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I always knew Francis had a past. Men are allowed to have them, whereas we have our reputations ruined. Hardly seems fair.

A Chill in the Air is the fifth episode of Season One. It attracted 1.69 million viewers on the original airing.

Synopsis[]

FRANCIS REUNITES WITH AN EX, CAUSING MARY TO TURN TO BASH — When Olivia, who is an ex-lover of Francis’, arrives at the castle, she brings the dangers of the woods with her. Mary seeks comfort in Bash. Bash is threatened by heretics for interfering with a sacred blood rite. Meanwhile, Aylee is forced to spy on Mary when Queen Catherine blackmails her. Henry, Lola, Greer and Kenna also appear.

Plot[]

The episode begins with Francis' former lady love Olivia D'Amencourt traveling on a road by carriage. Her driver is stopped by a man who claims that a river up ahead has flooded. He suggests a shortcut through the woods. The shortcut was a trap and Olivia's driver and servant are killed. Olivia escapes and is seen running away.

Back at the castle, Francis meets with Mary to "discuss where they're at with one another." Francis declares himself and his heart as belonging only to Mary.

Mary and friends are hanging out when they're approached by Bash. When he leaves, Lola warns Mary that Bash has feelings for her – but Mary doesn't think so. Meanwhile, Greer catches the eye of a lord who made a fortune in the spice trade.

While Greer and the lord are talking, Leith is standing ten feet away smirking at Greer's boredom. She gets a little skittish under Leith's stare, causing an accident where the lord spills wine down the front of her dress, and Greer storms off to take care of the mess. Leith follows.

Meanwhile Francis has made a boat for Mary that he's named after her. Mary is touched. Then a man comes up to tell Francis they found a woman running along the edge of the forest in a fright, and that she asked for Francis – and then Olivia comes in, and Francis rushes to her side to comfort her. Bash tells Mary about Olivia and Francis' old romance.

Later on, Francis comes to visit Olivia in the sick room where she's been recuperating. She tells him about the bandits that killed her servant and driver, that they spoke in a strange tongue – she even remembers a few of the words they said. When they get to the topic of their past affair, Olivia tells Francis that a previous marriage offer fell through and she was disowned when word got out that she’s no longer a virgin. She has nowhere else to go.

Afterwards Francis comes to Mary and tells her about his relationship with Olivia. With Mary’s support, Francis plans to help Olivia regain her credibility.

That afternoon, Mary and her friends are joking around in the castle drawing room when Olivia walks in, looking shy and mortified. Catherine is seated at a different table and struts away with her nose in the air when she sees Olivia. Out of the friends, Greer is the most outspoken against Olivia, but Kenna vocally sympathizes with her. Feeling sorry for Olivia, Mary brings her to sit with them.

Bash is on a horse ride when Francis walks up to ask him why he told Mary about Olivia. The conversation topic quickly switches to the carriage attack, which Francis believes to have been at the hands of pagans in the woods – he recognized one of the words Olivia remembered from the blood ritual Bash did a few episodes back. Francis is worried that the pagans are luring people into the Blood Wood.

Elsewhere in the castle, Catherine catches Aylee stealping one of Mary’s rings. Catherine decides to not tell Mary and blackmail Aylee instead.

Some of the guards have been dispatched to investigate Olivia’s carriage in the Blood Wood. The bodies have been strung up, upside down, and are bleeding out. The driver is still alive, and Bash, riding up, decides to save him – ignoring the advice of one of the guards who warns Bash that interrupting the heretics’ ritual is going to make them come after him. “Let them,” says Bash.

Olivia and Mary continue their friendship beginnings as Mary offers up some of her dresses for Olivia to wear to the Harvest Festival. Olivia tells Mary that Francis had spoken of marrying her once, and tries to shake Mary’s confidence in her partnership with Francis.

Meanwhile, Nostradamus is working to save the carriage driver’s life while berating Bash for interrupting a blood sacrifice, and putting himself in danger. Nostradamus warns Bash to stay close to the castle, or he’ll be in grave danger.

Olivia makes a trip down to the kitchens to look for the wine cellar and asks for directions from one of the servants there. Instead of being a servant, it is the man who warned the carriage driver about the flooded road. Olivia vaguely recognizes his voice, which prompts the pagan to ask Leith about her. Leith then informs him about Olivia surviving the carriage incident.

That night, Mary asks Francis about his talk of marriage to Olivia, and he admits that in a moment of weakness he had considered it. However, as he reiterates, he has promised himself to Mary now and intends to keep that promise. To help him with that, Mary has arranged a suitable arrangement for Olivia in Paris.

Catherine is blackmailing Aylee by getting her to bring Mary’s letters to her mother, to Catherine before they’re posted.

The next day Olivia pays Francis a visit, and brings him wine along with memories of their trysts. He tells her of the arrangement in Paris, and she is disappointed to hear that he doesn’t want her to stay with him in court. Olivia confesses that she still has feelings for him, and that if it takes her staying on as his mistress to be with him, that’s what she’ll do. “I would rather have some small part of you than none of you at all.” She kisses him before leaving.

Greer and Leith meet again so he can return her soiled dress to her. Greer tells him (again) that they can’t be messing about like this – her family is counting on her to make a good match in society. Leith cares for her, but agrees to leave her alone.

Later, Kenna comes to Mary during castle festivities and tells her that a servant saw Olivia’s things being unpacked in the East Wing. Apparently Olivia isn’t leaving after all. Confused, Mary thinks her friend must be mistaken, but Kenna is adamant that’s what she heard. Catherine sidles over once Kenna’s left to remark on the new bling Mary’s friend is showing off: a necklace that was given to Catherine once by the King.

Catherine opens up to Mary about her marriage, and what it used to be like – which also serves as a warning to Mary and what she’s to expect from a marriage to a King whose “indiscretions” must go ignored. Mary begins to get drunk, and asks Kenna about her affair with the King, only to have Kenna confirm it. She tries to advise Kenna to stop her affair, but Kenna has already been accepted by the King as an official mistress.

Francis comes and confirms that Olivia is moving into the castle. Francis claims that the arrangement in Paris is no longer an option, and that he's looking for another option but it'll take some time. Mary realizes something has happened between Olivia and Francis. She tells him to make Olivia go away, only for Francis to tell her that "this is my court, and I'm the future King of France." He then threatens to make Olivia his mistress, and Mary storms off drinking wine.

At the other corner of the festivities, Nostradamus tells Bash that the driver has died, and that the man told him the pagans spoke of a fresh blood sacrifice to a creature in the woods.

Bash and Mary bump into each other by the lake, where Mary takes several drinks from his wine flask, and hang out. Francis goes looking for her, and finds them kissing.

Mary leaves, flustered and apologizing to Bash. When it comes time for them to take part in the sending-of-regrets-down-the-river, Mary confesses to Francis her regrets, but Francis is cold to her. Their boats go down separate paths in the lake (symbolizing the rupture in their relationship) as Francis leaves Mary’s side to join Olivia.

Greer tracks down Leith and tells him that she doesn’t want to regret what they could have had. And then they start kissing against a wall.

Olivia came back to the castle at Catherine’s behest! The whole pagan blood sacrifice was an accident, but Catherine had every intention of bringing Olivia back safely in order to separate Francis and Mary. Despite her feelings for Francis which are very much true, Olivia doesn’t want to do this at all, especially knowing that she’s hurting Mary. But much like how she threatened Colin, Catherine promises to make things very difficult for her family.She also promises to make Olivia the next Queen of France.

Meanwhile, Aylee told Mary of Catherine’s blackmailing, and the letters Mary sent to her mother, she sent knowing full well that Catherine would read them.

Then Bash is accosted in the castle by the pagan servant, who tells him he owes a debt and it must be paid. "Choose someone to sacrifice, or we will choose for you." And then he launches himself off the balcony.


Cast[]

Main[]

Recurring[]

Guest[]

Soundtrack[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

See Also[]

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