"All right, all right!" She raised her hands. "Ill get no peace otherwise, I see that now. Bring in the Winter prince. But your father will hear of this, young ladies." She turned and shook a finger at them. "He will hear of this, and then we will see who will be the target of his ire."

Puck dragged Ash up the stairs. The prince seemed more wraith than flesh now, his skin a sickly gray except for the angry red wounds on his face and arms, where the skin seemed to be peeling off the bones.

"Put him in here," the nurse ordered, directing Puck to a small side room with a low-lying bed. Puck complied, laying Ash down on the sheets before collapsing into a chair that looked like an enormous mushroom.

The nurse sniffed. "I see the princesses have you in on this, too, Robin."

"Dont look at me." Puck smirked and wiped a hand across his face. "I did my best to kill the guy, but when the princesses wants something, theres no changing their minds."

She stares down at Ash.

" thanks. "

"Ugh, he doesnt just smell of iron, he reeks of it," the nurse muttered, examining the wounds on his face and arms. "These burns arent normal--theyve erupted from the inside out. Its almost like he had something metal inside him."

" He did, somewhat. "

She stays silent.

The nurse shuddered, wiping her hands. She pulled up Ashs shirt, revealing a layer of gauze that was just beginning to seep blood onto the mattress. "At least the bandaging was done properly," she mused. "Very nice, clean work. Your handiwork, I presume, Goodfellow?"

"Which one?"

"The bandage, Robin."

"Yeah, that was mine, too."

The nurse sighed, bending over Ash, studying the cuts on his face, peeling away the gauze to see the stab wound. Her brow furrowed. "So, let me get this straight," she continued, looking at Puck. "You stabbed Ash, prince of the Winter Court."

"Guilty as charged."

"And, judging by both of your conditions--" her eyes flickered to Isiea's throat and Pucks bloody shoulder "--Im guessing the Winter prince did that to you, as well."

"Right again."

"Which means you were fighting each other." The nurses eyes narrowed.

She ignores the healer.

" why is that important? "

"Which means he was probably trying to kill you, yes? So, why in the name of all thats sacred do you want me to heal him? Not that I wont," she added, holding up her hand, "but whats to stop him from attacking you again? Or me, for that matter?"