In the "present day" timeline (1560), Catherine continues telling her story to the servant girl Rahima. She uses the tale of the joust to teach Rahima a lesson about the unpredictability of fate and the necessity of being prepared for a vacuum of power. The Tragic Climax
A large splinter from Montgomery窶冱 lance pierces Henry窶冱 helmet, entering his eye and reaching his brain. The Serpent Queen - Season 1Eps6
The political tension between the Catholic Guise family and the Protestant-leaning Bourbons reaches a breaking point. Catherine continues to play both sides to ensure her children's inheritance remains secure. In the "present day" timeline (1560), Catherine continues
Mary begins to exert more influence, further complicating Catherine窶冱 position as she realizes her daughter-in-law is a formidable and ruthless opponent. The political tension between the Catholic Guise family
Catherine is increasingly haunted by a recurring vision of King Henry II dying in a jousting accident. Despite her desperate attempts to warn him and her reliance on the mystic , Henry remains stubborn. Driven by a desire to prove his vitality and masculinity窶罵argely to impress his mistress, Diane de Poitiers 窶禰enry insists on participating in a tournament celebrating the Peace of Cateau-Cambrﾃｩsis. Power Struggles and Betrayal