“You’d better,” Crow grinned at Penelope playfully as she took him by the hand. “We’ve known each other long enough now that it would be disappointing if you didn’t.” He fell in step beside her on their way to the inn, while Naida did the same on the knight’s other side and Rayner followed along behind them, silent as always. As they stepped inside, he lifted his gaze to look over the space, which was becoming more familiar to him as they traveled through the kingdom. It was the same place they had stopped by on their first trip to Younis, and it was where they had rested going to and from the outer villages a month ago. Like everything else in his new life as a nobleman, he wasn’t sure how he felt about becoming used to such luxurious accommodations.

The only thing that hadn’t changed was the lingering stares of the other people at the inn. As they stepped into the restaurant, he noticed heads turn in their direction right away. The feeling of so many eyes on him made the viceroy’s skin prickle, but he wore a mask of nonchalance on his way to an empty table with the others. He would have preferred to dress down for the trip through Brerra, so they could travel without drawing so much attention to themselves, but unfortunately, as long as he and the knights were wearing such eye-catching uniforms for the parley, he had a feeling they were going to be gawked at no matter where they were. Nobles loved to stick their noses where they didn’t belong in order to feel important, after all.

Trying to ignore the intruding stares, Crow sat down next to Penelope at the long table, and Naida and Rayner took seats on the opposite side. “I’ll say,” the princess sighed in agreement, shifting her weight back and forth on the wooden bench as if it was the most comfortable chair she’d ever reclined on. “If we have to ride for that long every day until we get to Younis, we’re going to be walking funny when we show up.”

“At least we’re not on our way to Gorm,” Crow pointed out, leaning forward to rest his arms on the tabletop. “That trip would have been even longer.”

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, another voice spoke up from behind him. “Good evening,” a bar wench bowed to the group with far more respect than the viceroy was used to receiving from the general public. “It is my honor to serve you all today. What would you like to eat?”

Crow eyed her with veiled amusement. He wondered if she would have treated them the same way if she hadn’t thought they were a group of important dignitaries. “I’ll have veal and a pint of mead,” he answered.

“Stew and cider for me,” Naida grinned.

“I’ll have the same but with ale instead of cider,” Rayner said. Crow glanced at him. Given how quiet the knight had been until now, he hadn’t expected him to have such a rich voice when he spoke.

The wench nodded and turned to Penelope, studying her with subtle intrigue, “And for you?”

Penelope nodded her head in agreement with Crow as he pointed out that a trip to Gorm would have been even longer for them. The mission she received from Toreus aside, she was glad that the viceroy wouldn't be leaving for such a long trip, especially after they had just begun courting. While she knew there would likely come a time when they would have to be apart longer than just the two weeks to Younis, she was hoping they would have a decent amount of time together before that happened. She was pulled from her musings as the wench went on to address her.

"Oh, stew and a honey mead for me, please." she responded after a brief moment of thought.

"I'll be right back with those then." The wench nodded and dipped her head respectfully to the group before turning to walk off.

Penelope moved her gaze away, noting that the group was still getting quite a few stares from the nobles that were frequenting the inn. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as she considered how out of place she likely looked amongst the decorated nobles she was surrounded by. Though her own armor was decorated to display her title as lieutenant, it was still the same armor she wore on the warfront and it still bore small scratches and dents that faintly echoed the battles she had participated in. It certainly didn't match with the more pristine uniforms Naida and Ranyer wore that clearly had yet to see a fight.

"So, Penelope, I've been meaning to ask, but does Mia even know you're on your way back to the warfront?" Naida piped up with a curious look.

Drawn from her thoughts, she looked over at her friend and shook her head. "Well...No she doesn't. The last time I wrote to anyone on the warfront was when I was telling Gavin and Olivia about the party. She gave me two months to do what I could to convince the king so I imagine she'll be slightly surprised to find out I've returned so early." she said with a small smirk of amusement.

"She'll probably be impressed too!" Naida laughed. Her friend paused and she gave a small frown. "How long are you going to stay out there?"

Penelope paused. Having been too caught up in her last minute plans, she supposed she hadn't thought about how long her leave from the inner kingdom would be. As eager as she was to reunite with Crow after the two weeks, she began to wonder if she would be able to. "I'm not sure.." she answered honestly. "As long as they need me, I suppose but that could mean anything depending on how things go from here on out." She shrugged her shoulders a bit haplessly and shifted her gaze away as she noticed Percy and Preston walking over to join them.

As the wench walked away, Crow let his gaze wander over the dining area with passive interest. He noticed the people who were still staring at them and whispering amongst themselves, but no one looked angry or otherwise threatening, so his initial tenseness had begun to fade. Instead, he was caught up in the realization that it was the first time he had stayed in a place like this and technically belonged. The nobles that once peered down their noses at him were all his equals—or even beneath him, since he held the most prominent title outside of being a member of the royal family.

And I’m even part of that lineage, he shook his head incredulously at the thought. Albin’s ascension to the throne and persistence in seeking him out had changed everything. It still boggled his mind that he was the illegitimate firstborn son of their now king and that the man he had once loathed was now his caretaker and the provider of everything he owned. Toying with the gold colored hem of his sleeve, his thoughts wandered back to his mother as he pondered what she would think if she knew about the decisions he had made since he’d come to the inner kingdom. She had always been clear that she hated everything to do with nobles and despised the man who had left them. He could still hear the echo of her voice in his memory:

“You’ll be alright, Collin,” Madeleine Lockton combed her fingers gently through her son’s hair. She was lying on her back on the bed in their house in Myrefall, swaddled in blankets from her toes to her chest. It was about six months before illness claimed her life, and her once lively face had become shadowed in weariness. Her blue eyes were dull, and her golden blonde sea of hair now looked like the straw that filled the mattress beneath her.

At her side, a younger Crow knelt on the ground with his arms folded on the edge of the bed and one of her weak hands clasped firmly in his. He was around twelve years old with dirt stains on his skin and old, woolen clothes on his back that had been torn and patched in numerous locations. Since his mother’s health had taken a sharp decline, he’d taken to sleeping on the unwashed floor and didn’t have time to think about bathing when he spent almost every second doing everything he could to help her recover. There was a part of him that knew his efforts were useless, but he hadn’t yet accepted that she was going to lose the battle.

“How do you know?” his voice broke in spite of his efforts to be steadfast when she couldn’t. It was a heavy burden for a twelve-year-old to bear, but he was determined to step up as the man of their family and take care of her, both physically and emotionally, until she was back on her feet. His head was resolute, but his pale green eyes betrayed the fear he felt in his heart. His mother was the only family he had left, and her life was hanging by a thread. If he lost her, he didn’t know what he would do.

“Because you’re strong,” Madeleine smiled at him feebly. “No matter what happens to me, I know you’ll be just fine. You’re a survivor, Collin.” As she spoke, her hand dropped down from his head to rest against his side, and he shivered at the feeling of her warm touch against the scar hidden beneath his shirt. Her gaze softened, “You’re already such a talented thief for your age, and you’ll only get better as time goes on. I’m not worried about you at all.”

He looked away, unconvinced. “Why…” he started slowly, biting his lip. His mother never reacted well to the subject he wanted to bring up, so he braced himself as he asked: “Why isn’t father still here?”

Immediately, the smile vanished from Madeleine’s face, and she lifted her gaze to the roof. “You don’t need him,” she said with a cold edge to her voice. “We’ve been just fine on our own.”

“I know,” he shuffled his feet sheepishly. “But you’ve never told me why he left… I don’t understand why I don’t have a father when he’s still alive.” The most he knew was that his father had done something to wrong his mother in the past and that whatever it was, she couldn’t even look him in the eye sometimes because she saw the likeness of the man who had abandoned them. He longed to fill in the gaps to finally know the truth.

“It’s for the best that you don’t,” Madeleine sighed, stoking his hair again though she kept her blue eyes fixed on the ceiling—avoiding his face.

“I don’t think so,” he frowned. “If… If you don’t get better,” just mentioning her death made his throat feel tight, “I don’t want to keep wondering forever. I want to know who my father is and why he isn’t here. You said you would tell me when I’m older, but what if there isn’t enough time—” Unable to keep fighting back against the roiling emotions inside of him, he choked and buried his head against her side, biting down hard on his lower lip to stifle the sobs that threatened to wrack his body. He couldn’t cry in front of her. He was supposed to be the strong one.

There was a long silence before his mother finally spoke again. “You’re right,” she relented in a murmur. “If you really want to know, then I shouldn’t take it to my grave.” Another pause followed before she took a slow breath and began: “You already know some of the story, that I met Albin at a tavern while he was passing through Tamsworth and that we spent the night together. What I didn’t tell you is that your father isn’t from the outer villages. He’s a nobleman from Erith… the ambassador to the king.”

“I’m related to a nobleman?” Crow looked up at his mother in shock.

“Yes,” Madeleine nodded, gingerly brushing the tears from the corners of his eyes. “But that was why he wouldn’t stay,” her gaze darkened as she went on. “He cared more about his reputation than he did about being a father to you. When I told him I was pregnant, he was horrified, and to protect himself, he began screaming that I had seduced him when he was drunk and that I had to take sole responsibility for the consequences of my own actions. All the knights in the village believed him, of course, and word soon spread that I was a harlot who had taken advantage of their precious viceroy.”

She looked away from him again with an icy expression, “Noblemen are nothing but vipers, Collin. They will use who and whatever they can to get ahead in the kingdom, and they only care about themselves. Your father was no different than all the rest. Don’t you ever forget that.”

“I won’t,” he promised.

“Collin?”

Crow blinked dazedly as he realized he had gotten lost in his thoughts, brought back to the present by a nudge in his side. He turned to see that Percival and Preston had arrived at the table, and the latter was seated next to him with a concerned expression. “Sorry,” he flushed, embarrassed to have been caught zoning. “I got a little distracted.”

“A little?” Naida echoed dubiously. “I said your name three times.”

The viceroy winced. Caught up in the memory of his mother, he had missed the entire conversation. “Did you ask me something?”

“Yes,” his half-sister rolled her eyes. “I asked you what you’re going to do if Penelope can’t leave her battalion after she goes back.”

“Oh,” he mused. “To be honest, I haven’t thought about it. I’ve just been hoping that this war will dissolve quickly enough that we won’t have to wait.” He turned to the lieutenant with an affectionate smile. “Either way, though, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. We always do.” He winked at her playfully as he used the phrase she had said to him before.

Penelope nodded her head in greeting to Preston and Percy as the two joined the table before focusing back over to Naida as she prompted Crow. However, it seemed the viceroy wasn't paying attention as he didn't reply. The knight didn't think much of it until Naida had to call his name three times before a nudge from Preston finally brought the viceroy back to them. She eyed him, curiously wondering what he had been thinking about so intensely that he had completely zoned out of the conversation. He had seem fine the whole trip so she doubted it was anything concerning though so she was quick to let it go. Perhaps he had just been thinking about the parley that would eventually take place. Regardless, the knight wasn't going to question him about it at the moment.

As he finally went on to answer Naida, she smiled at him amusedly as he threw her words back at her. "Well we do." she shrugged, smirking up at him. "We've made it this far after all." And the knight had never pictured them getting to where they currently were until recent anyways. Though they'd be parting for two weeks soon, she was still undeniably happy with the route her life was taking her.

"It'll suck if you have to stay longer though." Naida sighed. "Then I won't have anyone to hangout with but him... Plus the sooner it ends the sooner Olivia can come back too!"

"Yes and I fear the day I have to handle both of you at once again." Penelope teased with an exaggerated shudder.

Naida rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to protest but got distracted as her gaze flickered away. The princess smiled as the baron walked over to rejoin the group. The baron moved to take a silent seat next to his son, but People noticed his gaze briefly flicker across the table to briefly glance at Preston. Though he didn't say anything, Penelope had a feeling he disapproved of the servant joining them as an equal. However, if he did, he didn't say anything and instead looked over to Naida as she addressed him. "Hey Otto, get everything taken care of?" she asked.

“And I’m glad we have,” Crow wrapped his arm around Penelope to pull her into a hug on the bench. He hadn’t even thought they would be able to properly court until a month ago. As disappointing as it was that he would only be able to see her for a couple more days before they parted, he couldn’t complain too much. Instead of trying to figure things out in the outer villages and feeling guilty for taking her away from all the people she knew and loved, they just had to wait a couple more weeks before they could start planning to get married in the inner kingdom. He was excited about what their future had in store.

As Naida spoke up, the viceroy glanced at her and rolled his eyes. “You know you like me,” he teased, reaching across the table to prod his sister’s arm. As he and Penelope bantered with the princess, Crow noticed that Rayner was watching them with an expression that he could only compare to abject horror. He supposed their closeness would have looked strange to someone on the outside, since no one knew that he and Naida were related through the king, but he wondered why the knight cared so much. For a moment, he considered asking him what he was staring at, but before he could, he heard his sibling address a different member of the group.

He twisted at the waist to see that Otto was approaching them from behind. The baron’s subtle glance at Preston didn’t slip past him, but since the older man said nothing about the attendant’s presence at the table, the former thief didn’t speak up either. Idly, he wondered what had kept Theroulde so long, since Percy and Preston had put up all seven horses in the stable behind the inn before he’d caught up with them. His unasked question was answered quickly though as the baron responded to Naida.

“As well as it could be,” he sighed, searching the restaurant for a bar wench to take his order.

“What does that mean?” the princess frowned.

“With the ongoing war, the inn is so crowded that there were hardly any rooms still available,” the baron explained with a mildly irritable edge to his voice. “I made sure to book one, but there are only three beds.”

“Why didn’t you just purchase two rooms?” Crow asked. It seemed like the simplest solution to the problem to him.

“Because of you,” Otto turned to him with an unreadable expression. “Everyone here, with the exception of Vermillion, has been assigned to this party to keep you safe. We would not be doing our jobs if we left you with just two pitiable guards for the night. We’ll have to make do with what was left over.”

“I see,” Crow mused, looking away from the baron as he caught the smell of hot food. Two servers had returned to bring out the dishes for him, Penelope, Naida, and Rayner, while a third approached to ask the remaining three what they wanted to eat.

Penelope listened as Otto explained the difficulty he had in securing a room. It wasn't difficult for the knight to guess that most of the larger rooms had been taken up by other parties that were traveling from the warfront. She supposed they were lucky enough to get a room with three beds. Her gaze drifted over to the food as the servers approached. The knight mumbled a word of thanks as her stew was placed in front of her. The savory smell of it enticed her appetite and she wasted no time in digging into her food. However, as she did, Otto spoke up again after he had finished placing in his order.

"By the way, lieutenant," Otto glanced across the table at her with his usual unreadable expression. "they did have single bed rooms, if you wished to get one of your own."

The knight paused at his suggestion. It was clear that the baron wasn't exactly including her as part of their group but he didn't seem to hold any particular malice towards her so the knight didn't mind. Besides, his suggestion wasn't a terrible one. The room would be crowded enough with the six and while she was concerned about the mercenaries, it wasn't like she would be their target. Plus her options of where she would be sleeping that night were limited anyways, considering she could only share a bed with Naida or sleep on the floor. With too many others around and being in a formal courtship, she wouldn't be able to share a bed with Crow, even though she would have liked to. "I'll think about." she mused with a small nod.

"You don't have to, Penelope." Naida piped up with a smile. "You can share a bed with me. I don't mind!"

"I appreciate the offer but I still recall sharing a bed with you in the past after a night visiting the tavern in Colchester." the knight smirked and shook her head. "I'm pretty sure I woke up with bruises after the amount you kicked me in your sleep."

"That was only because I went to bed drunk." Naida huffed and waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm not sure I want to find out if that's true or not." Penelope laughed before taking another bite from her food, ignoring the looks that were still coming from Rayner at the way the she spoke to the princess.

With freshly cooked food on the table, Crow wasted no time filling his mouth with the expertly seasoned veal he had requested. He sighed contentedly and chased the first bite with a swig of sweet mead. Once they passed beyond the edge of the inner kingdom, they would be reduced to eating whatever they had packed in their bags before they left the castle, so he took full advantage of the hot meal on his plate.

When Otto spoke up to address Penelope, he casted the baron a sideways glance. When Theroulde had first told them that they would be dividing up three beds, he had assumed that he would be able to share one with the lieutenant. Only belatedly did he realize that since intimacy in most forms was frowned upon by nobles, they wouldn’t be able to sleep next to each other while they were still unwed. The thought was disappointing, but he couldn’t argue against it. Now that they were so close to arranging their marriage, he didn’t want to do anything to slip up and risk losing John’s blessing. There was no way of knowing if anyone in the group would tell Penelope’s strict father if they had shared a bed, but it wasn’t worth finding out.

Privately, he hoped Penelope would choose to stay in the same room with them regardless. After their talk about the possibility of mercenaries in Brerra, he didn’t want to leave her alone where she could be attacked. The scar that marked her face reminded him that he’d already almost lost her to the paid killers before, and he could still vividly imagine the discolored streak from the sword that had cut her chest. He knew he was probably just being paranoid—if there were mercenaries nearby, it was quite clear that he was their target—but regardless, he preferred to keep her close to him until she parted ways to return to her battalion.

Not wanting to bring up his reservations in front of the others, he discreetly slipped his hand underneath the table to hold her leg, hoping that the mildly possessive gesture would be enough to convey that he was concerned about splitting up for the night.

As everyone ate their food, the table lapsed into a comfortable silence. Crow was the first to finish his supper, so he leaned tiredly against Penelope’s side, trying to stay awake while the rest of the group polished off their plates. His exhaustion from the long day had caught up with him while he started digesting the heavy food, so he was ready to sleep by the time they were getting up to retire to their room.

“I don’t care who I share a bed with,” he yawned broadly, taking the lieutenant by the hand as they exited the dining hall. “I just want to lay down.”

Otto cleared his throat. “Did you make up your mind, lieutenant?” He asked, peering back over his shoulder at Penelope. “His Majesty budgeted for us to use larger, more expensive rooms during this trip, so there is enough gold leftover to pay for a second if you’d prefer to be alone.”

Penelope felt Crow rest his hand on her leg and gave a subtle glance towards the viceroy besides her. Since the gesture was discreet, it was easy for the knight to guess that he likely wasn't for her spending the night in a separate room especially after what they had discussed that day. While Penelope didn't believe she'd be in any danger—she wasn't the target and wouldn't even be participating in the journey—she supposed it might be better to stay with the group. Being with them would give her more of a peace of mind than being separated and worrying about an attack happening in the other room.

With her mind made up, she focused on her supper. The lieutenant finished off her food shortly after Rayner, who was the second done after Crow, and relaxed against her suitor as they waited for the others to finish their dishes. Once everyone was ready, she rose up to her feet gave a small stretch before lacing her fingers with Crow's as he took her hand. While the long day wasn't catching up to her as much as it had with the viceroy, she still found herself quite weary and all the more eager to settle down for the night.

As Otto addressed her, she gave him a small smile. "I appreciate the offer but I think I'll just stick around rather than getting my own room." she said with a polite dip of her head.

The baron paused before giving his head a small nod. "Very well... Follow me then." he replied as he took the lead. She followed the others alongside Crow as Otto lead them out of the dining hall and down the long hallway to their room. As expected, the room wasn't very spacious and held three beds inside. While everyone filtered into the room, she let go of Crow's hand to step off to one corner of the room to remove her armor.

"So are you bunking with me?" Naida asked with a smile as she stepped over to the bed on the far left of the room.

"No," Penelope replied with a smirk as she slipped off her chest plate. "I'm taking my chances with the floor." Even though she had decided to stay with the group, she still didn't feel like taking her chances with sharing a bed with Naida. As much as she didn't mind the company of her friend, she preferred not to wake up with a sore back. Plus there was a chance she'd just end up on the floor anyways.

"Are you sure?" Naida frowned with a hint of guilt in her gaze. "I'll try to stay still."

"It's fine, Naida." Penelope assured with a smile. "I don't mind." Having taken off her armor, the knight rolled her shoulders, grateful to have the additional weight off of her for the night. Her gaze shifted around the room as she watched the other knights follow a similar path as her as they moved to settle down for the night. While they did, she turned over to Crow and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Good night, Crow."

When Penelope told Otto that she would be staying with them for the night, Crow squeezed her hand in silent gratitude. On any other trip, he wouldn’t have minded sleeping in separate rooms, but until they could be sure that they were all out of danger, he preferred to rely on safety in numbers. Leaving her isolated from the rest of the group was just inviting trouble with mercenaries. Even if it was unlikely that she would be attacked, he wanted to make sure they all made it to their destinations safely and without any incidents.

Following Otto and Rayner into the room, he took a moment to look around. As expected, it wasn’t very spacious. All three beds were lined up against the back wall and looked like they were barely large enough to fit two full-grown men each. He lingered by the door, contemplating the arrangement while everyone else entered and began taking off their armor. Since Penelope had volunteered to sleep on the floor, Naida would have the leftmost bed to herself. That left the other two to be divided between himself and the other four men. He folded his arms over his chest. There wasn’t going to be enough space for all of them.

The viceroy blinked and turned to Penelope as he felt her kiss him on the cheek and wish him goodnight. “’Night,” he offered her a half smile before turning back to the others. The Therouldes had claimed the middle bed and were removing their uniforms, while Percival and Preston were on the right side of the room winding down as well. He stepped over to the latter and rested a hand on his attendant’s shoulder, “Take the bed with Percy. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“What?” Preston turned to him in surprise. “I’m not going to do that.”

“It’s fine,” Crow shrugged dismissively and casted him a smile. “I slept on the floor the last time I traveled to Younis, so I’m used to it. You two can share the bed.”

From the center of the room, Otto cleared his throat. “Lockton, I understand that you have a soft spot for peasants, but I would suggest that you don’t let your emotions cloud your better judgment.” He turned to the viceroy with a frown. “Your wellbeing is more important than anyone else in this room. I must insist that you sleep in a bed tonight.”

“It’s really not that important,” Crow insisted stubbornly. “The clothes I brought are warmer than what he owns, so it makes more sense for me to be the one to take the floor. I don’t want him to get sick in the cold overnight.”

“It would be far more detrimental for you to become ill,” the baron objected sternly.

“I’ll manage,” the viceroy narrowed his eyes.

“Collin, it’s fine,” Preston intervened. He shifted his weight between his feet, glancing at Theroulde nervously. “It’s just one night, and it’s my job to serve you. Let me do so by sleeping on the ground.”

Crow set his jaw, prepared to continue arguing with them about it, but before he could say anything, Preston dropped down on the floor beside the bed. He sat cross-legged and lifted a hand to indicate the empty side of the mattress, “Goodnight.”

“Fine,” the viceroy relented. He reached for the bottom of his surcoat and pulled the heavy fabric over his head so that he was left in just his undershirt. “But you’re taking this,” he asserted, proffering the clothing to the boy.

“Thanks,” Preston said under his breath. It was apparent to Crow that his attendant was still ruffled by Otto, but he wasn’t going to let the baron bully them into submission. After all, just because he had become a nobleman didn’t mean he had to adopt the nobles’ way of life. He planned to honor his word to Hazel that he wouldn’t let his new life change who he was.

Otto didn’t seem pleased with his gesture, but there was nothing he could say to prevent the servant from borrowing his master’s clothes, so he let the subject go, and they all finished getting ready for bed in silence. Crow took off his boots and climbed under the sheets next to Percival with a weary yawn. In the small bed, there was barely enough room for them to lay down side by side, but he was too tired to be bothered by the lack of space. He rolled onto his side to face away from the knight and closed his eyes, waiting for Rayner to finish taking off the last of his armor so he could fall asleep.

Penelope mirrored his smile before moving to take her space on the floor. Just as she was sitting down, Otto's words caught her attention. Her green eyes flickered over to the baron as he objected to Preston taking the bed. It reminded her of the glance he had casted the servant when he had joined them for dinner and she was beginning to find that he was rubbing her the wrong way. Of course, she wasn't the only one. Her attention shifted over to Crow, who clearly didn't appreciate the baron's interference. Luckily the issue was put to rest by Preston as the attendant sat down.

With things settling down now that Preston had committed to sleeping on the floor, the knight laid down as well and shifted to rest her head under her arm. After seeing the baron's colors beginning to show a bit more clearly, she had a feeling that the trip to Younis would likely be a less than perfect one for both Crow and Preston if Otto continued to act as he had been that day. However, that wouldn't be her fight to face so she pushed it out of her mind as she closed her eyes.

Rayner soon finished taking off his armor and the group laid down for the night. As a silence filled the room, she attempted to get some sleep despite the less than comfortable position that she was in. Unfortunately that wasn't as easy as the knight hoped it would be. While she still believed she had chosen the better option between the two that she had, it certainly wasn't easy for the knight to fall asleep.

Though Penelope had slept on the floor before in past missions—usually the forest floor since bedrolls got displaced or left behind—she was far from used to the discomfort that came with it. Despite closing her eyes and attempting to drift off for the night, it didn't come easily. She shifted and turned as she tried to find a more comfortable position but didn't have very much success. Eventually she managed to drift off into a light sleep but it was occasionally disturbed by a snore coming from one of the Therouldes. At least, she thought it was coming from that direction In the dark and exhausted, she wasn't able to determine who it was specifically.

The knight let out a long sigh under her breath. It seemed it would be a restless night for her.

For the first half of the night, Crow slept more soundly than he usually did. Between his own body heat and Percival’s, the bed they shared was comfortably warm against the cool night air that lowered the overall temperature in their room. He slumbered with one arm folded beneath his pillow, unperturbed by the rhythmic snores that came from somewhere in the middle of the room and the occasional tossing of the knight on the other side of the mattress—that is, until his regular nightmare made another appearance.

At the familiar fell swoop of Jaxon’s blade, he jolted upright on the bed with a quiet, strangled gasp and clutched his shirt as he tried to slow his racing heart. Distantly, he was aware of the other people in the room with him, and he took slow breaths to calm down before his panicking woke anyone else up. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite fast enough.

“Collin, are you okay?” Percival whispered, sitting up beside him and frowning concernedly.

Silently, Crow cursed his nightmare for making a return when he was in the company of so many other people. Until now, Preston and Penelope were the only ones who knew he suffered from occasional bad dreams, and he had been hoping to keep it that way. “I’m fine,” he murmured with a slight rasp. Everyone else still seemed to be sleeping, so he didn’t think he had screamed this time, but his mouth felt dry regardless. “Go back to sleep. It’s nothing.”

The knight studied him for a moment long before he prodded, “Nightmare?”

The viceroy rolled his eyes, “Nightmares are nothing.”

“Not to the one who has them,” Percy rebutted. He paused again and then asked, “Do you get nightmares often?”

“I said go back to sleep,” Crow muttered cagily.

The knight pursed his lips. “If you insist,” he sighed, shifting his weight to lay down again.

As his bedmate complied with the request, the viceroy relaxed and laid on his back. His heart was still fluttering with residual anxiety, so he stared up at the dark ceiling as he waited for it to calm down. In the next moment, another thought came to him, and he turned his head toward the knight. “Percy?” he reached over to push the other man’s shoulder, testing whether he had fallen back asleep.

It seemed like he hadn’t. “Yes?” Percival rolled over to face him, lifting a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn. He might not have been asleep yet, but he was obviously tired.

“Don’t… tell anyone about tonight,” Crow winced as he made the request under his breath.

The knight held his gaze contemplatively and then nodded, “You have my word.”

“Thanks,” he let out his breath in relief. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

With the issue resolved, Crow tossed onto his side and closed his eyes to go back to sleep as well. However, before he could drift off, he stirred at the sound of the door opening and closing softly. Right away, he stiffened and opened one eye just enough to see a shadowy figure walk silently over to the middle bed and crouch down. In the lightless room, it was difficult for him to see the person, but after a moment, he realized the man was familiar. It was Otto, taking off his boots. The viceroy watched him with furrowed brows. He wondered what the baron had been doing out in the middle of the night after they had all gone to sleep. He didn’t remember hearing him leave the room.

Percival noticed as well. “Baron Theroulde?” he inquired, turning over again to look at the older knight. “Is there something wrong?”

Otto flinched at the unexpected sound of a voice and turned toward them. “Nothing is wrong,” responded softly, recovering his composure when he saw who had spoken. “There is no restroom here, so I went outside to use the privy.” He smiled at Percy amusedly. “Get some rest, Granger. There are still a few hours left before dawn.”

The knight grunted compliantly and turned over again, heaving his shoulders in a shrug when he caught sight of Crow’s open eyes in the darkness. The viceroy observed the baron for a moment longer before he drew the blanket back up to his chin and settled down to sleep as well. At least it hadn’t been a mercenary. Knowing that they were all still safe for now, he let himself drift off to catch a few more hours of rest before they had to leave in the morning.

Due to her light sleep, footsteps sounding across the wooden floor didn't go unnoticed by the knight. However, as she peaked her eyes open she was able to vaguely make out Otto's silhouette in the dark as he quietly stepped out of the room. Figuring the man was just leaving to relieve himself, she didn't think much of it and instead closed her eyes once more. This time she had a little more success in sleeping, managing to drift off into another light sleep. In her drowsy state, she was vaguely aware of hearing voices at one point as well as Otto's return but didn't bother opening her eyes to investigate.

As dawn neared, the room fell quiet once more and the knight finally began to fall into a deeper sleep.

---

Unfortunately she was still a little too late to get a full night's rest. It felt like the knight had just barely managed to fall asleep when she heard the wooden floor creak softly under a pair of boots. Penelope usually wasn't the type to put off waking up and tending to her duties but for once she considered it. Between the poor sleep and the long journey the day before, she didn't want to move. Even though the floor was uninviting, she had managed to get some sleep in towards the end of the night. Rebelliously, she closed her eyes a little tighter, as if willing the morning to go away would by her the time she needed. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work.

"Time to get up." Otto's voice announced rather loudly. Though she had yet to open her eyes to look, by the sound of it she wasn't the only one who had yet to get up.

Penelope let out a low groan, clearly disgruntled from having to wake up. There was no use in fighting it though. Even if she did go back to sleep, she knew it would be of any better quality so there was no sense in trying. Stiffly, the knight sat up and stretched out her back, cringing subtly as it smarted in response. Not only had it been difficult to sleep but it seemed it had left her feeling stiff and in more places than one. She shifted her right arm uncomfortably. It had been the arm she used to rest her head on for most of the night and because of that, there was a faint twinge in her shoulder. Dear gods I'm a mess this morning.. The knight thought with a faint shake of her head as she moved to rise to her feet. Trying to ignore the discomfort, she rubbed a hand over her eyes and then looked around to see the others as they rose as well.

The following morning, Crow was awoken by the sound of rustling blankets and the creaking of a mattress as Otto and Rayner got up from their shared bed. He pulled his own blanket over his head, reluctant to leave the comfortable spot so early in the morning. Aside from the interruption of his nightmare, he’d gotten plenty of sleep the night before, but he was still tired and a little sore from riding for most of the previous day. If he could get even a few more minutes of sleep before they set out on the next leg of their journey, he was going to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, the baron didn’t give him the chance.

At the sound of Otto’s commanding voice, the viceroy groaned irritably. He would have been tempted to ignore the call to get up if Percival hadn’t followed it by making their bed lurch slightly as he sat upright. “Collin,” he said the former thief’s name as he gently shook his shoulder. “We need to get going.”

“That doesn’t work,” Preston informed the knight with a yawn, getting up from the floor. Despite the uncomfortable arrangement, the attendant seemed to have slept well through the night. He stretched his back and stepped over to the bedside to yank the blanket down from the viceroy’s body in his usual method of waking him up.

“Hey,” Crow snapped, shooting the boy a glare as the cold air in the room swept over his uncovered torso. “Ungrateful brat, I gave you my coat to sleep in.”

“And I’m repaying you by making sure we reach the next town in plenty of time,” Preston shrugged, lifting a hand to tug the shoulder of the oversized clothing back into place as it slipped. The surcoat was comically large on his smallish frame. In the back of his mind, Crow thought it made him look like a little kid wearing an older sibling’s hand-me-down. At least the thick fabric seemed to have kept the servant warm enough to get a full night of rest.

“You’re a real pain in my ass,” he said dryly, though he sat up on the bed and stretched his legs in preparation to get up anyway. At his side, Percival watched the exchange in silence, and Crow frowned at him, “What?”

The knight blinked, seeming caught off guard by the abrupt question, and turned away. “Nothing,” he answered, quickly standing up to put his armor back on.

The viceroy studied him bemusedly for a moment longer before getting up as well to put on his boots and take his surcoat back from Preston. With a verbal prod from the attendant, he reluctantly put his hat on too, wondering to himself if anyone would notice if he “lost” it during the trip. Somehow, he had a feeling that his servant would find a way to stop him even if he tried.

Once he was done dressing himself, he crossed the room to greet Penelope by wrapping his arms around her middle and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Morning, love,” he smiled at her fondly, forgetting his earlier foul mood at the sight of her face. “How did you sleep?”

Briefly, she watched as the others rose from their beds before moving to collect her own armor that she had set down the night before. A small smirk of amusement crossed over her lips as she overheard the conversation that was going on across the room between Crow and Preston. As usual the viceroy wasn't a morning person and she could help but pity the attendant. Having been on the receiving end before—although to much lesser degree—she was no stranger to his reluctance to get up in the morning. She finished putting on her armor and turned to face her suitor as he approached.

She smiled up at him and slipped her arms around his middle as he wrapped his arms around her. Despite not feeling particularly well rested, she didn't want to draw any attention to it. "Good enough." she responded with a small smile as she hoped her tired eyes didn't reveal too much about her less than perfect night. While it wasn't that she felt the need to hide it from him, she just didn't want to cause for any unnecessary concern and just hoped they'd be able to get a room with an appropriate amount of beds the coming night.

"Morning." Naida yawned as she stepped over to the two after putting on her armor. "You guys ready to sit on a horse all day again?"

"As ready as one can be." Penelope said with a tired smirk as she took a small step back from Crow to address Naida. She glanced towards the other knights as they finished putting on their armor and began to move towards the door to exit. She reached to take Crow's hand and casted a smile at the two half siblings. "Although I think getting some breakfast will help prep me even more."

“Good enough, huh?” Crow echoed with a hint of disbelief. Just by looking at her face, he could tell she hadn’t slept very well. They had been together long enough that the shadows under her eyes were a dead giveaway to him that the floor hadn’t treated her kindly overnight. Although she tried to cover up her weariness, he hoped they would be able to secure a room with enough beds for everyone when they reached Wellspring.

Thinking about the next town, his thoughts returned to his companions in the northern region of the outer villages. The only idea he could come up with to see them was to part with Penelope the next morning, so that she could tell them to meet him halfway between Myrefall and Silverpool the following night. He held her tightly, disliking the prospect of losing a whole day with her. He had to honor his promise to the other thieves though, and he did miss their company too. This was the only way he could meet with them without alerting the rest of the knights to his intentions. No one else could know that he was still in contact with criminals since he had taken the title of viceroy. He didn’t trust most of them not to report the news to Albin.

As Naida approached, Crow let his arms fall away from Penelope and turned to his sister. “It’s better than walking all the way to the Younisian castle,” he pointed out with a shrug. Having done both, he preferred the mildly uncomfortable experience of sitting on a horse’s back over sore feet and a slower journey. However, Penelope’s suggestion was even more appealing.

“Gods yes,” he groaned, resting one hand on his stomach while the knight took the other. “Let’s get something to eat at the inn before we leave.”

“I’m sorry, Lockton, but we’ll be having breakfast on the ride,” Otto interjected before they had a chance to take one step toward the door. “Because of the heavy traffic between the castle and the warfront, we need to arrive at the next town even earlier to ensure that we’ll have a large enough room for our group. There is bread and salted meat for anyone who’s hungry in the attendant’s saddlebags.”

Crow watched with a frown as the baron directed Preston and Percival to retrieve their horses from the stables without leaving room for debate. “So much for hot food,” he muttered to Penelope. He would have tried harder to convince the older man to let them eat before they took to the road, but since the lieutenant had gotten a poor night of sleep, he silently agreed that it was better for them to make sure they had enough beds this time.

Using the thought to take the edge off his disappointment, he followed the Therouldes as they led the way to the front of the building.

Penelope smirked in amusement as Crow was quick to agree to her suggestion of food. Unfortunately his plans for grabbing a bite to eat at the inn was shot down rather quickly as Otto butted in to inform them otherwise. While the knight didn't care much about the change of plans, she could tell the viceroy was a bit disappointed to say the least. She glanced over at him and gave a hapless shrug before giving his hand a small squeeze. As much as she wanted a warm breakfast, having a bed to settle down in at the end of the day sounded much more appealing so the knight was silently glad that Crow didn't object to Otto's words.

She followed the others alongside Crow as they headed out of the inn and to the front of the building. The knight let go of his hand to roll her shoulders, trying to fend off her the remaining twinge she felt her shoulder before she'd have to get on a horse to ride for the rest of the day. Since Percy and Preston had left prior to the rest of the group, they returned rather quickly with the horses in tow. Taking in a deep breath, she glanced over to Crow, with a hint of concern filtering into her gaze. Today they'd be leaving Sarton and traveling even further from the inner kingdom, which would mean the chances for an attack would be raised. Crow's story about having seen a mercenary in Bellmare hadn't slipped her mind in the least.

"Let's just hope today's as uneventful as the last." she sighed softly.

"I don't doubt that it will be." Naida groaned as she overheard the lieutenant's words. The princess seemed to miss the tone of worry in her friend's voice as she walked past to collect her horse from Percy.

Penelope glanced over at Naida and frowned faintly before moving to grab her own horse from Preston. She mounted the stead and and guided it into position. She noticed Otto and his son already moving to take up the front of the group on their horses, clearly wasting no time as the group prepared to depart.

Walking side by side with Penelope to the front of the inn, Crow absently watched the backs of Otto and Rayner as the two knights strode ahead of them. Ever since they had left the castle, he had attached himself to Penelope by the hip. The behavior was partly because they didn’t have much more time left before they would have to part ways for weeks, but it was also because she was the most comfortable person in the group to him. Once she was gone, he was sure he would have to divide his time between the rest of the nobles. He frowned at the thought. As much as he liked being around his sister when they were in the citadel, Naida was proving to be high-maintenance company when they were on the road. She barely listened when anyone asked her to keep her mouth shut and demanded attention when she decided she had gone too long without it. Her silver spoon was showing, and he didn’t have the energy to keep her satisfied for the rest of the journey.

Out of all his guards, Percival was objectively the best option for company. The knight was taciturn but friendly when he did engage in conversation. He was almost Naida’s opposite in that regard. While Crow had always been fond of idle chatter, he’d learned to enjoy sitting in silence too recently. Percy only seemed to open his mouth when he had something important or relevant to say, and it was a quality that the viceroy was coming to appreciate as he got to know him better. Privately, he decided that he wouldn’t mind spending more of his time with the other man after Penelope was gone if Percy didn’t see his presence as an intrusion. At least it would be better than letting Naida talk his ear off every minute they weren’t on the road.

As they stopped by the front of the inn to wait for Percival and Preston to return with their horses, the former thief glanced sideways at the Therouldes. The father and son duo reminded him quite a bit of William and Abraxas. The elder was brusque and orderly while the younger was soft-spoken and shy. He found it ironic how similar the two were to his past comrades and wondered if they would have treated him the same way as William and Abraxas had if he was still a criminal. Of course, there was no way to know for sure, but he had a feeling that Otto, at least, would have tried to put him in his place. He hadn’t been very considerate of Preston so far, and the boy was just a servant. If that was any indication of how he saw people who were socially beneath him, Crow was certain he would have been just as horrible of a guard as William, if not worse.

The viceroy was drawn from his thoughts when he felt Penelope slip her hand out of his. He looked down at her with a thoughtful expression as she rolled her shoulders. It was already apparent to him that she hadn’t slept well, but now it was starting to seem like she was sore after sleeping on the floor as well. He nearly questioned her about it, but she spoke up before he could say a word.

At her sigh, a smile crossed his lips, and he nodded in agreement. The previous day had been boring, but he would take boring over ‘nearly killed by mercenaries’ any day of the year. “You’re the one who wanted to come with us,” he quipped to his sister, nudging her teasingly with his elbow when she complained again. “Like it or not, this is what you asked for.”

“I thought going on an adventure would be more… well… adventurous than this,” Naida crossed her arms in a bitter posture.

“As someone who’s been on an ‘adventurous’ adventure, I promise you that this is much better,” Crow smirked at her over his shoulder as he stepped onto the cobblestone road to take Baine from Preston. Turning away from the princess, he met his attendant’s gaze expectantly. “You’ve got the extra rations in your saddlebags, right? I’m not going anywhere until I’ve got something to eat in my hand.”

Preston nodded, “I can give you half a loaf of rye, but you should at least get on your horse while I bring it to you.”

“Fair enough,” the viceroy complied amenably. Hooking one boot into the closest stirrup, he hopped up onto Baine’s sturdy back and waited for the servant to fulfill his request for breakfast. As soon as that was done and everyone was ready to go, Otto gave the signal, and they departed down the road.

Penelope waited for the others to get settled into place on top of her horse. She listened to Crow and Naida speak, smirking amusedly as the viceroy assured her that the adventurous journey was better. It was certainly a sentiment that the knight agreed with. While past adventures may have become nothing more than interesting stories to share now, she knew they didn't feel so interesting at the time. The knight hoped that their journey now would remain as peaceful as the first day.

Her green eyes flickered ahead as she noticed Otto eventually give the signal for them to depart. Ready to continue on towards Wellsprings, the female knight gave her horse a light kick and set into motion with the rest of the group. For a while, she road in silence. It was comfortable but soon she began to realize it was too comfortable. Though her soreness from the restless sleep was beginning to wear off, her tiredness wasn't as eager to disappear. Just when she thought it was beginning to go, the knight began to notice her eyelids felt heavy and that she was slouching more than usual on her horse as the beast's natural and steady movements relaxed her. Penelope took in a deep breath and sat up, attempting to fight off the craving to close her eyes.

Needing a distraction to fill the silence and help keep alert, she shifted her horse to ride a little closer to Crow. "Well, we didn't get the breakfast we wanted but at least we'll make good time to Wellsprings." she mused, giving her suitor a small smile. "Otto should at least allow us a warm dinner, I would hope." She also hoped for a bed but that hope she kept to herself.

Riding alongside Penelope, Crow watched the surrounding trees pass by while he chewed bites of the rye bread Preston had given him. He kept a halfhearted lookout for movement, but it was difficult to stay focused when it was still so early in the morning and he hadn’t finished filling his stomach. Instead of staying alert, his thoughts wandered to unimportant things such as pieces of past conversations that he recalled when a sight triggered the memories and musings about what his father might have been doing while he waited to find out if the Younisian king would accept the peace treaty. He wasn’t particularly lost in his thoughts, but the whimsical subjects were enough to keep his mind occupied when he was too tired to stay focused on any one topic for more than a few minutes at a time.

For once, everyone in the group was quiet—even Naida was still groggy enough not to complain about the lack of conversation—so the former thief heard Penelope take a deep breath and shuffle in her saddle at his side. He glanced at her, taking notice that she looked just as tired as she had been when he’d first greeted her when they’d woken up. It seemed like she hadn’t gotten much sleep at all on the floor. He made a mental note to try to persuade her to share a bed with Naida at the next inn if they came up short on sleeping arrangements in Wellspring. Even if the princess did toss and turn in her slumber, it had to be better than a guaranteed night of sleeplessness on hard, wooden slats.

When the knight spoke, Crow’s green eyes flicked up to meet hers and he smirked. “Speak for yourself,” he teased, popping another bite of bread into his mouth. “The gods know I won’t willingly sit on a horse all day unless I’m given something to eat first. You really ought to learn how to be more of a pest, love. Maybe you’ll get some breakfast next time too.” He winked at her playfully and tore the remaining bread in half, holding out one piece to her. “But since I love you, I’ll share my spoils just this once.”

Penelope mirrored Crow's smirk as he responded to her. The knight rolled her eyes teasingly as he pointed out the success of his stubbornness when it came to getting food. "I guess there are some perks to annoying people into giving you what you want. I can't deny it's effective, I know what it's like to be on the receiving end." she joked giving an exaggerated shudder. As he held out the piece of bread to her, the knight hesitated before accepting it from him. While normally she may have been able to get by until lunch, the lack of sleep had drained a good portion of her energy and getting a bite to eat would surely help with that.

"I'm touched that you're willing to share with me. I know how much food means to you." Penelope said with mock seriousness as she brought up her bread-filled hand to her heart in another exaggerated gesture. Her expression quickly cracked into a smirk. "But thank you. I was afraid I would have to wait until we stopped before I could eat." she said in a more genuine tone before she took a bite from the bread he had given her. Having something to focus on now, the knight found it a little more easier to fight off her remaining weariness from the night before.

Chewing thoughtfully, her gaze flickered briefly over their surroundings. Now a little more awake she was able to focus more on the task at hand, which included her own worries about the group being attacked. The knight shifted a bit in her saddle and glanced over towards Crow besides her. "Crow," she began in a low voice, trying to keep the others nearby from eavesdropping. Luckily with Naida too groggy to try and butt in on the conversation, the knight felt they might be able to speak a little more privately. Especially since Otto was wrapped up in a conversation with his son and Percy didn't seem to particularly be paying attention to them.

"Are you still planning to tell them about the mercenaries at some point?" she asked, her voice a whisper. She met his gaze searchingly. She knew he had some hesitations about addressing what he had possibly seen and that she had advised against telling them the direct truth, but she still felt it was important to give the rest of the group a word of warning. Once she left the group, the only one who'd be even remotely ready for such an attack would be Crow.