Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Margaret leaves England to marry the king of Portugal, with Charles Brandon responsible for escorting her. Henry warns his friend about the boundaries of that duty, but Margaret and Brandon begin an affair during the voyage. Her demand to choose her next husband remains tied to the death of the man she is being sent to marry. At home, Henry pursues Anne and watches the European balance shift after the capture of Francis. He wants England to profit from the emperor's victory, while Catherine objects to Wolsey opening her correspondence and struggles to make the king take the intrusion seriously.
Henry's confidence is shaken when a riding excursion nearly kills him. Trying to vault a flooded ditch, he falls headfirst into the water and becomes trapped in the mud. A servant pulls him out before his friends fully understand the danger. During his recovery, Henry turns the accident into a question about what would happen if he died without a legitimate son. He tells Wolsey that his marriage to Catherine must end and orders him to obtain a divorce. Margaret reaches her own violent decision in Portugal. After looking at her sleeping husband and the pillow beside him, she smothers him. Her imposed marriage ends through murder as Henry begins demanding an escape from his own.