When the Battle of Solwimos on the Anglo-Soviet border in November 1542 sounded the death knell for James V, Henry VIII seized the opportunity to force the Scots to sign the Treaty of Greenwich with him in December 1543. The core of the treaty was only one thing, which was to force Mary I, Queen of Scots, to marry her son, Prince Edward.

However, the indomitable Scots refused to surrender the queen, and they were reluctant to let an English king rule over themselves and their country, even though Scotland was still a very barren land in the eyes of the English. Until the siege of Edinburgh Castle in May 1544, every major event in England and the Soviet Union in these years revolved around Mary I.

Henry VIII's ambition was very obvious and well known. As a result, the Duke of Richmond and Isabel were no longer subject to the principle of "under the roses" of a strictly confidential conversation. However, Isabel has not thought about how to hunt down Mary I who is on the run.

The Earl of Lancashire, the Baron Montiger, and Isabel's two female relatives and heirs, seeing that they seemed to have something to say, stood at a distance from them with interest. Sir William was reluctant to look at his wife-to-be, and then at the Duke of the Royal Family beside his wife-to-be, he could only swallow back what he wanted to say.

With his hands on his hips and his head held high in the lush ancient forest around him, the Duke of Richmond nodded slightly, "Yes, it's Mary I." After the siege of the city of Edinburgh ended, His Majesty gave me a new duty. ”

Isabel subconsciously thought that Henry VIII would put his illegitimate son in charge of Scottish affairs, and asked with a little curiosity, "Your Highness, new duties...?" ”

"The failure to capture Mary I is the one thing Your Majesty is most worried about at the moment, except for the war in Europe. His Majesty therefore made me the guardian of the march into Scotland. The Duke of Richmond's expression was a little heavy, and he couldn't help but shake his head.

"So, has His Majesty left all the affairs of Scotland to you?"

"Well, hunt down the Queen, attack, plunder and bribe the Scots to work for us. Whatever I wanted to do to the Scots, His Majesty had only one request: Mary I. ”

Isabelle's joy at the Duke of Richmond's acquisition of the power of life and death over the fate of the Scots shows that Henry VIII is gradually bringing his illegitimate son into the heart of the royal family and court. On the other hand, she felt an extremely heavy pressure, and Henry VIII would never want to spare Mary I before he died.

By this time, the gamekeeper and prospector she had sent out, with the assistance of foxhounds and falcons, had already searched for some traces of wild animals. "Woo......!" The caretaker blew the horn he carried with him in time, and informed the team outside the ancient forest of the news that he had received wild animals.

"Your Highness, the hunt has begun." Isabel whispered.

"Alright, now let's start hunting." A smile appeared on the Duke of Richmond's face. Of course, all believe that hunting can enhance one's fighting consciousness and develop a fighting spirit in order to achieve victory on the battlefield.

In an instant, accompanied by the barking and running sounds of countless dogs, the remaining 17 pairs of foxhounds rushed towards the ancient forest under the command of the shouts and horns of the rest of the guards. The hunters and their attendants on horseback or on foot followed the foxhounds into the ancient forest, and began the hunting process. Amid the horse's hooves and the barking of dogs, all hunters enjoyed the pleasure of hunting their prey and the delightful idyllic scenery.

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More than 3 months have passed since the invasion of Scotland, and the life of the Baron Walton family has once again returned to the life of the former village nobility. The Baron's daughter, Lady Isabel, also returned to her own life, continuing to serve as Privy Counsellor to the Duke of Richmond, who commanded the affairs of northern England and Scotland.

Now, in addition to fulfilling other duties assigned to her by the Duke, she has also taken on the duty of hunting down the Queen of Scots. The fugitive Queen Mary I was like a fishbone, leaving Her Majesty the King in the throat. His Majesty gave this duty to his illegitimate son, the Duke of the Crown, who in turn gave it to her.

On Monday, August 11, at 9 a.m., the Duke of Richmond convened an important meeting of the Northern Council at his Sherif Hatton Castle, one of the main contents of which was how to hunt down the prospective wife of the duke's half-brother. The Duke of Richmond, who sat at the top of the long conference table, looked solemnly at a young squire dressed in three-quarters armor sitting at the end of the conference table.

After a while, the Duke said to the young man in a gentle tone, "Ralph Earle, has your brother Sir William, as the Chief of the Eastern Frontier of Northumberland, done anything in the days since the end of the war?" ”

The young man named Ralph stood up, nodded to the Duke, and then spoke aloud to those present: "Your Highness, members of the Council, after the war my brother and I crossed the border several times to attack the Scots, burning their houses and buying their loyalty. ”

"Well, that's good. Ralph, where did your army cross the border? ”

"Your Highness, we have crossed the border from Tweed Berwick, a town in Northumberland, in the north-east region of England."

The Duke of Richmond stroked his unusually neatly trimmed beard in thought, and whispered to Isabel who was sitting on the left, "Advisor, do you have any opinion on the approach of the Border Guard Chief and his brother?" ”

Isabel stood up and nodded to the duke, then looked at the young man. Focusing on each other expressionlessly, he pondered and said, "Squire, what is the purpose of you and your brother crossing the border to attack the Scots?" ”

"Your Excellency, our aim is to force the Scots to hand over their queen, and we must use the border farmers we have bribed to find out about the queen."

"Good. So, have you heard anything now? ”

The young knight's squire shook his head helplessly, "I'm sorry, Your Excellency, the Scots hate us so much that they won't let us know where the Queen is hiding. ”

"Of course, a few Scottish farmers living on the border are unlikely to be a member of the royal family." Isabel tilted her head and suddenly looked at the Duke of Richmond again, "Your Highness, I beg you and the members to come to the front of the map. ”