Mary Stuart is very satisfied with such shouts.
Frankly speaking, this ceremony, which is hastily prepared, is actually very simple. The lighting is not candles but crude twig torches, the ground is laid not with red blankets but straw planks, and even the salute has to be temporarily replaced with the ship's shells. Not to mention the French royal family who pays great attention to etiquette, even an English noble would probably laugh at this so-called ceremony to welcome the Queen.
But compared with the unwelcome in her previous life, Mary Stuart is already satisfied.
At least this time, she barely saves her face as a Queen through the cheers of the people.
Walking all the way to the center of the city, Mary Stuart comes to the place prepared by Bothwell for her stay - the residence of a merchant selling grease.
The old merchant is named Grant, a Catholic, widowed, with a son and a daughter. He also provides the grease-soaked torches on the street. Mary Stuart drags her dirty skirt to the house and sees that there is even a temporary flower stand made of silk at the door. Old Grant leads the whole family to the door and greets the queen with great respect.
Considering the poverty of Scotland, it is indeed a big deal to use silk to welcome the queen who is staying for only one night.
The reason why she asks so carefully is that Mary Stuart has always had a plan in her heart, but she just couldn't find a reliable and shrewd businessman to implement it.
After seeing the old businessman flattering her so carefully, Mary Stuart immediately chats with him for a few more words, and gives his daughter a pearl brooch, suggesting that she could continue to meet her at Holyrood Palace in the future.
The old businessman Glenn gets overjoyed, thinking that his careful thoughts that has cost him half a year's income tonight are not in vain.
…
It is not until noon the next day that the nobles who come to greet the queen finally arrive at Rhett to greet the queen on horseback.
They say that they are here to greet the queen, but these Scottish lords have not prepared anything to greet Mary Stuart at all. There is no carriage, no guards, no servants, and only a group of indifferent faces, which seem to be full of fearlessness of "what can you do to us" against the background of black mink and hats.
Mary Stuart, who only has the title of queen and no real power in her hands, really couldn't do anything to these lords now.
Among these lords, the one who is most willing to do superficial work is actually Mary Stuart's half-brother, James Stuart, Earl of Moray, who has already seized power in Scotland.
As a member of the Stuart family, the biggest reason why Earl of Moray could be regent is that he is the son of the previous king and the brother of the current queen. Of course, he would certainly not allow other lords to disrespect the queen, or to be so blatantly disrespectful to the queen, because this would also shake his prestige.
So after a simple salute, Earl of Moray immediately bows with an apologetic look on his face and says,
"Your Majesty, please forgive us for being late. It is really that the weather in Scotland has always been gloomy. An unexpected rainstorm interrupted our arrival yesterday, which resulted in us not being able to welcome you in the first place."
When the other lords see Earl of Moray taking the lead, they immediately follow suit and bow to apologize to the queen.
After a good night's sleep, Mary Stuart, who woke up in the early morning and is full of energy, sits on the only chair in the living room. She does not show any displeasure and nods, saying,
"If it is really because of the weather that you arrive late, I will certainly not blame anyone. Please get up, lords. And my dear brother James, we haven't seen each other for several years since we separated in France. Please come over and let me take a good look at you."
Earl Mori walks over as he says and let Mary Stuart look at him carefully.
Earl Mori, who is 30 years old this year, is tall and brave, with a neatly trimmed beard, sharp eyes and a calm personality. He treats Mary Stuart with respect and affection. Standing among the lords, he is like a crane among chickens. Compared with Mary, who is delicate and elegant like an oil painting, his appearance is more in line with people's definition of a brave leader.
After looking at Earl Mori for a few seconds, Mary Stuart remembers his current appearance in her heart, and then smiles, and talks about the old times with Earl Mori warmly, and talks about some memories of her childhood.
The disturbance that the Scottish lords did not come to meet the queen immediately seems to have passed invisibly, but when they set out from here, another accident happens.
Mary and her group have no extra horses to take on the road.
The lords traveled light all the way and had no extra horses to spare. Mary Stuart and others had just got off the sailboat and could not bring horses with them.
So after a period of anxious temporary search, the only decent horse found in the city is finally brought to the queen by the reins, which originally belongs to the richest oil merchant, Glen.
Poor old Glen, in order to receive the queen and please the nobles, after losing his oil, house, and daughter's silk dowry, his only horse is taken away.
As for the other maids and French knights who followed Mary, they are even more unlucky. They could only ride ordinary old horses temporarily found from various surrounding villages. Some of them even had no saddles. It is all thanks to the knights' superb skills that they could control them.
Mary Stuart stares at the brown horse in front of her, which is digging in the mud and breathing heavily. She finally frowns and asks,
"James, I remember that the ship transporting the horses had already set off a few days before I left France, right?"
Where are the horses now? !
He really didn't deliberately make trouble about the horses. Earl Moray looked helpless, shrugged his shoulders, and explained, "Your Majesty, the ship that transported your horses has been seized by England, but it is said that it is for hunting pirates."
Elizabeth again...
Mary Stuart climbs on the horse, looks down at Earl Moray, shakes the reins in her hand, and says coldly,
"What a ridiculous excuse. What kind of pirate can hide in the ship that transports my horses? The one in England has always been like this. No matter what she wants to do, she doesn't have the courage to admit it openly, and she will only find excuses to cover it up."
After everything gets prepared, the team sets off. The young Queen of Scotland takes the lead in whipping her horse and drives the horse to the front of the entire team, galloping towards the direction of Holyrood Palace.
Behind her, William Maitland Rittington looks at the heroic figure, rides his horse to the side of Earl Moray, and says,
"I asked about what happened last night when the Queen came. I have to say that our Majesty's self-esteem does not allow any offense, and she cares very much about her face."
Earl Moray glances at the second-in-command of the Scottish nobles, and laughs secretly in his heart for William Maitland Rittington's physique and appearance like a pretty boy, but says seriously,
"Of course, we were rude yesterday. Mary Stuart is the queen, and as a minister and brother, I have the obligation to maintain Mary Stuart's dignity in various occasions and celebrations."
"What about outside of the celebration?" Maitland smiles meaningfully.
"There is no outside of the celebration. I have to remind you that the queen is still too young and needs me, her brother, to take care of her well." Earl Moray says meaningfully as well.
Mary Stuart is just lucky to be born in a legal marriage. Stuart became the legitimate Queen of Scotland, while he, the son of the king who truly inherited the heroic bloodline of James V, could only be condescended to be an Earl of Moray. The rules of Catholicism are so unfair.
But even if he could not have the crown of the king, he would be the uncrowned king of Scotland.
As for the little queen, she only needs to be a beautiful decoration on various occasions. James promises that he would fulfill his brother's obligations and keep her safe and radiant.
However, if Mary Stuart does not realize this item in the future, then James would not mind giving her a lesson to let her understand her position.