Chapter 57

Shortly after the Pope's coronation, with the help of David Lichow, Queen of Scots and Pius V, the supreme leader of the Catholic Church, began a secret meeting.

This secret meeting, which took place at night, was not revealed until over a century later in a letter from Pius V. In later history books, it is known as the Castle of Saint Angel conversation, and is widely regarded by historians as a turning point that changed the course of European history.

Because it was from this night that Mary Stuart and the Vatican began their "golden period" of cooperation.

From that year onward, these two supreme leaders, one crowned himself in the name of God's will, making any military action seem justified, and continuously strengthened his royal rule against Britain, France, and Spain, eventually dominating Europe; while the other, relying on secular military threats, forcibly reformed the various malpractices of the Roman Catholic Church, suppressed the Protestant forces in Germany and the Ottoman Empire, briefly restoring the integrity of Catholicism and gaining considerable influence.

Unfortunately, the latter's good fortune was short-lived. With the death of Pius V in 1572, the Roman Catholic Church, without a successor, split apart over the papacy, and the papacy's morals deteriorated once again. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Protestant forces in Germany rose to prominence...

However, that was a long time later.

...

With David relaying messages back and forth, Mary went to Castle Sant'Angelo under the guise of a tourist visit and stayed there temporarily, and met Pius V that very night.

Located on the outskirts of Rome, this place is secluded enough that it has a tunnel leading to St. Peter's Basilica, where the Pope resides, allowing him to arrive and leave quietly without attracting anyone's attention.

When Pius V, an old man over sixty, arrived through the dark secret passage, Mary was standing at the window, facing the cold night wind, admiring a tall bronze statue on the green grass.

"This was minted to commemorate the end of the Black Death."

"More than a hundred years ago, the Black Death ravaged this land, harming countless poor people. Whether kings or beggars, none could escape the clutches of the plague and the pursuit of death. It was not until the Lord took pity on them and sent an angel with a sword to the highest point of the castle to spread miracles that the spread of the Black Death ended..."

“Gregory witnessed the descent of angels in a dream, and upon waking, he commissioned craftsmen to create this bronze angel statue to commemorate the angels’ mercy.”

An older male voice spoke from behind.

Mary turned around and saw the saint who would be widely praised in later generations.

He was a thin old man, dressed in the white robes of the Pope. Instead of the formal triple crown, he wore a small red felt hat. He had an ordinary face, but his eyes were very clear and bright.

As for what he said...

Rather than this superstitious explanation, Mary preferred to believe that Pope Gregory claimed to have had such a dream because the Black Death was showing signs of ending, thus attributing the credit for the end of the Black Death to the Catholic Church.

After some pleasantries, the Queen of Scots made the sign of the cross and revealed her purpose.

“Holy Father, as a devout believer of the Lord, I have come to Rome to seek your help in dealing with our enemy—the heretical Elizabeth I,” Mary said.

"She has always been our common enemy, which is why Rome has been continuously funding Scotland every year. My child, Rome has given enough and has never given anything in return," Pius V said with a slight smile, kind but firm.

It's impossible to get more free funding.

“You misunderstand me. I am not a greedy person. I have always remembered the help from the Roman Catholic Church and have always thought about how to repay it…” Mary said, “...and just recently, through God’s revelation, I finally understood how I can add glory to the Lord.”

“Oh?” Pius V said.

“It is not enough to merely uphold the faith in Scotland. I should expel or execute all the nuns and priests who dare to believe in heresy throughout the British Isles, just as I did with that Protestant John Knox, to completely eradicate the Protestant faith, and then slowly guide the people back to the right path of Catholicism!” Mary said.

Pius V looked on with a mixture of surprise and doubt. He scrutinized the young Queen of Scotland, trying to see beyond her outward appearance to understand whether she was just spouting nonsense or had a real plan.

"...The Lord will praise your piety, but England is not your kingdom, and you have no right to implement such policies," Pius V reminded him.

“If I become the new Queen of England and Ireland, then I will have the right,” Mary said calmly, seemingly unaware of the shocking things she had said.

Pius V was slightly taken aback, but then he understood the true purpose of the Queen of Scots' visit to the Vatican.

“I see. Your Majesty, Queen of Scotland, you desire the English throne, and thus have come to seek Rome’s support,” Pius V said with a smile.

Queen Elizabeth II of Scotland laughed, stood up as well, walked to the Pope, her eyes gleaming with an air of unwavering confidence, and said, "The marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn was never recognized by Rome. As an illegitimate child, Elizabeth is not entitled to inherit the throne, is she?"

"According to the bloodline and the legal right of succession, after the deaths of Edward VIII and Mary I, I, a devout Catholic, should have inherited the throne, not a Protestant with heretical beliefs."

"To be honest, Your Majesty, I already have the tacit approval of Spain and France, the strong support of my uncle, the Duke of Lorraine, the Irish rebels, and the Italian mercenaries. Now all I lack is your help."

Of course, all of this is just bragging.

Spain and France had no idea that Italy hadn't even had time to recruit mercenaries yet. The Duke of Lorraine provided some assistance, but certainly not enough to risk his entire fortune. Only Ireland wasn't lying.

In negotiations, it's always better to have as many bargaining chips as possible and to increase one's chances of winning, so as to appear confident and assertive.

As for tacit approval, can Spain and France send an envoy to refute her now?

Mary thought to herself.

“My God!” Pius V exclaimed.

He stood up from his chair in shock!

Pius V was unaware of the colossal lie the Queen of Scots had told, but he was terrified by this series of powerful supporters. He unconsciously clenched his rosary and the relics in his hands, sensing that a storm that would change the course of the British Isles was about to arrive.

"...Then, Queen of Scotland, you don't actually need to come to Rome in person. As a Catholic, if you were to wage a war for the rightful English throne, I would naturally offer my support upon learning of it—that's beyond question." After a few seconds of silence, Pius V said in a deep voice.

“Such ambiguous and subtle support is far from enough for me. What I need is for you to personally announce the papal decree to the entire Christian world, excommunicating Elizabeth I and executing her with a grand pardon,” Mary said.

Pius V couldn't help but gasp, shaking his head as he said, "You are truly an amazing queen. You have given me so much tonight. Such assistance will cause Rome and England to become completely enemies!"

“But at the same time, it could also push Elizabeth to the brink…” Mary couldn’t help but take a step forward, her expression turning angry, her voice so loud it almost echoed, “…Besides, this has already happened once before! Henry VIII founded the Anglican Church, trampling the dignity of the Roman Catholic Church underfoot, causing the entire Catholic Church to lose prestige, yet he received no punishment and instead got what he wanted. How heartbreaking this is! For so many years, saints have wept in heaven while Catholics have suffered on earth!”

"My revered Holy Father, setting aside my position as a king, and speaking solely from the heart of a Catholic, I must tell you the truth, even if it angers you: the Roman Catholic Church is too weak right now. In order to continue to solidify the status of Catholicism and prevent those heretics from succeeding, you need to prove to the world that violating Catholic doctrine will be punished!"

"God knows that my heart constantly yearns to purge those heretics who dare to blaspheme Christian doctrine! To let the churches of England once again display statues of the Virgin Mary and the crucifixion of Jesus!"

The Queen of Scots' words made Pius V's breathing quicken involuntarily!

Overwhelmed with emotion, his wrinkled face flushed red, and the rosary he was holding nearly buckled.

Every word the young queen uttered struck a chord deep within him. God, only God knows how much he longed to restore the glory of Catholicism and to bring Rome back to its former glory of integrity and honesty…

With such an opportunity right in front of him, is he going to hesitate and hold back?

"I swear to the Lord, if one day I am granted the English throne, I will be like Mary I, and even if it means erecting countless pyres, I will lead the English people back to the right path and into the embrace of Rome!"

“Then, we can discuss the specifics,” Pius V finally said.

His aged but strong fingers gripped the Queen of Scots' arm tightly.

...

Albert, who was in charge of protecting the Queen's safety, did not follow her into Castle Sant'Angelo, but instead stayed at the entrance.

The secret talks between the Queen of Scots and the Pope lasted for quite some time. The blond youth who stood at the door was also bored, with a blade of grass in his mouth, sitting in front of the battlements of the fortress, staring blankly at the starry sky.

The night was deep, and the stars twinkled.

In the dark sky, a Milky Way stretches across the east and west. Legend has it that this is the milk left by Hera, the queen of the gods, when she gave birth to her child, and Heracles, who was still an infant at the time, thus gained immortality...

Not far from Castel Sant'Angelo, the Tiber River meanders along the city walls. Water lilies, blooming somewhere, release a lingering fragrance in the tranquil night.

This reminded Albert of his last night in Ireland.

Rationally, he knew he should give up, return to the right path in life, achieve success like a normal, ambitious gentleman, obtain a noble status, and then marry a lady of equal status to have children. But emotionally, he remained, remained...

Thinking of this, Albert shook his head and gave a wry smile as his thoughts drifted far away.

He's such a fool, and so indecisive, like a little girl.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

Albert sprang to his feet, nimbly leaped downwards, and landed steadily. Just as he was about to draw his musket from his waist in case of emergency, he saw David Leejo riding towards him on horseback.

He galloped all the way here, his pale face hidden under his hood, like a wandering ghost in the dark night. He almost tumbled on the ground when he dismounted, and then rushed into Castle Sant'Angelo.

Albert stopped him.

"What's wrong? His Majesty is having a private meeting with the Pope and has ordered that no one is allowed to enter," Albert said, frowning.

“I…I have something very important to report to Your Majesty…” David Leejo gasped for breath, his eyes darting around in confusion, and he pulled a letter from his pocket in a daze. “…While Your Majesty was away from Scotland, the Earl of Morley, with the help of the Queen of England, rebelled once again and became the new King of Scotland.”