Chapter 58
For Mary, it was a tiring and long night, but it ended well in the end.
She persuaded Pius V, but not completely.
Even after deciding to side with Scotland, the shrewd Pope still had a lot of terms to negotiate, from when to send troops in tacit agreement, to Rome publicly excommunicating Elizabeth, to how much reward the Queen of Scotland should give to the Papacy after she ascends the throne—all of these needed to be discussed one by one.
In this respect, Pius V was asking for an exorbitant amount.
When Henry VIII reformed the church, he seized more than 500 Catholic churches and monasteries in England, turning them into his own personal treasury. The wealth accumulated over a thousand years and the vast land holdings amounted to an astronomical sum.
Now, Pius V is demanding his money back without any hesitation.
If Mary were to ascend the British throne, she had no intention of returning this fortune.
In fact, in Mary's still immature plan, after ascending the British throne, although she would nominally continue to adhere to the Catholic faith, she would never exterminate Protestants. In fact, she would secretly support the Protestant forces in order to compete with the Catholic forces.
The Supreme Act is a great thing and should absolutely not be repealed.
While pondering these thoughts, Mary did not reveal her true intentions, but instead politely declined, saying, "Your Majesty, you must understand that those lands were sold off by Henry VIII to raise funds for the army, and have fallen into the hands of nobles and gentlemen in various places. It will be extremely difficult to get them back."
“You are the Queen. Once you decide to do something, no subject can resist your will, unless you don’t want to do it from the bottom of your heart and then come up with a bunch of excuses…” Pius V said meaningfully, “…Your Majesty of Scotland, I must remind you that hypocrisy is something anyone can do, and you only get what you give.”
Mary laughed.
“No, that’s not what I meant at all. I will give Rome every penny I owe. I just hope for a different way of payment. Besides, you know that England is an island nation far from the European continent, thousands of miles away from Rome. Even if we regain those monasteries and lands, managing them will be incredibly difficult,” Mary said.
In Mary's view, Rome, as the center of Christianity, should have its administrative focus on Italy and its enemy the Ottoman Empire, rather than wasting its resources on distant Spain or England.
Pius V understood this principle as well.
“So, how would you like to pay?” Pius V asked.
“One hundred thousand florins,” Mary said calmly.
“This is far from enough,” Pius V said more calmly.
“Then let’s add Venice’s secret technology—the mercury mirror-making technique that has amassed countless fortunes among European nobles…” The Queen of Scotland shifted her position in her chair, crossed her arms in front of her, and smiled as she listened to Pius V’s astonished gaze. “…You’re in Italy, so you must have heard about the foreign merchants who have appeared on the market in recent years, competing with Venice for profits. They are actually Scots. Once I obtain the English throne, I will abandon this business, and Rome can amass wealth at will.”
Pius V was silent for a while, then suddenly said with emotion, "...Queen of Scotland, I must say, you have given me so much amazing news tonight. I am glad to have you as an ally, rather than as an enemy."
There were also some feelings that Pius V did not express.
He had heard about the changes in Scotland in recent years in Rome, and in private conversations with his students and colleagues, he had marveled at the Queen's intelligence and ruthlessness. That was why he had so easily decided to form an alliance with Scotland during their first meeting tonight.
The young and beautiful Queen of Scots before me was just like a king straight out of "The Prince," a pure embodiment of Machiavellianism.
“Of course, there is also the most important point…” Pius V reminded him at the end of the conversation.
“…expelling and suppressing Protestants,” Mary replied with a smile.
...
It wasn't until the first light of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon that the Queen of Scots put her cloak back on and left St. Angel's Castle.
David Lich and Albert, who had been waiting for hours in front of the castle gates, pacing back and forth, rushed over and handed the letter to Mary.
David Leejo was pale and panicked, like a frightened bird unable to calm down, while Albert was slightly better, though his lips were tightly pursed, showing barely suppressed anxiety.
His hand remained on the flintlock pistol at his waist, an unconscious gesture, like a beast crouching low, ready to strike at any moment.
The letter was short; Mary skimmed it, finishing it in just a few seconds.
“Your Majesty…” Albert hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.
The blond youth stood to one side, watching the Queen of Scots' every move with trepidation, his heart overflowing with worry and anxiety.
He noticed that the Queen's body seemed to sway slightly and her face lost its color, but he wasn't sure if he was seeing things, because when he looked closely, the Queen's back was still straight, and her gaze and expression were as calm as ever.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
The thought popped into Mary's mind, and at the same time she felt a chill seep into her limbs.
While she was busy rallying allies across Europe to dethrone Elizabeth, Elizabeth in England was also busy ousting her from the throne, thus rendering her completely harmless.
She had just been feeling quite pleased with herself for having won over the Pope.
“Truly worthy of being called the glorious queen who forged the golden age…” Mary said a metaphor that the two people beside her did not understand, and asked, “…When was this letter delivered?”
“Three hours ago, but Albert stopped me, saying that your conversation with the Pope must not be disturbed!” David Leejo said angrily.
“Well done, I’ll reward you when we get back,” Mary said to the blond youth.
If she had known this news a few hours earlier, it would have definitely affected her mindset when she was bragging. If Pius V had also happened to know, then the negotiation would have failed completely, and there would have been no need to waste any more words.
Fortunately, news spread slowly in this era, and she can still use this time difference to continue contacting allies and recruiting soldiers as if nothing had happened.
"Your Majesty, what should we do now? Should we go to the Spanish court for protection? Or should we go to Paris, France, to plead with France to send troops to reclaim your throne?" David Richmond asked anxiously, jogging alongside the Queen.
"No, we won't go to any of the palaces..."
The Queen of Scots strode forward, tearing the letter in her hand into powder and scattering it into the shimmering Tiber River. She let the scraps drift on the water, then mounted her horse and calmly addressed her secretary from her elevated position.
“...David, do not leak any news of the Scottish civil unrest. I will openly recruit mercenaries in Italy, in the name of the Queen of Scots.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
