. A shaky, but unmistakable voice called out from the large bed in the corner.

"Peter, if you're here to tell me to-"

"It's not Peter," Liana interjected. She didn't wait for a response. In a few quick strides she was next to the bed ad pulling back the drapes. She winced when she saw his condition.

Edmund's hair was plastered to his forehead, and his eyes were squeezed shut, obviously in pain. There was a massive red stain on his bedclothes that was steadily getting worse; he obviously had not let anyone touch him. Liana brushed his hair out of his eyes and offered him a small smile when he opened them. "Hello."

"Hi," Edmund winced as he tried to sit up. Immediately, Liana pushed him back. He glared at her. She glared back.

"If you had the audacity to summon me here, King Edmund, you had better do exactly as I say."

"Isn't there a law against you giving me orders?" he asked.

Liana's lips twitched; she ignored the urge to smile and untied her sash, laying it out on Edmund's side-table. Her hands had steadied. "Those laws cease to mean anything when I'm saving your life. Tell me where it hurts."

For a while, Edmund complied with her every wish. Peacefully, Liana removed his shirt and prepared herself to go through her normal routine without incident. Unfortunately, as soon as she removed the haphazard bandages, she knew that something was wrong.

"Your expression is far from reassuring," said Edmund dryly. Liana tried to smile through clenched teeth. She admired his ability to retain his sense of humor even through fatal circumstances, but currently she wished nothing more than for him to be quiet.

With great effort, she laughed a little and swatted him with a rag playfully. "I fear for my modesty."

"I'm the one naked from the waist up, not you," Edmund rolled his eyes. Liana managed another painful smile and left his side to ask Peter if he could send someone to bring her a surgical kit. When she returned to the room, Edmund was looking at her shrewdly.

"What do you think you're doing, Liana?" he asked evenly.

Liana ignored him and checked the wound again. The edges were turning white; a typical sign of manticore poison that was spreading. She bit her lip. "Edmund, how do you feel about knives?"

"They're despicable."

"That's not the best perspective," she sighed

"Why?" he seemed oddly calm.

"Because there's a half a manticore horn inside you."

Edmund blinked. "That's unfortunate."

Liana waited for him to say more. He didn't. "I will have to perform surgery and remove it," again, he didn't speak. "It will be painful," not even a wince. "Edmund?"

He looked up at her in bewilderment. "What?"

"You're not going to try and stop me?"

"What? You mean you are going to do it?"

Liana stopped her pacing and gave him an incredulous look which she quickly masked with a cold glare. "If you prefer, I can summon someone else," she flicked her hair out of her eyes and surveyed him challengingly. "But you won't find a healer in Narnia who can do a better job than I."

Edmund snorted. "No one is cutting into me except you, Liana. Don't be defensive, it doesn't suit you."

"Why would you trust me to do that?" asked Liana, genuinely curious as she checked his pulse. It was abnormally fast; he was getting feverish.

Edmund groaned and shifted so he was once again lying on his back. He offered her a grim smile. "Let's face it, Liana. What would you do without me?"