It had been about six months since Mary and Bash had left France, bound for Scotland. Mary had been learning to rule by herself, Bash had located more druids to help him discover more about the magic that he possessed, and Catherine had been left at French court alone to struggle against her own children for power. The fact that Narcisse had returned to France as Lord Chancellor wasn't helping matters any. Now he held more power than she did once again and she was kicking herself for giving him the position in the first place. The fact that he had returned with her grandson, John, was small consolation. Though she was thrilled that she at least had one member of her family who didn't hate her...yet. She was sure he would grow to one day. Everyone else did. Mary was the only one who didn't, and she was so far away now. She never thought she'd miss her so much.

She was feeling like she was wading through mud on daily basis. Struggling to get somewhere, but ultimately not accomplishing anything more than causing herself more aggravation. She didn't wear defeat well.

It had been a particularly rough couple of weeks. They had discovered another new group of enemies to deal with. A band of rebels, bent on tearing the Valois off the throne. They called themselves 'Brigade de la Mort' though they had taken to simply calling them 'The Brigade'. As usual, Charles had been refusing to accept her council. Instead taking advice from anyone and everyone else. Narcisse had offered to help her several time, but she declined his offers, still not wanting to trust him. Something did seem different about him since he'd lost Lola to the executioner's block, but she wasn't ready to risk it. She'd tried everything she could to get her power back, even trying to coax Nostradamus into returning to court, but nothing worked. She was afraid she would have to do something she didn't like once again in order to be regent once more. She couldn't let Charles continue on the path he was on. He'd already made several mistakes, luckily none of which could destroy them...yet. She knew if he made a big enough mistake, the council might reverse their decision about declaring him of age, but that was tricky business, getting him to make a mistake big enough to get the regency back, but not big enough to cause their ruin. It was the balancing act from hell. One small misstep, and she could get them all killed. Not that Charles wasn't doing a good enough job of that already. He created a new enemy on almost a daily basis.

Now was a time when she could really use Bash's help. That bastard. In more ways than one. She couldn't entirely blame him she supposed, and wanting revenge on her was fair...but leaving that letter for Charles is what started this whole mess in the first place. Now the kingdom was on the verge of collapse, because of his selfish need to hurt her. Even so, if he were here, he'd probably be the only person who could help her, because he was the only person in the world, aside from herself and Mary, who wanted Charles on that throne.

She was in her room looking at maps and letters and trying to strategize. Charles was starting to catch on to some of her tricks so this time it needed to be good. If she didn't get it right, she feared he would kick her out of the castle and she would loose any chance she had at getting things back the way they should be. She was also trying to work on new poisons...just in case she had to take care of some lose ends. That's what she was doing when there was a knock on the door. A guard entered.

"Greer of Kinross to see you your grace." he said.

"Greer? What on earth could she want? I thought she had gone away to the country." she asked.

"She didn't say your grace, only that it was urgent and that she was desperate for an audience with you." he said. Catherine was curious. Not only was it odd that she was back, but she couldn't imagine why in the world she wold want to see her of all people.

"Alright. Let her in." she said. Greer entered, holding a baby in her arms and looking disheveled, as though she hadn't slept in days.

"Thank you for seeing me your majesty and I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I...I didn't know where else to go." she said nervously.

"Where is your husband, Lord Castleroy? Last I heard, Mary gave you false papers to go start a new life." she asked, gesturing for her to sit.

"That's sort of why I'm here." she said as the baby started to fuss. "We seemed to be doing alright for awhile, until someone discovered that we were lying. They came for us. Angry Catholics calling us heretics. Aloysius was killed. We barely escaped with our lives."

"That's awful. I'm sorry for your loss, but that doesn't explain why you're here." she said.

"I tried to go back to my brothel, but it was gone. I lost everything. I was hoping you could let me stay here...just for awhile...and not for free of course. I would work for it. In the kitchen or as a servant or ladies maid...whatever you need. Just until I save enough money to get to Scotland and find sanctuary with Mary." she plead. Catherine sat back in her chair, hand to her chin, and thought a moment.

"You may stay...for two days." she said as she stood and crossed the room and opened a cabinet.

"Two days? Well, that's not enough time to..." she began as she turned.

"Two days is when the next boat leaves for Scotland." she interrupted.

"But I can't afford..." Catherine interrupted her once more by dropping a sack of coins on the desk in front of her.

"You can now." she said. Greer looked inside.

"I don't understand. Why would you just give this to me?" Greer paused and then added. "Not that I'm not grateful of course."

"Mary is alone in Scotland. She has no one to trust. She needs a friend. A confidant. She needs you, as you are the only one she has left." Catherine said.

"I'm not the only one. I'm sure Lola will join her eventually." She said.

"Oh dear, you don't know." Catherine realized.

"Know what?" Greer asked with a furrowed brow.

"I really should be the one breaking this news to you." Catherine pursed her lips. "I'm afraid your friend Lola...is dead."

"What? No. There must be some mistake." Greer realizes there was no mistake from Catherine's expression. "But how? Why?"

"According to what I've been told, someone figured out Mary's code. They sent Lola a letter asking her to assassinate Elizabeth. Lola believed it and she attempted to do as it asked. She was executed. I'm terribly sorry." Catherine explained.

"You don't care, you hated Lola." Greer said through tears.

"That's true. I wanted her gone. But I never wished her dead. I would never do that to my grandson." She said.

"Oh God. John. Is he alright? Does Elizabeth have him?" She asked in a panic.

"John is fine. He's here actually. Narcisse returned from England with him. He'd gone there to try and break Lola out. It didn't work. That's how I knew about Lola. Narcisse found out about the letter when he made a stop in Scotland on the way back to yell at Mary for it, only to find out she hadn't written it." She explained further.

"I can't believe she's gone." Greer said. Catherine felt bad for her, but the last thing she wanted to do was discuss Lola, so she ignored her comment.

"There is some I'd like you to do for me though." She told her.

"With all do respect, I'd rather not get wrapped up in any of your schemes." She said.

"There's no scheme. I simply want you to take something to Mary for me. You see her boat crashed on the way home and she lost nearly everything, including the clothes I gifted her before she left. So I'd like to make sure she has something...from me." Catherine said. She took a box from her drawer and handed it to Greer. "Be very careful with this. Don't get it stolen." Greer opened the box and her eyes grew wide.

"These pearls must cost a fortune." She said.

"They were given to Mary upon her wedding to Francis, she returned them with the crown jewels, but these were never owned by the crown. They were mine. Had I realized she returned them, I would have told her to keep them anyway. I want her to have them now." Catherine told her.

"I don't know if I feel safe traveling with something worth so much." Greer said.

"It will be fine. Wear them under your dress. No one will know you even have them. They'll never expect anyone but a royal to have something so valuable." Catherine said.

"Alright I'll do it." Greer accepted.

"Good. In the mean time, no one has taken up your old room yet. You may stay there until your boat leaves." She offered.

"Thank you." Greer said as she stood. "I greatly appreciate all of this." She walked to the door and then stopped and turned back a moment. "You really do care about Mary after all don't you?"

She didn't wait for an answer. She closed the door behind her.

"Yes I do." Catherine answered to no one.