I do not own Reign.
"You need to move your arms to black faster to block. I am going slowly but if you were fighting someone they would slice your arm open." Sophia said as she got back into the starting position. Mary wiped sweat off her face and gave Sophia a look of determination. Sophia knew she was being hard on Mary today in her sword play lesson today but she was taking all her frustration out in a physical activity. Mary had noticed but had been kind enough not to say anything. She took everything Sophia gave her and used it in her fencing. She was getting very good Sophia had to admit the things that needed to be perfected were dwindling but Sophia was irritated and was bringing the littlest things up and lecturing Mary about them. "Hold your hand up higher." Mary did as she was told. "No that is too high." Sophia said and sighed as she lowered her weapon and ran her free hand over her face.
"I'm sorry Sophia I am not focused today." Mary said but it was an empty apology
"No don't be." Sophia said as she looked up at the lovely girl "It isn't you my dear. I am afraid that I am taking my irritation out on this lesson." She walked over to the table with a pitcher of wine on it and poured herself a glass. She drank deeply from it before smiling at Mary again
"What is on you mind Sophia?" Mary asked. Sophia thought about that's she walked back to the girl and got into the first stance again. Mary did the same waiting for Sophia's answer.
"Well let's see…" She started as she made the first move and Mary blocked it. She talked as the parried and blocked each other. "Gerald proposed to me." She thought that that shouldn't frustrate her but Mary seemed to understand. "I said yes and am now supposed to be ready to be a bride." She hit Mary's sword with a little too much force. "Sorry…" She said stepping back. "My father has suggested that we get married somewhere other than Spain and that he is confident that I have picked a good match and therefore there is no reason to meet him." She got back in starting position and waved for Mary to do the same. "Gerald left to yet again tell his family of his engagement. He will be back and we shall get married in Italy and I shall live there and I shall give my husband the inheritance that my father has graciously provided me. Though I doubt Gerald would ask that of me." She was surprised when Mary Struck first. "I have to pack all my stuff…" She continued but was interrupted by a voice.
"Mary you really shouldn't let a teacher whose own footing is poor teach you how to fence." Sebastian called from behind Sophia and she gave Mary the girl held back a laugh. Of course there is the ever irritating Sebastian Sophia thought.
"I wonder that you would say such a thing Sebastian since it is you who taught me." She said turning on him and lowering her blunted blade.
"I surely didn't teach you to fence that way. Hat must be your own wild ways integrating themselves into what I taught you." He said. He was teasing her and she knew it. However she was already irritated today and couldn't handle anything that he was going to do today. He must have been outside because he wore a thick jacket. He challenged her with his eyes and she stared at him right back. Mary shuffled behind her and then Sophia had an idea.
"Let's see if it is your teaching or my influence." She threw him her weapon which he caught and turned and held out her hand for Mary's. Mary handed it to her and stepped off to the side.
"I cannot fight a woman." Sebastian said though took his coat off as Sophia rolled up her shirt sleeves.
"Tis a good thing I am dressed as a man then. Nobody will think worse of you than they already do." She said smiling at him as they both walked to the middle of the room
"Mary?" Francis' voice called from the hall
"wonderful." Sophia said under her breath. More people that would get to watch her take a beating from Bash.
"Francis." Mary called out to him and he turned into the room that Mary and Sophia practiced in.
"Are you done practicing today?" He asked. He hadn't looked up yet to see Sophia and Sebastian getting into the starting position.
"I am done I think, yes." She said from across the room. At her tone Francis looked up at the three of them and smiled.
"Oh, well this certainly hasn't happened in a while." He walked over to where Mary stood and led her to the table and sat her in a chair as he did the same. Mary listened to their conversation as her and Bash circled each other.
"Shouldn't we stop this?" Mary asked Francis as he leaned back in the chair. He waved a hand at her and Bash in a non-committed kind of way.
"No better to let them have it out. It is rather enjoyable to watch." Mary looked at them all like they had lost their wits but said nothing as she sat back in her chair.
"Ladies shouldn't wear men's clothes at all." Bash said eyeing her. She advanced first and he blocked her blow easily enough though she knew he would.
"A Gentleman wouldn't enter into a fencing match with a lady." She said as they fell right into a rhythm that they both knew well. She would step forward he would block her. He would retaliate and she would take two small steps to his one to block his.
"Who said I was a gentleman?" He asked her coming toward her and she skipped sideways to avoid a column.
"Who said I was a lady?" She asked smiling at him as they kept at each other. Their blows getting harder and faster as they went.
"Well what does that make us then?" He asked her another question. She had tripped taking two steps and he had her arms locked and pushed held her to him.
"Two of a kind." Francis said from the chair where he looked to be thoroughly enjoying the show. Sophia just grunted as she pushed away from Bash and they started in again. Sophia was getting tired but then again so was he she could see it on his face. He may be a better swordsman than she was but she was faster. She blocked a blow of his and advanced quickly holding her rapier to his chest. She had him backed against a column. She tilted her head and smiled at him but before she got the satisfaction to hit him and win the match he reached up and put the thin point of his weapon in between the crook of her thumb and knocked the rapier from her hand. The metal clattered to the ground and Sophia stared at it in disbelief. Bash then raised his to her throat and inched her chin up.
"You always do that." She said taking her hand and shoving the blade down. She picked up her own rapier and made a deep bow to him.
"It is a wonder then that you allow me to trick you every time." He said and Francis burst into laughter. Sophia glared at him but Mary was laughing too and Sophia couldn't help but smile as she met Bash who was smiling back at her.
Sophia carried a two warm woolen blankets under her arm. They were rather heavy and big but she would be glad that she brought it along when she reached her destination. She held up the lantern that she had brought to light the dark hallways. Nobody would be up now except for maybe a few servants.
She thought of her sparing match with Bash yesterday and shook her head. He walked her to her room after that; seeming to have forgotten that he had been cross with her just a week and a half before this. He had been rather friendly and exhausting as always. She wished that he would leave her be.
She walked the halls with two blankets and a candle to find some time where she could be alone. As she walked down stairs and missed noisy spots that she knew well. She walked down into the cellar and out the door there. It was cold and dark outside with only her lantern to light the way. There was a small hill to the left of the castle with three spindly trees at the top. The trees had been small for as long as she could remember and they never grew. Her Francis and Sebastian used to go up to stare at the stars when she had lived here before.
She shivered in the air. It wasn't cold at night but the air still gave her a chill. She hiked her way up the small rise of grass and smiled at the memories that flooded her mind. She laid one of the blankets down when she reached the best place and folded the other in half. She set her lantern on the ground and sat down on the blanket. She pulled the other one over her knees as she held them to her chest and watched the deep black sky speckled by brilliant lights. It was one of the most beautiful things that she could remember seeing.
She realized then that she hadn't really wanted to be alone. She had wanted to recreate a wonderful memory. And the truth was that you couldn't really re-create a memory. She would be leaving this place for good most likely in a few weeks and the thought terrified her. She had thought that if she could always come back here then she would never have to enter court. This was one of the only places that she had felt like family somewhere and now it was being taken away from her.
Tears slipped down her face as she cursed herself. She was crying entirely too often these days. She slunk her arms beneath the blanket and stared up naming the stars that Nostradamus had taught her the names of.
"I do believe there is a lion up there somewhere." A voice came from behind her and Sophia squeaked in surprise. She turned and groaned at the man leaning against a small tree.
"Can't you leave me be?" She asked him turning away. "Wherever I go there you are; haunting me like the girl that walks the castle at night." She said but her tone had turned sour
"To be fair you are in my home." He said to her. "Am I invited to sit down?"
"Only if you are inviting yourself." She said not even looking back at him.
"I think I shall." He said as he sat down on the edge of the blanket and was silent. Sophia looked over at him. He was wearing a coat and while it wasn't cold there was no reason her should be dressed as he was. She turned back to the sky and told herself that she didn't care. She wasn't the one who had come out here without a coat. But she kept looking at him over and over and she sighed as she scooted over and unfolded the blanket.
"Come on then." She said he looked over at her and winked; probably his plan all along. She laid down and he slipped under the blanket and laid down next to her as they looked up at the star studded sky.
"I don't know why you have been treating me like you don't know me while you have been here Soph." He said quietly.
"You don't?" She asked but refused to answer the question
"No." He said turning to her. She wouldn't look at him. If she looked at him it would be over so she didn't
"I wouldn't say I have been treating you as if I don't know you." She said to him
"No?" He asked her
"No." She said wanting to laugh at the way they were dancing around things
"Well treating me as if you don't wish to see me." He said to her. His tone was never too involved. It never gave the impression that he cared to deeply.
"Well I can't deny that." She said to him trying to match his tone. He reached his hand over to hers and threaded their fingers together. She looked over at him then and he was staring up at the sky. He had a day's worth of growth on his face that she could see from the moon and her lantern.
"It's not as if I don't deserve it." He said to her and she just made a noise of agreement. "But Sophia it's not as if you are the easiest person to get with." Now her turned and caught her looking at him.
"No?" She asked smiling and that brought a smile to his face too
"No." He said and pulled her hand closer. She moved closer to him and she thought that his eyes were the second most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
"I try so very hard to be amiable." She said feigning horror and he chuckled at her. "I simply wish to be accepted by everyone. I want to be loved by all." She said still in a mocking tone
"Could you settle for loved by a few?" He asked moving his free hand to her cheek and brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. She kissed his thumb as it ran over her mouth.
"I suppose I could live with that." She said
"You suppose?" He asked
"Yes." She responded as he leaned in to kiss her. She could smell his sent and feel the heat of him. She wanted nothing more than to let him. "I'm getting married." She said to him and he turned over and groaned. She felt guilty. She had let him lay down with her and she had gotten close to him. "I'm sorry." She said to him. He looked at her and shook his head but his smile was still in place.
"Yes Soph I realize you are getting married." He said "Part of me wonders if you are doing it to spite me." She was silent at this because she really didn't have an answer except for another apology. She wouldn't keep spouting those. "Come here." He said to her. So she did. She laid her head on his chest and they laid and watched the stars.