Gideon and Elizabeth I propose to Mary she marries him and abdicates in favor of Elizabeth, who will then remain childless and appoint their firstborn son heir to the thrones of England and Scotland, with James as regent in Scotland. Mary is inclined to accept until Lord Darnely's scheming mother Lady Lennox who shares convinces her the Kent castle Elizabeth would assign to Mary and Gideon as residence is reinforced as a virtual prison. Lady Lennox gets Darnley's beloved Keira married off to someone else. Narcisse is back in office at the French court and works with Catherine to prevent Leeza's Spanish choice Cardinal Rosales replacing him as Chancellor of France. Catherine and Narcisse send virgin aristocrat daughter Bianca to gloomy king Charles, hoping to rejuvenate him, but she goes missing after an eery night. Claude seeks solace in religion in the wake of Leith's death. James has a dutiful 'affair' with Emily Knox.
—KGF Vissers