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

[Rogue Sloth]

For Crow, the next five days felt abysmally redundant. He spent the majority of each one in long lessons with Albin and John—and once with Udolf to make sure he wouldn’t forget the other skills he’d been taught—training for a journey to Gorm that might not even happen. The only good thing was that the content of his classes was interesting to him. Learning about the Gorman language and culture fascinated him, since the knowledge felt like an extension of the things he already knew about the other kingdom, and he also liked horseback riding more than he’d expected. Penelope’s father was a strict but patient teacher, and Baine was an obedient steed. Between the two of them, the viceroy managed to improve steadily in his ability to give the horse proper instructions without confusing him as he had on his first day in the field.

As the days passed, it became clear that his nightmares hadn’t completely vanished, but their severity had drastically diminished. He dreamt about the village from his childhood and Jaxon’s camp twice more, and while he’d woken up in a cold sweat both times, he hadn’t made a sound according to Preston. He saw it as a good sign that he was finally getting over them, and he made sure to hasten his progress with consistent exercise, since that seemed to be the trick that worked best. On the days when he had lessons with Albin and couldn’t leave the castle, he spent about half an hour before bed working his body with push-ups, pull ups, crunches, and anything else he could think of to tire himself out in the privacy of his bedchamber.

The hardest part about the time before the party was that he saw Penelope even less than before. Since the event was so close, he had to spend his suppers in the company of noblemen and women he disliked, using his silver tongue to convince them that they would get something from him if they attended. For the men, he alluded to promises of favors and a good word to the king. For the women, he hinted at the opportunity to dance and didn’t outwardly reject their interests in courting. Every conversation was mentally draining—especially navigating the delicate balance of keeping the women from getting too close without revealing that he had no interest in pursuing any of them—and he couldn’t wait for the party to happen if only for the sake of avoiding their company like he used to.

If it wasn’t for Naida’s dance lessons in the evenings, he would have been exhausted from indulging spoiled nobles without any interaction with the people he actually wanted to be around. Of course, he didn’t give away his gratitude to his sister, but the time he spent with her and Penelope were easily his favorite part of each day. Dancing with the knight gave him an excuse to see her and even touch her without the need for any chaste pretenses. He was especially fond of the close-quarters moves he learned that let him brush against her chest and hips as they moved. It was the closest he had been able to get to her in what felt like an eternity, and it sent his heart racing every time.

On the day of the party, Crow woke up later than usual. His father had consented to let him take the day off from his lessons, so he could spend the afternoon relaxing and preparing for the party instead of scrambling to be presentable at the last minute. It was clear to him that the king cared quite a bit about presentation. He suspected that Albin wanted him to take the time he’d been given to clean himself up like he had before his titling ceremony weeks ago. Not wanting to have the privilege taken away from him, he made a mental note to bathe later so his father would continue to let him have days off whenever there were any special events going on in the castle.

“Any nightmares?” Preston, who was sitting in his usual station at the table by the window, asked curiously. He was bundled in a wool shirt and a scarf to keep himself warm. Two days ago, the temperature had dropped harshly with the onset of a mild snowstorm, and it hadn’t climbed back up much since then. The castle was still far cozier than the frigid air outside, but it was still cooler than most people would find comfortable on their exposed skin.

“Not this time,” Crow stretched as he sat up in his bed. The unpleasant weather made him want to stay swaddled in the blankets all morning, but he knew he would miss breakfast if he drifted off again. It was better to just deal with the cold now and earn a full belly than hide from it longer and go hungry.

He dressed himself quickly in a thick tunic and trousers, hurried by the unpleasant nip of the air on his bare skin in between outfits, and was joined by his attendant as he made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

“So, what are you going to do today?” the short boy queried, looking up at him as they walked down the corridor. “Since you don’t have a lesson, I mean.”

“Whatever I want,” Crow replied with a smirk. “I’m going to get ready for the party sometime in the late afternoon, but until then, my time belongs to me.” He nudged the servant’s shoulder with his own. “You can take the afternoon off too, if you want. I’m sure I won’t need anything before tonight.”

“Really?” Preston perked up. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” the viceroy shrugged. “Go spend the day with your sister. I’m sure she’d love the surprise.”

The attendant nodded, his features softening, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Crow turned back to the door up ahead. “Just don’t go anywhere until you bring me something to eat from the kitchen. I’m starving.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope walked slowly to the Great Hall, thinking about what her day would look like. The Lenz's hadn't given her any heads up about what she would be doing yet but the knight assumed there must be something. All the preparation had been done so now it was just a matter of executing properly. Aside from that, she knew that her afternoon would be focused on getting prepared for the actual event. It had been quite a while since she had taken a bath and knowing she would have to dress to impress, had to take one before the party.

As she reached the Great Hall, she was just about to step in through the doors when someone else stepped out. The knight managed to stop herself before colliding into the person that was exiting and took a step back to allow them room to pass. Her green eyes fell on the person's face and blinked as she realized she had almost stepped right into her own father. John quirked an eyebrow up at his daughter and parted his lips slightly to say something. He didn't get the chance though as other nobles came passing through to enter the Great Hall. Wanting to get away from the traffic, he stepped to the side and gestured for his daughter to do the same. Despite only accidentally crossing paths, it seemed her father wished to speak with her.

Penelope obeyed and stepped over to join John as they stood off to the side of the Great Hall. "Sorry about almost running into you, father." she said with a small, apologetic dip of her head.

"It's alright." John mused. He eyed her for a moment. "You're thinking too much about the party, aren't you?"

Penelope let out a small sigh. "Something like that... It's just the only chance we have to end the war like—" she paused, glancing around before lowering her voice,"—like Toreus advised me to. If it doesn't go well, then I don't know what's going to happen... I don't think I'll have the time to come up with a different plan. I'm sure Collin's learning fast enough to meet the king's goal of sending him off to Gorm."

"He's doing well." John agreed. He looked down at his daughter and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Regardless of what happens, you gave it your best. I have a feeling that means everything will go fine. The gods wouldn't have chosen you otherwise."

"I hope you're right." Penelope sighed. Still appreciative of his words, she gave her father a small smile.

"I'm your father, of course I'm right." John shrugged, with a small trace of amusement in his normally stoic gaze. "I have matters to see to with Tybalt today so I likely won't make the party." he announced as he began to turn to leave. However he paused, and glanced over his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be busy so come speak with me either afterwards or tomorrow morning. I'd like to hear about how it went."

Penelope nodded her head. "I'll stop by your room when I can." she promised, dipping her head respectfully to her father. He nodded his head approvingly and then turned walk off. Penelope did the same and finally stepped into the Great Hall. Briefly she scanned over the tables for her friends but not spotting any of them at the moment, moved to take a seat at one of the empty tables she had spotted instead.

[Rogue Sloth]

Stepping into the Great Hall, Crow made his usual sweep for Penelope’s familiar face. Even though it was going to be a laidback day for him, he knew she was probably going to be busy preparing for the party until tonight. Breakfast was the only chance he was likely to have with her for most of the day. He wasn’t even sure if he could speak with her much once the party started, since the point of it was for her to convince the other nobles that the war needed to end on peaceful terms with Younis. Everything was riding on this one event, so the last thing he wanted to do was become a distraction to her. If that meant keeping their interactions to a minimum during the festivities, then that’s what he would do.

It didn’t take long before he spotted the knight walking over to one of the empty tables on the edge of the room. A smile tugged at his lip as he navigated the thin crowd to catch up to her before she could sit down. “Morning, love,” he greeted as he smoothly fell in step beside her. Though he kept a plausible distance between them, his eyes swept over her fondly. Since they had been spending so much time apart lately, he relished any chance they could get to be alone, even if it was just for a few seconds.

If this thing goes well, that could change soon, he thought eagerly as he reclined on the bench across from her. Aside from the end of the stagnant war that had been devastating the outer villages for a year, he was excited that their seasons of secretive meetings and feigned disinterest could finally be coming to an end. That was, if her father agreed to allow him to court her. He and John seemed to have been getting along better recently, but that didn’t necessarily mean the older knight would give him his blessing. He was still a former criminal and he doubted any father would call him a good influence. If John chose to hold his past over his head, there was nothing he could do to change the other man’s mind.

Putting the disheartening thought out of his mind, he flashed Penelope a warm smile and leaned forward to cross his forearms on the table. Underneath, he brushed his leg against hers, wanting to be as close to her as he could get away with in the public space. “So,” he started, his good mood about having a day off and potentially changing the outcome of the war infecting his voice. “Big day, huh? How are you feeling?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope hadn't even reached the table yet when someone came up besides her. Turning her head, she was delighted to see that it was Crow coming to join her. She had been hoping to catch him for breakfast. Between all that was occurring, the two barely had much time together aside from the dance lessons Naida had roped them into and it made any small time they managed to get alone feel special to the knight as she missed being able to relax in his company. With all that was going on that day, she could use the comfort that came with having him near her.

"Morning." she replied, unable to keep herself from smiling back softly at him. She slipped into the seat across from him and leaned lightly on the table. A moment later she felt his leg brush against hers and looked over at him with a fond expression. The knight wished they could just stop being secretive about their relationship right then and there. The only thing keeping her patience was that the goal of courting was no longer on the distant horizon but instead right in front of them. They just had to make it through this party.

As Crow asked about how she was feeling, the knight gave a nervous chuckle. "I'm feeling a lot of ways. Some good, some bad." she gave her shoulders a shrug. "Point is I'm not sure I'll be able to keep down my breakfast." she added in a joking manner. Penelope's smile faded. "So much is riding on this that I'm worried if I mess up even slightly that I'll fail to stop the war...again."

[Rogue Sloth]

As soon as Penelope looked at him, Crow could tell she wasn’t feeling very optimistic about the party. The worry was written all over her face and there was a strain in her chuckle that betrayed her concerns. His smile faded slightly as he wished he could do more to comfort her than simply touch her leg beneath the table. With only a few more hours left until the event, he couldn’t risk tarnishing her reputation though. They didn’t have time to undo the damage if a nosy nobleman happened to catch sight of them expressing anything more than casual indifference toward each other. For now, the best he could do was listen and hope he could conjure up a few words to make her feel better.

“Well that’s fine,” he shrugged, casting her a teasing look. “Because I’ve got enough of an appetite for both of us.” Feigning a stretch, he pressed both of his legs against hers briefly before retreating to his side of the table. “It’s just nerves,” he added reassuringly. “You’ll probably get hungry by supper and eat all the hors d’oeuvres.” He smirked, pleased with himself for remembering the word Udolf had taught him to refer to food served at noble social events. In the outer villages, everyone just plucked samples from a widespread buffet.

As she explained that she was afraid to mess up again, he sighed. “I already know you’re not going to believe me, but that wasn’t your fault,” he held her gaze with a frown. “You can’t blame yourself for losing a fight against a professional murderer who was twice your size. Besides,” he leaned toward her to keep his voice down. “Toreus wouldn’t have said something to you if he didn’t think you could do it. I’m sure it’s all going to work out exactly as it’s supposed to.” He had been nervous about the party too a few days ago, but between John’s advice and his own internal reviews of the situation, his uncertainties had dwindled from a flame to an ember.

“Just relax,” his smile returned. “By the end of today, it will all be behind you, and we can finally move forward with… well, us.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope's smile returned a bit at Crow's teasing words, finding them amusing and also appreciating his effort to lift her spirits. As he went on with a more serious note, she shifted her gaze away from him as he tried to assure her that the past had not been her fault. It was rather difficult to listen to his words. On one hand she was glad that he didn't blame her for the original mission's failure but on the other, she should have been more alert on the return trip. Most of her opponents were bigger than her and as for his skill, well she should have been prepared to deal with that.

As he went on to state something similar to what he father had said, a hint of amusement returned to her gaze. That aside, she supposed there was some truth to their words. The god had entrusted her after all, so she must have been the best chance that the kingdom had to peacefully ending the war. It still felt like quite a bit of weight on her shoulders but it did boost her confidence slightly.

"Gods I can't wait for that." Penelope sighed, resting her cheek against the palm of her hand as he mentioned moving forward. "That and the possibility of actually ending this war are probably the two most exciting parts to me about getting through this party... Speaking of which, my father wants to speak with me after the party so maybe then I can see where he stands on us courting." she mused thoughtfully. Her father had seemed a bit more than tolerant of Crow lately, at least judging from what she heard about lessons and the like, so she was still rather hopeful that he would give him his blessing. Her main concern there was just that John would want to make them wait even longer before they could start courting publicly.

She gave a shrug with her shoulders and shot Crow an appreciative smile. "But thanks.. I can't say that my worries are completely gone but I do feel a bit better." she admitted.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Penelope reaffirmed that she was also anticipating the day when they could stop keeping their relationship a secret, Crow’s visage softened in spite of himself. He spent a large portion of his free time imagining what it would be like to move towards marrying the knight, so the eagerness in her voice made his heart swell with affection. He already knew it was what they both wanted, but the dream was finally within their grasp. It had taken more than two years and a number of unexpected twists, but he was still just as committed to the thought of being with her forever as he had been when he’d waited for her in the Black Dagger years ago. He couldn’t wait for the ceremony to finally happen.

As she mentioned her father, the viceroy shuffled his feet beneath the table with nervous energy. Though he had made his peace with the party, he still didn’t know what John would say when he asked for permission to court his daughter. The knight had been cordial with him lately, but he was so stoic all the time that it was hard to read his thoughts. His stomach twisted at the thought of being turned down. Although it hadn’t been his intention, spending so much time with the older man had made him realize he had more respect for him than he’d thought. In the span of a few weeks, John had become one of the few people whose advice he actually considered and whose opinion actually mattered to him. If the knight denied his request to marry Penelope, it would have been more crushing than he would ever admit.

“Right,” he forced a smile at her mention of finding out where her father stood on the subject. “Hopefully he’ll be receptive once this mess is all sorted out.” He certainly hoped the strict man wasn’t just biding his time to let him down later on.

“I’m glad,” his smile turned more genuine when she said she was feeling better. Personal issues aside, he was happy to see that she wasn’t as worried as she had been when she’d first sat down. She had done everything she could to prepare for the party. If anything, he thought she should be proud of how well it was all coming together. He was certainly impressed with the work she and the other nobles had put into it until now.

Glancing over her shoulder, Crow watched as Preston and a young, female servant walked up to bring their food to the table. He offered his attendant a word of thanks and wasted no time tearing into the dark bread on his plate. “What do you have left to do today?” he asked after swallowing a mouthful. “I don’t have a lesson scheduled, so I was thinking I might go for a walk to get out of the castle for a bit.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave him a small smile and shifted her gaze away from him as she noticed Preston and the other servant arriving with their food. As they set the plates down, she said a word of thanks before beginning to eat her meal. Her appetite still wasn't completely back due to her nerves so the knight took small bites of the food in front of her, largely focusing on the bread as she found it seemed to go down easier than the rest.

As Crow spoke up again, she gave her shoulders a small shrug. "I'm honestly not sure. Dimia and Oliver didn't mention what else needed to be done but I'm sure there must be something." she explained. Not only did she assume there was something to do that day but she also hoped there was. The thought of not having anything productive to do to before the party certainly didn't sit well with her. "I plan to go speak with them once I'm finished with breakfast."

"So the king gave you the whole day off, huh?" she mused. She was a bit surprised that the king had willingly given him no lessons that when his plans to send him off to Gorm were still currently in effect. Although, perhaps the king simply saw it as a way to bring him further into noble life if he was able to socialize at an event that would have quite a few high ranking nobles. The disgruntlement over his rise to viceroy had died down some and he was learning fast but Crow was still a bit of an outsider in the castle after all.

"At least you'll have some time to relax before you get swarmed at the party for dancing." she mused with a smirk. Though that hadn't be able to enjoy their usual meals together because of Crow's efforts to convince other nobles to attend the party, she had still spotted him in the Great Hall on occasion and it seemed there were a few women that were now hovering around him. Unlike Elizabeth, the women were actually a bit amusing to the knight. Their intentions were clear from a mile away and of course, they weren't nearly as bold as the other noblewoman had been. She still wished that Crow and her could just dance freely with each other, but since that wasn't a possibility, she at least found some amusement in their efforts to be appealing to him.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow nodded when Penelope said she wasn’t sure what she would be doing today. Knowing her, he was sure she would find some way to keep herself busy. He had noticed a long time ago that sitting idly just caused her more stress when there were things to be done. When they were in Younis, she had been the one to keep them moving when he had wanted to take extra time to rest before they reached the castle. On the warfront, she seemed to have a hand in every decision and project the knights put together. Thinking about it now, her need to act was the reason they were together again too. He absently toyed with a cluster of grapes on his plate, a smile playing on his lip as it struck him that it was her insistence on keeping him and his thieves safe from her battalion that had brought them back into each other’s lives.

When she echoed what he’d said about his day off, the viceroy nodded again. “He said I shouldn’t have to work when today is meant for celebrations,” he reiterated, quoting the words his father had used at the end of his lesson the day before. “I think he really did it because he doesn’t want to let me have an excuse not to get ready for the party tonight.” His smile turned more amused. “I did come from the outer villages, so he probably thinks I’ll forego taking a bath if I get tired after a long lesson. And he wouldn’t be wrong. I’d much rather take a nap if I had to choose just one. This way, it’s a win-win. I get a day to rest, and I’ll be presentable as his representative at the party.”

As Penelope brought up the dancing he would have to do later that evening, Crow made a face. He had enjoyed dancing with the knight in the privacy of Naida’s bedchamber, but the thought of indulging other noblewomen he neither knew well nor liked made him shudder. The ones he had been speaking with lately weren’t nearly as bold as Elizabeth—who finally seemed to have backed off since he had grown so hostile toward her—but he still didn’t want to give them any more of his time than he already had.

The women in the palace were manipulative liars. They blushed and batted their eyelashes at him as if they sincerely wanted him to court them, but he knew they were just after the prestige of his new title. They probably thought he was an easier target than other powerful noblemen because he had been a poor peasant boy who had been surrounded by poor peasant girls who couldn’t match their artificially accentuated beauty. They always wore the finest dresses and colored their skin with the finest cosmetics to appeal to his taste whenever they shared a meal with him. He was sure they thought they were clever in their efforts to entice him, but he just thought they were all arrogant shrews.

“I’ll be glad when I never have to humor my ‘admirers’ again,” he sighed, plucking a grape from the cluster and popping it into his mouth. “It’s much more exhausting being a bachelor in the inner kingdom than it ever was in the outer villages.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope stifled a chuckle as Crow made a face at her words. She gave a small nod and poked at the food on her plate. "Well you're prime marrying age and hold the highest title someone not apart of the royal family can. In noble terms, that means you're quite the catch, regardless of anything else like your past." she mused with a small laugh. Shifting her gaze back over to him she shrugged her shoulders haplessly. "There's power and wealth in marriage so it draws them like moths to a flame."

"Regardless, I'm certainly glad I'm not in your shoes." Penelope said with a teasing smile. "This 'bachelorette' thing is easy to pull off when you don't have anything like that to offer. Plus being a knight certainly turns away a good handful of noblemen. Especially the stuffy scholars." It was why the men she had courted in the past—Gavin and Cedric—were both fellow knights and lower rank than her. Those of higher rank were often looking for someone with more 'delicate' features that someone such as Dimia would possess.

Although, at the party , she'd be displaying as much wealth and power as she could to get people to listen to her. While she might not have had a great fortune, she did have fairly great connections with higher ranking nobles that might draw some unwanted attention to her. The realization made her teasing look fade and she let out a small groan. "But with this party I might be in a similar boat to you for once. Especially since I'm going to be relying on my closeness with Naida and partially you as well to get people's attention tonight. I'm sure some will see me as a good stepping stone to get to you guys and the king." the knight groaned annoyedly.

"I hope for both our sakes that this is the last night we'll have to entertain any 'admirers'." she mused with a small shake of her head. She took another bite from her food before leaning away from what was left on the plate. Though reluctant, she knew she should likely get going to see what Dimia had planned for them that. Penelope sighed softly and looked over at him with a half hearted smile. "I suppose I should get going. Wouldn't want to set the Lenz's behind by being late."

[Rogue Sloth]

“Oh, goodie,” Crow rolled his eyes with dry sarcasm. “I guess I’ve got it all.” The standards nobles had for picking a spouse were shallow to him. He supposed he could understand the bit about prime marrying age, since it was common for men and women around twenty years to settle down even in the outer villages. In fact, he was older than most peasant men who were still unattached. Most of the couples he’d met tied the knot when they were closer to sixteen or seventeen. At twenty-three, he would have started getting funny looks for being a bachelor if he hadn’t been a wanted criminal.

As for the rest, he didn’t want a noblewoman to approach him just because he had the highest title of anyone outside the royal family. The reason why he’d fallen so hard for Penelope was because she had loved him at his worst. When they’d met, he had been a callous, belligerent thief with little regard for anyone beside himself. In spite of the ways he had been a source of frustration for her, she had shown a gentle understanding unlike anyone he’d interacted with before—aside from his mother, of course. It was her willingness to look past his hostile front and see the broken man underneath that had drawn him to her so fervently. None of the other women in the castle could even come close to the compassion she had shown to the peasant who was, by every right, beneath her.

“You have everything to offer,” he combatted earnestly. “It’s just lucky for me that the other men here are too stupid to see what a catch you are.” He was sincerely glad he didn’t have to watch the noblemen in the castle try to woo her. It was already frustrating enough to see Cedric try every once in a while. If he had to stand back while other eligible nobles tried their luck with her, it would have been much more difficult to keep himself from telling them he was already with her.

As Penelope went on to say that more nobles might approach her at the party, Crow tensed. Apparently his good luck wouldn’t last much longer. “I hope so too,” he mirrored her expression. “I really don’t want to start seeing other men try to court you.” But everything depended on John’s answer. The thought that the knight could prefer to have his daughter marry a more reputable bachelor than himself made his heart flutter with anticipation.

When she announced that she needed to go, the viceroy’s eyes flitted to her unfinished plate of food before lifting to her face. “Alright,” he said with a hint of reluctance in his voice. He would have liked to see her try to eat a little more before she left, but, knowing she was feeling nervous about the party, he didn’t push her to stay. “I’ll see you tonight then. Good luck.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope noticed his gaze flicker down towards her unfinished food. She glad that he didn't try to push her to eat more though and gave a small nod at his words as she rose to her feet. "See you then." she said before slipping off the bench and making her way out of the Great Hall. Now that she was feeling a little better after speaking with both her father and Crow, she made her way to the Lenz's room with less stress than before and even felt a bit eager to get to work on things now. It didn't take her long to reach the room and she knocked on the door, before stepping back to wait for a response.

It didn't take long for Dimia to poke her head out. As her gaze fell on Penelope, she raised an eyebrow at her in a confused manner. "Penelope? You're here already?" she questioned.

Used to Dimia griping about her being late, she was caught off guard by the other noblewoman's confused expression. "Well.. yeah. I figured there'd be quite a bit to do to get ready for this evening so I came as soon as I could." she explained shrugging her shoulders.

Dimia let out a sigh. "There is a lot to do but that's work for the servants I've hired. We don't have to do anything aside from overseeing them and making sure things get done properly, which is a one woman job that I can handle." she said dismissively.

Penelope blinked in surprise. "There's nothing else?" she questioned. As Dimia shook her head, the knight frowned slightly. "Well maybe I could go help the servants then if they have so much to do. Where are then? At the ballroom already?"

Dimia groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please don't go doing low class work right before the party where you need to impress everyone."

Penelope rolled her eyes, slightly irritated by how Dimia spoke. She didn't see why it would have been such an issue. Sure she had to impress others but most of their guests wouldn't even be around until later in the day and by then she'd be ready to impress. Besides, it was just a bit of labor, what harm could that possibly due to her reputation? While she wanted to argue with Dimia about, she decided it was best not to, especially after all that she had done to help prepare this party. "Alright fine but then what am I supposed to do? Surely there's something other than just standing around." Penelope grumbled.

"If you really must do something then you can spend the day getting ready with me." Dimia announced, folding her arms over her chest.

"Isn't it a little early to start getting ready?" Penelope questioned.

"The host must always be ready far before the guests arrive... And I can tell you haven't had a bath in sometime." Dimia snorted. She sighed and called over her shoulder. "I'll be leaving a bit early, dear. I'll meet you in the ballroom later." When a quiet reply of approval came, Dimia stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her. She gestured to Penelope, who was shooting an annoyed glare at her for the bathing comment, to follow her. "Come on then. Let's head to the bath house."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow stayed in the Great Hall a little while longer after Penelope disappeared, finishing off the rest of his breakfast along with the portion she’d left behind on her plate. He had only been half-joking when he’d said he had enough of an appetite for both of them, after all. There was no point in wasting the leftovers. While he ate, he spotted Elizabeth eyeing him from where she had been sitting near the center of the room. The noblewoman seemed tempted to approach him now that he was alone for the first time in nearly a week, but thankfully, one warning glare was all it took to dissuade her from pushing her luck.

When he finished off both dishes, the viceroy got up from the table with a satisfied exhale. It felt good to have a full stomach and no responsibilities for most of the day. He was looking forward to being selfish with his time for the first time in weeks. Of course, that meant getting away from all of the people who wanted his attention first. Aside from Liz, he spotted a few other women who had noticed he was by himself and were getting up from their seats, presumably to take advantage of the opportunity to speak with him before he left the Great Hall. Unwilling to let them steal away the precious minutes he could be using for more enjoyable activities, he dodged their eager gazes and fled the room at a brisk walk.

He nearly thought he was going to get away, but a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks as soon as he reached the corridor.

“Collin!” Naida raised her hand to catch his attention, a wide grin on her lips. Normally, the viceroy would have been happy to chat with her, but he had been looking forward to spending time alone. He rocked on the balls of his feet, considering if he should acknowledge her or keep moving. Unfortunately, the latter felt too cruel to justify.

“Did you need something?” he asked as he turned toward get her, getting straight to the point so he could end the conversation quickly if she didn’t have anything important to say.

“Not particularly,” his sister shrugged, stopping a couple paces in front of him. “But I heard from father that you don’t have a lesson today.”

“I don’t,” Crow’s eyes drifted wistfully toward the hall that led out of the castle. “I was just going to take a walk outside until I need to get ready for the party tonight.”

“Why would you do that?” the princess grimaced. “It’s freezing out there!”

“But it’s also quiet,” he pointed out with an amused smirk. “This place is about to be packed with all the people you and the others invited. I just wanted some time to myself before I’m stuck in a room full of faces I don’t know.”

“Or,” Naida leaned toward him with a playful look. “You could come with me! Braden, Willow, and I were going to do the same thing, except we’re staying in my bedchamber where we won’t turn into ice.”

Crow shifted his weight. He didn’t want to stay in the castle, but he also didn’t want to offend his hopeful half-sibling with a blatant rejection. “I don’t know,” he frowned. “Braden and Willow aren’t fond of me. You should just spend your time with the two of them, so my presence doesn’t make them sour.”

“They have to get used to you sooner or later,” she waved her wand uncaringly. “Come on, Collin. Please? You’re much more fun to talk to than they are.” When she saw the lingering hesitation on his face, she added: “We were going to share a bottle of wine before the party, just to make it easier when we have to talk to all those stuffy guests.”

“Alright, fine,” Crow sighed. Even though he wasn’t fond of getting drunk, he had to admit a little wine sounded like a great way to take the edge off before attending the crowded party. He offered his sister a lopsided smile. “Is this what the royal family does every time they invite people over?”

“Without fail,” Naida winked at him. “Let’s go! Braden and Willow are already waiting for us.”

[BuzzingBee]

Having nothing else to do and no real reason to deny Dimia's orders, Penelope trailed after the noblewoman as she led them to the woman's bathhouse. A large part of her still wanted to do more to help out preparations than just taking a bath. It felt like a waste of time but having never thrown a party, she could only follow Dimia's lead. The two reached the bathhouse soon and stepped inside. At the moment, it was fairly empty. Penelope guessed it was both because of the cold weather and noblewomen waiting until later to begin getting ready for the party.

She stepped off to the side and stripped out of her clothes, bundling them neatly together near the pool's edge. Once she was down she turned to begin to step into the water. However, she paused slightly as she noticed Dimia's gaze, focusing on the large scar that cut across her torso. The knight side eyed the noblewoman, assuming she was about to make some comment on the blemish, but Dimia simply turned her head away instead and wadded into the water. Penelope felt a small hint of surprise from Dimia's lack of comment. Most noblewomen were shocked when they saw it and Dimia hadn't been one to hold her tongue if she thought lowly of one's appearance.

The knight made no comment on it though and instead stepped into the water after her. She let out a content sigh as she sunk into the warmth of the water. It was a welcomed change from the chilly air outside. For a moment, Penelope simply enjoyed being in the water and Dimia seemed to do the same as they leaned against the pool wall in silence. Penelope eventually broke it though.

"You know.. I'm still confused about one thing.." she mused as she cracked a quick glance over at the red head.

"And what is that?" Dimia sighed, seeming disappointed the silence was over.

"Well... why did you go through all of this to help me so much?" she asked. It had been weighing on her mind for a while now. She knew Dimia had answered it before but her answer of saying it was due to Gavin's request didn't quite add up in her opinion. The two siblings barely saw eye to eye and throwing such a grand party had been no easy task. "I mean, I know you said it was because of Gavin and how he wrote you and wanting to through a party but why go to this extreme you know?"

Dimia pursed her lips into a thin line and let out a sigh. "I have my reasons."

"I know, I'm trying to figure out what they are." Penelope snorted.

Dimia shot her an annoyed glare. However, as she looked away, Penelope noticed her expression soften slightly. "If the war continues, then my brother will continue to fight in it and others I care about might join him if we lose too many out there... We've already lost quite a few after all.. Some of the women I'm friends with have lost siblings, friends, and even their spouses. The losses are taking such a toll on everyone, I'd like to see it stop before it happens to me."

Penelope frowned, finding herself unexpectedly sympathetic towards Dimia. It seemed that the noblewoman had gone to such lengths just to try and protect her loved ones as well as to prevent people from losing anymore. The notion was something Penelope could respect and perhaps, the first common ground she actually shared with Dimia. "And if we end it peacefully, we won't have to worry about the war continuing, unlike if we follow the king's plan." Penelope mused with a sigh.

Dimia nodded her head. "After tonight, the king's plan won't see the light of day." she said with surprising confidence.

Penelope found herself smiling in spite of herself, finding Dimia's certainty refreshing. "Right, but first we need to get clean." she snickered as she grabbed her cloth and soap.

"Yes and once we're done here, we'll go check on things in the ballroom while our hair dries." Dimia instructed as she picked up her own and began to scrub herself down.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow stood awkwardly in the doorway as his younger siblings gawked at him. It was obvious that Naida had gone ahead and invited him without letting Braden and Willow know first. He wondered who would be the first to break the tense silence that had fallen over his sister’s bedchamber. Would Willow be made uncomfortable and leave? Perhaps Braden would demand that the former peasant shouldn’t be allowed to share the same air as the rest of them? The viceroy certainly had no intention of opening his mouth before they did. He would stare them down until someone’s heart stopped before he would ever ask permission to sit with them.

In the end, it was Naida who shattered the quiet.

“I asked Collin to hide out with us before the party,” she belatedly explained to the two dumbstruck individuals sprawled on her bed.

“And here I thought we were going to have a good time,” Braden grumbled bitterly.

“We are,” Naida shot him a cold look. She grasped Crow by the arm and gave him a tug into the room. “He’s our brother, Brae. Now, move over. You’re taking up half the bed.” Without waiting for a reply, she flopped down next to the crown prince, narrowly missing his shoulder as he rolled out of the way. Patting the spot beside her, she casted her half-brother a friendly smile, “Come over here, Collin. I’ll fill you a glass.”

Crow hesitated, put off by the hostility radiating from his other siblings, before he reluctantly complied. He stayed closer to the edge of the large mattress though, instinctively giving himself the option to get up quickly in case Braden decided to get even more confrontational than he already was. He hoped his father’s second-born wasn’t violent, but he didn’t know him well enough to make any assumptions yet.

“There,” Naida chirped happily. “See? We can all get along.”

“You’re going to have to have your sheets washed.”

“Braden,” the princess hit her older brother in the back of the head. “Don’t be so rude. There’s nothing wrong with Collin. Right, Willow?” She turned to the youngest Mannering with expectant eyes.

Willow bit her lip as her pale green eyes darted from Naida to Crow. “W-Well… He was a criminal. People don’t change overnight...” The layers of distrust were clear in her meek voice.

“Not you too,” Naida groaned.

Crow looked between his half-sisters and took an idle sip from the drink the older one had poured for him. Braden’s hatred came from a place of entitlement and prejudice against commoners, but it sounded like Willow was just afraid of his criminal past. That was fixable. “That’s true,” he nodded sagely. “I’m not so different than I was a month ago.” As he spoke, he subtly reached into his pocket to slip a gold coin from the half-empty purse he kept on his person. Palming it in his hand, he casted the young girl a smile, “But I promise I wasn’t all bad. Here, I’ll show you.”

Holding up his empty hand, he gently reached toward his little sister’s face. She cringed at the motion, and he paused briefly to show her he didn’t mean any harm before he reached behind her ear. “Go on, check it,” he teased when he leaned away again. “There’s a coin.”

“That’s stupid,” Braden scoffed, lying flat on his back with his gaze fixed on the ceiling. “She’s not a little kid.”

“There’s nothing there,” Willow frowned, gingerly fingering the dark hair behind her ear.

At that, the prince barked a laugh. “He couldn’t even do the trick right.”

“I never said the coin was behind your ear,” Crow corrected with a sly smirk. “If you’d let me finish, I was going to tell you to check your pocket.”

Willow’s eyes widened, and her hand flew to the slit in her dress. “It’s there,” she confirmed, fishing out the gold piece and gaping at it as she tried to figure out how he’d fooled her. Even Braden’s smug look had fallen off his face.

Crow just shrugged, pleased that the simple slight of hand had left his siblings mystified. It had been easy to drop the coin into the girl’s pocket with two fingers while she had been distracted by the bigger gesture. Braden just hadn’t been watching closely enough to catch the switch. “I’m not always a thief,” he downed another swig of wine. “You can keep it.”

Naida grinned at him, “You’d better teach me how to do that trick sometime.”

“Only if you refill my glass.”

Crow’s amateur magic trick seemed to lift most of the tension in the room. Only Braden continued to act coldly toward him while the four siblings drank and talked amongst themselves, wasting the hours by sharing stories and laughing as they placed wagers on the noblemen and women whom they expected to make fools of themselves at the party that night.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope and Dimia soon finished their baths and headed off to the ballroom to see how things were going along there. Upon stepping inside, she saw rather quickly just how much there was to be done before the party. At the time, the servants were busy cleaning every last inch of the room that they could. Penelope found it a bit interesting to watch them. They nearly operated like a mini battalion, breaking off into small groups to handle certain tasks and parts of the room. It certainly gave the knight a newfound respect for their efficiency.

She also found out that despite Dimia demeaning of their work, she got along rather well her head servant, who was an older woman named Addy. The two spoke formally with each other but each clearly held a great deal of respect for the other. That aside, Dimia seemed pleased with the servants and their work, voicing her approval to the older woman. Feeling confident that they would be ready on time, she advised Penelope to return to her room to put on her dress and then meet back up with her after.

Penelope followed her instructions without arguments and returned to her room. Now inside, she headed over to where she had stored the dress she had bought and unfolded it. Looking over the expensive piece, she was still pleased with her purchase but the test would be seeing how it fit. If worse came to worse, she could always seek assistance from Naida and borrow something from her if she found the dress wasn't flattering enough. Taking in a breath, she slipped into the dress. Luckily it seemed to fit fine. It fell smoothly around her body and didn't seem overly tight or big. The only slight issue she had with it was that it was slightly more low cut at the chest than she was used to.

Deciding to ignore the slight discomfort, she ran her hands over the soft fabric and took in a deep breath as she was hit again with just how close the party was. Shaking off her nerves, Penelope collected herself and headed out of the room to return to the Lenz's, whom she assumed were also in the process of getting ready. Traveling down the corridors, she felt a bit out of place in the extravagant dress. Some of the guards she past stared at her, clearly noticing her change from armor to dress. Penelope avoided their gazes, feeling a bit embarrassed, and hurried off to the Lenz's room. As she knocked, it was Oliver this time who answered.

"Oh Penelope welco-" his gaze drifted over her. He blinked, seeming to catch himself and quickly lifted his gaze back up to meet hers. "-come. Come on inside, Dimia's just fixing her hair at the moment."

"Uh, thanks." Penelope dipped her head to the nobleman and walked into the room. Dimia was settled at the desk, having set up a small mirror, and the tentatively creating a complex braided pattern. Using the mirror to see behind her, a smirk crossed over the noblewoman's features as she eyed Penelope's dress.

"Huh, well who knew, you actually have a decent body when you put it in the right clothing." Dimia snickered.

"Thanks." Penelope responded dryly, rolling her eyes.

"What are you going to do for your hair and makeup?" Dimia asked curiously.

"I don't really wear makeup... And what's wrong with my hair? I've always just worn it down for parties." Penelope said, running her fingers through her wavy brown hair.

Dimia pursed her lips together. "Yes, and you've also never hosted a party.. You need to style your hair properly otherwise it'll be a complete mess by the time you speaking to everyone what with dancing and all." she gave an exasperated sigh. "I'll let the makeup slide, but I'm doing your hair as soon as I finish mine!"

[Rogue Sloth]

After spending a surprisingly relaxing afternoon in the company of his half-siblings, Crow excused himself to take the bath he had been neglecting for over a week. Though Naida had said they would just be drinking one bottle of wine together, the mischievous princess had slyly taken out a second one after the first had been emptied. The viceroy’s head felt muddled from the drinks he hadn’t been careful to monitor. He supposed he should have known better than to trust his sister with his sobriety, but at least he wasn’t drunk. He was sure he wouldn’t even feel the wine anymore by the time the party started that evening.

When he arrived at the bathhouse, he blinked in surprise, finding the steamy room packed with other noblemen in various stages of undress. Almost all of them had attendants to accompany them, making the small space feel even more cramped. The former thief lingered in the doorway, suddenly far less eager to strip down and get in the water. He hadn’t minded sharing the pool with a few other people before, but this was overwhelming. While he didn’t recognize most of the men around him, he knew they remembered his face from the wanted posters plastered all over the kingdom. Some were already beginning to whisper and stare. As one who always watched his back around people he would consider enemies, the idea of shedding even the thin protection of clothing in front of those who probably wished to see him dead was nothing short of petrifying. The alcohol clouding his head didn’t make it any easier either.

“Collin?”

Lost in his thoughts, Crow nearly jumped at the sound of a voice behind him. He turned around to see Percival walking up with a frown on his face. In the back of his head, he found it strange that the knight was in the bathhouse when he’d thought the members of the king’s army were supposed to clean themselves in their own quarters. However, his thoughts weren’t quite coherent enough to voice the peculiarity. Instead, he found himself staring rather dumbly as the nobleman approached and came to a stop next to him in the entrance.

“The king opened the bathhouse to the public as a courtesy before the party,” Percival answered the unasked question anyway, seeming to read the viceroy’s mind. “It looks like half the kingdom has decided to take advantage, hm?”

Crow gaped at him for a moment longer before he realized the other man had just addressed him in conversation. “Is that what’s going on?” he turned back to the chaotic scene. “Nobody told me or I would have come here earlier.”

Percival grunted—Crow thought the noise was a universal language among male knights—and casted him a sideways glance, “Better wash fast before they soil the water.”

The viceroy wrinkled his nose, “Gods, that’s disgusting.” It was persuasive though. He followed his acquaintance into the room, where they found an isolated corner to remove their clothes. Though he was still uncomfortable with making himself vulnerable in front of such a large crowd, Crow was privately glad that Percival had shown up when he did. Out of all the men in the castle—excluding Albin and John—the knight was perhaps the only one who had earned enough of his trust to convince him to venture into the pool with so many strangers. He wouldn’t call the other man a friend, but the soldier had expressed enough concern about the state of the outer villages during their previous conversations to be deemed acceptable company by the selective thief.

As they dipped into the warm water, Crow noticed that Percival’s eyes lingered on his scarred torso. The knight had the decency not to comment on his physique though. Instead, they both remained silent as they scrubbed themselves down with soap, moving with haste so they could get out of the bathwater before any more unwashed bodies showed up to dirty it.

[BuzzingBee]

Dimia had finished her in fairly quick time, which was actually quite impressive to the knight as the style seemed quite complex. After braiding her long, ginger locks, she had carefully wrapped it up into an elegant bun. The style seemed to compliment the dress she had chosen to wear, making her look tidy as well as bringing out the sharpness of her features. While Penelope thought it looked nice, it wasn't something she'd choose for herself. As Dimia insisted on doing her hair, Penelope made sure to request a more simple design, something that could just get her through the night without causing any hassle. Surprisingly, Dimia listened and gave her exactly that.

Eying herself in the mirror, Penelope was impressed yet again. The noblewoman had braided her hair into a simple yet elegant side braid that trickled down from the top of her head all the way down to the bottom tips of her hair. A few locks of her hair remained a little loose or otherwise detached, working to make any messiness seemed planned which would be perfect to get her through the dances of the evening to come.

"So what do you think? We don't have much time to play around with a bunch of styles." Dimia said placing her hands on her hips.

"I think it's perfect actually. Thank you Dimia." Penelope said with a small smile.

Dimia paused and then let out a small sigh. "No problem. Are you sure you don't want to put on a bit of makeup before we leave?"

"Positive." Penelope smirked amusedly. "I'm worried I'd sweat it off before the end of the night just from the anxiousness I feel."

"If you say so." Dimia shrugged and turned to lead the way out. "Come on then. The servants should be finishing up the touches on the decorations and then the drinks and food should start floating in... And with it, the guests."

Penelope rose to her feet, mentally preparing herself for what would come next. With everything almost in place, the party would start soon. Of course, the first half or so would be her time to make good impressions and relax until everyone had had a few drinks. Despite being focused on the goal, she hoped to enjoy at least a small portion of the party, after all it wasn't very often that she attended something this grand, let alone hosted it. With that in mind, she trotted after the Lenz's as they headed into the ballroom, where the festivities would soon begin.

[Rogue Sloth]

When he finished cleansing himself of the dirt and oil that had built up over the past week, Crow bid Percival goodbye and headed back to his room alone. Luckily, no one had stabbed him in the back yet, but he continued to stay on edge after getting a glimpse of how many noblemen had been invited to the event. He had only just started getting used to the faces of the people who lived in the palace with him. Throwing in so many unfamiliar people made him jumpy. He hoped the effects of the wine would wear off soon, so he could function without feeling so fog headed. Right now, the slowness of his reflexes only served to give him more anxiety, because he couldn’t trust himself to react if one of the guests proved to be malicious.

Heading into his room, the viceroy looked up to find that he wasn’t alone. “You’re back early,” he commented obviously to Preston, who was setting up a station for him to get ready in front of the mirror.

The attendant glanced his way and nodded before returning to his task. “I left my sister to nap,” he explained without looking up again. “She still loves the goose down blanket you gave her.”

“I’m glad,” Crow smiled, pleased to hear that the blanket was doing the good he’d intended for it. He stepped over to the chair by the mirror and sat down, examining the face of the reflection in front of him. His hair was starting to flow past his shoulders, so he decided it was about time to cut it. “What will you be doing during the party?” he asked the boy as he picked up the comb on the table.

“Whatever you need me to,” Preston shrugged. He reclined languidly against the bed as he watched the viceroy take care of his own appearance. Most of the duties he was supposed to fulfill as a personal attendant had been negated by his master’s own denial of accepting more help than he needed. It had taken a few weeks, but the boy no longer stood rigidly at attention now that he knew there was rarely any work for him to do. “I’m just supposed to be present to test your food and take care of any responsibilities you need done during the festivities.”

“Sounds like it’s going to be an easy night for you,” Crow smirked, tugging at a particularly stubborn knot in his hair with the ivory teeth.

“Every night is an easy night when my master won’t let me do my job,” the attendant pointed out wryly.

“Then you should thank me,” the viceroy caught his gaze in the mirror.

“I suppose I should,” Preston mused. He stepped away from the bed and bent at the waist in a bow. “Thank you for being an independent prat, my lord.”

Crow threw the comb at him.

Once he finished cropping his hair with a knife and trimming down his beard to a manageable length, the viceroy allowed his servant to pick one of the more elaborate outfits from his closet—just to spite him for the comment he’d made—and changed clothes. He put on a pair of clean black trousers and a vermillion shirt with a belt that rested over the top of his white undershirt. The nested clothing didn’t bother him as much as it had the first day he’d worn layers, but he had a feeling he was going to be warm when he stepped into a room full of hot bodies later. Still, he didn’t complain. He knew it was the kind of outfit his father would have wanted him to show up in, so there was no point in fighting it.

Preston declared him presentable for the noble public, and the two made their way to the ballroom to join the rest of the guests that had been invited to Penelope’s party. Crow could feel his heartbeat quicken in his chest in anticipation to find out if the knight’s hard work would pay off.

[BuzzingBee]

The servants had finished the preparations with time to spare and Penelope stood in the ballroom, eying the decor with hope in her eyes. Now that she was seeing everything fully coming together, a new boost of both energy and confidence ran through the knight. Everyone believed she could pull it off, so perhaps she really could thanks to all the help she had received along the way. With that thought it mind, she put on a pleasant smile as guests began to trickle into the room. She watched as some gravitated towards servants with hors d’oeuvres while others already began to form small groups, starting up conversations.

As she was observing the room from where she stood, someone nearly bumped into her. The knight blinked and back out of the way in time to avoid the collision. Her gaze landed on the young noblewoman. She had a dark complexion with short curly hair and a freckled face that was staring back at her with mild surprise. "S-sorry." the woman stammered.

"It's fine." Penelope smiled reassuringly. She eyed her for a moment longer. There was something familiar about this woman but she couldn't put a name to the face.

"Beatrix!"

Penelope watched as the woman reacted to the name and suddenly she was able to recall exactly who this woman was. She had been one of the few noble children that Penelope was able to play with growing up. Her parents had separated them quite a few years ago and Penelope hadn't heard from or seen her since.

A nobleman with messy brown hair came trotting up besides her. His gaze flickered between the two women confusedly. "There you are.. Uh, is everything alright here?"

"Yes I just didn't pay attention to where I was go." Beatrix admitted in a quiet manner.

"Beatrix Warner?" Penelope questioned with excitement seeping into her voice. As Beatrix responded with an unsure look, the knight smiled at her. "It's me, Penelope Vermillion. We used to play together as children."

As Beatrix's eyes widened in recognition, the nobleman that was with her eyed Penelope with newfound interest as well and cut in before she could speak. "Vermillion? You're the one hosting this party then, aren't you?"

"Yes I am." Penelope smiled. "At least, one of the ones hosting."

"Penelope is good to see you again. It's been so long I barely even recognized you." Bee mused, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Same to you." Penelope nodded. With the years that had passed, Bee had changed quite a bit and the knight could tell it was not only on the outside. Her memories of her childhood friend were of a much louder and rambunctious kid. The woman standing before her was near timid and rather quiet. It seemed that growing up had shaped her into a much different person. Regardless though, the knight was excited at reuniting with her old friend. Unfortunately it seemed she wouldn't be able to stay for long.

"Penelope!" Naida's familiar voice called out from behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw her friend grinning and waving her over. Penelope smiled and turned back to Beatrix and the man. "Guess we'll have to catch up another time though." she said with an apologetic look. "Have a good time and hopefully we can get a chance to talk more later!" She turned and headed off to join Naida. As soon as she reached her, the princess hugged her in greeting and stepped back with a bright smile.

"I love your dress! You look great tonight, Penelope!" Naida beamed. A more mischievous expression crossed her features. "Trying to impress someone?"

"Yes, the whole crowd." Penelope responded, rolling her eyes at Naida's insinuation. She sighed and then smiled at her friend. "Have you already been drinking?"

"Maybe a little." Naida shrugged innocently.

Penelope shook her head with a hint of amusement. Of course, she wasn't surprised to hear that she had drank before coming to the event. Having been friends with Naida for quite some time now, she knew her usual routine for getting ready for parties and the like. Sometimes having even participated herself. "Well you're ahead of me then. I think I'm going to go grab a glass of wine." she mused, suddenly thinking it might not be a bad idea to have a small drink.

"Shouldn't you stay sober?" Naida questioned, folding her arms.

"I'm only having one drink. I know how to practice self control." Penelope stated, giving her friend a small poke. "Plus it'll help me relax, and gods know I need to that right now."

"Alright fair enough." Naida smirked. "Let's go!"

The two headed over towards the servants with drinks, weaving through the crowd that was slowly growing as more people appeared. Just looking around at the various passing nobles made the knight all the more eager to grab a bit to drink. And perhaps some of the hors d’oeuvres just to keep the alcohol from affecting her too strongly.