Snakes in the Garden

 

Snakes in the Garden
Season 1, Episode 2
Air date	October 24, 2013
Written by	Laurie McCarthy
Directed by	Matt Hastings
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"I hope to be a good king someday, which is why I will never put anything, any love, ahead of the love for my country."

—Prince Francis

Synopsis

Mary Doesn't Know Who She Can Trust
When Simon (Luke Roberts), an English envoy, tells Mary that the English are aware of her fragile engagement to Francis, Mary and Francis put on a show to protect their alliance. Meanwhile, when Queen Catherine learns that someone who knows about her plot to destroy Mary is still alive, she stops at nothing to make sure they are silenced for good.

Plot

Down in the castle dungeon, Colin MacPhail is being tortured by a guard on a stretcher. The man breaks and leaves Colin on the stretcher. Clarissa wakes the unconscious Colin up and releases him from his bonds so that he is able to escape.

It is early in the morning and Mary covers the sleeping Lola up with a cover. A servant announces the arrival of the ladies Kenna, Aylee and Greer, only for Mary to usher them out to let Lola sleep.

Out on the balcony, Mary reflects on Colin's attack on her. Although the King and Queen told her that it was an English plot, Colin told Lola that he was forced by someone highly placed at French court.

Discussing their son's fiancée

In The Throne Room, Catherine and Henry are talking about who they're going to betrothe their son Charles to. Catherine believes the young Lady Madeleine to be a brilliant match - she is French, therefore loyal to France, and very wealthy. Henry is unsure about it at first, but Catherine's arguments manage to persuade him. Francis is ordered to accompany Charles to the landing to show respect. Charles asks if Sebastian can come as well, but Catherine slams Bash for appearing in the throne room at all.

"You know that Bash isn't really your brother. He's just your father's son."

—Queen Catherine

Mary volunteers to go as well, as she too was once a child who was sent away to a foreign land, so she may be able to soothe the girl's fear. Catherine suggests that they all stay here, as the journey may not be safe, but Henry assures her that the carriage will stay on the King's road, with a dozen of well-armed guards to protect it.

Once the carriage arrives on the coast, Francis helps Mary out of it while Charles stays inside. The two are stopped in their tracks at the sight of a large English war ship on their borders. Francis orders Mary and his little brother back to the carriage, while the guards mount their bows with arrows directed toward the approaching men.

Just as a fight is about to begin, Sebastian rides up and orders everyone to stand down. He explains that the English ship took on water and was aided by the French. They have sent their emissary, Simon Westbrook, ahead to the castle to clear the situation up.

"If they're lying, they'll have his head!"

—Sebastian

Once tensions die down, Madeleine presents herself as a perfect lady, but the shy Charles stands back. Mary goes forward to introduce herself to the young girl and reassure her that she is welcome here. She then walks her over to Charles, who gives her a flower he found on the ground, and the two greet each other in a fare more proper manner.

At Charles and Madeleine's Engagement Party that evening, the place is swarming with English soldiers who stopped by to replenish their resources. Nostradamus would think that the English would be among Catherine's favourite guests because they hate Mary, but Catherine knows that the English hate them as well.

On the other side of the room, Mary is surrounded by her Ladies-in-Waiting when she sees the dashing English envoy Simon Westbrook for herself. He questions why she isn't already married to Francis if their engagement is going as well as she claims. He tells Mary to "pack your pretty friends and hopes of salvation and go back to Scotland," and when she asserts that she isn't going anywhere, he threatens her life and brings up how he tried to poison her at The Convent. Francis, who oversaw the entire encounter, swoops in and takes Mary away when he notices her looking visibly upset and disgusted.

When alone, Francis and Mary agree to pretend their engagement is going well and that Mary has Francis on her side while the English reside at court as a way of keeping her safe.

Nostradamus takes Catherine down to the dungeon. As is the custom, the door of the prisoner scheduled to be executed was marked with a red X. Nostradamus stops in his tracks in front of a door marked with an X, before informing Catherine that the wrong door was marked, and a thief was beheaded in Colin's place, while Colin has escaped. Catherine tells Nostradamus that they must find and kill Colin before he tells Mary about what they have done.

The next day, Catherine and Henry apprise Mary and her ladies of Colin's escape. Catherine blames the English for aiding him in the escape, even though as Mary points out, the escape took place before the English arrived. Mary asks them to bring Colin back, preferably alive, so that she can speak with him and find out who was behind her attack.

After leaving Mary's chamber, Henry wonders why Catherine didn't tell him about Colin's escape when she first heard of it. Henry wants to be informed, because once Colin is found, he wants to hear whatever he has to say.

At a picnic for newly engaged couple that afternoon, Francis and Mary converse while watching Charles and Madeleine play a game. Charles is blindfolded while girls around him are saying his name, including his new fiancée. Henry and Catherine walk arm-in-arm together, but Henry soon snubs her in favour of another woman. The ladies also join the picnic and talk amongst themselves.

The game goes awry when Madeleine stomps over to Charles and takes off his blindfold, annoyed he couldn't distinguish her voice from the others.

A few blocks away, Mary and Francis discuss Mary's situation at court. Their conversation becomes heated when Mary relays the information about Colin, saying he was forced by someone highly placed at court, someone Mary suspects was Francis' mother. Francis is insulted at the accusation and walks away.

Mary goes to Sebatian and enlists his help in finding Colin and bringing him to her, as he is the only one who knows who at court is plotting her demise. The guards have likely had a head start in looking for Colin, but they're not hunters and they fear the woods. When asked why, Bash says that there is much to fear, but doesn't explain what it is. He does promise to look for Colin on Mary's behalf, though.

"Dark and dangerous times, Your Grace. But your presence brings light."

—Sebastian

Later Mary tries to talk to Charles about why Madeleine was upset with him, but she sees him running away from a possible figure. Mary questions who he was talking to and Charles tells Mary about his friend. Clarissa who lives in-between the castle walls and is annoyed he can't play with her now. Mary becomes interested in knowing more about Clarissa, but holds off on her curiosity.

Mary heads back to her chambers early and is surprised to see a servant girl trying on her dress. She becomes startled as she has been caught in the Queen of Scotland's clothing. The woman panics as Mary asked her what she was doing, but before she could answer Megera cried out in pain. Crying that her skin was on fire as she falls to the ground, telling Mary to stay away. Marry ran for help, and when she returns, frantic, with Francis and guards she is shock to see the woman is nowhere in sight. Mary becomes a little hysteric, as she fears someone else has tried to kill her, and how wonders someone could carry a dead body out of her room undetected. Francis promises her they will figure this out. He orders the guards out and to find the missing servant look, to search the whole castle.

Mary informs Francis of the secret passageway that's in her room. Possibly someone came into her room that way. Francis informs her most are dead ends and have been blocked off for years.

Leaving the party, King Henry approaches Lady Kenna, asking if she will think about being with him. She tells him she must think about it, and he agrees and leaves.

"As king, I've learned to be very clear about when to state my terms."

—King Henry

Francis tells his father that the English can’t try to attack Mary in the French Court, and he says there is no proof until a body is found. The conversation switches to when Francis will wed Mary and if they aren’t going to, to let Mary go. Henry says he will do as he pleases.

In the Forest Sebastion, is out looking for Colin, dead or alive. Sebation feels blood dripping on his hand and sees it on the ground. He looks up to see Colin who has been hung by his feet with blood dripping down his face.

Francis tells Mary that the English envoy has been questioned and come up clean. Francis then questions her about his brother, and Mary tells him he’s gone to look for Colin, Francis becomes worried when he realizes Bash has not yet returned. After he departs, Mary is approached by all of her ladies-in-waiting. They inform her that all their guards were posted outside their doors and saw nothing. No one saw a dead girl.

Mary in the passageway.

That night when Mary is alone she goes back to the passage and asks if the person who has been helping her is named Clarissa, as she rolls some marble down the empty stone hallway. One marble is rolled back. Mary asks if she's in danger and if the English or the Queen wants her dead. Two marbles come back. Before Mary can ask anymore questions, Clarissa runs off, scared to answer more questions.

Sebastian returns with Francis to help with Colin's Body, evening having fallen hours before. He orders Francis to cut the rope and help the now dead Colin down. They hear noises and both stop. Someone else is in the Forrest and is approaching them. Sebastian begins chanting something in heretic tongue and orders Francis to keep cutting as the make their escape.

Back at the castle, Mary decides to confront Simon, and so she enters his chambers unannounced. She is shocked to see him in bed with the supposedly dead servant girl. She too looks startled and tries to hide her face. Simon throws her a piece of clothing and she quickly leaves the room in shame. Mary accuses him of staging the servant girl's death to terrorize her and that he is working with the English to keep scaring her so she won't try to take England.

Getting caught

Simon confirms her suspicions. Mary then brings up the fact that she heard his Queen is dying, and that many say that she is her successor. But if she doesn't want it like she claims, Simon tells her to prove it by returning to Scotland, but Mary is not so inclined to do so. Mary them asks him if he's working with Queen Catherine, and Simon answers that it would be a lot easier if he was.

At court, the sexually frustrated Henry watches Lady Kenna flirt and play cards with Robert of Lorraine playing cards. Henry approaches Kenna and Robert immediately looks away. Henry wants to know why Kenna won't be with him, and she informs him, people like Robert are the people she needs to spend her time. Men that are available and she can marry. She can't be associated with him as his mistress or she will never marry anyone.

Once Sebastian and Francis are both safely back in the castle, Francis demands to know what he was doing, and accuses him of knowing heretic tricks. Sebastian denies it. Francis later brings up the fact that Bash wasn't hesitant to help Mary out. Sebastian claims that he felt duty-bound to help her, as she is his brother's fiancée, but Francis calls him out on concealing his true intention.

Francis informs Mary that Colin is indeed dead, and Mary realises that she has no proof against the English now. Mary confides in him that she believes his mother is plotting against her. Mary tells him she's leaving to go back to Scotland, fearing for her life.

"My mother will understand because I can't bring home any armies and I can't wed any kings if I'm dead."

—Queen Mary

Kenna and Henry kissing.

Later that night, Lady Kenna opens her door to see King Henry with Robert standing there. He immediately asks Robert if he will take Lady Kenna as his bride to which the shocked Robert agrees. The King then sends him away. King Henry and Kenna get closer as he assures Kenna that being with him doesn't limit her prospects, it expands them. They share a passionate kiss, which is soon ended by Henry, who tells Kenna to think about what he said.

The next day Francis confronts his mother, warning her that if something happens to Mary, he will suspect her and she will lose him. As Catherine gets ready for bed, she is informed by a guard that he killed Colin and strung him up in the woods as per her instructions. As she pulls the covers of her bed back, she is startled to see a giant red X on her sheets.

Elsewhere, Nostradamus is cleaning off a red X that was put on the wrong door in the dungeon. He lectures Clarissa on her overstepping her boundaries, knowing it was her who let Colin escape. He tells her to back off, as Mary and others think she is an avenging Angel, when she is no angel.

Mary is standing outside overlooking the water when Francis approaches her. He apologises for his earlier actions. Mary tells him that she is positive his mother is harassing her, and Francis promises he believes her and that they will deal with Queen Catherine and the English together. He takes her hand and they both smile.

Quotes

Queen Catherine: You know that Bash isn't really your brother. He's just your father's son.

King Henry: Treat them as friends until they prove themselves foes.

Prince Francis: You have the word of the King and Queen of France.
Queen Mary: I had their word that we would be married. I'm not sure words mean anything here.

Sebastian: Dark and dangerous times, Your Grace. But your presence brings light.

King Henry: As King, I've learned to be very clear about when to state my terms.

Prince Francis: She's not just an alliance. She's a girl, under your care.

King Henry: I'm intrigued by how much she matters to you. All this worry for a girl you claim you don't want to marry.

Sebastian: Even dead men answer to the King.

Prince Francis: I hope to be a good king someday, which is why I will never put anything, any love, ahead of the love for my country.

Nostradamus: I see you're doing art now.

Notes

• The episode title refers to 'the snake in the garden of Eden that lured Eve with the promise of forbidden knowledge, despite God's warning'.
• This episode marks Simon Westbrook's first appearance.
• First official mention of Queen Mary Tudor and her younger sister Elizabeth Tudor of England.

Death Toll
- Colin MacPhail

Trivia

• Vanessa Carter was nominated for The Joey Award for her role as Lady Madeleine.

Characters

Actor	Character
Adelaide Kane	Queen Mary
Megan Follows	Queen Catherine
Torrance Coombs	Sebastian
Toby Regbo	Prince Francis
Jenessa Grant	Lady Aylee
Celina Sinden	Greer Norwood
Caitlin Stasey	Lady Kenna
Anna Popplewell	Lady Lola
Alan van Sprang	King Henry
Guest Staring
Rossif Sutherland	Nostradamus
Luke Roberts	Simon Westbrook
Ashley Charles	Colin MacPhail
Peter Dacunha	Prince Charles
Vanessa Carter	Lady Madeleine
Cameos
Eric Frank	Robert of Lorraine
Rayisa Kondracki	Servant Girl
Katy Grabstas	Sarah
Katie Boland	Clarissa

	Character debut
	Speaking debut
	Episode debut