“Don’t pretend like it’s always an inconvenience,” Crow teased Penelope with a wink as he passed the bread off to her. “If I didn’t annoy people, you wouldn’t have anything to eat right now… or any of the other times I pestered you to stop for food on our past trips.” He wasn’t always good at taking care of himself, but his stomach was the exception to that rule. As long as he wasn’t hungry, he didn’t mind putting up with almost any other difficult situation. In this case, that meant embarking on a journey to another kingdom to end a war whilst risking life and limb at the hands of mercenaries who may have been sent to stop him. They still had bread left, so the rest was inconsequential.

“Of course not,” he glanced at the knight again when she went on. “I hope you’d know by now that for as much as I love to eat, I love you more. I wouldn’t make you go hungry, especially when you’re barely sitting upright on your horse.” He smirked as he revealed that he’d noticed her exhaustion. Glancing at the knights riding ahead of them to make sure they weren’t paying attention, he leaned sideways in his saddle to add in a low tone, “You might want to consider taking Naida up on her offer to share a bed this time.”

As Penelope’s demeanor changed, Crow watched her with a curious look. Her question gave him pause, and his green eyes wandered over the surrounding trees as he considered an answer. It was hard to say what the best decision would be. If he told the others about the mercenary he had seen in Bellmare, it was likely that they wouldn’t believe him or even that they would assume the man had nothing to do with their current mission. However, if he kept the information to himself, then they wouldn’t even have the option to be prepared if there were people who didn’t want them to get to the king of Younis. Even though he wasn’t fond of the idea, the latter consequence was objectively worse than the former.

“I am,” he sighed, turning back to her with a frown. “I still don’t know exactly how or when I’ll do it, but they need to know. My father told them to come on this trip to guard me, but I don’t think anyone really believes that we’re going to be attacked by a third party. They’re only on guard for retaliation from the Younisians, so it would be best for all of us if they were aware that we might be followed.” Popping the last bite of bread into his mouth, he brushed his hands against his trousers to get rid of the crumbs and reached across the gap between their horses to take her hand. “Don’t worry, alright? I’ll be fine. Once they know about the risk, we’ll be ready for anything.”

She returned his frown with a faint one of her own and took another bite from her bread, chewing it with a bit of unease. Penelope let out a soft sigh as Crow admitted that he was still at least planning to tell the rest of the knights about the potential threat of mercenaries. She was glad that he still intended to tell them but she disliked putting it off. The situation wasn’t ideal since they might not believe him regardless but the group needed to at least hear the information he had to share. Even if they dismissed his words, at least they wouldn’t be completely caught off guard if an attack did happen. “It would..we both know how dangerous those can be when you’re not prepared.” she mumbled to him, her frown deepening.

Her green eyes swept away from him to survey their surroundings at the though. Now feeling a little more awake and aware, the knight was much more devoted to keeping an eye out for any possible danger around them. It made her slightly unprepared for when Crow reached over to take her hand. She blinked at the sudden touch and turned her head to look over at him. As he told her not to worry, she raised an eyebrow at him and a half hearted smile crossed her lips. “First off, you should know by now that telling me not to worry isn’t going to stop me from worrying.” she pointed out, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze.

Penelope’s smile dwindled and she let go of his hand once more. “You have good knights with you, so that does give me some peace of mind… but I also know how skilled trained killers are.” she added. The knight met his gaze and gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I just wanted to make sure you were still planning on telling them. I’ll still worry about your safety regardless but I’ll feel a little better once the rest of the group is aware of the mercenaries. After all, you and I are the only ones that know about it right now and I’m not even going to be on this trip with you for much longer.”

Her gaze lowered slightly at her own words. Her duties at the warfront could not be ignored but she really did wish that she didn’t have to part with him. Even if the mercenaries weren’t a threat to be concerned about, she still disliked having to go separate ways so soon after their courtship had just begun. “I’ll just be glad when we can both return to the castle after this.” she muttered to him.

Crow rolled his eyes when Penelope reminded him that she wouldn’t stop worrying about him. “Maybe not, but I’m hopeful I’ll get through to you one day,” he retorted cheekily. Perhaps it was cocky, but he really did believe he was capable of taking care of himself even in the midst of danger. After all, he’d managed to survive other mercenaries, knights, bounty hunters, the current war, and even Jaxon. If he kept up with his current track record, he was sure that he and the other nobles in their peace party would pull through if they were attacked. He just had to make sure that they knew what kind of enemies to look out for on the way to Younis, so they would be ready to fight back.

“They may be skilled, but so are we,” he pointed out with a lopsided smile. “Well… at least, they are.” He tilted his head toward the knights riding in front of them. Since he’d started training with John, he’d made some improvement to his sword fighting techniques, but he still operated best in a fight when his opponents let down their guards. When pitted against someone who actually knew how to use a blade and who wouldn’t fall for his tricks, he had a much harder time holding his ground. If mercenaries did attack them, he had a feeling he would be relying heavily on the others to fend them off. However, he wasn’t terribly concerned because the knights around him were all good at their jobs, so he wouldn’t have to do much fighting anyway.

As Penelope went on, the former thief was reminded of the other subject he had yet to discuss with her. He watched with a frown as she lowered her gaze, clearly upset that they would have to part ways soon. For a moment, he toyed with the thought of forgetting about the request he’d wanted to make, so they could have one extra day together, but he quickly pushed the idea aside. Even if they had one more day, it wouldn’t change much in the long run. It was better for them to part sooner if it meant he could steal one night to be with his old companions. Between them and the knight, he was far less certain about when he would be able to see the former again. It could be weeks or even months before he could find another opportunity like this. He let out his breath.

“I will too,” he agreed with her final statement, paused, and then looked up to seek her gaze again. “And speaking of not being together much longer… I have a favor to ask.” His light eyes flicked toward the knights ahead of them and then back towards Percival and Naida as he made sure they were far enough away not to eavesdrop on what he was about to say. Once he felt confident that they could speak somewhat privately, he guided Baine to walk a little closer to Penelope’s horse and leaned toward her, dropping his voice to a whisper, “I’ve been thinking. We’ll be getting close to the part of the forest where my companions have been living, but they’re still too far out of the way for me to visit them. I can’t change our course without raising anyone’s suspicion either. I don’t want them to know I still keep in touch with criminals, so… would you be willing to part ways in the next town tomorrow morning?” He offered her a pleading smile. “I love you, and I would love to spend as much time with you as we can get, but this may be my only chance to see them for who knows how long. I don’t want to lose it, and if you go north tomorrow, you can tell them I’m in the area. Let them know that I can meet them halfway between Silverpool and Myrefall two nights from now. I promise I’ll make it up to you after we get back to the castle.”

Penelope gave a small nod as Crow agreed with her sentiment about returning to the castle. The knight was just beginning to look away, thinking that the conversation would fall into a brief silence, to scan her green gaze over their surroundings again when the viceroy spoke up again. She tilted her head with questioning curiosity as he admitted to needing to ask a favor of her. It seemed to be of the private nature too as she noted how he eyed to make sure the others around them wouldn’t be able to over hear. In an attempt to keep their conversation private as well, she leaned a little more towards him, craning to hear his whispered words to come but also being careful not to lose balance.

As Crow brought his companions, the knight was quick to catch onto where he was going with this favor. Her gaze flickered away from his as she took in his words. It’d be lying to say she didn’t feel a bit disappointed. They had barely gotten much time together since they began courting and to give up an extra day of that wasn’t something she was overly fond of. But that was just her own selfish feelings. Despite the disappointment, she understood Crow’s desire to see his friend again, especially when there was no certainty of when he would have the opportunity again. We’ll have plenty of days to come after this. she reminded herself firmly. It was senseless to be disappointed over one day when they had so many more ahead of them.

With her initial disappointment gone, she met his gaze with a smile and reached over to rest her hand on his arm. “We can part ways tomorrow. You gave up that whole life for me, giving up one day is the least I can do.” she assured him in a lowered voice. That also meant she’d be returning to her battalion a day sooner than she originally planned. Though that wasn’t an issue, she was beginning to think a little more seriously about her plans to speak with her barons about only acting defensively on the warfront. Her task of convincing the king was done and successful but the knight still felt it was her duty to help establish peace between the two kingdoms in whatever way she could. Not to mention that acting defensively would also give a bit of relief to the outer villages.

Her smile curved into a teasing smirk as a separate thought pulled her away from thinking about the war. Looking back to Crow, a playful gleam entered her gaze.“However, this is going to count as your favor for winning our little competition in Bellmare.” she added with a wink. “Gotta make it worth it for myself after all and escape whatever else you may have been planning to trade that in for.” Penelope said jokingly as she gave an exaggerated shudder.

As soon as the agreement left Penelope’s lips, Crow felt an immediate wave of relief wash over him. He was still disappointed that the only way he could see his companions was by parting ways with the person he most enjoyed talking with during the ride, but he was grateful that she was willing to go along with it. Besides, they would be able to make up for lost time when he got back from Younis. It was only a two-week trip or so. Once the war was officially over, they would be able to spend more time together at the castle, and it wouldn’t even matter that they’d lost one day on their way to the border. They would survive being apart one more time. It wasn’t like they had never been separated before.

When she made it clear that this would have to count as his favor from their wager in Bellmare, the viceroy clicked his tongue. “I was hoping you wouldn’t remember that,” he sighed, though an amused smile played on his lip. “Pity. I was going to make you go skinny dipping in the river.” He winked at her jokingly. Of course, he wouldn’t have actually done anything that cruel, especially when the water would have been frigid at this time of year. He probably would have cashed in the favor for something simpler like a back massage or another trip to her hometown—to hear more embarrassing stories about her from Letitia, of course—but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to rile her up a little.

With the dour mood lifted, at least for a while, the rest of the ride was more bearable to Crow. He passed the time by talking idly with Penelope and occasionally Preston, who kept pace on his other side. When they weren’t speaking, he looked over his surroundings, keeping watch for movement but also admiring the view. The ground beneath the trees was still covered with a thin layer of snow from the last storm, and he could see the tracks of wild animals like foxes and deer. At one point, he even caught sight of a herd of deer in the distance, which caused his thoughts to wander to venison and then to lunch. Naturally, he had to pester Otto with a request to stop, so they could eat, but the baron was determined to keep moving. They went back and forth for a few minutes until they agreed to slow their pace enough for everyone to have food while they rode. It wasn’t as relaxing as it would have been to stop and rest, but as long as his stomach was filled, the former thief couldn’t complain too much.

Eventually, they arrived at Wellspring, and Crow slid down from Baine’s back with a weary exhale. Otto and his son were already on their way to the inn to secure a room for the group, while Preston and Percival were gathering the horses to put up in the stables for the night. Naida stood nearby, practically swaying on her feet with exhaustion after spending the majority of the day bored as usual. “I never thought I’d say it, but being a guard at the castle is more interesting than being given an assignment,” she groaned.

“Really?” Crow casted her a bemused look. “when you’re guarding the castle aren’t you supposed to be standing watch all day, not talking to anyone like you are on this trip?”

“Supposed to,” his sister echoed, making quotations in the air with her fingers.

The viceroy smirked and rolled his eyes, turning to Penelope. “We got here pretty early. Maybe you’ll get your own bed this time.”

Penelope grinned as Crow clicked his tongue disappointedly as she brought up the wager from Bellmare. At his teasing words, she rolled her eyes playfully at him in response. “Thank the gods I was able to get out of that.” she laughed amusedly. Looking away, the knight focused back on doing what she had planned before Crow had spoken up about separating a day early. Though in a better mood after joking with him, the knight was still quick to return to surveying their surroundings to make sure the group wasn’t being followed by anyone suspicious.

As the ride went on, she kept her guard up and chatted with Crow as they rode but also used the moments of silence in between to think over her argument for the barons to act defensively at the warfront. She wanted to act quick once she returned to her battalion and that left little time to plan aside from on the road. It would likely be easy to convince Mia, especially since she had accomplished getting the king to try for peace between the kingdoms. It was the other two barons that concerned her. Namely her uncle and brother. Surely at some point word would come out about her newly established relationship with the viceroy and once it did, the knight was certain the two would refuse to listen to her even more than they already did. She just hoped such information wouldn’t come to light until after she had the chance to ask for them to plan defensively.

As the group arrived in Wellspring, the knight felt more than ready to relax for the night. The travel and poor sleep the night before wore on her even though she had made it through most the day without issue. She dismounted her horse and dropped to the ground with a hint of soreness in her step. She thanked Preston as the attendant gathered her horse along with the others before moving over to join Crow and Naida. Penelope gave her back a stretch, earning a somewhat satisfying pop in response before turning her attention onto them, listening with amusement as Naida was less than impressed with the journey thus far.

“It’ll get more interesting once you’re in a foreign land. At least, the scenery will change a bit.” she assured her friend as she recalled her own trip to Younis in the past. As Crow turned to her, she gave a weary smile and nodded her head. “Hopefully. If not, at least I’ll know I can sleep in my own tent by tomorrow night.” she mused with a small shrug.

“Tent?” Naida echoed from besides them with a small frown. “I thought you were traveling with us all the way to the border.”

“Slight change of plans.” Penelope shrugged. “I decided I better just head straight back to my battalion since there’s a lot I need to do once I get back.”

“Oh,” Naida pouted slightly. “I guess that makes sense. But I wish you would have told me sooner! I wasted a day being quiet when we could have been spending time together!”

Penelope gave a small chuckle at her friend’s words and gave a hapless smile. “We were both tired. I think we spent the day just fine. But now that we’re here, let’s go get supper. I’m famished and I’m certain you’re probably still disappointed we missed out on a warm breakfast.” she smirked as she turned addressing Crow with a teasing tone. The knight reached to take his hand in hers, moving to stand a little closer to his side before beginning to lead the way into the inn.

While Penelope and Naida talked, Crow let his gaze wander over the buildings around them. The village was still fairly close to the heart of Brerra, so it was an odd transition between the border and the citadel. Looking at it, he was reminded of what the outer villages had been like before the fighting with Younis had started. He wished he could travel further north to see what had become of his homeland since he’d left to start training as Albin’s viceroy. The war hadn’t stopped in his absence, after all. He hoped his companions and the other peasants were still faring alright without him and Penelope. Based on the last letter he’d gotten from Hazel, it sounded like they were having a harder time keeping up with the battalions’ movements now that they weren’t receiving updates from the lieutenant about when and where each battle would take place. That along with Simon’s death meant that there were only two somewhat skilled fighters left to defend the villages, Rikki and Alistair, and even they couldn’t protect their people every time.

He was drawn from his thoughts at the mention of supper, turning away from his surroundings to meet Penelope’s gaze. As she took his hand in hers, he nodded. “And lunch,” he pointed out, falling in step beside her on their way to the inn. “I haven’t had a freshly cooked meal since yesterday, and that needs to change.” Almost as if on cue, his stomach chose that moment to let out a low growl, and he rested a hand on his middle. “Seems like all of me is in agreement.”

“No surprise there,” Naida snorted, walking along on his other side. She casted him a sideways smirk. “Pigs will fly before you’re ever full.”

“They won’t if I eat them first,” he winked at her slyly.

When they stepped inside the inn, Crow took another look around to see all the other people who were staying there that night. Like the last inn, this one was busy compared to the traffic lodges like these usually got during the winter months, but the crowds seemed a little thinner than they had been in Sarton. Most of the patrons were merchants and messengers traveling to and from the warfront, but there were also more peasants than usual lounging around the common space. He guessed they were some of the clever few who had managed to hide enough money from the tax collectors every season that they were able to afford to hide out at an inn until the fighting subsided.

As he and the two knights strode through the room, some of the peasants looked up at him. Their expressions were mildly intrigued at first, until they seemed to recognize him, and their eyes grew round as disks. The former thief felt a ripple of unease shoot up and down his spine, and he averted his gaze. Usually, he was right at home among other members of his social class, but this time, their stares made him want to crawl under a rock.

It’s probably because I’m not their equal anymore, he thought with a grimace. Most of his acquaintances in the inner kingdom had been supportive of his decision to become a nobleman, but he wouldn’t find the same approval out here. He was well aware of what the villagers thought of the upper class. They would assume the worst of him for choosing a cushioned life in the inner kingdom over a more honorable path, where one had to earn his or her wages with hard work and effort. Even being a criminal was more acceptable to them, because at least thieves were honest about their deceptive, unwholesome ways. Since they didn’t know the reason behind his choice to leave the outer villages, he already knew the peasants at this inn were going to be spreading rumors that his greed had gotten the best of him, and he’d been corrupted by the luxuries of the inner kingdom. It was far from the legacy he’d wanted to leave behind in the villages where he’d lived most of his life.

Eager to get away from their judging eyes, the viceroy hastened his pace slightly and opened the door to the tavern, letting Penelope and Naida through first before he followed after them. Unfortunately, the dining area was just as populated as the foyer had been, so there were only a few tables left that weren’t already hosting any occupants. “I see an empty table near the back,” he informed the knights, using his height advantage to pick out the most ideal spot in the room. There was one other large table closer to them, but at the moment, he preferred to have at least a semblance of privacy from the villagers. So, he started making his way across the tavern without waiting for either of them to object, beckoning with his hand for them to follow.

Penelope let out a soft laugh as his stomach voiced it’s support of his words. The knight smiled amusedly as the two half siblings bantered with each other and focused her gaze ahead as the group headed into the inn. She swept her gaze over the inn, noting it was still busier than usual but at least a little less crowded than the last. There was also an odd amount of peasants amongst the crowd. It was at least more than the knight was used to seeing amongst inns since most of the lower class simply couldn’t afford to leave their homes. While it did intrigue her, she didn’t dwell on the thought and instead focused back over to Crow and Naida. She followed after Crow, glancing curiously over at him as he hastened his pace to lead them into the dining room.

Brushing it off as his eagerness to eat, she followed him over to the empty table and moved to slide into the bench besides him. Penelope let out a soft sigh, finding it nice to finally sit down without it having to be on top a moving beast. She leaned her elbows lightly against the table and glanced around the room. “Well at least it seems that this inn isn’t as crowded as the last.” the knight mused.

“That’s true. Hopefully you’re able to get a bed tonight, Penelope. If not, my offer still stands.” Naida said with a smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Penelope nodded. “I’m just a bit surprised with how many villagers are staying here. I mean, with the king’s tax, I imagine affording to stay here can’t be easy for them.”

“It appears they’ve managed to save enough somehow.” grunted Otto from behind them. Penelope jumped slightly and turned her head to look over at the baron as he stepped over to join the table, sitting down at an empty spot. Just like the night before he seemed displeased about something and it wasn’t hard for the knight to guess that it had to do with the lacking of available rooms. A small frown crossed her lips. She was tired and admittedly, had been hoping for a bed of her own that night.

“No luck with getting a big enough room?” Naida asked.

Otto shook his head and let out a long sigh. “It appears the peasants here are mostly traveling in larger parties so rooms bigger than two beds are all booked up. So, that leaves us with a bit of a dilemma of how we’re going to make this work.”

Crow merely nodded when Penelope compared this inn to the one they had stayed at in Sarton. As they sat down at the table, he could still feel the phantom of his horse’s sway, and it almost felt like the bench itself was moving. He sighed and leaned his forearms on the wooden surface. Although he wasn’t as sore as he had been the first time he’d ridden the large beasts two years ago, he still wasn’t used to sitting atop Baine’s back for long periods of time. He hoped the echoic effect would wear off after a few more days of traveling or else he might be too disoriented to walk in a straight line by the time they reached the Younisian castle.

As the conversation turned to the peasants that were staying at the lodge, he glanced at the two knights but didn’t offer his theory. Most likely, the commoners here had been clever enough to keep money hidden from the king, which was an offense that was punishable by death. At least, the tax collectors always claimed it was. He trusted that Penelope wouldn’t tell anyone if he hinted to her that the people sitting around them were probably hoarders, but he didn’t know how Naida would react. He believed his sister was a good person, but she was Albin’s daughter, born and raised in the inner kingdom. If she was loyal to the royal family, she might tell their father that some of the villagers weren’t paying their dues.

Whether she would have leaked the information back to the king or not, it turned out to have been a good thing that Crow had kept his mouth shut. In the next moment, he heard Otto’s voice behind him. He peered over his shoulder to watch as the baron joined them at the table. Even if Naida wouldn’t tell Albin about the peasants at the inn, the man across from him now definitely would. He shuffled his feet beneath the table, his green eyes flicking between the nearest group of peasants and the older knight, who complained openly about the inconvenience they were being caused because of the commoner crowds. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Otto demanded that they should be given priority for a large room because they were of higher status than the other people at the inn. The thought of separating a large family of villagers made him grimace, and he shook his head.

“I’ve slept on prison stone before, so I can handle one night on the floor,” he volunteered. “Naida and Penelope can have one bed, and you and Rayner can take the other. The rest of us will just have to make do without a mattress.”

Otto frowned, “With all due respect—”

“I’m not arguing about this,” the viceroy crossed his arms defiantly. “You had your way last time, so now I think it’s my turn.” As he spoke, he glanced over his shoulder again to see that Preston and Percival had arrived from the stables. With a victorious glint in his eye, he called to them before the baron could get another word in: “Looks like we’ve only got two beds tonight, boys, so the ladies will get one, and our senior will have the other. What do you think?”

“That’s fine with me,” Percival shrugged, taking a seat beside Naida while Preston sat next to Crow.

“The same goes for me,” the servant agreed.

“Looks like we’ve got our sleeping arrangements for the night then, huh?” the former thief turned back to Otto and winked, knowing fully well that the older man couldn’t fight back when he’d based his decision on the laws of chivalry, which all knights were supposed to embrace.

The knight gave a small nod of response to the baron’s words, merely accepting the circumstances they were given. While not ideal, she could make due with the room, whether she slept on the floor again or decided to share a bed with Naida. Otto didn’t seem as accepting of it though. The baron had his lips pursed together and was clearly thinking over what route to take in this dilemma they were faced with. However, the man didn’t have the chance to as Crow spoke up before he could suggest something else. Penelope looked over at the viceroy as he took it upon himself to volunteer sleeping on the floor.

The knight leaned her head into the palm of her hand, hiding a small smirk as Crow acted defiantly against the baron. She hadn’t thought much about it before but she supposed the baron’s strictness from both the night before and that morning hadn’t set well with the former thief. It was only natural that he wouldn’t completely let Otto dictate everything. That, however, didn’t mean the baron was pleased with it. Her green eyes drifted back onto the baron, watching as he hesitated to reply to Crow, clearly still looking for a way around it. Unfortunately, Crow hadn’t left him much wiggle room and with a long sigh, Otto nodded his head.

“Very well then. I’ll inform the innkeeper that we’ll be taking the two bed room.” Otto relented before turning to walk off to make the group’s reservation. Penelope watched him leave for a moment before turning back to the rest of the group as Percy and Preston settled in at the table as well.

“Looks like you’re with me tonight!” Naida grinned as she turned back to Penelope.

“Appears so.” Penelope laughed, less inclined to deny sharing a bed with her friend after both a hard night on the floor and a long day’s travel.

“Hello,” a new voice interrupted. Turning her head to look over, her gaze fell onto the bar wench who had clearly approached the group to take their order. The woman gave a charming smile, a fake one but charming nonetheless. “I apologize for the wait. What would you like to order this evening?”

“I’ll have the chicken and vegetables.. And an ale please.” Penelope replied. She looked away from the wench as she continued to go around the table, taking the orders of the others. Her mind drifted to her early departure the next day. Blinking, the knight glanced over at Crow besides her and leaned over to the viceroy after he finished placing his order. With their time limited, she did have a small suggestion to make before it completely ran out.

“Hey, I was thinking,” the knight began with a small smile as she looked up at him. “after dinner, we should take a short walk around the village. Since I’m leaving tomorrow and we got here early enough, I thought it might be nice.” That and she was admittedly hoping to get a few moment alone with him before she didn’t see him again for almost two weeks. There was still the lingering threat of mercenaries but as long as they stuck to the boundaries of the village where local guards were posted, surely it wouldn’t be too big of a risk.

“Good,” Crow couldn’t help but add a bit smugly as he finally got his way. Squeezing all seven of them into a room meant for no more than two to four people had the potential to be uncomfortable, but at least he’d made sure Penelope had a bed. Aside from that, he genuinely didn’t mind sleeping on the floor. As controlling as Otto was, the viceroy preferred him to take the other bed, so he would be able to fight at his best capacity if they were attacked by mercenaries. The man had advanced past his prime, after all, so he was the most likely one among them to wake up with a sore back after spending the night on wooden slats.

As the baron walked away to secure a room for them, Crow glanced at Penelope and Naida, who’d begun talking amongst themselves. He would have preferred to be the one sharing a bed with the knight, but he already knew that wouldn’t have been possible. Sleeping next to her with five other people in the room who thought it was scandalous would have been uncomfortable, and Otto would have balked at a request to have a separate room for the night. They wouldn’t be able to get away with it this time, but at least they would be able to formally be together once he returned from Younis. The thought brought a smile to his lips. He couldn’t wait to get back and spend more time with her without having to keep it a secret from everyone else.

When the wench arrived to take their requests, he looked away from the two noblewomen to tell her that he was in the mood for veal and ale. She nodded with forced politeness and moved on to the next person, and the viceroy blinked at the sound of Penelope’s voice on his other side. “I’d like that,” he smiled back at her, enthused by the thought of being alone with her before they had to part for a while. Otto would disapprove of them disappearing before bed, but it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. He glanced briefly at the others and leaned toward her cheek, acting as if he was just planting a kiss as he breathed, “I’ll just tell my chaperone that I need to use the privy if he asks any questions and meet you in front of the inn.”

“I’m so happy this is finally happening,” Naida grinned at them, clearly falling for the former thief’s ruse and thinking he’d just pressed an affectionate kiss to Penelope’s cheek. “My best friend is going to marry my—another one of my closest friends.” As she spoke, Crow had realized what she was about to say and kicked her underneath the table. She smiled at him sheepishly. “I mean, you two are perfect for each other; and because we’re all so close, I get to watch this relationship unfold for a long time. You’d better name me the godmother of your children, or I’m going to be upset!”

Crow blanched. His sister wasn’t great at covering up lies, but he hadn’t expected her to go that direction to explain away her reason for talking about them in the first place. He coughed awkwardly. The subject of the future was something he’d only gotten used to discussing with Penelope. He was far from ready to talk about it openly in front of a table full of people he didn’t know very well. Attempting to change the topic, he turned to Rayner, “So, have you ever been to Younis before?”

The lieutenant stared at him, either thrown off by Naida’s shamelessness or surprised that he was being addressed. After a moment, he shook his head. “Never. I haven’t been a knight long enough to have had the opportunity. Younis’s borders have been closed to Brerra for years.”

“Sounds like it’ll be a first for most of the people in this group then, huh?” Crow mused, reaching subtly for Penelope’s hand beneath the table and lacing his fingers with hers. “It’s a beautiful kingdom. Even better in the warmer seasons because they have so many olive trees. It’s too bad we’re going in the winter because I was hoping to take some olives home the next time I visited.”

Penelope was glad to hear Crow was willing to get away from the others with her, even if it was only for a short period of time. As he leaned his mouth to rest near her cheek, her smile briefly shifted into a small smirk as he shared his plan to slip away from Otto. It seemed that even though they were publicly courting now, sneaking off to meet each other was still something they hadn’t completely left in the past. The only difference now seemed to be that the stakes were far lower. Otto may get frustrated by their short disappearance but there was little the baron could do in response.

Her attention was pulled away from the thought as Naida spoke up, grinning at them in a way that made the lieutenant give a small laugh. However, her smile faltered slightly as the princess nearly gave away her relation to Crow. She stifled a grimace and let out a small sigh as her friend was clumsy to recover from her near slip up. As Naida went on, her words brought a small twinge of color to the knight’s cheeks at the mention of their future children. Though it was something they were on the same page about and working towards, she still felt a bit flustered at the topic, namely since it was brought up in front of others she was less close to. It was certainly a relief as Crow switched the topic. It wasn’t the smoothest transition but at least it seemed to get the focus off of them.

“It is a nice kingdom.” Penelope spoke up in agreement with Crow as she reflected back on her mission there. Feeling him take her hand underneath the table, she gave his hand a small affectionate squeeze. Looking over at him, she gave a thoughtful look. “At least from what I remember when we were there. Although, I imagine the outskirts of the kingdom don’t look much better than our own right now considering the ongoing war.” she mused with a soft sight.

Their past trip together had been something the knight usually avoided talking about since she once feared people connecting the dots when it came to how close she was to the thief. Of course, now that they were courting there was nothing to hide and it was a bit freeing to be able to speak so openly. However, it didn’t come without some glances but it was difficult to guess which part of her words had them casting glances. Namely from Otto, who was just returning to table and managed to catch her last words. The baron looked over at her with an unreadable expression before moving to sit down besides his son.

“We won’t have time for sightseeing anyways.” Otto commented now. “We’re supposed to reach the castle as promptly as possible.”

“Of course,” Penelope mused with an understanding nod only to flash a small smirk right after. “but looking over your surroundings is part of the job anyways. It doesn’t hurt if they just happen to be scenic.”

Although Crow’s opinion that Otto was unnecessarily strict hadn’t changed, he had to agree that he didn’t want to waste any time when they got to Younis. It was a beautiful kingdom, but his top priority was convincing the king to agree to end the war on peaceful terms and returning to Brerra as fast as he could to reunite with Penelope. The most he planned to do was take in the views on the ride to the castle which, if his memory served him, were still impressive to behold. He was curious to find out what the landscape looked like in the winter and whether or not the Younisian peasants were well prepared to handle the harsher weather.

“I’m unopposed to surveillance, Vermillion, but I would hope my knights know better than to be distracted from their duties by a pleasant view,” Otto replied with a clipped edge to his voice. It was apparent that he was losing his patience the longer his authority was challenged, but he still managed to keep his temper under control.

Crow rolled his eyes. It had been the baron’s own decision to get involved in their lighthearted conversation in the first place, so in a way, he was responsible for the fact that no one had appreciated his intrusion. He and the others had just been chatting about what Younis was like, not trying to change the predetermined plans. “You know that isn’t what she meant,” he folded his arms with a frown. “She isn’t even coming with us past the border, so why do you think she would try to reroute us?”

Otto glanced at him briefly before turning away to casually flag down a bar wench. “I was merely ensuring we don’t fall behind,” he justified calmly. “We have a tight schedule to keep if we want to reach the castle in exactly ten days.”

“It doesn’t matter that much,” the viceroy stared at him bemusedly. “We don’t know how many days it could take the Younisian king to decide if he’ll agree to our terms. I doubt Albin would be that upset if it takes us a day or two longer to come back.”

Otto quirked his brows, seeming surprised by how informally Crow referred to their monarch. After a moment, he recovered, “I understand that, but we still ought to do our best to return to him as quickly as possible. Wouldn’t you agree, Collin?”

“Well, yes…” Crow admitted, studying the older man perplexedly. He was beginning to realize that ever since they’d left, Otto had been especially insistent that they hit every checkpoint on their journey at perfect intervals. Either the baron was an extreme perfectionist, or he had his own reasons for wanting to come back to Brerra swiftly. He glanced at Rayner. Maybe Otto had a wife waiting for him at home who he was eager to see again.

Not interested in prying, he let the subject drop and looked up as the other wench returned to serve them all their dinners. The aroma of freshly cooked red meat stole the former thief’s attention right away, and he dug into his meal with fervor. “Gods,” he sighed, taking a swig of his drink. “The fact that this is the last time I’ll be able to eat like this for weeks is heartbreaking.”

Penelope raised an eyebrow at Otto as the baron responded to her words in a less than pleased manner. The lieutenant did believe he was overreacting a bit considering she had only suggested that the group might as well make the most of the trip. It was something the knight had picked up after traveling with Crow on several occasions. As long as it didn’t interfere with the mission, she didn’t see any reason not to enjoy what they could along the way. She was about to explain herself when the viceroy came to her defense. Her green eyes flickered over to him as he spoke to Otto.

The knight was a bit surprised by how seriously the baron took her words. Or rather how he didn’t seem to want to leave any room for mistake or setbacks in their travel. Part of her could certainly respect the baron for that much. With the possible threats lingering around, the sooner they got to the Younisian castle and back the better. Not willing to voice anymore of her own opinion on the matter, Penelope followed Crow’s lead in letting the subject drop and turned her head as the wench returned with their meals. She mumbled a word of thanks before beginning to eat.

Though she was more tired than hungry, the warm food was satisfying to say the least. She looked up from her meal and gave an amused look at Crow’s words. Swallowing her bite of food, the knight shrugged her shoulders. “Well, if the king of Younis isn’t too opposed to peace, you might be able to get in a warm meal or two there.” she pointed out with a smirk.

“That’s true.” Naida jumped in with a grin. “Especially if he’s actually interested in peace.”

Penelope paused before nodding her head in agreement. Naida did have a point with that. While none of them could say for sure what the Younisian king’s opinion on peace would be, the tell all would be shown in how he treated his guests from the rival kingdom. After working as a guard in the castle, the knight had witnessed such exchanges, of course on smaller levels such as between the former king and a high ranking noble. Showing hospitality was just one of the many tactics she had seen used between negotiations. The knight took a small sip of her ale, silently wondering about how the Younisian king would react. There had been so much focus on their own king until recent that she hadn’t thought much about the foreign one. Younis seemed like a more peaceful nation but that might mean nothing when it came to their relations with Brerra after such a long and drawn out war.

She soon dropped the subject from her mind to focus on the food. There were too little known about the foreign ruler for her to even think over possible reactions and she wouldn’t even be the one to face him when the time did come. Instead, the knight fell quiet as she ate, conserving her energy for now and hoping to take an early leave from the group before they finished their meals. The knight wanted to try to avoid her and Crow’s departure from the others as subtle as she could. Penelope already guessed that Otto wouldn’t pay her much mind, she wasn’t part of their patrol out to Younis and therefore, not under his command. The only one that concerned her was Naida, whom might attempt to tag along with her.

Finishing her food, she leaned back slightly, stretching her back as the meal settled in her stomach. Since she had eaten a bit quicker than normal, she had finished ahead of most of the others. “Gods I’m stuffed.” she sighed. Glancing towards the window, she slowly rose to her feet and turned to Crow. “I think I’m going to step outside for a moment.” Stifling a smirk, she copied the move he had pulled early and leaned down towards his cheek, pretending to press a kiss to it as she whispered, “I’ll meet you out there.”

Pulling back, the knight casted him a smile before turning to rest her gaze on Otto. “I won’t be long but in case you all head to bed before I’m back, where is the room located?” she asked.

“That’s assuming I survive the trip there without anything good to eat on the way,” Crow pointed out obstinately, taking another bite of his dinner. For as many mixed feelings as he’d had when he’d struggled to decide if he should become a nobleman, he had gotten hooked on the fine food almost as soon as he’d been given his new title. He was exaggerating about not making it all the way to the Younisian castle, but he was going to miss the meals he’d been able to eat in the inner kingdom. Maybe, if he was lucky and the peace treaty was a success, his father would consider throwing another banquet to celebrate the end of the war. It didn’t seem difficult to convince him to do it. Nobles liked their parties, after all, so it wouldn’t be an unpopular decision.

As supper carried on more peacefully than it had in the beginning, he chatted off and on with his sister while finishing the rest of his meal. As usual, he was the first to clean his plate, but he stayed seated until the others were done eating as well. Next on the list was sneaking away from the rest of the group with Penelope, but they needed to leave at separate times to keep from rousing Otto’s suspicions. He already knew that the baron would figure out they had wandered off together after they were gone for a while, but it was better to deal with his reprimand after they returned rather than have to convince him to let them go in the first place. So, he bided his time until the knight announced that she was going outside.

“Okay, see you later,” he smiled as she feigned kissing him on the cheek. He found it amusing that even though they had gone public with their relationship, they still had to sneak around behind the backs of some people. Their food was good, but nobles had too many rules to govern everyone’s lives. In this case, he knew Otto would be angry if he found out he was taking a risk by leaving the inn without more protection than just one knight. However, he was his own man, so he was going to make the final decision on whether or not he had to stay with the group every second of the day. The baron would just have to learn that he wasn’t going to let him dictate their entire trip.

“It will be the last door on the left in the left wing,” Otto answered Penelope’s question. Finished with his own meal, he stood up from the table. “The rest of us can head over now, so we can get plenty of rest before tomorrow’s ride.”

“Fine by me,” Crow agreed with a mask of compliance, rising to his feet as well. The others did the same, and they parted ways with Penelope, making their way to the room they would be sharing for the night.

When they got there, the first thing the viceroy noticed was that it was a very small space, even in comparison with the last inn they’d used. He stepped inside and looked around. One bed was pushed against the left wall, while the second bed was pushed against the right. They barely looked big enough to fit two people each. The Therouldes and the female members of their group were going be getting quite cozy with each other tonight. And we will be too, he thought as he dropped his gaze to the floor in the middle of the room. Once the remaining three of them were laying down, there would be hardly any space leftover to walk.

The others began unloading any supplies they’d brought inside and removing their armor, but Crow lingered by the door. “I’m going to step out for a moment,” he announced, taking off his hat and tossing it carelessly onto a table near the entrance.

“Where are you going?” Otto asked, turning toward him with a stern frown.

“Relax, shepherd,” the former thief held up his hands. “I just need to use the privy, and I have a feeling that’ll be easier to do before there are bodies sprawled all over this tiny floor.” He stepped toward the door, casting the older man a confident smile. “I promise I won’t wander too far from the flock, so you have nothing to worry about. I’ll be back soon.”

Without waiting for a reply, he exited the room and made his way down the hall, eager to catch up with Penelope for their brief time away from the others.

Penelope nodded her head to Otto as the baron gave her directions to where the room was located. The knight proceeded to step away from the group and head off alone to the front of the inn. Once outside, she was greeted by a small gust of cold air. With it growing late in the day, she could tell that the temperature was dropping steadily. It certainly seemed to be more brisk out since they had first entered the inn. The weather didn’t bother her much though. Between the armor she wore and her clothing underneath, the only parts of her that the cold bothered were her face and hands. She couldn’t do much about her face but wanting to keep warm, she crossed her arms over her chest to bury her hands.

The knight moved to lean against the building while she waited for Crow. She knew he wouldn’t be able to slip away immediately after her so she focused her attention elsewhere. Namely on scanning over the village around her. Despite that it was her own idea to sneak away from the others, Penelope still remained cautious about the looming threat of mercenaries. She didn’t plan for them to stay out for long but that didn’t mean they weren’t susceptible to attack. It was the main reason the knight had chosen to leave the group early so that she wouldn’t seem strange for remaining in her armor and having her sword at her side.

Taking in the village of Wellspring, Penelope didn’t find anything out of the ordinary though. The streets were growing quiet as the day grew later and most people that were out congregated near the local tavern, either waiting for others or merely trying to sober up a little before they made their way home for the night. Nearby shadows casted by the buildings were clear of activity, aside from perhaps a stray creature or two. Overall it seemed peaceful enough so she relaxed a little.

It wasn’t much longer before she heard the inn door open once more and she turned her head to see Crow stepping out, a smile crossing over her lips on it’s own accord. She pushed herself off of the building and moved over to meet him. “I’m guessing you got away without too much trouble?” she asked, her smile turning into a soft smirk. “Not that Otto stood a chance with our expertise in sneaking off like this.” she added with a playful wink.

Stepping outside the inn, Crow felt a cold draft of air wash over him right away, and he shivered. Taking the winter weather into account, he and Penelope might not cause Otto to keel over in a panic by staying out for too long. He didn’t expect that they would wander off for as much time as they had in the past anyway. Honestly, he had just wanted to have a moment alone with her before they parted ways tomorrow. It was funny. They were officially courting now, but they barely spent more time with each other now than they had when they were still keeping their relationship a secret from everyone else. He hoped that would change after he got back from Younis and the war was winding down to end.

With a shake of his head, he turned toward Penelope, who looked like she had been waiting for him by the front of the inn. “Of course,” he grinned back at her. “The trick was just walking out of the room before he had a chance to tell me ‘no.’ He couldn’t argue with me when I wasn’t there.” Shrugging with feigned nonchalance, he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek and took her hand in his. The opportunities they had to share casual touches were still few and far between since they spent most of their days on horseback recently, so he relished being able to get close to her for a little while tonight.

When he pulled back again, he smiled at her cheekily. “So, did you have something in mind when you lured me out here after dark?” he asked her with a joking nudge. Even though he was sure she had just been trying to get away from their stifling companions like he had, he couldn’t help teasing her a little. A part of him was even tempted to turn their secret rendezvous into a steamier getaway, but between the brisk air outside and the promise they had made to John that they would stop fooling around before they were married, he wasn’t going to push for anything more than just enjoying her company.

Penelope raised an eyebrow at him amusedly as Crow explained his trick to slipping away from the others. She was glad that his getaway had been so simple. Although the knight had a feeling that their return to the group wouldn’t be as easy. She already expected some type of disapproval to be voiced from the baron. One could only hope that he wouldn’t be too drastic with it. Not wanting to focus on what was to come rather than the time they had alone now, she gave his hand an affection squeeze as he took her hand. It was nice to be able to close some physical distance between them after being restricted due to their time on horseback. It made her all the more grateful they were able to buy time alone, especially since they would soon be parting ways.

As he nudged her jokingly, the knight rolled her eyes at him. “Not really.” she admitted with a smirk as she looked up at him with a teasing glint in her eyes. “I was just hoping to steal you away for a little while. It’s become rather apparent to me that it isn’t an easy task getting the viceroy alone.” The knight glanced back towards the door of the inn before giving his hand a small tug.

“Anyways, I don’t think we should just loiter around out here. Come on.” she told him, turning away from the inn. Though she really didn’t have anything in particular planned, she also didn’t want their already short time together cut even shorter if Otto caught onto them and went out in search of the pair. If they stayed in front of the inn it was practically asking to be found. Penelope wanted them to return on their own time so she began to lead them away from the building. With no set destination in place, her pace was slow.

The knight shifted to fall instep besides him, walking closely to his side. Her gaze swept over their surroundings, doing another cautious survey of their surroundings. “Did you have anything in mind?” she asked, turning to look back up at him with a smile. “I don’t know much about places in Wellspring, myself. Seems like the only time I've ever seen it is after sunset. And the only places I know are the inn, tavern and of course, the river."

“Yeah, it’s kind of horrifying that I’ve got more power than I’ve ever had in my life but also the least amount of control over my own life at the same time,” Crow wrinkled his nose. From the start, he’d known that noblemen lived by far more rules than peasants did, but he supposed that to a certain extent, he’d always assumed that the rules wouldn’t apply to him if he accepted the title of viceroy. He had the highest rank in Brerra outside of the royal family—which he was technically also a part of as the king’s secret first-born son—so he’d hoped that he would be able to dictate how he spent his time when he didn’t have a job to do for Albin. To his repeated disappointment, he was discovering that that wasn’t how things worked in the inner kingdom though.

“At least things might change when we get back,” he pointed out as they walked, trying to be optimistic. “No one can blame us for spending time together now that we’re courting, and once we’re married, we’ll even be able to live together.” He couldn’t wait for that. Getting to be with her every day would be paradise after they’d spent years struggling to be with each other at all. Of course, they would still have work to do in their respective jobs even then, but at least they could catch up with each other on most nights when they returned to their own shared bedchamber to unwind at the end of each day. The thought of it was so different than what he’d grown accustomed to that it felt like a dream.

When Penelope asked him if there was anywhere in particular that he wanted to visit, he pondered the question. He didn’t know Wellspring as well as he knew the villages further north, so he couldn’t come up with any sights in particular that he wanted to see while they were there. “Why don’t we pay the river a visit?” he suggested with a shrug. “It seemed like a peaceful spot to stop by when you’re not in the middle of being chased by a crazy knight.” He leaned into her side teasingly and then gave her hand a tug. “Come on, huntress; I remember it was this way.”

Leading her into the trees, he strode through the woods until he heard the sound of flowing water. Vaguely, he remembered that the ground on this side of the river dropped off abruptly in a short cliff, so he slowed his pace to keep from stumbling into it. When they reached it, he smiled to himself, enjoying the trips they were making recently to places they had last visited two years ago. He sat down on the edge of the steep bank and let his legs dangle over the side, “We should have done this last time we were here. It’s much more pleasant than waking up downstream smelling like a dead fish and plucking moss out of your trousers.”

Penelope glanced up at him as he suggested that they stop at the river before nodding her head. Though she had traveled past it on several occasions now, she had never truly stopped by the river, which included the time they had both taken that plunge into it. Suddenly, the knight was a bit curious what the spot looked like when she wasn’t falling in or chasing after a thief. She was drawn out of her musings at his teasing comment and rolled her eyes at him. “In my defense, you asked for it by trying to escape when I was doing my job.” she chuckled, pushing his side lightly as he leaned into her.

As he took the lead, the knight followed eagerly behind him. Her green eyes briefly lingered on the man in front of her. A bit of amusement returned to her visage as she remembered chasing him through the woods they now walked hand in hand through. She could recall her fury back then at him for making a break for it. What once had been so upsetting for the knight now left her with smile on her lips. Looking back on it now, it felt ridiculous how worked up she had gotten but she was still glad they had played out in the fashion that they did.

Reaching the river bank, she moved to sit down next to him as he sat at the edge. Crossing her legs, the knight made herself comfortable besides him as she looked out over the bank. “I’ll say. It certainly beats being drench and stuck with an irritable thief.” she agreed casting him playful wink. In the next moment, she leaned over to press an affectionate kiss to his cheek before resting her head against his shoulder.

Her gaze focused ahead of them, simply taking in the calming sights and sound of their surroundings. For a place that had caused them so much grief in the past, it was actually quite relaxing. “Although I suppose, I shouldn’t say anything considering I fell for him a day or so after that.” she mused with a small laugh.