Rome

Elizabeth, James, and a few other soldiers stood on the outskirts of the city, trying to devise a plan on how to get back to the Vatican. Elizabeth had escaped by convincing the Spanish soldiers that occupied the city that she was the baker's daughter. So, there was a good chance she could use that same excuse in order to get back if she were alone, however the small group of soldiers that accompanied her would surely look suspicious. "These soldiers are highly vigilant," she told the group, "Sneaking by them would be nearly impossible."

"I think we could sneak through there," James replied to Elizabeth, trying to stay professional and focus on the mission, but their now awkward relationship made that difficult. "If someone see us, then we could take them out."

"You were not there James, I was," Elizabeth shot back, still a bit angry at the sight of him with that woman. Deep down, she knew she had no right, but perhaps she just thought, or hoped, he was better than that. Either way, she knew that she was going to be married to Robert Dudley, the man she'd loved for so long, so really, she needed to let James move on as well. "There is no sneaking around, i tried to stay in alley ways, but they kept finding me. Not to mention what kind of frenzy will start when they realize their soldiers are ending up dead. We would not even make it halfway to Mary."

"You said you got out by pretending to be the baker's daughter, right?" asked one of James's Scottish soldiers asked. The soldiers that escorted Mary here were mixed with Scottish, English, and French, so it was no surprise that a Scottish soldier was selected for this special mission. Elizabeth nodded, wanting to know what he was thinking. "So, what if we took off our armor and pretended to be servants. We would surely get questioned, but we could tell them we have been summoned to the Vatican to help with the festivities."

"That could work," James replied, but his facial expression clearly showed that he doubted this plan, "But without armor and weapons, how will we be able to fight? The whole point is to get in there and protect Mary. If we are going to fight our way out, we need weapons."

"We could ambush guards on the inside and take what they have, this is the only option," Elizabeth said as she looked back toward the city, knowing this wouldn't be easy, but what choice did they have?

"The guards inside of the Vatican are probably highly trained, and supplied with the best weapons. There is no way that we could defeat them," James protested, much to Elizabeth's chagrin. "We are not even armed."

Elizabeth lifted up her skirt to show a sheath with a dagger strapped around her leg, "Speak for yourself, now get your armor off and hide any weapons you can. We need to get going, Mary will probably be waiting for us soon."

France

Still in the nursery with the remaining royal children, Catherine de Medici and her son, Prince Charles, waited anxiously for the sight of the Duke of Guise's army on the horizon. They were left disappointed as the time went on, and still nothing. "What if she didn't make it? What if they found her, or what if the snow storm got her? Or even if she did make, the Duke is a bad man, what if he would not help her?"

In truth, Catherine herself was thinking many of these same things, and trying to plot their back up plan, but until then, she would not let her son know she had doubts. "They are on their way, rest assured." She replied as she paced the room anxiously. Truthfully, Catherine was still in shock that this palace siege even happened, surely Philip's uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand would not condone such a horrid action, and if he did, France was in more danger than she previously thought. However, there was still hope, because if Philip was acting without approval from the German Hapsburgs, then maybe this would not be a two front war after all.

Before Catherine could spiral further down her rabbit hole of thought, Charles darted to the window, "Look!" Catherine rushed to the window and saw the familiar banner of the Duke of Guise. "She did it! Mary did it!"

Rome

Mary and Francis quickly walked to their chambers, silently praying that James and Elizabeth had been able to make it in to the palace. If they didn't, then the whole plan was ruined, and Mary may have to sign her claim to England away in order to make it our alive. When she opened the door, she walked in and saw the bloody corpses of some of the Spanish guards. "Oh dear lord!" She did not know what to think at this sight.

Then, Elizabeth came out from the other room quickly, "Mary, its alright. We made it, but we couldn't bring weapons so when we got in we ambushed the guards, and your room was the only place to hide them." Then, James and a few of his men, entered from the other room as well, carrying stolen weapons from some of the Spanish guards.

"I would hardly say five dead Spanish guards is alright," Mary replied and looked out the window, seeing the Spanish army patrolling the streets. She knew these were hard times, and that the lives of these guards were necessary to the mission, but it still did not sit well with her. These men were just following the orders of their king, and probably did not even realize the devious intentions Philip had. Yet more innocent lives sacrificed in Mary's name. "When our troops storm the palace, we need to be ready." Mary added, as she pulled a dagger from under her dress.

"What is it with you two and hidden weaponry?" James asked, shocked that his peaceful sister would carry a dagger on her. He then handed Francis one of the swords that they had stolen. "Mary is right, as soon as the battle breaks out, we need to get out of here, every second we spend trying to get out is equivalent to lives lost. The sooner we are out, the sooner the battle can be over, and the less livers lost. It should be any minute now."

Almost as if it were on cue, the sound of war poured into their room. They all turned to look out the window and saw the coalition of French, English, and Scottish forces begin to invade the city. The small group immediately left the chambers and began to find their way to an exit from this palace. They faced little resistance along the way, it seems that the confusion led many of the soldiers to barricade in rooms with the Cardinals to protect them. Almost running down the hall way, they passed a room with an elaborate door and Mary stopped in her tracks, "Wait!" she called out and the party stopped.

"Mary, every second means lives, whatever you are planning, we do not have time," Elizabeth replied, holding a bow loaded with an arrow, ready to fire at anyone who may approach them.

"This is the Pope's study, we need to get him," Mary answered as she tried to open the locked doors. "He was a captive as well, and a Medici, perhaps he would be on our side if we can get him out of Philip's control. Come on!" she exclaimed as she pushed up against the door. James walked up to the door and Mary stepped aside. After a few harsh kicks to the door, it busted open, revealing a nice study, with the Pope huddled in a corner. "Leave it to Philip to save his guards just for himself and leave His Holiness undefended."

The rest of Mary's entered the room as Francis lent the Pope a hand so the old man could get up. "We are here to rescue you, we can get you out of Philip's control. We can get you somewhere safe."

The Pope shook his head and sharply pulled himself away from Francis's helping hand, "How dare you attack my palace, burst into my study, and demand i come with you! You are the captors, not Philip. Call off this attack at once and pay restitution for all of the lives lost and damage you have caused today."

Elizabeth stayed firmly planted in front of the door with a loaded bow, ready to shoot anyone who dared enter this room. "Lets just leave him, he is not worth our time, we have to go!"

"You are jeopardizing your eternal soul! Going against the Vatican, allying with Protestants, and bastards at that! If you call this off and agree to negotiate, i can save you, but if you do not, i will be forced to excommunicate you and Francis from the Church!" This was the Pope's nuclear option, and everyone knew it. Excommunication would turn France against Francis and Mary, as well as alienate the Catholic supporters that put Mary on the throne of England. "Are you prepared to lose everything?"

"How could you even threaten that?" Mary asked in shocked, almost in tears when she realized how far this had gone. "After everything i have ever done for you! The lives I have sacrificed to give YOU England, Scotland, and France. You are a monster!"

"Save your breathe," James interjected as he picked up a small pouch that was on the Pope's desk. He dumped it out onto the floor, a small shower of golden coins fell to the ground. "This is Spanish gold. He is in Philip's pocket, and always has been, how do you think he was elected Pope in the first place?"

Mary stood in shock and disappointment as the Spanish coins rained to the ground. "This was always the plan wasn't it? You two, conniving your way to the Papacy, so that you could both secure more power. You wanted me to sign over England, but i doubt it would stop there. I am sure you would have used your power to back the Hapsburgs in a war with France and Scotland. You fancy yourself the maker and destroyer of kings," She said as she walked to the door of the room, prepared to leave the Pope here, defenseless, "But I am a Queen, and I will not be destroyed."

"If you take one more step you can kiss your kingdoms goodbye!" The Pope shouted back to her causing Mary to turn and look at him. "I will excommunicate you, and all of your people will revolt. The French people will not stand for a heretic on their throne, and the English did not wage war against Elizabeth for you to be excommunicated. Your only safe haven will be Scotland."

"I am the Queen of Scotland, if they are my only domain then I will count myself to be extremely lucky, but do not bet against me. My people in France and England are loyal to their nation and to their Monarchs," Mary replied regally, ready to make her way out. She did not know what to think, or what to do next. She knew that the Pope had a point. The lives of all of them would be in danger if the Catholic Church excommunicated her and Francis. France had a large Protestant population, but Catholics still held most of the power, and they would not accept an excommunicated monarch. They may try and depose Francis and out Charles on the throne, or worse, they may revolt against the Valois entirely and even welcome Philip's takeover. Not to mention the religious turmoil this would cause in England.

The Pope eyed Mary as she walked out of the room, "If you walk out that door, I will-" his threat was cut off instantly and there was a sound of a tumble. The entire roomed turned and saw the Pope laying dead on the ground, blood flowing profusely from an arrow that was shot into his neck.

Mary watched in horror as the Holy Father of the Catholic Church lay dead on the ground before them. She then slowly turned around to Elizabeth, seeing her once loaded bow, empty, and pointed in the direction of the Pope. Before Mary could say anything, Elizabeth said, "I could not let him do that to you. That would ruin everything." Her voice was shaken and her face pale, it was clear that she was in shock and horror at what she had just done.