The game is pretty simple. They cover his eyes, and he has to stand in a circle and recognize the voice of his one true love. (He's not quite sure what that means, but his mother tells him that of course he was to find Mary's voice.) And Francis is pretty smart for a six year old. The girl has a Scottish accent; it couldn't be any easier to find her voice.

But then they push four other girls, all Scottish too, into the game and even though their accents sound the same, he still finds her voice on the first try even when he didn't really understand the game anyways.

(he doesn't know it now, but some time later he will have a brother. and years later Francis will watch his little brother try to win that senseless game too; as the girl he played it with holds his hand, her Scottish accent gone)

-.-

She's annoying and her legs are skinny, and her tooth fell out last month and her smile looks stupid without it but they are friends and they are happy. They chase each other down the hall and explore secret passage ways. He throws peas at her at dinner and she tries to kick him under the table but her legs are not long enough, and Francis starts to think that maybe living with her forever and having her rule at his side can't be that bad.

He doesn't have to chase around after Bash anymore, or ask him to play with him, because now he has Mary and she was his, so his father said and Francis thinks he will be friends with her always even if she's irritating, because she plays swords with him when no one is looking, and they jump on mattresses until the feathers come down like snow.

And for the first time he has something Bash doesn't and he might be only seven, but he can see how his father treats them differently and he gets jealous sometimes, that Bash get's to go outside more and play in the kitchens, but not anymore. Because he has Mary now and not even his older brother can take her away.

(he doesn't know it now, but in years to come his brother will try)

-.-

They are 8, and the rain out side makes it impossible for them to play and the weather is heavy and gloomy, even inside. The last time they played in the rain she had the flu for a week and now Francis knows better than to suggest that again. They are sitting on the window seat, a chess game forgotten in lieu of following a raindrop race on the window glass.

"We are going to be married one day, are we not?" He asks her, as he wacthes one of his drops beat hers, again.

"Yes." She tells him, as if it was a stupid question. Which it probably was but she still always thinks she's so smart.

"Well…then shouldn't I kiss you?" He asks her, wanting just to annoy her.

"Francis." She says, admonishingly but with a hint of laughter to her voice, before she leans across the window seat and kisses his cheek on a whim. They stare at each other then, eyes as big as saucers; before he yells "catch me" and sprints away, making her chase after him.

(years go by before he hears Mary say his name like that again, after he has leaned down and kissed her stomach, telling her "I hope you're pregnant")

-.-

"Your grace, your carriage is ready."

Half of the castle is on the grounds to see her off, so she can't cry even though he knows she wants to cry because she's scrunching her nose like she does before she starts weeping.

"It's okay." He tells her, trying for a smile; thinking that no, it wasn't okay at all.

He can't hug her because it wouldn't be appropriate or maybe he would look silly and Bash would make fun of him, but then he decides that since he's almost ten years old and he's a prince and she's a queen they shouldn't care. So he hugs her to him, fast, and she hugs him back, and then he walks her to the carriage, the nun inside smiling at him, as she helps Mary in. And he's jealous in an instant and can only think that this isn't fair, that Mary is mine.

The horses start to advance, and Francis thinks that he can't let her go yet and so he runs after her carriage, down the road in front of the castle with the trees bending over the dirt path.

Mary brings her head out of the back window, and extends her arm as if he could touch her. One last game. But no matter how fast he runs the carriage gets farther and farther away.

"Francis is still a girl's names." She screams out, laughing, before the nun inside admonishes her and makes her sit back down. But she still turns around one last time, and the last he sees of that girl is her missing tooth smile.

(it will be many years later before Francis is running after her again, down that same old road with the bent trees; but then, there will be no laughter)

a/n: I'm just in such a Frary mood lately. As always, thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. :)