Previously on Reign...
How goes the courting of Mrs. Knox?
I can't say I'm enjoying
deceiving someone so innocent.
The closer you get to her,
the closer you get to her husband's secrets.
Will you marry me?
Yes! Yes!
Charles can't even be bothered to find
a proper husband for poor Claude.
I'm still in mourning over Leith's death.
We know.
You're hoping that the news
you're entertaining other suitors
will light a fire under Lord Darnley.
Oh, yes, Mother, she seems marvelous.
Clearly interested in marriage to someone else.
What if, as soon as I am out of power,
Elizabeth turns on those who were against her?
My subjects. I can't risk their lives.
I love you, but I can't marry you.
Charles. He's gutted by tragedy.
We need to engage him in the pleasures
of being king.
Come with me now so I can prove to you
that I understand the pain I inflict.
And then you will understand pain, too.
It's about my daughter, Bianca.
I'm afraid she never returned to our quarters
after being received by King Charles.
In the name of King Charles of France,
I command you to surrender!
Never! Aah!
The king is strange and cruel.
He drinks the blood of children.
Aah!
I breathe my last.
Help me.
You're saying that Charles took a young girl,
the virgin that you brought him?
I've already heard enough about my role in this matter
from Bianca's father, thank you.
And rather than bed her,
he chose to entertain her with an evening in the wilds
viewing the corpses of dead sailors.
Apparently.
Eventually, the girl fled, terrified of the king.
As you well know,
royals are permitted certain peccadilloes,
but involving the dead in courtship,
it will have people saying that Charles is a necrophiliac.
My son is no such monster.
The only monster in this castle
is gossip.
And we must not feed it,
or it will bring us to our knees.
You're late. I'm sorry.
I was up all night taking care of my daughter Agatha.
She's quite sick.
Why were up all night with a child?
Because I'm a widower, as you know.
Ah, clearly you need more nannies.
Three or four at least.
It's more difficult than you think.
Having been separated and now bonded to me,
Agatha is particular...
I feel as though I'm talking to a lady,
and not even one of my own ladies.
You're like countryfolk,
raising goats and children on your own.
But you are a diplomat and a skilled adviser to the queen.
Surely your daughter understands that.
Now, let's get to work,
shall we?
I have learned that the Vatican has
sent an envoy to our Catholic nobles.
They seek to forge an alliance
with Mary and Darnley, and against me.
Rumors of the potential match have reached Rome.
A match designed to take England.
I need you to quell this insurrection
before it begins.
Take our finest soldiers
and remind our Catholic nobles
the consequences of sedition.
Death, you mean.
Hasn't enough English blood been spilled?
Rather than risk civil war with those opposing you,
perhaps we should try a different approach...
winning them over.
What are you proposing?
Sway the nobles to your side to thwart the Vatican's schemes.
I shouldn't have to sway them.
They're Englishmen.
They are Catholics who claim the Pope speaks the will of God!
And he does not like you.
The Pope does not like me
because England stopped stuffing gold in Rome's pockets
when my father left the faith.
Appeal to the nobles' self-interest.
Offer them an earthly connection to your power.
I would start with Lord Maxford.
I thought you didn't like him.
He is a braggart and a boor,
but he holds the largest lands
and has many Catholic followers.
He would be a powerful ally.
Fine... I will try it your way.
For now.
Ah... what are you waiting for?
Throw it!
Do you have any idea how completely undignified
you appear right now?
I am on holiday.
Dignity has nothing to do with it.
I believe I asked about James. Is he...?
Throw!
Do you know that you're awful at this?
I do, which is why it wasn't my idea to play.
Now it's my turn. Wouldn't you rather talk?
In all your time here, you haven't once mentioned...
I don't want to talk about Gideon,
or what might have been.
Won't wallow in self-pity.
And Lord Darnley?
He's in England.
Lady Lennox promises he'll return.
We'll see if she can do it.
Now, enough of politics right now.
All I want to do... Is throw tiny fruit at me.
Precisely. And help you set up your home
for when sweet Rose and Castleroy arrive from France.
You did it! Of course I did!
You provide a huge target. Gigantic, really.
I see now why Lola spoke of her childhood here so fondly.
And now your daughter will get to experience the same,
living here with you and your husband.
Greer, what is it?
What's wrong?
Aloysius is not the man you knew.
You saw him when he was freed from prison.
He seems to have lost all sense of purpose.
Have faith, my friend.
When he gets back to court he will find his footing.
He says he no longer has the stomach for court.
You will have to convince him otherwise.
How?
We no longer share a bed
or intimacy of any kind.
I've tried talking, reassuring.
I can't break through.
He encourages me to spend my time away from him.
But I don't want to live separate lives.
I won't abandon him, ever.
I'm so sorry, Greer.
You're exhausted, and you miss your child.
Why don't you go inside and lie down?
And leave you?
I'll go for a walk.
I can't remember the last time
I had the luxury of being alone.
'Cause anything can happen when we try
We'll write our story in the wide-open sky
We're gonna get there
Even if we don't know how
Where do you wanna go now?
Where do you wanna go?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Where do you wanna go now?
Oh, oh, oh
Oh
Where do you wanna go now?
Would you use that to bash the skull
of your future husband and king of Scotland?
We have yet to be introduced.
But I already know that you're a presumptuous man,
Lord Darnley.
If you're so concerned for your well-being, then perhaps,
instead of intruding on my private time,
you should have waited for me at court.
Tried that once. Didn't go well.
Though you are a lovely dancer.
I'm sorry about that.
My circumstances have... changed.
As have mine. The circumstances of Scotland
and your rule, however, have not.
England remains a threat.
With me at your side,
as husband and partner,
I believe that we can not only preserve your rule
but expand it.
Would you not agree?
I would.
Ah. Let's get on with it then, shall we?
Are you saying that we should marry?
Would it be the worst thing?
It would not.
For the good of Scotland.
Of course.
I'm trying to picture this, Charles. I really am.
You and that sweet girl, Bianca,
together in a field of weathered bones
and putrid remains.
Was that your idea of a romantic evening?
Well, aren't you a charmer.
Or am I wrong? Because this is
the tale that she is telling,
the reason that she fled from you in the dark
and, in blind desperation, fell down a ravine.
Do you even care?
I told you, he's been like this for weeks.
Sullen,
unresponsive.
Oh, just vanishing whenever he pleases,
avoiding all responsibility.
Your mother told me that...
you have been traumatized
by the Red Knights,
that you saw your friend die horribly.
But, my dear boy, this has to stop.
You are not my father.
Stop speaking to me as though you are.
No, he is the lord chancellor of France,
and you are putting your entire rule in jeopardy.
If your sister, the queen of Spain,
gets wind of your exploits, she could
declare you unfit to rule.
And will, no doubt, petition the Vatican to remove
not just you but the entire Valois line.
And few would object.
The Valois are not beloved.
They say that Francis was frail
and you, the next king, too young.
And now there is talk of your mental state.
You barely eat. You look like the living dead.
You are silent to the servants, to the nobles,
to the privy council.
You rarely leave your chambers.
And when you do, where do you go?
You say that you're out hunting.
What kind of hunting are you doing?
When Bianca fled, were you giving chase?
Answer me!
You do realize
that this girl's story
could rob us of all we possess.
She's lucky to be alive.
How is my brother?
Not feeling up to being king again today?
Good day, Your Majesty.
Charles is fine.
He's just taken to his chambers for rest.
A bear in hibernation does not rest
as much as my young brother.
Perhaps a touch from "St. Claude"
can miraculously revive him.
You know that your sister
has put her "saintly" days behind her.
Clearly,
as she has now taken up the hobby
of sleeping with married men.
Married men?
Are you sure? Absolutely.
If I may, that does not sound like Claude.
She's free-spirited... She is partaking in adultery.
And the Church will deal with it swiftly
and harshly. Stop playing the prude,
Leeza.
These laws are not enforced, not really,
or half the court would be punished.
In France.
Let me speak to her.
You're too late for that.
I beg you, look at me.
Why?
Why must I look?
Why must I kiss? Why must I speak?
You have a wife for such things.
I-I'm sorry. I only want to...
Pleasure me?
Then do as we agreed.
Use your lips where I might forget who you are
and imagine you as I wish.
Or better yet,
make me stop thinking at all.
Stop! Stop!
What are you doing?
I command you, leave at once!
Release me! This is not what it appears!
I've given it thought, James.
You should not be here.
Not in my home.
But I am only here because you invited me.
And I only invited you because you have been
relentless in your pursuit.
I needed to speak to you freely,
but now...
I am truly sorry if my presence causes you discomfort.
Please,
don't lie to me.
Or to yourself.
In my position,
I am constantly surrounded by those
who would seek to deceive me.
It would pain me to think that you are no different.
James,
I would never deceive you,
but I cannot.
You invited me here
because you think of me
as often as I think of you.
Sir, you are too bold.
Because your husband is safely away.
And because,
from the day we met,
we've both burned for this.
I will burn for this.
God save my soul.
I can't.
You humiliated me!
What happens within this room is my business alone.
Not yours, not the Church's, not...
Spare me your humiliation.
What about the shame you've brought to this family?
Not to mention this country and to God himself?
Enough!
God himself has seen much worse and survived.
He will this, as well.
Can't you see your sister is grieving?
She's trying to push away the pain
of Leith's death.
Of course.
Take her side.
Rules don't apply to Claude.
They never have. She does as she pleases,
whereas I've always been dutiful,
marrying for the good of France.
Yes! And you're happy with Philip!
Why do you punish Mother,
all of us, for something that made your life better?
Because my life used to be so much worse
when I lived here.
Yours seems as if it's been grand.
So close to Mother, always defends you.
There is a price to pay...
For being loved?
For growing close to one another?
For the sins of the flesh.
You are not my judge!
No, but my church and my God are.
And they've already decided on your punishment.
No.
You're being sent to a nunnery.
You can't do that.
Thanks to the laws of our faith
and my friends at the Vatican
who enforce them,
it's already been done.
Your form is very impressive.
I'm glad you think so.
I've been playing since I was a child.
Really?
Hmm.
Perhaps we'll take our own children
to the links at St. Andrews one day.
We just met an hour ago and already we have children?
Well, the sooner we have a child,
the sooner our line is ensured.
Ah. Politics?
And just when I was beginning to enjoy myself.
You may have intruded on my holiday, Lord Darnley,
but I will not let you spoil it with business.
Although I am curious.
Have you already named our children?
Or did you leave at least that part for me?
Well, I hope one of them will be called James.
After our father.
You must be Lord Darnley. Indeed.
I'm going to hazard a guess that you are James?
Lord Moray, my brother and most trusted adviser.
And it is as your adviser that I am here.
I have news that cannot wait.
For the queen.
Please excuse us, Lord Darnley.
I've learned that John Knox is speaking this very day
at a farm outside Perthshire.
He intends to turn Catholics against you.
What import could a place like that have for Knox?
They are hosting a harvest festival.
People travel for miles to attend.
His hope is that they will take his poisoned seeds of discontent
and scatter them as they return to their homes.
Why would loyal Catholics listen to anything Knox has to say?
Their crops have failed.
The people have little to eat.
He's going to portray you
as a distant and uncaring queen.
You could only know this if...
I was in Knox's study.
I read his personal notes.
You have entered the enemy's camp.
Well done.
And now I must do the same.
We will go to Perthshire.
And where Knox has sown hatred,
we will scatter seeds of hope.
And if the people are hostile?
I will give them a reason not to be.
And I will take Darnley with me.
Give him a chance to make a good impression on the people,
as he has with me.
I was there
when His Majesty faced the boar,
armed with only a spear.
But King Henry VIII was no ordinary man.
My father was a giant among men.
"The Hunting King,"
we called him. How I miss the days
when men were men and kings were kings.
Fortunately, we are blessed with a queen
who stands strong in defense of her kingdom.
And blessed to have nobles such as yourself, Lord Maxford,
setting such a wonderful example:
a Catholic lord treating fairly the Protestant farmers
who till his land.
You are a living symbol
of the unified England I wish to preserve.
I'm a businessman.
Matters of faith should never interfere with one's accounts.
Or... alliances.
Well, if only others shared your view.
I wish to work with enlightened men such as yourself
to bridge that chasm... The real threat
to England does not come from petty squabbles
over prayer books or even Scotland.
Our greatest threat is from overseas.
You're a reasonable man.
You know of what I speak.
You mean Spain.
Spain is building a vast fleet
that will one day bring an invading army to our shores.
And our navy is too weak to stop them.
England once ruled the seas.
But alas,
there are no men left with King Henry's vision. Hmm.
That pompous prig.
He couldn't... no, he wouldn't
even look at me.
It is though my sex rendered me invisible.
Maxford is a blowhard.
But his support will protect your throne.
He will never protect my throne
as long as a woman sits on it.
You're not just any woman.
You are the daughter of Henry VIII,
a king he reveres.
You're right.
If I am to win his favor,
the best way is to show him who I really am.
Gideon,
tell Lord Maxford I'm inviting him
and the other Catholic nobles on a royal hunt.
I can't guarantee he'll accept. He will...
if you, a reasonable man, joins us.
Once we're on the hunting ground,
he'll learn...
I am nothing less than a Tudor queen.
I must admit, since first hearing of it,
I have given a great deal of thought to Claude in a nunnery.
Why is that?
Because it arouses me.
Oh... A common enough fetish, I'm told.
Have you convinced Leeza to spare her yet?
If you haven't noticed,
the Spanish crown she wears has made her deaf
where I'm concerned.
If Leeza can push out Claude, who's next? Charles?
I think we are yet a distance from that.
Well, you better hope so.
Without a Valois on the throne,
there's no saying who the next king will choose
as lord chancellor.
Leeza's already tried to replace you once.
Well, perhaps I should talk to her.
On Claude's behalf.
What are you up to? I desire only to help.
And because I am not her mother,
I believe her hearing might greatly improve when I speak.
Very well. Speak with her.
Today, we celebrate the harvest.
And yet...
many go hungry.
I have cried out, "Why, God?
"Why must the people who work the hardest
suffer the most?"
It is because Queen Mary
is a spoiled French girl who does not care.
She and her church
take your tithes and spend it on clothes
and outlandish luxuries.
While she gets fatter, you starve.
To her, you are less than chaff blowing in the wind.
That is a lie!
It's the queen.
Reverend Knox is good with words.
But what good are words when you are hungry?
You cannot eat them.
You cannot fill your children's bellies with them.
Lord Darnley,
show these people that their queen has brought them
more than words.
I bring you food for your families.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
God save Your Majesty.
God bless you.
Can't deny they are well suited,
and Mary could do much worse.
Perhaps.
Look at her.
She's got the ignorant fools eating
quite literally from her hand.
Bless you.
We must end this gathering.
Now.
Bless you.
It was Christ himself who instructed all of us
to pray for our daily bread.
And it is God who answers.
We are merely his servants.
Knox is leaving.
I think you've won.
Fire!
We need to get you out of here!
No, the fire could spread to the crops! We must help!
Mary!
Are the girls all right?
Is everyone all right?
I feel as though my arms are going to drop off,
but the fire is out.
That's all that...
James, you're burned!
It's nothing. I'm fine.
Three cheers for Mary, Queen of Scots!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!
Your gracious Majesty, thank you!
You'll be as good as new in no time.
Has either of you seen Lord Darnley?
I can't seem to find him.
I saw him with the horses during the fire,
but since then...
Fire!
Oh, not again.
Help! My boy's in there!
Help!
It's Darnley!
The farmer says, "I think my wife's dead.
The sex is about the same, but the dishes are piling up."
It's unfortunate Gideon couldn't be here.
I hope he's not out courting some other queen.
I'm thankful you were gracious enough
to continue the hunt without him.
You seem surprised yourself he didn't show.
Ha!
Your Majesty,
the skill you showed on the hunting grounds today
reveals a warrior's instinct.
A trait you no doubt inherited from your father.
I'm not sure I would have bagged such a prize stag
had you not flushed him out for me.
Being in your woods today reminded me
of something you said.
Your concern of a possible Spanish invasion,
and you're right.
Our Royal Navy needs a much larger fleet,
but such a fleet would require a vast amount of lumber.
Lumber you have in abundance in your own backyard.
I wonder, would you consider selling
that lumber to the Crown?
At a very fair price, of course.
Such patriotism deserves to be richly rewarded.
That is a brilliant idea.
In exchange for such an arrangement,
I would need to know I had your full support
and the support of your Catholic friends.
That would include not meeting
with representatives of the Vatican,
should they choose to turn their attention your way.
I hereby pledge my undying loyalty to the Crown.
And if the Vatican were to call,
they would find us otherwise occupied.
To the hunting queen!
Queen! Queen! To the queen!
Please tell me you've succeeded in curbing my
Spanish mule of a daughter's flight of jealousy.
Leeza will no longer require Claude to join a convent.
Well, surely not out of the goodness of her heart.
There was only one way that she would agree
to allow her sister to lead a non-celibate life.
Leeza wants Claude wed. To a Catholic noble
of respectable rank and title. Claude has
earned the right to choose her own husband.
Yes, well...
her husband has already been chosen.
Terms of the deal. I've never even
heard of this Luc Narcisse.
I have a handful of adult children.
Oh, if it puts your mind at ease, this particular apple
fell some distance from the tree. That's hard
to believe when he carries your name. This is your fault!
Your fault you weren't a better mother to Leeza.
Your fault she's turning years of resentment against me...
I know, Claude. I'm sorry.
She has the laws of our faith on her side.
You need to make a decision: marriage or the nunnery.
Do I at least get to meet my future husband before I choose?
Father.
Queen Mother.
And you must be Princess Claude.
I have a confession to make. I'm not a virgin, either.
I'm glad you're enjoying this situation.
And I don't mean to make light of the circumstances.
Believe me, this is all happening
just as quickly for me.
But I want to make this work.
Plenty of arranged marriages do.
And plenty don't.
Two random people forced
to spend the rest of their lives together?
You don't even know who I am,
what I like...
who I love.
No, but I have heard about you.
Enough to know that I would not seek
to change your spirit, but to embrace it.
I will prove myself to be a loyal husband,
one who can protect you.
I know who you are.
You're the son of the most ruthless man at French court.
Well, I was never his favorite son,
because I was never like him.
Certainly, my father has his reasons
for suggesting this marriage, as I do for accepting,
but they're not the same reasons.
My relationship with my father has had many...
challenges.
That's not the life I wish for my children.
Yes, I do expect to have heirs.
You are a princess, after all.
They would get a good life.
Not to mention...
I would be marrying a most stunning woman.
Luc, may I have
a moment to speak with my daughter in private?
Of course.
Things are going well, I take it?
It's not... awful.
Mother,
Leith. Is gone.
And Luc may appear to be a decent man,
but I've learned to never trust the beginning of a book.
He is a Narcisse, after all.
I know this isn't what you wanted,
but for now, this marriage will protect you.
And because I am partially to blame
for your situation, here is my promise to you.
Once we rid this court of Leeza,
I will help you deal with the consequences of
your union to Luc, should there be any.
If he ever lays a hand on you,
I will get you out of this marriage.
Do you mean that? I may not
be able to get you back from a nunnery,
but when the time is right, I can make you a widow.
All right.
I'll do it.
I'll... marry Luc.
You showed great courage when you saved that child.
It has convinced many, who will persuade many more,
that you would be a worthy king.
The courage I showed was no more than your own.
And the only person I wish
to persuade of my worth sits before me.
I'll be honest, Lord Darnley.
I did not expect to like you... but I do.
If you find the terms
that I have laid out for our marriage acceptable,
our union will serve Scotland well.
But I find myself wondering
if this is something that you would...
Am I...?
Am I what you expected?
You are more so.
I only wish that your regard for me could be as generous.
Why do you say it is not?
Because of what you withhold.
The Crown Matrimonial.
Oh, how romantic.
Your thoughts are already of your life without me
after I am dead.
Not at all. I'm thinking of you.
Of carrying on your legacy.
Mary, people die all the time.
Women more so of illness, childbirth...
Assassination?
I would protect you with my life
against all things
if I could.
Would you?
A wife you barely know?
Your logic is new.
But I've had this request made of me by another.
And he plotted to have me killed.
I am generous but only to a point.
In the matter of the Crown Matrimonial, I will not yield.
I hadn't realized your painful history
with regard to this.
All right.
I accept your terms.
Well, you don't seem happy about it.
I am an ambitious man.
And if this is my one chance at king, I will take it.
And if I am king for only as long as you live,
then I say long live the queen.
That's it, then.
We will be wed.
For Scotland.
Leith, I pray you're at peace.
Forgive me.
Are you ready?
Ooh, ooh...
Ah, ah...
Ooh, ooh...
Hold me up
And watch me bloom
I'm a dangerous fire
A poison fume
Oh, oh...
Ooh, ooh...
But you've seen me bare
You've seen me covered up
Maybe I'm not scared
What you're thinking of
You've seen me here
And held me miles away
Underneath my skin
Is all you'll see today.
Little sister.
I'm so sorry Charles couldn't manage to attend
even a royal wedding,
but I do hope you accept my best wishes.
May matrimony set you on a more honorable path.
God will be watching should you stray from it.
As he watches all of his creatures.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
God should be pleased to know
that I have every intention
of providing a happy life for Claude.
I do think it's time for our first dance, don't you?
You didn't have to do that.
Do what?
I'm simply a man who wants to share a dance with his bride.
Are you certain that lovely young man
is related to you?
Is it really so surprising?
Things have turned out very well for you, haven't they?
Yes.
For Claude, as well, I trust.
I am grateful.
What is it?
Will you excuse me for a moment?
Charles!
I heard that you had taken to your bed.
Where are you...? Charles!
Is that blood?
Are you hurt?
Did you hurt someone?
Do you realize what people are whispering about you?
They're already saying that you are a necrophiliac.
If anyone saw you in this state,
they will think that you are a vampire
who has been feasting...
Enough!
Ah,
Gideon, you grace us with your presence at last.
Lord Maxford nearly canceled the hunt
when you failed to show, but I won his allegiance nonetheless.
But you embarrassed me.
That cannot happen again.
I don't give a damn about Maxford or your embarrassment.
What?
You dare...
There's nothing you can do to me that could cause me
any more pain. I have given
everything to your service
and now stand to lose
the only thing that matters to me.
What happened? What is it?
My daughter's condition has worsened.
The doctors don't know what to do.
They have told me to prepare for the worst.
Without Agatha, I am lost.
I'm so sorry.
I didn't know.
Yet I should have.
But my duty to my queen took up all my attention.
I was so busy keeping
your house in order that I let my own crumble.
Don't lose hope, Gideon.
I promise you
I will do everything
in my power to help Agatha.
You have no power over this.
None at all.
It's not too late to choose the nunnery.
I think it is.
Look at me.
Would you mind if I kissed you now?
I have not kissed a man since Leith.
When I heard it, I didn't believe it.
We thought you were dead.
There were days I wished I was.
But I knew Claude was waiting.
You shouldn't have come back.
Then it's true.
What I've just been told.
Claude has wed.
This very night.
Then there's still a chance.
If she hasn't consummated the marriage,
it can still be annulled. I have to find her.
Let her know that I'm alive.
That I'm back.
I'm sorry, Leith.
But I cannot allow that to happen.
Why are you doing this?
Claude has married my son.
No. No!
And it's my duty to ensure they have
a long and happy marriage.
Take him away.
No!
Claude!
I am an officer of the kingsguard!
Let me go!
Claude! Claude!
You're getting married.
I do wish you were happier about this.
It's the decision I made when I sent Gideon away.
But still,
for a moment there I allowed myself
to think it could be more.
When we were handing out bread,
fighting the fire together,
not as king and queen, but as
two people of like mind and spirit.
Like you and Francis.
Darnley has shown his true ambition.
Can you blame anyone for wanting to be king?
No, I suppose not.
You don't have to marry him.
If I want to challenge Elizabeth and survive,
I do. But what is survival
without even the hope of love?
My people...
I'm not talking about your subjects.
I'm talking about you.
I know you, Mary.
It won't be enough.
It will have to be enough.
What's this wood?
I don't know.
Is that wood burnt?
It says, "Be careful.
"Darnley started his own fire
to appear a hero."
It's signed, "Loyal Watchman."
"Loyal Watchman"?
Who is that?
I have no idea.
Do you think it's true?
Could Darnley have done such a thing?
Who have I agreed to marry?
Oh, no.