Matilde entered a few moments later, but Erec was too sore to care much about modesty. Aside, she was the healer when Gwyn was not in residence. He suddenly opened his eyes.

"Why has Gwyn not come?" he asked as he watched Matilde set a tray of jars upon a little table.

"It is forbidden. His majesty has decreed that you and Neron be kept under guard and that only the royal physician be allowed to attend. I was asked to see that servants were assigned to attend to you and Lord Neron."

"And you assigned yourself." Erec smiled and closed his eyes again, enjoying the heat as it seeped into his muscles and eased some of the soreness.

"I knew I liked you, old woman!" Drew kissed her cheek and leapt back quickly to avoid her hand as she swatted at him.

"The physician is going to be here soon. He is bleeding Neron and giving him some strange potions to take away the pains and restore his strength. It smelled awful and since there is no such magic potion that I know of, I sent for these." She waved a hand toward the tray and turned to Drew. "You best keep watch and tell him that Lord Erec needs only sleep."

"Gladly." Drew shuddered. "Erec bled enough after the ambush that it shall be too soon, were I never to seem him bleed another drop!"

"Squeamish?" Erec asked surprised.

"Nay, milord." Drew held out an imaginary skirt and curtsied as he teased in a falsetto voice, "It is only that you are too wonderful by half and I should simply die if ever you were to leave this earth."

Erec laughed as he scooped up a palm of water and flung it at Drew.

Drew easily dodged the water and giggled in that silly falsetto before he batted his eyes and made his exit.

"What, pray tell, was that foolishness about?"

"He is trying to cheer me. And my wife told him, upon threat of a slow and painful death, that he was to take care of me in her stead."

"And so, he plays the fool." Matilde chuckled as she neared the tub.

Erec saw she held a jar of greenish water with black blobs— "Leaches!"

He hated leeches almost as much as he hated physicians and their bleeding.

"The bruising." She answered. "If it is still bleeding, the leeches will help to take down the swelling. If the bleeding has stopped, there is naught to be done, save to let time heal the bruise."

"And how will you kno—Ouch!" Erec hissed as she began to poke at his sore shoulder.

"Sit up some."

Erec frowned but obeyed, gritting his teeth as she continued to poke. "Well?" he asked when she stopped at last.

"Most of this is set and cannot be helped, but this part here," she placed a leech and he felt his skin quiver at the feel of it. "Where the swelling is the worse and these knots are forming, here it is still bleeding. The leeches will help so that you will have better use of the arm on the morrow."

"Since Neron will be swinging a very sharp and deadly weapon at my head on the morrow, I shall be grateful for it." Erec tipped his head toward the tray. "Do you have anything else that will help?"

"Little can be done for bruising and sore muscles save the leeches and the soaking. But I can mix a tea that will lessen the pain and help you to sleep. And when Drew returns, I shall instruct him on how to rub this liniment into the muscles of your arms and back. At least," she frowned, "on the parts that are not bruised."

"Horse liniment?!" Erec frowned as he recognized the smell of the potion when she uncorked the bottle.

"Aye. It works on horse muscles, does it not?"

"Aye." Erec sighed his acceptance of the odd ministrations. "I am so sorely ailing that I was short with you just now. Forgive me, for I am truly grateful for any help you can give me. I shall fight for my life on the morrow and will need all of the wit and strength that I possess if I am to survive against such a desperate and cunning foe."

---

The tea worked its magic as Erec lay stretched out upon his stomach on the floor. Drew knelt beside him and worked on the muscles as Matilde had shown him. When Erec drifted into sleep, and Drew finished his ministrations, he pulled a quilt from the bed and covered his friend, leaving him to sleep for a short while. He would wake him soon enough anyway.

"Go away." Erec groaned as Drew nudged him from slumber.

"I said GO AWAY." He growled as Drew nudged him again.

"Very well, if you wish it..."

"Gwyn?" Erec's eyes flew open and he twisted to look for his wife, lest he find he was dreaming.

"Is it so strange a thing that a wife should visit her husband's chambers in the night?"

"Quiet woman." Erec hissed as he braced his hands and forced his shoulders to lift him. In a moment he was on his feet and the cover fell to the floor revealing him in all of his God-given glory.

Gwyn looked down and slowly let her eyes rise the length of him. When she reached his eyes, he was smiling that crooked smile of his.

"There is not time for that." She waved a hand, snatched his shirt from the table and threw it at him.

He snatched the shirt out of the air and slowly managed to slip it over his head..with her assist. It fell down just over his hips, covering her biggest distraction. With a nod, she went to the door.

"Stop!" Erec snatched her around the waist and turned about setting her on the floor away from the door. "Woman, have you no sense? The door is guarded, and by royal decree, you should not be here!"

"I am not here."

He quickly reached around and pinched her bottom. She squeaked in protest.

"I beg do differ, milady. But unless Drew has magically transformed, you are my wife, and you are very real." Erec stepped forward and she tipped her head up with a smile as she stepped back.

"I meant to say that your lady wife is not here, I am but a servant, a healer by trade. I was sent by Matilde to see to the combatants."

"And did you check on Neron also?"

"I did. The fool is drunk and weak as a kitten. I ordered a bath for him, and instructed the male servants how to rub the liniment into his muscle...and to give him plenty of water until he sobers."

"He is a dead man, Gwyndolyn. Leave him to his comforts."

"Nay. You need not kill him. Did not the king say he was willing to commute the death penalty to banishment for life?"

"Only if he kills me!" Erec protested in a harsh whisper.

"What if you win the match, but instead of delivering the killing blow, you ask the king for mercy? Would he not then offer banishment?"

"I doubt that. Neron tried to kill him, in his own chambers. Hugh is an inexperienced king, and a poor politician, but he is not a fool. He will simply have Neron executed in some other fashion. Probably he shall be drawn and quartered... or hung...or both."

"Both?" Gwyn cringed.

"Aye. He may be tortured first. It is more merciful to kill him in battle. It will allow him some control over his death. Yet..." Erec smiled softly and stepped forward. Gwyn did not step away this time, and he let his hands rest gently upon her shoulders. "Sooth, were it not for you, I would probably have been killed instead. I could scarce move before that bath and the liniment and whatever Drew did to my back and arms..."

"It was something I did for Father, when his leg pained him. I often noticed him rubbing the leg when it ached and so I had my brothers seal the horse trough with pitch and set Father to soaking. When he was dressed again, I rubbed the muscles. They were unnaturally stiff, you see. By rubbing them, they became more flexible and pained him less."

"Well, it worked wonders. I am still very sore, but I shall—what?"

Gwyn gestured to the table. Erec had not noticed prior, so intent was he on keeping her from going out the door. The table was stacked with an array of weapons and there was a pole axe and a spear leaned against the wall as well.

Erec arched a brow.

"Drew is waiting outside. He will come when I leave. Let him rub the muscles again to help loosen them and then spar with him. Go slow at first, but work up to regular speed as you feel strength return. Do not overdo it. When you have turned the glass twice, you must stop. Lie upon the floor and let him apply the liniment once more. Drink the tea, and then sleep until we wake you again."

"Again?" I will be too tired to fight!"

"Nay. Trial by combat may not start until after Sext rings from the church. You have plenty of time to rest. But if we do not wake you, and if you do not let us minister these exercises, you will be too sore to move. I can tell you from personal experience that if you wait too long before exercise it will be much more painful and it will take far too long to recover full movement."

Erec frowned. When had she...? "The farm?"

"Well, that also." She smiled. "But I was referring to the horse ride."

"Ah." He let his hands slide down her harms and took her hands in his before bringing them to his lips. "Then, my lady wife, I suggest that you send Drew in now, else I shall have to find other means to exercise these sore muscles of mine...and sleep shall be long in coming..."

Gwyn laughed, pulling her hands from his and turning once more toward the door. Erec did not release her hand, but tugged her back and kissed her quite thoroughly.

"Now." He said with a wicked smile, "You may leave."

Blushing she reached for the door, but Erec had already stepped forward to open it. Drew saw her blush, looked to Erec's grin, and whistled low.

"That did not take long." He mumbled as he passed Erec to enter the room.

Erec watched as Gwyn's steps faltered at the comment but she did not stop as she made her way down the hall. Closing the door behind him, Erec turned to see his friend standing with his arms crossed and a cheeky grin.

The knave had the nerve to wink.

"Be glad that my wife bid me to mind you, else I would pummel you for such insolence."

"She bid you to mind me?" Drew's grin split to show all of his teeth.

"She bid me to let you minister to these aches of mine. The rubbing, the sparring and the liniment. But mind you, do not cross me, else the sparring may turn into a thrashing for you instead."

"I would hate to thrash a man who is so obviously weaker than myself, but if you insist—" Drew laughed as he easily dodged Erec's half-hearted swing. "I see—that is, lie down here again, so that I might start on your muscles."

The pain that jabbed through his body at the quick movement was like a hot brand, burning all the way to the bone. He winced and grabbed at his shoulder. He was glad when Drew stopped the foolery and offered to begin. It was a little awkward lying naked upon the floor while Drew rubbed on his back, arms and shoulders, but it did help.

---

It was painful going at first, and very slow as they chose sword to spar with first. They moved through the motions and when Erec began to be more fluid in his motion, they sped up a little so that by the time the glass was turned the first time, they were moving normally.

"Let us work with pole-axe and sword next. It would be just like Neron to choose a weapon that gave you a disadvantage."

"Aye." Erec nodded.

Once more they started slow, but swiftly returned to normal speed. Erec worked with an axe and then back to the sword in one hand with a dirk in the other before it was time to stop. Sweat poured from his body and he shook his head, spraying it like a wet dog. Drew laughed.

"Come, let us wash off some of this sweat before I administer the liniment."

"Aye. And I shall welcome the sleep. Gwyn was right though. I ache and still feel stiff, but it is much better. Mayhap with another treatment and a lot of prayer, I shall be myself by the morn."

"Do you think that Neron will allow the treatment?"

"Mayhap. He is stubborn, but he is also desperate. He fights for his life. He may allow them. I hope for his sake that he does. I would not like to kill him if he should simply kneel before me and wait for a death blow. I am no executioner. I only fight him by royal decree. And if I should kill him while defending myself, it shall be little different than on the battlefield."

Leastwise, that is how he would ease my conscience...

Erec thought of little else as Drew began to rub the liniment into the sore muscles. When his fingers pressed against the bruised areas, it hurt...a lot.

But it was as he said upon the field before the joust was called as a draw...he would do what he must...

---

Erec was grateful that Drew had let him sleep after the third round of exercise. He was exhausted by that point. Still, he was roused earlier than needed, so that he could be rubbed down one final time before light sparring. Erec noticed that each time he rested, he moved easier. He still felt like he had been drawn, but at least he could lift a sword.

It was nearing Sext and a boy was sent to call the combatants to the field. For the single combat afoot, they would not wear full armor. Sooth, they wore almost no armor, save the mail and a shield. This was to be a fight to the death. Traditionally, if the accused could stay alive until Matins (or midnight if there were no church bells to ring) then he was free.

It was also Hugh II that sentenced Neron for the treasonous assassination attempt. Erec knew there would be no mercy.

They would fight until one of them was dead.