Aylee entered the drawing room and looked nervously around. The ladies of the Court sat at various tables and couches, occupying their time with reading, chatting, cards, and other diverting activities. The Queen, sitting at her usual table with her ladies-in-waiting, caught Aylee's eyes and surreptitiously gave the tiniest nod. It was time.

Aylee bit her lip and walked to the circle of plush chairs where her friends were playing a round of Trump. She sat down beside Mary, leaned toward her, and said in a low, grave voice, "Mary, ask me what's wrong and when I answer, look dismayed."

Mary furrowed her brow. Aylee had been given another task. Next to her, Kenna glanced quickly past the hand of cards she held in front of her face. "My turn," she said, placing one of the cards on the table. The Queen of Spades. Mary tensed slightly. Queen Catherine was watching them.

Mary kept calm and did as her friend had instructed. "What is it, Aylee?" she asked, not bothering to lower her voice too much.

Aylee frowned, took a deep breath as if hesitant to break some bad news, then, in full view of the Queen, muttered in Mary's ear, "Olivia spent the night in Francis' bedchambers."

Mary didn't have to pretend. She gasped and her eyes widened in shock as she pulled away from Aylee, who said, "I'm sorry." It took a second for Mary to remember that the true source of the news was untrustworthy, and another to remember she must play her part convincingly. She made a show of shaking her head in disbelief, but it wasn't hard to mold her face into an expression of dismay. She need only imagine Francis and Olivia entwined in his bed and tears nearly sprang to her eyes. She stood up abruptly, knocking over her chair, and half-walked, half-ran out the room, her friends following close behind. There was no way the other ladies, and more importantly the Queen, could miss such a display.

At the door, Aylee glanced back. Queen Catherine wore a smirk of extreme self-satisfaction.

Although Mary had been learning to hide her emotions, as it was the only way to play the dangerous games at Court, she forced herself to maintain her distraught demeanor all the way to her rooms. Once they were all inside and the doors closed, Mary took a steadying breath and beckoned her friends to sit by the fire, away from the doors and windows. Spies were everywhere, and her own guards were not to be trusted. They spoke in hushed voices.

"What's happened?" asked Greer, Kenna, and Lola, all at once. Mary turned to Aylee, her inside man, or inside girl, as the case was.

"When I delivered Mary's letters to the Queen," she whispered, "she told me to tell Mary that Francis had spent the night with Olivia."

There were shocked looks all around.

"It can't be true, Mary." Lola insisted at once. "The Queen just wants to force you away from her son. We can't believe anything she says."

"Yes, but Francis has been spending a lot of time with Olivia since the Harvest Festival." Kenna said reluctantly. There was a pause of silence, of doubt.

Mary sighed. "As much as I want to believe in Francis and what we have..or had, before we fought, before Olivia came back..." Her voice sounded tired with melancholy. "I don't know whom to believe."

"If only we could know for sure," Lola said.

"And not just for Mary's sake," Greer thought aloud. "We need to know what game the Queen is playing this time."

Mary looked up. "Greer, what we discussed the other day..." she spoke slowly, an idea forming. "Do you think it possible that your new friend could find out if there's any truth to the information Queen Catherine is feeding me?"

The other girls looked confused, while Greer gave a small, conspiratorial smile. "Yes, I think they could."

"Now this could be dangerous." Mary added quickly. "I know this is a lot to ask of you and your friend. I don't want anyone to feel obligated to get involved if they don't feel comfortable-"

"Nonsense, I'm happy to help in any way, Mary, and I'm sure my friend will be, too." Greer stood and walked to the door. "Wait here, I'll be back with news as soon as I can." She left and closed the door behind her.

"What new friend?" Kenna asked. Aylee and Lola echoed her curiosity, but Mary kept mum.

Greer strode into the kitchens confidently and addressed the pastry chef on duty. "Queen Mary would like a tray of tarts sent to her rooms, not the drawing room, this afternoon." She purposefully ignored the blond kitchen boy who was working a few feet away and trying to catch her eye. But once the chef replied "Yes, Mistress Greer" and went to prepare the treats, she turned to Leith and they shared a secret smile. She pointed in the direction of the castle, gave him a significant look, and mouthed the word "Now." He looked a bit surprised but nodded to her as she left.

Greer wondered if he would be able to get away. She waited in the small dark hallway by her room. Because she wasn't a noblewoman, her rooms were in a slightly less distinguished, but thankfully less frequented, wing of the castle. She regularly met Leith there during his short breaks, and no one ever came. Still, they had to use caution, or risk her reputation and his livelihood (or life). Wanting to be absolutely sure that the coast was clear, Greer peeked around the far corner for what felt like the thirtieth time in as many minutes, when she felt long arms envelop her from behind.

"M'lady," Leith murmured in her ear. It immediately sent a thrill through her body and a smile to her face. "What, you couldn't wait til my next break, you had to have your 'sweets' now?" he teased. She spun around in his arms and kissed him.

"Shush, this isn't about sweets of any kind. Mary needs my help, and I need yours." Greer said seriously.

He dropped his playful nature. "What is it?"

Greer looked around again, just in case, then whispered. "You're friends with some of the guards, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, we all eat in the servants' hall together."

"Do you know any of the nightwatchmen? Particularly one who's stationed near Prince Francis or Lady Olivia?"

Leith raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I do, actually."

"Good. I need you to ask him, quietly, if he'd seen them spend an evening together recently." When he frowned, Greer rushed on. "I know, it's dangerous. I wouldn't be asking this of you if it weren't important, both to my queen's happiness and our country's alliance. You'd have to be very discreet, asking about such a delicate matter. And if the wrong people hear you ask the wrong questions-"

Leith placed a finger on her lips to stop her fretting. "Don't worry. I think I've proven I can be discreet with delicate situations, don't you?" He winked. "Besides, I know just who to ask, got a friend who owes me a favor. I found him sleeping while he was on night duty once, and if I promise to save him a good cut of meat for a week, he'll sing like a bird to me, then go quiet as a breeze to anyone else." He gave her his easy, winning smile, and Greer threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He tightened his embrace and held her closer until she was lifted off the floor.

When she pulled back and returned to Earth, she looked up at him and softly said, "Thank you. You don't know what this means to me."

Leith tucked her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek. "You know I'd do anything for you, m'lady."

"I told you, I'm not a lady." she reprimanded while grinning.

"I know you're not a titled lady. But you're my lady."

This must work, Mary thought as she paced around the room. She had to know. The thought of Francis taking Olivia as his mistress was eating her up inside.

It had been three days since the Harvest Festival, since their ugly argument, and things were still strained between them. She tried to talk to him again, but it was as if he could barely bring himself to look at her, and when he did, it was with sadness. He would excuse himself, claiming some business elsewhere. Business that involved taking walks around the Gardens with Olivia, her friends told her. Mary's hands balled into fists. How could Francis tell her he was "only yours" one day and then run off with another girl the next? Did their relationship mean so little to him? Perhaps because he knew that Mary couldn't leave him even if she wanted to, stuck in this arrangement for her country, or that she might be shipped off at the convenience of his? Was he so fickle? Or were all kings "so loved" and easily distracted, as Queen Catherine had warned? Mary felt a violent urge to kick something, or someone. How she hated Francis. And Olivia. And the Queen. But what she hated most was how much she still loved Francis. Mary stopped and placed a hand over her heart. Her chest actually hurt, as if her emotional pain manifested into physical. As angry as she was, Mary was just as filled with regret, over getting drunk and kissing Bash, losing her temper and practically pushing Francis into another woman's arms. And despite the anguish he caused, she missed him.

Just three days, and she was in utter misery. She didn't think she could stand it if they had to spend a lifetime like this, together but apart. If she had to watch the man she loved give his heart to someone else... if she were expected to remain silent and placid while her husband insulted her with a parade of mistresses and affairs... if she became an embittered queen whose only joy in life was making the king miserable and terrorizing future daughters-in-law... then she would rather not marry Francis at all, no matter how much she loved him.

Mary sat down, got back up, circled the room, and sat down again for the sixth time, growing increasingly impatient and anxious. Greer had been gone a whole hour already. Her friends sat in silence, having received no answer to their questions from Mary.

Finally, the door opened and Greer entered. She closed the door and rushed to their circle.

"Well?" Mary asked, fear and hope in her voice.

"It isn't true!" Greer whispered excitedly. All the girls sighed in happy relief, but most especially Mary, who felt a great weight leave her tight chest.

"My friend spoke to one of the royal guards. Olivia has been in Francis' room, yes, but only for short visits during the day." Greer revealed. "In fact, the guards seem to think Francis hasn't had any..'midnight entertainment'..since the day Mary arrived."

"Well, that's certainly encouraging. Most royals don't last that long." Kenna said cheekily.

Mary blushed and remembered her first day and her discovery that Francis was by no means a stranger to romance. She had forgiven his past "indiscretions." After all, Mary thought wryly, they were only fiancés in name, not sweethearts, and their engagement was tenuous to say the least. All that had been before they had reconnected and gotten closer. Before they had kissed and declared themselves committed to each other. But then...

"Mary, what is it?" Lola asked. "I thought you'd be pleased to hear that Francis has only had eyes for you since you returned to Court."

"But he hasn't, has he?" Mary said with a sad smile. "His eyes have returned to Olivia, his first love, and perhaps his heart as well."

"I wouldn't bet on it. The guard gave us something else." Greer continued. "It wasn't Francis' room that Olivia was seen leaving last night; it was the Queen's."

"The Queen?" Mary asked sharply. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, and apparently she left smiling. The guard mentioned it because he found it so strange. The whole castle knows how much the Queen hated Olivia."

Mary exhaled. "Then my instincts were right. Queen Catherine is behind Olivia's return."

Kenna laughed suddenly. "Francis will send Olivia away for sure when he learns she's been plotting with his mother to manipulate him."

"I'll look for some proof that links them when I deliver letters to the Queen again." Aylee offered.

Mary nodded. "Do so and be careful. Thank you, Aylee. And thank you to you and your friend, Greer. All of you. I don't know how I could ever get through this web of intrigue they call French Court without you."

"That's what we're here for, Mary." Kenna said genially. She may no longer answer to the Queen of Scotland, but she would always be a friend to Mary.

The five girls gathered and hugged each other. Then Aylee, Greer, Kenna, and Lola resumed their grim facades and exited her room one by one. They returned to their daily duties and activities, while secretly gathering gossip and collecting information wherever they could. Mary's ladies-in-waiting were her eyes and ears at Court, with lords and ladies, merchants and servants. Her friends were invaluable.

Mary sat on her bed and smiled, feeling more in control of her situation than she'd ever been. She was one step closer to beating the Queen at her own game, to removing Olivia as a rival, to getting back Francis.

But Mary's moment of triumph was brief.

The fact that Francis had not spent the night with Olivia since her return was no guarantee that he would not later, she realized. It was still, as he said, "certainly an option." Even if Mary and her friends could prove that Queen Catherine had summoned Olivia to Court, would that change anything? Francis might resent them for it, but it was obvious that he still cared for Olivia. And Olivia might have come here in league with the Queen, but Olivia had real feelings for Francis, too. The circumstances of their reunion might not matter if they truly loved each other. Mary gripped the fabric over her heart again.

She stood up. It didn't matter if the Queen was involved or not. In the end, this was still between Mary and Francis. He would have to choose: love her or love Olivia. Mary knew she would have no choice but to live with whichever outcome, but she needed to know. She needed to talk to Francis.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

A/N 1: This, like the show, is a piece of historical fiction/fantasy. I tried to avoid being anachronistic, but I do little research on the historical figures/places. I do not own Reign or its characters. Please review if you like or dislike. Thanks!

A/N 2: This is a continuation fic after "A Chill in the Air" (like "Lion&Dragon" was to 1x03 but unrelated to that story). I will try to cover all aspects of the episode, not just the love triangles, as my own version of 1x06 (I've seen no promos/spoilers for "Chosen").