| Liege Lord | |
| Season 1, Episode 17 | |
 | |
| Air date | April 10, 2014 |
| Written by | Doris Egan |
| Directed by | Allan Kroeker |
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| previous Monsters |
next No Exit |
- "I would defy the devil himself if he tried to buy and sell my country!"
- —Queen Mary
Synopsis[]
Mary Makes a Fateful Decision
When Mary learns of a secret clause in her marriage contract that her mother, Marie de Guise and Queen Catherine orchestrated, Mary and Francis embark on a dangerous plan to turn Scotland against her mother – and Mary gets her first taste of power as the Queen of Scots.
Plot[]
Now that they are married, Kenna has to move into Sebastian's room, a situation which causes another argument between the two. While Kenna is upset that she is maried to a bastard instead of a man of title, Bash being forced into marrying his father's mistress is tough for him to stomach. However, they both agree to keep their pasts in the past and at least to begin liking one another if their marriage is going to be anything less than painful.
Meanwhile, Francis and Mary are checking out their belated wedding gifts. As they share a dance, they discuss King Henry's increasing madness. Catherine has been doing her best to divert important state matters from Henry to herself, and has been successful in it so far, mainly because Henry is so infatuated with Penelope that he barely notices affairs of state.
Marry me!
Lola fills Greer in on her courtship with Lord Julien. Despite the lovely time they've spent together, he has been slow to propose, and Lola is going to be showing any day now. Using Greer's suggestion, Lola decides to give him a push by bringing the topic of marriage up while dancing. As they talk, Julien confesses that he has sworn off having children due to two of his wives dying in childbirth, which startles Lola. However, before she can respond, Julien proposes to her in front of everyone and she has no choice but to say yes.
Everyone claps and as Mary makes her way over to Lola, a woman named Charlotte "inadvertently" runs into Mary and spills wine on her dress, giving them an excuse to leave and talk in private.
As Charlotte tells her, she is a member of the Flying Squad, a group of Catherine's women who sleep with important noblemen for key political information and then report back to her. While Charlotte was on board with the arrangement before, the queen has overstepped by enlisting her to seduce Henry, who is a king and a mad one at that. However, since she can't refuse the queen, she must flee France instead. In exchange for helping Charlotte leave quickly and quietly, Mary learns about a secret clause in her marital contract that would give Scotland to France if an heir is not produced from their marriage.
Aha! There it is!
Mary rushes to tell Francis about the clause, hidden in a lengthy and labyrinthine contract, and how the king now has a way to murder her without recourse. They decide to confirm what Charlotte said is true by obtaining the original copy of the contract. Mary asks Kenna to sneak into Henry's chamber and find the contract, as she is the only one the guards will let in. Kenna is unsure at first, but reluctantly agrees when she learns that her country's fate is up in the air. She finds the contract and hides it under her dress, but before she can leave, the king comes in and starts feeling her up, taking her presence in his room as a sign that she misses him.
As soon as Francis and Mary get their hands on that contract, they see that it's a copy without Mary's signature on it. In addition to Catherine and Henry betraying the allaince, Francis has learned that Marie de Guise was in on it too - a large sum of money was paid to her for services rendered the crown on the day of their wedding. Mary then sets up the next part of her plan – she will use the pressure of Protestants her mother is under against her, leaking word of her secret agreement with France and to save her rule, Marie will have to distance herself from the idea and burn her her copy of the agreement as a result, causing Henry and Catherine to follow suit.
As part of her plan, Mary throws a party for every Scot within a hundred mile radius, all for a chance to speak to Lord McKenzie, whom they can trust to make the news public in Scotland. Catherine, who is not suspicious of anything, is confused and annoyed at the party and the amount of Scotsmen in attendance. After insulting Penelope, she catches the attention of one Scotsman in particular, Liam O'Mally, who hits on her and presumes she is a lady-in-waiting to the queen. Catherine plays along with him.
Elsewhere in the party, Henry approaches Bash and asks how marriage is treating him, using the opportunity to poke at his bastard son regarding his recent sexual encounter with Kenna. He leaves Bash with the thought that his firstborn could be a king's son, something of a belated wedding gift.
My queen
Mary gathers Lord McKenzie and the entirety of his men in a private chamber and asks him what it was like to fight with her father at The Battle of Solway Moss and if his heart died along with the former king. Mary then informs them of the clause in her contract and strongly encourages them to tell Lord Hardy, leader of the Protestants, about how little Marie values Scotland. After proclaiming that she would not risk Scotland's freedom and asking them to give up their comfort for the good of the country, the men bow and place their swords on the ground in honor of their queen.
Catherine drinks wine and hangs out on the balcony with her Scottish admirer. She inquires about his business and then about Scotland, which ends up in them kissing.
In their chambers, Bash confronts Kenna about spending the afternoon in Henry's quarters. She sets him straight, though, with her true reason for being there, and then voices her disappointment that he would never jump to his feet to be the true, gentle knight that he has been for Mary since she arrived at court.
Lola summons Julien and confesses that she is with child, but doesn't reveal the who the father is as she doesn't want him to know. Much to Lola's surprise, Julien comforts her and pledges to marry her regardless, as she is still the most beautiful girl he knows.
Can you keep a secret?
Meanwhile, following a sexual encounter with the Scot, Catherine reveals her true identity by putting on the queen's robe and showing him that she knows the layout of the queen's chambers. She encourages him to keep quiet, only for him to mention Lord McKenzie's private session with Mary that evening and how they were to sail back to Scotland in the morning, foregoing their planned time in Paris.
Later the same night, McKenzie and his men, except for Liam, head to the village whorehouse for a final night of hospitality. However, since Catherine sniffed out that the men know about the clause and would be spreading word when they returned to Scotland, she hired a crew of men to kill every Scot, including her lover, so that word of France's agreement with Marie would stay secret, with several untrustworthy prostitutes ending up as collateral damage in the attack.
When Mary finds out about the slaughter of a dozen of her men, she storms into Catherine's Room and slaps her. However, Catherine retorts that France cannot afford to take part in a war and warns her that this is what being a queen is about – knowing the losses you'll face when you send men out and doing it anyway.
Upon walking into the throne room with Penelope, Henry has a hallucination and rushes to Kenna for comfort, telling her that he finds her innocence soothing and putting her hand on his forehead. Fortunately, Bash gets him off of her, and when the two are alone, he tells Kenna that he is always going to protect her because she is his wife.
Are you serious?
Later, Mary bursts into Catherine's chambers again and plays her last card: she threatens Catherine with outing Henry's madness, something that would make the House of Valois appear ripe to topple and France open for the taking. She successfully stares Catherine down, and the queen burns the original copy of the contract, effectively removing the sword hanging over her head.
Once in their room, Francis learns that Mary wasn't bluffing. If it ever becomes a choice between France and Scotland, Mary is always going to side with her country.
Quotes[]
Lady Kenna: You? What do you have to complain about? You're now married to a beautiful woman of noble birth.
Sebastian: Who's notorious for sleeping with my father. I see no awkwardness there.
Sebastian: We both need to keep our pasts in the past.
Lady Charlotte: Be careful, Your Grace. Without an heir, you're worth more to them dead than alive.
Queen Mary: My first duty is not to my mother. I am the Queen of Scotland, not the Queen of Marie de Guise.
Prince Francis: Years ago, he was a loyal man. He has spent the time since then becoming a wealthy, comfortable man.
Queen Mary: I may live in France, but I have the heart of a Scot.
Queen Mary: I would defy the Devil himself if he tried to buy and sell my country!
Lady Kenna: I know you don't think I notice anything that's not a pretty dress or a jewel, but strangely enough, I give a damn about my country.
Queen Catherine: Welcome to being a ruling queen, Mary. Men will trust you and die. These are the first, but they won't be the last.
King Henry: I get headaches.
Lady Kenna: ...I'm so sorry!
Notes[]
- 'Liege Lord' refers to a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service.
- King James V, Nostradamus and Marie de Guise were all mentioned, but do not appear.
- The Flying Squad, The Battle of Solway Moss and Mary and Francis' Wedding are all discussed.
- Queen Mary throws her first party with The Scot's Welcome Celebration.
- The Battle of Solway Moss was so important because it was about the Scottish taking a stand against the English and refusing to change religion. Mary's father ultimately died as a result of the war.
- Lola and Lord Julien are now officially engaged.
- Catherine makes love to a man named Liam O'Mally.
- He is one of the Scottish countrymen who are later slaughtered on Catherine's order.
- Queen Catherine is responsible for the death of 12 Scotsmen. [1]
- The young man that appeared before King Henry is most likely his older brother, Duke Francis, who died at the age of 18 after playing a tennis match. [2]
Death Toll [3][4]
- Lord McKenzie
- Liam O'Mally
- 10 Scottish Men
Trivia[]
- Adelaide Kane wears a Temperley London Long Crystal Stud Dress at the start of the episode, and an Oscar de la Renta Plaid-print Pleated Silk-chiffon Gown during The Scot's Welcome Celebration.
- She also wears an Ellen Conde Swarovski White Pearls Small Cross Necklace during the Scots party.
- Amy Groening returns as Lady Charlotte.
Historical Notes[]
- On 4 April 1558, Mary, Queen of Scots knowingly signed The Crown Matrimonial, a secret agreement bequeathing Scotland and her claim to England to the French crown if she died without children.
- The Battle of Solway Moss was a real battle between Scotland and England. However, King James never fought and fled the battle instead, only to die soon after.
- Mary Fleming was born in 1542, the same year her father was taken prisoner by the English at The Battle of Solway Moss.
Characters[]
| Actor | Character | |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Kane | Mary Stuart | |
| Megan Follows | Queen Catherine | |
| Torrance Coombs | Sebastian | |
| Toby Regbo | Prince Francis | |
| Celina Sinden | Greer Norwood | |
| Caitlin Stasey | Lady Kenna | |
| Anna Popplewell | Lady Lola | |
| Alan van Sprang | King Henry | |
| Guest Staring | ||
| Kathryn Prescott | Penelope | |
| Giacomo Gianniotti | Lord Julien | |
| Andrew Airlie | Lord McKenzie | |
| Orlando Seale | Liam O'Mally | |
| Amy Groening | Lady Charlotte | |
| Cameo | ||
| Brendan Cox | Duke Francis | |
| Katie Strain | Brothel Twin | |
| Karissa Strain | Brothel Twin | |
| Character debut | |
| Speaking debut | |
| Episode debut |