Francis rides off to find Lola and the village where she is
giving birth to his child. He passes plague ridden villages, a plagued family
burying the mother.
The Queens break the news to the people that the plague has
hit the countryside around them. They tell the people that they have nothing to
fear, that they will be kept safe. Kenna knows that Catherine is being too
nice, she’d likely root out the ill and dump them outside of the gates. A clean
shaven Nostradamus goes over the symptoms so that everyone can be vigilant.
Greer spies Leith with Castelroy’s daughter and she’s not happy about it. She claims
that she is not jealous, but rather concerned. Leith vowed to rub her face in
his happiness. Leith had no clue he was cozying up to Castelroy’s daughter. Mary
claims that the castle is prepared for the plague.
The castle is far from prepared, and Catherine is worried
about Francis. Mary tried to stop him but he would not be deterred. Kenna and
Greer want to know what is really going on, knowing that Francis would never
leave at a time like this. Mary has to go to isolation as Queen, but she does
admit that Lola sent word of her labor, and that there were complications.
Francis went to her side, even though Mary tried to stop him when she heard of
the plague.
Yvette confronts Leith, but he honestly had no idea that
they had connections. Until she pointed out Castelroy he didn’t know that she
was his daughter. Yvette just met Greer and she liked her. She asks if he had
the choice if he would be with Greer now. He wouldn’t. Yvette wants to spend
what could be their last days together, but Leith is hesitant. Yvette insists,
thinking of a way they could be together.
Kenna worries that they’re isolating people for seeming to
be unwell, but they have to. They’re taking the threat very seriously for
everyone’s best interest. There isn’t enough food if the plague reaches the
castle. He tells Kenna to find Pascal and secure themselves in their rooms. He’s
had food stored for them, enough that can hopefully last until the plague
passes. He’s going off to confer with the guards. He knows that Francis isn’t
in the castle, and he wants to make sure that the guards know that they’re
still responsible for their King especially in this crisis.
One of the noblemen takes a tumble with a lady. Little does
he know that she’s infected. He missed the gathering, and didn’t get the whole
plague speech. Lucky for Catherine her guards keep him away from her. He heads
into the mess hall, where he’ll likely infect several people.
Francis finds Lola, to her surprise they’re both alive. She
tells him that he has a son.
Catherine takes a seat at the throne to Mary’s side. She
wonders why Francis has not returned, surely he saw signs of the plague, and he
should have turned back. She still has no clue about the baby, wondering why
Francis would risk himself for one of Mary’s ladies. The music starts playing,
someone has fallen ill by plague. That person was already sick when they made
the announcement. Fires are lit near them to purify the air around the Queens. Nostradamus
brings his illness report. A stable hand has fallen ill, and he will die within
a day or so. Since the guards sent after Francis have not returned Nostradamus
asks that he be allowed to go after him. He believes himself immune to the
plague, having lived through two outbreaks without illness. He knows where Lola
is suppose to be, and Catherine taunts Mary to tell her why Francis would risk
himself. Mary will not play her game, and as her Queen she asks for her
silence, and to send him off. She does as Mary asks.
Kenna tracks down Pascal with the uppity nobleman who is
likely plague ridden from maid. She goes to take her ward away, but the man
stops her. His wife was locked away from him for her safety, and he needs help
getting food. He calls her a whore, but Kenna points out that she is married to
Bash and a lady. Pascal goes with the man, promising to return when the task is
complete to save her from anymore ridicule.
The servant girl tells Lola she needs rest, she’s lost a lot
of blood. She sits with the baby. Francis asks if the carriage outside is hers.
It is, but her driver fled when he heard of the plague to be with his family.
She’s sure Francis would like to do the same, to be by Mary’s side. He would,
but he couldn’t help worrying about his son. He’s angry with Lola for lying to
him. She points out that he could have taken the baby back to the castle. He
considered, but there is no way to safely get the child away without his
mother. Lola knows that he never wanted the baby, and she assures him that her
husband Julian may be dead, but the baby will bear his name. Young George begins
coughing, he’s infected. Francis tells Lola that they have to leave now. The midwife
didn’t touch her brother, Lola tells her that she should leave as well, but she
won’t She doesn’t think she’d be any safer on her own, or even with the King of
France.
Lord Edward pays the Queens a visit. The body count is
rising. They know 14 are dead in their first day of contagion. He wonders how
many more will be dead when they awaken, or if they’ve taken into account the
serving class. Mary counts every life lost. He wishes to add another body to
the pile. He thought the person was untouchable, but this is the perfect
opportunity. Merely stick him in a cell with the infected and he too becomes
infected. Mary is angered that the man would ask them to kill someone. Catherine
wishes to know the details. The man has been bedding his wife, I really hope it’s
the uppity nobleman, and Lord Edward provides much of the meat and grain to the
Castle. Nobles have raided the stores of food, and they’ll need more food. He
leaves the ladies with the choice, and Catherine gloats. Mary finally gets to
see the real France. Mary asks if that is how she and Henry ran their kingdom,
bowing to the will of their nobles. One life for the life of many is a good
bargain. Mary still believes that every life is important. Catherine isn’t so
sure Mary understands who Edward is. As a royal she is given her position by
birth. Royals hold everything, and allow them to keep their position, while they
grant them certain privileges. Mary doesn’t think Francis would go for that
anymore than she does, she thinks that they could punish him, take what they
need. The people would revolt. One death, that Catherine could make painless to
save her people. One death she will soon forget. Mary will not forget the death, she has sacrificed
people in the past and it eats at her conscience. A favor for a favor is how
she stays Queen. Mary does not want to be the same kind of Queen as Catherine.
Mary tells the guard to send word to Lord Edward. She is denying his request.
Leith is surprised to find Greer not holed up in Castelroy’s
suite, and she’s surprised at how fast he works. He doesn’t blame Greer for
finding his intentions with Yvette shady, but it was pure chance. She doesn’t
believe him. He never thought he’d find someone with an open heart, someone who
didn’t care that he wasn’t titled, but he did. Greer asks if he plans to pursue
Yvette. He does. Greer doesn’t want him to, he will forever be in her life if
he does this. Leith reminds her that she was the one who broke his heart. And
she pleads with him not to test her. She will fail and be forever destroyed.
Leith was on his way to meet Yvette he confesses. Greer asks him not to.
Frances stops the carriage. Lola needs water. There is a
clean lake nearby, they only need to get to it. A group of men block the path,
and they fear that Lola is infected. Francis explains that she isn’t, that she
just gave birth. One of the men recognizes Francis as their new king, and
assures Lola that she’s safe. Louis and Francis are kin many times removed.
Bash looks for Kenna. He was up all night keeping the castle
on lock down after all the desertion of guards. Kenna left a note saying that
she was going out to find Pascal. A family is being lead to quarantine. Bash
watches the little girl.
Edward isn’t happy. Purverloin the man he wanted killed has
now locked himself away with his family. To kill him they’ll need to kill the
entire family. Mary wasn’t going to take his offer, but he tells her to
reconsider. Things have not gotten better in the light of day. Catherine and
Mary go to take a look, smoke covers the countryside. The villagers are burning
the homes of the infected. A famine will follow the plague. The people revolt.
Lola lays down her sleeping baby. After getting a drink, she
was able to feed the baby. She notes that his cousin is generous, outfitting
them with a pavilion for privacy. The men plan to stay there until the plague
has passed, and then return to their homes. The only other road to the castle
is blocked by fires. Lola apologizes for keeping the baby from him. She wanted
to keep her freedom, and now they’re trapped. Lola wishes to keep the lie of
the baby’s paternity, Francis will decide for the baby.
Kenna finds Pascal. He wanted to come to her, but the man
would not let him. Pascal turns, there’s blood all over his tunic. The man
started coughing he wouldn’t stop, Pascal says. Kenna sees that the man is dead
in the bed, he was infected. Kenna plans to get Pascal out, to get him away,
but a maid sees them and sounds the alarm. They close Kenna and Pascal in with
the body.
Catherine suggests that they murder Lord Purverloin’s entire
family. They wouldn’t have had to take such extreme measures if Mary had done
as Catherine suggested, but every life is important to Mary. Nostradamus
returns without Francis. He found the house where Lola gave birth, but it was
nailed shut, marked with the plague X, and burned. Mary is devastated by the
news. Nostradamus is immune to plague but not fire. Mary hopes they sought
shelter some place else, that they will be fine. Catherine looks at the
possibility that her son is dead, and another will ascend the throne. France
needs both food and stability, Catherine will provide that. Mary won’t allow
Catherine to do that, but Catherine knows that Francis will thank her for
saving his kingdom.
Francis and Louis greet Narcisse, who has come for clean
water. Louis lies as to why Francis is there. They carry with him a girl in a
cage. It’s Estelle, Lola’s nurse. They’re keeping her isolated for her own
protection he says, her family all burned because of plague. Louis tells
Francis he lied because Narcisse isn’t a man to be trusted, that the girl’s
family likely died before they succumbed to plague so he could take their
lands. Narcisse stops back, congratulating Louis on his ship, the one he failed
to mention to his new friend the King. Looks like Louis can’t be completely
trusted either.
Pascal is getting worse. Kenna talks to him through a door,
separated from her ward. He stopped talking for a moment, he fell asleep he
says. Kenna asks if he wishes for her to sing to him. He saw his mother, and
she said that she would care for him. Kenna cries over the poor child, telling
him that he was loved, is loved, until he no longer answers her.
Bash continues to look for Kenna. He calls to her, and she
answers. Bash breaks open a door, but its not Kenna behind it. The woman is
infected, and Bash tries to stop her. She’s thirsty, she wants to go get a
drink. She tries to get past Bash, and he kills her. Guards rush towards him,
but he warns them off, he’s likely infected too.
Mary finds a sick Catherine. She believes her to be
stricken. Mary’s hesitation to take a life saved Catherine from taking many. The
sickness took her down before she could kill the family. Catherine confesses
that she never wanted to be her either, but Henry never loved her, and she
blames him the way she turned out. Francis loves Mary, and Catherine doesn’t
think an indiscretion or child should ruin that. She tells her not to let Lola
get in their way.
Mary tells Nostradamus that it worked. He dosed her, which
will only last a day or two, then the Queen will have a miraculous recovery.
Hopefully she will not suspect them. He could stand idly by watching another
family die when he could do something.
Louis apologizes for not being completely honest with
Francis, but he understands. The boat is like an Arc in a flood, and could be
easily overrun and taken. The lady by the fire is his mistress Louis confesses.
When people started dying he promised her a safe ride home, some of his men
will go home with her. Louis tells him there is room for one more mistress and
her child. Francis tells him that she isn’t his mistress, and that he loves his
wife. Louis advises that he let Lola go, and return to his wife. Lola could
remarry away from Francis, and her child grow up without the taint of
bastardhood.
Francis tells Lola that she will sail to the Netherlands in
the morning with Louis’s men. He will return home to Mary allowing her to be
free.
The little girl Bash gave the doll to brings a drink to
Yvette. The water finally delivered. She’s still waiting for Leith, hopeful
that he’s coming.
Mary has Edward brought forth, and lets him know that the
nobleman will not be touched. Edward asks where Catherine is, and Mary lets him
know that she is the Queen and he will respect her. She wants to know his real
motivation, a woman not being worth all the trouble. Edward wanted just one
life taken, but she forced him to take matters into his own hands. He
discovered where the water was being brought up to the suite. Mary rushes to
the suite, but its too late. Everyone is dead inside, everyone, servants and
Yvette. Leith is going to be crushed, but luckily because of Greer he wasn’t
there as well.
Bash continues to
search for Kenna, wishing that the suffering surrounding him was done. Bash
spots a child, the one from before, the dead one. He gave her back her doll Clementine.
She tells him that they’re all dead, but that he’ll live. She’s not sure where
she’s supposed to be, many don’t and they are angry. They won’t leave until
they’re done. There will be a reckoning. Bash awakens.
Mary had Edward followed. He signaled his people to deliver
the grain. She has him detained. She takes murder very seriously, even when
there is death all around. She has him taken away, though he believes that his
father will free him, but he’ll never find him.
Bash searches another hallway, and this time he hears Kenna
calling his name, in response to his calls. She beats at the door she’s trapped
behind, and Bash breaks it down. She’s saved. She tells him that Pascal is
gone, that he died of plague.
The ship is only two days ride from their location. Lola and
the baby will ride in comfort Louis tells him. The baby cries, and Lola is nowhere
to be found. Francis picks up the baby, and everything changes. The baby quiets
in his arms. Lola is ready to leave. He understands all the reasons that they
should leave, but he cannot let her take away his son.
Edward is taken down to the catacombs. His father is Lord
Narcisse. He tells her that she cannot leave him down there, and that Lord
Narcisse will take revenge upon her for this. Catherine understands how the world
works, and Francis will hate her once he understands how it works and what she
did. She has him tossed in with the sick as he suggested she do to his enemy.
Francis holds his son. Mary takes her throne, the other one
empty beside her.
