[IC] Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow grinned when Penelope chuckled, relieved that her spirits seemed to have been lifted. He didn’t want her to be concerned that he wasn’t as attracted to her because of some scarring. Just the thought of it was ridiculous to him. He cared about her far too much to be deterred by something so superficial, and he still found her to be beautiful despite the blemish. Even when they had spent two whole years apart, his feelings for her had outweighed the surprise he’d initially felt when he’d first seen the mark on her face. Now that he was used to it, he simply saw it as a part of who she was, and that made it beautiful too.

When the knight went on to say that she hoped they wouldn’t have to keep hiding for much longer, he shook his head in agreement. One would think that after over two years of trying to be together, things would eventually fall into place, but instead, more obstacles continued to appear between them. Her father had yet to give his blessing, his father had recently voiced his dissent, and there was a whole kingdom of nobles who were sure to look down on Penelope for being courted by a man whom she had once called her prisoner. He let out his breath in an impatient sigh. Hopefully she was right that if all went well at the party, they would finally be able to stop pretending and come forward about their love for each other, whether it was accepted or not.

As Penelope announced that she needed to leave, Crow frowned, wishing they could spend more of the morning together after Elizabeth had so rudely inserted herself earlier. However, he knew she was going to be embarking on a long trip, so he didn’t push the matter. “I’m sure you do,” he smiled at her affectionately. “I love you, Penelope. Good luck with everything you need to do, and I’ll see you when you get back.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope returned his affectionate look and nodded her head. "I love you too, Collin. Good luck with your lessons." she said as stood up. The knight was just about to turn to walk away but paused to look back at him as another thought crossed her mind. "Oh and be sure to start thinking of a guest list! Maybe you and Naida can start putting that together sometime." she added, flashing one last smile before turning and heading off. She made her way out of the Great Hall, feeling a bit better than when she had first walked in.

Liz's efforts to seduce Crow were not as worrisome for the knight as they had been earlier. For now at least. Though she wasn't particularly pleased with having to sit through what she considered to be a slur of insults, it was surely a big miscalculation on Liz's part. Their relationship aside, Crow had made it clear that he was upset with Elizabeth, meaning the chances of anything happening were rather slim. Was it pathetic for her to still let such paranoia get to her? Probably. Logically, the knight knew she was being ridiculous. Crow deserved more than her worrying about the small chance of him being unfaithful just because they weren't able to be together yet. However, no matter how many times she told herself that, it didn't stop her from feeling a bit relieved now knowing that Elizabeth would have to do a lot of damage control before the viceroy's frustration with her died down.

Trying not to focus on it, she instead focused on the task at ahead. The party. As she stepped out into the courtyard, her gaze almost immediately fell on the wagon that was waiting by the front gates. The familiar figure of Oliver stood near the opening in the back, waiting patiently, while his wife had her usual impatient scowl. Picking up her pace, the knight hurried over to join them, dipping her head in greeting.

"Sorry, Woke up a bit late." she said as she reached them.

Dimia clicked her tongue disapprovingly before turning her head away. "Let's just get going. I don't want us to be late." she grumbled before moving to climb up into the back of the wagon. Oliver assisted her up before offering his help to Penelope as well.

Penelope gave him a curt nod before stepping up into the back of the wagon. She glanced around at the rather empty space. Since they would only be traveling for a short period of time and staying at an inn, they had little need for too many supplies. Still, as she sat down across from the couple, she couldn't help but wish the space didn't feel so empty. It certainly made the silence that fell over the group a bit more uncomfortable for the knight. She shifted her gaze away to watch their surroundings as they left the castle.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I’ll try,” Crow assured Penelope when she asked him to start thinking of a guest list for the party. He had a feeling Naida was going to be far more useful than he could be when it came to preparations for the event, but he would do his best to help regardless. There were already a few people who came to mind to invite, such as Wayne and Percival, and he could always tell them to bring more members of their families. As much as he disliked it, he knew he could go to the noblewomen who had been trying to get his attention too. It wouldn’t be very enjoyable to dodge around them at the party, but if any of them would offer their support to end the war, then the discomfort would be worth it.

Once Penelope walked off, Crow stood up from the table as well, stretching lazily before he headed off to his father’s chambers for his next lesson. Tired from the long morning, he wasn’t looking forward to spending another whole afternoon on his studies, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. He made a mental note to remind Albin about the day off he’d mentioned before, hoping that the king was still willing to give it to him even though it hadn’t been brought up in a while. The thought of taking an afternoon to nap instead of read was exciting, and he couldn’t wait to feel well-rested again.

Daydreaming about the prospect, the viceroy made it to his father’s bedchamber in good time. He knocked on the door, waiting for the king’s servant to answer before he stepped inside. Like before, Albin was seated at the long table in the middle, while the queen sat off to the side, being waited on by a number of female servants. After seeing her do the same thing yesterday, Crow was beginning to think her routine was pointless. She had gotten dressed up quite extravagantly and then stayed in the room with her husband all day long. He wasn’t sure who she was trying to impress, unless the king simply liked to look at her all day. He nearly cringed at the mental image and made his way over to join Albin, hoping to distract himself.

“I see you’ve gotten better about being punctual,” his father noted with a pleased smile as Crow sat down beside him. “Are you starting to enjoy your lessons?”

“Sometimes,” Crow answered with an honest shrug. “It depends on the subject. Gorman is an interesting language though, so I do like these ones.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Albin nodded. “I hope this means you’ll pick it up quickly as well.”

Crow hesitated. “Me too.”

The king, sharp as ever, studied him closely, “Is everything alright?”

The viceroy blinked, realizing his mistake too late. “Yes,” he said slowly. “Sorry, I was just a bit distracted.”

Albin eyed him for a moment longer. “What’s on your mind?”

Crow shifted in his seat as he fumbled to think of an excuse. After a pause, he sighed, deciding he might as well tell the king some part of the truth. “Well,” he started, looking up to meet his father’s gaze. “I’m still concerned that we should be seeking a more peaceful solution to this war… There are plenty of people who want to see it end—”

“And it will,” Albin held up a hand. “As soon as you go to Gorm to enlist their king’s help.”

Crow bit the inside of his lip, tempted to push his point more, but decided against it. Toreus had visited Penelope, after all, not him. It wasn’t his job to convince the king to seek a different solution. He lowered his gaze to the papers in front of him. “What will I be learning today?” he asked quietly, pushing his unease aside to focus on the task at hand.

“To start, I’m going to have you rehearse what I taught you yesterday,” his father replied, seeming satisfied with the change of subject. He pulled out the scroll he had shown his son the day before. “Tell me which characters make what sounds.”

Crow let out his breath in a focusing exhale, sitting up a bit straighter as he complied with the assignment and began working on his next lesson in Gorman.

[BuzzingBee]

The trip to Bexley was rather dull. Oliver had his nose buried in a book as usual and remained silent, only the nose of pages flipping came from him. Dimia wasn't much better. While she had agreed to help Penelope per the request of her brother, it clearly didn't mean that she viewed her any different. She avoided eye contact with Penelope and instead would quietly observe the passing trees while occasionally pulling out her pocket mirror to check her hair, as if worried a passing breeze had blown it out of control.

As they drew closer to the city, however, Dimia finally focused her gaze onto Penelope. "So, exactly what happened between you and my brother?" she questioned with narrowed eyes.

Penelope blinked, pulled from her daydreams, as the other noblewoman suddenly spoke up. Confused why the topic even came up, she raised an eyebrow at her. "Why are you asking about this now?" she questioned.

"Because my brother isn't here to tell me and I'm curious as to why he was so insistent that we help you, his ex." Dimia huffed. "A few answers for all the help we're giving you is really the least we could ask for."

Penelope rolled her eyes at Dimia's words. She would prefer to keep such matters to herself, especially when the real answer involved Crow. However, the noblewoman was doing quite a bit for her so she supposed she deserved some type of answer. "Well the marriage wasn't my idea to start with first of all. Secondly, while I am fond of your brother, I do not love him so I didn't want to marry him. He accepted that and we were able to agree on a friendship instead."

Dimia snorted in disbelief. "So basically by brother wasn't good enough for you. Most people don't even marry someone they get along with and you had the gull to throw away someone that actually cares for you. Unbelievable."

Penelope bit back a sharp comment. She didn't just throw away the male knight. It had been a difficult decision at the time, mainly since back then she had thought she would be giving up everything she knew rather than just leaving a courtship. Gavin was a good man but he wasn't the one for her. And that worked vice versa too. He deserved to find someone who loved him fully, not someone who would simply settle for him as a second choice like she had nearly done once. "Believe what you want but that's not the case. Gavin knows that and that's why he's still helping me. Besides, you of all people should be happy he didn't settle for me."

"Trust me. I am." Dimia rolled her eyes.

Penelope shot her an annoyed look and was about to say more when someone cleared their throat awkwardly. She turned her head to look over at Oliver. He shifted a bit uncomfortably, seeming bother by the tension between the two noblewomen. As they both look to him, he nodded his head to outside the wagon. "Looks like we're slowing down. We must have reached the inn." he said in a quiet voice.

"Finally." Dimia huffed with relief.

As the wagon lurched to a stop, Penelope eagerly climbed out, stretching her limbs for a moment before shifting her gaze onto the inn. She felt a bit of excitement pulse through her at the thought of doing interviews. Once they made their decisions on musicians and food, they'd be one step closer to putting together this party.

[Rogue Sloth]

Despite his interest in the Gorman language, the afternoon went by slowly to Crow. He started by going over the characters his father had taught him again, identifying their sounds and pointing out which special symbols could be used on what kinds of words. Albin seemed pleased with his recollection, as he only mixed up a few of the characters throughout the repetition, and it didn’t take long before they moved on to reading. The king gave him a thin book to work through and instructed him to write down any words he didn’t know, explaining that the assignment would help to further develop his vocabulary in the foreign tongue.

The former thief spent the rest of the lesson lounging in a cushioned chair in the chamber library as he read the book. To his surprise, there were quite a few words he didn’t know, and he wrote down more than he had been expecting. His confusion was cleared up when, at the end of the class, his father looked over his list and translated each of the words he couldn’t understand. Apparently, they all had to do with political discourse and economic jargon that he couldn’t describe even in Missenar. Knowing that made him feel better about the gap in his knowledge, and he left the room pleased with himself for already being so accomplished in the neighboring kingdom’s speech.

He was also in a good mood because Albin had dismissed him early enough to fit in a nap before supper. The king seemed to have noticed his lethargy and thought it would do him some good to rest instead of fitting anything more than they already had into his lesson. He couldn’t wait to lay down, so he would finally stop feeling so exhausted. In his excitement about finishing the class early, he realized he’d forgotten to bring up the prospect of taking an entire day off, but he didn’t mind. There was plenty of time for him to bring up the subject during the next time they met. For now, he was content with getting some much-needed sleep.

When he got back to his room, Crow barely took the time to take off his boots before he flopped heavily onto the mattress of his bed, drawing the blankets up to his chin as he settled down. Knowing that Preston would stop by to wake him up when he needed to leave for supper, he didn’t even have to worry about panicking from his nightmare when he got up. He closed his eyes serenely, looking forward to taking a peaceful nap for the first time in too long.

Unfortunately, he didn’t even have time to begin drifting off before a knock sounded on the door.

The viceroy groaned, jumping to the conclusion that Preston had come to fetch him early for supper. But that didn’t seem to be the case as the person on the other side of his door knocked a second time instead of coming in. Mildly annoyed by the disruption, he sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes, calling out a moody “What is it?” to whoever was so insistent on ruining his nap.

There was a brief pause before the door opened, and Crow tensed as he watched Elizabeth step inside.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were sleeping,” she apologized, shuffling her feet.

“I wasn’t,” he muttered, keeping a wary eye on her as she shut the door behind her. Still angry with her for the way she had treated Penelope at breakfast, he shot her a wary glare, “So, what do you want?”

“The same thing I’ve wanted from the start,” Liz smiled at him halfheartedly, lifting her narrow shoulders in a shrug. “To spend time with you.”

“Is that right?” Crow said dryly, leaning back on the palms of his hands. “Well then you might as well leave now, because I don’t want anything more to do with you.”

Liz winced, “If this is about what I said to that knight, I’m really sorry. I was just jealous... I mean, I haven’t been able to see you in seven years, and she’s gotten to spend every day with you since you arrived at the castle. I didn’t mean it…”

“I think you did,” Crow scoffed, not bothering to filter himself while he was still seething about what had happened. “Besides, I don’t know why you’re apologizing to me right now. Penelope was the one you tried to hurt. If you’re truly sorry, then you should tell her when she comes back to the castle tomorrow.”

“I know,” the noblewoman sighed, lowering her gaze to her shoes. “I just had to say something to someone, and you’re the only one who’s still around.”

Crow studied her for a moment longer before looking away again. “Well then, you’ve said your piece,” he grumbled. “So now, you can go. I still want to sleep before supper anyway.”

“Okay,” Liz complied meekly. She dipped her head in a graceful bow, “Have a good nap, Collin.”

The viceroy just grunted in response as he laid down again, waiting for the sound of the door to open and close before he closed his eyes. With matters seemingly settled between him and Elizabeth for now, he finally drifted off into a light sleep.

[BuzzingBee]

The rest of the day went by with a bit more entertainment. A large room had been set up for the group and the innkeeper had made sure they were well taken care of. He seemed particularly friendly with Dimia. So much so that Penelope had to wonder what kind of past they had together since they both seemed well acquainted with one another. However, it was difficult to say for sure. Mainly because Oliver either didn't notice it or chose to ignore it. The knight didn't dwell on it long though as soon they had new people filtering into the room either with instruments or samples of freshly cooked food.

Over the course of the day, she listened to a wide variety of different songs and tasted different foods. To her, each had their own charm and it was difficult to say if one stood out over the other. Although one of the cooks named Laurence had bothered to bring samples of desserts, which had easily won over the knight. By the end of it all, it was late in the afternoon and the three had yet to make any firm decisions. Penelope leaned back against her chair and glanced over at Dimia and Oliver.

"So," she began slowly. "any firm picks?"

"I think so!" Dimia chirped, clapping her hands together. "Most of them were subpar but as for cooks, I think that one lad... Laurence was excellent. He's from one of the high class inns around here too so I'm sure the rest of his staff is just as professional. As for music, I think that one group from Everton was quite good. I could easily picture myself dancing in a beautiful gown to what they play." The noblewoman gave a dreamy sigh.

"I liked those choices too, dear." Oliver agreed with a nod and then glanced over to Penelope. "What do you think?"

"Those work for me. I liked Laurence too." Penelope nodded her head then gave a sheepish smile. "As for music, the group from Everton works for me... To be honest, all of those songs sounded practically the same to me."

"Probably because you haven't been to many proper parties." Dimia scoffed. She paused and then narrowed her gaze on the knight. "Speaking of which, what are you planning on wearing to this? I sure hope you don't think you're going to show up in armor! I won't allow it!"

Penelope blinked and then rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I'm going to wear a dress."

"What kind? What does it look like?" Dimia prodded.

"I don't know... Something nice that I have." Penelope said with a shrug.

Dimia pursed her lips together and then shook her head. "I don't trust you." she stated bluntly. "Tomorrow I'm going to take you to the seamstress in this town to get you fitted. Just pay for the dress and I'll take care of making sure you're wearing something proper."

"Excuse me, I think I know how to dress myself." Penelope grumbled.

"I doubt that." Dimia looked her up and down with her gaze. "You're not even on duty yet you still dress like a knight. Would it kill you to dress like a proper noblewoman on your days off?"

"I'm quite comfortable in my armor, thank you very much." Penelope growled, growing irritated at have yet another person degrade her appearance within the same day. "I can handle getting my own dress. Just focus on yourself and the party." The knight abruptly rose to her feet. "Now excuse me while I grab some supper and then head to bed. Good night." she excused herself rigidly as she turned and stalked out of the room. Eager to get some time away from them, she headed off to get a bit to eat and cool her head after getting worked up for the second time that day.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow eventually awoke to the sound of his door opening as Preston came into the room. He rolled over on his bed and stretched his legs, yawning broadly as he woke up a bit more. After getting some much-needed rest, he felt better than he had nearly a week. He wished he could take naps after all of his afternoon lessons. The additional sleep would surely do him some good, but he knew his father would never allow him to take that much time to himself when the king didn’t know what was going on.

“Supper is ready,” Preston announced, stepping over to the viceroy’s bedside. The attendant seemed relieved to find him waking up without screaming for once. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” Crow nodded, stretching one more time before he moved to climb down from the tall mattress. He located his boots on the floor and bent down to put them on.

“I’m happy to hear it,” the servant nodded, waiting for him to finish getting ready before he followed him to the door. “I heard a rumor that the kitchen staff prepared a venison stew this evening.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that,” Crow casted him a grin. “Come on, I want a bowl while it’s still hot.” With that, he hastened his pace slightly, eager to fill his empty stomach with one of his favorite dishes.

--

It didn’t take long for the two to arrive in the Great Hall. Crow took a moment to look over the faces of the nobles who had gotten there ahead of him. He didn’t see Elizabeth anywhere, but there was one familiar face that caught his eye. Naida was sitting alone at a table near the back of the room, looking down at her food instead of flagging him over as she usually did during a meal. The sight made him grimace as he recalled what he’d said to her the night before. After everything that had happened with Liz, he’d completely forgotten to make amends with the princess.

Tentatively, he made his way to the other side of the room to sit down across from her. She glanced up briefly from her bowl before looking away again, fidgeting nervously with her silverware. “Hey, Collin,” she said in a quiet voice, nearly acting like she expected him to snap at her again.

Crow frowned, remaining silent for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, shuffling his feet beneath the table. “About how I treat you last night… It wasn’t right of me to raise my voice at you like that. I know you weren’t trying to do anything wrong. I just overreacted, and I hope you can forgive me.”

His sister blinked, seeming surprised by the gentleness of his tone. She looked up at him and laughed softly, “Gods, I’m just glad that you’re not still mad at me. You could start a fire with that temper of yours, you know.” The viceroy blushed, but she waved her hand, “It’s fine though. No harm was done.”

Crow relaxed a bit, offering her a half smile, “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Naida grinned. “Besides, being on the sharp end of your tongue was worth it. You and Penelope were just adorable last night.”

“Not this again,” Crow groaned, though inwardly, he was relieved to hear her go on like everything was back to normal between them. He relaxed as they continued to banter, enjoying spending time with his sister now that the tension had faded between them.

The rest of his supper went by, thankfully, without any more issues, and by the time Crow was ready to turn in for the night, he found himself in a rather good mood again. He bid a curt goodnight to the princess and then headed back to his bedchamber, ready to lay down again as his stomach worked on digesting the heavy meal.

[BuzzingBee]

Now alone and left to her own devices, the knight enjoyed a peaceful meal alone. Though she did wish she had some sort of enjoyable company around after feeling like everyone had been badgering her all day, she supposed being alone wasn't too bad either. It certainly gave her time to calm down from getting a bit heated with Dimia. It seemed the Lenz's knew better than to push her though as she noticed them filter in and sit at a different table rather than joining her. Penelope was admittedly glad they had decided to sit away from her for now at least.

Another bonus of the night was that the inn had rather good ale. She took a long sip from her mug, enjoying the taste and the slight fuzziness that it brought. She wasn't one to drink her feelings away but it at least helped her relax. With no family or friends around to lift her spirits a bit, it was her next best option. Penelope finished up her food and drink soon and gave a long yawn. Between the alcohol in her system and a long day of traveling and meeting various people, she was ready to go to bed.

She was just about to get up to retire to her room when she realized she didn't have the key on her. The knight suppressed a groan as she recalled that Oliver had yet to give it to her after checking in with the innkeeper. It seemed she wasn't completely done with talking to the Lenz's that day after all. Penelope reluctantly rose to her feet and trotted over to their table, giving them a curt nod of greeting.

"I juu-ust came to get my." she mumbled.

Dimia narrowed her eyes at the knight and then groaned. "Are you drunk?"

"No." Penelope scoffed. "I am, however, a bit tipsy. Now can I please get my key?"

Oliver gave Dimia a shrug before digging into his pocket. "Here. It's down the first hallway, second door."

"Thanks." Penelope muttered before turning and heading off to her room. Tired and ready to lay down, the knight wasted no time getting ready for bed. She stepped inside and slipped out of her boots. Setting them down at her bed side, she flopped back and closed her eyes, ready to get another full night’s rest. Comfortable and slightly buzzed, it took the night no time to fall asleep.

[Rogue Sloth]

Yawning tiredly, Crow ambled down the long hall that led to his room. Despite the rocky start to the morning, he felt like the day had gone quite well. He’d gotten to spend a little time with Penelope, his lesson had gone smoothly, he’d gotten to take a nap, and he’d even made up with his sister after their fight. Overall, he didn’t think he could have hoped for a better outcome. All he had to do now was keep an eye on Elizabeth in case the noblewoman tried to get between him and Penelope again. It wouldn’t be hard to do, especially after he’d made it quite clear to her that he didn’t want to be around her anymore. He even wondered if she was already packing her bags to go back to her home in Colchester.

Smiling to himself at the thought, Crow pushed open the door to his bedchamber and stepped inside. With everything else he still had to worry about in regards to the war and his relationship with the knight, it would be nice to have one less problem to deal with in the castle. In fact, he wouldn’t have minded seeing Liz off, himself, if it meant she would never come back again. Without her around, Penelope would be less stressed, and he wouldn’t have to look out for her at every meal. It was a pleasant thought.

Closing the door, the viceroy turned around to head over to his bed, ready to lay down for the night. However, he didn’t take more than half a step before he froze, wide eyed, at the sight of a completely naked Elizabeth laying on the mattress. The noblewoman was positioned in a sexual manner that obviously flaunted her body, and she smiled at him as he stared at her.

“Brings back memories, right?” she crooned, shifting her bare hips on the bed. “Although, I think the last time, you tied my hand to the headboard.”

Crow gawked at her, struggling to process what was happening, until he forced himself to look away from the exposed woman in front of him. His face and neck burned scarlet, and his heart pounded against his will. “W-What the hell are you doing?” he stammered, too flustered by the situation to keep his voice steady.

“Oh, come now,” Liz frowned, sitting up. “I thought you’d like the surprise.” She slid down from the mattress and slowly made her way toward him. “Think of it as my way of saying congratulations on your new title… and this is your gift.” She grinned at the stunned viceroy coyly, slipping her arms around his back and leaning up so her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, “You can do whatever you want with me.”

Crow swallowed, trying futilely to calm his racing heart. Everything about this was wrong. He was with Penelope, and Liz was the one who had insulted the woman he loved. There was no way he would let anything happen between them, but for some reason, he found it difficult to make his body move. His thoughts were overwhelmed by the sight of Elizabeth’s bare figure, and he couldn’t gather them enough to make himself say or do anything to stop her.

The noblewoman seemed to take his silence as confirmation that he wanted to sleep with her. She giggled and reached for his hand, giving him a tug toward the bed, “Come on. Let’s make up for those seven years apart, shall we? I can’t wait to see just how much of a man you’ve become.”

Somehow, that was enough to snap Crow out of his trace. He took a step back, pulling his hand out of hers. “No,” he glared at her venomously. “I don’t know what made you think you had the right to do this, but I never agreed to it.”

“Collin,” Liz frowned. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy—”

“I’m not going to sleep with you,” Crow interrupted hostilely. His green eyes drifted down toward her chest, and he quickly turned his head away to keep himself from staring. Taking a stabilizing breath, he thought of Penelope, trying to meditate on her to remind himself why he couldn’t let Liz win. It was difficult to keep his thoughts straight with a naked woman standing directly in front of him though.

“Why not?” Elizabeth asked, knitting her brow. “You’re not taken, so what’s the harm?”

Crow opened his mouth and then closed it again, wishing more than ever that he could just tell her he was with Penelope. Without their relationship to use as an excuse, he couldn’t think of a good reason to give her for his behavior.

“See?” Liz smirked, reaching for his hand again. “It’s just a bit of fun. We don’t have to tell anyone either, if you’d prefer.”

The viceroy stiffened at that, her words reminding him painfully of the day Rikki had tried to seduce him. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, he pulled back again and curled his lip at her dangerously, “Get out.”

Elizabeth wavered briefly. “Collin, I—”

“I said, get out!” Crow snapped, all composure lost as he stepped hurriedly around her to get away from the wall she’d cornered him against.

Liz flinched, seeming frightened by his abrupt change in attitude. “I-I left my clothes—”

“I don’t care,” he shook his head. Yanking open the wardrobe, he grabbed one of the spare linen sheets and tossed it at her. “Take that and go.”

Liz grimaced, “But, I—”

“Get out!” Crow yelled at her again, growing more flustered the longer she stayed in the room with him.

The noblewoman’s eyes grew wide, and she quickly wrapped the white cloth around her before stumbling out of the bedchamber, finally leaving him alone.

Crow walked over to the open door and shut it roughly, turning around and pressing his back against the cold wood as he took a moment to calm himself down. He couldn’t believe Liz had actually been brazen enough to try something like this on him. Did she really think that just because they had slept together once seven years ago, he would want to be with her again, no questions asked? He raked his hands through his hair, sinking to the floor as a frustrated groan escaped his lips.

It took some time, but eventually, he relaxed enough to rise to his feet and step quietly over to his bed. His thoughts were still in shambles from the unexpectedness of his encounter with Elizabeth, but he was getting too tired to keep focusing on it. He yawned wearily and laid down, drawing his blanket all the way over his head as he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

[BuzzingBee]

The next morning, Penelope woke to the sound of knocking at her door. She lifted her head wearily and let out a small sigh as it impatiently came again. Even in her groggy state, she knew it must have been Dimia on the other side. The knight slowly pushed herself up but before she could even reach the door, the noblewoman called out from the other side, "Penelope, get up! Otherwise you won't have time for breakfast before we leave! And we're not waiting for you!" Penelope snorted as she slipped into her boots. She listened as fading footsteps told her the two had moved on to get breakfast without her.

Once she was ready for the day, she headed out of her room and went to reluctantly join the other two nobles for breakfast. She slid in across from the couple, dipping her head slightly as she waited for a wench to come take their orders. Dimia seemed pleased that she had made it out in time and that was just going based upon the silence that followed her arrival. Certainly beats having her nag me over every little step. Penelope thought while the couple ordered their meals.

After Penelope had done the same, she turned her head to look back over at Oliver and Dimia. "So... how much longer do you think until we can set a date for this party?" she asked curiously.

There was a pause before Oliver let out a small sigh. "Well, considering our time limit, we need to have it as soon as possible. Honestly, I think we should set it for a week from now. That should be enough time to send out invitations and give us a bit of cushion afterwards if we have any nobles on the fence about siding with us. If they're allowed some time to give it thought after the party, they could possibly still write a letter of support. I certainly would want to at least give them the chance to."

"Yes well, it's going to be quite difficult to throw together such a huge party in such a short amount of time!" Dimia huffed. She glanced at Penelope and folded her arms over her chest. "I'll still do it but don't blame me if everything's not perfect."

"I trust you do just fine, Dimia." Penelope remarked. It was true there was no one else Penelope trusted more to throw together such a large event. Though, that was mainly because the people she knew had never really thrown together even a simple party. She at least knew Dimia had experience.

Dimia blinked, seeming a bit caught off guard by Penelope's genuine support. "Yes well... I'll do what I can." she muttered. She cleared her throat and glanced away as she noticed their food arriving. "Anyways, have we secured a location yet? What about a guest list?"

"I'll have to speak with Naida." Penelope admitted with a small sigh. "Have you thought of any alternatives?"

"Yes." Dimia grumbled. "If worst comes to worst, we can have it at our manor. The house should be big enough... I'd still prefer to have it at the castle though."

"I'm aware." Penelope muttered. "I'll see if she was able to pull it off or not. As for the guest list, I'll hopefully have something put together for you soon enough."

"Good." Dimia nodded.

With nothing more to discuss, the three began to dig into their food. A silence fell between them again, this time a longer one as it wasn't broken until after they had finished their food and Oliver suggested they begin their trip back to the kingdom. Since they were all in agreement, the nobles didn't waste any time as they made their way back to the wagon. Settling down inside, Penelope prepared for the long trip back to the castle, eager to end her time with her only company being the Lenzs.

[Rogue Sloth]

The next morning, Crow was caught off guard by the strength of his nightmare. He shot upright on his bed, gasping for breath as the panic set in. After going a night without dealing with it, he completely forgot about the technique Penelope had taught him to calm down. His hands flew to his head, and he squeezed his eyes shut, losing himself to the intensity of the visions that consumed his thoughts.

Suddenly, he felt a hand rest firmly on his arm.

“Collin. Collin, breathe,” Preston’s familiar voice vied for his attention. “Remember what Penelope told you. Breathe in, hold it, and let it out.”

Crow nodded faintly as the memory came back to him. It had worked the last time. He was sure he could do it again. Carefully, he took a shaky breath in and forced himself to hold it without losing control. After a pause, he let it out again and repeated the process until his heartrate began to slow down. He wasn’t sure how long it took, but after a while, he fell back on the bed and exhaled tiredly, worn out from the effort of making himself relax.

Preston frowned down at him, “Feel better?”

Crow nodded wordlessly, resting his forearm across his face to block out the morning sunlight that was filtering in through the window. He stayed like that for a little while longer before he reluctantly got out of bed. Preston handed him a glass of water and stepped aside to give him room, shuffling his feet with a nervous energy that was confusing to the viceroy.

“Something you want to say to me?” he asked offhandedly as he pulled his old shirt over his head and tossed it aside.

“I was just wondering,” Preston said slowly, turning his head to look at something off to the side. “…Whose clothes are those?”

At his words, Crow stiffened and spun around to see that the attendant was gesturing to a dress and a set of women’s undergarments that had been piled by the window. At once, the events of the previous night came back to him, and he ran a hand over his face as his residual frustration with Elizabeth resurfaced.

“Penelope is on a trip, right?” the servant pressed tentatively. “Are… are you two not exclusive?”

“We are,” Crow sighed. He quickly finished changing clothes and stepped over to collect the garments that had been left against the wall. Unsure what to do with them, he moved back over to the wardrobe and stuffed them inside.

“Do you not want me to tell her?” Preston asked softly, seeming even more uncomfortable with the situation after watching the viceroy hide the clothes.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Crow shook his head, turning back to face the boy so he could see the sincerity on his face. “A noblewoman came here last night with the intent to sleep with me, but I turned her away.”

“Naked?” Preston gawked at him.

“No,” the viceroy answered, shifting his weight. “I was flustered, so I just gave her a bedsheet, because I wanted her to leave as soon as possible.”

“Oh no,” Preston’s eyes widened. “Tell me you didn’t actually do that.”

“I know it wasn’t the most respectful thing I could have done,” Crow admitted with a shrug. “But what was I supposed to do? She was completely exposed. I didn’t think it through.”

“I don’t think you understand,” Preston’s expression grew worried. “If the night guards saw a woman leaving your bedchamber in nothing but a sheet, they’re going to think—”

“Oh gods,” Crow blanched as the realization struck him. At the time, he’d been so caught up in his fear of the consequences of actually sleeping with Liz that he hadn’t even thought about what the situation looked like from the outside. He anxiously dragged his fingers through his hair, his heart pounding. This was so much worse. He could already imagine the rumors that would start spreading around the castle. It wouldn’t be long before everyone in the palace thought he’d spent the night with Elizabeth.

“Oh gods, oh gods,” Crow began pacing nervously. He looked up at his attendant worriedly. “How long do you think it will take before the guards start talking?”

“They haven’t even switched shifts yet,” Preston relayed with a concerned look. “I don’t think it will help your case if you tell them to keep their mouths shut though.”

“I know,” Crow groaned. The knights wouldn’t listen to him even if he tried. He ran his hand through his hair again. “There’s nothing I can do to reverse this is there?”

“I don’t think so,” Preston admitted quietly.

The viceroy let out a long exhale. “Well, I suppose there’s no point in fretting when the damage is already done,” he muttered, turning to the door. “I might as well enjoy my breakfast before the gossip starts…”

[BuzzingBee]

The journey back was just as uneventful as the trip there, if not more so. Conversation wasn't something that happened between the three of them. They pretty much all kept to themselves, aside from Oliver and Dimia occasionally speaking in hushed voices to each other. Whatever they were talking about didn't interest the knight enough to try and listen in though so instead she just watched the trees, buildings and people pass by as they traveled back to the castle.

Once the group finally arrived, it was around midday. Breakfast was likely done by now and since Naida was covering her shift, that meant the knight would have a bit of free time. She wasn't quite sure how she'd spend it as she didn't have much to do at the moment. All of her plans were at a small halt until she heard back from other people. She was beginning to think about possibly making a guest list of her own, after all she did know some nobles in the inner kingdom. She had reached out to them already through letter but clearly that hadn't been enough for most. Perhaps a party and some drinking would do the trick.

"We'll talk again soon Penelope." Oliver said with a small dip of his head as they turned to part ways.

Penelope nodded her head in agreement and was about to make her way back into the citadel when another voice caught her attention from her right. "Penelope." John called gruffly. She blinked at the sound of her father's voice and turned her head to see him approaching her. Though he appeared stoic, the knight could read him well enough to detect a hint of annoyance in his gaze. It made her flinch as she realized that she had never spoken to her father about the party or even a heads up about leaving for Bexley. She had simply to distracted and busy to even consider that was likely information he would have wanted to know.

"Ah.. Hi father." she said a bit meekly. "Did you need me for something?"

"A couple answers would be nice." John replied crossing his arms over his chest. "I leave you with the Lenzs one day and then a few days later I hear you've left the castle to travel with them. What's going on?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to leave without a word but it was only for a day. Plus for good reason too." Penelope explained with a small shrug. "The Lenzs have offered their help to end the war and they plan to do so by throwing a large party. The plan is to invite every noble we can and have them sign a petition."

"A party?" John echoed. He paused for a moment and then sighed. "I suppose that makes sense. Where did you travel to yesterday?"

"Bexley. We were figuring out food and music for this event." Penelope told him. She paused and added. "We're hoping to host it by the end of the week."

John's eyes widened subtly. "That soon?"

Penelope nodded her head gravely. "We have to. The king had plans to send Crow to Gorm in about a month to try to form an alliance with them instead of seeking a peaceful end to the war. If we're not fast, we won't be able to convince him in time."

John fell silent for a brief moment and then nodded. "I hope your party works then for everyone's sake... Perhaps these will help too." he paused and pulled out a somewhat thick stack of letters. "I was going to give them to you this morning... Until I found out you were gone of course."

The knight stared at them in awe. It was around a day or so too early for these to be letters from her battalion so the knight guessed they must be from the nobles Jonathan had told her to contact. Perhaps even from his barons as well. Her heart began to pound a bit nervously. The letters could either mean a new wave of support or failure if most of them were letters of rejection. "Gods I sure hope they will. Thank you father." she said eagerly accepting the stake of letters from him. "I suppose I know how I'm going to be spending my time before supper."

John nodded and reached out to gave her shoulder a firm squeeze. "Good luck, Penelope. I've got duties to attend to now but if you need any help, find me. Ending this war should be everyone's top priority." he reminded her before turning and walking off.

Penelope said a grateful word of thanks to her father before turning and heading into the castle. Both eager and a bit nervous to open the letters, she felt her stomach churn as she looked down at them. The party would only get her so far and while she did already have a few letters of support, she would need much more to convince the king. The knight hurried to her room, wanting the privacy to read through her stack of letters in peace.

[Rogue Sloth]

Wanting to be seen with anyone but Elizabeth after what had happened the night before, Crow joined Wayne and Percival for breakfast at the Great Hall. The two noblemen eagerly welcomed him, which he appreciated since he wasn’t in the mood to deal with being looked down upon by anyone that morning. Knowing it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the nobles in the castle started whispering about him and Liz, he wanted to enjoy the dwindling peace while it lasted.

“So, I heard a rumor that the king is planning to form an alliance with Gorm soon,” Wayne said after a short silence, toying with the food on his plate. His eyes flicked indiscreetly toward the viceroy. “You were at the court meeting, right? Is it true that he’s going to negotiate with the Gorman king?”

“I’ve been curious about that too,” Percival nodded, turning to Crow with a hopeful look. “It would be good news for the knights on the warfront if he is.”

Crow shifted slightly in his seat. It seemed that word had already spread of his father’s intentions, and the two noblemen with him now were already on board with his idea. If there were more like them in the castle, it could be hard to change the king’s mind. “It is,” he admitted slowly, lifting his glass to his lips to stall for a moment. “But personally, I’m not sure if it’s the best course of action.”

“What do you mean?” Percival knitted his brows. “If we side with Gorm, Younis won’t be able to overpower us. This could be the push we’ve been looking for to finally defeat them.”

“Maybe,” Crow shrugged. “How many knights will lose their lives if the king plans such a large battle though? I think it would be better if he seeks peaceful terms with Younis.”

“And our kingdom would come off looking cowardly,” Wayne shook his head. “We’ve never ended a war without conquering our enemies in all of Brerra’s history.”

“It’s not too late to start,” Crow mumbled, popping a bite of food into his mouth.

Percival frowned, looking between the two before his gaze rested on the viceroy. “With all due respect, I think Wayne is right,” he said tentatively. “In an ideal world, negotiating with Younis would be the best way to end the feuding between our two kingdoms, but that’s never worked for us in the past. I don’t know if there’s anything we can agree upon that would be enough to fix the tension that’s existed between us for so many generations.”

Crow eyed the knight for a moment and then looked away again. “I suppose,” he muttered. It was so difficult to convince anyone in the castle to believe that ending the war peacefully was the best decision they could make, and the worst part was that he nearly found himself siding with them too. The only reason why he didn’t agree with his father’s plan was because of what Penelope had told him about her meeting with the god. If she hadn’t said that Toreus himself was vying for negotiations with Younis, he would have avidly supported the king’s intention to ally with Gorm.

But just because I can’t convince anyone doesn’t mean she won’t be able to, he thought, suddenly remembering the guest list she had wanted him to make while she was gone. After everything that had happened between him and Elizabeth, he’d completely forgotten about it. However, there was still time for him to invite a few people.

“By the way,” he looked up at the other men abruptly, as if the idea had just come to him. “The Lenz’s are going to be throwing a party soon. I was invited to come, but I’m not sure if anyone else will be there that I know.” He casted them a grin. “Would you two be interested in coming with me?”

“A party?” Wayne brightened visibly, though there was still a calculating look in his eyes. “Have you heard the names of anyone else who’ll be coming?”

“Not many,” Crow mused thoughtfully, suppressing a smirk. “But I know some members of the royal family will be there, so I think they’re inviting quite a few high ranking people.” He met Wayne’s gaze with a mock frown. “That doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“Me? Of course not,” Wayne shook his head vigorously. “I’d be honored to attend the party with you, Collin. What about you, Percy?” He nudged the knight beside him.

“I suppose I can go too,” the other man answered in a more mild-mannered fashion. “As long as I don’t get assigned to guard the castle on the day of the party, that is.”

“Great,” Crow beamed at them. “I’ll let you both know more about the details when I hear news of them. In the meantime,” he stood up from the table. “I’d better get going. It’s almost time for my next lesson.”

“Alright,” Wayne nodded. “See you later, Collin.”

Percival waved wordlessly as he continued to eat his breakfast.

Crow returned the gesture and turned around to head out of the Great Hall, smiling to himself as he secured his first invitations to Penelope’s party. Perhaps if his lesson went well that afternoon, the day wouldn’t be quite as terrible as he expected.

[BuzzingBee]

Settling down comfortably on her bed, the knight spent most of her day reading through the letters in the privacy of her room. She was pleased to find that most of the letters were ones of support. Jonathan had managed to convince his barons of her cause, all of them writing how the sooner the war was over the better it would be for the kingdom as a whole. The other nobles he had mention also wrote with either words of eager support or reluctant agreement to her plans. Even one of the dukes wrote his support. Penelope was pleased to add a firm stack of letters to her collection.

Of course, not everyone had voiced support for the war's end. There were a couple letters shaming her for even suggesting such a cowardice act and demanding for her to back down. However, the positive responses out weighed the negative so the knight merely crumpled up the couple letters and tossed them. She was far too thrilled about the letters of support she did receive to be worry about the ones she hadn't.

The last letter she opened was the one from Jonathan and the thickest one. As she opened it, she realized why it had seemed so thick. Three pages of paper were neatly folded together inside, making the knight feel a hint of confusion. Exactly how much did the other lieutenant have to say to her? Curious, she unfolded the first page to read it.

Dear Penelope,

I hope you are finding success in your efforts to end the war. Convincing my barons took a bit longer than I'd like to admit but they finally came around after we suffered a rather hard defeat. And that was after talking strategies with the king. The sooner this blasted war ends the better and I really do think reaching agreements with Younis is the only way... I just hope you're finding success. Please write to me about how things go once you speak to the king. I'd like to be prepared. Either for the war's end or it's continuation.

Additionally, a friend of mine gave me some advice when I told them about you and your campaign. I know you need as much support as you can get. Especially from higher ranking nobles. I gave you a list of all of them that I knew of but my friend pointed out that small voices, when combined, equal a big one. So at the end of this letter and on, I have collected as many signatures from the other knights in my battalion who wish for the war's peaceful. They might not be dukes or barons but I do hope their voices help.

Best of Luck,
Jonathan Burr

Penelope's eyes widened in slight amazement as she went on to flip the pages to see that the last two were covered front to back with names. While it certainly wasn't a whole battalion's worth of knights, it was a large chunk regardless. It made the knight's heart swell with both hope and excitement. Her deadline might have been shortened by the king, but at least she was making some good progress. If the party went as well as she and the others hoped, there was a chance they could really pull it off.

In good spirits, she tucked away her letters and headed out of her room. It was nearing supper time by now so instead of looking for something else to do, she headed off in the direction of the Great Hall. However, the knight didn't even reach it before she heard someone call her name. "Hey Penelope, going to get supper?" She blinked and turned her head to the left to see Cedric. The male knight shot her a smile and trotted up to join her. She gave a small nod in answer to his question.

"I'm surprised to see you. I thought you were off on a trip." he mused as he fell in step besides her.

"I just got back a little while ago." Penelope explained with a shrug. "I only traveled to Bexley for party stuff."

"Oh really? How'd that go?" Cedric asked curiously.

"Well enough." Penelope answered with a shrug. "Oliver wants to have it within a week from now."

Cedric gave a whistle and focused his gaze ahead as they walked on towards the Great Hall. "That soon, huh? Well I hope everything goes smoothly... Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"I think I've got all the help I need.. Unless you have any other nobles to invite. At this point, the more the merrier." Penelope said with a smile.

Cedric grinned a little. "I might have a couple. I'll see what I can do."

"Great." Penelope nodded appreciatively. As the two rounded the corner and stepped into the Great Hall, she swept her gaze over the crowd, briefly eyeing for either Naida or Crow. She had been hoping to catch them for super, especially since she had to spend the previous day in less than perfect company. However, seeing neither of them, she instead focused in on the nearest empty table. For now, Cedric's company would have to be enough though she still held onto the hope of seeing either of the two later.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s lesson with his father went by just as smoothly as the last two had. He reviewed the characters of the Gorman language one more time and continued to read through the book the king had given him. Like the last time, there were quite a few words he didn’t recognize, but it didn’t bother him anymore. He’d figured out that Albin had given him this specific book because he wanted him to learn more about trade between kingdoms, since he was going to need to know how to negotiate properly with the foreign king if or when he left for his trip. Though the intermittent lessons on commerce bored the former thief, he paid close enough attention to remember what he was told, just in case his father ever chose to test his memory on the subject.

Throughout the afternoon Crow maintained a good performance, keeping up with the information Albin gave him and asking questions whenever the king threw a term at him that he didn’t understand. However, by the end of it, he felt just as exhausted as if he had spent the day in training with John rather than studying books and scrolls. When he got up from the chair he’d been lounging in to leave, he nearly swayed on his feet, yawning tiredly and wishing his lesson had ended earlier so he could take another nap. Judging by the level of light coming in through the window, it looked like he was going to have to go straight to supper if he wanted to eat at all.

Before he left, Albin noticed his weariness.

“By the way,” the king mused, gathering the Gorman reading material he’d laid out on his table earlier to put away. “I’ve spoken with your other tutors, and we all agree that you’ve been excelling in your studies.”

Crow turned back to him, slightly surprised by the sudden compliment. “Thank you,” he dipped his head. “I’ve been trying to learn as quickly as I can, so I’m glad to know my efforts are yielding results.”

“They are indeed,” his father looked up at him with a pleased smile. “That’s why I’ve decided to let you take tomorrow off. You’re free to enjoy your leisure time however you see fit.”

Crow’s eyes widened, “Really?”

“Of course,” the king chuckled, seeming amused by his stunned reaction. “You’ve earned it.”

The viceroy nearly felt weak with relief. After enduring long lessons day after day, he felt ready to take a break from it all. The wheels of his mind turned as he already started imagining what he could do with the newfound free time. Of course, the first thing he intended to do was take a lengthy nap. He could sleep after breakfast and have Preston wake him up before his nightmares could plague him again. The thought of getting more rest brought an eager smile to his lips.

“Thank you,” he said earnestly, leaning forward in a deeper bow than he usually offered. His father had given him a wonderful gift by letting him take a break from his lessons, so he decided the king deserved a little more respect than his normal curt gestures gave.

“You’re quite welcome,” Albin nodded, turning back to his task. “Have a good supper, Collin.”

Crow bobbed his head once more and headed out of the room, grinning to himself as he thought about how good it would feel to take a whole day to do whatever he wanted. However, his good mood didn’t last long. As he walked down the hallway that led to the Great Hall, he noticed that the knights he passed were watching him with more annoyance in their gazes than usual. He eyed them warily, remembering that Preston had said the night guards would likely start gossiping about him once their shifts ended. It was hard to tell what was going on in the heads of the men he walked by, but judging by the unfriendly looks they wore, word about him and Elizabeth was already getting around.

The viceroy ducked his head slightly and hastened his pace, eager to get away from their condescending gazes. Though he didn’t care what they thought about him, he was a bit worried about how far the rumors had spread. If Naida had already heard, he knew he was going to get an earful about how terrible it was that he’d “slept” with someone he wasn’t even courting. The gossip might make his relationships with the other noblemen more complicated too. The other men were fond of talking about women they wished to court, but from what he could tell, even they were still chivalrous in the way they treated the noblewomen in the castle. They wouldn’t support it if they found out he’d “used” Liz.

Crow let his breath out in a sigh. Even if the rumors had already reached the ears of those who were closer to him, here was nothing he could do at this point. He just hoped that anyone who’d already heard whatever lies the knights were spreading about him would ask questions to his face instead of whispering behind his back. At least that way, he could correct them and explain that he and Elizabeth hadn’t really slept together, and that the whole thing was just a huge misunderstanding.

But, knowing the habits of nobles, they’re probably going to whisper anyway, he thought dryly. If he was going to straighten this mess out, he had a feeling he was going to have to assert the truth by himself. Still, maybe there was a chance it could wait until tomorrow. He felt a bubble of hope in his chest. Just because the other guards had heard the gossip didn’t mean anyone else had. If it was still contained, then perhaps he could get away with having just one more meal without any drama.

With that thought in mind, he stepped into the Great Hall for supper, looking over the room to see if anyone he knew was already there.

[BuzzingBee]

The two knights talked casually for a short time until Penelope's gaze glanced past Cedric as she spotted Crow enter the Great Hall. The two were sitting at a table towards the back of the room and not wanting to miss him, she waved to catch his gaze. While she knew he wasn't fond of Cedric, she hoped that the viceroy would still join them. Of all people, she was eager to tell him most about the letters and the progress that was being made to stop the war. In her eagerness, she didn't even think twice about gesturing for him to join them.

Naturally the gesture didn't go unnoticed by Cedric. The male knight looked over his shoulder to see whom she was beckoning over. As his gaze landed on Crow, an unreadable glint entered his gaze and he turned back to Penelope with a smile. "Oh seeing him reminds me that I owe him an apology. Seems like I was completely wrong about him and the princess." he chuckled.

At his words, Penelope raised an eyebrow. The male knight had seemed so certain of the two being together before that she was surprised that he didn't seem to hold any suspicion about it now. It made her wonder if he had learned something... Or perhaps I was a bit too eager.. she cringed at the thought. A flash of worry sparked through the knight as she wondered if perhaps she hadn't been keeping enough distance from Crow as she should have been. "O-oh really? Why the sudden change of mind?" she asked him, shifting slightly as she awaited his answer.

"Oh.. Right you were gone this morning." Cedric mused. He did a quick glance towards Crow before leaning closer to Penelope and lowering his voice. "Seems he slept with some noblewoman last night. One of the guards saw her leaving his room with nothing but a bed sheet to cover herself in the middle of the night." The male knight leaned back once again and gave his shoulders a shrug. "Certainly not the most chivalrous way to part ways but that's all everyone's been talking about today."

Penelope stared at Cedric as she took in what he had just told her. Her initial reaction was to scoff in disbelief but she didn't get the chance to as her thoughts immediately went to Elizabeth. The female knight quickly lowered her gaze, hoping to hide the way her face paled with realization. If what Cedric had heard was true, the knight didn't doubt for a minute that it had been Elizabeth that the guards had seen leaving Crow's room. Just the thought of it made her feel nauseous. She didn't want to believe it but why else would such a rumor suddenly start? Hurt by the thought, she felt her throat beginning to grow tight with emotion.

Her gaze flickered to Crow again and she quickly looked away from him, suddenly unsure how to act in his presence. With Cedric there and her emotions swirling at the potential betrayal, the knight would be forced into acting normal for the sake of keeping the male knight in the dark about her relationship with the viceroy. With that in mind, she tried to take a stabilizing breath and looked over at Crow again, forcing a smile. "Hey." she greeted in a quiet voice, worried her voice would crack if she spoke any louder.

[Rogue Sloth]

After a moment of looking, Crow spotted Penelope at a table near the back of the Great Hall, eating supper with someone else. He narrowed his eyes slightly, quick to recognize Cedric. Though the nobleman hadn’t done anything suspicious yet, the viceroy still didn’t like seeing them eat together, especially after what Liz had pulled the night before. He was on edge around anyone who might be trying to get something from either of them, and the other man certainly seemed like the type to do that. Given his less than noble history with the knight, the former thief wasn’t about to believe he was just trying to be friends with her now. There had to be another reason why he had approached her years after their relationship had ended.

When Penelope gestured for him to come and join them at their table, Crow eagerly complied. He wove his way through the crowd, excited to see her again after spending a day apart and desirous to stay nearby just in case his guess about Cedric was right. Additionally, he craved to be close to the knight after Elizabeth had attempted to seduce him in his bedchamber. Even though nothing had happened between them, he disliked the fact that the image of her bare body was embedded so recently in his mind. Hopefully with Penelope at his side again, he could move on more quickly from the uncomfortable encounter.

Sitting down beside her, Crow noticed that the knight seemed more subdued than usual. It wasn’t too surprising though. From what he knew, she’d just gotten back from a long trip to one of the other cities in the inner kingdom. She was probably tired from the journey. “Evening,” he greeted her in return, offering a curt nod to Cedric with forced politeness. He didn’t want his hostility toward the other man to cause any more stress for Penelope if she was already feeling worn out, so he would be civil with her ex suitor if he had to.

“How was your trip?” he asked, turning back to the knight now that he’d made his gesture to her company. “Did you accomplish everything you wanted to?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope shifted her gaze away from Crow as he greeted her, instead looking to see her and Cedric's food arriving. As they placed it down, the knight stared a bit absently at it. She was far from hungry after hearing what had happened from Cedric. The knight was just beginning to poke at it when Crow turned back to her. The way he acted caught the knight off guard. Penelope turned her head to look over at him, staring at him for a brief moment. Why was he acting like nothing had happened?

Is he just trying to hide it from me? The thought passed through her mind, causing for a frown to tug at the corner of her lips. With Crow's history, she wouldn't put it passed him. He had played off secrets before after all. Even though the knight had forgiven him for them, the memories were still there and hard to ignore. She recalled how he had been with Rikki for a moment. When the female thief had nearly conned him into sleeping with her, he had been rather upset. At least then she had been able to tell something was off with him. However, as he sat besides her now with a rather calm demeanor, it gave the knight another heartbreaking thought. Does he not regret it?

Realizing she had yet to answer him, she blinked and shifted her gaze away once more, feeling overwhelmed by her emotions. "It was fine.." she mumbled, her voice growing slightly weaker. "We got everything done."

Cedric studied the knight for a moment before giving a small smile. "That's good. Progress for the party right?"

Penelope gave a quiet mutter of agreement and shifted her food around for a moment. "The Lenzs want to host it in a week. So at least that date is somewhat set." she said, looking to Cedric now, finding it a bit easier to speak to him than looking to Crow at the moment. She wanted to leave but knowing she'd look suspicious for getting so upset, she forced herself to remain seated and forced down a small bite of food as she let herself fall into a tense silence.

[Rogue Sloth]

Something was definitely off about Penelope. Crow could tell that much for sure. He studied her quietly, wondering if she was more than just tired as she stared at him absently instead of answering his question. Maybe she hadn’t gotten everything done that she’d wanted to, or maybe the Lenz’s had given her a hard time about something. He vaguely remembered her telling him that Gavin’s relatives weren’t very fond of her after all. It wouldn’t have been surprising to find out that they had fought on the trip.

Whatever the case, he watched her a little more closely as she finally spoke up in a weak voice, concerned that there was something she was withholding from him. He wished he could just ask her what happened, but with Cedric around, the most he could get away with was reaching underneath the table to rest his hand on hers in a comforting gesture.

As the two knights began to speak, Crow looked away, noticing that a servant had come to bring him his food for supper. He raised a brow, surprised to find that it wasn’t Preston, but another boy he didn’t recognize. It had taken him until now to realize it, but he hadn’t seen Preston since breakfast that morning. He frowned as he watched the unfamiliar boy bow politely and test his food for poison. He hoped everything was alright. Preston may not have taken all his duties seriously as a personal attendant, but this was the first time he’d abandoned his job completely. Of course, the viceroy didn’t care if he was waited on or not, but he did want to make sure that something hadn’t happened to him.

Crow was so caught up in his thoughts that he was startled when a pair of slender arms wrapped around his chest from behind.

“Hey, Collin,” Elizabeth greeted him with a wide grin. “I missed you at breakfast. Where have you been all day?”

The viceroy stiffened at the sound of her voice, still on edge after the stunt she’d pulled last night. “Why are you still lingering around me?” he asked hotly, shooting the noblewoman a glare and pushing her away from him. “I thought I made it clear that I don’t want anything more to do with you.”

“I know you said that,” Liz frowned. “But I thought things changed… after last night, and all…” Her sly blue eyes flicked toward Penelope, and she smirked. “I mean, I’m not usually one to kiss and tell, but I didn’t take you for the kind of man who would sleep with a girl and throw her away afterwards.”

“I’m not,” Crow spat, curling his hands into fists at his sides. “But that’s because we didn’t sleep together. You know that.” He couldn’t believe Liz was bold enough to bring up the previous night in front of Penelope. Since she had just gotten back to the castle, he’d wanted to wait until tomorrow morning to tell her what had happened, so she wouldn’t be made upset so soon after her trip, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen anymore.

“I don’t know why you’re trying to hide it,” Elizabeth frowned at him as if she was upset. “Collin, the night guards saw me leave your room wearing your bedsheet.” Her mischievous eyes dance to Penelope briefly before returning to his face, and she giggled. “It was a fun game at the time, but I think you should have let me get dressed if you really didn’t want anyone to find out about us.”

[BuzzingBee]

As the silence continued, Penelope was hopeful that she could stuff down just a bit more food to not make herself look too suspicious when she excused herself early. Unfortunately, she couldn't even have that. A terribly familiar voice caught her attention and she turned her head to see that Elizabeth had appeared had her arms wrapped around him. The knight felt a fresh stab of hurt at seeing the other woman appear. It also left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. After all the harassing Liz had done to her before, Crow had still caved in. Along with hurting, it made her feel weak and small, as it seemed her paranoia had been right. While she might have been enough for him when they were together, she just wasn't enough to wait for. Not when he had someone like Elizabeth throwing themselves at him.

However, in the next moment, she was caught slightly off guard by his hostility towards her. It made her look over at him and for a brief moment, she wondered if the rumors had just been made up after all. Her hope was quickly dashed by Elizabeth though that went on to confirm it in a way that made her blood boil. The vixen was clearly flaunting the information like some trophy she had won with the glance she gave the knight. Penelope shifted her gaze away from the two. Part of her wanted to throw a solid punch to the noblewoman's face but a larger part of her just wanted to be alone so she could properly deal with the pain and betrayal she felt, out of the public eye.

As Crow spat at Elizabeth again, she side glanced at the viceroy. She supposed he was still trying to cover it up. Or perhaps he actually regretted it. It made the knight wonder if he had been planning to speak with her alone about it. It's not like it would change anything if he had.. she thought with a wince as she forced herself to take another bite of her food, trying to act uninterested in the conversation happening besides her. That was easier said than done though as Elizabeth kept running her mouth. Penelope clenched her jaw as she caught the look the noblewoman casted her before giggling.

"That's true." Cedric suddenly jumped in giving an amused look as he watched the three, either completely obvious to the situation or choosing to ignore the tension. "It's the hot topic of the day. Certainly no way to keep a low profile, right?" he chuckled glancing to Penelope for support.

Penelope hesitated to answer despite feeling his gaze on her. "Right." she muttered finally without looking up from her food. She felt her throat beginning to grow a bit tight again and she suddenly stood up. The knight had reached her limit with this conversation. "I better get going." she said abruptly without meeting anyone's gaze.

"Aw so soon?" Elizabeth pouted.

Cedric glanced at the noblewoman before looking to Penelope with a concerned expression. "Are you feeling alright?"

Penelope nodded her head stiffly. "I.. have letters to write." she said softly. "I'll see you around, Cedric." She gave a curt dip of her head before turning and beginning to walk briskly out of the Great Hall, keeping her head low as she felt her eyes grow watery with tears.