Apologies in advance...

Death wasn't supposed to feel this good. Something soft tickled her nose, and painlessly her eyes fluttered open to see clear blue. Strange. The last thing she remembered was being in the clearing behind the castle, and you couldn't see the sky through the thicket of trees.

The clearing… Something tugged at her memory, but the ground was so soft and the warm sun felt incredible against her bare arms. With a start, she realized the clothes she wore were not her own. She definitely did not own any white dresses in this flimsy, silky material. She didn't even remember dressing in white. Hadn't she worn yellow that morning…?

Her head was beginning to ache. She didn't want to focus on what she had been doing outside in the middle of the day when she should have been working. Her present condition was so much nicer. She was lying in a grassy field, surrounded by flowers. Slowly, she sat up. She didn't recognize the plants around her, but collectively they smelled like Cair Paravel's gardens, only more nostalgic. Even stranger. She could smell the roses from her childhood home's grounds, which her mother had planted and had tended to until the day she had died. There were no roses in Cair Paravel. She ran a hand through her hair in bewilderment. Her brain was foggy. Blinking, she turned to glance behind her, almost absently.

Aslan was looking at her.

"Hello, Liana," his voice was soft and loud all at the same time. Liana turned to face him immediately, but other than that she couldn't move. Her mouth was hanging open. A part of her wondered if she was hallucinating, but Aslan seemed to read her mind. He chuckled. "This is a dream, child, but not an unreal one. You have been gravely injured, and I felt that now was the right time to have this conversation with you."

She wondered if she could talk. Should she talk? Aslan's words did not seem to be registering in her mind. Was she dreaming or hallucinating? She didn't feel like she was in an alien place, and yet this was not Narnia. No doubt he knew her thoughts; he seemed to be faintly amused by her reactions. Slowly, Liana sat up and blinked again a few times, as if batting her eyelids would make the scene in front of her change. When it didn't, she asked the first question that popped into her mind. "Am I dead?"

Aslan lay down on the ground next to her and Liana automatically reached forward to tangle her fingers into his mane. The gesture was reflexive, and Aslan didn't seem to mind. "No, child," he sighed. "You are not dead, but death is an option for you."

Feeling more confused than ever, Liana rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "Death is never an option," she sighed.

"It is, more often than we can imagine. You are a brave woman, Liana, but you fear love. Do you know why?"

What a strange conversation to be having with Aslan, the Great Lion, in the middle of an unknown field. Liana felt like laughing, despite the seriousness of his question. She forced herself to keep a straight face. "No."

Aslan turned to look at her. Liana resisted the urge to avert her gaze. She felt like he could see into her very soul, right through her sudden fit of silliness so he could read her darkest secrets like a faintly interesting book. "Because you have never been unconditionally loved by anyone," in contrast to his look, his voice was kind. "Edmund can give you that love, yet you never answered him today."

Liana broke his gaze, turning her eyes down. She now remembered why she had been in the clearing. Edmund had taken her there, and he had told her he loved her. She hadn't answered him, too shocked for words. She didn't know if it was because of her shock or if he was hurt that she had kept silent, but he had left.

And she had let him go.

She bit her lip. "It was cowardly."

"There was fear in you, child, but not cowardice. Look up, Liana," she obeyed reluctantly. Aslan's tone was firm. "Fear and cowardice are different things."

She nodded, subdued. "But why am I here, Aslan, if I am not dead?"

She felt him shudder under her hand, but she wasn't sure if that was her trembling. She focused on his words. "I am going to entrust you with something, child. It is not your time yet, but it can be."

Despite the warm feeling that was coursing through her at being made to feel so important, she was still utterly lost. "I don't understand," she winced. "I-I am sorry."

"No, child, it is I who am sorry," Aslan sighed again. "Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy are not Narnians. You know this story. They came from another land in another world, long ago, to bring peace to Narnia. They have achieved that and it is time for them to return to where they belong."

Liana blinked. "Return?"

"They need to go back home."

"You mean they need to leave?"

Aslan's eyes were sad as they surveyed her. "Yes, child. He will leave you soon."

Liana drew her hand away from him, cradling it as if she had been burned. Tears blurred her vision and her lips trembled, but they were automatic reactions. She couldn't feel anything except confusion. She looked up at Aslan, feeling lost. "What is happening to me?"

"This is Aslan's country, for those that have passed on. You have not, and your body cannot adjust here," Aslan stood up and nudged her hand. "Come. We have much to discuss."

Liana scrambled to her feet, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand quickly. She followed him a short distance away, barely taking in the gorgeous scenery. She felt light-headed. "I still don't understand."

"The bond between you and Edmund was not supposed to happen," said Aslan quietly. "I did not want to make their absence harder than necessary, but he loves you and he will be devastated at your loss, as you will be at his. You have a choice before you, child, and not much time to decide," Aslan stopped walking and Liana halted next to him. "You can choose to leave Narnia, your home, your family, and Edmund, right at this moment. Your soul will be transported, and you will wait for him to someday join you. You will feel no loss and no pain, and time will pass faster than you can imagine. However, there is no guarantee that he will come to you, and for Edmund every waking minute without you will be painful. He will forever mourn your loss, but you will be able to live without him."

Liana gulped. "What other option do I have?"

"You can return," Aslan's gaze was steely. "You will fall back asleep and wake up in your injured body. You will be healed, and you will be with Edmund until he leaves Narnia. But he will leave, and he will forget you. You will spend the rest of your life heartbroken and alone. However, your bravery will be rewarded: you will one day awaken here, with Edmund by your side, as if no time has passed."

Liana sank down onto the soft grass, clutching her head, though she felt no pain. Her tears continued to fall, and she felt Aslan sit down next to her. She buried her face into his mane and sobbed, heartbroken but unable to feel so. She felt hollow. Edmund had told her he loved her, and she was sure she loved him. She wanted to be with him forever, and he wanted it too. It was all coming crashing down on her now, except for the injuries Aslan mentioned. She couldn't remember being hurt, but that was the least of her worries.

"Can I make him stay?" she finally choked out. "Can I go with him? Don't make me live without him, please."

"I am afraid there is no option of that kind. Decide, child," his voice was a murmur. "I cannot keep you here for long, or else you will not be able to go back. What is it that you want?"

Liana sat up, wiping her eyes. She gave a small, bitter smile. "I do not know the difference between fear and cowardice, Aslan. Isn't it obvious what I want?"