Reign recap: 'Hanging Swords' 

for spending so much time developing the sibling relationship between Mary and James this season. Aside from some fraught moments with Marie de Guise, Mary hasn’t had much interaction with true family. Watching her try to balance loyalty to her brother with loyalty to Scotland and to her future husband has been a compelling new layer added to Mary’s character.

Of course, when you’re talking about royalty, the idea of an overprotective brother goes to a whole new level. It’s no secret that James doesn’t like Darnley. That whole “setting someone’s home on fire to look like a hero” thing really bugs him, he’s heard complaints from the servants about Darnley being a real ass, AND Darnley took James’ favorite horse. Don’t mess with a dude’s stallion, you know? None of this helps when Mary tells her brother she is taking James’ lands and giving them to Darnley so that he has a proper title. At one time, those lands belonged to the Lennox family (before Darnley’s father became a traitor), so they will also have sentimental value for Darnley. It’s just another sign that Mary might actually be falling for this guy —James is not amused.

Also not amused? Darnley’s mother. Darnley goes to see Lady Lennox to find out if Keira is telling the truth about getting a letter from Darnley breaking things off. Lady Lennox admits to it straightaway…she’s pretty proud of the forgery, in fact. She wants her son to keep his eyes on the prize: He’s about to marry a queen. Not to mention, if he doesn’t get rid of Keira soon, she’s sure to be imprisoned for adultery and Darnley will lose all of his lands, money, etc. “Don’t be a fool,” she tells her son.

It’s not so easy for Darnley. Keira was the love of his life, but he admits to having true feelings for Mary, too. He’s touched by Mary’s gift of the old Lennox lands. Too bad he’s even more touched by Keira’s demands to kiss her and try not to feel anything. The ex-lovers end up back in bed. “No one can ever know,” Darnley says. So, obviously, someone will find out.

Mary, falling harder for Darnley by the minute, sets out to fix things with James. She promises to get him new lands with valuable trade routes. In fact, she’s found a noble with just the lands she wants for James and is going to negotiate a trade. She tells James the guy’s name is Bothwell (Adam Croasdell) and he’s ill at the moment, but once he’s better she’ll get those lands. James laughs. Oh, he knows Bothwell, and the dude isn’t sick. He’s down at the local tavern getting drunk.

Once there, the brother and sister duo get split up. Mary heads into the tavern and finds Bothwell playing poker. On one hand, he is very fresh with Mary, and refuses to give up his lands, but only after humiliating her in front of the other nobles. On the other hand, he has a ponytail, dimples, and seems very flirty. Okay, I’m all in on Bothwell. If you’ve done your history homework, you know who Bothwell is — this is a very exciting little meeting.

While Mary is off paying too much money for lands from other nobles, James is called away to look into the suspicious arrival of a woman from England at the village inn. He needs to do only minor investigating because he recognizes his old horse — the one Darnley took — tied up outside said inn. He knows Darnley must be involved. James storms into the room and finds Darnley and Keira in bed together. How awkward!

Darnley implores James not to tell Mary, but understandably, James is livid. Darnley reminds James that this marriage is Mary’s one shot at taking the English throne and it could very well ensure her survival. He can’t argue with that, but James does promise Darnley that if he betrays Mary one more time, Darnley’s a dead man. James is the best.

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