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

[Rogue Sloth]

Having never attended a party like this before, the first glimpse left Crow awestruck. As soon as he stepped into the ballroom, he froze, dazzled by the sea of colors in front of him. All the guests were dressed up in vibrant ensembles, and decorations covered almost every surface in sight. He could hear a team of minstrels playing music somewhere in the room, but the crowd was already thick enough that he couldn’t pin down the musicians’ location. Most of the lords and ladies were mingling amongst each other, talking and laughing as they caught up with acquaintances they hadn’t seen in a while, but a few were already dancing in the center of the room. Brilliant dresses flowed and fluttered as the twirling pairs executed smooth spins, adding another layer of interest to the intricate scene and leaving the inexperienced viceroy in a trance.

“What do you think?” Preston asked at his side, noticing Crow’s slack-jawed stare. The attendant had also changed clothes before they arrived. Instead of the wool shirt and scarf he’d donned for most of the day, he was now wearing a uniform that distinguished him as a high-ranking servant. His tunic was a similar shade of red as the viceroy’s top, and a gold emblem had been sewn into the breast. On the way to the ballroom, he’d explained that the outfit would tell the other guests that he was only there to serve one specific individual, so he wouldn’t get caught up in running errands for every noble who needed a favor.

“It’s amazing and sickening at the same time,” Crow shook his head. “I’ve never seen anything like it, but I don’t want to know how much money is in this room for fear that my heart may stop.” Though he didn’t have an exact number, there was no doubt in his mind that there were more riches in front of him now than in all of the outer villages put together. It was a surreal thought.

Preston nodded in understanding, his eyes wandering over the faces in the ballroom until he caught sight of a small group of noblewomen watching the viceroy and talking amongst themselves. “You’ve got company,” he forewarned as soon as the well-dressed herd began their march toward them.

Snapping out of his daze, Crow turned to the women. He wanted to turn right back around and walk the other way, but, reminding himself that it was hopefully the last night he’d have to indulge them, he masked his discomfort with a smile. “Evening, ladies,” he greeted with more amiability than he felt inside. Discreetly, Preston slipped away to let the nobles converse alone, heading to the edge of the room where the rest of the idle servants stood in wait for chores to do.

“Good evening, Collin,” a brunette girl whom he recalled was named Tilla curtseyed respectfully. Her blue eyes swept over him with the calculating look that he was familiar with, but this time, there was an underlying something that was different than before. When she straightened again, he was surprised to see a rosy pink in her cheeks that seemed natural instead of forced. “You look handsome,” she flattered, meeting his gaze with a sheepish simper. The other two girls who had come with her nodded their agreement.

“Thank you,” he blinked, unsure what to do with their sudden and possibly genuine interest in him. When he’d spoken to them over the last few days, they had obviously just been after his status. As a seasoned liar, it was easy for him to tell the difference between a real and fake smile, and he had been able pick up on their stiffness around him right away. If he had actually pursued any one of them, he was sure she would have had mixed feelings. Until now, they had wanted the rank but not the man attached. Today though, it almost seemed like their prejudices were starting to fade. He wondered just how different he looked after a little bit of maintenance.

“Will you be staying for the whole party?” a raven haired girl named Fye asked him curiously. “I heard there’s just going to be a speech by someone named Vermillion later. We were thinking about slipping out early… You can join us if you want to.”

“I’m staying here,” Crow said quickly. Thinking for a moment, he casted the three women a more amorous smile that softened his features in a way he knew they would like. “You should stay too. I’m sure the speech won’t be long, and they’re going to keep serving drinks throughout. There’s no reason to miss out on whatever she has to say.”

“Oh, right,” Tilla mused. “You’re friends with Vermillion, aren’t you?”

Crow shrugged, “I am, and I know she’s been working on this for a long time. I think it’ll be worth listening to.”

“What’s the speech going to be about?” the third girl, another brunette with dark brown eyes named Palatina, leaned closer with new interest.

“Who knows?” the viceroy said with an air of mystery, letting his eyes wander over the crowd as he added: “I promise it’s going to be good though.”

The three girls exchanged intrigued looks among themselves before Fye spoke for them all, “Okay, if you’re sure it won’t be dull, then we’ll stay.”

“And,” Tilla jumped in, batting her eyelashes at the viceroy playfully. “You have to save each of us a dance.”

A hint of pleasure crossed Crow’s face. It had been almost too easy. “Alright, I will,” he agreed. He had already expected that he’d be dancing with them later anyway. “I’ll come find you when I’m done catching up with everyone else who wanted to speak with me.”

“Don’t keep us waiting too long,” Palatina chaffed. She offered her hand to the viceroy, who politely kissed the back of it, and the three noblewomen walked away giggling amongst themselves.

Finally alone, Crow rolled his eyes and commenced his search for the people he actually wanted to spend time with that evening. After a moment of looking around, he spotted Naida and Penelope by the drinks. A genuine smile briefly painted his lips, but the expression was swiftly replaced with one of astonishment when his gaze landed on the knight. She looked stunning. The gold dress she wore hugged every sultry curve in just the right way, and the plunging neckline revealed just enough of her cleavage to tease him to want more. Warmth colored his face as he stared at her from a distance, marveling that this was the same woman whom he always saw in trousers and armor.

Unfortunately, Naida caught him ogling. His sister looked between Crow and Penelope before a wide grin took over her mouth, and she raised her hand to beckon him over. The viceroy hesitated, already knowing the subject the princess would want to discuss, but there was no one else he wanted to spend time with more than Penelope, so he caved and strode across the room to join them.

[BuzzingBee]

The two friends stepped over to the drinks, and Penelope made sure to grab a couple bites of hors d’oeuvres on their way. They each picked up a glass of wine and stepped aside as other nobles came by to get drinks as well. Penelope took a small sip from her drinking, knowing well enough to pace herself since she hadn't truly eaten prior. As she lowered her glass, she turned to Naida about to strike up a casual conversation but hesitated as something, or rather someone, seemed to catch her friend's eye.

Following her gaze, the knight found that she was looking over at Crow, who must have recently entered the party. Penelope let her gaze sweep over him, finding herself yet again impressed by just how well the former thief cleaned up. She found him attractive regardless but between his more groomed hair and clothing that fit him well, she couldn't help but stare. Her heartbeat sped up slightly on its own accord and she felt a warmth creep over her cheeks. As she met his gaze, the knight found that his expression wasn't far off from her own. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Even though they still needed to keep their heads down that night, she couldn't help but feel a bit pleased that the dress she wore was able to draw out such a reaction from him. It nearly made her forget who she was standing besides.

As Naida grinned and waved Crow over, Penelope snapped out of her brief trance and turned her head away from her friend in hopes of trying to hide away what she could of her brief expression towards the viceroy. Unfortunately she doubted it did any good. Looking back to Naida after composing herself a bit, there seemed to be a particularly strong gleam of enthusiasm in her gaze. Penelope let out a small sigh and instead shifted her gaze over to Crow as he approached them.

"Hey Collin!" Naida greeted cheerfully. "He looks handsome tonight, don't you think Penelope?" The princess smirked mischievously and nudged her friend's side suggestively.

Penelope rolled her eyes at Naida before shifting her focus back over to Crow. "Yes. You look good, Collin." she told him, trying to keep her tone as casual as possible despite a small smile crossing her lips. She might have agreed with Naida too easily but the knight felt it wouldn't have been right to go about it any other way. There was no sense in lying about something that seemed rather obvious to her.

[Rogue Sloth]

To Crow’s gratification, it looked like Penelope was just as taken with the way he looked tonight as he was with her. Catching her eye, he could see the redness on her face as she stared at him. He hadn’t done nearly as much to his appearance as she had to hers, but the additional effort he had put in felt worth it now that he could see the way she reacted. Strangely, he almost felt like he didn’t deserve her admiration though. Perhaps it was because of how beautiful she was in her elaborate ensemble or perhaps it was because they had been forced to put so much distance between each other that he didn’t feel as close to her as he had before, but her lingering eyes made him want to blush like the lovesick puppy he’d been accused of being in the past.

He managed to cling to his composure by a thread as he crossed the ballroom to join the knight and his sister. Almost as soon as he reached them, the latter wasted no time trying to take advantage of the slip up she had caught. Crow forced a roll of his eyes at Naida’s question to Penelope, though inwardly, he craved to hear what his secret lover had to say. Her eyes had already given away the fact that she had been captivated by him the instant their gazes had met, but he was a glutton for her compliments. So, when she said he looked good, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from grinning.

“Thanks,” a deferential smile took the place of the affectionate one, and he nodded his head to her in the same manner he would have treated any other woman at the party. During the brief motion, he couldn’t stop his eyes from flickering to the skin that had been revealed by her low-cut dress. It was going to be difficult to pretend he was uninterested in her when she was wearing such a seductive outfit.

Naturally, Naida was dissatisfied with the formal exchange. She swiped a glass from the tray of a passing servant and stepped over to her brother’s side as she passed it off to him. “Don’t be rude,” she chided, poking him in the chest with one finger and then turning toward her friend with a foxlike smirk. “When a lady compliments you, you’re supposed to return the favor. Don’t you think Penelope looks gorgeous tonight?”

Crow hesitated for a split second before he nodded. There was no point in lying to his sister when she had already caught him staring at the knight. It would be easier to play off his actions as mere physical attraction rather than trying to convince her that he hadn’t been gawking at Penelope just moments before.

“She does look beautiful,” he confessed in a low voice.

Naida was delighted. Her mischievous eyes danced between the two before she announced: “You know, I think I saw Braden with some of the men by the entrance. I’m going to say hello to him for a minute. Don’t go anywhere until I come back!” Without waiting for a reply, she bounded away, leaving the others alone.

Crow watched her go before he turned back to Penelope. For once, his sister’s match making had been a good thing. There was no telling when they would have time to themselves again tonight, so he was going to take advantage of the gift, even if they only had a minute. “You really do look amazing,” he breathed, keeping his voice down so they wouldn’t be overheard by anyone else. His eyes swept over her one more time, and he shook his head incredulously. “Gods, I’ll never understand how I got so lucky. I think I understand why Toreus picked you to do this though… Wearing that, you could convince a bee to buy honey.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope let out a quiet sigh as Naida quickly pushed for more than a formal exchange between the two. As she prompted Crow about her appearance and he admitted to her looking beautiful, the knight had to bite back to suppress a soft smile from taking over her lips. His attraction had already been plainly obvious when the two had locked eyes but she still felt warmed by hearing him say it outloud. Finding herself a bit unsure what to say without giving away anymore to Naida, she dipped her head to him in an appreciative manner.

Luckily it seemed she didn't have to worry about Naida's presence for long though. The knight watched as the princess scurried off with clear excitement over the situation. It made her smirk a little in amusement before gaze was pulled back over to Crow. Suddenly she felt quite appreciative of Naida's attempt to give them alone time. With a busy night ahead for both of them, Penelope was grateful for what she could get. As Crow spoke up again, she smiled at his words, watching as his eyes swept over her again.

"I dunno, I think we both lucked out really." Penelope mumbled, blushing a little as she looked over at him. "Although I doubt I could do that, I'm glad you think so." The knight gave her shoulders a small shrug and took a sip of her wine. She was about to open her mouth to say something more when a new voice joined in.

"Hey Penelope!"

She turned her head to see Cedric trotting over to join them. The male knight had apparently cleaned up his look as well, trimming his hair down slightly and dressing up for the event. Of course, his freshened appearance didn't have quite the same effect on her as Crow's had. The knight stifled the disappointment of getting her time alone with Crow cut so short and forced a friendly smile. "Hi, Cedric. You just get here?"

As he reached the two, Cedric gave a respectful dip of his head to Crow before focusing his gaze onto Penelope. She noticed his eyes drift over her body before shifting back onto her face. For a moment, the knight wondered if he had even registered her words as he seemed slight dumbstruck. "Ah yeah I just came in with a couple other guards that managed to get this evening off." he said with a shrug. He paused and looked her over again, letting an unusually charming smile take over his lips. "You look beautiful, Penelope."

"Oh, thanks. You look nice tonight as well, Cedric." Penelope said with a polite smile despite feeling rather uncomfortable with accepting such a compliment from another man right in front of Crow. She casted a subtle glance towards the viceroy, silently wishing they were already publicly courting to avoid what she considered to be a bit of an awkward situation.

Cedric's smile grew. "I was coming to see if perhaps, you'd care to dance with me for this next song, Penelope?" he asked then paused as his gaze drifted over to Crow. "Ah, so long as I'm not interrupting anything here, of course."

[Rogue Sloth]

There had never been a time when Crow had been happy to hear Cedric’s voice, but when the knight suddenly called out Penelope’s name in the ballroom, an especially strong pang of annoyance wiped the smile off his face. He had been excited about the short time he would have with her before they both got caught up in all the activity, but apparently her former suitor couldn’t even let them have that. Turning away from Penelope, the viceroy watched the other man stride over to them, dressed in an eloquent outfit just like the rest of the men at the party. For some reason, the sight annoyed him. He knew it was irrational to think that Cedric had fixed up his appearance just to impress Penelope—he had only done so because it was customary for nobles, himself—but his distrust of the knight soured the impression anyway.

As the two comrades began to speak, Crow took a reluctant half-step backward to put more distance between himself and Penelope. Silently, he wished Cedric would just say what he’d come to say and leave, so they could resume talking before any other distractions happened. Already simmering at the unwelcomed intrusion, he couldn’t stop the brief flash of spite that crossed his face when the other man complimented the female knight’s appearance. He hid the expression by taking a swig of wine from the glass Naida had given him. Luckily, Cedric seemed too focused on the noblewoman to notice his slip up, but he continued to watch him through narrowed eyes as the exchange went on.

For a moment, he thought Penelope’s former suitor would be content with making his comment and going separate ways, but to his dismay, Cedric asked her to dance. He had already known he would have to watch her dance with other people tonight, but he didn’t like the idea of leaving her with a man she had been romantically involved with in the past. Just the thought of the knight putting his hands on her made him bristle. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it since they were still keeping their relationship in the dark. Besides, it was just one dance. He could get through that.

“Not at all,” he lied through his teeth when the knight asked if he was interrupting. Unable to say anything else, he turned to Penelope with a half-smile that failed to reach his eyes, “I guess I’ll see you later. Have fun.”

[BuzzingBee]

Once Crow responded to Cedric, the male knight shifted his gaze to look expectantly at Penelope, waiting for her answer. Though she knew it likely wasn't Cedric's intentions to ruin her time alone with Crow, she could help but feel disappointed and wish that there was a way to politely reject him in order to spend more time with Crow instead. However, unable to think of a good excuse, she turned to Crow to part ways, feeling a small hit of guilt as she noticed his force smile.

"Alright." she said then paused as she offered him a more genuine smile. "I know you'll be busy with those admirers of yours but do try to remember to save your friend a dance as well." She hoped that her friendly reminder would help lift his soured spirits. After all, the knight had every intent to at least steal him away for one dance. She'd like more but she had a feeling that wouldn't be possible that night. Setting her wine glass on a servants tray she turned back to Cedric and gave him a small smile. "Lead the way."

Cedric's gaze lingered on Crow for a moment, with an almost thoughtful look in his gaze. Penelope found it a bit strange, unsure what could have been going through his mind. Whatever it was, he seemed to push it aside as he focused on her instead, giving an eager look as he offered her his arm. Once she took it, he lead them out onto the dance floor. Both of them stepped into position as the minstrels started up their next melody. It was another elegant song, with a slow tempo but light hearted notes. For one reason or another, Penelope was reminded of the coming of spring when she heard it.

Realizing she should be focusing on her partner rather than the song, her attention snapped back to Cedric. She followed his lead and shifted into her spin as it came up. As she moved back into him and he placed his hands on her waist to bring her close to him, she noticed a strange gleam that was difficult to read in his dark eyes. Confused and feeling a bit awkward being so close to him, the knight gave him a questioning look. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing... I just happen to remember a time when you couldn't dance to save your own life." Cedric responded, a smirk taking over his lips. "It's nice to see you've learned. You're quite good at it."

"Yes well, I've learned quite a bit since we were last on speaking terms." Penelope retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure you have." Cedric mused with a shrug. He dipped her down as routine of the dance but his face hovered over hers a little closer to hers than was normal between two people that weren't courting. "I hope I get the chance to see what other new tricks you've got up your sleeve."

His breath was warm on her skin and she was unable to escape it thanks to the lacking distance between them. She stared up at the male knight a bit dumbly, unable to believe he had made such a sultry remark to her in the middle of dancing. Her heart began to beat anxiously, wanting to get out of their current position as quickly as she could. Luckily the position only lasted a second longer before he lifted her back up and they were able to move into the next steps, which allowed for much more space between. It was something Penelope was thankful for.

As the dance went on, Penelope avoided Cedric's gaze. She was still processing what happened. She had thought that he had been sincere in asking to rekindle a friendship but it seemed she had been wrong. Not wanting to make a scene by storming off or chiding him for his words, she remained silent the rest of the time, which seemed to upset Cedric who looked over at her with a small frown. However, he made no attempt to say anymore to her until the dance was finished.

"Penelope, I'm sorry. Can we talk for a minute?" Cedric asked with a frown.

"I'd rather not." Penelope responded with a hint of sharpness in her voice that made the male knight flinch.

"Sorry to interrupt but, may I have this next dance, ma'am?"

The female knight blinked as another nobleman stepped over to her with what she thought seemed to be a fake smile. Despite being put off by it, she saw it as a quick escape from Cedric's company so she accepted the invite without hesitation. "Of course." she said politely. Taking the stranger's arm, she stepped away from Cedric and into the next dance with this new nobleman whom she was unfamiliar with.

[Rogue Sloth]

Even though Crow knew exactly where he stood with Penelope, it was difficult for him to watch her walk away on the arm of another man. He followed the pair with his eyes as they made their way to the center of the ballroom, where the other nobles had been dancing. Distrusting of Cedric, he didn’t want to let them out of his sight. He was certain the knight was trying something—the passive compliments he’d been showering over her lately had convinced him of that—but there was nothing he could do about it as long as they were keeping their relationship a secret.

It would have been disastrous to cause a scene by getting possessive over the hostess who was supposed to deliver a compelling speech at the end of the night. No one would listen to her if they realized she had been romantically involved with a former criminal. The other women in the castle had a pass to flirt with him because they had only known him as the king’s viceroy, but it was common knowledge that Penelope had been one of his guards when he’d been the thief chosen to steal the staff in Younis. Even if they claimed they hadn’t gotten together until after his change in title, he doubted anyone would believe them. Her reputation for be ruined, and the entire purpose of the party would fall to pieces.

That was why Crow ripped his gaze away from the dancing knights and downed the rest of his wine at once.

“Hey, what happened?” Naida’s voice appeared from behind him. Turning, he saw his sister walking up with a disappointed frown on her face. “I thought I told both of you to stay here until I got back.”

“Someone else asked her to dance,” Crow lifted his shoulders in a shrug, trying to keep the frustration out of his mellow tone. Unsure if his eyes would give the emotion away, he avoided her gaze by fixating on the thin glaze of wine at the bottom of his empty glass.

“Oh,” Naida pouted. She searched the room for her friend and then raised her brows when she found her locked in a rather close dance with Cedric. “Him?” she squeaked, looking back at her half-brother in surprise. “Why didn’t you ask her to dance?”

“I already promised a few other women that I’d dance with them first,” he shrugged again, swiping a sample from one of the servants carrying trays of food. Really, he hadn’t thought to ask her because he’d gotten complacent and assumed they would be able to talk for a minute without an excuse. It had been a foolish guess, and now he was stuck watching her spin circles with a man he despised. He regretted not taking advantage of the opportunity he’d had sooner.

“Then why are you standing over here instead of dancing with them?” Naida’s sly smile returned. “It looks to me like you’re waiting your turn with Penelope.”

Crow stiffened, not expecting his usually oblivious sister to catch onto him. “I’m sure you’d like that,” he met her gaze with a smirk, falling smoothly into the lie out of habit. “Actually, I’d just rather try all these fancy foods than dance with anyone at the moment.” As if to prove his point, he bit into the sample he’d taken from the hors d’oeuvre tray. The hot food was rich with seasonings he’d never tasted before. Maybe it wasn’t a total lie.

“You picked food over women?” the princess groaned. “There’s something wrong with you, Collin.”

“I told you I don’t want to court anyone,” the viceroy reminded her through a full mouth.

“I don’t understand why not,” she shook her head. “You’re one of the most eligible, unattached men in the whole kingdom. You could be courting someone tomorrow if you wanted to—maybe a pretty knight in a gold dress…”

“You’re never going to give up, are you?” Crow chuckled, nudging her playfully with his shoulder.

“Never,” she smiled back at him.

Crow rolled his eyes, finishing off the rest of his snack and swallowing. “I should probably honor my promise,” he sighed, catching sight of Tilla, Fye, and Palatina eyeing him from across the room. “I’ll see you later. Don’t get into too much trouble without me.”

“Only if you save a dance for Penelope,” she shot back with a grin.

“Fine,” Crow pretended to agree reluctantly, even though he was already waiting for the chance to steal her away from the other men at the party. With that, the two siblings parted ways as the viceroy offered his arm to Tilla for the next song.

[BuzzingBee]

"So you're Penelope Vermillion, correct?"

As soon as the next dance began, the nobleman struck up a conversation, seeming quite interested in who she was. He was slightly older than herself with short, blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to be studying every move she made. Whoever he was, he clearly had an idea of just who she was and Penelope guessed he was trying to use that to his advantage in some way. She gave a small nod as they stepped to the song.

"I am. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with who you are though." Penelope admitted.

"I'm Kane Papert. Sorry if I come off as intrusive. I'm close friends with Oliver Lenz and he talked quite a bit about you." Kane explained with a small shrug. He offered her another fake smile. "Naturally I had to meet the hostess for myself."

"I see. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you then, Kane." Penelope remarked politely, returning his smile with a fake one of her own. Knowing that Oliver, the knight guessed that Kane was likely someone she should try by all means to win over. Though she didn't want to encourage any flirting, she had a feeling he was going to try and flatter her regardless, which meant she'd just have to do her best to just remain on his good side.

As the dance went on, Penelope found that Kane was a bit stiff when moving, but that was likely because he was much too focused on taking the opportunity to talk to her as much as he could. She found it quite ridiculous, wishing he would focus more on the dance so they could get through it smoother, but having to humor him, she kept her thoughts to herself. As expected, the nobleman was also quick to pay her compliments, a couple even being quite flirtatious. Penelope acted flattered by them but was careful to not seem overly interested. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she was sending any signals.

Once their dance ended, Penelope ended up taking up another offer to dance, switching partners with a couple that had been dancing besides them. Unlike Kane, this nobleman seemed purely interested in the dance rather than talking or flattering. The two did chat a small bit, exchanging names and the like. Friendlier than the last and seeming a bit more genuine than Kane, Penelope found that she didn't mind this particular dance. However, by the end of it, she decided to take a small break. She parted from Beldon and stepped off the dance floor.

Having gone through three dances already and having a rather small breakfast, she decided to get something more to eat as she noticed the food that the servants were filtering into the party. As she walked over to grab a plate, her gaze drifted around the room, eying over the guests. Everyone seemed in high spirits, whether they were talking, drinking, dancing or eating. It made the knight feel a swell of both pride over her work and relief to see things were going well so far.

[Rogue Sloth]

With only a little more than a week’s worth of dance lessons under his belt, Crow wasn’t quite as fluid as the other noblemen in the room. While they guided their partners effortlessly through the steps of every song, he misstepped on occasion and sometimes paused when he forgot the next moves. He knew the experience wasn’t as enjoyable for the women he danced with as it could have been, but all it took were a few sheepish smiles and reticent apologies for the ladies to show mercy to their inexperienced partner. By taking on an appearance of shyness, he managed to both lower their expectations and excuse himself from executing moves that would have forced him to get closer to them than he was comfortable. It felt like a win-win, because they weren’t disappointed, and he managed to keep some distance from them during each dance.

He got through two songs with Tilla and Palatina first. Both of the noblewomen kept their conversations to a minimum, since they seemed to prefer the fun of the dance over getting to know a man whose only appeal was his title. Crow was fine with the lack of talking too. He was even less interested in speaking to either of them, so he didn’t start any discussions he didn’t intend to finish. However, Fye was different. From the start, she was visibly happy that he’d asked her to join him for the next song, and she chatted idly about lighthearted things while they waited for the music. Not used to splitting his focus from the steps to run his mouth, it didn’t take long before the viceroy lost track of where he was and stumbled.

“Sorry,” he flashed her the same bashful smile he’d given the other two. “I’m still new to this.”

“It’s alright,” the raven haired woman chuckled. He expected her to quiet herself and let him pay attention to the steps, but instead, he felt the pressure of her hands increase suddenly against his. “Here, I’ll lead,” she offered with a wink, guiding him into the next movement subtly enough that it still looked like he was the one in charge.

Crow blinked, taken aback by her confidence, but the surprise quickly vanished from his face as an amused smirk took over. “You’re good at this,” he noted, following the push and pull of her fingers as she walked him through the dance. Even though it was customary for the men to lead, he couldn’t help but notice how smoothly she sent every signal so he knew exactly what to do. She was clearly much better than he was. His directions were still hesitant at best, and he didn’t always apply enough pressure for his partner to understand what he wanted her to do. With the last two girls, he’d found himself confused multiple times when he tried to coax them to follow him one way and they spun out in another. It had been difficult to correct the mistakes fast enough to hide them too.

“I’ve been dancing since I was a little girl,” Fye explained proudly, teasing his palm with her slender fingers as she spun beneath his arm. To any onlookers, it appeared as if the viceroy had gotten exponentially better at leading in less than a minute. “It’s always been a passion of mine… Do you have anything you’re passionate about, my lord?”

Crow grimaced at the formal title. “Please, just call me Collin,” he said, folding his free arm behind his back as they paced in a tight circle. “And there have been a few things I’ve been passionate about. I don’t think you’d find any of them very honorable though.”

“Probably not,” Fye agreed. They danced another sequence of steps before she spoke up again, “I’m surprised though, that you’re still not married at your age. I’ve heard that peasants often wed young. If you truly are a man of passion, why hasn’t there been a woman to receive your affections?”

“Would you have wanted to marry a thief if you were a peasant?” Crow asked, attempting to dodge her question with another question.

The noblewoman gave him a once-over and smiled again, “If that thief looked like you and brought me gifts befitting of royalty, then I think I would.”

The viceroy laughed, “Flatterer.”

“When my competition is half the eligible noblewomen in the kingdom, I’ll do what I must,” she simpered back at him.

Throughout the rest of the song, Crow continued talking casually with Fye. She was surprisingly better company than he’d been expecting. Though playful, she kept her flirting to a minimum and maintained a courteous distance from him as they danced even though she could have led him into moves that would have brought them closer together. He hadn’t thought he would enjoy spending time with anyone other than Penelope and Naida, but the congenial woman turned out to be the exception to the rule.

When the dance was over, the viceroy parted ways with her in a much better mood than he had been in before. Having fulfilled his word to all three of the ladies, his next objective was to locate Penelope again. It didn’t take long for him to spot her bright dress in the crowd, and to his delight, she wasn’t entertaining any other noblemen at the moment. Wasting no time, he wove through the bodies around him to get to her side before anyone else could swipe her away. He didn’t want to lose his chance to spend time with her again.

Approaching the knight from behind, he leaned down to speak sotto voce in her ear: “I think it’s my turn.” When he had her attention, he grinned and offered her his arm. “Care to dance, love?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope stood aside from the main crowd as she grabbed a bite to eat. Just when she had thought she had caught a moment alone for herself, she spotted an approaching figure from her right. Turning her head, she was a bit surprised to see it was Dimia strolling over to her. She dipped her head to the noblewoman in greeting, her mouth full with a bite she had taken. Swallowing it by the time the other woman reached her, she gave Dimia a questioning look. "Did you need me for something?"

"No. Not yet at least." Dimia assured, shaking her head. "It's still a little while before you should speak.. Give it may two or three more songs, then we'll make an announcement."

"Ok." Penelope nodded and flickered her gaze around. "Seems like things are going well so far."

"Quite well." Dimia gave a pleased smirk. "We had a large amount of guests and everything has gone as planned so far. Honestly I think it's one of the most successful parties I've thrown."

"Well it should be for the amount you and Oliver spent on it." Penelope mused with a small chuckle.

Dimia gave a nod. "Plenty worth it in my opinion." she mused with a shrug. "I'm going to go find my husband.. I'd like to catch the next couple songs while I can." Her gaze shifted onto the female knight and she casted her a smile. "I'll come find you once it's time. Do try to relax a bit more. Nerves ruin a good speech."

Penelope blinked, mildly surprised by the friendliness that was coming out of Dimia. The noblewoman had never been this encouraging towards her before. The mystery was soon spoiled though as Dimia turned into the light, making the slight redness of her face more noticeable. She's been drinking. Penelope had to bite her lip to keep a laugh from escaping her. Though it was difficult to say if Dimia actually held a softer spot for her than she normally let on, the female knight still welcomed the attitude change—even if it wasn't permanent.

Alone once more, Penelope walked off to catch a passing servant, giving him the small plate her food had been on. She thanked him as he took it and was about to turn off to walk off when she was surprised by Crow's low voice in her ear. The knight nearly jumped, surprised by his unexpected—but certainly not unwanted—appearance. She turned to face him, smiling up at him as he asked her to dance.

"Ah and just when I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me." Penelope joked with a grin. Her smile softened a bit as she took his arm. "I'd love to though."

[Rogue Sloth]

Penelope’s startled reaction was amusing to Crow. A pleased smile tugged at his lip when she turned around suddenly to face him. Even though the skills he’d developed as a thief weren’t a necessity anymore, he enjoyed being able to practice them when he could. There was no telling if being able to sneak up on someone would come in handy again one day. It was better to stay sharp than grow complacent and regret getting soft later on. Plus, he just liked poking fun at the knight sometimes.

“I’d never forget about you,” he smiled at her fondly as she took his arm. “You’re just so popular tonight that it’s been hard to steal you away from all your new admirers.” Walking over to the center of the room, he felt eyes on his back. His gaze flitted over the crowd to see that they were being watched by a small number of men and women. Among the latter, he saw Tilla and Fye and a few others who had been vying for his attention within the last week. By that, he guessed the male observes were those who were after the knight’s affections. He felt a smug sense of satisfaction that they all had to wait for him to have his turn with her instead of the other way around for once. For the length of the next song, they couldn’t be interrupted.

As the music began to play, the viceroy fell into the rhythm more naturally than he had with the other three women he’d danced with that night. Since Penelope was the one he had practiced on, it was easier for him to synchronize his steps with hers. Her movements were familiar to him, and he could predict the way she would respond to the signals he sent with his hands since they were both used to each other already. Additionally, he was more relaxed with her because he didn’t have to worry about what she thought of his abilities. The combination of factors made him a much smoother lead than before.

“Have you been having fun so far?” he asked, walking her through a slow spin. Talking made it more difficult to focus on the dance, but he cared more about spending a few minutes of quality time with her than he did about keeping up an impressive appearance for their audience. “I know there’s a serious reason for this party, but I’d hope you’re at least enjoying the prelude to the speech.”

[BuzzingBee]

Once out on the dance floor with him, Penelope fell into a rather natural rhythm with Crow as her partner. While she had known the steps well enough to dance with various others, the only dancing she had done of recent was during his dance lessons. Plus, dancing with someone on more than one occasion certainly helped her to be able to read his movements easier. He still had room to improve of course but Penelope found him easy to follow.

As he walked her through a slow spin, Penelope hesitated for a brief moment to answer his question. Immediately her mind went to her first dance with Cedric. She had been expecting unwanted attention from noblemen that would be drawn to the power and wealth that she had on display but she hadn't been expecting Cedric's little stunt. Even thinking on it now, she had to wonder where it had come from. His tone had been rather flirtatious in her opinion and he had certainly been much too close for comfort. Part of her wondered if her mind had had just exaggerated it all and he had actually meant nothing by it.

Regardless, she didn't think it was anything she wanted to share with Crow. There was no reason to get him worked up over something small like that and she also didn't want to sour the one dance they'd get together.

"I am. My cheeks might be hurting a bit from all the fake smiles I've given my last couple dance partners but other then that, I'd say it's been a rather enjoyable party so far." Penelope replied with a smirk as she finished the slow spin, turning back into him. "I'm more curious what you think of all this though. This is your first official noble party after all." She could still recall how at one point in time, she had described such festivities to him in Younis. At the time, she would have never thought they'd be attending one together like this, let alone one she had a large hand in throwing.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow wondered at the brief hesitation that followed his question to Penelope. She might have just been thinking about how to answer him, but his suspicion towards the men who had been vying for her time all evening made him wary that one of them had said or done something to her when he wasn’t looking. Distracted by the thought, he fumbled slightly through the next move, although he managed to correct himself before the slip up became too noticeable by the onlookers.

If something had happened, the knight didn’t clue him into it. He studied her face as she spoke but decided not to press the matter. Surely she would have said something if anything had gone wrong that he should know about. Comforted by the thought, he mirrored her smile and shifted his hand from her hand to her waist as they continued to the next part of the dance.

“It’s interesting,” he mused when she asked him the same question he’d thrown at her. “Like everything else I’ve seen in the inner kingdom, it gives me mixed feelings, but I’ve been enjoying myself. It also turns out that not all the nobles here are entitled prats.” He smirked amusedly. “They’re rare, but there are a couple people at this party that I don’t find insufferable to be around.” Fye and Percival were the first to come to mind. The knight had accompanied him in the crowded bathhouse when he didn’t have to, and the noblewoman had actually held a decent conversation with him during their dance. Granted, he was sure that both of them were after his power just like everyone else, but at least they were subtler with their intentions.

“When will you be giving your speech?” he asked next, drawing her in for a series of close-quarters steps. Closing the distance between them was pleasant—he liked being near enough to feel the warmth of her breath and skin—but he kept the exchange short, so it wouldn’t stand out to any of the men or women watching them from a distance.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smirked a little as Crow replied to her answer. She was happy to hear that the former thief was enjoying him as well as seeming to get along with a couple of the other nobles there aside from herself and Naida. "I'm glad you realized that." she said with a small laugh. "And I'm glad you were able to find a couple of them amongst the crowd. I'm sure it wasn't easy." Most of the nobles there wouldn't approach Crow, or really anyone, without some reason so she was glad that he had managed to find a couple that didn't completely rub him the wrong way.

"In about two more songs or so." Penelope replied with a quick shrug. As he drew her in closer, the knight enjoyed the lacking space between them, even if it was only brief. Her gaze flickered around to other nearby couples. Even in the brief observation, she could notice a few of them moving with less coordination. It made a bit of amusement seep into her gaze as she looked back up at Crow. "I'm sure you'll start to notice when the time gets closer. I think a good chunk of this crowd has had a couple drinks already, meaning your dancing isn't going to look as amateur as they may have thought before."

The knight casted him a playful wink with her words and focused back on the dance. In disheartening realization, she tuned into the music to noticed that the song was reaching it's end. Her dance with Crow seemed to have gone by faster than any of her others and she felt reluctant to end it as their movements slowed down with the song. As it finished, a soft sigh escaped her lips, unable to suppress it as she looked up to meet his gaze again. "Thanks for the dance." she told him with a half hearted smile.

Unfortunately, it seemed someone had been eagerly waiting for their dance to finish up. Penelope barely had any time to get parting words off of her lips before Cedric reappeared, weaving his way over to them. "Penelope." he called to get her attention.

The knight stiffened slightly as her gaze fell on him. She wanted to avoid him but it'd likely look suspicious to Crow and with no time to properly explain her actions, she had to at least act civil towards the male knight. "Did you need something from me Cedric?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "We already danced earlier."

Cedric blinked, seeming a bit confused by her polite demeanor. However, she narrowed her eyes at him subtly and the male knight seemed to get the message that she was still upset. "Ah, I know.. Sorry I don't mean to keep bug you, but I'd just like to talk with you about something. Just for a moment." he explained with a pleading gaze.

Penelope shifted her weight, hesitant to indulge whatever he had to say. However, she didn't want to make a scene on the dance floor. "Alright," she sighed, giving in. "Let's go talk then." Cedric's shoulders seemed to lower in relief and he nodded his head. He gave a courtesy dip of his head to Crow, muttering an apology and then turned to lead the way off the dance floor.

"Guess I'll see you later, Crow." Penelope told him with a helpless shrug before turning to follow Cedric.

[Rogue Sloth]

“That soon?” Crow blinked in surprise when Penelope told him when she would be giving her speech. He had thought she would wait longer but, following her gaze to one of the other couples nearby, he could see why she would be doing it now. Apparently, nobles drank just as fast as peasants did. The people dancing around them had begun to look a lot more unsteady, and their movements were slower than before. Around the edges of the ballroom, most of those who were talking idly had flushed faces and had raised the pitch of their voices. It was the perfect time to convince them to support the end of the war before they grew too intoxicated to be of any help at all.

“Thanks,” he rolled his eyes at the knight’s teasing. It wasn’t something he could deny though. Having only practiced for a week, dancing like a tipsy nobleman was the best he could do at this point. “At least it gives me an excuse to stay sober,” he mused with a chuckle. “No one else will notice that I’m not drinking if I look the same as they do out here.” Not that he would have had more to drink otherwise. The single glass of wine that he’d downed all at once had been more than enough to relax him, since he’d already had a few drinks with his siblings earlier. A second would probably make it harder for him to think straight, which was the last thing he wanted in a room full of people he didn’t trust.

To his disappointment, the song went by far too fast. He and Penelope only had a little bit longer together before it slowed to a stop, and he bowed to her in the traditional end to the dance. As they stood across from each other, his eyes swept over her one more time, drinking in the way she looked in her sultry dress before he knew she would be whisked away from him by more “admirers” who wanted to claim their portions of her time before her speech.

A smile softened his features when she thanked him for the dance, but just as he parted his lips to reply, Cedric’s voice made his breath catch in his throat. Absently, he noticed Penelope stiffen as well but assumed she was just frustrated that her persistent former suitor was interrupting them yet again. Not thinking anything more of it, he turned to watch the knight weave through the other dancers to get to her side. The fact that the other man had gotten between them twice now convinced him that he was doing it on purpose. He didn’t even bother pretending to be cordial while the nobleman asked to speak privately with Penelope.

When Cedric murmured an apology to him, Crow said nothing, only tilting his chin up at the knight with open animosity. Whatever game the other man was playing, he knew he didn’t like it. “Good luck with your speech,” he nodded in return to Penelope, though he was too irritable to smile at her either. Watching the two comrades walk away, he waited for them to pass out of his sight before a sigh escaped his lips, and he turned away to join some of the noblemen he recognized standing by the edge of the room.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope trotted after Cedric as he lead them away from the crowds and towards the back of the room. He finally came to a stop near an isolated spot by a window and then turned to face her. The female knight still felt rather annoyed with him, now both because of the previous stunt as well as due to his constant interruption during her time with Crow. With both of those things in mind, she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well go on then." she muttered as she leaned back against the wall.

Cedric frowned at the bitter tone of her voice. "Penelope I'm sorry about what I did when we danced. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.. I was actually just hoping you might have been starting to see me in that way again." The knight shuffled his feet in a nearly bashful manner.

"Why the hell would you be hoping for that?" Penelope snorted shaking her head. "You said you wanted to rekindle a friendship with me Cedric. I've forgiven you for the past but I certainly haven't forgotten it." That and she was already fully taken by Crow. Of course, she couldn't tell him that at the moment so she hoped whatever thoughts he had about trying to court her would disappear if she mentioned the past.

"I know, I know. I really screwed up back then and I wasn't fair to you at all." Cedric lowered his head shamefully. "I was speaking the truth when I said I wanted a friendship but as time when on, my feelings began to change and now I can't help but wish for more... You're an amazing woman, Penelope."

Penelope shifted uneasily, not sure what to say at first. The past told her that Cedric was likely just trying to figure out how to use her for his own personal gain but some part of his words registered as genuine to her, making her annoyance begin to burn out. "Cedric.. that's sweet but I'm not—"

"You don't have to make a decision right now." Cedric cut her off, holding a finger up to her lips. "Just please consider me... I know you have eyes for someone else right now." She swore she saw a flicker of annoyance in his gaze. "But I don't think he's right for you. I may have messed up in the past but his record is even worse than that... Not to mention the rumors that will spread about you two. You said William was already responsible for trying something that. They'll believe him if you court Collin."

Penelope froze at the mention of Crow. She didn't think she had been that obvious of her emotions towards the viceroy when Cedric was around but apparently she had been wrong. Either way she disliked the fact that he was trying to dissuade her from pursuing him. She wished she could just come clean and tell him that none of that matter to her since the two were already secretly seeing each other. However, since she couldn't, the female knight elected to remain quiet instead as he spoke.

"I just don't want you to get hurt again." Cedric said offering an apologetic smile. "Just think about it though... and remember it's not uncommon for a noblewoman to have to suitors if you're that unsure. I love you, Penelope." All of a sudden his finger tips traced the side of her face, making the knight stiffen, and he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

The knight felt her head hit the back of the wall, almost instinctively trying to pull away from him before it could happen. However, she had unknowingly cornered herself and wasn't able to react fast enough to stop it. Luckily Cedric made it a quick kiss, rightfully fearing she'd rejected it if he lingered. As he pulled back, he casted her a soft apologetic look and then turned to walk away. Penelope quickly pushed herself off the wall, rubbing the back of her head that was now lightly throbbing from the hit. Her heart began to beat anxiously as she took in what had just happened, feeling a strong wave of guilt for not putting a stop to Cedric's actions sooner.

[Rogue Sloth]

Although he didn’t follow them, Crow was careful to keep Penelope and Cedric within sight when he walked away from the center of the ballroom. He knew he couldn’t do anything to stop her former suitor from talking to her, but he was too protective to give them total privacy. At the very least, he wanted to be able to keep the exchange in the corner of his eye, so he could make sure the male knight didn’t try anything if he thought they weren’t being watched.

“Hey, Collin,” Wayne’s voice drew his attention as the nobleman took notice of his arrival. He had rosy skin and a broad grin on his face just like everyone else who’d been drinking excessively. The alcohol even seemed to have made him forget about his hidden prejudices against the viceroy. There was no hint of hesitation about speaking to a former thief, and his smile reached all the way to his eyes.

Robyn and Percival turned away from their companion to look at Crow as well. All three were well-dressed for the occasion, with brightly colored surcoats in shades of red, gold, and blue. The burly knight had tied his hair back in a thick braid as well. “It’s about time you stopped by to see us,” Robyn pitched in with a smirk. He looked even drunker than the others. “I was starting to think you were having too much fun with the ladies to remember you invited men too.”

“They approached me first,” the viceroy shrugged, dragging his fingers through his hair. The shoulder-length waves were starting to fall in his face after all the dancing he had been doing with Penelope and the others. “If you wanted my attention so badly, you should have done the same.” As he spoke, he made sure to keep Penelope and Cedric in his peripheral vision, refusing to get so caught up in the conversation that he might lose track of them.

“And do what, ask you for a dance?” Wayne snickered.

“I might have said yes,” Crow winked at him jokingly.

“Please,” Robyn laughed. “You wouldn’t pick his ugly mug over the gorgeous broads we saw you with. That would have been a waste of a dance, right Percy?” He nudged the knight expectantly with his elbow.

In the language of his people, Percival grunted.

“It doesn’t make a difference,” Crow said carelessly. “I’m still not looking to court anyone. Like I said, I just spent time with them first because they asked me to.”

“I don’t understand you, Collin,” Robyn exhaled, the alcohol on his breath permeating the air around them. “You’ve got women throwing themselves at you, and you’re still going to turn your nose up to their offers?”

“He likes the rewards without the commitment, remember?” Wayne pointed out sagely. “There was that noblewoman last week who he—”

“I told you, that was just gossip,” Crow interrupted, already knowing the other man was referring to Elizabeth. The topic had come up during one of their conversations three days ago, and the viceroy had insisted that it was all a lie. At the time, he hadn’t been sure if they believed him or not, but now he knew they still thought he’d slept with the woman. He opened his mouth to try to convince them again but then froze when something else caught his attention that made his mind go blank: In the edge of his vision, he saw Cedric pin Penelope against the wall and move in for a kiss.

Losing all interest in the three men in front of him, he felt a flash of anger that made his heart pound in his chest and a tint of red color his face. Her former suitor had crossed a line this time.

“Are you alright?” Percival knitted his brows, noticing the change in the viceroy’s expression.

Crow only acknowledged the question with a fleeting glance before his green eyes returned to the scene that had captured his focus. He was torn between staying put to keep his involvement with Penelope a secret and marching over to sock Cedric in the jaw. The former was technically the smarter choice, but when he saw the other man forcibly lock lips with the woman he loved, all reason flew out the window. He took a step toward them.

“Collin!” This time it was Preston’s urgent voice that made him pause. Staying put at the edge of the room, the attendant had witnessed the exchange between the two knights as well as the viceroy’s aggressive reaction and had rushed over to stop him from doing something he would regret. “I have a message for you from the king,” he lied, his concerned eyes flicking to the other noblemen before returning to his master’s face. “It’s confidential though, so I need you to come with me to hear it.”

He fidgeted nervously as he waited for Crow’s response. It was obvious that there wasn’t much he could do to stop the viceroy if he chose to ignore the fake message. He didn’t have the authority to make him go anywhere, and being far smaller than the sinewy former thief, he couldn’t use force either. Regardless, the servant reached for his forearm and gave him a tug, “Come on, Collin. You need to hear it now.”

Crow’s gaze lingered on the knights for a moment longer before, slowly, he regained his senses enough to realize the boy was right. If he caused a scene now, the party would fall apart, and there was no way anyone would be willing to listen to Penelope’s speech. “Fine,” he growled through gritted teeth, tearing his eyes away from her and Cedric to follow his attendant away from the baffled nobles, who stared after them with dumbfounded looks.

“I’m going to kill that bastard,” he snarled under his breath as they walked, still trembling with barely restrained fury.

“You can’t,” Preston shook his head, keeping one hand on the viceroy’s arm in a futile effort to make sure he wouldn’t turn around and go after the knight. “He doesn’t know you’re with her, remember? He just thinks he kissed an unattached woman. It wasn’t as malicious as I’m sure you’re making it up to be.”

“I don’t care. I know Penelope wouldn’t have consented to let him kiss her, but he did it anyway. He’s a viper, and I’m not going to let him walk away from this without consequences.” He peered over his shoulder to cast an icy glare at Cedric, only to see that the two knights had parted ways. Abruptly, he stopped walking, nearly causing Preston to stumble since the boy had been gripping his arm so tightly. Though he was furious with her former suitor, he was also concerned about making sure she was alright.

“I’m going to talk to her,” he announced in a low voice, pulling his limb out of the attendant’s grasp.

“Collin, don’t,” Preston warned, wide-eyed as he tried to catch hold of his wrist one more time. “At least wait until you’ve cooled off first. You’re not thinking straight.”

“I’m thinking just fine,” Crow muttered.

Ignoring his horrified attendant’s efforts to stop him, he made his way along the edge of the room until he reached Penelope’s side. All concern about public appearances faded to the back of his head, replaced with a hatred for the man who’d been bold enough to kiss her and a protectiveness for the unwilling participant on the receiving end. Too incensed for words, he rested his hand on her back.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope stood there, reeling from what had just happened. The kiss had been unexpected but thinking back on it now, Cedric had always flirted rather boldly with her in the past. The short time before they began courting, he had pulled stunts before. Certainly not to this extent but enough to make the knight feel even more uneasy about everything that had occurred. She used the back of her hand to wipe her lips, as if the motion could erase the unwanted kiss.

Coming back to herself a bit, she glanced around the party uneasily. The last thing she wanted was for Cedric’s little stunt to have draw attention to them. Luckily it seemed that the eyes that were looking her way were few. That came as a great relief to her. With only a short time before she’d have to give her speech, the last thing she needed was for others to start gossiping about her nonexistent relationship with Cedric. While it might not necessarily look bad at the moment, it would turn away the few ‘admirers’ she had gained that night and might cause them to not support her call to ending the war peacefully.

As she looked around her gaze fell on the second issue that was making her gut turn with guilt. Amongst the crowd she spotted Crow with Preston. Since she was a distance away, she couldn’t tell if the viceroy had seen the kiss or not. Either way she wanted to come clean about it to him. The guilt of letting such a thing slip past her weighed heavier on her than anything else. She may not have consented to the kiss but she still felt like she might have betrayed his trust in her to keep her guard up around Cedric. The knight thought she had been careful enough but apparently she had been wrong.

While she tried to figure out what to do next, she realized that Crow was already making his way over to her. The knight involuntarily grew tense. Though she intended to tell him about what had happened, she wanted to do so at a better time. He was protective and she worried mentioning anything now would just create problems at the party. Unfortunately, it seemed she wouldn't get the luxury of making that choice. The viceroy moved with a tenseness that didn't escape her gaze and was clearly intent on getting to her. He must have seen after all.

Penelope frowned and lowered her gaze away from him as he finally reached her. She shifted slightly as she felt him place his hand on her back. "Crow I...I'm so sorry." she said in a quiet voice. "..he started talking about courting and what happened earlier..I thought he would just leave at that...I didn't think he'd be that bold." Her words, just like her thoughts, were all over the place about the situation. Realizing it, she shook her head and looked up at him with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry."

[Rogue Sloth]

To make an already bad situation worse, Crow could tell that Penelope wasn’t okay after Cedric had kissed her. He frowned as he felt her shift against his touch, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to get close to her right now. If there hadn’t been so many other people around, and if she didn’t have to give a speech soon, he would have taken her by the hand and led her someplace where they could speak in private. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, so the less densely crowded part of the ballroom would have to do.

Her following words tugged at the viceroy’s heart. When he’d told her to keep her guard up around Cedric before, he hadn’t meant to make her think the other man’s actions were her responsibility to keep in check. He knew she was quicker to trust than he was, and sometimes, that trait was good. It made her a more likeable person to be around, and it was the reason why he had warmed up to her so easily when they’d met two years ago. However, he also knew there would be people in their kingdom who would take advantage of the same special quality. Cedric was one of those villains tonight.

“Don’t,” he breathed, sobered by the guilt in her voice. His anger toward her former suitor hadn’t vanished, but he had calmed down enough to think clearly again. He gently trailed his hand over her shoulders in an attempt to soothe her. “This wasn’t your fault,” he insisted, trying to meet her lowered gaze. “I saw what he did. It was a dirty trick for him to force himself on you when your back was to the wall. And don’t you dare blame yourself for that.”

Vacuously, Crow glanced away from her toward the other nobles in the ballroom. Most were either too drunk or too distracted by other, more entertaining things to notice what was going on between the former thief and the hostess, but he did see a few people looking their way. Among them were Fye and Percival—the two least intoxicated people he’d talked to at the party—and Cedric. He shot the latter a hateful scowl, no longer able to feign even a semblance of congeniality toward the man who had left Penelope in such a miserable state. From a distance, he couldn’t tell how the knight reacted to his open hostility, but, having expressed his anger as much as he could, he turned away from him to look at her again with softened features.

“I love you, Penelope,” he murmured quietly, still stoking the exposed skin of her upper back. “And I trust you. I just don’t like seeing you let him get inside your head like this. You did nothing wrong, and nothing’s changed between us. Okay?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope remained tense, unsure how Crow would respond. She had made mistakes in the past with her judgement but none of them had ever been quite as poor as this. As she felt his hand trail over her shoulders, she managed to relax them slightly under his touch. At his words, her gaze softened a bit, relieved to find out that he didn't blame her for what had happened. The knight was glad he didn't hold any resentment towards her for it. Though she herself had never blamed him for a similar situation had happened with Rikki in the past when they were all together, Penelope felt like all of Cedric's talk should have been clue enough to her to move away from him sooner.

A small smile managed to find its way onto her lips as he assured her that he still trusted her and that nothing had changed. She turned to face him more directly. The knight nearly felt overwhelmed by the urge to wrap her arms around him. However, even in her upset state she managed to keep a clear enough head to not do anything that would cause for unwanted attention. So instead, she settle for a touch to his arm, that hopefully just seemed playful to an outsiders view. She wasn't sure if anyone was keeping tabs on them at the moment—she hadn't checked her surroundings since he had reached her side—but assumed it was still best to play it safe despite how she longed to close the distance between them and take comfort in his embrace.

"I love you too. It just.. feel like I should have paid more attention in order to stop it and I didn't want you getting hurt because I messed up." she murmured in response. She shook her head and frowned. "I let him get away with getting close to me that I would have preferred during our dance. That should have been the first warning sign alone. Not to mention everything else." Penelope sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "Gods I can't stand not being able to just say I'm already spoken for."

"Penelope? Penelope?"

In the distance, the knight heard the familiar voice of Dimia calling her name and that could only mean one thing. Still feeling flustered and confused, she let out a groan. "Oh gods don't tell me it's already time... Not now.." she whimpered.