“Probably to see if I could best him in a swordfight this time. I dinna believe he used his full strength against me.”
She scoffed. “He is the champion. He wouldna hold back.”
Still, Coinneach had his doubts.
Aisling had been horrifiedto see Coinneach pitted against Aodhan again. She was surprised when one of the men was ultimately able to cut Coinneach. She was glad Drustan had agreed with her that her mother needed to take care of Coinneach, but she wished he hadn’t had him remove his shirt.
When they reached the castle doors, one of the men opened them, and they went inside. “I’ll find my mother. You wait in the great hall.”
He sighed. “Aye.”
Aisling suspected he wished she hadn’t made a fuss about his wound, but this could be serious. She ran up the stairs to the fourth floor and found her mother checking on Morag. Aisling didn’t want to have to face her. Not that the woman paid her any attention, a lowly kitchen servant. But after learning what Morag had made her mother do, Aisling hated her.
“One of the men was wounded during the practice sword fight. He needs you to sew him up,” Aisling said.
Her mother said, “Morag, you dinna have any issues with your health.”
Morag waved her hand dismissively. “Go see to the man. Wait, who is it?”
Both women waited expectantly to hear who he was. Aisling didn’t want to say in front of Morag, but she feared her silence would make her suspicious.
“Coinneach.”
Morag gave a wicked smile. “Aodhan beat him this time.”
“Nay, Tristan did.”
“Tristan?” Morag's face turned into a scowl. “Coinneach was supposed to fight Aodhan.”
“He did. And he beat him and three others. Then Tristan fought him and cut Coinneach.” But Aisling couldn’t believe that Morag knew that Coinneach was supposed to battle the champion. Had she set him up to take the fall?
“I must see to him,” Aisling’s mother said, and she and Aisling hurried off to the great hall.
They didn’t speak for a while, but then her mother finally whispered, “Did he take off his shirt?”
“Nay, no’ until Drustan wanted to see his wound. And then he put his shirt right back on.”
“Och. And close up. Where is the wound?”
“Near his shoulder.”
Her mother shook her head. “I tell you, this willna go well.”
But Aisling was still thinking about Morag and how she had hoped Aodhan had hurt Coinneach. She was evil. She just hoped she didn’t suspect who he was.
As soon as Aisling and her mother arrived at the great hall, they saw Gormelia giving Coinneach ale.
“You have no worries about him with her,” Aisling’s mother said.
Aisling knew she didn’t have to worry that Coinneach would take an interest in Gormelia, but she still hated to see her try to stir up trouble between her and Coinneach.
“You can leave now, Gormelia,” Aisling’s mother said sternly.
“I was just keeping him company until you arrived.” Gormelia smiled, but a glint of the devil marred her eyes. Then she sashayed off.
Aisling helped Coinneach remove his shirt. Her mother gasped.
“I told you he needed you.”
