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“I think it might be worth putting her treatment to the test,” Ealdorman Brecc said.

“Of course you do.” Rheged rolled onto his back and tossed an arm across his eyes. “You do not need to imbibe whatever foul concoction she offers me.”

“How do you know it will be foul tasting?”

“How do you know it will not?” Rheged countered.

Smothering a smile, Aisley unfolded the piece of linen Ealdorman Brecc had set on the wooden table in the corner.

“Do you have a knife I may use, sire?” she asked.

Rheged stiffened, his arm dropping from his face. “No blood-letting,” he said with more vigor than he’d shown since Aisley had met him.

“Truly, Rheged?” Ealdorman Brecc handed her the dagger from the belt at his waist. “You are well on your way to convincing Aisley that you are a fearful mouse of a man.”

“Rather that than a bleeding pig of a man.”

Ealdorman Brecc raised an eyebrow. “Mayhap there is some fight left in you after all.”

“No fight,” Rheged said wearily. “Merely a modicum of self-defense.”

“You have nothing to fear from me or Ealdorman Brecc’s blade, sire.” Aisley sliced the last piece of fabric into three small squares. “I am using the knife to create sachets for the herbs so that you may benefit from their curative properties without filling your cup with leaves.”

Ealdorman Brecc rose to his feet and moved to stand beside her. “Show me,” he said, “so that I may do it when you are no longer here.”

With a nod, Aisley poured a portion of each of the herbs onto one of the fabric squares. Raising the corners of the fabric, she drew them together and tied the small bundle closed with a short piece of twine. “You see,” she said, setting the sachet on her palm and holding it up. “It is not so difficult as all that.”

“I believe you made it look far easier than it is,” Ealdorman Brecc said.

“And she has yet to tell us how it will taste,” Rheged mumbled.

Ealdorman Brecc tossed her an apologetic look, but Aisley was glad to see a spark of interest—no matter how small or petulant—in Rheged. She dropped the sachet into an empty goblet and crossed to the fireplace.

“I’ve heard tell that the worse the curative drink tastes, the more efficacious it is,” she said, covering her hand with the rag lying on the hearth and reaching for the pot of boiling water.

“That sounds like a poorly framed justification for causing a man to feel more wretched than he did before,” Rheged said as she poured the steaming liquid onto the sachet of herbs in the goblet.

Ealdorman Brecc placed his hands on his hips and glared at his friend. “I am of a mind to leave you here to wallow in your misery alone. You do not deserve this young lady’s aid.”

A flash of something that looked suspiciously like panic flickered through Rheged’s sunken eyes. He attempted to raise his head and shoulders from the pillow, only to give up in defeat moments later. “As you see,” he said. “I am fully dependent upon you both.” He sighed. “It is a humbling position to find oneself in, but that is no excuse for rudeness. You have my apologies.”

“Apology accepted,” Aisley said, carrying the steaming cup to the bed. “I have seen illness and injury influence a person’s natural disposition in a variety of ways. It is never pleasant for anyone.” She glanced at Ealdorman Brecc. “When the herbs have steeped a little longer, this exceptionally foul-tasting liquid will be cool enough to drink. If you would be good enough to raise Rheged to a sitting position, I shall take charge of ensuring that he swallows the brew.”

Rheged opened his mouth as if to object, but one look at Ealdorman Brecc’s stern expression was enough to cause him to close it again. Aisley smiled. The soothing drink would be a pleasant surprise for the dejected gentleman.

Brecc was twice amazed. Not only had Aisley successfully persuaded Rheged to drink an entire goblet of her herbal tonic, but she had also done so with the patience of a saint. A few sips with lengthy pauses between had made the process painfully slow, but it seemed to have worked. Rheged had held the liquid down and was already showing signs of improvement.

“There,” Aisley said, setting the empty goblet on the table. “That was not so terribly bad, was it?”

“No.” Rheged cleared his throat awkwardly. “I daresay I have not been my best self since you arrived. I am grateful to you for assisting me regardless of my whining.”

“I believe I have listened to a full year’s worth in one day,” Brecc said. “Which means you have expended your entire whining allotment until Twelfth Night a year from now.”

Rheged chuckled. It was the first time he’d shown any hint of amusement in hours, and secretly, Brecc was immensely grateful to see it.

“I can make no such promise, but I shall attempt to finish off the day without complaint.”

“A worthy—albeit meager—goal,” Brecc said.