I do not own Reign

Sophia stood beside the stone wall that Francis and she referred to as 'the wall'. This was where they had always come years ago to talk about everything. The grey stone wall was tucked behind a building where the groundkeepers kept their tools. The building itself was a grey stone and the wall was in the back and it jutted off the back of the shack.

The walls of this castle could hold so many secrets it was a wonder that it didn't explode. In the last two weeks Sophia had learned many secrets that she assumed people would rather be kept secret.

When she had gone down to get another apple from Orion she had caught one of Mary's handmaids kissing one of the cooks boys very fervently. She had tried to walk away calmly but when the girl who she remembered as Greer. The girl turned red from head to toe and started stammering at her trying to make an excuse as well. Sophia hadn't known what to say so she had laughed like she did when she didn't know what to say. Greer had come to a point where she was just at a loss for words. When Sophia had stopped laughing she tried to convince the girl that she wasn't going to tell anyone. The girl had taken a lot of convincing but Sophia supposed that living in this place had caused her to be wary of those who said they would keep a secret.

That was the first secret she had discovered.

She had also been in Mary's room talking with her when her youngest ladies maid came in and took a pile of letters from Mary's side table. Mary paid her no attention and acted like there was nothing wrong. Sophia was sure that there was some sort of story there she just wasn't sure what it was yet. She hadn't pressed Mary about it. Secrets were peoples own; unless one happened to figure out what they were without prying. If someone just happened to come across something then that was hardly considered prying

She had seen a girl coming from out of King Henry's room one night when she came in from a walk. The girl was wearing a night shift and her hair was rather a mess. Sophia stepped behind a wall and laughed at herself. This secret was rather less like a secret and more like something that happened frequently. During her stay here previously one of her ladies had fallen in love with the king. Sophia didn't like to remember that. She had to send the girl to Italy to marry because she was ruined here.

She was now here to meet Francis and she had no doubt that he would have some sort of secret that would come out. This business with Olivia was starting to concern Sophia. She was going to have to speak to Francis about it. This was one place where she had good memories. She jumped up on the cold stone wall and laid down on it. She bent her knees and propped one across the other.

This is where she had met Francis before she had left. This is where she had her moment with Bash before….well before she had found out how he valued people.

Two and a half years ago

Sophia ran to the wall and waited for Francis like she always did. She almost tripped on her long gown twice and she was sure the stains on her hem would make the laundress pucker her mouth. She didn't care. She walked back and forth in front of the wall. She walked around the garden cottage. She was impatient waiting for Francis today. A duke from Italy had asked her to marry him earlier that day and she wanted to discuss the possibility with Francis. She had turned down one other man because Francis had dissuaded her with help from Henry. He had been a tad old for her but she actually liked this one. When she heard footsteps coming around the corner she immediately started talking.

"Francis Gerald asked me to marry him!" She said excitedly "He presented me with his Mother's family crest. I find that to be a little odd but I wanted to know….." She trailed off when she turned to find Bash standing where Francis should have been. "What you thought…" She finished but she turned red at the site of Francis' brother. He would no doubt tease her mercilessly. He flustered her whenever she spoke with him, but she was almost as close to Bash as she was to Francis. He was currently teaching her how to fence. But this wasn't the kind of thing that they had ever talked about.

"Well Sir Gerald her seems like a good suitor." He said stepping toward her. "you won't marry him of course."

Sophia jumped up on the wall and raised an eyebrow at him. He was trying to upset her and the worst part about that was that it was working.

"I won't?" She asked trying to keep her tone even.

"No." He said smugly. Perhaps that was just the way he looked around her. Smug. The problem was that he looked good being smug. Not that she was looking. She would deny that she looked at him that way even to Francis, but the truth was that she did. "I would place a wager on it."

"Well get you had better get your fathers money out Bash because I would take that wager." She realized that she was either tying herself to losing a wager with Bash or marring a man she hardly knew. Her pride or her happiness she wasn't sure which was more important to her. "What shall we wager?"

He stepped closer to her and she held his gaze not willing to be the first to look away. He took another step toward her sitting on the wall. He was about two feet from her now. He pulled a ring off his finger and held it up. It was a thick silver band with a deep green stone set in the middle of it. The band was too thick for it to be a woman's ring and when Bash took it off his finger there was a worn spot from where it had been. She slipped ring off her own finger. It was a gold ring with teardrop shaped ruby caged on the top. She held it out in the palm of her hand. She was a little worried about losing the ring. The more she thought about it the more she realized this may not have been the best idea she had had.

Bash stepped so close to her that she could smell his fresh clean sent. He dropped his ring into her hand and picked hers up and held it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Beautiful ring." She said as carefree as she could while he was so close. She took it and stuck it down in the front of her dress securing it in her corset. Bash's eyes followed her fingers and she smiled wickedly and looked down so he wouldn't see that that is exactly what she had wanted. She wasn't that kind of girl generally. "Shall we shake on it?" She asked but when she looked up Bash was looking right at her and the smile slipped from her face as she caught her breath. He was just looking at her. He wasn't answering her question. In these moments she got very nervous. She brought her hand up and held it in front of her face. "Shake on it." She said again but instead of shaking her hand he brought it to his face and kissed her palm. He blood temperature dropped and her heart beat faster. "You French people and your handshakes." She said under her breath. He placed his hand on her cheek and pulled her face closer to hers and she closed her eyes.

"Sophie?" Francis voice called from around the stone house. Sophia took both her hands and shoved Bash away from her and he straightened and she tried to pretend nothing had happened though she wasn't sure how to go about that. Bash wasn't the first boy she had kissed or almost kissed but it was he was the first that had made her feel like that.

"Bash?" Francis looked at them confused. Bash nodded at Francis.

"I do believe Soph has something to tell us Francis she called both of us here." Bash said looking at her. He always did this. She stared at him with that smile still on his face. Right then their moment that almost was didn't matter. What mattered was that she could put him in his place.

"I'm getting married." She said looking at Francis and smiling.

"Sophie?" Francis called to her and she turned her head to find him looking at her. She was playing with the ring; moving it back and forth on the chain she dropped it.

No he was still the same. More hair on his face maybe. He was a little bit taller but her friend was still there; lost inside that prince persona.

"Francis." She said sitting up quickly and smiling at him.

"It's been a long time since we have been here." He said

"So it has been." She said each waiting for the other to ask the first question. It was an unspoken game that Bash Sophia and Francis played when they were younger. If someone asked a question then the other person was allowed any question they wanted. It went on and until the other was so afraid off the next question that they didn't ask another. His smile broke across his face and they both began to laugh.

"Why is Olivia here?" She asked figuring she may as well start.

"I need her." He said. She shook her head. He had not forgotten how to play the game. She wanted to ask why she needed her but it was his turn to ask.

"Who's ring is on the end of that Chain." He asked her. He was more prepared for this than she was.

"Sebastian's." She said narrowing her eyes at him. "If you love Mary why is Olivia here?" She asked and his eyes went wide but he wouldn't deny that he loved her. He wouldn't lie to her and she could see it in his face when he and Mary were together. Even though they seemed to be angry with each other currently

"Olivia is here to make sure I am not ruled by my heart." He said to her jumping up next to her.

"Oh my dear." She said to him putting her hand on his leg