"Since Mary, Queen of Scotland, was a child, the English have wanted her country and her crown." "She is sent to France to wed its next king, to save herself and her people, a bond that should protect her." "But there are forces that conspire... forces of darkness, forces of the heart." "Long may she reign." " Previously on Reign..." " Marry me." "Yes, yes." "Nostradamus believes that someday you will be the cause of Francis' death." "Walk away from this marriage." "All images of Francis' death are tied to your union." "I don't believe any of it." "I see your ladies circled around; one among you will die." "Aylee." "As Queen of Scotland, I have made a decision." "I lay no claim to the English throne." "What if you were legitimized?" "You're talking about changing the line of succession." "And that's the sort of talk that gets bastards and mistresses beheaded." "Catherine has sworn to keep our secret, but she can't be trusted." "She can't control me or you if she can't catch us." "Go on your own;" "leave today." " Where are you going?" " Far." "That's my destination as well." "Mary!" "Mary, please!" "Come on!" "Hyah!" "This way, Mary, quick." "We're trapped." "There's no way around." "We have to go back." "The king's guards..." "Will intercept us." "We'll never outrun them in the woods anyway." "We'll be captured and dragged back to French court." "The king wants England; he won't give up." "If we're found..." "Get down, quickly." " I'm going to get you back to Scotland." " How?" "This way." "Bash, what are you doing?" "Just trust me." "Can you swim?" "This is the only way out." "Are you mad?" " We'll never survive it." " You can do this." "Stop!" "In the name of the king!" "Seize them!" "We've checked every outbound ship from Dunkirk to Bayeux, Your Majesty." "The Scottish Queen and your son" " must still be in France, but..." " They didn't just disappear." "Bash has many talents, but magic isn't one of them." "Find them!" "Go." "They've been gone for more than a week." "You'll never find them." "Francis is back from his own search." "I tell him it's pointless, they're long gone," " but he persists." " What did you expect?" "Mary's his fiancée." "They were hours from being wed." "Until she rode off with his brother." "I'd call that engagement off." "What I'd like to know is why." "I hear she was probably involved with him for months." "What is it about her marriage to our son that strikes such fear in your black heart?" "The truth, Catherine, for once." "Mary is dangerous because she's in danger." "Because the English hate her, and they always will, especially if she lays claim to their throne as you insist." "I believe she brings destruction, which will reach our lands and our hearts." "This isn't your decision, and if I find out her departure is your doing in any way," "I'll have grounds to execute you." "I grow weary of your threats." "I grew weary of you a decade ago." "All I need is cause to be rid of you." "Perhaps this time, you've given it to me." "You can't do this." "Take off for days at a time on your own?" "I had guards with me, guards that I can trust." "Guards that don't answer to you." "We're only back because there was a sighting of a girl alleged to be Mary in a village nearby." "A girl who appeared to be barely ten." "Well, few people in France have set eyes on Mary." "She has money." "She can buy passage as well as silence." "She has Bash to navigate for them." "You won't find them, and why would you want to?" "Because I want to know why she left." "Well, didn't you ask her?" "She said that she couldn't trust me to put her interests before France." "And she's right." "And I know, because you'll be an extraordinary king." "She made an excuse." "It's not why she left, I know it." "Then she's a liar." "Why would you want her?" "Because I love her, despite everything that she's done." "And because I sense your hand in this." "I don't think the innkeeper believed our story." "That we were attacked by bandits?" "Honest people don't ride through the woods." "Honest, foolish people do." "Do you think that you're foolish for helping me?" "I only meant that the woods are dangerous." "Not as dangerous as court, as it turns out." "Do you really think that Queen Catherine knew about your mother's plot to have you legitimized?" "Yes." "She used the information to blackmail my mother into leaving court." "My mother never should have done this behind my father's back." "And behind yours." "You never asked to rule France." "This was never what you wanted." "Try convincing anyone of that." "They're going to think the worst of us, you know." "I'm sure Francis already does." "I'll find some horses tomorrow." "We'll get a boat from Calais and put this all behind us." "Now, get undressed." "What?" "You'll want dry clothes." "We have a long day tomorrow." "All right then." "Turn around." "For the entire night?" "There's not a thing left in your bag that isn't soaked." "Let it dry." "Innkeeper." " Brought you some fresh linen." " Hide." "Quickly." "Our innkeeper lacked grace, but he wasn't wearing heavy boots." "Well, if it isn't the bastard son of France." "Those people you paid off to keep their silence, we paid them more." " Where's the Queen?" " I dropped her off in Calais." "She's halfway across the Channel in a four-masted galleon." "Without her clothes?" "Did they tie her to the bow like a figurehead?" "The king wants you back alive, but he said nothing of your fingers." "Last chance." "Stop!" "I'm right here." "Unhand him." " This man is under my protection." " Apologies," "Your Grace, but this man is a French subject, not Scottish," " and he's a criminal." " And what crime has he committed beyond ensuring my safety?" "Weren't you engaged to his brother?" "I suppose that's why I heard the word "treason" bandied about." "All I know is the king wants his son back at court." " I can help." " No." "I'll explain why you came with me." "I'll make Henry understand." "And Francis?" "He won't let you leave twice." "I jumped off a cliff with you and I survived." "This time let me take the lead." "The king wants him taken to the dungeon." "I'll be fine." "Be strong." "You have to." "Mary!" "Is my brother hurt?" "Not yet." "They're locking him up." "And you... are you all right?" "I suppose you wondered if you'd ever see me again." "Yes." "I knew I'd see you." "If I hadn't found you, if the guards didn't," "I would have come to Scotland..." "Francis, please, don't." "Nothing has changed." "Everything's changed." "We woke up at sunrise in each other's arms and I promised to stand by you forever, against anyone, even my father." "And by sundown, you'd run off with my brother." "This isn't Bash's fault." "No, you say it's about France bullying you into claiming the throne of England, or because my loyalties might lie to my nation and not to you." "But I swore myself to you, and I know you believed me." "Tell me what happened." "My friend died." "My heart broke." "Why did you leave?" "Explain to me how Aylee's death made you decide you couldn't marry me." "Give me an honest answer." "I deserve that." "I was prepared to give everything to you." "Including your life." "I know that, and I'm sorry." "But I can't marry you." "The king requests your presence in the throne room." "Begging your pardon, Your Grace, he just wants Queen Mary." "The guards say you chose to return." "I am here on Sebastian's behalf." "And to make peace between our nations, as it seems there is some ill will in the wake of my decision not to marry your son Francis." "I am hoping you can help me with this." "I'll help you make peace." "Marry Francis, as we'd agreed." "Lay claim to England." "The story for your abrupt departure is this:" " you were a bride overcome by nerves." " No." "No?" "You are here at your mother's, at Scotland's bidding." "Your wedding is a treaty of nations." "Women don't often say no, to Henry." "When they do he thinks it's a game." "It usually is." "But Mary isn't your usual girl." "She is Scotland." "She is its queen." "All right then." "Let's negotiate." "As leaders." "Shall we start with your desire to protect Bash?" "You're fond of him, aren't you?" "Aren't you?" "He's your son." "He was protecting me." "Bash did nothing wrong." "And you, you shared a bed with him." "There are witnesses." "They're lying." "But go ahead, ruin me." "I could give a damn about my reputation in France." "In Scotland?" "They will believe their Queen." "A queen with blood on her hands who let her lover die?" "Sebastian ran off with the future king's fiancée." "Destroying an alliance between our countries." "Don't do this." "You want to be treated like a ruler?" "Someone who can say no?" "Do you need lives at stake to take this seriously?" "Henry, you wouldn't." "You'll marry my son Francis and accept our nation's support, as you and your new husband, lay claim to England." "Or I will execute my son, my subject Bash, for the treason of costing me England." "You can watch him bleed to death on your wedding altar." "Leave us." "Now." "You should never have come back here." "I had no choice." "Bash was accused of treason." "I couldn't let him suffer on his own." "I was afraid something like this might happen." "Find a way to convince King Henry that I won't back down, before he carries through with his threat." "Killing Bash?" "!" "I can't believe he would do it." "I won't take that chance." "Well, then lie." "Say that you and Bash" " are already married." " How?" "You grabbed a priest on the road." "You said your vows in a cowshed." "Even Henry can't override a union sanctified by God." "No." "But he can kill Bash in anger on hearing it." "Do you have any other ideas?" "I've sent word to my mother." "In truth, I cannot believe that she and her advisors would support a claim on England at this time." "Henry's already been corresponding with your mother." "Once he learned that the English Queen was dying." "She wants me to do it." "Scotland wants me on the throne of England." "They know it's a risk..." "Less so, with Francis at your side." "They want me to wed the next King of France without delay." "So, there is no other option." "I must tell Francis of the prophecy." "You must find another way." "Francis will reject the prophecy as superstition." "And he will convince you to marry him." "You know I am right!" "I will explain to him why I believe Nostradamus's visions." "Giving him arguments he can talk you out of with reason and logic." "And he will." "Because the fact that Nostradamus can see the death of the man you love, is not something that you want to believe either." "But I do believe it." "You won't when he's done with you, because Francis is reasonable in all things, but he is relentless in his love for you." "If you tell Francis, he will wear you down, and he is as good as dead." "And if I do nothing," "Bash will die." "You look pathetic... but I feel your hatred." "You don't even have the decency to feign remorse for killing that girl." "I did it to save Mary." "You killed Aylee to fulfill my vision." "The Queen was planning to kill her." "So, you've said." "And you're right," "Catherine would have." "Kings and queens do that." "To save another, to save themselves, when it suits them, they play God." "Monsters like you should not." "Did you not enjoy your freedom?" "You could go about the castle as you wished." "All I asked, was that you stay out of sight." "That you harm no one." "So, that no harm would come to you." "You'll stay here... until I believe you've learned your lesson." "Do as I say, or I'll starve you." "No." "Mary." "Thank you for coming." "Is this about Bash?" "My father just told me that he'll kill him if you don't marry me." "And still you refuse?" "Yes." "I'm sorry." "This is insane." "How far will you go to destroy us?" "But it will destroy you otherwise." "What?" "Please, hear me out." "I want to explain myself." "I want you to understand why I left you." "It wasn't for lack of love." "Or joy, or trust in you." "It was because I couldn't bear the thought of losing you." "That makes no sense." "Nostradamus had a vision." "Of your death, brought about by me, if we wed." "You left me over a prophecy?" "One that I believe." "I couldn't take the risk of being wrong!" "This is madness." "I know, I thought so too." "I didn't believe it, I didn't want to, but, I knew that Nostradamus's visions had weight even before he predicted Aylee's death." "Her fall?" "Hours before it happened." "When the king finds out..." "No, you can't tell him!" "He will burn Nostradamus alive, for heresy, or treason, both charges apply, not to mention..." "My mother." "She was behind this as well." "All her crimes against me were because she loves you." "Does she deserve to burn for that?" "She would do anything for you." "And I would, too." "I will not be the cause of your death." "And Bash?" "Shall he die in my stead?" "No, of course not." "Because my father is determined." "You will wed the next King of France" "Or he'll lose any chance of England." "Mary... you cannot let superstition or fear rule your life." "You must be the ruler." "Taking charge of your own destiny." "Marry me." "Now, before my mother or Nostradamus can poison you with fear, pressure you..." "You are pressuring me." "Ah, because I am right." "And my mother is wrong to believe in this nonsense!" "She was right to believe." "Aylee is dead." "I believe!" "I'll talk to Nostradamus." "He'll recant." "I'll make my mother see things sensibly." "I'll take the risk." "This is my life, my risk." "Once you get past the grief of Aylee's death, you'll see." "Your mother was right, you are relentless." "When it comes to us, yes." "But I can't do this." "I am begging you, please stop." "I won't." "Ever." "Then I will." "I assume you've asked for this meeting because you've made your decision." "Will you marry Francis?" "Or will you be forced to watch Bash's execution?" "Neither." "What's this?" "I have a third option." "One I think you would be most interested in." "I will stake my claim on England and I will marry your son." "But not Francis." "Bash." "Legitimize him and make him the next King of France." "Explain yourself." "You want England." "I want something in return." "You are talking about changing the line of succession of France." "Bash as king... this is laughable." "Bastards are being legitimized all over Europe." "I believe the Vatican will favor this arrangement." "How could you know that?" "You said yourself, they want England as badly as you do." "They will do anything to keep it from falling into the hands of the Protestants." "You were against this claim before." "That was before I knew my mother's wishes." "And how much pressure her advisors were putting her under." "It seems I will be going off to England no matter what I think." "But only with Bash at my side." "So I'll make him a duke, or an earl." " Yes." " Half measures won't do." "I need to be married to the man who commands the king's armies." "There'd be civil unrest." "The nobles may reject it." "It makes our country appear unstable." "And I'd have to convince the Pope to annul our marriage." "Are you not acquainted with my very determined wife?" "Perhaps you're wife will agree." "Because at her core she is more selfless than you think." "You think she gives a damn about France controlling England when she is no longer queen?" "It's up to the Queen to decide her priorities." "I've given your majesties much to consider." "I will take my leave." "You're not seriously considering this?" "What she proposes would cost me everything." "My marriage, my crown, the legacy of our children, your sons." "Yes..." "They are all considerations." " Those bitches!" " Who?" "Mary, her friends, that parasite Diane, the lot of them." "My mistress Diane?" "What does she have to do with this?" "You don't seriously think that Mary came up with legitimization all by herself." "Bash must have told her." "Diane has been working on this behind your back for months." " Do you have proof of this?" " Well, why don't you ask Kenna, your other mistress." "She told me and as a result, I blackmailed Diane and I" " sent her off to Paris." " You admit this deceit?" "You would have found out anyway, from Bash, before you took off his head!" "I suspect that's the real reason why he fled the castle." "He was afraid of your reaction." "So much for the great love story of Mary and Bash." "But if he left out of fear, what was her reason?" "I have no idea." "But she certainly made a mess of things now, hasn't she?" "In truth, Catherine's been relatively kind to us." "She was arranging our passage for next week." "Now you're back and marrying Bash." "If Henry makes him the next king." "It was the only way I could save Bash and Francis, and do as I was bid by my mother, as is my duty." "What about me?" "For Bash to become legitimized," "Henry must marry Diane and she'll be back at court as queen." "If the plan works, yes." "I know this must be painful for you." "You have feelings for the king." "Painful?" "You have no idea, any of you!" "I think Diane was behind Aylee's death." "Kenna, what are you saying?" "Aylee fell, but I think she was poisoned first." "What makes you think such a thing?" "There was a cup shattered at the base of the stairs." "A cup that was delivered to me." "I saw a cat drinking the spilled contents." "Not long after I found the animal dead in the corner." "Why didn't you tell any of us about your suspicions?" "You were already dealing with so much and then you were gone." "What could I, any of us, done about it in your absence?" "Who would stand to gain by my death?" "Diane, certainly." "But also Catherine." "What better way to warn you of Nostradamus's visions, than by fulfilling his latest prophecy?" "That one among us would die?" "And one of us did." "There was other proof of Nostradamus's power." "Yes... but it was Aylee's death that convinced you that what he predicted for Francis would come true." "Did Catherine know of this last prophecy?" "Was she aware of it?" "She'd never admit to it." "But I'm getting better at discerning when she's lying." "And I'm not pleased with her." "Did you poison Aylee?" "Yes or no?" "Leave us." "How dare you burst in here after the stunt you've just pulled." "Give me your answer." "Of course not." "I had nothing but fondness for Aylee." "And Kenna?" "A cup was delivered to her bedside that ended up in" "Aylee's hands." "Your friend Kenna, she came to me, she'd found out about Diane's plot to have Bash legitimized." "Bash told me, but I wasn't aware that Kenna knew." "I saw an opportunity to get rid of them both." "I told Diane about Kenna's scheming and I... gifted her some poison." "I suppose I was testing her, to see if she'd actually try to poison Kenna before leaving the castle." "And clearly, she tried." "So, it was your poison." "Delivered at Diane's hands and not yours." "Delivered to the wrong girl." "You must believe me." "Why would I tell you this otherwise?" "What reason would I have to kill Aylee?" "To make me believe Nostradamus's prophecies." "He had a vision of one of my ladies dying." "He never told me." "He takes no comfort in the horrors he sees." "And he knows that I would probably have killed one of your ladies trying to convince you." "I'm telling you the truth." "On my immortal soul." "There's still time to fix this." "Leave for Scotland." "I have connections," "I can ensure you find another suitable match." "Not in time." "No, this can't be happening." "You end up with a king, and three kingdoms under your rule, and I lose everything?" "!" "I am losing the man that I love." "I am saving your son!" "I have made my sacrifice!" "And now it is your turn." "I must talk to Francis and tell him of my proposal to wed Bash before somebody else does." "I might have already mentioned it." "Francis?" "Francis." "Get up." "I can explain." "Why did you steal Mary?" "!" "I was trying to help her." "You took advantage of her fears, and this family's trust." "Francis, stop." "How long have you hated me?" "I was trying to save your life." "Stop!" "Stop!" "Francis, stop!" "Stop!" "This isn't Bash's fault!" "He only knew about the prophecy." "The only thing we've done is try to save you." "I'm the one who proposed marrying him." "I proposed that he be the new heir to the throne." "You proposed what?" "I'm sorry." "You are setting the course of nations." "Asking the Pope to say that this is God's will!" "Taking my family's inheritance, from me, my mother, my brothers." "And I'm supposed to accept this." "You are throwing away everything we had for superstition!" "Nostradamus knows nothing." "You know that I love you." "If you think that, because in your minds, you're saving me, that I will forgive you for this, you're wrong." "Are you all right?" "When were you planning to tell me?" "Before or after my coronation?" "!" "Please don't be angry." "I never wanted my brother's crown." "No matter my mother's plans." "But will you take it, to save his life?" "Can I have more than a heartbeat to think about it?" "!" "Why didn't you tell me about your visions of Mary's friends?" "If I had, you've had killed one of them, no?" "To make Mary believe?" "Well, that was my point to Mary, exactly." "It's tragic, about Aylee." "At least her death will do some good, if it saves Francis." "But now Mary is so convinced of your power, that she's ready to upset the line of succession." "In Mary's mind, this is the only way." "Well, of course there are others." "Options to keep you in power." "Without power, I am vulnerable." "And so are my children." "When Henry dies, and Bash becomes king, my sons become targets." "They'll threaten Sebastian's rule, as some will say they belong on the throne, one by one, in rightful succession." "No, Mary's plan will not do." "She and Bash must be stopped in a manner that leaves no trace." "Is there no other way?" "Can you suggest one?" "Hire a scribe, leave a note in Mary's hand, a good-bye to her friends, she would do that if she and Bash were making an escape." "Find a jailer who'll say that she bribed him." "Pay him well, and then kill him, too." "Take all the bodies to the forest and bury them deep... so that when the rains come and the animals dig... their skulls are not found." "Ah, Mary, you're safe." "No one followed you, or knows you're here, not even your ladies?" "No, no one knows." "You've taught me something, Mary." "God has a sense of humor." "When I heard the Vatican's support of your claim to the English throne, I thought," ""A chance this perfect must be crafted by God."" "But now, I see God's mocking me." "I mean, how else do you explain that on the verge of uniting England, Scotland and France," "I'd be here held hostage by the whims of a teenaged girl?" "It's not a whim." "I am deadly serious." "You were never groomed to be king." "Your recent actions have shown me that you are not prepared for power." "And yet, here we are." "I'll agree to your terms." "Let God mock the English for a change." "Thank you." "You're serious?" "Your ascent to the throne will not be official until the Pope agrees, which will not be easy." "I'll go to Rome, and do my best." "I've been a better father to you than Francis, but he's my son, too, and your brother." "You have betrayed him." "I don't know why," "I don't know if it's love or something else, but this will destroy him, unless he's a stronger man than either of us knew." "In which case," "God have mercy on you." "To the future King and Queen of France," "Scotland and England." "There is one other thing." "What will we do about Catherine?" "She won't give up her crown easily." "I can handle my wife." "You're next." "No." "It's best if you remain standing." "Are you going to execute me yourself?" "I'm trying very hard not to kill you for the things you've done." " You've had me followed?" " I know how you behave when you're cornered." "I will never agree to an annulment, no matter what fabrications you concoct to get you England." "I want all agreed to this plan." "When I die," "Bash will be king." "If he is survived by our children, the line of succession will revert to my sons by you." "Ah, well, it's better than I hoped." "Especially as you're instantly planning Bash's demise." "He would have been next, after you sent an assassin to Mary's chambers this very evening." "Now you think you'll simply pick Bash off, once my guard is down, or before they pop out an heir, and the throne will revert to Francis." " Aren't you ahead of me?" "It's as if we had one mind." " Catherine, don't." "He's thought of every angle." "Mary's right." "Because I know your next plan is to kill me." "To remove the largest obstacle and hasten things along." "A stray arrow, a hunting accident." " I wouldn't dare." " Yes, you would." "You'd kill everyone in this room to get me on the throne." "To protect me, in the hope that I would then protect you." "But my first order of business, as king, would be to execute you if you were to harm anyone here." "My brother, my father, Mary." "This has to stop." "I see a future for us quite clearly." "We would be happy." "I would give anything to spend my life, however long, at your side." "I know you would." "But you see a future without me, and that's the one you choose." "You know why it's the only choice." "It's your choice." "You are so headstrong, so... so strong." "And you, my brother..." "I envied you for so long, and look at us now." "You have what's mine, and I have your freedom." "Well, I..." "I plan to take full advantage of it." "Long may you reign." "Your Grace, Her Majesty the Queen." "Wait." "Stay." "And you, as well." "Close the door." "You're arming yourself against me." "Am I really that frightening?" "Am I really stupid enough to find out?" "What do you want?" "You must be very pleased with yourself." "I take no joy in what this has cost you." "My life... not just my crown." "The annulment won't be enough for Henry." "To quiet the issues, the questions about his judgment, it's best if I'm gone." "He will find some excuse to behead me." "Then leave France, disappear, and never return." "If only you had taken this advice." "I believe that King Henry will let you live if he gets what he wants." "Grant him the annulment, and then go far from here and grant yourself a happy life." "Oh, Mary, don't you know by now?" "Happiness is the one thing we queens can never have." "Sleep well, my dear." "Do we really have to be here?" "It's the right thing to do." "After everything she's put you through?" "I wonder where she's going." "The official story is that she's visiting her aunt, who is a nun." "She'll spend the rest of her life at a convent." "I don't believe it." "She'll be safe there." "King Henry would never dare reach for her." "Not much of a turnout when one loses power, is there?" "Oh, and hustled out the back door to boot." "It's humiliating." "There is no shame in what you have done for your son." "A word of advice for the next Queen of France." "Remember, no matter how many countries you rule, or palaces you own, power is always fleeting." "It can be taken away by the stroke of a pen or the blade of an axe." "Leaving without saying good-bye" " to your king?" " I was afraid Your Majesty was too busy preparing false documents to send to the Vatican." "Too busy thinking of you." "Catherine, I've realized something, and I can't let you go." "In fact, I can't let you out of my sight." "Your reach is long, your connection to wealth endless, and your mastery at poisons, ever evolving." "You're holding me prisoner." "Guarded day and night, or at least until I'm back from Rome." "Imprison her." "Whore-monger." "Devil." "Endearments aside, consider this a sign of my utmost respect for your intellect and abilities." "Take her away." "Here." "Some food to keep you." "You look so pensive." "It's unbelievable." "England, the Pope, my own father putting me on the chopping block one minute, and the throne the next." "We both did this to save Francis, and, yet, we both lost him as a result." "Well, the important thing is, he'll still be alive." "I still can't quite believe it." "King." "Me, King... of France." "I know you have doubts, but it won't happen tomorrow." "No, no." "My father would have to die first." "But our wedding will happen." "As soon as my father gets back from Rome, he'll want the deal locked down," "France and Scotland united, before the English Queen dies." "You're going to be my wife." "How very unexpected."