The Rebel and the Icequeen

Recovery

Louises POV 

I still can't believe my eyes. It is a terrible sight. Liam is curled up on the floor. Both eyes are swollen shut, his nose thick and bloody. His lip and chin are split open and his bare torso, upper arms and back are covered in large bruises. Seeing Liam like that tears my heart apart. How can a person do such a thing? I'll find out who it was and make him pay for it. But until Liam can tell me who that was, I'll take care of him. He may be a rebel, maybe even a criminal, but he didn´t deserve such a thing. Whoever it was took advantage of his defenselessness state to beat him up. I gently stroke his hair and once again feel so incredibly helpless. Anger grows in me and threatens to flood me and my clear mind. I have to get out of here. I leave Liam and call for healers and then for Eliv. Eliv prepares the room that is next to the room I have always been in with Liam. He will be able to stay there for the time being. The room is not particularly large and is intended as a maid's chamber and therefore it has no windows. Even if I don't think that he would flee in this condition, I don't want to take any chances. I'll spend the nights in the room next door and keep an eye on him. 

“He's upstairs now,” announces Eliv and bows. I still haven't changed, which doesn't really matter because Liam is still passed out. 

“Thank you Eliv,” I reply and turn to her.  

“Who do you think would do something like that?” I ask, because I still can't understand how a person is capable of such a thing.  

"I don't know, but it must have been one of the guards, because they are the only ones with a key to the cell door."  

“Mhmm you're right. I am going to find out who is responsible for it." 

"I'll ask around if you want," she says, looking at me with a sympathetic smile.  

“That would be nice,” I reply. 

“You like him, don't you?” She asks quietly.  

"What makes you think that?"  

“Well, you haven't been so committed to anything in a long time. You are doing a great deal for and with him, which leads me to believe that you like him,” she finishes.  

I'm speechless. I've never seen him like that, more as a hobby or a distraction maybe. But not as a person I like or care about. I could live without him at any time, and anyway I have to assume that he will be executed soon.  

"You are wrong Eliv," I tell her and she bows her head. That may seem submissive, but she can't hide her knowing grin from me. 

"I'll check on him now," I say resolutely and get up. I go over to the adjoining room and sit down on the bed with Liam. I don't have to worry about being recognized as only a small candle burns and the rest of the room disappears into darkness. Liam has a wet rag on his forehead and eyes to reduce the swelling. But it will probably take at least a few days to get back to his old strength and health.  

I come to Liam every free minute and check on him. The healers are taking good care of him and he's feeling much better. Nevertheless, he spent almost two days in unconsciousness and was only awake from time to time. But now he seems to have survived the worst. In the meantime I went looking for the culprit, but of course no one saw or heard anything.  

King Darion sent us a message that he will be returning home in a week. I'm not exactly happy about it, but there is nothing I can do about it.  

I still decide to annoy the minister a little more until then. Now that I can't deal with Liam, I have to use my time differently.  

“You want to attend the audiences again?” The minister asks me, aghast.  

"Yes, I just said that," I reply in a condescending voice and an equally condescending look. In addition, I raise my eyebrows and notice how he almost shrinks a little under my gaze. 

“But your Highness, that is far too much hardship for you,” the minister says. I know exactly what he's trying to do. He wants to keep me out of all things, so that I am an uninformed beautiful stupid woman. But not with me. All of his reports, which he sent me in the evenings after the audiences, were very superficial and barely enough to make the connection clear. I let myself go for too long and no longer cared about my people.  

So now I am back on the throne and listen to the stories of the people. I now know where my priorities should lie and I can´t let them slack again. I'm listening carefully to the people and their stories, they tell me exactly where my people's problems lie. Most of them are underpaid and therefore don't have enough money to buy food or medicine. Also, one of the biggest problem are the many attacks by the rebels on innocent people. It doesn't quite make sense to me why the rebels should attack people who already had little to nothing. What did they get out of it? Maybe I should ask Liam, he should know. After the audience I go straight to Liam. I sit down on the edge of the bed and caress his forehead gently 

"Lou?" He mumbles without opening his eyes. They are still swollen, but not as bad as they were before. I have to smile, since he would have just gotten himself into a lot of trouble if the queen had now known that he knew a person called Lou. Apparently he dreamed of me. Wait what? Do I want him to dream of me?  

"Lou," he mumbles again and weakly grabs my arm with his hand. He searches for my hand and clasps it in his.  

"How are you Liam?" I ask in a soft voice to leave him in his illusion.  

"Better," he says, blinking slightly.  

"Sleep Liam, I'll come back later."