I do not own Reign

Sophia walked with Gerald through the hallway that led to her room. They had had a pleasant afternoon and she was going to get ready for dinner. She had worn men's cloths today and he had only smiled at her and told her she looked beautiful in anything. She was glad he had said that because it had been a kind of test really. He had passed. He had passed every test that she had secretly given him. He seemed to be one of the most wonderful people she had met. He made her laugh constantly. He always asked if she was okay and he was very consciences of her. Right now he was wearing a coat of his because it had been cold outside. She found out that he had a three year old daughter. When last they were engaged she had just been a little thing. She didn't ask what happened to her mother but he saw the question on her face an answered it; she had died in childbirth and broke his heart. He was pressed to get re married and so Sophia had come in. He admitted that he was rather glad she had broken it off because he had still been heartsick over his wife. His little girl's name was Francisca after her mother.

"Does that change anything?" He said a little nervous. She had just smiled at him.

"I love children." She said. She did wonder though about having kids with him. Was there any way that she could love his as much as she would love her own. Did he even want more children? She hadn't asked. They had walked everywhere and talked. It seemed they would never run out of things to talk about her. He took her hand halfway through the day and she had let him. There was no heat; no passion but here was warmth and safety. She thought that when she could learn to love that warmth.

Now he walked her to her room. He asked her so many questions of her family and of herself. He seemed to want to know everything. So she told him and in return asked questions about his family and about what he did when he wasn't being a duke. He laughed at her too which made her smile and like him more. They turned to her door and they exchanged a few words but he didn't let go of her hand.

"Sophia, I am not used to doing this. I never thought I would have to court another woman so I am not sure how to continue. I am not even sure if I am going about it correctly he said as he stammered. Sophia thought it was one of the most adorable thing she had ever seen. She drew closer to him.

"Gerald you are doing just fine." She said as she kissed him. He kissed her back; it was nice she thought as she put her hand on her cheek. A clearing of someone's throat drew them apart. Sophia almost growled at the face that was looking at them both.

"Hello Lord Sebastian." Gerald said bowing low. "I am not sure if you remember me."

"I remember you." Sebastian said smiling at him knowingly. "You are the man who has captured our Sophia's heart twice. Better be cautious to keep it this time." He said and Sophia clenched her hands behind her hand behind her back to keep from slapping him. "But Alas our Sophia is a hard one to predict. Aren't you Soph?" He asked. If only Gerald wasn't there; then she could slap him. Gerald bowed to both her and Sebastian and dismissed himself by kissing Sophia's hand and telling her he would expect her at dinner. She nodded and watched him walk away before turning to Bash.

"Must you ruin everything?' she said to him opening her door and going in her bedroom. He followed her and closed the door without asking if it was okay. "By all means come in." She said waving one hand at him. He sat in a chair by her fire place. She rolled her eyes and went to her trunk to get a dress for tonight. She decided that she would just him sit there.

"I returned your book." He said holing up a book that she had gotten from the castle library. "You left it in the infirmary." He said and her face heated under the cold water she was using to wash it. She had taken a bath this morning. She just needed to freshen up before dinner.

"Thank you." She said "You may put it on the chair and be on your way I am sure that you are very busy." She said grabbing a crème colored gown with a lace back and buttons down either side. It had long sleeves and a low neck line. She turned to see that Bash hadn't moved even a little.

"I was planning on escorting you to dinner." He said with a self-satisfied tone.

"I know the way." She said as they had stared at each other both thinking they would win.

"A lady should never be seen without an escort and since your suitor left I feel as if it my duty too." He said to her.

"Sebastian if you had a shred of decency that made you think of duty I would die of surprise." She turned to go behind her dressing curtain. She wouldn't let him make her late. "If you insist I cannot dissuade you." She said stepping out of her clothes and putting undergarments and stockings on. She had gotten quite good at taking off her own corset. The only thing she couldn't do was tie the last lace when she got the new one on. She now had a choice to make. She could ask Bash to do it; they had already broken propriety by him being here while she was getting dressed or she could go without it being tied.

She thought for a moment and decided that if he got to be smug and look at her like he didn't care one way or another what happened to her. If he got to walk up and ruin her life then she wasn't going to worry about what he thought of her. She walked out and he looked at her and his eyes went wide as he scanned her figure. She turned and pointed over her shoulder at the Corset tie. He took another minute to look at her in what she wasn't wearing. He got up and took up the laces and tied them up. When he was done he set both his hands on her shoulders and slid them down so he took each of her hands in his.

"You are going to marry him Soph?" There was disbelief in his voice. Sophia saw this all playing out again. She saw her with a hole in her heart because of this man and she refused to be brokenhearted by him again. She took one hand out of his had reached below her corset and pulled his ring out so that he could see it.

"Perhaps you would place a wager on it Bash? I wager that I will marry Gerald and leave you and every misery you have caused me behind me." She said with more than a little sadness in her voice. He stepped away from her. The heat from his body had left and her exposed back was cold.

"It seems that you have will have won that." He said now but his tone was so cold now. No warmth, though she could not imagine what he could have reason to be cold about. Because she wouldn't let her ruin this for her again? Because he was pouting like a child that he couldn't play with her anymore? "Perhaps you should escort yourself to dinner after all." He said and though she didn't turn she heard the door close behind him leaving her feeling horrible