Which of the two do you think is much more dangerous, a recently widowed queen or a recently jilted queen? Well, that's only the icing on top of a very royal cake when the claim to the English throne and the safety of the Scottish people are involved.
Three weeks after the death of King Francis, Mary has committed herself to his dying wish and that is to secure Catherine's position as Queen Regent until Charles is ready to rule as king. Catherine is the only hope for France to survive and she will do anything to protect her children. But that is until she gets over her mourning the loss of her eldest son.
Her regency is threatened and Catherine lacks the votes to become regent versus Lord Grenier. Mary will have none of that. She may not be the Queen of France anymore, but she was the wife of a French King and she will stop at nothing to ensure that France is secure. Charles is being bought out by Lord Grenier with dogs and horses. Grenier may think this will win him the chance for regent but Charles is actually sickened of the fact that he's being treated like a child that can easily be bought with gifts. Charles and Mary discover that Grenier is purchasing mercenary armies for the war in Scotland and the most vile act out of that cause is he's profiting off from the death of the soldiers. Found out by Catherine, Grenier eventually fled.
But Catherine is not out of the woods yet. She still has enemies in the privy council. Mary sacrificed the only thing that is saving her Scotland from an English attack. She decides to absolve France of all responsibilities in the French-Scottish alliance. She credited this decision to Catherine to which the privy council then realizes that she may be fit as regent.
Meanwhile in England, Elizabeth has learned that Mary threw the only thing that will secure her of her place on the English throne and a contract of peace between the two nations. But she's too pre-occupied with Dudley being taken away by his own wife. She has become desperate to get Dudley to return to her that it came to a point where his wife, Amy, pretended to be sick and the doctor playing along because of the favors he's getting, advices Dudley that she should be taken away from all that stresses her in life or else she will be lost. No amount of love-making with dear Lizzy can pull Dudley away from this guilt.
This anger will just spit out more flames because the English Queen decides to attack Mary's birth-home and replaces her ambassador with Gideon - a man she imprisoned because of treachery. And its because of that, he earned his place as ambassador. His new role? To get Mary to fall in love with him.
Now, there is no reason for Mary to stay in France. She was merely in denial and only holding on to the last memories and wishes of her deceased husband. However, Charles persuades her to stay and be safe in France while waiting for Don Carlos, a viable Spanish suitor, to discuss an alliance - or rather, marriage, according to EW.
That's what happens when royals are in love. Don't you miss Toby, err, Francis already?
