'Reign' season 4 release date & plot spoilers news: Bothwell to kill Lord Darnley and force Mary into marriage?

"Reign" season 4 might not have a definite air date yet, but the plot for the upcoming installment seems to be filled with intrigue.

Earlier spoilers for the fourth season of the period drama chronicling the life and loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane) hint that despite mourning the death of her first husband and greatest love King Francis (Toby Regbo), the Queen will eventually find love again and again.

It was confirmed earlier on that Will Kemp ("The Midnight Man") has been tapped to play the role of Lord Darnley Henry Stuart, who will eventually become Mary's second husband. While in love with Mary, Lord Darnley has ulterior motives of his own, one of which is purportedly to bring down Queen Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) and claim kingship on Mary's land.

Apparently, this is where Mary's soon-to-be third husband will step in. The Earl of Bothwell, James Hepburn (Adam Croasdell) will plot to murder Lord Darnley in order to save Mary. According to reports, Bothwell will have deep affection for Mary, so much so that "Reign" season 4 will see him do everything he can to show Mary how much he loves her. He will eventually become Mary's third husband.

As history shows, Bothwell is one of the people suspected of killing Mary's second husband a year into the marriage. Some history books likewise depict him as a kidnapper who took the Queen against her will and threatened to kill her if she rejects his proposal of marriage. Many believed then that he coerced Mary into marriage.

However, if the speculations about "Reign" season 4 are to be believed, it looks like Bothwell just has too much love to spare for Mary. It remains to be seen if Mary was indeed forced into marriage or if she and Bothwell married for love.

Meanwhile, there are speculations that the upcoming installment of "Reign," which has significantly fewer episodes compared to the first three seasons, will be the last one for the series. The showrunners are yet to confirm or deny the rumors, but talks are rife that poor ratings may determine the fate of the series.

"Reign" season 4 is expected to premiere sometime in the first quarter of 2017.