A driving rain swept across the convent courtyard as the Abbess made her way to the herbalist. The herbarium was situated in a corner of a smaller courtyard behind the former state apartments, so that the smoke and fumes from her fires wouldn't carry into the rest of the buildings. It was not a place the Abbess liked visiting. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she forced open the door.
The herbalist was bent over her bench chopping a sheaf of leaves, humming to herself. All around the room were shelves lined with jars and bottles of varying shapes and sizes. Dead animals hung from hooks, waiting to be dissected. A fire blazed in the hearth sending clouds of smoke up the chimney. Because of the heat and poor ventilation, the herbalist nearly always worked in only her shift. She moved in the smoky atmosphere like a phantom. So engrossed was she in her work she didn't even notice the entrance of her Abbess.
'Sister Lupa,' said the Abbess as she removed her wet cloak and shook it.
The herbalist jumped. She dropped the jar she was holding onto the bench and her stool clattered to the floor as she stood, wiping the grimy sweat from her brow. 'Ah, Abbess,' she smiled with a little annoyance at the abrupt interruption, and stooped to pick up the stool. 'I've almost finished.'
The Abbess looked past her at a small iron cauldron hanging over the fire. A thick yellow steam billowed from it. The smell was sickly-sweet, and very heady.
'Will it work?' she asked.
'Abbess, have you ever known one of my potions not to work?'
The Abbess held a handkerchief to her nose. Already she felt faint. 'What is in this mind-muddling odour?' she complained.
'Mandrake, poppy, foxglove, and a pinch of belladonna,' Sister Lupa announced proudly. 'Taken in a goblet of red wine, and our little patient will be none the wiser.'
The Abbess wrinkled her nose - she seriously doubted that. 'Does she trust you?'
'Implicitly. I've been tending to her day and night. She has fully recovered from the rack.'
'And what happens after she's drunk your evil smelling potion?'
'Nothing for a while. She'll fall into a deep sleep, and when she wakes she'll do exactly as you wish, although I doubt that she'll recognise you. But she will be aware of what's happening to her - I can assure you of that.'
'She must be responsive. There'll be no pleasure in seducing her otherwise.'
'She will be.'
'And capable of the tiniest little resistance - just to add to my fun?'
Sister Lupa smiled knowingly. 'She'll be all that you want her to be; whatever you choose.'
The Abbess tingled at the prospect. 'Excellent! When will you administer it to her?'
Sister Lupa took up a large wooden spoon and stirred the cauldron. The yellow steam turned a dirty brown and the brew bubbled and spat like volcanic lava.
'Within the hour.'
'And she will be ready for me, when?'
'I should say midnight, or thereabouts.'
The anticipation left the Abbess breathless, not to mention the cloying heat of the herbarium. She swung her cloak back around her shoulders and opened the door. The cold rain hit her face and the cool fresh air instantly made her feel better. 'I shall go now to my quarters...' she looked back to Sister Lupa with a glint in her amber eyes, '...and make myself ready.'
'Midnight,' Sister Lupa confirmed. 'She'll be ready for you by midnight. Enjoy.'
Left in peace, she distilled a little of the contents of the cauldron into a jug. When it was cool she added a bottle of the convent's own red wine. She stirred the blend thoroughly, and then went to her room behind the herbarium to wash and change into a freshly laundered habit, as all good nurses should.