Kenna has been put in charge of a vintage wine tasting by Mary, but while the event is meant to celebrate Francis, things quickly get out of hand when a series of lords bring their young daughters to the castle. Rumors about Francis and Mary living separate lives have hit a fever pitch, so the French citizens are scrambling for the opportunity to become the royal mistress. While Kenna is furious about the ulterior motive of much of her guests, Mary and Lola are more philosophical about the matter; Mary knows that she can’t exactly get upset after forcing Francis to lead separate lives and Lola understands why people would want to go after a coveted position like royal mistress. Francis might still love Mary, but it’s quite the opportunity to be by the king’s side and very few men would be able to resist the temptation.
Mary and Conde agree to meet in the wine cellar in an hour to discuss their pending voyage to Scotland, but when they part, Conde is confronted by Antoine, who has arranged a meeting with the English envoys. Even though it’s quite risky meeting with those associated with Elizabeth, Antoine maintains that since the Bourbons are 2-3 moves from the throne, it’s more than worth the hassle. Meanwhile, Francis is introduced to Narcisse’s niece Emily, as Narcisse attempts to get a pony in the race for royal mistress. He purrs about how artistic his niece is, how masterful she is in embroidery, but Francis tells his enemy that he’s not interested in taking on a mistress, word that must be spread throughout the castle. He then goes to apologize to Mary; though she might appreciate the courtesy, Mary still wants to be with Conde, to be given the chance to put the rape behind her and find happiness. It’s unfair, she argues, that she can’t move on with her life like Francis can, yet as much as Francis might regret what happened that led to the rape, he cannot sit by and let Mary put herself in danger. An affair and any doubt about her child’s paternity could lead her to execution.
Kenna runs into Antoine while planning the tasting and rejects his offer to make her his queen. However, he senses that she’s not completely serious in her protestation of his advances, so he simply tells her that she’s given him hope and that they’ll talk later. Interestingly, the next time she sees Bash, he tries to get her to talk, but she emotionally shuts down and quickly leaves their chambers. She then heads to Antoine’s room and questions him as to why, of all people, he picked her to replace his wife. Antoine praises Kenna’s boldness and her sense of adventure, insisting that an annulment from Bash wouldn’t be much of a problem, yet when he kisses her, she pulls away. In the wine cellar, Mary and Conde talk about Scotland, with the former sending an agent to get information on the Scottish political climate and the latter opting to put together a team of men to help them reach Scotland safely. Mary is, of course, thrilled that Conde will be coming to Scotland with her after all and informs him that she feels like her heart is dethawing.
Out in the village, Greer gives her girls wardrobe fittings, insisting that they want to look refined in order to bring in more money. Gigi
