Chapter 28

Elizabeth I's drastic response undoubtedly surprised everyone, and the fear of another war swept through the hearts of all the lords like a swift wind.

Scotland was militarily weak, and when it fought against England, which was populous and powerful, it always lost. Whenever the army was defeated, the English would rush into their cities and burn, kill, and loot, destroying their scarce property and leaving them devastated and unable to recover their losses.

In the past, without the help of the French army, Scotland would never have been able to maintain peace with England.

Mary is no longer the Queen of France, and the old alliance is crumbling. If war breaks out, Scotland may not be able to get France to help.

In the council chamber that had been set up, the lords began to express their opinions one after another.

"I disagree. This is absurd! The Queen of England has no right to interfere in His Majesty's marriage!"

"What's the use of your disagreement? Do you want to fight another war?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to remind you that if Scotland backs down this time, it will only embolden England and make our neighbor even more arrogant and domineering."

"If we don't back down, are we just waiting for the English army to come knocking on our door?"

"If Her Majesty had already formed a marriage alliance with a powerful nation like Spain before this, what courage would England have had to bring its army to attack?"

"Is England or Spain closer? Before Spanish reinforcements arrived, England had already fought Scotland more than ten times!"

...

Mary tapped her finger on the table, stopping the lords from arguing.

“That’s enough, stop now,” Mary said.

The Scottish lords fell silent, awaiting the Queen's words.

“My future husband will not only change my personal destiny, but also the destiny of all Scotland. Therefore, I must choose carefully and not just settle on anyone.”

"In my marriage, I will prioritize the interests of Scotland and find a husband who can protect me and bring great benefits to Scotland."

"On this point, once the best candidate is decided, I will not change my mind no matter how much my sister Elizabeth of England objects, or even threatens me with war."

After the Queen made it clear that she was taking a tough stance on England and that she would not be swayed by Elizabeth's threats, the room quieted down considerably.

Then, Earl Morley stood up and said, “I wholeheartedly agree with your point, Your Majesty. Only a king who is beneficial to Scotland would be a suitable husband for you, and nothing would provide a greater sense of security than the great powers of Spain. We should send envoys to the courts of Paris, Vienna, or Madrid and then arrange a marriage with them.”

The three capitals of the countries Count Maurice mentioned—France, Austria, and Spain—were all within the sphere of Catholic influence. From his Protestant perspective, his support for marriage alliances with these three countries can be seen as a considerable concession.

After two or three years of intense hostility, the Queen's brother made a rare concession and gesture of goodwill towards her, but Mary refused to accept this kindness.

The Queen of Scots, seated regally at the head of the long table, glanced at Earl Morrie with a cold look in her eyes.

“I love my country Scotland and am willing to dedicate my life to this land. Even if I marry a king or crown prince of another country, I will follow the example of Mary I of England and continue to rule in Scotland, fulfilling my duties as queen,” Mary said calmly.

Count Morrie's expression darkened slightly as he said, "This does not conform to the Catholic Church's requirements for husband and wife. Your Majesty, my sister, even if you are the king, after marriage you should still fulfill your duties as a woman and wife, bearing children for your husband and giving birth to his heir."

“Earl Morley, you may call me sister in private so that we can deepen our kinship, but in such formal and solemn occasions, you should address me as Your Majesty.”

“After all, you said it yourself, I am your king, and you are my subject who should submit to me.”

"As for the duties of a wife..." The Queen of Scots chuckled enigmatically, her deep black eyes utterly calm, "...including you, Earl Morrie, everyone present must remember that in my eyes, royal authority always trumps everything else."

Therefore, the Earl of Maurice's plan to send her away to marry into another country, thus bringing Scotland a powerful ally, could be shattered, and his beautiful fantasy of remaining in the country as regent could be dispelled.

On either side of the long table, all the nobles rose from their chairs, bowed their haughty bodies, and paid their respects to the monarch who now held half the power in Scotland.

“Yes, Your Majesty, you are the sole master of Scotland and possess supreme authority,” the lords said in unison.

Only Earl Morley, following the other nobles in their gestures, watched as people submitted to the Queen's majesty, feeling only stiffness in his limbs and chills throughout his body.

If this continues, his prestige, power, wealth, and everything else will slowly be eroded away...

Mary had no idea what was going through Earl Morley's mind at that moment. She crossed her arms in front of the table, nodded, and calmly gestured for everyone to sit down again.

"So, who do you wish to marry?" Maitland asked.

“This requires careful discussion with the envoys of various countries to negotiate the terms and finalize the details. I currently favor His Highness Prince Carlos of Spain. If that doesn’t work out, then I hope to marry a prince with a secure right to the English throne, and then consider other possibilities,” Mary said.

"And how should I reply to the Queen of England?" Foreign Secretary Melville asked again, for this was a difficult question.

Mary smiled slightly.

“I will personally write a reply to my cousin’s letter, and do my best to maintain peace between the two countries,” Mary said.

...

Over the years, Mary and Elizabeth had been corresponding, the two sisters were very close, as if they wanted to put all the sweet words in the world on paper. Especially on various holidays and birthdays, they would give each other precious jewelry and gifts, and special messengers would travel back and forth between London and Edinburgh all year round.

Even though in reality, nobody trusts anyone else.

However, given the deep and genuine kinship between them, she should also consider her good sister Elizabeth's feelings and London's opinion when it comes to such a significant matter as marriage.

With her secretary David Lijjoe helping her with the writing, Mary began to carefully consider her letter.

First, Mary wrote about how heartbroken and disappointed she was that Elizabeth had threatened war between the two countries to hinder her choice of husband. It should be noted that although they had never met, she had regarded Elizabeth as her closest relative in the world, even more so than her three uncles in France and her half-siblings in Scotland.

Mary stated that if Elizabeth had done so, she would have immediately notified France, allowing French troops to cross the sea, land at will in Scottish ports, and then march south into the heart of England, doing as they pleased. Perhaps Spanish troops would also have joined the fray.

Of course, the armies of this era were like locusts, burning, killing, and looting wherever they went, and Scotland would suffer great losses. But Mary believed that poor Scotland would not suffer as much as rich England.

However, despite her sadness, in order to maintain their kinship, she decided to consult the Queen of England and ask Elizabeth which suitors, whose power was insufficient to pose a threat to England, could become King of Scotland.

However, after she did this, her good sister Elizabeth should also give her a valuable gift as a reward for her sister's obedience.

For example, recognizing her right to the English throne?

Not the ambiguous and unstable right of succession based on blood ties, but a definitive first heir to Elizabeth's death, as approved by the British Parliament and then communicated to all nobles and commoners.

...

After writing this letter that combined both persuasion and pressure, the Queen of Scots also dispatched a messenger to quickly convey her message to London.

Inside Whitehall Palace, Mary, who had no spies, was unaware of the responses and arguments that arose from this letter. But one thing was certain: Elizabeth's political acumen and ruthlessness were unparalleled.

In her reply, the Queen of England was equally eloquent, saying that although her words were harsh, she was genuinely protecting her younger sister's interests and caring for Mary as if she were her own daughter. She said that no matter how dazzling the crowns foreign monarchs might bring Mary, they were ultimately just foreigners and could not compare to the kinship brought by blood. Mary should only trust Elizabeth.

As for the choice of husband—the kings of Denmark and Sweden, the Duke of Ferrara of Italy, these are all barely acceptable.

However, if she were to offer her honest opinion, she would earnestly hope that the Queen of Scots could find a husband in her sister's country.

—For example, find an English nobleman.

If Mary were to marry an English nobleman, Elizabeth would promise to maintain the kinship forever and to lend a helping hand whenever Mary needed it.

As for the first right of succession, Elizabeth also hinted that she would formally raise the issue in Parliament after the Queen of Scotland's marriage.

...

After reading Elizabeth's letter, Mary could only think, "Anyone can write an empty check," and then she began replying without stopping.

Elizabeth's side stated that Mary should first marry an English nobleman of her choosing, and then she would acknowledge the right of the Scots Queen to the throne.

Mary, on the other hand, wanted Elizabeth to acknowledge her right of succession first, and then she would marry the English nobleman chosen by Elizabeth.

The negotiations between the two queens reached a stalemate.

Although they both made solemn promises, neither of them was willing to take the first step.

Both sides were afraid that the other party would break the contract.

The reason I had this thought was, of course, because I was also thinking about how to trick the other party and then break the contract.