With France in a state of famine, as well as religious and political unrest, Mary looks for a way to feed the people, risking the wrath of a vengeful Lord Narcisse. Francis is preoccupied by the harrowing suspicion that his dead father's spirit can possess the living and is haunting Francis as revenge for his murder. As Catherine makes excessive and lavish preparations for a coronation ceremony to give the impression of stability to the realm, Bash confronts the reality of a country plagued by fear, bankruptcy, and murder.

Tensions between Protestants and Catholics escalate when bloodshed at a Protestant service causes an already concerned Mary and Francis to intervene on the eve of Greer's wedding. Bash and Leith lead a search for the guilty that reveals a surprising secret about Castleroy that could destroy his union with Greer. Meanwhile, Francis receives an unwelcome gift from his dead father. Kenna discovers a sex journal, with clues leading to the best lover at court, who just might be a match for Lola.