Prince Condé accepts Mary's suggestion to seek religious pacification by marrying, as Protestant royal, a catholic counterpart, princess Claude, whom he soon wins over regardless of Catherine's opposition, yet can't go trough with the sham and leaves court 'for his real love'. Desperate to shake of the Catholic aristocrats' yoke, Francis only allowed the plan to stir Montgomery into playing his blackmail trump once and for all, which works. Already searching for the fate of captured protestants, Bash finds and reports to Francis the trail of Lord Montgomery, the last witness able to rend credibility to a regicidal patricide charge against the king. He's questioned, and eliminated for security. Meanwhile protestant extremists invaded the under-guarded castle and raped despised Mary in her quarters. She keeps that secret except for closest confidents, but gets excessive revenge from guilt-torn Francis, whose hunt for culprits turns viciously bloodthirsty beyond the point Catherine warns is of no return, and from Louis Condé helps her trap and kill the actual rapists. Lord Castleroy is discredited as his donation for a Protestant school were siphoned off for the rebelling.
—KGF Vissers