"Dirty vermin." "Steady now." "Sweet God." "Charles' coronation is in a week." "The surrounding villages are all planning celebrations in his honor." "I want bread and wine delivered to every town as a show of our new king's kindness and generosity." "As master of coin, I must inform you, the cost for the coronation festivities has grown quite high." "With coffers still low from the Scottish war, we must be sure..." "To show the world King Charles is a force to be reckoned with." "I agree, Lord Fluret." "Now that the mourning period has passed for Francis, it's time to see the House of Valois in all its glory." "And in order to do that, we need to put on a show." "Your Highness." "I believe this belongs to you." "Your new king's guard uniform suits you well." "Thanks to the regent for getting me hired." "I want to take you right here." "It's been some time now." "Well, I have been a bit preoccupied." "Rest assured, I'll make it up to you." "Thank you for retrieving my button." "Butcher, where are we with the menu for the coronation feast?" "500 tiny pink piglets await slaughter." "The extravagance." "That cost is unnecessary." "Not for a king." "Suckling pig it is." "Madam Regent." "We agreed on pheasant." "It's cheaper." "Not as much fun for me." "I like the squeal of a pig." "There's something not right with you, butcher boy." "My knives need sharpening." "I'm pleased that you're here, Lord Narcisse." "I have something for you." " It's a speech." " A toast." "I wrote it for you to honor me at the coronation feast." "Is this to further my humiliation?" "Watching the privy council strip you of the regency and then hand it to me was pleasure enough." "No, this is to ensure that the world knows" "I have your undying support." "I'm so looking forward to hearing you deliver it, on such an important occasion, with so many, many people in attendance." "I can hardly wait." "What's happened?" "There was a gruesome discovery in the castle tunnels." "I knew Scotland was turning towards Protestantism, but this, this man, John Knox, my mother hated him." "He was a thorn in Marie de Guise's side for years." "And what he's written here, it's-it's an atrocity." "Such hatred for Catholics." "And women." "Specifically, female monarchs." "His followers grow daily." "He wants a man to rule Scotland, which does not bode well for my return to secure my throne." "But there is a way for a woman to push back against a bully like Knox, a strong marriage alliance." "Surely with so many dignitaries visiting for the coronation you've made some headway?" "Perhaps if we were to take another course of action." "King Erik of Sweden is attending the coronation and he is in need of a bride." "Erik of Sweden is a Protestant." "An interfaith marriage could help stem the tide of anti-Catholic sentiment." "It would be seen as a gesture of tolerance." "Or the move of a weakened Catholic queen, bending to Knox and his followers." "The Vatican would see it as a betrayal." "I would no longer have their support, no chance of asking for money or soldiers in the time of a crisis." "If you don't make some concessions," "I'm afraid you may find yourself without a country to go back to." "Perhaps." "But until then, I will reach out to another female monarch, see what she thinks of this destabilizing force, John Knox." "Mary, I've been looking for you." "Your Majesty." "I want you to take a position of honor in my royal procession." "That's very kind of you, Charles, but it would be breaking from tradition to have the widow of the late king in your procession." "I know it's unorthodox, but it will show the world that France is behind you, that I am behind you." "I can think of no better way to honor Francis than having you there with me as I'm crowned." "Then it would be my honor as well." "A woman-hating zealot like John Knox could threaten both England and Scotland if given the chance." "I assure you, Elizabeth and her court feel the same." "Knox's teachings have gained ground in England as well." "So rest assured, you're not the only female ruler he despises." "We should form a coalition against him." "I agree." "Perhaps a common foe will finally ease tensions with your cousin." "I'll write to Elizabeth at once, telling her of your concerns." "Could you also inquire about Lady Lola's family and the remaining Scottish hostages?" "They were to be released when Lola arrived in England, but we have heard nothing." "Court business is at a standstill while the queen is away recuperating from her poisoning." "However, I understand she's scheduled to return home soon." "Very well." "That concludes our business then." "This was nice." "Has been quite some time since we've seen one another." "For business." "I've had no need for diplomatic negotiations of late." "So unless you have something else of an official nature to discuss." "I do." "The terms of securing a dance with you at the coronation feast." "I thought I made it quite clear that our relationship should stick strictly to political matters." "You did." "I just figured you'd be eager to see a friendly face on the day." "Can't imagine you're looking forward to it." "Well, why would you say that?" "I'm quite happy for Charles." "Perhaps I am a little bit out of sorts." "It wasn't so long ago that Francis and I were being crowned rulers of France." "Now I am a guest at court, an ornamental queen, here and in Scotland." "Mary, you have to know you mean so much more than that." "You're a..." "And who do we have here?" "Queen Mary, let me introduce you to my daughter, Aggy." "It's Agatha." "Come now, dear." "We're heading out for a picnic in the garden." "You most certainly are not." "You are unwell." "Report to the infirmary for treatment at once." "Now who will take care of me?" "Well, me of course." "What's that in your ear?" "May I go play with my doll, please?" "Yes." "I don't know what I'm doing wrong." "I can easily charm angry queens." "Don't be so sure of yourself." "This little girl has me completely unnerved." "Elizabeth has kept you separated since her birth." "Getting to know each other is going to take time." "Now, what have you two done together since she arrived?" "Same thing my father did with me... breakfast and tucking in at bedtime." "Oh, Gideon, you have so many lost years to make up for." "Take her out of this stuffy castle." "Go and do something fun." "Very well." "Where are we going?" ""We"?" "You were a little girl once." "You know what little girls like." "Not to mention you did just relieve me of my governess." "The man was a castle squire who disappeared a few days ago." "It was only when we dug him up we discovered the other body." "The woman was highborn." "Previous victims were left to be discovered." "He's hiding them, burying them beneath the castle." "How is he getting the bodies into the tunnels without being seen?" "I don't know, but I will find out." "This coronation is meant to celebrate Charles, a strong king with a powerful regent at his side." "Well, this certainly doesn't look good for you, Catherine... having a killer on the loose on such an important occasion with so many, many people in attendance." "Perhaps I should make some alterations to my speech." "I assure you all, you are safe here in the castle for the coronation." "We will have every available king's guard hunting around the clock." "I have the situation under control." "16 livre, not an ounce more." "Is someone there?" "What on earth are we doing, traveling in this rattrap of a carriage?" "I apologize for your discomfort." "It's certainly not befitting a queen's official return to court." "But we have to travel undercover for your own safety." "My safety?" "The last time your royal coach journeyed from the castle, it was pelted with stones and rotten food." "I see public opinion has not been kind in my absence." "Rumors persist that Robert Dudley was your lover, that he murdered his wife to be with you." "Does no one accept the truth?" "Amy Dudley committed suicide, and Robert was cleared of all charges." "What news have you of Dudley?" "Some nobles learned of his location, and chased him from the county." "The stain on his reputation has not abated." "You must stay clear of him." "Why is more attention being paid to vicious gossip than the true terror at hand?" "What progress have you made in finding my poisoner?" "I will hunt down the perpetrator, but I need more time." "Considering public opinion has turned against you, there's no shortage of suspects." "Wonderful news." "Ambassador Blackburn sent a letter expressing Mary, Queen of Scots' deep concerns about the Protestant agitator, John Knox." "Knox." "What a hateful, little man." "She's hoping to discuss combining your efforts to push him back." "She suggests that it would benefit both of you considering his loathing of female monarchs." "It's an interesting offer." "But I can't afford to alienate my Protestant supporters." "Mary's eagerness to discuss Knox does smack of one thing, however." "She's planning a return to Scotland." "Perhaps it's time to pay my Scottish houseguest a visit." "I don't think I ever saw the world with such awe." "The world through a child's eyes is a marvelous thing." "What is it?" "A camel." "This is the first one I've seen up close." "Rather ugly, isn't it?" "I think it's beautiful." "There are more animals inside!" "Do you want to go in?" "I can go with you if you're nervous." "I prefer to go alone, but I need my doll." "I left her in the carriage." "I'll go get her for you." "Oh, red becomes you, my lady." "It's yours for three deniers." "And I'd wager it'd look just as pretty on you, little girl." "Here." "As beautiful as your mother." "I wish you were... my mother." "Oh, Agatha, that's very sweet." "But I would like to be your very good friend." "And don't forget about your father." "He loves you very much." "Yes, I know." "But he has to do what the queen says." "Do you mean Queen Elizabeth?" "If you were my mother, you would never leave me, because no one can tell a queen what to do." "Are you afraid Queen Elizabeth is going to take you away from your father again?" "I understand that you're scared." "Even queens are afraid sometimes." "But we can't allow our fear to control us." "It doesn't seem like it now, but your father is your greatest protector." "Do you think you can give him a chance?" "Here you are." "Father?" "Will you come with me, instead?" "I would like that very much." "You didn't bring me here so Mary could get to know you better." "You want information about Mary." "Yes." "When does Mary hope to return to Scotland?" "Has she spoken to her generals?" "Fine." "If you are not abreast of Mary's military operations, let's discuss affairs of the heart." "King Charles' coronation is imminent." "French court is awash with royalty." "Who of the suitors does Mary hope to entertain in her search for a new marriage alliance?" "You can't expect me to tell you these things." "Mary is my friend." "Well, I was hoping that we, too, could become friends, Lola." "Friends don't just stay at each other's homes and buy each other pretty dresses." "They do each other favors." "And what if I don't?" "Well, we will find ourselves at an impasse." "And that I cannot have." "You leave me no choice." "Your family will stay behind bars, and your stay here at English court will become a little less comfortable." "Until you're willing to talk." "Shh, not here." "Where we used to meet." "But they've since put a lock on it." "Give me the key." "You can get yourself another, can't you?" "Yes, but this lover..." "I'm making twice what I used to." "Now I can buy you things." "That'll be nice, won't it?" "Just don't show them to your husband." "Christophe, where have you been?" " My lord, uh, apologies, I..." " I ordered all of the king's guard to stand by and await orders." "That includes you." "Lord Fluret has gone missing." "There are signs of a struggle in his chambers." "You think it was the killer." "Which is why I need you on duty, not wandering the halls." "Listen." "I don't care that Catherine appointed you to this position because of her favor, but you must take this job seriously." "Show people you are worthy of the post you hold, and no one will remember how you rose to it." "My lord, I heard you've asked for volunteers to take night patrols." "I used to tend fires in the east wing." "No one knows it better." "Let me patrol there." "Give me a chance to prove myself." "I get a thrill using the key to Catherine de Medici's chambers." "I'm thrilled you're not covered in cobwebs from using the secret passageways." "Did anyone see you?" "No, but what does it matter?" "I'm here on official business." "Did the king's guard find Lord Fluret?" "Not yet." "Several nobles have left the castle, fearing for their safety." "And still no progress in our search for the killer." "You look so beautiful in that." "Thank you." "I've decided on another." "It reminds me of the last time I wore it." "Francis' coronation." "I don't want that sadness hanging over Charles' day." "Why wear a lesser piece?" "Because, Christophe, it reminds me of my dead son." "In some ways you are every bit the man, and in others, you are still so young." "Once you have children, you come to realize that you've never known true love before." "When you lose a child, you come to know true pain." "I don't know your pain, but I make it a point never to look back." "Why would you when there's so much beauty right in front of you?" "You've added another key." "One for the king's guard storage." "One for my chambers." "Your quarters don't have a lock." "Have you taken a new lover?" "An old one." "Are you angry?" "No." "I just want to be certain that there's no lover's talk between you." "You know that no one can know about us." "I heard Elizabeth could be mercurial, erratic even, but this?" "This is a very difficult time for the queen." "Her life is so lonely." "You mean without her wife-murdering lover?" "What the nobles say about Robert Dudley isn't true." "He's a kind man." "And his wife, the one everyone's feeling so sorry for?" "You should've seen the way she'd lash out at the servants." "If you ask me, loads of people could've murdered her." "Meanwhile, Lord Dudley is the only person poor Elizabeth can trust." "It's not right that the world is against them." "Understood." "Here, I brought you some plums from dinner." "I know how you love them." "No, no, my lady!" "I can do that." "Nonsense, your hands are covered in soot." "What's this?" "A wig of this quality would cost a small fortune." " It's nothing." " And the color." "Elizabeth." "Did you steal it?" "I would never." "My friend was a courtesan here." "She asked me to deliver it to someone as a favor." "I've-I've done nothing wrong." "Are you sure this doesn't have something to do with the queen?" "No, but... it has to do with someone close to her." "You won't believe unless you see it with your own eyes." "I'm new to this, my lord." "What is it you want me to do?" "Where's the wig?" " Do we really need it?" " Yes." "Next time, be sure to wear it." "Now, stop talking." "Elizabeth." "Oh, Elizabeth." "I'll never be able to repay you for this kindness." "There's nothing to repay." "You two would have come to this moment on your own eventually." "As much as it saddens me to say it, this sweet respite must end." "It's time to accept my fate." "What is that?" "The pursuit of a marriage alliance with Erik of Sweden." "A Protestant prince?" "My advisors think it will appease" "John Knox and his followers, so I may return to Scotland." "Mm." "What do you think?" "I think I would be betraying who I am." "And it's difficult." "Any more difficult than being mistaken for her mother?" "I can only assume you wanted a child of your own with Francis." "Being confronted with that pain today must have seemed insurmountable, but you rose above it and still found a way to help Agatha... and me." "Now, you need to help yourself." "You're a queen, Mary." "And you must do whatever you need to in order to achieve that purpose." "If this Swedish prince helps you do it, then... go get him." "You know, you're encouraging me to align myself with a very powerful husband, and your queen's orders are to prevent it." "Those were my orders as a diplomat." "I'm speaking to you tonight as a friend." "Although, I hear Erik's a bore, smells like day-old mackerel." "And Sweden's a block of ice." "I didn't like the pleasure he took in the kill." "But that's what butchers do, they butcher animals." "It's probably nothing, but I also saw the butcher arguing with Lord Fluret just before he went missing." "What about?" "The coronation menu, but it turned personal quickly." "Hardly a reason to inspire murder." "Well, if the butcher isn't a murderer, he's at least a thief." "Tonight I saw him stealing a salt barrel from the larder." "Salt?" "Yes, his chambers are connected to the slaughterhouse, and he rolled it right in." "A barrel of salt is worth almost a year's wages." "Salt isn't just valuable." "It's also used to preserve meat." "They always smell like this?" "Only if they're left in the open." "If they were stored in salt, the telltale larder would be diminished, buying the killer time until he could bury them." "Salt." "Only trace amounts." "How large was this barrel?" " Large enough to hold a body?" " Yes." "Then perhaps that's how he moved them into tunnels without being noticed." "Let's go visit his chambers." "There's something in here." "I've seen these before." "In the barn with Delphine when we were hunting the killer." "He keeps the hearts in these." "Bash." "Good God, is that...?" "Lord Fluret." "Who's in here?" "What are you doing?" "These are my chambers." "What is that?" "Put down the knife, and we'll talk." "You think I did this." "Want to string me up like a pig." "I can't let that happen." "Stop fighting." "I'm done!" "I'm done." "I was pleased to hear you wanted to speak again." "Have you had a change of heart?" "Are you ready to tell me all you know of Mary, Queen of Scots?" "I'm afraid not." "But I do have other information you may find of use." "Go on." "Over the past several weeks here," "I have heard whispers about a gentleman who was... uh, a favorite of yours." "Your own nobles and advisors wished him to disappear, and this has caused you great pain." "Proceed with caution, Lady Lola." "I will tell you one thing about Mary." "She surrounds herself with people who are invested in her contentment." "True friends." "True advisors." "As any queen should." "As do I." "I don't believe that you do." "What is it that you think you know?" "And what does it have to do with my "favorite," as you call him?" "Actually, Your Majesty, it has to do with Lord William." "Elizabeth." "What on earth?" "Why are you so shocked?" "Isn't this what you've always wanted, your wife away at her country home and me here in your chambers?" "What are you talking about?" "I know of the courtesan." "I know of the red wig you make her wear and how you call out my name in the throes of passion as you bed her." "Where have you heard such a thing?" "There's no use denying it." "And to think, all these years," "I believed you were motivated by love of country." "And now I know otherwise." "You're in love with me." "But I never acted on it." "You sound as though you had a chance." "There were times I did." "Times when Dudley was out of your life and you wanted more from me than counsel." "I could have become your lover, but I didn't because I'm married, and that fact alone would bring shame upon you." "I knew it, and Dudley, your married lover, did, too, and he didn't care." "He would do anything for me." "You think he loves you, but real love is sacrifice, and I've sacrificed my own emotions, pushed them away time and again to protect you." "There is nothing, absolutely nothing, I wouldn't do to keep you on the throne." "Even murder my unborn child?" "You knew I was pregnant." "I swear, I didn't know." "I spoke with the courtesan whom you most recently visited." "She led me to the girl who she'd replaced, the girl you sent away just two months earlier." "Right after she helped you find a potion that whores use to dispose of unwanted problems." "You poisoned me so I'd lose my baby." "I did it to protect you and save your reign." "You had no right!" "It was my child." "You had no right." "Elizabeth." "Please." "You will be leaving my service at once." "And you will not return." "I'm immensely relieved that you've caught him." "Congratulations, Sebastian." "Well, I must give credit where it is due." "Without Christophe's watchful eye spotting the butcher moving the barrel of salt," "I'm not sure we'd have apprehended him." "And you're sure he's the right man?" "If finding Fluret's corpse in his chambers wasn't evidence enough, only two people have keys to the larder where the salt is kept." "The butcher himself and the castle baker." "And the baker can't be the killer." "His leg is badly atrophied, leaving him incapable of moving a heavy salt barrel, much less a body inside." "Did you say the baker?" "I did." "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "Christophe." "So... you've figured it out." "This was all your doing." "I thought I had buried the bodies deep enough." "Guess there's no accounting for hungry rats." "When they unearthed your handiwork, you needed to find a scapegoat." "That's when you rekindled your affair with the baker's wife, so you could get her key." "So you could frame that odd butcher." "Except I never used salt barrels to move my victims." "I carried them myself, in the dark of night." "You went back and put salt on the squire and the highborn woman's corpses after the fact to steer the search in that direction." "How did you catch onto me?" "By getting to know you." "Your inability to understand that I mourned my son and the way you approach me with disregard for my station." "At first, I credited that to youth and daring." "Then I realized that you don't lack fear, you lack a conscience." "The butcher man is innocent." "That butcher is no innocent." "I've seen the way he kills." "He likes it." "And am I your next victim?" "I would never hurt you, Catherine." "And I know you would never hurt me." "I only slept with the baker's wife for the key." "I said unkind things about you to her, and I'm sorry for that." "You're sorry that you said unkind things... when you are a murderer." "Don't tell anyone." "I know you won't, because it's a secret." "And I know a secret of yours as well." "You had your daughter, Claude, beaten so that you could steal the regency back from Narcisse." "I overheard you plotting in your chambers with Duke Boinel when I was coming through the secret passageway to meet you one night." "There's someone else who was there as well who can bear witness, if needed;" "I'll never say who." "But I could bring down your regency for good." "I usually have to cut the heart out to possess it." "But yours is already mine." "You can't stay here, Christophe." "Not with what I know." "I can, and I will." "And if you were to stop me... if I were to turn up dead or simply disappear... a letter will be delivered outlining your dealings with Duke Boinel." "Now, get up." "The castle needs its killer punished." "You know what you must do." "The butcher still insists on his innocence." "As all men do before they swing." "I have something for you." "Francis was so nervous during his coronation, his palms so sweaty, that when the cardinal placed the scepter in his hand, it almost slipped to the floor." "After that, he never attended another ceremony without this tucked into his sleeve." "Now, it's yours to keep." "Hold onto it tightly and it will keep your hands dry." "That is the most helpful piece of advice anyone has given me today." "I'm glad you're here." "As am I." "It's time." "May I have your attention, please!" "A toast to Catherine de Medici," "Queen Mother and Regent of France." "A woman of great honor, defender of her people, protector of the realm." "May the entire Valois family and this great nation of France rest easy in her exceptional care." "To Catherine." "To Catherine!" "To Catherine." "I've been looking for you, Lord Cunningham." "I am ready to meet Erik of Sweden." "If you would arrange an introduction?" "I'm afraid a marriage alliance with a Protestant ruler will no longer serve your needs." "I've just learned that John Knox and his followers have stormed the gates of Edinburgh Castle in an act of protest... their numbers so vast your brother James, even as regent, was reluctant to punish their treasonous act." "Treasonous?" "They have burned you in effigy." "And now, Knox has issued an ultimatum." "They will not accept your rule, or your return to Scotland, unless you agree to convert to Protestantism." "No." "I have lived my entire life as a Catholic queen." "I will not allow Knox to bully me into being something I am not." "Not now." "Not ever." "I will not be chased out of my country before I've even returned." "What will you do?" "Fight fire with fire." "I came to thank you for the new governess you sent for Agatha." "I know what you're doing." "You're going to the Vatican." "You certainly are good at your spy work, aren't you?" "I'm going to ask the Vatican for funds to wage war against John Knox." "He's trying to take my country." "Targeting Catholics, persecuting them." "Burning homes, looting monasteries." "I can't allow it." "Queen Elizabeth will see your raising a Catholic army as an act of aggression." "The Vatican has been determined to reclaim England ever since she turned the country Protestant after Mary Tudor died." "I know this will infuriate Elizabeth." "This is about John Knox, a Scot, trying to take what is mine." "And you were right." "I need to embrace my purpose." "Reclaim my power." "I am a queen and a fighter, and a woman who will stop at nothing to save Scotland." "I never said to raise an army." "But I must." "Mary, if you bring a Catholic force to fight on the British Isles, our countries may never be at peace." "The day may come when we, you and I, find ourselves facing off against each other across a battlefield." "What would you do then?" "I will be forced to strike you down."