Chapter 38

Mary, who was wholeheartedly preparing for the wedding, met Randolph and, despite her reluctance, came to object to her choice of husband.

After receiving the British envoy at Holyrood Palace, Mary's first words were quite impolite.

“My dear sister, what excuse is she using this time to stop my marriage?” Mary said, her tone slightly sarcastic.

Randolph looked awkward and stiff, as if he wanted to run out of the palace immediately, but he still braced himself and, as Queen Elizabeth had instructed, told the Queen of Scots a few words about Elizabeth's opposition, reminding her that the marriage was not suitable.

“I see nothing wrong with this marriage, and I am very surprised by Elizabeth’s criticism, even though I have fully respected Elizabeth’s opinion.”

"She previously told me to refuse the Spanish crown prince's marriage proposal, which I have already refused. Then she told me to find an English nobleman to marry, which I have now done. Lord Darnley is just such a suitable English nobleman, and he is also a relative of both of us, the great-grandson of Henry VII, and is fully qualified to be King of Scotland."

At this point, the Queen of Scots smiled meaningfully.

"Now she's even opposing my marriage, which makes me really wonder if she's jealous of me getting married so many times just because she's not married herself?"

Randolph's face turned ashen, and he quickly interrupted the Queen of Scots' sarcastic remarks, trying to salvage his queen's reputation.

“God is my witness, please stop saying such things. Our Queen is only concerned about this matter out of concern for both countries and for you. She has absolutely no such absurd idea!” Randolph said.

Mary, seeing that things were going well, didn't provoke the unfortunate messenger any further. She simply reiterated her determination to marry Lord Darnley and then let him go.

After Randolph left, Mary summoned Fleming and instructed her to arrange for the court's spies and informants to keep a close eye on the British envoy's dealings with those people, especially Lord Darnley's side.

Fleming's eyes darted around shrewdly, quickly grasping the key point, and he whispered, "Your Majesty, are you worried that he might resort to some trickery to make Lord Darnley give up on marrying you?"

“Yes, Elizabeth has imprisoned his parents in the Tower of London, and I’m worried he’ll be too intimidated to marry me,” Mary said.

Fleming chuckled, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and said sweetly, "No, Your Majesty, the love he has for you has clearly surpassed all kinship or friendship in this world. He only wants to marry you and is willing to give up anything else for it."

Mary could tell that Fleming looked down on Lord Darnley.

No one in the court is a fool. The Earl and Countess Lennox met with misfortune because of him, yet he has shown no reaction whatsoever these past few days, and even has the leisure to continue associating with other Scottish figures. This is truly despicable in terms of his moral character.

Given Fleming's personality, Mary assumed he would casually berate Lord Darnley in private and then suggest that she not marry him.

Fleming's sarcastic remark without any further comment was quite unexpected.

On second thought, Mary quickly realized that Fleming probably didn't want to offend Lord Darnley because he knew Lord Darnley would soon become King of Scotland.

Of the four Marys, Fleming was always the most intelligent and prudent in protecting himself.

...

In this life, perhaps because she began to truly grasp the power in Scotland, Elizabeth felt an even greater threat than in her previous life, and therefore her response was much more intense.

Mary remembered that in her previous life, when she was about to marry Lord Darnley, Elizabeth also imprisoned Countess Lennox, who had secretly planned all of this, in the Tower of London, but did nothing to Count Lennox, allowing the unambitious old man to enjoy his wealth and luxury in London and live his life in peace.

Elizabeth also sent envoys to Scotland, threatening war and the confiscation of territories, but those threats were never carried out.

Now, Mary was unsure whether Elizabeth would be so enraged as to take action against the Earl and Countess Lennox.

Fleming soon secretly sent a message, which made Mary feel both relieved and heartbroken.

Randolph did indeed threaten Lord Darnley with his parents' lives, but was met with indifference. He had no regard for his parents' safety, his eyes only fixed on the gleaming Scottish crown.

Not only that, he also warned Randolph in return that if he dared to obstruct his marriage again and mentioned the Earl and Duchess Lennox to the Scottish nobles, then after he ascended the Scottish throne, he would order Randolph to be expelled from Scotland in the name of the king and made to run around like a wild dog!

"At the ball before, Lord Darnley danced and chatted with me. He talked about how much his parents loved him and said that he would make them proud to have such a son... Now that his parents are in trouble, he doesn't even ask about them. You can't judge a book by its cover. Lord Darnley must have a heart of iron in his chest," Fleming remarked as he reported to the Queen.

Mary sighed and said, "I understand."

What a cold-hearted guy.

...

By the standards of that era, Lord Darnley's status was too low. If he were to marry the Queen of Scots, it would be essential for her to bestow upon him a higher title before the marriage.

Following custom, Mary prepared the title of Duke of Albany for Lord Darnley.

At the Queen of Scots's behest, the investiture ceremony was a grand and lively affair.

Holyrood Palace was decorated with silk ribbons everywhere, and at least two-thirds of the Scottish nobles and bishops came to serve as guests.

When Mary entered, dressed in a formal gown and with a longsword at her waist, she saw Lord Darnley standing by the pillar, engaged in a lively conversation with someone.

The nobles all understood that the young man before them would soon become King of Scotland, one of the future rulers of their country, and therefore could not be ignored. So they all fawned over Lord Darnley, praising his handsome appearance, outstanding knowledge, and so on.

Lord Darnley, dressed in a brand-new suit embroidered with gold thread and jewels, seemed to thoroughly enjoy the adoring treatment he received.

He held his head high, his handsome face radiant, occasionally chuckling at the humorous remarks of those around him, with a hint of arrogance about him.

Seeing his arrogant demeanor, Seton followed behind the Queen of Scots and let out a soft snort.

After Lord Darnley refused to help his parents in their time of need, Seton’s hostility toward Lord Darnley was ever-present, and he repeatedly suggested to the Queen in private that she cancel the engagement.

The commander slammed his cane down and announced loudly, "Her Majesty the Queen has arrived!"

When the people in the hall saw the Queen of Scots walk in against the light along the red carpet, they stopped circling around Lord Darnley and bowed their heads in greeting.

“Dear Mary.”

Lord Darnley greeted her with a broad smile and embraced the Queen of Scots.

“Henry, you look very handsome today,” the Queen of Scots said with a smile.

"On such an important day, I must prepare carefully to show how much I value you. Mary, to be honest, my love for you grows stronger every day. I watch the clock every day, eagerly awaiting our wedding day! Mary, I want to see you in your wedding dress. You will be absolutely beautiful then, enough to make even angels pale in comparison," Lord Darnley said excitedly.

“Of course, I also look forward to that day,” the Queen of Scots said gently.

After saying just that one sentence, Mary no longer wanted to deal with Lord Darnley and immediately ordered the master of ceremonies to hold a ceremony in which he would kneel before her and begin to swear allegiance.

This was a solemn occasion, and the nobles stopped chatting and laughing, instead standing on either side to observe the ceremony in silence.

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting vibrant, dappled light upon the queen, who wore a crown, filling the scene with an indescribable solemnity and sanctity.

Lord Darnley delivered a long speech in Latin with some stumbling, the gist of which was to pledge allegiance to the Queen of Scotland, to serve in the military and pay taxes for Her Majesty, and to never betray her.

After he finished speaking, Mary placed the duke's crown on Lord Darnley's head, then drew a jeweled rapier from her waist and placed it on his shoulder.

"From this moment forward, I bestow upon you the title of Duke of Albany..." said the Queen of Scots.

"Bang--!"

Before the Queen of Scots could finish speaking, a guard holding a flintlock pistol suddenly burst through the door, stumbling onto the red carpet as he rushed in, interrupting the halfway-through investiture ceremony. His pistol was still smoking, and he was panting heavily, his black coat covered in blood and dirt, as if he had just returned from a battlefield!

"What's wrong with this guard?!"

"How dare he barge into such a solemn occasion! This is extremely rude! Drag this person away!"

"My God, this person is so dirty, he looks like a serf!"

...

The nobles on both sides retreated in disgust, afraid of getting even a speck of dirt on them and ruining their magnificent and tidy ceremony. Some even started shouting for guards, wanting to drag this lowly person who had disrupted the ceremony to prison.

"Your Majesty, Count Morrie has led his army in rebellion, and the rebels are advancing toward Holyrood Palace!" a guard shouted hastily, looking up.

One stone stirs up a thousand waves!