Previously on Reign...
Why don't we get to know one another?
What do you want from me?
Are you secretly Protestant?
Ever since Yvette died, I've been trying
to find something to help me through it.
So I started going to services.
What do you want?
What I want is what is best for France.
If the people learned that you killed your father,
they will never believe your queen didn't know it.
Your heads will be on two pikes side by side.
Francis, what aren't you telling me? You need to trust me!
Not everything can be solved by talking, by love.
There are things that cannot be undone.
Halt!
Here we are.
May I?
Just a sip.
I could use some courage right about now.
No, my dear, you're high-born and far too young.
You will give it to me.
Well, forgive me, but there's little you could do that'd make...
I feel better already.
Wake him up for me, would you?
I remember you, too. Now close your mouth. Bow.
Beg your pardon, truly.
Now go and tell Catherine her daughter is here.
Tell everyone that Princess Claude is home.
Well, we can't seat the duke next to Lady Berwell because of...
Would you like for us to move so you two can sit next to each other?
We seem to be getting our work done.
There's no reason we can't do it separately.
Well, normally...
Normally, Francis doesn't keep secrets from me.
Or make decisions that I despise,
like bowing to corrupt nobles or releasing murderers.
Your Majesty.
A word.
Please.
I know I'm rarely invited to these working breakfasts,
but the nobles have asked me to present this to you.
- It's an edict. - For your ratification.
May I read what you'll want me to ratify?
Of course.
This would require every French subject to come forward
and publicly declare their faith to the king.
- What? - As you see,
nobles from Saint-Germain, Provence, Orleans
and the other regions have all signed in support.
This would force our people to declare their faith
under penalty of death.
As long as they come forward, they have nothing to fear.
Nothing to fear if they're Catholic, you mean.
This law is simply an excuse to root out the Protestants.
If they lie to save themselves,
they'll be committing perjury in front of their king.
They could be executed.
Then they shouldn't lie to their king.
And why are you and the nobles pushing this now?
Because France grows more vulnerable to the Protestant threat.
I heard rumors that the Protestant English queen
managed to turn your own guards against you.
This is not about the English queen or her paid traitors.
This edict will spill French blood. People will kill each other
- in the streets. - True.
And I assume by "people," you mean peasants
because they are the first to surrender to Protestantism.
By the time it reaches the nobles, it's too late.
Now is not a good time.
Very well, but you should know. Claude is back.
Your little sister?
We must greet her. I'll join you shortly.
I take it that this...
isn't a request?
Oh, Your Majesty.
It's not my choice to overtly threaten my monarch.
But, yes.
If this edict is not ratified,
then the world will know that you killed King Henry.
Ripped By mstoll
I was under the impression
that your task was to deliver my daughter to Limoges.
Or was your bishop unclear about that?
Your Majesty,
the princess has been away from home for years.
She longed to return and I felt for her.
You do realize the instructions came from me?
Mother.
Please don't be angry with poor Father Benoit.
I cried, I begged, I pleaded.
I missed you so. I missed my home.
You smell of whiskey already.
- And my brother, Francis. - Claude.
- You look well. - The picture of health.
And you, a king.
Ruler over all of us. Married and a baby.
Or should I not mention those in the same sentence?
Dearest sister, may I acquaint you with Mary, my wife and your queen.
Princess Claude, welcome back.
You probably don't remember me.
Oh, but I do.
I recall your lovely dark hair and your smile.
You seemed so tall in those days, and sporty.
You loved to muck about outside.
- Do you still? - Love the outdoors? Yes.
Perhaps we could go for a walk sometime.
I'd like that.
Bash. Is it really you?
Claude, I'd like you to meet my wife, Kenna.
Princess Claude, it's an honor.
Is something wrong?
I was just admiring your beadwork.
So much to catch up on.
Greer. Excuse me.
- Greer?
I'm not feeling well, Mary. I'll see you a bit later.
Greer, what's wrong?
It's all right. It's not serious.
Greer, what happened?
You're not even supposed to be done with your wedding tour yet
and I can see that you're hurt and upset.
We... We were traveling through Orleans
and some men attacked us.
They took everything.
Our coin, our wedding gifts, my dresses.
We barely escaped with our lives.
But we did. We're fine now.
We'll put pressure on the local authorities to catch them.
No, please don't tell anyone.
Why not?
Greer, what aren't you telling me?
I will find out eventually.
And I won't relent until I have answers.
In Orleans, there were rumors.
Because Lord Castleroy didn't take mass.
Church representatives came to call.
We... We avoided them and moved on.
They came after us anyway.
Greer, are you telling me that...
Lord Castleroy is a Protestant?
- Did you marry a Protestant? - Yes.
But I am still a Catholic. I haven't converted.
Yet, he is your husband.
The nobles want Francis to sign a law
that would force all French subjects
to declare their faith to the king, publicly.
They want to identify the Protestants,
put targets on their backs.
They'll be harassed and persecuted.
Mary, you must make Francis see how wrong this is.
I promise, I will try.
I watched Narcisse's estate for three nights
and no sign of Montgomery.
The only visitor of note...
was Lola.
Lola? Why is she visiting Narcisse?
Why am I watching Narcisse?
What does he have to do with Montgomery?
I told you before that it's best that you don't ask questions.
Now, have you found the nanny, Caroline?
Francis, what does your son's former nanny have to do with any of this?
What connection does she have to the man who killed Father in a joust?
And why are you hunting a man who Father pardoned himself?
It was an accident.
- You think there's more to it. - Stop it.
- You don't want to dig into this. - Why not?
Do you think someone hired Montgomery?
Father's madness,
his obsession with England threatened everyone.
Even you.
Francis, did you hire Montgomery to kill our father?
No.
I did it myself.
I took Montgomery's place.
Francis.
I understand.
I know as well as anyone the harm he caused.
And you've been carrying this all alone.
Not alone. Narcisse knows. He's blackmailing me.
- I'll kill him myself. - We can't.
He has Montgomery hidden away somewhere,
ready to accuse me of regicide if anything happens to him.
Narcisse can force me to do anything, sign anything.
I have lost control of my country.
I need a way out, or I'll be forced to sign that edict into law.
People will die.
- And Mary? - She can never know.
She must be able to deny, on oath before God,
that she knew anything.
It's the only way to keep her safe.
- And what of this nanny? - She works for Narcisse.
She knew exactly what to pry out of me.
She knew about Montgomery.
So she might know where he is now.
I'll find this nanny. Then Montgomery.
Then we'll figure out what to do with them.
And then we kill Narcisse.
All the fervor surrounding Claude's arrival,
we haven't had a chance to discuss the edict.
- I know it distresses you. - In a way it pleases me.
I know that we've been moving in opposite directions,
but today when I saw your reaction to that edict,
I knew we were on the same side.
Those nobles expect you to give in.
They don't know you like I do.
Take a stand, my love. I'll take it with you.
Mary, I appreciate your support, but...
You're actually considering this?
I have to consider it.
I'm the Catholic king of a Catholic country.
- All my power comes from... - The nobles and the Church.
They fear what happened in Scotland. Well, so do I.
If you treat people as your enemy, that is what they become.
This edict is wrong.
In your heart, you know that. The man I love knows that.
There are limits to what I can do, even as king.
When the nobles are united, I am boxed in.
Well, perhaps we can find a way to divide the nobles.
- No. - Together, we...
I need to handle this on my own and I need to do it my way.
What I need from you is to be patient
and to believe in me.
All right.
Then I will do that.
How do I go back to my husband now?
Discreetly.
Stay there.
Queen Mary.
To what do I owe this surprise?
Unfortunately, my husband isn't giving me what I want.
Ah.
So I've come to ask you instead.
You think Francis will sign this edict into law?
I believe he doesn't want to.
But when the nobles are united, they're too strong to oppose.
So why aren't you having this conversation with your husband?
I've tried.
He says he needs to handle this alone.
These things he's doing, they're wrong.
Politically dangerous. Why isn't he listening to you?
Any man would...
What I mean is, Mary,
you are right to want to help him, in any way you can.
What can I do?
We need to divide and conquer the nobles.
Narcisse reminded me that once the faith reaches them,
it's already too late to stop it.
That gave me an idea.
I need a Protestant noble to oppose the edict openly.
I am a Catholic.
But you are a known sympathizer.
There are nobles who have already converted.
I am sure of it.
We need one to step forward publicly and more might follow.
You're asking me to name names.
Mary, people hide for a good reason.
Whoever comes forward would be risking everything.
Just get me in a room with one so I can make my case directly.
No one wants to be the first.
You can't ask people to do things they're not ready to do.
Consider the risk if they don't come forward.
The king signs the edict, and innocent people,
people we both know and care about, are questioned, tortured.
The inquisition will reach those nobles.
Their secret faith will look like treason.
Will they be safe then?
The time is now.
You and I both know it. It's now or never.
I had it especially made for Princess Claude.
Do you think she'll like it?
Why are you giving Claude gifts?
She's a princess and your sister. I think we could be friends.
Kenna, Claude is not your friend.
She's not even my sister. She's my half-sister.
And while I can't speak for her passion for beads,
I know that she's never liked other girls.
Well, people can change.
You used to think I was just a shallow girl
who only cared for nice jewels and parties.
All right, fine, I still like nice things and parties.
But is that a crime?
This castle used to be fun.
On behalf of France, I'd like to apologize
for the plague, famine and religious violence.
And you leave me alone for days at a time.
You don't say where you're going.
- Come here, wife. - Oh, and you're off again.
Yes. Yes, I am.
I love you.
There's just something that I need to look into.
"Move pawns east."
You wanted to show me something?
Yeah. We found this in that traitor Gifford's chambers.
It's a cipher.
The English use it to decode messages.
He was feeding Elizabeth information.
If this is how the English spies communicate,
it stands to reason there are others in France.
It's a traitor's tool.
And anyone who is found with one...
No matter their standing, we'd know they were a spy.
- And anything they said... - Would be discredited.
They'd be executed.
I need to borrow this.
- Have you made copies? - Of course.
I just need to show it to some of my advisors.
Just a... endeavor I'm working on.
Who are you?
What do you want from me?
Am I somehow to blame for your death?
You said I didn't protect you, when did I have a chance?
Why is she coughing? What's wrong with her?
Is this how you died?
Sisters share.
- What is it? - It's Princess Claude.
I've been keeping an eye on her, as you asked, and, well...
Lord have mercy. Claude!
- Mother! - Oh, God.
A ride home, indeed.
And you, Father. I don't need this, not today.
It's true I've been spending time with Narcisse,
but I'm not sure it's any of your concern.
Lola, I don't judge you but Narcisse is dangerous.
And yet you seem willing to embrace him politically.
I just want to know, have you grown close to him?
What's between you?
I'm not sure.
He's let me know he's interested, is all.
Would he be surprised if you went back to his estate?
A moment ago you said he was dangerous.
He is. More than you know, which is why I must ask you,
for me, to go there tonight.
Tell him that you were on your way back to the castle
and your horses needed tending, and when you're admitted,
hide this envelope somewhere he won't find it.
What is it?
I can only say that it's insurance,
should he make himself an enemy to the crown.
Where am I supposed to hide it?
It's not as if he leaves me alone for hours.
You'll find an opportunity.
Francis, you're asking me to deceive and betray a powerful man for you.
You're not a French subject, I cannot order you to do this.
So I am asking you to trust me.
Lola, based on all that you know of both of us,
I'm asking you to choose who you think is the better man.
If you think it's me, help me to take control of a man
who would spill any amount of blood to get what he wanted.
How could you send him away?
He'll be ruined, defrocked.
I loved him.
And yet you wanted him "frocked." You didn't love him.
You seduced that poor little priest into bringing you home.
And once he was here, you thought you might as well make the most of it.
And what is so wrong with wanting to come home?
You are experiencing the world, my dear.
Mastering languages, meeting influential people.
You parked me with anyone who would take me
- because you can't stand me. - Oh...
- What have I done to earn your ire? - You're spouting nonsense!
Please don't send me away again.
- I've spent years with strangers. - Self-pity doesn't suit you.
I missed my brother's wedding, his coronation, my father's funeral.
I've missed...
Haven't you missed me at all?
All right, you can stay for now.
But one hint of bad behavior, and I will send you away.
Now, cheer up and get dressed for your party.
Your hair is different.
There's a shop in the village that sells the loveliest hairpieces.
You're not really interested in the details of my hair, are you?
No. Just the hair.
Yes.
Well, I was on my way back to court from the village, as I said,
and realized my horses needed tending.
- Thank you for that, by the way. - Of course.
But I shouldn't stay long.
There's a welcome-home party for Princess Claude.
A boat party.
- Will you be there? - No.
Why sail above the water
when you could submerge yourself and enjoy it directly?
A bath?
Again? Are you serious?
Yes.
- What is it about you and baths? - Perhaps I'll tell you.
As you bathe.
Draw it for me.
I'll fetch your servant.
No. You.
Look at you, making demands already.
You're learning.
Here.
While you wait...
a little something to help you relax
Because you seem a little nervous.
That's our Protestant noble, Lord Cane.
If we can convince him to join us.
Lord Cane.
It is beyond rumor now.
My intelligence has confirmed there is another English spy.
- Among the nobles? - We suspect that he is.
We know he's using an English cipher
meant to encrypt sensitive information.
We find the cipher, we find the spy.
You asked me what it was about baths that I liked.
I suppose it's the vulnerability.
Sense of comfort one feels.
Covered, embraced, when in fact, one is quite exposed.
Why are you here?
I told you, I was on my way back from the village.
You may feel that my bath is not the place to talk philosophy.
But I find it ideal, because here, both you and I are vulnerable.
And yet, you're the one with clothes on.
- I can change that. - No, just I'm fine as we are.
I promise you that if we go on, you will see me without defenses.
The games I like, they go beyond games.
We will share things that strip us both bare
in every way possible.
But none of this can happen without trust.
- I'd like to trust you. - And I you.
But the risk is greater for me.
The risk is always greater for the woman.
Not if the man is seen as an enemy of the king, your friend.
Once he learns of this, Francis will try to use you against me.
That is a certainty.
Why does Francis think that you're his enemy?
That's a reasonable question. And a dangerous answer.
So, I will give you two choices.
One, I can leave
and... you finish this delightful bath and go home.
Your world will remain as it is.
Or you can join me in the drawing room downstairs
and we can begin this journey into trust.
It's not a journey you will return from unchanged.
So consider it carefully.
How did Bash and Kenna get together?
It's a very romantic story, actually.
Father threatened to kill them both if they didn't marry.
Leave it to Father.
It is kind of funny, since he'd bedded her, as well.
- He wasn't well, Claude. - He'd gone mad, I heard.
Was he off his nut when she went after him?
- No, but... - So she pursued Father,
settled for Bash,
and now she's trying to butter me up with gifts and invitations.
Quite the social climber.
She's a good person, and she loves him.
I know that you're very protective of him.
But don't cause trouble for them, or you'll be answering to me.
And not just as your older brother, but as your king.
Very charismatic with the nobles, that one.
Gentle warning not to be too trusting of him.
Condé is a Prince of the Blood, after all.
You hold his royal blood against him?
He's a Bourbon and the Bourbon family were once rivals for the throne.
You didn't know that, did you?
No.
Francis was very sickly as an infant
and there was talk that if he died, and I failed to produce more sons,
the Bourbon princes would take the throne.
Those were different times.
Condé is a loyal friend to me and to Francis.
Lord Cane is leaving. We need to catch him now.
I don't dare believe you.
I only have your word that Francis killed Henry.
Yes. I might be lying.
And even if he did, the king was mad.
Those of us who heard him,
who saw the terrible things he did, know that.
I make no moral judgment on Francis' actions.
- But you are blackmailing him? - Yes.
Because France needs a strong Catholic leader
to hold the nation together.
You've just told me the most profound state secret.
- What am I supposed to do with it? - What can you do?
You can't make it public.
You don't want to see Francis removed from the throne.
That would endanger you and your child.
And nor do I, unless forced, because that would endanger France.
Then why tell me?
Because when Francis comes to you and asks you to betray my trust,
I want you to remember which of us told you the truth.
About who we are, what we are capable of.
- You're asking me to be a martyr? - I'm asking you to be a hero.
Not the kind with the sword.
The kind who takes a risk to save lives
rather than waiting for someone else to lead the way.
Lord Cane, the time for hiding in the shadows is passed.
What is required now is daring.
Show the king that if he stands up for the rights of Protestants,
that there are nobles who will support him.
Why does it matter to you? You're Catholic.
I am a queen who wants to protect her people.
I have a family to think of.
And I have friends who share your faith.
Friends I promised I would do everything I could to protect.
Don't we owe it to the people we love
to stand up for what we believe in?
It's not the kind of decision one can make in the moment.
Let me sleep on it, then you'll have my answer.
Of course.
You are daring and fierce.
I feel I have to be.
Until others find it within themselves to be the same.
What happened? Did you succeed?
What was in the envelope?
I told you before, it's best for you if you don't know.
Francis, could whatever you wanted me to leave there cause his death?
- Yes. - Why?
Because I need something in place
in case the threat of Narcisse becomes too great.
Lola, did you plant it or not?
I'm sorry. I wasn't able to.
He became too suspicious, and I left.
Lola, I know you were frightened, but I needed you to do this.
Because you're the better man?
Well, one of you used me and it wasn't him.
He's here.
King Francis, we humbly come to ask you to sign this edict.
He's not going to step forward.
Every noble here is united in support of it.
- He's too scared. - It's over.
Not every noble.
This law invites the persecution and bloodshed of innocent people
who share different beliefs.
But it won't stop the Protestant faith from reaching the nobles
because it already has.
I am a noble, a Prince of the Blood.
And I am Protestant.
I stand before you today and before my fellow nobles
to tell you the Protestants of France are not your enemy.
Just as any Catholic subject, we are loyal to our king.
Our country.
And we are asking you to stand on the right side of history.
I'm afraid Prince of Condé stands alone.
I am grateful for your honesty, cousin.
But...
you are only one man.
No.
I, too, am Protestant.
This is madness.
King Francis, in light of this development,
I ask you to take time to reconsider this law.
The bravery of these men shall not be ignored.
No one shall harm them.
I shall retire to further consider the gravity of this law.
Well, that was a bold move.
There's no going back now no matter what your beliefs.
It's what you needed, isn't it?
I did it for you.
You have my gratitude.
I sense your hand in this.
And though you completely disregarded my request,
I am proud of you.
I wanted to give you a chance to do the right thing.
And I still believe you will.
Tell me that you have good news.
Did you find the nanny?
At the bottom of a stairwell. She'd been dead for weeks.
I'm sorry.
Narcisse got to her.
He used her to get me to confess
and then disposed of her before she could tell the tale.
Mary and Condé have bought me time.
But behind closed doors,
Narcisse can still force me to sign that law.
- What do you want to do? - The right thing.
Mary has such faith in me.
Every move that she made with Condé was to give me a chance.
I have to take it, no matter what it costs me.
But it can't cost Mary her life.
Ready a boat and some men to get Mary out of the country.
- What are you talking about? - If I am accused of regicide,
Mary will be implicated as well.
We need to be ready to move her immediately.
Someplace safe. Far away from France.
You're going to call his bluff.
I can't keep running away from what I've done.
I have to face the consequences or my country will.
This could cost you your life.
So be it.
Just make sure that Mary is safe.
Francis, is everything all right?
I was mistaken.
You were right to get involved.
You and Condé work well together.
We work well together. You and I.
There was a time when the only way forward
was one that we made together.
And I miss it. I miss my husband.
I know that the edict is wrong.
I won't sign it.
But it might cost me.
We will face the consequences together
and we won't face them alone.
Other nobles, like Condé, will stand with us.
It might be difficult. But, Francis, you are king.
What can they do to you?
No matter what happens, I love you.
Claude ignored me the whole night.
She ignored my notes, my invitations to tea, to supper.
Can't help but think it's personal, somehow.
I told you she doesn't like other girls.
I saw her talking to other girls at her party.
What's her issue with me?
Well, could it be
that you are the most beautiful woman at court
and that Claude, jealous and petty...
And quite beautiful herself.
Very insecure, Kenna. She will not be your friend.
She couldn't take the competition.
That's very nice, but is it true?
As you said, she's my sister. I would know.
How odd.
A proper hello from everyone at court but you.
We've said our hellos.
Didn't you miss your old playmate?
Didn't you love the way we played?
When shall we meet? Where?
Claude, what happened between us can never happen again.
It wouldn't have happened at all if you hadn't convinced me
that Henry wasn't my real father.
Convinced you?
I cleared the way for you to do what you truly wanted.
How bold you are now. A man in full.
Another time, then, brother.
I warned you about Condé.
But you cannot let him or a few other Protestants nobles sway you.
We are still the majority and this will ensure that never changes.
If I sign that, there will be terror and bloodshed.
Short-lived. A firm, final push to ensure your reign.
No.
There are lines I will not cross, even to save myself.
Reveal my secret
because I would rather face the consequences
and lose my head than take orders from you.
A compromised king is not a king at all.
I am impressed with your courage.
Your willingness to sacrifice your life.
But I wonder, are you equally prepared
to sacrifice the lives of your wife and your mother?
I am familiar with this threat.
And it's anyone's guess whether they would be implicated.
I can guarantee that they will be.
I'm sure you remember that mere days before you killed him,
there was an attempt on Henry's life during a private mass.
I spoke to the attending priest
and after some firm persuasion, he told me all the details.
Mary and Catherine planned Henry's murder together.
They directed the priest to poison him.
So, you see, this is no longer just about you.
Your mother, your wife, will also suffer and die.
And when your head is cut off, along with Catherine and Mary's,
what do you suppose the nobles will do to your brothers?
What will happen to your bastard son when you're not here to protect him?
They will all be assassinated.
Your child will not reach his first birthday.
It will be the end of the Valois line.
Leave me.
You've been tormenting me.
Now you're here with my daughter. Why?
- Sisters share. - Sisters?
Oh, E... Emone. Henriette? No.
No, you died as infants.
We never left you, not really.
- And now... - What?
Do you love her more than us?
Do you, Mother?
What are you doing here?
I had a change of heart. You cannot stay at court.
Your home will be elsewhere.
I will make the necessary arrangements.
But, Mother, why? You are my family.
Just tell me why.
Lady Lola.
Always a delight.
You ask why I came to you. But I could ask the same of you.
You say you seek something beyond games,
but your reputation precedes you.
I've read all about it.
In the famed journal. So it does exist.
- What detail gripped you most? - Not the point.
Court is overfull with available women.
Uncomplicated women to explore and discard.
Why me?
I have no ulterior motive, Lola.
I suppose I do enjoy games
but... I have never had a worthy opponent.
You make me do things I would not do otherwise.
But you are an adversary to Francis, an enemy.
And he is not only the father of my child,
he is my king and my friend.
So you and I, we cannot contin...
Do not seek to take before I give.
I'm glad to hear you're thinking of giving.
I've been looking for you. How's your husband?
What is it? What's wrong?
You don't know?
Francis signed the edict.
That's not possible.
What have you done?
I did what I had to.
Why? After telling me you wouldn't sign.
After telling me you knew the edict was wrong.
I realized that I could not rule
without the support of my Catholic nobles.
Oh, spare me your lies and excuses.
You are not the man I fell in love with.
And you are not the king I want to rule beside.
You are a coward.
Mary, everything that I have done...
Enough, enough!
I gave you a chance.
I waited for the man I fell in love with to return.
But that man is dead and I am finished waiting for him.
If that is what you truly believe,
then perhaps you should return to Scotland.
Leave me.
Leave France.
Ripped By mstoll