Disclaimer: I neither own Reign, nor profit from this story.
Ch 28 - Time & Tide
When the men dismounted Henry told Francis and Bash to finish their round while he went to greet them.
Catherine and Mary meanwhile were finishing up preparations in the kitchen. Mary visibly turned as soon as she heard the commotion and worry was evident in her face. Catherine stopped what she was doing and came around to Mary's side.
Drawing her into a comforting hug Catherine assured her daughter, "Mary I believe that everything will be fine, and that you will remain here with us for as long as you desire."
"I hope so mother." Mary said as she wrapped her own arms around the older woman. "I don't really even mind marrying Francis if it makes them go away peaceably, it's everything else I don't like."
Catherine sighed and "None of us do my love." She turned her head so she could place a kiss on Mary's hair, "But we will do what we must, and when it is all over we might even be able to laugh about it some day."
Bash had gone to settle the men's horses near the back of the house and at that moment came in through the back to see Mary and Catherine still in their embrace.
He loved and trusted Francis, but he still wanted to make sure that Mary was truly being given a choice in the matter. A small part of him had perhaps wanted the opportunity to be more than just friends with her at some point and that was apparently now being taken away from him. But regardless of his personal feelings in the matter he still needed to know, to hear it from Mary herself.
So determined to speak with her he hardly even noticed their embrace until he had already spoken.
"Mary may I see to you for just a moment?"
The two occupants had not heard him come in, but Catherine had seen him out of the corner of her eye.
A little annoyed that he had interrupted their moment Mary answered him with a slightly aggravated tone. "This is really not the time Bash we need to…"
"Please it will only take a minute," he countered, hoping that her temper towards him would only be short lived.
Mary was about to answer him precisely how much she thought of his insistence but instead Catherine replied for her, "You two go ahead and talk, I will greet our guests and get everyone settled, then when I come back in Mary you can help me present the food."
Catherine turned to the front entrance and waited a breath to collect herself before walking out the door as if marching off to battle. As she began to walk out through her hand brushed her belly and she looked down.
Her breath caught in her throat.
As much as she tried to assure Mary and the others this was not a sure thing, no sure way out of this.
Those men might still take Mary or wreak even more havoc with either fist or sword.
Shaking her head she steeled herself against her own thoughts.
This was her family, hers and Henry, and the only one either of them had left. Everything would be fine, she and Henry would be sure of it.
It had to be.
-/-/-/-
Fortunately Mary did not see Catherine's hesitation. She and Bash had already begun talking.
Or rather Bash was talking, Mary was quickly becoming angry.
"Mary I really don't think you have to do this, there must be another way to resolve this other than such a rash decision if only…"
"Bash will you just stop!" She cried out in frustration. This whole thing was bad enough without him making it worse.
"I may be at an age where marriage would not normally be considered but I am not a child, and would appreciate it if you would kindly stop treating me like one."
"But Mary…."
Holding up a hand to him to try and stop him once more, she waited until he had stopped talking completely before continuing.
"Bash in many ways you are like a brother to me, so I will assume this is brotherly concern that you are expressing, but you needn't. Mother and father have gone over this with each other and with us and this seems like the best option."
Deciding there would be no good lead in to this and that she would probably be mad either way he finally asked what he felt he needed to from the start.
"What about me?"
Stunned Mary just stared at him confused for a minute before her face softened as realization dawned.
But he couldn't possibly be in love with her could he? He had never made any advances, any indication that he had any thoughts of courting her. So was this jealousy, either over her or directly at Francis, or just him trying to protect her?
"Bash, I will admit that I am not as such in love with Francis either, but he is the obvious choice should one like this be required."
Stunned at her answer Bash was unsure how to proceed. In any case though it seemed as if his protest would not hurt the situation further so it seemed like he had nothing to lose.
"I am older than him, and I will be able to provide for you sooner than he will."
Mary almost felt sorry for him. He really was making a somewhat petty argument but she had cooled down enough that she was willing to entertain him for a short time longer.
"Bash Francis is younger than me but not my much, and he at least has an apprenticeship, a trade. I respect you for going out and finding work each day but Francis will likely be able to provide more stable income as a blacksmith."
"You two have been raised as brother and sister, and you fight like siblings all the time."
Smiling at his observation Mary could not deny their tendency to get heated, but lately it seemed as if their fights were not so petty so much as relational…perhaps even bordering on flirtation without realizing it.
"And as brother and sisters there is no one that knows us bette than the other. We also help in caring for our siblings…"
"Which some would call slightly disturbing."
"…And as such," she interrupted him, "have become quite the team."
Placing a hand on his chest Mary decided this conversation was at an end.
"Bash I appreciate your wanting to protect me, and if you do care for me at all you will listen now."
Mary waited unti she was sure she had his attention before continuing.
"Though it is not what I would have envisioned, to be married before I have turned thirteen and without the chance to even court my intended I am satisfied, even happy that by the time I go to bed tonight I may be wed, to Francis."
The look that washed across his eyes was in part resentment and part hurt.
"Bash I do hope that even if this progresses as we expect it to, that you will still be there for us as a friend. I am sure Francis will need that, especially in these next days as I will need my friends as well."
Allowing a half smile to creep onto his face, Bash at least looked resigned to her decision.
Nodding once he took one step closer and wrapped her in his arms. He wasn't sure if he could go as far as giving her his blessing or agreeing to anything of the sort, but he could at least support her, support both of them in this decision.
Disengaging, Bash took a step back and looked Mary over for any final signs of hesitation.
"Bash we really should go out there."
"Of course Mary I…" he began, and walked as if to go out the front door.
"Bash, perhaps you should leave the way you came."
At his confused look she explained her logic.
"While all of my family as both Nostradamus and the priest will understand us speaking in here alone, our guests form out of town may not and we won't want to give them any ideas or further ammunition to take me away 'for the sake of my virtue' or any other such logic."
Acknowledging her suggestion he awkwardly nodded and turned to do as requested.
Just then Catherine came back in through the front and saw Mary shooing Bash out the back door. She smiled at the two, who not unlike Mary and Francis were also like brother and sister.
Perhaps in another time and different circumstances she could have seen them considering a courtship, but now was not the time for such musings. She needed the evening to go smoothly and for Mary to be fully focused on the task at hand.
She called her daughter over to help and directed her on what to bring out first. The two ladies marched back out the door laden with food and ready for whatever would come their way.