Left Behind

 

Left Behind
Season 1, Episode 7
Air date	December 5, 2013
Written by	Drew Lindo
Directed by	Jeremiah Chechik
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"History is written by the survivors, and I am surely that."

—Queen Catherine

Synopsis

Mary and Francis Unite to Save a Castle Under Siege
Mary and Francis are forced to rely on one another when the castle is taken hostage, and Catherine shocks everyone when she makes a surprising proposal to try to save their lives. Meanwhile, Bash's mother Diane (Anna Walton) tells Bash of her plan to have him legitimized.

Plot

Mary and Queen Catherine watch as the King's army is marching from the castle to calm down a peasant unrest. Catherine starts to poke at Mary's relationship with Olivia, and praises her for moving aside to give place to Olivia at Francis' side, just like Catherine did to Diane. Mary then walks away, and Catherine soon follows her.

The Queen walks up to Olivia and congratulates her on seducing Francis. However, Olivia tells her that Francis loves Mary, and that she has lost. Upon further inquiry from Queen Catherine, Olivia divulges that at the peak of their pleasure, he called out a name, and it wasn't hers.

Francis is playing with his younger brother, Charles, when Mary comes in to talk to him about his sleeping with Olivia. Francis reminds her that they had an agreement, but Mary points out that it sounded more like a demand. Mary questions the usefulness of the agreement, as she doesn't see how it's making them any happier. Neither does Francis, it seems, but he still thinks treating their engagement as a business matter is necessary to keep them both sane.

Need to find a rich man

Greer sits in the kitchen, reading a letter from her father out loud for Leith to hear. She reads that he has asked if she's met any agreeable men of fortune. Leith points out that her father expects a lot, and Greer explains that it's because her family's money comes from mines that are playing out. She continues that she's only ever been trained to look pretty and smile at men, and that she can't even cook an egg, which prompts Leith to invite her to come and take the pan. He cuddles up to her and instructs her how to flip an egg. She throws it onto the floor and he laughs, saying that she'd be surprised the things they put back together to serve those upstairs. He suggests that they go somewhere, and Greer agrees.

Diane approaches Sebastian with the idea of him being King. She continues by revealing her plan to make him a legitimate heir to the throne of France. Bash warns his mother that they can get beheaded for even talking about it.

I am the King of the castle now

Queen Catherine and Francis welcome the Italian Count Vincent. Count Vincent, Francis, Catherine, and Mary drink wine as they try to make conversation. The count recounts how his son was taken hostage by the French and how he had to ransom him back after the war.

Meanwhile, Diane tells Bash that she has bribed a cardinal to get him legitimized. He tries to shut her down, but Diane insists that the crown is rightfully his and he should seize it. Their conversation is interrupted when Count Vincent's men burst into the room to capture them.

Greer and Leith try to sneak out of the castle, but they are prohibited from doing so when the castle is taken under siege by the count. Greer, dressed as a peasant, lies that she is a kitchen maid.

"- What's happening?
- I think we've lost the castle."

—Greer to Leith

The count then openly states that he's come for restitution. His son was returned to him, but died on his trip home from an illness contracted during his imprisonment. He has no other children and his wife is dead. Revenge is all he has left. Francis whispers to Mary to go upstairs, but one of the count's armed men gestures that she shouldn't move from the spot.

Leave me alone!

Kenna is walking down the hallway when one of the count's men hits on her. She is clearly not interested, so she tries to talk away, but the man grabs her. Kenna tries to free herself from his grip by warning him that she's the King's mistress, which doesn't work. Mary in and orders the man to let go of Kenna. He disobeys her order. The count comes in and intervenes. When he learns of the situation, he is inclined to side with his man, but Mary convinces him to let her and Kenna go upstairs. In return, she promises to attend his feast that night.

While in Mary's chamber, the girls worry about Greer, who isn't with them. She soon comes in dressed as a servant and lies that she did it for her protection during the crisis. Mary then pleads with Clarissa to mark a safe passage out of the castle, so that she can get people out.

It's payday!

Catherine and Francis are trying to strike a bargain with the count. They try to get the count to take a fortune of money, but the count is being difficult. So Catherine offers Mary up as payment. Francis offers himself up for ransom instead, a far more appealing offer to the count as he'd rather have the heir of France as a bargaining chip.

An Italian guard enters Bash's cell to give him some food, and Bash take the opportunity to escape by beating the man and running out of the cell. However, he quickly runs into more guards.

Mary goes to Catherine with her plan to evacuate people in the castle using the passageway. Catherine expands on Mary's plan by saying that Francis should lead the people out, while she, Mary, and her ladies will attend the count's feast in order not to raise suspicion. Then Mary and her ladies will find a reason to excuse themselves and leave through the passageway. Catherine will stay behind. Mary isn't inclined to trust Catherine at first, but decides to trust her love for her son.

"- I would go into Hell for him. How far will you go?
- It seems that we will go into Hell together, then."

—Queen Catherine to Queen Mary

The last kiss?

Mary clues Francis in on the plan to get everyone out of the castle, but he doesn't want to go along with it because he wants to make sure she gets out first. Mary gives a touching speech about trusting him to lead their people to safety and how he must trust her to get herself out. They then kiss.

Mary and Catherine fill Olivia in on the plan and assign her the task of opening the tunnel door, since the entrance to the hidden passage can only be opened from inside. When she hears two knocks, she is to let Francis and the people he leads in, and then she is to wait for Mary and her ladies to come and do the same. Olivia reluctantly complies.

Bash is yet again imprisoned, when another guard comes in to tell him that the count wants anyone who defies his authority killed. Bash braces himself for an attack, but instead he is given water. Bash learns that Diane is paying the guard to look after him.

Why should we help you?

Catherine goes to Mary and the ladies and tries to motivate them to help her. Kenna and Lola are reluctant to do so until they hear her story. She recounts how she was kidnapped as a child, held hostage and almost raped, but luckily, she was rescued by men of God.

"I emerged intact. And so will you, if you have faith."

—Queen Catherine

At a feast with a beast.

At the feast, Catherine shows the count and his men a chest full of gold, and the count's men immerse themselves in it. The meals are then served by Greer and Leith, as Catherine inconspicuously places an hourglass on the table. Francis takes the escape plan into motion by killing an Italian guard, taking his brothers and the servants, and leading them through the passageway. Olivia tries to get Francis to take her with him, but he insists she stay behind to ensure Mary's safety. She's not pleased about it, but stays put.

Mary tells the count that her corset is too tight and he allows her and her ladies to go fix it. However, when Mary and her friends knock at the passage door, nobody answers. They don't know that it is because Olivia ran away as she was too afraid. Mary and her ladies come back, and Catherine takes that as a sign that the plan went awry.

Come back, servants!

During the feast, a guard checks in on the servants in the kitchen, only to find Leith there. He questions where everyone is, including the girl with the soft hands, which is Greer. He draws his sword and walks toward the door, but is attacked by Leith. The two start fighting until they end up on the floor, where the guard tries to choke Leith. Greer jumps at the guard, but he quickly shakes her off and slaps her, Leith goes at him again, but ends up trapped under his weight. Greer hits the guard with a pan, and Leith slits his throat, so that neither will know who killed him.

Catherine starts begging the count to spare the lives of her children, even going so far as to offer Mary and her ladies' virtues. The count claims that the only way for Catherine to save her children is to give him his own son back, but he soon goes with Catherine's suggestion and he and the men gang up on the ladies.

Help!

The count pins Mary to the table. Catherine gets the count's attention by breaking an hourglass, and shouts that he take his hands off Mary if he wants to leave the castle alive. The count ignores her, until his men start getting nose bleeds and fall down. The count wonders how they were poisoned when they ate the same food, and Mary guesses correctly that the poison was on the gold Catherine gifted them at the start of the feast. The count draws his sword to attack Catherine, but Mary stabs him in the neck with a fork. Using his last ounce of strength, the count tries to raise his sword arm, but Francis arrives in time to cut it off. Mary is extremely shaken by everything that just happened, so Francis comforts her.

The ladies comfort Kenna, who has been beated by one of the count's men. Francis takes her to the infirmary, with the ladies leaving after them. Mary asks Catherine why she saved her. Catherine claims it's because Mary risked her life for her son, but Mary realizes that that's not the real reason. The pope didn't really rescue Catherine in time. She saved Mary because it was too similar to what she went through. Catherine responds that the first lesson she ever learned was never to wait for a man's rescue, implying that she was indeed raped.

"History is written by the survivors, and I am surely that."

—Queen Catherine

The next morning, Bash strolls with his mother outside and suggests that she played a role in having the castle seized by Count Vincent. If something happened to Francis and his brothers, Bash would be the only person left to succeed their father. The Vatican would be willing to legitimize him and he'd even be able to wed Mary. Diane admits to her involvement.

'cause I love you.

Mary comes to Francis' chamber because she couldn't sleep. She proceeds to confront Francis in a fit of emotional rage about why he didn't follow through with the original plan and put himself in danger. He responds that it's because he loves her. Mary and Francis then decide to make love.

Quotes

Greer Norwood: What's happening?
Leith Bayard: I think we've lost the castle.

Lady Kenna: Keep your hand off me! You have no idea who you're dealing with!

Queen Mary: Let her go! I am the Queen of Scotland, and that is my lady.

Lady Kenna: You have no idea what this is like. To have a target on your back.
Queen Catherine: I know exactly what this is like. When I was eight years old, Rebels stormed the Florentine Palace. Both my parents were already dead. But my name and my family's fortune made me a target.

Queen Catherine: War doesn't spare children.

Queen Catherine: I emerged intact. And so will you, if you have faith.

Count Vincent: Can Henry give me the life I had a year ago? Then let the Heavens fall.

Count Vincent: That is diplomacy. To understand my loss. To carry the weight of your dead heart with you every night and day until you find your grave.

Queen Catherine: I learned long ago that a secret known by only one person remains a secret.

Queen Catherine: The first lesson I ever learned was never to wait for a man's rescue.

Queen Catherine: History is written by the survivors, and I am surely that.

Notes

• 'Left Behind' refers to the women of the castle being left alone to defend themselves, more specifically Catherine, who chose the stay behind to get the rest of the girls out, as well as when she was left behind when she was a child in Rome.
• Elizabeth Tudor was mentioned in this episode, referring to her as a bastard being legitimized by her father.
• Lady Kenna was forced to sit beside the Italian that tried to rape her earlier. Then after dinner, he beat her up and tried to rape her again.
• Count Vincent and his men didn't take any food or wine until Queen Catherine and Queen Mary both ate it.
• Francis and Mary consummated their relationship out of wedlock at the end of the episode.
• Queen Catherine is responsible for the death of 11 Italians.
• Mary and Francis are responsible for the death of Count Vincent.
• Greer and Leith are responsible for the death of 1 Italian.
• Rape was mentioned and attempted toward multiple characters in this episode. Please visit [1] if you or someone you know needs help.

Death Toll
- Count Vincent
- 12 Italians

Trivia

• Queen Mary wore a 1950s Ceil Chapman Bustle Gown and Custom Lace Bodice Red Silk Gown.
• Lady Kenna wore an Oscar de la Renta 1980's Vintage Butterfly Gown.

Historical Notes

• Catherine de' Medici and King Henry II actually had 10 children as opposed to the 4 seen so far.
• The glasses with the golden rims Count Vincent was referring to before the castle was sieged was given to Catherine and Henry by Pope Clement VII
• Pope Clement VII not only saved Catherine de' Medici from being held hostage and possibly rape when she was a child, but prior to that, he had raised and housed her after the death of her parents and grandparents when she was 4.
  • When Catherine said secrets were best kept between one person, it is possible she was referring to her experience as a child. She didn't tell the girls but she was presumed raped while a prisoner at 8 years old.

Characters

Actor	Character
Adelaide Kane	Queen Mary
Megan Follows	Queen Catherine
Torrance Coombs	Sebastian
Toby Regbo	Prince Francis
Jenessa Grant	Lady Aylee
Celina Sinden	Greer Norwood
Caitlin Stasey	Lady Kenna
Anna Popplewell	Lady Lola
Guest Staring
Michael Aronov	Count Vincent
Jonathan Keltz	Leith Bayard
Yael Grobglas	Olivia D'Amencourt
Anna Walton	Diane de Poitiers
Cameos
Rogan Christopher	Italian Lieutenant
Peter Dacunha	Prince Charles
Jackson Hodge-Carter	Prince Henri

	Character debut
	Speaking debut
	Episode debut