I do not own Reign.

"Again!" Sophia returned to the first position at held her rapier out towards Mary. Mary did the same and looked to Sophia for approval on her footing.

"Bring your left foot in a little." Sophia said as Mary did. Other than that there wasn't much to correct. Mary picked up on this much quicker than Sophia had thought she would. She advanced on Mary and struck first as Mary blocked and stepped back. She had taken well to the sword play that Sophia could teach her and Sophia was glad for the diversion.

It had been four weeks since she had been here and she had remembered the sort of social outings that she had hated. There had been a tournament, which Francis had won. There had been another celebration but that one had taken place outside under the stars. Sophia hadn't been opposed to that if men twice her age would keep their hands to themselves. She had met with Francis twice and she was no closer to convincing him to send Olivia away than she had been the first day she had gotten here. It killed her to see how it had affected Mary. Every time she saw the two together an emotional wall went up. She was worried that Francis' carless actions would turn Mary into a Catharine. She didn't know if Mary was capable of becoming a Catharine but one never knew. She would kill Francis if that happened. She had come to admire the Queen of Scotland.

Francis had gone out on a hunt three days ago. Over somewhere that Sophia had no reason to recall. It was droll here without seeing his little boy face around here. It served only three good purposes. One was that Olivia didn't come out of her room much when Francis was away. Sophia had seen her in the hall one day and had been a little rude to the girl. She had felt a pang in her conscience later perhaps it wasn't the girls fault but here was something else going on and Sophia had a feeling that girl was in on it. The second reason was that Mary seemed much more at peace when she didn't have to see Francis. He seemed to bring emotions that Mary would rather not experience to the surface. That brought her to the third good thing about Francis Being gone. Sebastian had gone with him.

Four weeks of ignoring the man had drove her into a sort of madness. He seemed to try to show up where she was just to watch her spit out some reason to leave. She almost never visited the extensive library on the grounds because he seemed to be there every time she thought about going. One night she had gotten out of bed and taken a lantern to sneak a couple books in her room so she wouldn't have to see him. But he had been there lying down on a settee with his legs propped up and looking at her as she came in like he had expected her all along. She was always curt and to the point and had only slipped and called him Bas once when he had followed her from the stables one morning. She had sternly asked him if he had nothing better to do and his nickname slipped from her mouth like a curse.

'Only Bash when you're irritated then?" He had asked her. However since then he had left her alone; which both pleased her and irked her at the same time. She a handful of serving girls and waiting woman come from his chambers disheveled with the blush of impropriety on their faces and it brought back memories that she had almost forgotten over the course of two years.

She turned to watch Mary's footwork and as she did the girl struck her on the back with the blunt metal.

"Oh." Mary said with a laugh as Sophia gave her an incredulous look.

"And so the student surpasses the master." She said bowing to Mary. They were both wearing boys clothes today; brown leather riding pants and shirts with corsets underneath because that wasn't something you could get out of. Mary's shirt was a light beige color and Sophia's was red. They looked like a couple of lads sparing in the great stone room.

"Perhaps we should break for a meal?" Mary suggested and Sophia complied setting her weapon on the nearest table and Mary did the same. "I must thank you Sophia, for giving me something to occupy my thoughts these past weeks life at court can become a task that I dread every night when I go to sleep."

"I must admit I wouldn't trade Places with you for all of France." Sophia said. She had always known she didn't want to be a princess or a queen. There were always too many people watching you wanting you to be the perfect ruler and waiting for you to make a mistake. That is why this business with Mary and Francis was such a bother. Both were being watched by everyone. As they made their way down the hall they passed the girl known as Kenna who henry had made his new mistress.

She gushed to Mary of how wonderful she was being treated and how her chambers were beautiful and how happy she was.

"Kenna I am surely happy that you are so happy but I would urge you to be careful." She said with a pained expression. Sophia caught the haughty look of Kenna as she glanced at Mary. Love had made the girl think that Mary's concern sprung from jealousy. Henry had that effect on women. He was a man of many words; beautiful seductive words and if one had a soft brain because of age or plain stupidity he could worm his way into your heart. He had Sophia's; but she hadn't been stupid enough to share a bed with him though he had hinted a few times.

"Mary you are like an old mother who worries." Kenna said though it was light hearted. She curtsied to them both and went her way down the hall. Sophia caught Mary's worried expression.

"There is nothing you can do for that girl." Sophia said searching for the words. "She must learn her lessons on her own. Perhaps Henry will keep her. Lord knows he has done stranger things."

"Truly?" Mary asked looking at her. "You know Henry better than I do. Can you say that he would take care of her?" Sophia paused at the question.

"Henry is a good man." She said slowly "A weakness for beautiful women but a good man. No matter what transpires between him and Kenna he will make sure that she is taken care of." She hoped as the words came out of her mouth that they were true. Mary nodded and they walked further. There was a commotion coming from further down and they both quickened their steps to see what it was

There were several guards moving down the hall and when they had passed Francis appeared walking swiftly with a worried look on his face.

"Francis what's the matter? You weren't to return until tomorrow" Marry asked him stopping him by putting her hand on his arm. He looked at them both and his brow was wrinkled with worry.

"Francis?!" Sophia demanded loudly as he swallowed and looked at them both.

"Sebastian Fell." Was all he said Sophia could have smacked him.

"Fell where?" She asked drawing the answer from him.

"Fell down a deep quarry and hit his head pretty a rock caught him in the side too." He said a little dazed. Then she did hit him on the shoulder though and not very hard but he still gave her a look.

"You are supposed to watch out for him!" She said "Where is he? Is he going to be alright?"

"The infirmary with Nostradamus, I don't know there was a lot of blood" He replied and Sophia sighed. She spun around and started running toward the room that she has visited many times.

"Francis make yourself useful and go eat something with Mary. Don't be rude either or I'll cut your tongue out so you can't say anything stupid ever again." She waved back at them but kept her quick pace until she reached the room

MARY

Mary watched as her friend ran in a panicked manner down the hall. She turned to Francis.

"She seemed awfully upset." Mary said as Francis turned and they both made their way to the kitchen

"When she was here before we were all very close Sophia Bash and I; Inseparable at times." He said "She was like the little sister we never had. She was the first girl to come here that could get along with both of us. She could handle Sebastian's dark moodiness and his charm and my tendency to behave the certain ways I do." He said as she listened. "It wasn't like with Olivia. Not because neither of us thought of her that way but because she didn't think of us that way. She always treated us as brothers. There was nothing to taint the friendship so we grew very close. Bash and I were both upset when she left. He hid it better than I."

Mary nodded and thought Sophia would have had to try very hard to keep her feeling for Bash hidden. She would have to ask her for her secret later.

SEBASTIAN

Sebastian woke up with his shirt sticking to him with sweat. He rolled over with much effort on the uncomfortable cot that was his bed in the infirmary. He saw Sophia lying on a cot a few feet from him. She was mumbling in her sleep and her eyes were scrunched with worry. He loved her face. He had missed it when she had been away.

He smiled as he thought of himself in his half-conscious state when he had been carried in here. He hadn't been laid down for ten minutes when the fiery Spaniard had burst into the room yelling at Nostradamus. She had put her hand on his face and asked him question s that he hadn't understood. He had woken two times since then and she had been there. Not as distant as she would have liked to have been he thought but they had a bond stronger than their petty pride. Both of them needed forgivness but neither would be the first to ask. He knew that to be true.

"She has been down here for three days." It was Nostradamus who spoke. "Never left. She insisted that she was allowed to stay here. She missed Mass yesterday."

"I'm sure that tore her to pieces." Sebastian said laughing to himself. More than once all three of them had snuck out of mass to do something else that seemed more promising.

"She ate her. She refused to go to her room to sleep. She checks on you every ten minutes even while she sleeps. Stay awake you will see." He said as her put something on Sebastian's head and walked away.

"perhaps I will." He said