<DIV>Readers take a step back in time to 16th-century France in this year-long diary of adolescent Mary, Queen of Scots, who has fled from homeland to the Court of her betrothed in France.<br><br>Mary is only nine months old when she is crowned Queen of Scotland succeeding her father King James V. Because of political conflicts, she is forced to be separated from her mother and her country from the age of five. For the benefit of forging an alliance with France, the youngster is betrothed to Francis, the son of King Henry ll of France and his wife, the vicious and jealous Queen Catherine de Medici. Mary is sent to France to live in their care until she is old enough for the marriage to take place. It is at their home, the beautiful Chateau St. Germaine, that we first meet the irresistibly charming Mary at 11 years old. Keenly intelligent, she excels academically, and shows a talent for dance, music and poetry. She's an expert horsewoman, skilled at archery and hawking.</div>