Chapter 67

This is the benefit of being able to live a second life and have foresight.

Although the Earl of Northumberland was an Englishman, he harbored an extremely devout Catholic faith deep within his heart.

Although he served in Elizabeth's court, he was never loyal to the Protestant queen, but rather favored the Catholic Queen of Scotland as the ruler of the British Isles.

Mary still remembered how, in her past life, after she was imprisoned, the Earl of Northumberland tried to rescue her time and again.

Unfortunately, all these schemes ended in failure. An enraged Elizabeth imprisoned the Earl of Northumberland in the Tower of London, where he later reportedly committed suicide in despair.

As for the Duke of Norfolk, this was of paramount importance.

He was a Protestant and one of the wealthiest nobles in England, which gave him an extraordinary position in the court. Moreover, because he came from the Howard family, he was a cousin of Elizabeth I.

Logically speaking, the Duke of Norfolk had no reason to betray Elizabeth, but the strange thing is that, like her previous suitors, he harbored the idea of ​​gaining a country by marrying the Queen.

In addition, Mary suspected that there might also be an element of hatred involved in the Duke of Norfolk's betrayal.

After all, it was Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, who had beheaded her. To have to be subservient to the daughter of one's enemy every day was hardly a pleasant thing.

Of course, the Duke of Norfolk in his previous life also failed in his plan to marry the Queen of Scotland, and like his father, he was beheaded by the king.

Both men were capable of betraying Elizabeth I, but at this particular time, neither had revealed their faith or ambition. Therefore, Elizabeth I still regarded them as loyal subjects, and they were not abandoned in London during the exile, but were taken to Portsmouth with her.

Moreover, they were each entrusted with important responsibilities, serving as commanders of two crucial military locations.

Given such a golden opportunity, it's no wonder she couldn't resist taking the risk of trying to recruit them.

...

The group walked on with difficulty.

On a rainy night, the mountain path was muddy. If you stepped on it, your whole foot would sink into the mud, and you had to pull it out with great force to take the next step.

Albert was wrapped in a thick leather cloak, and wore thick clothes and waterproof boots, but he couldn't stop the cold wind and drizzle from seeping into his body through his collar. He couldn't help but sneeze from the cold.

The Queen of Scots, standing nearby, was in no better shape; she was so cold that even her lips had lost their color.

Albert couldn't resist and leaned over to whisper to the Queen if she wanted to change her mind and immediately return to the Scottish camp. Sure enough, she received the same order to advance as before.

The weather in the UK is typical of a temperate climate, with warm and humid summers that are far from hot.

In this kind of weather, once it starts to rain, people will avoid going out, because if they get wet and catch a cold, they may develop a fever, which could lead to more serious consequences.

In this age of limited medical resources, Mary has always been health-conscious and avoids going out in bad weather, but now she has to take a little risk.

Since visiting the Duke of Norfolk had to be done secretly, they dared not even bring a lantern for light, let alone a carriage.

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” Albert couldn’t help but say as he limped along.

But he carried out the Queen of Scots's orders unconditionally, just as he had always done.

This wasn't entirely out of love; a large part of it stemmed from trust in the Queen of Scots' own abilities.

Countless past events have proven that many of the Queen of Scots' decisions, though seemingly absurd, have had a significant impact at some point.

Sometimes Albert even wondered if the Queen of Scots had some ability to foresee the future.

Mary glanced at the blond youth following closely beside her and said with a smile, "Just take it as a revelation from an angel. I have a feeling that the Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Northumberland will become daggers piercing Queen Elizabeth's back."

When they finally trekked through the cold to the small British camp in the valley, even Albert, who was in his prime and had excellent physical strength, couldn't help but let out a long breath and relax his brow when he saw the few warm and bright fires in the tents.

A few seconds later, the breath was drawn back in.

The real test tonight has just begun. If the Queen of Scots' negotiations with the Duke of Norfolk break down and the latter decides to arrest her again, then he must find a way to escape with the Queen in this British camp with 500 soldiers. Only then will he have a chance to turn the tide.

After a brief rest on the hillside, Albert made one last attempt to persuade him.

“Are you really going to do this? If you return now, you and Queen Elizabeth will still be evenly matched opponents. Coupled with your letter to Queen Mother Catherine and the Papacy’s excommunication, Spain is very likely to withdraw its troops. But if you go to visit the Duke of Norfolk now, you will put yourself in complete danger. If they capture you as a prisoner and present you to Queen Elizabeth, this merit might bring the Howard family another earldom,” Albert said.

He saw the Queen of Scots shake her head. In the darkness of the night, her face, shrouded in a cloak, was half-lit and half-shadowed, revealing an incredible beauty, like Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty in pagan legends, or Hera, the proud and majestic queen of the gods, sitting on her throne holding a scepter.

Albert, in a moment of folly, thought that if the painters of Florence had been able to capture this scene in a painting, it would surely have become a rare artistic treasure, just like "The Birth of Venus."

“You don’t understand what kind of opponent Elizabeth I is…” Mary revealed her true thoughts, her brows furrowing slightly, “...She is cautious, rational, indomitable, and incredibly intelligent. If given even a little time to breathe, she can use the entanglements of interests between people to quickly put herself back in a favorable position. If I don’t win this battle in the next few days, I will lose my life.”

The Spanish invasion and the troops that were revolting in various counties of England to aid Elizabeth are the best examples.

Europe during this era had many outstanding rulers.

Philip II of Spain, Catherine de' Medici, Queen Mother of France, and Pius V of Rome were all so capable that their fame has been passed down through generations.

But all these people combined couldn't compare to the psychological pressure that Elizabeth I brought her.

It was an indescribable sixth sense; she could not sleep peacefully until she witnessed Elizabeth's death and saw her corpse with her own eyes.

After descending the hillside and revealing her identity at the British camp, the Queen of Scots asked to speak with the Duke of Norfolk, who was too shocked to react.

“Your Majesty, at least let me accompany you inside to ensure your safety,” Albert said.

“No, you stay outside,” said the Queen of Scots.

“...Even for this act alone, Your Majesty the Queen of Scotland, I must admire your courage,” said the Duke of Norfolk, who was observing from the sidelines.

He didn't know why the Queen of Scots had come to him at this time of war, but the courage she displayed was enough to surpass that of many knights on the battlefield who thought themselves strong and brave.

“I will obey your command,” Albert said.

Mary noticed that Albert wanted to say something, but swallowed his words.

Reluctantly, he stepped out of the tent and, along with several other skilled members of the Scottish Guard, stood at the closest point to the entrance, where they waited upright. Then, the tent flap fell, blocking her view.

Albert stepped out of the tent, tensed up, calmly lowered his eyes, and silently surveyed all the British soldiers around him, while calculating the distance to the nearest horses.

The sounds of wind and rain, the menacing gazes of soldiers ready to pounce at any moment, and the faint, indistinct whispers and heated arguments coming from the tent behind me…

Albert felt that everything was very clear, yet it was as if everything was separated by a transparent glass window. Sometimes he felt as if he had returned to the time of the attack on London, and only the musket wrapped in oilcloth at his waist brought a cold, heavy, real touch that made him feel safe.

Ever since he served the Duke of Ferrara, he has walked on the scythe of death and faced countless desperate situations, but tonight's perilous situation is certainly among the top three in his life.

He used to have no worries.

Now he is filled with fear.

The thought that he had become weak suddenly crossed Albert's mind.

Finally, the sound of the curtain being lifted pulled him back to reality.

Albert turned around quickly and blurted out, "Your Majesty!"

Having spent quite some time in the warm tent, the Queen of Scots regained her color and donned her leather cloak, ready to leave.

Inside the tent, the Duke of Norfolk—one of England’s most prominent noblemen—was sitting in a chair drinking water.

The young man with the mustache didn't seem to have any intention of ordering the soldiers to arrest them. After noticing Albert's gaze, he even waved goodbye.

“Your Majesty, I will write to the Earl of Northumberland,” the Duke of Norfolk said with a smile.

“You stood there motionless. In the tent just now, the Duke of Norfolk said you looked like a marble statue, and that if he could find such well-trained soldiers, it would be worth paying ten thousand pounds,” Mary said casually as she fastened her raincoat.

"...It seems you have successfully won over an English nobleman," Albert said with a smile, while subtly stretching his legs.

His legs were a little numb.

Upon hearing the blond youth's question, the Queen of Scots looked up at the sky.

The rain that had fallen when she arrived had stopped sometime earlier, the dark clouds had dispersed, and a half-moon hung quietly in the sky, its pale light falling on the face of the Queen of Scots.

"Well, I can sit back and wait for victory in this war," the Queen of Scots said calmly and confidently.