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A crown changes everything.

Catherine's views of becoming a ruler

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Nostradamus, Catherine, and Mary.

In the season premiere, with her husband dead, Catherine is now the Dowager Queen. Along with the new Queen of France, Mary they announce the return of the Black Plague to France to the court. While Mary assures the people that they are prepared, Catherine whispers into Nostradamus' ear that they are in no way prepared for such a situation. Catherine and Mary isolate themselves for safety in the throne room. Once there, Catherine tries to nudge Mary for the real reason why Francis left court to be by Lola's side but is shut down by Mary. Nostradamus comes in and volunteers to join the search of Francis and Lola, as he is immune to the Plague. Catherine protests at first, but Mary orders her to thank Nostradamus and be silent. A noble named Éduard Narcisse comes with a demand: to have his foe be murdered in exchange for grain for the entire castle. Catherine tries to convince Mary to obey Éduard's orders, as the nobles are in control and are the ones who allow a monarchy to remain in power, and in exchange royals grant them certain privileges. Despite the risk of famine, Mary refuses to listen as she wants to be a different type of Queen.


Nostradamus later returns to tell Mary and Catherine that the house by the mill has burned to the ground and was marked with the red X of the Plague. Catherine and Mary are horrified, and Catherine starts ranting about "seizing" power and being regent for her son, Charles, who is only a child. Mary is shocked at her mother-in-law's reaction. By the end of the episode, Catherine admits that she isn't the type of Queen she wanted to be either. She warns Mary that she is only a guest at court without the love and support of Francis. She further advises Mary not to let Lola come between them. It is revealed that Mary had Nostradamus give Catherine a potion which made her sick and seem like she has the Plague when in reality she did it in order to keep her out of the way. 

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Catherine talking to Narcisse.

In Drawn and Quartered, Catherine is very pleased to see that her son has returned safely. Catherine is drinking lemonade in the castle garden when Lord Narcisse visits her to find out what happened to his son. She offers him her deepest sympathy, but tells him that she knows nothing about it as she was ill in her chambers at the time of Eduard's death. Later she and Francis confront Mary on her decision to condemn Eduard to death as this decision may have damaged their relationship with the nobles and Narcisse now seeks vengeance for his son's death. Catherine also realises that she wasn't ill with the plague but that Mary made Nostradamus get her sick to keep her out of the way so that Mary could at deal with Eduard as she saw fit. Catherine watches as Narcisse demands that Nostradamus be executed for his son's death, and later she and Francis have a tender mother and son moment in her husband's tomb as Catherine tells her son that while she loved Henry, he was a terrible husband and an even worse father. Francis tells his mother that he does not want to be the kind of father that Henry was to him and his siblings. Catherine advises that he claim his little boy or else risk being estranged for life, and that raising him will be the single most enlightening moment of his life as this may be his only child.

Catherine visits a condemned Nostradamus to tell him that unfortunately, she has no plan to help him escape. Nostradamus can hardly believe this after everything he has done for her; however Catherine tells him not to blame her for the choices he as made as he would not be in this position if he had remained loyal to her instead of listening to Mary. Nostradamus then in a way threatens Catherine by hinting that Clarissa may be alive, and that however well she thinks her sins are hidden, they may come back to haunt her. She tries to get Nostradamus to talk about what he knows or if he has had any new visions, but he keeps quiet as he is led away by the guards.

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Catherine with her son and daughter-in-law in Tent City.

In Coronation, Catherine tells her son and daughter-in-law about the opulent coronation that she is planning for them. Mary is against it and deems it shameful as famine and Plague is spreading through France. However, Catherine explains that thay must appear strong to the royal dignitaries that are to attend Francis' coronation.

Later, Catherine and Narcisse have a moment on a balcony. Narcisse all but calls her irrelevant as she had to hand her crown to Mary. Catherine hits back, telling him that Francis and Mary care more about the people than power or men like Narcisse. Narcisse then alludes to the fact that he knows that Francis has been dealing behind his back despite his long term relationship with the crown. The Queen asks if it's the type of relationship where he promises grain and never delivers. She then asks how she can possibly help him, when she's irrelevant, as he called her, and walks away.

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Narcisse and Catherine

Later, Catherine watches proudly as her son Francis and Mary are crowned as King and Queen Consort of France. During the party, she is outside by the castle lake sitting alone when Lord Narcisse once again appears in her presence and seems rather smug as he tells her that she and the rest of her children will become more insignificant as Francis and Mary have children and push her children further back into the line of succession. Catherine says that this will never happen as Mary has not yet fallen pregnant.

In The Lamb and the Slaughter, Catherine plans a big celebration for the christening of her grandson. She and Francis reminisce about the christening of her youngest son, Henry III. Catherine claims to be honored to be the godmother of her grandson, even if he is illegitimate. She mentions that she has volunteered to be the baby's godmother but was denied by Lola. She then commends Mary for avoiding the whole affair, saying that not many Queens would attend the christening of their husband's bastard.

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Catherine making Mary and Francis uncomfortable.

Later, Catherine walks in on Mary and Francis having sex soon after Mary revealed her pregnancy to him. Catherine shows that she is very excited about her unborn grandchild, praying for a son, commenting that daughters can come later. She also brings in a large basket full of "goodies" for Mary such as tonics and food to help the baby's development. She then brings a large platter of fruits and good things to eat, adding that Mary is feeding the future King of France. Mary wonders how Catherine could possibly know and she admits to having had Mary's chamber pot tested. At the pre-christening party, Catherine comments that the banquet is rather dismal. The following day, Catherine watches as her grandson is christened with Mary as his godmother.

At the end of the episode, Catherine is on her way to her bedchamber when she suddenly sees the ghostly forms of two little girls, who ask her to help them as she didn't before. She approaches them and clears the sage that is in front of them with her foot. Catherine is left in shock and disbelief at what she just witnessed.

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Catherine with Francis and Mary attending Greer and Lord Castleroy's wedding.

In Blood for Blood, Catherine is seen talking with Francis about the conflict between the Catholic and Protestant people in France and how if Francis singles out the Catholics, they could lose respect for their Catholic King and the Protestants may wind up wanting Francis' power as King, and try to take it from him.

Later, Catherine catches Kenna, Lola, and a member of her Flying Squad with a sex journal that Kenna confiscated earlier and she admits in a way that the mystery lover mentioned might be Lord Arlis with whom she had a brief encounter after Henry's death. Catherine then inquires if Kenna has given up on her marriage to Bash. When she says no, then she determines that it's Lola who might be seeking a lover, and tells her that she might not be Lord Arliss' type of woman. Catherine is last seen as she joins Francis, Mary, and the rest of the court for Greer and Lord Castleroy's Wedding.

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Catherine and Mary escaping.

In Three Queens, Catherine plans to travel to Beauvais, where she is to attend a party thrown by nobles and Mary would like to join her. She tries to dissuade her from going, but Mary insists on it. During the carriage ride to Beauvais, Mary realizes that Catherine lied to her about going to the noble party - instead, Catherine is heading to Noyon, a small village, where she is to give a speech thanking them for their love. Catherine suspects that Mary wanted to go to Beauvais for a particular reason, which she denies. Unfortunately, their carriage ride is interrupted by some royal-hating folk. While they're distracted by attacking the guards, Mary and Catherine sneak out of the carriage through an escape hatch. Whilst running away, Mary and Catherine quickly remove their jewelry in order to look like commoners. After Catherine steps in a fox hole - which she claims is a badger hole because her feet are "too dainty to get caught in a fox hole" - Catherine and Mary limp their way to the nearest village. Once there, Catherine tries to trick a man into giving them dinner without paying first. Mary concocts a story on the spot, claiming that she and her "mother" are lady's maids who are willing to work for food and a place to sleep. But due to Catherine's injured ankle, Mary is left to serve drinks and milk goats on her own. Soon after, the two Queens are served dinner. When Catherine asks why Mary wanted to join her on the journey, Mary admits that she was planning on seeing a physician for her fertility issues. However, Catherine thinks that Mary's bigger issue is her "foolish romantic expectation" for her marriage. As someone who has walked the same road that Mary is currently walking, Catherine advises her to give up her dream and accept the distance between her and Francis.

Three Queens - Catherine and Mary

Mary and Catherine

Catherine and Mary are soon introduced to Mary and Francis impostors, whose goal is to impugn Mary and Francis' reputation by burning down farms, collecting money, and spreading awful rumours about Catherine. Mary and Catherine secure a private audince with the girl playing Mary. They claim that they are "tricksters" too, and ask for a ride to the next village in exchange for Catherine's crown. A fake guard named Gifford takes Mary, Catherine, and the female impostor in a carriage but is set on killing Mary and Catherine. The female impostors reveals his true intention to Mary and Catherine. Luckily, Mary has a dagger on her. Once they step out of the carriage, Gifford reveals that he was paid by Elizabeth to set up the impostors. It turns out that Elizabeth was taking revenge on Mary for her decision to wear the English coat of arms. Soon after his confession, the female impostor stabs Gifford but not hard enough. He breaks her neck instead, prompting Mary to poke the horse's behind, thereby forcing it to kick Gifford in the face and crushing his skull.

Francis and his men soon arrive and take Catherine and Mary back to the castle. Upon their return, Catherine lets Francis know of why Mary came with her and warns Francis that if he is not going to be open and honest with her, he will create a distance between them, which she is sure he doesn't want. Then she walks away heading into the castle.

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Catherine with Mary at the party.

In The Prince of the Blood, Catherine chides a priest for disobeying her orders and taking her daughter, Claude, back to the castle. However, she welcomes her daughter home and notices that she smells of whiskey. After letting Francis borrow a cipher concerning possible English spies at court, Catherine once again sees the twin ghosts. She asks them what they want from her, and if she is responsible for their deaths since they said she didn't protect them. They disappear, leaving the poor Queen afraid and confused. Then a maid comes into her chambers with news about Claude. Upon her investigation, Catherine is shocked to find her daughter in bed with the priest who brought her home. Catherine later chastises her daughter for her behavior, as she knows that Claude seduced the priest to get her way. Catherine is set on sending her away again, but Claude begs her not to, so she allows Claude to stay. However, she warns her that if she sees any bad behavior, she will be sent away again.

Catherine is last seen heading to her chambers supposedly for bed when she sees the twin ghosts again and they go into the room where Claude is sleeping. She dismisses her ladies and follows them into the room and is stunned to see the twin ghosts by the bed. Catherine asks them why they are tormenting her, and why they are with her daughter. In response one twin coughs up a flower and puts it on Claude while the other speaks of sisters. Catherine can't believe what's happening as she realizes that these ghosts are her twins: Emone and Henrietta who died in infancy. Henrietta says that they never really left her as Emone takes Claude's hair and pulls it as if she's trying to snap her neck. Henrietta asks if Catherine loves Claude more than them and calls her "mother" as they disappear. Catherine wakes Claude up and tells her that she must send her away again, and without telling her that she's afraid for her daughter's life Catherine leaves the room clearly terrified.

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Catherine talking to the count.

In Terror of the Faithful, Catherine wakes her daughter, Claude, up. She informs her that she has made a marriage match for her, and that she needs her to make herself presentable for her future husband. Claude protests, but Catherine will hear none of it, as she tells her daughter that she will marry in order to ensure the survival of the House of Valois. A short time later, Catherine greets the Count of Bavaria and his son, William, who is to be Claude's husband. Catherine is pleased with the dashing young Count and says that Claude will be pleased as well. The Count, however, has a delicate matter to discuss with the Queen: Claude's virginity. He insists on proof of Claude's virtue because he has heard rumours about the Princess sleeping with a priest. Later that afternoon, Catherine tells Claude about having to test her virtue. She decides to take advantage of the presence of the Vatican at court by having them test Claude's virtue. Claude flatly refuses to go through with it, but her refusal is yet again ignored by Catherine.

Catherine and bash - terror of the faithful

Catherine reading the bible.

The next day, Catherine sits in her chambers reading her bible and paid a visit by Bash, who questions Catherine's decision to have Claude marry the Bavarian Count's son. He wants to know the true motive behind Catherine's decision, as he doesn't want Claude to become a casualty of her mother's motives. Catherine appreciates Bash's dedication to Claude, but says that he's overstepping his bounds as her brother. Catherine then admits that he caught her in a reflective mood, and begins talking about her children, whose names she has written in a bible. She talks about every child of hers, even the ones who didn't survive, specifically her twins Emone and Henrietta.

Later, Catherine watches as Claude is being assessed by Vatican priests. The priests try to assure Claude that the exam won't take long, but she is clearly very uncomfortable. Catherine notices her daughter's discomfort, prompting her to get up and hold her hand to comfort her. In a flashback, a much younger Catherine sits in the nursery, holding one of her infant twins. The nanny who is holding the other baby tells her that Claude is very jealous of the little ones, and frequently complains about them, saying that they "ruin things". Catherine stops her to ask what exactly the babies have ruined, as a young Claude interrupts, claiming that the twins pulled the flowers off of her dress. The Queen listens further as the nanny continues saying that Claude says the twins “ruin everything” and she looks at them with such hatred and pinches them. Catherine later chides Claude for her behaviour as the flashback wraps up.

Later that day, Catherine bursts into tears and Claude begs her not to make her marry and move away, but Catherine claims that it's done. That night at a banquet, Catherine, the Count, and his son await Claude's arrival. The Princess soon enters the room, but instead of approaching them, she walks up to Lord Narcisse, sits on his lap and begins to flirt with him shamelessly. The Count and William are horrified and insulted by this blatant show of disrespect and the Count tosses the marriage agreement on the ground and leaves in a huff with his son. Claude soon leaves as well, and Catherine sees the twins following her as it goes into a final flashback: It's very late at night, and Catherine is back in the nursery, where the doctor tells her that her babies were suffocated in their sleep, opening his hand to show her the flowers he found stuffed into each of their throats. The Queen is completely devastated as she collapses in tears and cries of grief.

In Acts of War, Catherine walks in on Mary trying to convince Claude to agree to marry Condé for the cause of religious tolerance. Catherine is not happy with this match since Condé could try to take the French throne as he is of royal blood. She agrees with Claude when she refuses the proposition. Mary begs Catherine to help her since a marriage between Claude and Condé will be a good match, and she knows that Catherine is dying to marry her daughter off, but the Queen says that since Condé lives at court, him marrying Claude will solve nothing for her and she feels that Claude will be happier away from the castle. Catherine then warns Mary about interfering in her daughter's future.

Later at the Saint Nicholas Feast, Narcisse talks to Catherine about the impending announcement of the engagement of Princess Claude and Lord Condé, and the potential mixing of the Valois bloodline with Protestants. Narcisse then admits that he tried to stop Claude himself; however Catherine will have none of it as she flatly warns Narcisse to stay away from her daughter. Narcisse further comments that she cannot be supportive of this marriage, but Catherine comment that while she is not pleased, she is also not King.

Later that night, Catherine is walking with her guards when she runs into Mary, and immediately notices that something is wrong. Catherine helps Mary to her chambers, where she asks about her son's whereabouts. Mary says that protestants stormed the castle with the intention to kill Francis, and that she hit one of them in the head, but she can't continue about what the other did. Catherine gently asks Mary if she was raped and Mary collapses to the floor crying, answering Catherine's question. Catherine assures Mary that she's safe, she escaped, she's alive, and that she will get through this because Catherine is also a survivor, who emerged intact. Catherine declares that they are going to erase every mark of her rape and that Mary is to face her court as if this horror never happened.

Acts of War - Mary and Catherine

Catherine standing at Mary's side.

Mary protests that she cannot as Catherine insists that she can and she must, because she must put any rumors to rest at once. This is a defining moment that will either define her as a victim or a powerful Queen who survived a failed assassination attempt. Catherine further states that these men tried to diminish a King by degrading a Queen and they cannot let them get away with that. Catherine then asks Mary to trust her, and extends her hand as she swears that she can help her get through this. In the throne room with Catherine by her side, Mary bravely tells the court that their Queen was untouched in the attack. Later that night, Catherine is in Mary's chambers tucking her in bed when Francis returns happy to see that Mary is alright; however she gets up to stop her son before he can get close to Mary and she tells him that his wife needs space, time and that all he needs to do is listen. Francis looks a bit confused by what his mother means as she asks Mary if she wants her to go. Mary nods and Catherine leaves them alone to talk.

In Mercy, Catherine urges Francis to catch Mary's rapist, or she will spend the rest of her life looking for him. While Francis prepares to leave on a hunt for the men who violated his wife, Catherine and Bash stop him to let him know that the prisoners killed two of the guards in retaliation for being left outside. Catherine advises Francis to choose wisely, because whatever he does will define his rule. Francis comments that terror worked for his parents as it protected their realm, then he commands that the prisoners be hanged publicly so that the consequences for rising against the King are made obvious. Catherine then watches as her son rides off.

After Francis rides away Catherine looks down and notices that she has blood on her hands, and then when she looks up she sees the ghosts of her twin daughters standing at the castle doors. There is no blood on her hands when she looks down a second time, and she sees the twins run inside the castle. There is a flashback in which a doctor shows the Queen the flowers that had been stuffed in the twins', and the Queen's heartbreaking response to discovering her babies' deaths. After the flashback, Catherine realizes that the flowers were the ones from Claude's dress that the twins had been pulling at and deduces that her daughter had stuffed one flower into each of their throats. An angry Emone then speaks up, saying "And then you lied!". Catherine admits that she blamed their deaths on illness, but only because Claude was her daughter and the twins were both gone. However, the twins won't have it as Henrietta warns Catherine that if she doesn't "do to Claude what she did to them", they will do it for her.

Catherine then tries to get Claude to flee the castle by offering her a sum of money, going as far as to threaten her should she not leave the castle, but Claude strikes back by warning her of the consequences if she dare lay a hand on her. Later that night, Catherine puts a potion into some kind of soup set on a well-decorated silver tray, which she brings into her daughter's chambers. Catherine apologizes to Claude for her treatment of her, and further confesses that she has not been much of a mother to Claude, and felt it was time she started acting as one. She then picks up the bowl and spoon and proceeds to feed her daughter the hot soup. As Claude begins eating the soup, she looks over over to the fireplace and sees that the twins are watching while nodding happily.

Catherine is last seen sleeping in bed, when suddenly, the ghost of King Henry appears under the duvet. Catherine is shocked and doubts that he's real, but goes along with it as she asks why he is in her room. Henry replies that their twins came and found him, and that she shouldn't feel guilty about Claude because she did right by them as a couple. The couple then becomes wrapped up in making love.

In Getaway, Catherine spends time with her ghostly husband as she mixes some sort of poisonous concoction to feed her daughter, Claude. Catherine has a run-in with Kenna on her way to Claude's room with a tray with hot soup on it. Catherine then walks into Claude's chambers and feeds her the soup with the poison in it.

Later, Catherine walks into her chambers to find Claude going through her potions. Catherine confronts Claude about how she ransacked her room, and the Princess is furious as she asks her mother what poison she put in her soup. Catherine finally confronts her daughter about her murdering the twins because she couldn't stand their very existence and was jealous of the attention they were receiving from Catherine. She continues that when the twins pulled the flowers off her favorite dress, she responded by stuffing the flowers into their throats. Claude protests and maintains her innocence, but Catherine doesn't believe her. Claude responds to it by taking the poison and emptying it into a chalice as she threatens to kill herself. Catherine is horrified and begs her daughter to stop. Catherine knocks the chalice away as her daughter collapses into her arms in tears. As she holds her daughter, Henry comes and tells her not to betray her other children, then she watches Henry take the twins' hands and they fade away. Catherine continues to hold and comfort her daughter.

In Banished, Catherine continues spending time with the ghosts of the twins and her husband. On the evening of the Ice Festival, Catherine is seen running and playing with her twins in the undergrounds of the castle. Emone and Henrietta are calling out for their mother to play with them instead of going to the ice festival, but the Queen stops running as she is out of breath saying that she needs rest as Henry comes in. Catherine starts feeling guilty about hiding the truth about the twins' murders and neglecting Claude. She would rather go be with Claude at the ice festival, but Henry convinces her that Claude does not need her and begs her to to be the mother the twins want and need as he embraces her and kisses her. Henry watches as Catherine chases the twins outside and frolics in the snow covered woods. Catherine runs after the twins while Henry is coming behind her, and it seems as if the Queen is in something of a dream that is slowly driving her mad. Later that night, Catherine is still in the woods with Henry and her twins, but she's beginning to suffer from the effects of the extreme cold. Henry sends their twins back inside and has a romantic moment with his wife as he takes her into a passionate kiss, picks her up and whirls her around before sitting down on a big rock. The couple share a passionate kiss; however it is seen that Catherine is alone in the woods.

A few hours later Bash comes running in the woods yelling Catherine's name, when he finds her lying in the snow and takes her back to the castle. Safe and warm back in her chambers, Catherine is sitting in front of her fireplace, and listening as Bash tells her the truth about what really happened to her infant twins on that horrible night. She learns that: Henry lured the nanny away, the babies froze to death, and that the nanny framed Claude for it to try and cover up her neglect. The Queen inquires as to where the nanny is and Bash replies that the nanny is awaiting her punishment in the dungeon. Catherine then starts to feel guilty about blaming her daughter for the crimes of another, and what the horrible marriage between her and Henry do to their children. Catherine then reveals that Henry also hurt Diane. She recounts the time when she and Henry had enough heirs and he convinced Diane that he was all hers. Catherine knows that because Henry told her that there would be no more sex between them, that he was going to try and be faithful to his mistress, but he failed. Bash hopes it brings her some peace to know that her daughter didn't kill the twins, and he leaves.

Later in her chambers, Catherine is startled by Henry. However, she is no mood for him or his mind games. She unleashes her fury on Henry and accuses him of only caring about their family when it was convenient for him. She taught him that it was okay to treat his family with neglect and the twins have been murdered as a result of it. Their argument is interrupted by the twins. Catherine gently parts ways with the twins, and then proceeds to banish Henry from her life once and for all. Later that nigh, Catherine sneaks into Diane's chambers, grabs a fireplace shovel and hits her in the back of the head. She tells Diane of how she put the pieces back together and figured out that she was behind her twins' murders. She hits Diane again with a shovel after Diane provoked her. She starts strangling Diane as she lists all of what she's done to Catherine and her family.

In Sins of the Past, Catherine walks into Francis and Mary's chambers as they consider giving money to King Antoine to handle the French refugees in Navarre. However, Catherine is dead set against it and theorizes that Antoine's story about French refugees is phony and that the real reason he wants money is because he's burned through his wife's money and she cut him off. She then insists that Francis refuse to give the money and send him home.

Later that day, Catherine believes that she has had a vision of Francis dying. Catherine is then in bed with a doctor looking down her throat with Francis and Mary by her side. Claude soon enters the room and mocks her mother as her doctor suggests that she may have syphilis. Claude tells her mother of a friend who underwent the cures, but warned that they were excruciating. Francis suggests that they let his mother rest but when the others leave Catherine grabs her son’s arm terrified as she’s heard that these cures can help or kill someone and clearly she does not want to die. Francis tries to reassure his mother that nothing will happen to her; however Catherine does not want to be remembered as a mad Queen with syphilis and tells Francis that if she dies then he should say that she died of tuberculosis while helping orphans.

Later, Catherine is absolutely miserable as she is subjected to all kinds of torturous cures for syphilis. Claude seems to enjoy watching her mother in such pain, but it pains Catherine even more that her daughter is enjoying her misery. Claude then points out that poison also hurts and that her stomach aches from her mother's efforts to slowly kill her. While she is in the oven, Narcisse comes in and gives her the water she asks for. He mentions that he has seen a mercury oven before, but since Catherine only has sores on her hands and in her mouth, the dry heat won't help her. Narcisse then poses the idea that she doesn't have syphilis, but that she has been poisoned; Catherine then speaks of her extreme system of food tasters, but Narcisse reminds her that there are other ways to poison people than food, then asks her if she has something that only she and no one else would touch. Suddenly Catherine mentions her husband's bible that she took from his room after he died and has been reading it for comfort nearly every day. Narcisse notes how it belonged to Henry and he went mad; a few minutes later Catherine is out of the oven and with Narcisse at her table of potions ready to test Henry's bible to see if it is indeed poisoned, and her testing is 100% positive.

In The End of Mourning, Catherine is in the dining hall with her family, where she reveals that the cause of her hallucinations was not syphilis as originally thought, but that she was poisoned. Narcisse brings up a man named Fredric, who may be responsible for poisoning both Henry and Catherine. The Queen then states that poisoning Henry caused his illness, his drive for the English throne, his untimely death, and Francis becoming King at such a young age, she finishes by saying that no one harms her or her family and lives to tell the tale, and lastly, that whoever is responsible will pay dearly.

That afternoon, Catherine is greets the Duke of Guise, who admits to being back at court with the sole purpose of courting Catherine and marrying her since her period of mourning for her husband is over. Catherine scoffs at the idea and rejects him. Later in her chambers, Narcisse tries to discourage her from considering of accepting the Duke's proposal. Early that evening, as Catherine is walking down the hall, she finds Narcisse and the Duke arguing over her.

Later that night at the dinner, Francis is interrogating Condé about paying Fredric to poison his father, when Catherine enters the dining hall, with evidence that the Duke of Guise was responsible for poisoning both Henry and her, and not Louis Condé. The Queen says that they uncovered a trail from the Duke's bankers which show debts being paid and lands belonging to the Duke being granted to Fredric in payment for poisoning the late King. Francis then orders to have the Duke arrest, but Catherine says that there is no need, because the duke will never betray anyone or cause anyone harm ever again, implying that she has killed him.

In Forbidden, Catherine joins the court outside for the funeral of the Duke of Guise, and listens as Mary's mother, Marie de Guise, gives a small speech about her brother. Marie rejoins Catherine and thanks her for keeping her brother's treachery a secret. That afternoon, Catherine strolls with her son as they talk about Marie wanting him and Mary to make heirs and Mary willing to try, though she still associates him with what happened to her. He asks his mother how they're supposed to get past that, and Catherine advises him to follow Mary's lead and warns that for the stability of the realm, a king's visits to the Queen's chambers must be witnessed for if Mary should find herself pregnant, there can be no talk from anyone about whose child it is.

The next day, Catherine is planning to ask Francis how his evening went with Mary, but given the look on his face, she thinks she already knows what happened. Francis tells his mother that it's over between them and that there's no chance of them having an heir. Catherine is not surprised that Mary is incapable of being intimate, and while it's true that they may never recover what they had, she hopes for Mary's sake that they do. She concludes it by saying that if there is someone at court who brings him joy, then he should let himself have it.

Tasting Revenge - Catherine

Catherine encouraging Lola to be Francis' mistress.

In Tasting Revenge, Catherine enters a banquet, which is being prepared for the Vintage Wine Tasting, during which royals and nobles come from near and far to taste wine bottled on Francis' birthday. Catherine enters the hall to find nobles and their young daughters meeting Francis, and she explains to Mary, Lola, and Kenna, that the "King's mistress" is a sordid tradition, that the nobles are hoping that Francis will choose one to take to his bed since his estrangement from Mary has become painfully obvious.

Catherine points out to Lola how many fathers are dangling their daughters under the King's nose, hoping to catch his attention. Lola doesn't think any of the girls have a chance with him since he still loves Mary, but Catherine reminds Lola that things change, and that if indeed Francis and Mary are finished, then there is a place at the King's side for a lucky girl. She is clearly hinting that she wants Lola to be that girl. Later that evening during the wine tasting, Catherine attends with the rest of the guests as everyone toasts the birth of her son. Catherine approaches Lola and nudges her again to become Francis' mistress, because she makes him happy and Francis seems to like her.

In Tempting Fate, Catherine runs into Mary after she has had a tryst with Condé in the castle chapel; Catherine is quite suspicious of the flushed color in Mary's face which she brushes off as illness and walks away. Catherine then commands her lady to find out just how often Mary has been visiting the chapel, and to be discreet about it. She brings up her suspicions of Mary having an affair to Francis, who dismisses his mother's claims and orders her to not speak of it to anyone. Later that day, she learns that Narcisse has been seeing Claude, which prompts her to assign Leith as Claude's bodyguard.

That night, Narcisse bursts into Catherine's chambers with news about Condé and Mary's secret plan to leave and retake Scotland; something the Queen is not pleased to hear about since Mary is leaving France and her son. She decides to tell Francis about it to have him stop Mary from going through with her plan, but whilst doing so, Francis collapses. Catherine rushes to him and screams for help as guards come rushing in the room to help her. As her son is in a coma, Catherine panics, and believes that Nostradamus' prophecy has come into play. She is comforted by Narcisse as they wind up on the floor and suddenly become wrapped in a very passionate kiss.

Matherine - reversal of fortune

Catherine being mad at Mary.

In Reversal of Fortune, Catherine is beynd worried over her beloved son barely clinging to life. The doctor informs her that Francis suffers from an ear infection, and that if the fever does not break then Francis may be dead by nightfall. The next morning, Mary comes into Francis' bedchamber and encounters Catherine, who unleashes her fury on Mary for not having been a wife to her son. She also believes that Mary will be the cause of Francis' death by breaking his heart. Later that day, Mary approaches Catherine and Catherine notes that rumors of Francis' health have begun to spread throughout French Court, and she worries about the news falling into the wrong hands. Mary asks Catherine to allow her to handle the nobles while she stays with her son. A short time later, Catherine leaves her chambers to the sight of Leith, who asks if another guard might look after Claude as he has an urgent matter in town that he needs to deal with, but the Queen orders him to take the Princess with him.

That afternoon, Catherine hears about Mary's plans to take French soldiers help defend Scotland from England. Catherine tells Mary in short that she will not allow Mary to steal her son's army just so she can run off with her Bourbon Prince; however Mary tells her about the plan Elizabeth is building to take Scotland and France could be next, but Catherine does not believe this will happen. Mary protests that she's trying to save her country; however Catherine counters that Scotland is all but lost and tells Mary to not drag France down with her. The Queen further says that while she understands Mary's desire to want to get away as soon as possible, she won't let this happen to France, and while Mary may have the authority she will move heaven and earth to stop her.

Reversal of Fortune - Catherine

Catherine and Narcisse

The next day Catherine is seen talking to Narcisse about the good news she received the night before, that Francis is finally awake, which is good since she was about to send for little Charles when she got the news. Catherine is shocked at Francis' decision to help Mary defend Scotland by sending French troops to help her; however when Catherine tries to protest, Francis says that his decision is final and tells his mother to leave him and Mary alone to talk in private. Late that night Catherine is with Narcisse in her chambers where he is flirting with her and trying to convince her that her cares deeply for her, which Catherine is not receptive to hearing.

Abandoned - Catherine

Catherine

In Abandoned, Queen Catherine is trying to help her son with a crisis in France, when the sons of some of the Nobles are being held hostage by a group of radicals. In the throne room, she tries to keep order between the angry nobles and Francis she then shoos them out so that the King can tend to the matter and find a way to get the children back to their parents alive. Later that night at an Inn in the woods, Catherine apprises Narcisse of the current crisis, and point to Condé being the biggest issue. Narcisse then suggests involving General Renaude in the search of the boys. The pair then starts teasing each other and proceeds into making love. The next day in the throne room, Catherine is with Mary and Francis as Bash reports on the unsuccessful attempt to rescue the children. The Queen suggests to her son that General Renaude has men at the ready who are perfectly trained for this type of mission; however Francis is reluctant to take his mother's advice since the men in question are loyal to Narcisse. However, he eventually decides to opt for General Renaude's army as he sees no other option.

A few days later in the evening, Catherine and Narcisse are talk about the hold that Mary still has over Francis, and the fact that Condé has committed treason by marrying Elizabeth I. According to Catherine, the wedding happened by proxy, and the location where it occured was set on fire and the proxy is dead, along with every piece of evidence that the marriage happened. Narcisse suggests that she is responsible for discovering the wedding and having it undone; the Queen looks quite offended by this and immediately counters by accusing Narcisse of being responsible. Narcisse asks her if this how things are going to be between them: each wondering what the other is up to, Catherine replies that this is true and that he has met his match.

Later that night, Queen Catherine is in her private study, sitting behind her desk as her messenger Edmond tells her of an exchange between Narcisse and Lola that occured in the woods outside the brothel. He doesn't neglect to mention that their conversation lasted mere minutes and then they moved on, but that's enough to leave Catherine with a very displeased look on her face.

In Fugitive, Catherine asks Narcisse to hurt Lola as a way to prove his loyalty to her and he agrees. However, he is angry at her for posing such a request afterwards.

In The Siege, Queen Catherine takes Lord Narcisse into the woods to give him a gift; Narcisse's horse, Arion. Narcisse admits that he thought him lost after Francis disposed of his lands. Their reunion is cut short when a horseman approaches the Queen, bows to her and says that the King has ordered the Royal family to return to French Court immediately, as their safety may be at risk. Back at French Court, Catherine joins Francis, Mary, Lola with baby Jean Philippe, Bash, and Claude in the throne room. As the others leave, Catherine stays behind saying she plans to stay and help her son defend his throne.

The Siege - Catherine

Catherine having dinner with Narcisse.

The next night, Catherine is in her chambers enjoying dinner when Narcisse enters the room saying that her invitation was quite unexpected, and that the men could use his help in preparing for battle, as he believes himself to be experienced in leading armies. However, Catherine brings up the topic of Lola. She mentions that her spies have been watching him, and points out Narcisse's last interaction with Lola. Narcisse tries to defend himself by saying that he was telling Lola goodbye; however Catherine is not pleased. She soon reveals that the meat that he's been eating is horse meat. Narcisse gags as if he's going to vomit in realisation that he's been eating was his beloved horse Arion. Catherine then gets up and exclaims that she loves him, that she was his equal and he convinced her of that, that they belong together, and that she won't lose him to another, especially not Lola. She threatens him that should he not exercise love and loyalty to her, her response will be a hell of a lot worse than a gristly piece of meat.

In Burn Queen Catherine is thrilled when she learns that the siege on the castle is over, that Francis has emerged as the victor, and that Condé has been captured, as she hopes that he will be executed for his treachery. However, Francis quashes her hopes by declaring that instead of killing Condé, he plans to use him as a bargaining chip with his brother Antoine. He plans on letting Condé live if the Bourbon brothers renounce their claim to the French throne. The Queen tries to argue against it, but Francis refuses to budge.

Burn - Catherine

Catherine

Later, news arrives that Catherine's grandson and Lola have been kidnapped, and that the baby is dead. Francis mourns his son and plans to have Condé executed, as he believes Condé was responsible for it. However, Narcisse goes to Mary and tells her that not only has he found Lola and the baby alive, but that Catherine is the one responsible for the kidnapping, which she did in hopes that Francis would execute Condé. Mary confronts Catherine about it, but Catherine defends herself, claiming that she did it for her children. Mary is unmoved and tells Francis of what his mother has done. In the throne room, Francis is furious with his mother and strips her of her title, home, lands, and income, and exiles her from court. At the end of the episode, Queen Catherine meets with Elizabeth in England. She wants to team up with her in order to destroy their mutual enemy: Mary, Queen of Scots.


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