-The Italian Count Vincent and his men come to visit French court while King Henry is off putting down a peasant uprising.

-But as the visit goes on, it becomes clear that Count Vincent is not just there for politics as usual--he is there to take revenge for the death of his son, who passed away after being held hostage during a dispute with France.

-Catherine proposes giving Mary to Vincent as a gift, but Francis offers to be his hostage instead.

-Mary, Francis, Catherine, and all the other inhabitants of the castle make a plan to escape during the evening's feast.

-Francis murders his captors, and takes many of the castle staff--as well as Olivia--underground.

-But Olivia--frustrated that her role in the plan is to help Mary--abandons the plan entirely and wanders off in search of Francis, leaving Mary and her ladies vulnerable.

-Bash's mother has bribed the Italian holding him hostage to take it easy on him.

-After Olivia foils Mary's original plan, Count Vincent and his men begin to get rough with Mary and her ladies.

-But soon, all of Count Vincent's men fall dead--victims of Catherine, who cleverly covered the gold she gave them with poison.

-Count Vincent, who did not touch the gold, remains alive, unpoisoned, and a threat.

-Until Mary attacks him, and Francis kills him.

-Catherine admits that she is touched by Mary's love for Francis.

-Mary and Francis reunite as a couple.

-Bash realizes that the entire siege by Count Vincent was a plot by his mother, who fed information to Vincent's men--because she believed the death of Francis and Catherine could lead to Bash being named a legitimate prince.