I couldn't bear to leave you all hanging for longer than a week. Here we go. A nice long chapter to soothe your souls... Or impoverish them even more?

Liana groaned as the pounding in her head became slowly bearable. She was regaining consciousness, though she couldn't decide if she was grateful for that or not. She was drowsy and her body hurt in all sorts of places. At least, when she had been unconscious and in conversation with Aslan, she hadn't had to bear the pain.

Aslan…

He had told her she was injured. She just hadn't realized how much. Everything hurt. From her toes to the crown of her head, she was in pain. In the back of her mind, she knew how. She remembered every blow, every lash, every cry that had escaped her throat begging for rescue, begging to be spared. Once it became obvious there was no escape she had spat out curses and insults, promising that should she survive, she would kill him, and Edmund would kill him whether she lived or died.

Edmund… The torrent of emotions and memories that followed the thought of his name almost made her collapse again.

"He will leave you soon."

"- he loves you and he will be devastated at your loss-"

"- and he will forget you-"

"You will spend the rest of your life heartbroken and alone."

Forcing those thoughts from her mind, she quickly did a physical examination of herself in her head. She had broken at least three ribs, not more or else breathing would have been quite difficult. Her arm was fractured, or perhaps it was her wrist. Her lip was cut and there was a dull ache in her left shoulder. However, the larger issue was her cracked skull. She estimated that she had about two minutes before the blood loss would make her faint again, and she knew she had to find help before that. With more effort that she had thought herself capable of mustering, she opened her eyes and saw, to her faint relief, the thicket of trees above her. No sky. She was home. There was also no wind, but if she could reach one of the trees, a Dryad would surely help her get back to the castle.

Painstakingly, she stretched out her other arm. Though sore, it was not damaged. She groped behind her and felt the root of a large tree, one that was sure to house at least a nymph. She kept her hand against the soft wood and slowly felt a breeze against her face. Almost immediately, the shimmery spirit was standing in front of her. The leaves that made up her hair were lush and green and tickled Liana's face as the Dryad bent near her head.

"Healer Liana," her voice was sweet, but she sounded horrified. "Who did this to you? Whom shall I summon?"

Liana tried to speak, but found that she lacked the energy. Her head was spinning. Taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with the Dryad and uttered the one word she knew would ensure that she was helped as soon as possible, the only word she could focus on at that moment.

"E-Edmund."

!

Liana's eyes fluttered open. She was lying on something incredibly soft and comfortable. Her brain was even foggier than the first time she had woken, and her heart began to race as she saw the clear blue above her head. Was she back in Aslan's Country? Had she died before someone had helped her?

But I asked to come back home.

"Liana?" It was Lucy's voice. She said her name again softly as her hand gently rested on her forehead. Liana blinked, and the room came into focus. She was lying in a foreign bed, and the canopy was blue, like the sky outside. Lucy was seated in a stuffed armchair next to her, her hair wild and her eyes hopeful. Liana made a mental note to commend her for her excellent bedside manner before she gave her a smile. The young queen's face lit up. "Oh, Edmund! She's awake!"

"Good," the voice that answered her was hoarse. Liana recognized it anywhere. He sounded awful. "You should summon Peter and Susan, Lu."

"Its four o' clock in the morning," frowned Lucy. "Hardly a good time to try and wake up Peter."

"They'll wake up when they find out what's happened."

Lucy was silent for a few moments, her gaze alternating between Edmund, who was looking out the window with his back to the bed, and Liana, whose eyes were fixed on her brother. Realization dawned upon her and without another word she threw Liana a quick smile and ran out of the room.

Immediately, Edmund was by her side. His hand shook as it reached for hers. Liana's squeezed it back and then realized that her wrist didn't hurt. Her eyebrows shot up. Before she could ask him what he had done, he was speaking quietly. "Who did this to you?"

Liana blinked. He was talking about her attacker, but something was wrong. She couldn't remember anything. She remembered the pain and the argument, but the face of the man who had knocked her unconscious was blurry, as if it had been wiped from her memory. The more she thought about it, the worse her headache became. A small whimper of pain escaped her lips as she used her free hand to rub her eyes. Her vision was fading again.

"What's wrong?" his grasp on her hand tightened. "What happened, Liana? What hurts?"

She didn't know how to explain. Her eyes were burning. "My head," she choked. Her voice was hoarse. "My eyes, I don't-"

"Stop talking," Edmund's voice was soothing. "Its alright. You're safe. You're here with me, and you're safe. Open your eyes, Liana. Just look at me, only me. I'm right here."

Liana didn't know what inner power made her obey him, but she did. Painstakingly, she opened her eyes and they focused on Edmund's face. Though her vision was unclear, her racing heart calmed; his familiar features would never confuse her. His hair was a mess, as if he had been running his fingers through it for hours. His eyes were dark, there were circles under them and he looked exhausted. However, the grip on her hand was strong. The rise and fall of Liana's chest slowed, and she finally let her hand fall limply to her side.

Edmund smiled wanly. "Better?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Liana nodded her head slightly. Edmund smiled again and he reached forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "You need rest," he murmured. Liana's eyes widened, and he sensed her fear. He squeezed her hand. "Sleep peacefully. I won't leave you and I have guards everywhere. I will find whoever did this to you, whether you tell me or not." The last part of his sentence was bitter.

Liana felt her throat tighten. "I don't remember," she protested weakly. "I don't remember anything after you left, Edmund."

"Don't try to fool me, Liana. At this point you don't know what I'm capable of." His voice was hard and cold. He had never used that tone with her. She bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears automatically. Edmund noticed, and immediately looked chagrined. As if to apologize for that, she felt him tug on their clasped hands so he could press his lips to her knuckles. He kissed her hands again and again, and she could feel his lips tremble. He kept his head bent over their joint hands. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "You are ill. You don't deserve to be spoken to like that."

Liana tried to be gentle. "But I'm not ill, not at all. I'm fine."

Edmund shook his head and looked up at her. His eyes were bloodshot. "You weren't fine when I found you."

Liana took a deep breath and wiped her eyes, gently extracting her hand from his grasp. "I feel fine," she assured him, and sat up. A wave of dizziness overcame her and she felt Edmund's hand rest upon her shoulders, holding her in place. The dizziness passed and she continued talking, though her voice was shaky. She was rambling. Emotions were coming and going every second, and her head was spinning again. She wanted to crawl up into a ball and cry, and yet she wanted to stare at Edmund again, forever, committing his face to memory. But she couldn't. She couldn't tell him her dream. If it had been merely a dream it was better left unsaid. If it had been real, he could never know. "I shouldn't have worried you so much. It was unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?" Edmund's voice was incredulous. "Liana, when I found you on the forest floor you had a broken wrist, broken ribs, bruises all over you and a cracked skull. You had fainted from blood loss."

Liana's eyes widened. She leaned back against the pillows, pushing her hair away from her face. She winced as she felt the remains of dried blood sticking to her scalp. Lucy had obviously cleaned her up as much as she could, but not enough. Liana twisted her hair to one side and accepted, with some surprise, the hair-tie Edmund offered her, quickly pulling her hair into a braid. Edmund watched her actions silently, and Liana was too preoccupied with his expression to realize that her cracked skull no longer seemed to be an issue. She frowned halfway through the braid and gingerly felt the back of her head with the tips of her fingers. There was no wound. Had she imagined it? "I don't understand. How long have I been asleep?"

"Not more than an hour."

"But then why do I not feel anything?"

He hesitated. "Lucy gave you her cordial."

Liana went pale. It all made sense now: her lack of injuries, the short amount of time she had rested, even the presence of only Lucy and Edmund in the room. "That is illegal."

"I am aware of that."

"Edmund, how could you-"

"Because you were dying," he snapped finally. His eyes were dark with anger and worry and there was a tired look to his face that made Liana's heart ache. "Lucy checked you. Lias said your pulse was too weak to attempt surgery, and you needed blood. You wouldn't wake up, and you were growing cold in my arms, Liana. You were about to die and leave me forever. Explain to me what other alternatives I had."

Liana was quiet. Edmund left her side, his every move displaying his evident frustration. As Liana's eyes followed him, she realized with a start that she was in Edmund's chambers instead of her own. The impropriety of the situation made her blush, but she was relieved he had kept her close. Guilt welled up inside her when she saw that she must have sounded so ungrateful when he had told her about the cordial. She couldn't stand for him to be angry at her, especially not after the realization that every moment spent without him was a moment wasted.

"Edmund?" Her voice was small. He didn't turn around but she knew he was listening. "How did you even manage to give me the cordial?"

"It's Lucy's. She can do what she wants with it."

"But it's in the vaults."

He sighed. "You know the law I made for the usage of the cordial. It was only to be used in times of war for critical patients. But I had to guarantee at least three drops to each of my siblings,, because I had already tasted it once. They've never used theirs, but I have and I know how to take care of myself. The cordial you got was from my share."

Liana felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes. The heartbreak was painfully evident now, an ache in her chest that would probably never go away. She would have to get used to it. "You did that for me?"

"Of course."

She choked back a sob. "I am so, so sorry."

"Don't apologize to me," he still hadn't looked at her. "This wasn't your fault."

"I must have scared you."

"You did."

"Then I'm sorry for that."

"You don't have to be."

"Why won't you look at me?"

Stony silence answered her. Liana sighed and swung her legs out of the bed. She was no longer in the same dress she had worn last night, which was probably a good thing considering she was sure the blood stains on it were numerous. Internally sighing, she held the bedpost for support and hesitantly touched her feet to the ground. After ensuring that dizziness wouldn't creep up on her, she slowly made her way to the window. The sun was rising and Edmund was staring out at it unflinchingly. Liana slipped her hand into his and, ignoring the sudden feeling of faintness, tugged on it until he was facing her.

He was still angry, but his eyes softened when he saw her. "You're not well enough to be trying to take care of me right now," he murmured quietly. "Let me take you back to bed."

"Not until you tell me you're alright," Liana allowed him to envelop her into an embrace, relieved at finally being close to him and the opportunity for extra support for her head. She knew Lucy's cordial was a cure for all injuries, but she hadn't been aware of any side-effects.

"I'm alright as long as you are," said Edmund, pressing his face into her hair. "You scared me, Liana. I thought I was going to lose you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You have to tell me who did this to you."

"I don't remember," she let out a shaky breath. "I remember you leaving the clearing. I sat down on the ground. I was thinking. Someone came up to me and-"

"Who?" Edmund's voice was sharp.

Liana whimpered. "Every time I try to remember, everything hurts," she whispered. "I don't know what's happening to me. I remember it all, Edmund, but I don't remember his face. I swear to you."

"Forgive me, Liana, but our history suggests that you often hide such things from me to spare lives," Edmund drew back so he could look into her eyes. Liana's knees shook at the resolve she saw in them. "I swear to you now, I will find whoever did this to you, with or without your help."

"You think I don't want them to pay?" Liana blinked. "You must think me a saint. I almost died, Edmund. I am a Healer. I knew I was going to die. I want them to feel how I felt," her voice broke. "But I don't remember."

For the first time, she saw a hint of doubt creep into Edmund's eyes. "You really don't recall anything?" he asked finally.

"I promise you, I do not."

"Perhaps its the shock," he mused. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her and absently pressed a kiss to her temple. "I will ask Lias to check you again, once you have rested. Perhaps your memory will return then. Do you not even remember his voice? Was he familiar?"

Liana sighed and rested her head back against his shoulder. "I don't know."

Edmund seemed to realize any mention of the attack was unwelcome to her, and apologetically squeezed her hand. "Of course. Whenever you're ready, we can sit down and talk."

Liana didn't answer, merely murmured, "You'll have to help me back to bed. I feel faint."

"I can carry you."

"Your siblings will be in at any moment."

"Then I had better hurry," a ghost of a smile flickered across his face and Liana gave in, too tired to argue. He gently carried her towards the bed, set her down amongst the pillows and sat himself down in the chair that had been pulled close to her bedside.

Liana frowned. "You're too far."

"Not very far," Edmund almost smiled again as he reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. "Do you need anything?"

"You."

"I'm here."

"You'll disappear at night."

"But this is my room."

"And I am in your bed."

"It would be appalling if I left you here."

"I don't believe you."

Edmund rolled his eyes. "What would you like me to do, get into bed with you so you can hold onto me the whole night?" he asked sarcastically. Liana's eyes widened innocently. Edmund felt like laughing. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I see no reason why you can't tell your siblings that you want to stay here and keep an eye on me tonight."

Edmund shook his head smilingly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Go to sleep, Liana."

"I almost died. Forgive me for having unreasonable requests."

Edmund sighed. "Move over."

Liana complied. Edmund kicked off his shoes, gave her a look and lay down next to her. She promptly rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his middle, effectively trapping him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he gathered her into his arms and pressed his face against her hair. "You don't have to act like I'll run away if you fall asleep."

Liana laughed quietly. "You might."

"I won't leave you."

She felt her heart break. "That's not always in our hands, is it?"

"Don't talk like that."

"It's true," she sighed and turned her face to his. "What if I had died?"

Edmund's eyes darkened. "If you're going to talk about something-"

"I just want to know," her voice was small, but calm. There was a small degree of comfort in knowing that she would never leave him. He would be the one leaving her. "If I left you, what would you do?"

"You're not going to die, Liana."

"Of course I will."

"Not before your time."

"But if I did?"

"I wouldn't let you."

"You'd mourn me forever, wouldn't you?" her voice was sad.

"You talk as if that is a bad thing."

"Of course it is," Liana sighed. "I want you to be happy."

"I won't be happy without you."

She sighed again. They were quiet for several moments before Edmund felt her soft lips press against his neck. "I love you," she murmured quietly. Edmund froze. Liana pretended not to notice. "I should have answered you in the clearing this morning. I'm sorry."

"I hardly think you need to apologize, Liana," said Edmund, when he had found his voice again. "And you need rest. We can talk about this when you wake up."

She chuckled softly. "I'm not delusional as I say this, Edmund," she turned around in his arms and tilted his face towards hers, smiling through half-closed eyelids. She was exhausted, but she needed him to know. "I love you, and my heart is yours. It always was. I just didn't think you would give me your own so easily."

"Everything I do feels easy as long as it is for you," he sounded far away now. She knew she was falling asleep, hopefully to the sound of his voice. "I love you more than I thought myself capable of."

"You are capable of so much," sighed Liana and cuddled closer to him. "You are a good man, King Edmund."

"I'm also yours," he kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, my love. You're safe now. I won't let anyone touch you ever again."