Another short one, but the fun is really starting now! Three guesses who did 'it'. First one to guess gets a free hug from your favorite Narnian! (that's right, Reepicheep).

"Good evening," Liana's voice was robotic as she waved her hand towards one of the fawns who had just approached. "Bring me some bandages for the High King, and give this to the lady in bed five, she has had a tooth-ache for two days," she held out a vial of green liquid.

"Yes, Healer Liana," the fawn hurried away to fulfill orders.

"So sorry to trouble you, Liana," Peter winced as he swung his legs onto the bed closest to her. "Susan insisted I get this checked."

"Oh, its no trouble," Liana shut the cabinet she had been rummaging through and proceeded to line up a number of vials on the counter below it. Without turning around to face Peter, she tapped the bedside table closest to him. "There should be a flask of pain-reliever in here, go ahead and have some. Your cut seems quite deep."

"It looks worse than it is," Peter was surprised she had seen his injury before even turning around, but waved away her concern. "I didn't want to inconvenience you. I just need a draught or two and I'll be right as rain."

"Is this from a duel?" Liana continued speaking as if she hadn't heard him, but she still didn't turn around. Her hands never stopped moving.

Peter uncorked the small flask he had found in the drawer of the table and took a swig from it, making a face at the taste. "Oh, it was a friendly duel with Edmund, nothing more."

Her hands paused their meticulous work for a second when she heard his name. Peter noticed, and smiled. "King Edmund is quite skilled."

"I'll admit to that," said Peter lightheartedly as he tossed the flask into the air, catching it with his good hand. "I'm not a sore loser."

Liana laughed. "I should call you anything but a sore loser, Your Highness."

"Thank you," Peter strained his neck to get a look at her. "Are you quite all right?"

"Very well, thank you," she still hadn't turned around. "Tell me when the pain dulls, please. So you and King Edmund were having a friendly competition, was it?"

"Oh, yes," Peter leaned back against the pillows. "He was mouthing off about how he hadn't had a good duel in ages, so I thought I should give him a run for his money."

"And did you?" he could almost hear the smile in her voice as she opened the cupboard again and began to place the small bottles back onto the shelves, one by one.

"I tried," Peter laughed. "I suppose one must give Ed credit where it is due; he is undeniably good."

"I suppose he is," she conceded. "Though I would have bet on you winning."

Peter grinned. "Incredibly diplomatic of you, Liana."

"One does not survive so long in the presence of kings and queens without learning a thing or two," Liana plucked another bottle from inside the cupboard. "Your pain should have dulled by now, King Peter."

"Your charming conversation seems to have distracted me."

"Very good, Your Highness. You almost made me forget that now you have to drink this," she put the bottle down on the table. "Hurry up now, this will tell us many things."

"Nothing bad, I hope?" asked Peter, tilting his head back and downing the contents of the bottle hurriedly. Surprisingly, it didn't taste bad.

Liana snorted. "Is it just my imagination or do you fear stitches and needles almost as much as Edmund does?"

Peter winced. "Guilty."

"Never fear. This won't take a moment. I'll just summon a faun."

"You won't do it?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, I just have to get these draughts organized and I find that I simply cannot spare the time to-"

"Healer Liana, please attend to the High King at once!" it was Lias. He came tripping over towards Peter and immediately began apologizing profusely for the delay.

Peter shrugged it off. "I quite understand if Liana is busy, Lias. I even said-"

"Busy?" Lias looked from Peter to Liana's back in confusion. "The child has been doing nothing all day except organizing those vials, which she herself did only yesterday. I do believe I haven't even seen her face since she walked in. Healer Liana, kindly do your duty to our royal family!"

"I can manage this, Lias," her voice was quiet, devoid of its usual sharpness. Peter blinked. Liana didn't normally ignore such pointed criticism. However, her change in attitude suited Lias just fine, who trotted away in a huff. Utterly confused, Peter looked at her back in confusion. Liana put down the vial she had been fiddling with and turned around.

Peter stood up from the bed in horror. "Liana, what-" he began but Liana held up a finger to silence him. Her eyes, rimmed black by the bruises she had acquired, begged him to remain silent. Her hair was messily strewn across her shoulders. It probably hid her face from passers-by, especially if she had spent the whole day with her head poking inside a cupboard, but the effect was ghastly. There was an ugly hand-print on her right cheek; she had obviously been struck, that too by someone quite strong. With a sinking heart, Peter saw that the hand she now held up had an ugly blue welt marked on her wrist.

"King Peter, I beseech you," her voice was barely a whisper. "Give me your word of honor that you will never tell anyone what you have seen."

"Liana, I cannot," Peter reached forward to touch her arm. She winced, and he realized she probably had bruises there as well. "Who has done this? You must tell me."

"I can't," her voice cracked.

"This cannot and will not go unpunished."

Liana shook her head. "You don't understand."

"I may understand if you tell me," insisted Peter. "Please, Liana, let me be a friend to you."

Her eyes bore into his relentlessly. After a few seconds, she looked away. "I will heal your arm now," her voice was a quiet murmur. "But I cannot tell you. Not here."

Peter held his tongue, but as soon as Liana cut the bandage that she had wrapped around his arm, he firmly grasped her elbow and led her out of the Houses of Healing.