By: Sue
Thank goodness for a back season pickup from the CW, otherwise this would be the season finale. Hurrah for small favors. So tonight answers the question Francis or Bash?
It’s primping and pinning and preparing execution. Even as she’s practicing her death, there’s still much to do.
Lola tries to get ready for more riding. They’re delayed over Lola’s horrible horsemanship. Francis finds it ironic that if all goes well with their plan, that Bash will be married to Mary, his mother Catherine will be free, and he will be exiled. They plan to keep their little liaison a secret, though the sex eyes will surely give them away.
Nostradamus leaves his bedmate. He thinks that he’s lost his gift, and so he must get close to that which brought it to him, death. He tries to hang himself, but she stops him. His vision was wrong, he will hang for real for it he believes.
Catherine continues to plan her death, but Henry doesn’t want to put up the cash for it all. It’s going to bankrupt him. Henry tells her that the party after her death won’t matter, but she’s sure it will to her children. A royal visitor arrives, one Mary should recognize, it’s her mother, Marie de Guise.
Marie isn’t happy about the current situation. She sent her daughter to wed a prince, and finds her engaged to a bastard. Mary points out that she hasn’t seen her mother for so long, and hasn’t had a chance to talk to her. She thinks Mary threw everything away on a mad man’s vision. She asks if Mary loves Bash, and Mary is starting to. She tells her worst that their country needs a strong catholic country behind her in a time when Protestants threaten her rule, but her mother will support her, because she is Queen.
Mary tells Bash that her mother is as she remembers her. Her looks, her smell, everything, and although she says she will support her, she knows that she will do whatever she can to stop them. Mary wants to elope immediately. Bash plots to arrange it all and meet with Mary before sunset.
Marie confronts Catherine about her treatment of Mary. She gave her to Catherine thinking that she would be cared for and raised to be Francis’s wife. Instead she threatened to kill her, attempted it many times, and on the whim of a charlatan she ruined her entire life’s course. Catherine tells her that she is defeated, and if she wants it changed she has to do it herself.
Greer brings Mary a veil, and none other than Lola returns with Francis in tow. Mary doesn’t seem to be listening to a word of Lola’s story. She tells her she’s happy that she’s back, but her eyes are for Francis only. Francis tells her that he’s come back to petition for his mother’s life, but nothing more.
Catherine gives Nostadamus Clarissa’s mask. He was more her father than she ever was. She believes that Clarissa was buried, having no clue that she her body was left behind, dumped like rubbish. The girl never had a kindness. Nostadamus tells Catherine of his visions, tells her that the visions stopped with Clarissa’s death. He misunderstood, not knowing that Clarissa was her firstborn. The vision was that Mary would bring about the death of their firstborn, which was Clarissa. Now he sees that Mary and Francis would have a happy life with children. Catherine is angered over all that she has lost for his prophecy, all the blood spilt. He tells her that Francis has returned. She has to convince Mary to marry Francis or she will lose her head, but not before she sees him burn.
Catherine goes in search of Francis. He plans to find his father and make him see reason, and rescue her. Catherine tells him to forget everything, convince Mary that his fate has been changed. She tells him that he loves Mary, but he isn’t sure that he still does. She tells him that he has to fight for all that he wants, that she will cause Mary no harm if they wed. Marie is happy to hear that Catherine has had a change of heart. She tells Francis where she can find Mary, and that he should hurry so that he can stop Mary from marrying Bash.
Francis gets to Bash before Mary does. Francis wants Bash to call it all off, but Bash points out that Mary went to him willingly, and she will stay with him. Mary arrives as the two are scuffling. Francis tells her that Nostadamus has taken back his prophecy and she is free to wed who she wishes, and when he says who she wishes he just means him.
Mary confronts Catherine. Catherine tells her that the prophecy has been fulfilled with Clarissa’s death. Mary doesn’t believe her, she has too much to lose. Catherine breaks a piece of porcelain, and cuts her wrists. She isn’t putting herself first again, she tells her to confront Nostradamus. Mary admits that she loves both of the men.
Henry announces that there is news of the English succession. England is Mary’s by bloodline, and right, if Mary waits Elizabeth will take England from her. He tells Mary that if she wishes for France’s alliance she will wed one of his sons tonight. Not cowed by his threats, she tells him that she will take her own life in her hands.
Kenna comes to see the king, he wishes to refuse her visit, but he cannot refuse her. She wants to renegotiate her terms. She wishes a husband still, tells him to find a rich nobleman who treats her right, and she will treat him right as well. He’ll play pimp for her, as long as he gets to be dominant for once.
Catherine comes to visit Mary, she has further news. It’s news from the Vatican. She thinks it’s the golden ticket, that whoever is legitimate should get her hand, though Catherine believes that she does love one more. She tells her to open it, and she does, but does it free her.
Mary goes to Bash. She tells him that she cannot marry him, but he says that she can. She can be the person she wants to be with him, that he’ll never make her be anyone but herself. She tells him that she loves him, but that she loves Francis more. She finds Francis they reunite with a kiss. So is he going to tell her that he banged her friend? The letter was blank. Catherine was letting her chose what was in her heart, and her heart chose the man who often stayed. She agrees to marry him, but that they must protect Sebastian. Francis says that he will.
Francis goes to Bash, saying that he is sorry for the way that things have gone. He tells Bash that he must leave, and never return, he must go into exile. Bash does not want to leave, does not need to leave. He never wanted the crown, and that his presence would be accepted if Francis were so inclined, but he is not. He tells him that he should leave if he wants to survive. Oooh, gauntlet thrown.
Marie plans to have a second ceremony for Mary so that everyone can see her and Francis wed. Catherine has been pardoned, and Henry looks benevolent for his actions. Lola tells Kenna that she thinks that her and the King together again is a mistake, but Kenna points out that she shouldn’t throw stones, that the inn she supposedly stayed at and met Francis in burned down the previous year. She isn’t sure what happened the two of them, but she knows her story doesn’t hold water.
A servant girl sings a song that she should not know, that Nostadamus recognizes. She was told to sing it near him.
The messenger bearing the English news is no were to be seen, Catherine puts the pieces together and knows that Marie bribed him for the news. Mary arrives in her wedding gown, she looks stunning. As she prepares to sign her wedding license, she looks back to her mother, who nods at her. It is done. They wed.
Nostadamus goes to finds Clarissa’s grave, but finds bare footsteps leading away. Clarissa is alive.
The wedding celebration is a large one, and everyone dances with merriment, Francis and Mary look especially happy. Bash on the other hand is absent. He plans to leave, but Henry isn’t ready for his first born to leave just yet.
Marie tells Mary that the English Queen isn’t quite dead yet. Marie wanted nothing more than to see Mary wed, that both Mary and France needed a push. Greer tells Mary it is time for the consummation, but Mary isn’t ready yet. She tells her mother that she not welcome there any longer.
Nostradamus sees the rest of his vision. Francis and Mary have been wed for a year, and although it has been a good year he is dying, he does die. Catherine is so happy over the years the happy couple will have together, but Nostradamus does not tell her otherwise.
Bash is forced to watch the consummation, so that he understands what he can have and what he cannot. Mary pauses for but a moment, Francis plans to power ahead. After the consummation, Bash is taken out to the forest, the two men plan to kill him, but he gets the drop on them and kills them first. Now it’s a question of whether it was Catherine or Francis who ordered the hit.
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