Darnley teams up with John Knox to strip Mary of her throne, which will leave a close friend of Mary's dead. Elizabeth must banish Gideon from court at the request of her future husband, while Charles takes a bold stance against his brother Henri.

Mary's life hangs in the balance — Childbirth threatens to take Mary's life, which leaves her and her unborn child's safety in jeopardy. Elizabeth discovers that someone in her inner circle was the cause of the death of someone close to her.