I'm making up for my absence now, I hope. More fluff in this chapter, but a plot twist will follow soon enough. Stay tuned and thank you for the lovely words of encouragement :)

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"

"Yes, several times."

"I can't say it enough."

"Clearly. You feel the need to repeat yourself every five minutes."

"You're beautiful."

Liana rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Edmund."

He laughed loudly. "Obviously you have no patience for my compliments."

"I have enough patience for your compliments, just not enough for you," she gave him a look and returned to sharpening her dagger carefully with a whetstone.

"Why?"

"Today you seem insufferable."

Edmund chuckled. "Has it already come to that, Healer Liana?"

"I'm afraid so, King Edmund. You're just too…" she trailed off and shrugged, putting the stone to one side. "Well, it may take me some time to come up with a suitable word to describe your particularly irksome quality."

"Irksome quality?" Edmund raised his eyebrows and got up from his seat opposite her. Liana did as well, only to turn away so she could return the tools she had picked up to their respective shelves. Edmund followed her. "What quality is this?"

"If I could describe it, I'd have told you by now," replied Liana. As she tucked the whetstone into its place, she slipped her dagger back into the folds of her dress.

Edmund eyed it warily. "You carry that around with you all the time?"

"Most days," she turned to face him. They were standing slightly closer than normal, but not close enough to be inappropriate. "You never know when someone will harass an unmarried, seemingly unarmed woman."

"You forgot to add 'exceptionally beautiful'."

"I didn't forget. I knew you'd say it yourself."

"Will my compliments induce you to part with your weapon?"

"Hardly. There are few things that would make me do such a foolish thing."

Edmund laughed. Liana allowed herself a smile before folding her arms across her chest and raising her eyebrows up at him. He grinned devilishly at her stare. "May I help you?"

"You're standing awfully close to me."

"I'm aware of that."

"Men don't stand this close to women unless they have a purpose."

"A purpose?" his voice was all innocence. Liana felt like rolling her eyes at the charade. "I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you don't," she rolled her eyes this time. "Back away, Edmund. I have to go back to the Houses now."

"You spent your free hour in the armory polishing a dagger that is already sharp enough to cut through glass and now you want to leave?"

"I got what I came for. Mostly," the last word she added under her breath, scowling at the ground. Edmund couldn't help but smile as he tilted her face up with his fingers. She was annoyed, but there was no longer any teasing in his expression when he looked at her.

"You shouldn't leave until you have all that you came for," he murmured, closing the distance between their lips. Liana's arms stayed by her side, but her lips parted for his willingly enough. Edmund required no more. He coaxed her head back, cushioning it against the hard wood of the wall with his hand. Her hair was soft and in its usual wavy mess, but spilled through the gaps in his fingers like silk. His lips skimmed her jaw line and he felt one of her hands tug at his own, entwining their fingers together. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and fluttered close when he raised his face to her level, kissing her again gently. He raised their joint hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to each of her fingers, perfectly resting between each of his own. When he looked back at her, her eyes were open, but they looked sad.

"What's wrong?" his voice was still quiet, though not a whisper.

Liana blinked, not realizing she had given away her true feelings. It took her all of five seconds to realize she couldn't lie to Edmund, and so she sighed and squeezed his hand. "You leave tomorrow morning."

"For two weeks. It is not a long time," he frowned. "Does it bother you?"

"A little."

"I wish it didn't."

"It's alright. I know you've been looking forward to this hunt for a long time."

"The white stag is prized game but if I there was any way I could avoid staying away for so long, you know I would," he kissed her forehead softly. "If there was any way I could avoid staying away from you for so long…" he trailed off and sighed, lips still pressed against her skin. "I won't be able to sleep."

"You won't?"

"I see you every night at dinner. I fear your company has become a habit."

Liana smiled and pushed him away. He looked surprised, but she merely shook her head. "You will be fine and you will be safe. Don't worry for me, King Edmund. I will manage on my own."

"I know," he sighed, but a smile tugged at his lips. "You'll be glad of the breathing space away from me, I suppose?"

Liana couldn't help but laugh. "Ask me when you're back and I'll agree whole-heartedly; for now, I'm afraid I may miss you too much."

"More than is appropriate?" Edmund raised his eyebrows in mock-astonishment; his eyes twinkled. "You shock me."

"I don't care right now," her hands crept up his chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You don't have to be somewhere terribly important at this hour?"

"Nowhere could be more important than this."

"Good," she pressed a kiss to his smiling lips and sighed with contentment as his arm locked around her waist, holding her against him. She rested her head against his chest and playfully tugged at the locks of hair at the base of his neck. "I miss you already."

Edmund used his free hand to rub against her arm comfortingly. "I'll miss you more than I can say, Liana."

"You're spoilt. You've never been away from me for more than a day. This will be good for you, and perhaps for the both of us as well."

Edmund snorted. "Do you really believe that?"

"Of course not, but one of us has to be optimistic."

"Oh, I'm very optimistic that my welcome will be just what I deserve," the degree of playfulness and teasing behind his suggestive comment made Liana pinch his arm soundly. He swatted her hand away laughingly, and then his voice turned serious. "I have to tell you something I've done and I hope you'll understand my motives."

Liana snorted. "Take care, King Edmund, I don't want to suspect you guilty of treason."

"Its not that," he stroked her hair. "I've asked Lyra to keep guard outside your room while I'm away."

Liana raised her face to meet his gaze and blinked with surprise. "Won't you take her with you?"

"Not on a hunt. I'll have Philip and Orius, which is more than I need. I don't want to leave you here alone."

"The castle is full of people, Edmund."

"I don't trust half of them, Liana. The wing will be completely empty for two weeks at night. Please, let me do this, for my peace of mind if nothing else."

Liana sighed. "You're paranoid. Nothing will happen to me."

Edmund smiled grimly and raised a hand to touch her temple. Her bruise had healed, but the faintest hint of a scar still lingered near her eye. Liana realized what he was referring to. "You weren't safe in your own home, Liana. I don't want to risk anything."

"You make me sound like a magnet for trouble," she tried to keep her tone lighthearted. His eyes were dark and his hands had curled into fists; she could sense the rage emitting from him. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"No, you're not," he acceded. Smirking a little, he gave her another, chaste kiss. "Stop trying to distract me."

"Stop getting angry."

"I'm trying."

"I know," Liana gave him one last hug before pulling back. "I really have to go now."

"I know," he smiled and let go of all of her but one hand. "I just don't want you to."

"Stop it, Edmund."

"Sorry," he let go of her hand and back away. "I'll let you go now, I promise."

Liana raised her eyebrow and started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back before she had even taken two steps. She laughed. "Edmund!"

"I let you go but I didn't want you to walk away!" he persisted. His smile was crooked as he grabbed her hand and held it to his lips. "Will I see you before I leave?"

"You leave at first light and I am in the Houses until sunrise," she gently extracted her hand from his grip and gave him a small smile. "You might run into me."

"I shall try to," he continued smiling at her and Liana couldn't bring herself to walk away. He chuckled. "You said you had to go."

"Oh. Yes," she blinked and turned around. She felt dazed. Shaking her head a little, she wrapped her arms around herself and began to make her way towards the exit. Halfway there, she heard Edmund call her back.

"You forgot this," out of nowhere, her dagger was tossed into the air. Reflexively, Liana caught it before it hit the ground. Edmund laughed. "Apparently, there are ways to get you to part with your weapon."

Liana shook her head smilingly and slipped the dagger back into its hiding-place. "I will see you tomorrow, King Edmund."

"I am counting the seconds."