The Story Begins...

Actual History:

July 24, 1567 ~ Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots, gives birth to stillborn twins.

1568 ~ Mary’s Scottish lords imprison Mary, and force her to abdicate the throne in favor of her young son, James.

1569 ~ Mary escapes and rallies troops to her cause, but loses the Battle of Langside. Mary flees to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth of England hoping for sanctuary, but Elizabeth imprisons Mary again for the next 19 years, then has Mary executed in 1587.

1597 – 1778 ~ Scottish and Irish peoples come to the New World to escape English rule, seeking a place to practice their religion and pursue free lifestyles. During this time, English ships regularly visited the New World, and started colonies of their own.

ARF Fictionalized History: Moving the history of Queen Mary forward approximately 10 years …

July, 1577 ~ Mary, knowing her marriage to the Earl of Bothwell is unpopular with her Scottish nobles, and fueled with the Scottish hatred of Catholics, especially a Catholic Queen, she and her ladies (the 4 Marys) let it be known that she has given birth to stillborn twins. In fact, although the twins are born earlier than expected, they are healthy, and kept secret. She gives their care into the hands of her cousin, Mary Fleming, one of her Ladies In Waiting.

The Queen arranges a wedding for Mary Fleming to a loyal and trusted distant cousin, Angus Fraiser, and bestows upon them a large sum of money for the maintenance of the children. She secretly orders a ship to be prepared and supplied with everything the new couple will need for a voyage to the New World, where they will build a settlement and colony in the Appalachian mountains.

November, 1577 ~ Having been warned that the Scottish nobility are planning to force Mary to abdicate the throne to her young son, James, the Queen determines it is time for the voyage to freedom to begin for her children. Along with many loyal Scottish retainers, crafters, farmers and servants, as well as members of their family, the Fraisers prepare to leave their homeland, to start a new life where the twins will be safe.

Before departing on the ship, Her Majesty’s Secret, the Queen creates the Duchy of Appalachia and bestows the titles of Duke and Duchess of Appalachia to Angus and Mary. The newly created Duchy is a large grant of land within the mountains of the New World, to be explored and mapped when the group reaches their final destination.

During the long voyage to start their new life, the ship was set upon by fierce storms and even fiercer pirates. Fortunately, the Queen had outfitted Her Majesty’s Secret well, and stocked the holds with many weapons in anticipation of difficulty taming the new land. After almost 10 hard months at sea, the royal ship finally limped into a shallow cove, and the Duke and Duchess’ party gratefully set foot upon dry land again.