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

[Rogue Sloth]

While Penelope spoke with his attendant, Crow let his gaze shift away from their table to observe the other people in the Great Hall. It was early enough in the morning that there weren’t very many others eating breakfast yet. Only a few other tables had been filled, and he didn’t recognize anyone other than Cedric. He had a feeling most of the missing faces were still hungover in their bedchambers. Nobles drank more than he’d thought they did. They might have even indulged more than the peasants he’d grown up with, and that was saying something because he’d seen more men and women pass out than he could count in the outer villages. He’d also noticed recently that wine-drunk felt a little different than ale-drunk. Although he tried not to have too much, himself, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the fermented liquid caused worse headaches than the drinks he was familiar with when consumed in excess.

Sipping at the water Preston had set down for him, his eyes flicked back to Penelope’s former suitor. Cedric was trying to be discreet, but the sharp former thief caught him glancing in their direction. No one had said outright why he was sharing a meal with Penelope and her father, but given the context, one could take a guess. He was sure the knight was at least suspicious of the reason. It was a good thing Naida was sleeping in though. If his sister saw them now, she would jump to the (accurate) conclusion that he was receiving permission to court her friend. Nothing was set in stone yet, so he preferred to keep the news between himself and Penelope until their relationship could progress.

Meanwhile, Preston had nodded in response to her request. “Of course,” he said compliantly. Proceeding to ensure that the viceroy’s food was untampered with, he stepped back from the table and bowed before leaving them to eat in peace.

As always, Crow dug into his portion enthusiastically. “I’ll talk to my father,” he relented after swallowing a bite of buttered rye bread. “But I think it should wait until after you have your audience with him.” He turned to Penelope with a thoughtful frown. “As much as I’d like to start courting today, he might not listen to either of us if we throw too much at him at once. You should speak with him about the war, since that’s objectively more important, and then I’ll bring up the matter of our marriage.” Charily, he rested his hand on her leg beneath the table and gave her thigh a quick, reassuring squeeze before letting go again. “With any luck, he’ll agree to both.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave a relieved smile as Preston agreed to deliver her message to Hunter. "Thank you." she said appreciatively as he proceeded to test Crow's food. Turning back to her own meal, the knight began to think about what her day would begin to look like now that she wouldn't have to spend it trying to track down someone to schedule a meeting with the king. Instead, she could go over how she'd approach him since she had a feeling the speech she made the night before might not be as effective on the sober king as it had been on the drunk nobles.

As Crow spoke up, she looked back over to him, listening as he explained that it would likely be better to wait before also bringing up the matter of their courtship to the king. While she agreed, it also served to make her a bit more nervous about her upcoming talk with him. She was hopeful about being able to convince him to stop the war but now she'd also have to make sure her efforts to intercept his plan didn't offend him. If she rubbed Albin the wrong way, he could very well disapprove of Crow courting her.

"Smart choice." John grunted from where he sat. There was a faint glimmer of surprise in gaze as he looked at Crow, Penelope nearly swore he seemed impressed by the viceroy's decision to wait before speaking to his father. Perhaps it was advice he had been planning to give them himself. Regardless, the look didn't last long and was gone in an instant as John focused his gaze onto his daughter. "Ending the war comes first."

"Of course." Penelope agreed with a nod. She looked over to Crow and gave a less than confident smile. "I just hope I don't make your father resent me in the process of ending it. I'm sure he's not going to be thrilled about a lower ranking noble derailing his plans."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow glanced at John when he spoke up and was surprised to see the expression on the older man’s face. He hadn’t made his suggestion with the intention of pandering for the knight’s approval, but seeing that he’d earned it made him sit up a little straighter on the bench. Even though Penelope’s father moved on quickly, the effect he had on the viceroy was lasting. He bit his tongue to stifle the smile that threatened to take over his lips, dropping his gaze to his plate and stuffing his mouth with another bite of food. Today was definitely a good day. Now, if his own father agreed to everything they planned to ask him, it was beginning to look like things were finally going his way. He felt a flutter of excitement in his stomach.

“Ridiculous,” he scoffed jokingly when Penelope brought up her worries about speaking with the king. “No one could resent you.” He casted her an affectionate smile, nudging her playfully with his shoulder. “Even if he isn’t happy, I’m sure I can get him to come around. I’ll just tell him all the things I love about you.” Though he was only teasing, he hoped Albin would be open to the idea of letting him marry a lieutenant. She was the whole reason he had become a nobleman, after all. If his father tried to convince him to settle for someone else, he refused to give up without a fight. He hadn’t come this far just to have the door slammed in his face.

Shoveling down the rest of his breakfast, he chased the meal with water and rose from the table. “This has been great, but I have a lesson with my father soon,” he announced to the Vermillions. “I should probably change clothes before I show up.” He turned to Penelope with a lopsided smirk. “I’ll see you later, love. Save me a spot at supper if you can.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave a small smile at Crow's words of encouragement. While she found his joking endearing, they did little to ease the lingering worry she felt. Ending the war had to come first but she also hoped their efforts to be together wouldn't be thwarted. They had come so far, Crow had even given up his old life, to have those plans fall through because of the king possibly disliking her would not be easy to overcome. I'll just have to try my best to make a good impression.. she thought with a determined bite of her breakfast.

She looked back over to Crow as he announced that he needed to get going. A smile crossed her lips as he turned to her and she nodded her head. "If I don't, I'm sure Nadia will." she pointed out amusedly. "See you later." The knight bid him goodbye and watched him begin to walk off for a moment before turning back to her breakfast. Now alone with her father, a silence fell over the table. At first she didn't really notice it as she was too preoccupied with finishing her food, but after a moment she felt someone's gaze on her. Lifting her head to look, she noticed John was watching her with a strange expression. Though his eyes were on her, his mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"So you'll just be preparing to speak to the king today?" John finally asked.

"Yeah, I'll need to stop by the Lenz's room to get the petition too. If I'm lucky, I might be able to get some help from Oliver about how to go about it." Penelope mused then gave a sigh. "That is, if he isn't hungover from the night before."

John grunted his agreement and drummed his fingers against the table. "Well that should leave us enough time then..." he mumbled and then shifted his gaze down onto his food. "Finish up your breakfast and then let's go take a walk around the courtyard."

Penelope blinked in confusion. Her father wasn't the type to leisurely spend time with her while there was work to do so his suggestion of taking a walk was unusual. "A walk? What for?"

John hesitated, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, before replying, "It's time we talk more about your mother... You still have questions right?"

Penelope looked over at him in shock. She knew the time to talk about her would eventually come but the timing still caught her off guard. Overcoming her initial shock, excitement flooded her expression and the knight smiled eagerly. "Yes, of course. I'm almost done with my breakfast we can go in a second." she said, scraping up the remains of her plate in a hurried manner. The knight had gone a long time without hearing anything about her mother from her father and now that it was finally happening, her patience flew out the window.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Did you enjoy the festivities last night?” Albin asked, flipping idly through the pages of an oversized tome.

Crow had changed into new clothes quickly in his room and arrived at his father’s private chambers to find that the table was covered once again with foreign literature. The time was drawing near for his “departure” to the kingdom of Gorm, so the king had chosen today to test how far his ambassador had progressed. Currently, he was poring over a number of books in search of texts that he deemed challenging enough to tell if the former thief was ready to handle a real negotiation in a second language. He’d stacked the acceptable ones in a pile that was creeping high enough to make his apprentice squirm under the mounting pressure.

Tearing his gaze away from the small mountain of tomes, Crow pondered Albin’s question. He had enjoyed some parts of the party, particularly the flavorful food and Penelope’s speech, but the discomfort of spending time with noblewomen who had been trying to flirt with him and then seeing Cedric kiss the one woman he wanted all to himself had casted a shadow over the memory. “Sometimes I forget that there’s more to nobility than routine and responsibilities. Last night was a nice break from studying,” he said, smoothly dodging the question with the vague reply.

Since the viceroy had come far in his lessons, the two conversed casually in Gorman, giving Crow the chance to brush up on his ability to talk without pausing to translate the words in his head first. He felt like he had been doing well so far. He still faltered sometimes and was aware that he had a thicker Brerratic accent than his father did, but for the most part, he could speak the language almost as fluently as his native tongue.

“Were you hungover when you woke up this morning?” a smirk crossed Albin’s lip, his gaze lifting from the open book to his estranged son’s face.

“No,” Crow shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not fond of drinking to excess.”

“Is that so?” the king mused and then chuckled. “I wonder if you’re really my son. When I was your age, I spent more time than I care to admit drinking in taverns with my friends.”

“If I’m not your son, my mother had a very specific type,” Crow smiled amusedly, meeting Albin’s identical green eyes. Although their lesson today was pointless—assuming the king would listen to Penelope’s petition and send him to Younis instead of Gorm—he liked talking with his father in the foreign tongue. It was the only time they were able to broach the subject of their shared blood, since the servants in the room and the queen couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Despite the warnings from his mother and John, he was steadily warming up to the king. Albin had a way about him that made it easy to relax. He was friendly and relatable, not at all the vision of evil that he’d braced himself to expect. Perhaps his father had been a horrible man at one point in time, but as far as Crow could tell, it seemed like he’d changed for the better.

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door, and Albin called out in Brerratic: “Come in.”

Craning his neck, Crow watched as Hunter stepped into the room. The servant closed the door behind him and bowed deeply to his master. “Your Highness,” he greeted, straightening his posture again. “One of your lieutenants has requested an audience.”

“Which lieutenant?” Albin queried, nonchalantly thumbing through another tome.

“Penelope Vermillion.”

“I see,” the king frowned. He tapped his finger twice on the table, thinking for a moment before he spoke again. “Tell her that I’m busy, but I’ll make time for her sometime next week if I have an opening in my schedule.”

Crow casted his father a sideways glance. Albin probably knew what the knight wanted to discuss, since she had already brought up the subject of seeking a peaceful end to the war once before. The king was going to put off their next meeting until after he was sent on his way to Gorm.

“I think you should meet with her sooner,” he suggested before Hunter could leave. “She’s part of the group that wants the war to end, right? Maybe they’ll stop pestering you if you reason with her rather than go through with your plan without talking to anyone who opposes it first.” He bit his lip, hoping his father would take the bait.

Albin was quiet for another moment. “Fine,” he sighed. “I’ll meet with her this evening. Hopefully this will put an end to those ridiculous do-gooders.”

“Very well, My Lord,” Hunter bowed again and turned to leave the room.

Crow watched him go with a thinly veiled smile. He’d done as much as he could to help. Now, he just hoped his father would be receptive to the reasoning Penelope could come up with to convince him to negotiate with Younis.

[BuzzingBee]

"So what did you want to know?" John asked a bit awkwardly. Though had agreed to finally speak about her mother, Penelope could tell that he still had some reservations about bringing up the matter. He was tense and his gaze never seemed to land on her for a very long time. Her father nearly seemed nervous. However, Penelope was far too interested in hearing about her mother to worry about that aspect.

"I want to know everything." Penelope responded with an eager smile.

John glanced over at her and let out a small sigh. "Well you know most of the story already don't you?"

"I only know what Layth told me." she explained with a shrug. "I want to know the story from your point of view.. I have a feeling it'll be quite different."

John paused and gave a solemn nod. "Alright then.. Well..." he paused as he tried to figure out where to begin. Deciding on a place, he focused his gaze ahead as they walked out into the courtyard. "As I mentioned before, I met your mother when I was on a mission for the king with Albin. It was many years ago and I don't recall all the specifics of the mission but we were traveling out to check on the border of Gorm, it was more a task for Albin than myself. I was just added protection." he muttered, always lowering his voice slightly when the current king's name was brought up. "I was never the type to go out to taverns, especially on a mission, but that night Albin talked me into it. My intention was merely to grab a drink but before I knew it, he had somehow roped me into talking with a couple of women... Of course he had already locked his eyes on one of them."

"Crow's mom." Penelope mumbled under her breath with frown.

Her father gave a small nod of confirmation before continuing on. "It wasn't long before they left together and I was left alone with your mother.. I was married and Layth had already been born so I had no intention of following my comrades footsteps but I couldn't exactly just retire to our room." John explained wrinkling his nose slightly. The insinuation made Penelope smirk in amusement at her father's reaction. "So instead I stayed out with your mother, I made it clear to her that I wasn't looking for anything and she offered to find me a spot to sleep at her home.. I accepted and in the end, we spent most of the time sitting together outside her family home just talking." John's expression softened at the memory. "She told me about life in the outer villages and I told her about my life as noble. How I was preparing to take my father's place as the next family head."

Penelope looked at the ground to hide a fond smile as Crow came to mind. Though the stories were slightly different, the way her father described it made her think of how her and the former thief would exchange stories about their differing lives. She had always joked about following in her father's footsteps but now she was truly seeing more similarities than ever before.

"At one point she brought up how she wanted to leave and make more money for her family. I guess her family was struggling due to the taxes the king enforced... So, I offered her a job as a servant. I told your mother that she didn't have to decide right away and that on my return from the border, I would find her to hear her decision. And she agreed to it." John glanced over at Penelope. "And, of course, she also took me up on my offer once I returned. After that, she returned home to the manor with me and took up her new role as a servant there."

"No one questioned why you suddenly brought her there?" Penelope asked with a hint of confusion.

"Your grandfather did and so did Layth's mother but I simply explained it as taking pity on her." John said with a small shrug. "Which wasn't a total lie. After all, I hadn't realized that I was taken with her yet. We grew closer on the trip back but I denied any feelings more than friendship."

"I see.." Penelope mused thoughtfully. "So what did make you finally break and realize?"

John looked off to the side. "Well...we would often catch moments alone with each other. Merely to talk, nothing more." he added strictly. "But then one day, your mother confessed that she had feelings for me... I remember she said that she was only telling me this so that she could get over me after I rejected her... but I couldn't. I may have already been married to Layth's mother, Mary, but it had been arranged. We married because we were told to but truly we were a bad pair. Only together because it was forced onto us. Your mother was the only woman I truly loved and once I realized that, there was no way I was going to reject her."

Penelope crossed her arms over her chest. "You really became a hypocrite then." she mused teasingly.

Her father looked over at her with a less than amused look. "Yes well your mother wasn't a criminal." he retorted sternly.

"Does that tiny detail really matter in the grand scheme of things?" Penelope sighed.

"Do you want me to finish this story or not?" John grunted.

Penelope gave an apologetic smile and held up her hands. "Yes, sorry go on then."

"Right... After that, we began to sneak around to see each other in private. We planned on being together somehow but there were a lot of restrictions. Namely the ones on me since she was free to return to her family. It was a difficult time but we had each other and that was enough... Of course, until Mary found out about your mother and I. She never caught us but one of the other servants reported to her about seeing us together. It was right at the time that I found out that she was pregnant with you." John shook his head. "She was furious. She wanted to send your mother away but I wouldn't allow it so instead she left me. Once she did, your grandfather turned his back on me. I had little to my name alone so I took Layth and left with your mother back to the outer villages. We had some gold but not much so we ended up moving in with your mother's sister."

"Wait, my mom has a sister?" Penelope blinked. "I have an aunt somewhere?"

John frowned. "You had an aunt.." he corrected. "She died sometime ago.."

"Oh... What happened to her?" Penelope asked.

"Your mother's home village was Tamsworth... It was where your aunt lived." John sighed heavily. "It's where—"

"Where the tax collectors killed everyone.." Penelope finished the thought for him with a frown. Thanks to Crow, she was quite familiar with the horrific story. However, she never would have guessed that she would have had ties to people there. "She was killed?"

John eyed her for a moment before looking ahead as they continued to walk. "Everyone else was, I can only assume she was caught in the massacre... I wasn't ever able to find her after."

"I see..." Penelope mumbled, feeling slightly saddened by the news. She would have liked to have met her mother's family, at least even if it was just a small part of it. But knowing what happened in Tamsworth, it was unlikely that anyone was alive unless they left the village prior.

Her father studied her for a moment before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we should begin heading back in. You still need to visit the Lenz's. I should be able to finish this by the time we get there." he assured. Penelope nodded her head in agreement and followed his lead as the two Vermillions began to make their way back into the castle.

[Rogue Sloth]

After Hunter had left the room, Crow and his father resumed working on his lesson for the day. The viceroy practiced reading, writing and conversing in Gorman to prove that he was fluent enough to handle the pressure of conducting a formal meeting with native speakers, and by the end of it, the king lauded his rapid progress. Although he hoped the trip to northern kingdom would fall through, Albin’s praises warmed the former thief. It felt good to be recognized for his achievements by the only living family member he had left—excluding the half siblings he had only learned existed about a month ago. He had never thought he would want anything to do with the man who had abandoned him and his mother twenty-three years ago, but now, sitting in Albin Mannering’s bedchamber, he was more content than he’d ever dreamed possible. Finding his family late had been better than not finding it at all, he supposed.

Having been sitting for more of the afternoon, Crow and his father both stood to stretch their legs when they were done going through all the material the king had laid out. “Well, all that’s left now is to prepare your supplies and guards and gather the council to discuss the acceptable terms of the negotiation,” Albin groaned, arching his back. “At this rate, we may even be able to send you on your way at the end of three days.”

“I thought I had more time,” Crow frowned, unsettled by his father’s urge to push the deadline up yet again.

“What do you need more time for?” Albin sighed. “The sooner we enlist our allies to help, the sooner this war will end. This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes,” the viceroy admitted reluctantly. “But I haven’t even had this title for longer than a month, and I’ve only left Brerra once before. It just feels like everything is happening so fast.”

“There’s nothing wrong with feeling nervous, Collin,” Albin smiled at him amusedly. “I was nervous on my first assignment too. However, I can’t keep putting this off until you feel ready. Trust me, it’s better to just get it over with rather than cause yourself unnecessary stress by thinking about it for days on end. You’ll thank me later.”

“I guess so,” Crow mumbled, wishing that he could tell his father that he wasn’t nervous about the assignment itself, but the king with whom he was supposed to be negotiating. The warning Toreus had given Penelope lingered in his head. While Albin’s plan sounded foolproof, he knew it wouldn’t work. Not as long as there was a literal god telling them that they only had one choice if they wanted to save their kingdom from monumental destruction. He took a deep breath. If he could have just told his father that a deity had said had to seek peace with Younis, it would have been easier. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of any possible way that conversation could end without ending in his sanity being questioned, so he kept his mouth shut.

In the next moment, another knock sounded on the door, sparing Crow from a lengthier lecture about how he should handle his assignment in Gorm. “Come in,” Albin called, clearly used to being sporadically interrupted by visitors.

This time, it was Braden who entered. The second born son’s eyes flicked toward the viceroy and narrowed briefly before he turned to his father. “A report just came in from baron Harold’s battalion,” he announced stoically. “They’ve had to fall back to Troutbeck and are requesting aid to reconquer Redwick and Sutton.”

“Damn it,” Albin exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s going to take at least a week for supplies to reach that far west. I have half a mind to put someone else in charge of that region if Harold is incapable of holding our territory.”

“I’d suggest baron Fordwin,” Braden crossed his arms. “He’s an excellent tactician who would do well on the frontlines.”

“Send him with the next wagon,” the king waved his hand dismissively, obviously disinterested in who the other baron’s replacement would be.

“Baron Harold is actually waiting in your council chamber now,” Braden notified him tentatively. “You might want to tell him yourself.”

“Of course he is,” Albin muttered. “That fool doesn’t know how to manage his men. In fact, I’ll relieve him of the burden right now.” He turned to Crow, who had been listening to the conversation with a nonplussed look on his face, unsure what to make of the situation since he wasn’t educated in warfare. “You’re free to go early, Collin. It seems I have an incompetent baron to deal with.”

“O-okay,” the viceroy nodded. He had no interest in getting involved with the fate of a man he’d never met, so he eagerly stepped out of the room. Braden casted him a smug look as he passed, seeming pleased that he was more useful to their father in the current moment than his half-brother. Crow ignored him. While the crown prince could best him in the intricacies of war, he could skip circles around him when it came to foreign cultures and languages. Knowing that made it easy for him to brush off his younger sibling’s hostile behavior.

With plenty of time left before supper, he headed back to his bedchamber to get his cloak, deciding he might as well find something to do outside of the castle walls while he had a chance.

[BuzzingBee]

The two talked for the rest of the trip to the Lenz's room. Penelope listened with interest as her father depicted what followed his leave. It became clear to her that he never regretted the decision to leave with her mother despite all that he lost in the process. Finding that information out gave the knight a warm sense of comfort now that she knew for sure Layth's version of the story had been tainted by his own hate rather than her father's. John went on to describe his time in the outer villages, how he struggled at first to adjust and the issue that came with making money out there. He eventually ended the story as it reached Lilliana's death. Though John remained composed, Penelope was able to still detect the sorrow in his expression. He had never fully gotten over her death and Penelope doubted that he ever truly would, but at least her brief visit that night seemed to have helped him.

As they reached the room, John stepped back to part ways and Penelope knocked on the door. The door barely cracked open when another voice from down the hall caught their attention though. "Ah! Miss Vermillion there you are." Penelope turned her head to see Hunter further down the corridor, looking slightly relieved to have caught her. The king's servant scurried over and bowed to the nobles around him before focusing his gaze on Penelope. Her stomach turned with sudden anxiousness as she realized that he must have delivered her message to the king already.

"I apologize for the interruption. I just came to say that his highness got your request and will meet with you this evening." Hunter explained dipping his head.

Penelope's eyes widened. While she was hoping to speak with the king soon, she hadn't expected him to see her so soon. The knight thought she would have had at least a day before her audience with him. "O-okay. Um," she cleared her throat and dipped her head to the servant gratefully. "Thank you, Hunter."

"Oh my that doesn't leave you much time to prepare." groaned the voice of Dimia, who had answered the door.

As Hunter made his exit, Penelope turned to look over at the Lenz's, who both stood at the doorway, and her father, who had stepped back over after overhearing Hunter's announcement. All of them looked concerned to some degree and it made the knight shift uneasily. "I know. I was hoping I would at least have more time to prepare.. Gods I'm going to have to get ready quick." she said shaking her head.

Dimia pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. "Well at least you have the signatures. Alright you go get what you need from your room and then come back here so we can get you prepared." she instructed, ushering the female knight off. Penelope nodded her head, agree quickly to the last minute plans before hurrying off to her room to collect the letters she had as well as get appropriately dressed in her armor.

[Rogue Sloth]

Heading for the main entrance of the castle, Crow drew his cloak more tightly around his shoulders in anticipation of the icy winter air. Ever since he’d figured out that exercise helped with his nightmares, he made a point to get his heartrate up whenever he had the time. He rarely managed to escape the palace walls though, and even though it was frigid outside, he wanted to feel the sun on his face. The unpleasant weather wasn’t enough to keep him locked up indoors. Once he started moving, he knew he would warm up anyway.

The viceroy stepped outside, feeling blood rush to his cheeks as the wind bit at his exposed skin. It was colder than he’d expected, but he pressed through the discomfort and made his way to the knights’ training ground, expecting the fields to be empty while all the noblemen took refuge in their barracks or the castle. Fortunately, his guess had been right. All of their equipment had been protectively covered and left beneath a thin sheet of snow. He could hear the sound of voices in the distance, coming from the closest barracks, but the rest of the area was silent. It was just what he’d been hoping for.

Stepping over to the weapons, he lifted the animal skin cover off the archery supplies and picked up a bow and quiver. It had been quite a while since he’d last practiced with the long range weapon, so it was about time for him to brush up on his skills. He shouldered the collection of arrows, shivering slightly as the cold air began to seep through his clothing, and made his way over to the targets that had been set up. A thin sheet of snow covered each one, so he took some time to brush it off before he backed away again to set up his bow.

Fighting to keep his hands steady, he reached over his shoulder to draw the first arrow and notched it against the string. His eyes were fixed on the target he’d picked, and his breathing slowed as he focused. Archery had become somewhat meditative to him since he’d gotten better at it. When he loosed arrows from one spot without moving around too much, it had a calming effect. However, didn’t need to calm down right now.

Cocking the bowstring back to the corner of his mouth, he only held it for half a second before he released the arrow at the target. It struck to the left of the bullseye, but instead of reloading the weapon, he took off at a sprint to the right of the target, stopped quickly, and steadied himself as he fixed a second arrow into the bow. He loosed it again and repeated the process, practicing his speed as he repositioned himself, took in the new angle, and shot at the target from different places in the field.

He kept at the routine for a while—he wasn’t sure how long—and even removed his cloak at one point when the thick fabric grew too warm to wear against his heated skin. Muscles burned from exertion, but he relished the feeling. It meant he had a chance to stave off the nightmares that plagued him during the night.

Eventually, he became too tired to continue, and he sat down in the frozen grass, watching his breath cloud in front of his nose as he panted. The sun had sunk close to the horizon, and the training grounds were getting dark. He was just beginning to wonder if he had time to visit the bath house before supper when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Collin?”

The viceroy twisted at the waist to see that someone was approaching him from behind. He stared for a moment, struggling to distinguish the man’s face in the darkness, until he realized it was Percival. The knight was fully dressed in his armor and was resting a hand loosely against the hilt of his sword.

“Oh, hey,” Crow greeted him breathily, still breathing heavily after his archery session. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just going to ask you the same thing,” Percival frowned.

“Yeah? Well, I asked you first,” Crow smirked at him cheekily. He didn’t get along with most nobles in the inner kingdom, but the knight had grown on him more than anyone else he’d met, aside from his own sister. Percival had shown some empathy toward the people of the outer villages when they’d talked about the war weeks ago, and he seemed to be the only noblemen among the viceroy’s “friends” who wasn’t trying to get anything from him. He still didn’t trust the man as much as Naida or Preston, but he had softened enough to be friendly.

Percival eyed him for a moment longer before he answered, “I was on my way back to the barracks after a guard shift. Your turn.”

“Practicing,” Crow said taciturnly, gesturing at the bow he’d left on the ground by his side.

“Hm,” the knight grunted, glancing between the weapon and the targets that had been littered with arrows. “In this weather?”

“I like a challenge,” the former thief shrugged, climbing to his feet and brushing the ice off the backside of his trousers. “It’s harder to aim when you’re shivering, and it’s harder to pull back the string when your fingers are numb.”

“Easier to catch a cold though,” Percy pointed out.

“Touché,” Crow conceded with a grin. “Anyway, I’m done now. Supper will be served soon. Are you hungry?”

The knight nodded, “I was going to take off my armor before I go to the Great Hall.”

“Great. Maybe I’ll see you there,” the viceroy turned away from him to put his cloak back on and collect his arrows.

Percival was quiet again for a moment before he strode over to one of the targets and began pulling arrows free from the wood. Crow casted him a quizzical look, and he lifted his broad shoulders, “I’ll help. My hands aren’t numb.”

Crow blinked and looked down at his own hands, which had lost feeling to the cold a while ago. It would have taken him a lot longer to retrieve all the arrows by himself in his current state. “Thanks,” he said gratefully, resuming his collection.

The reticent knight grunted again, and the two lapsed into silence as they gathered the projectiles to be put away with the rest of the weapons.

[BuzzingBee]

The rest of her free time was spent in the company of the Lenz's and her father, who hung around after finding out how soon she'd be facing the king. Dimia fixed her hair and even added a touch of makeup to the knight, claiming that just because she was in armor didn't mean she couldn't use a bit of beauty when dealing with the king. While Penelope didn't think it as important as it had been for the party, she at least wanted to try and look more than presentable so she didn't fight the noblewoman's plans. Aside from that, most of her time was spent talking over strategies with her father and Oliver on how to go about talking to the king. And then it was time.

With all of the signatures and letters collected, she began her walk to the council room, feeling her stomach churn nervously. She had separated from the others, wanting a quiet moment alone before she was faced to face with the king. Penelope flickered her gaze up at the ceiling as she neared the room and took in a deep breath. Alright Toreus, here goes nothing. she thought as she tried to compose herself before stepping inside.

Having spoken to the king before, she was a little bit more familiar now with the lay out of the room and that alone managed to give her some sort of ease. Albin was sitting on his usual throne, clearly waiting for her arrival and giving orders to Hunter until his attention was drawn away by her appearance. He dismissed his servant before focusing onto the knight with an inviting smile. "Ah lieutenant, please come have a seat." he said with a gesture to the chair across from him.

Penelope bowed deeply to him before making her way over to sit across from him. She couldn't help but sit a bit ridgedly. With so much riding on this meeting between them, it was impossible to relax. "Thank you for seeing me so soon, your highness." she said politely. "I was just hoping to speak with you on the matter of ending the war again."

"Right." Albin sighed with a small frown. "I considered what you mentioned before I have already made plans to ensure our victory, I'm sure you must have heard some talk of them by now."

"I have, sir." Penelope admitted, shifting slightly. "I understand the reasoning behind your plans but I fear they're the wrong way to go about this situation. I just believe that it would be best to seek a peaceful end to this. Our forces are struggling on the war front and this war has been costly enough as it is. There is no guarantee that Gorm will ally with us and even if they do, that does not mean this war will end anytime soon."

The king pursed his lips. "I see your concerns, Vermillion, but the plan to ally with Gorm is firm. There may be some risks involved by our odds are better this way. There's no guarantee Younis would be willing to settle for a truce anyways."

"This war is likely affecting them just as badly as us." Penelope spoke again. It felt strange to be debating with the king. Usually she just received and followed orders so the change of pace made her slightly soft spoken. "I'm sure something could be arranged. Our outer villages are being decimated, our people slain and our resources being run dry. This war isn't worth it. It'll only leave us in a weakened state if it is to continue."

"The resources we would get from Younis would make up for what we lose." the king said plainly.

"Not if they're already drained too. Not to mention the portion that would have to go into paying off Gorm for the alliance." Penelope rebutted.

The king let out a long sigh. "Lieutenant, while your passion is admirable, it is for the wrong cause. This has been discussed and approved by my council, not to mention the outside support for it. It is simply the more popular option and the one that has been fully thought out. There's no sense in trying to seek peace with Younis."

Penelope paused and gave the king an apologetic smile. She knew reasoning wouldn't be enough but hopefully the support she had would be. "I'm sorry your majesty but I sincerely disagree. I've been working on this since I returned to the castle and I'm not the only one who believes in this." she explained before holding out the stack of letters and petition to him. "I've acquired the support of many barons, knights, and other such nobles... I believe a couple are even ones on your council, if I'm not mistaken."

The lieutenant watched as the king slowly accepted the papers, staring at them in bewilderment. While it hadn't completely been her intention to catch him off guard, there was a small sense of satisfaction that came from his surprise. She hoped that the papers would help him to see her reasoning. Penelope watched him as his eyes read over the signatures and letters, letting a silence fall between them for a moment so he had time to see the amount of nobles that were on her side. "This idea is not mine alone. Many of your people want a peaceful resolution... Will you give it to them?" she asked him hopefully.

Albin remained silent for a moment, his jaw seemed quite tense as he looked at the papers, and then shifted his gaze up from them to look at Penelope. "I suppose I can try... seeing as how many support it." he muttered. He rubbed a hand over his face. "I'll discuss the details of it with my council."

Penelope stifled a grin and dipped her head graciously to the king. "Thank you, your majesty. I'm certain this will be the best route for all of us."

Albin gave a firm nod. "If that is all, then you are dismissed Miss Vermillion."

"Yes, thank you." Penelope rose from her seat and headed out of the council room. Though the king wasn't thrilled about the change of plans, she was ecstatic. All the work she had done had paid off and they were a step closer to preventing the destruction that Toreus had warned about. Her shoulders felt lighter after her accomplishment and she was practically giddy with glee. As she headed down the corridor, there was skip in her step. She couldn't wait to share the good news with everyone, especially Crow. The thought made her pick up her pace slightly as she headed towards the Great Hall for supper.

[Rogue Sloth]

Once all the arrows had been gathered up and put away, Crow stood outside the knights’ barracks while Percival changed out of his guard uniform. Since they were already together, they’d decided to walk back to the castle in each other’s company rather than go alone. It had been Percy’s idea, and the viceroy had agreed to it eagerly since he’d spent most of the late afternoon and early evening by himself. He had a feeling he wouldn’t see much of Penelope at supper either, since his father had decided to meet with her that evening. Hoping to avoid any more unwelcomed encounters with the women he’d humored at the party, he was happy to take the knight up on his offer. Other nobles would be deterred from approaching him if he looked like he was already busy eating with someone else.

He shivered involuntarily, chilled by the cold air. Percival had invited him to wait inside the barracks, where it was warm, but Crow had declined. Given his history, the former thief didn’t feel comfortable surrounded by men who had been after his head not long ago. Even though his acquaintance had insisted that there was nothing to be worried about now, he had put his foot down and refused to step into the large tent. Ultimately, Percy had given up trying to convince the stubborn viceroy, and Crow had gotten his way, standing in the dark while snow began to fall overhead.

Not much longer, Percival stepped back out of the barracks, and Crow glanced at him. “Done?” he asked.

The knight nodded and stared at him for a moment longer before he shook his head, “It would have been more comfortable to wait inside,” he said again, having noticed the snowflakes that clung to the former criminal’s hair.

“And give them the chance to knife me in the back?” Crow scoffed belligerently, striding back toward the castle. “No thanks.”

Percy just sighed and ambled after him in silence, seeming to realize there was no point in arguing with the obstinate viceroy when he’d made up his mind. They spent the rest of the walk without speaking. Crow was distracted with thoughts of Penelope and her meeting with Albin, wondering if she was already with his father and if the discussion was going well. The king seemed to have been planning to shut her down when he’d said that he hoped their meeting would put an end to the voices that cried for peace. He hoped the lengthy petition she’d procured would be enough to change his mind.

When they eventually arrived at the Great Hall, his eyes swept over the room in search of the lieutenant, but of course, he didn’t see her. He had already expected her absence though, so he wasn’t overly disappointed. Perhaps it was even a good sign that she wasn’t here yet. It meant his father probably hadn’t denied her request right away, and might have even chosen to hear her out.

“There’s an empty table on the right,” Percival spoke up at his side, pointing at the one he had spotted. “Would you like to sit there?”

“Sure,” Crow nodded. He wove his way through the crowd with the knight until they reached the available seating. When they sat down, his gaze wandered again in search of Preston, though he also kept the entrance in the corner of his eye, in case Penelope came in.

Percy noticed his divided attention. “You’re distracted,” he commented, studying him curiously. “Is something wrong?”

“No, sorry,” Crow exhaled, shrugging his cloak from his shoulders. The thick fabric was too hot to wear in a room full of warm bodies. “I’m just waiting for some news. That’s all.”

The knight grunted and opened his mouth to say something else. However, he didn’t even speak one word before another voice cut through the hum of the bustling room.

“Finally!” Naida’s familiar tone chirped as the princess slid onto the bench next to her half-brother. “I’ve been looking for you all day, Collin! Where have you been?” Suddenly, she seemed to notice that the viceroy had company. “Oh, hey, Percy,” she greeted her comrade with a smile. Percival just dipped his head wordlessly in response, and she turned back to Crow, “Anyway, we need to talk about what happened at the party! I know I saw sparks between you and Penelope, and don’t you dare try to deny it.”

“Not this again,” Crow groaned. He hoped Preston would arrive with his supper quickly, because he was going to need a drink to handle his sister’s rabid energy that evening.

“Do you want me to make a list? I’ll make a list,” Naida elbowed him in the side and began counting off on her slender fingers. “You were practically drooling over her when you saw her in her dress; you tried to wait for her when she was dancing with Cedric—who you’ve also been glaring daggers at every time you see him, I might add; you looked like the happiest person in the room when you finally did dance with her; and,” a mischievous look came over her face. “I saw you cozying up to her right before her big speech. I may have been drunk, but I know love when I see it.”

Crow blinked, surprised by all the observations the princess had been able to make during the chaos of the party. She must have been watching them for a long time to catch all that.

Across the table, Percival shifted his weight. “I can leave you two alone,” he muttered, seeming uncomfortable with the topic Naida had chosen to bring up.

“No, stay,” Crow waved his hand. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone with his sister when she was so certain she’d caught him. “Naida just had too much wine last night and jumped to conclusions.” Although John had just given him his blessing, there was still Albin to deal with, so he didn’t want the princess to know about his relationship with Penelope just yet. If their father was going to hear about his intentions for the knight, the information was going to come from him first.

He turned back to Naida and crossed his arms, “First of all, I did stare at her a little, but can you blame me? That dress she wore was seductive. Secondly, the rest of what you just said is all conjecture. I had already told you that I wasn’t waiting for a dance. I was trying the food. As for my expression during our dance, she’s my friend. Of course I was going to enjoy it more than the ones I was forced into by women I didn’t want to speak with at all. And when I was with her before the speech… well, you can ask her why I was comforting her if you really want to know.” He looked up, relieved to see the servants approaching with their plates. “And on that note, the food is here.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope walked fast paced to the Great Hall. Once she reached the room, she stepped inside and quickly began to look around for Crow. She knew she had been a little late to supper due to her audience with the king but hoped that he would still be around. Luckily he was. The knight spotted him at a table and a grin spread across her lips. Without bothering to see who exactly he was sitting with, she hurried over to join him, buzzing with excitement.

"Crow! I—" She faltered slightly as her gaze finally caught sight of Naida. Not wanting to cause any more reason for her friend to suspect their feelings for each other, she quickly tried to cover up the fact that she had only been focused on telling Crow. "Nadia! I did it." she grinned at the two as she moved to slid in across from them. The knight could only hope that her friend hadn't noticed the small slip up. As she did, she also took notice of Percival's presence as she sat besides him and gave him a small nod of acknowledgement before focusing back on the two siblings across from her.

Naida tilted her head slightly before the information seemed to register and she smiled at her friend. "Oh you mean the signatures? Yeah I'm sure you have enough to convince my father!"

"That's not what I meant." Penelope said with a gleeful laugh. "I meant I already convinced him. I just got back from an audience with him. He's going to talk with his council about ending the war with Younis peacefully."

"Huh." Percival mused with quiet interest.

"Oh congratulations!" Naida grinned at her friend. "See I knew you could pull it off!" Her good natured grin turned into a mischievous smirk as she glanced over at her half sibling. "I also see you had a real specific someone you wanted to share the good news with first, huh?" she teased Penelope.

The knight blinked and rolled her eyes. It seemed her minor slip up hadn't gone past Naida's notice as she had hoped. "I was just looking for the first friend I could find." she said dismissively before her smile returned. "I had to share the good news as soon as I could."

[Rogue Sloth]

As the three servants bowed respectfully and turned to walk away, Crow murmured his thanks to Preston for bringing out his food. After a long day of studying and archery practice, he was looking forward to having a hot meal, and it looked like his attendant had filled his plate more than usual. He picked up his utensils to eat, mouth watering in anticipation, but before he could lift the first bite to his lips, he paused at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name.

Peering back over his shoulder, he smiled at the sight of Penelope approaching the table with unbridled excitement. Since he had been in the room when Hunter and his father had discussed the time of their meeting, he had a feeling he already knew what she was going to say before she said it. His heartbeat quickened in his chest. If he was right, and she had managed to persuade Albin to negotiate with the king of Younis, they were one step closer to ending the war and beginning their official courtship. He held his breath, waiting eagerly to hear the rest of her sentence until he remembered his company.

His eyes flicked toward his sister, who had just been on his case about their suspected relationship less than a minute ago. Between her surprisingly accurate collection of observations from the party and the way Penelope had addressed him just now, it was going to be difficult to lead the persistent princess off their trail again. The knight seemed to notice it too, as she chose to tell her friend about the news instead of him. However, his concerns about Naida were quickly forgotten when Penelope announced that she had been able to convince the king to seek an alternative solution to the war.

“That’s great!” he agreed with the others, his smile turning into a grin. Absently, he wondered if his father would include him in the next council meeting. Even if Albin had been swayed by the petition, there was no telling what the other noblemen on his court would say. The viceroy wanted to offer his support of the peace agreement if he could. He felt like his voice should matter, since he was the one they would be sending to the foreign kingdom they chose.

Crow was drawn from his thoughts when his sister chose that moment to bring up their closeness again. Rolling his eyes, he cut in before she could push her theory anymore. “I’m glad you came to us first,” he said to Penelope, though he wouldn’t have expected anything less. “Now let’s just hope the king pushes this new plan as quickly as he wanted to push the last one.”

“Are you ready to meet with the Younisian monarch?” Percival asked, knitting his brows.

“More ready than I would have been to speak with the king of Gorm,” Crow answered with a shrug. “At least I’ve been to Younis before. It’s familiar territory.”

“I bet he’ll be willing to negotiate too,” Naida chipped in, seeming to have forgotten about her matchmaking mission for the moment. “It sounds like Younis hasn’t been doing much better in this war than we have.”

“They haven’t,” Crow confirmed, popping a bite of food into his mouth. “With any luck, this whole thing will be over in a month, and we can finally start rebuilding our borders. Gods know the villagers out there need it.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave Crow a small smile as he jumped in to guide the conversation way from Naida's track of trying to poke at their closeness. As him and Percival went on to talk, the knight gave a small nod of agreement with Naida's words. Not only was the war likely just as hard on them but having seen the culture of Younis first hand, she guessed that they wanted an end to this bloodshed as much as she did. She just hoped pride wouldn't get in the way of peace. Her gaze shifted briefly onto Crow. Now that she had done her part to convince the king, negotiations for the war's end would soon be passed off to him. Having faith in him despite the fact that he was still so new to the position of viceroy, it did manage to ease her nerves.

"I suppose that'll be my next project to get started on." Penelope mused as Crow brought up repairing the borders. "Hopefully I can garner enough support to get a decent amount of gold flowing out to the villagers there. I should probably start planning more about how I'm going to go about that soon.."

"Gods do you ever take a break?" Naida snickered.

"Just a couple short ones." Penelope replied with an amused smirk. She gave the princess a small shrug, leaning back from the table as the servant appeared with her food. "While I wouldn't mind taking longer ones, there's simply too much to be done right now."

As Penelope dug into her food, Naida drummed her fingers against the table thoughtfully. "Well you don't have much to do for tonight and tomorrow right?"

"I suppose not. At this point, I can't do much more." Penelope answered.

Naida grinned and clapped her hands together. "Great! We should all go out to a tavern and celebrate your success!" she turned to Crow and nudged his side eagerly. "Your lesson probably got disrupted because of the change of plans so you should come with us! It'll be fun!"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow nodded thoughtfully when Penelope spoke about her next project. They had brought up the state of the outer villages a few times before, but this was the first time it truly felt like hope was on the horizon. He couldn’t wait to see how much they would be able to do to help the villagers recover and possibly even give them enough gold to get their feet on the ground after decades of debt to the crown. He didn’t know much about economics, since the subject wasn’t a priority to his father at the moment, but he still remembered how much better off the peasants of Younis had been compared to his own people. If they could offer the resources the Brerratic villagers needed to do more than just till land and raise livestock, everyone in the kingdom would probably be better off for it.

At Naida’s excitable suggestion that they should visit a tavern together, he hesitated briefly, considering the idea before he smiled back at her. “You know what? Why not?” he agreed. They had never gone out together as a group, and after all the work they had put into the party, unwinding with a drink or two sounded great. He just made a mental note to keep an eye on his wily sister, since he wouldn’t put it past her to try and get him and Penelope drunk for her own amusement. He may have been willing to get out of the castle with her, but he still didn’t enjoy losing his inhibitions.

“Yes!” Naida squealed victoriously. “Let’s go after supper. There’s a lively tavern not too far from the castle called The Grumpy Dwarf that I think you’ll like.”

“Okay,” Crow chuckled, finding the name amusing. He parted his lips to add more, and then paused when he remembered that Percival was still sitting with them. Suddenly uncomfortable making plans in front of the taciturn knight, he offered him a friendly smile. “You can come too, if you’d like. I’m sure a mug of ale would taste heavenly after all that standing around you did on your shift.”

Percy stared at him, seeming surprised to have been included, and then shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I work the morning again tomorrow,” he said. “I was going to retire to my bedchamber as soon as I finish eating.”

“If you say so,” Crow didn’t push the matter. Having only wanted to make sure that his acquaintance hadn’t felt excluded while they spoke in front of him, he turned back to the others with a smirk. “Taverns in the inner kingdom had better be good. I’ve been to the best of the best in the outer villages, so I’ve got high standards.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope thought over Naida's suggestion before nodding. It had been quite a while since she had last gone out to a tavern with friends. At least, one that didn't involve digging up information. Plus she hadn't be able to celebrate much at the party since she had been far too busy with the festivities to begin with. It would be a nice change of pace to merely go out for the enjoyment of it. When Crow agreed to it as well, she glanced over with a small hint of surprise. The knight had partially expected him to deny the invite but was glad to find out that he would be joining them.

She smiled at her friend's enthusiasm and then glanced at Percy next to her as Crow extended the invite to him. While he denied it, the knight took another bite from her supper before focusing back onto the viceroy as he spoke up once more. Penelope smirked at his words and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you'll find that they aren't too much different." she mused with a chuckle.

"Well as long as you're going to the places we're going to!" Naida piped in. "There's a few dull places for sure but luckily I know all the best spots."

Penelope gave an amused look at her friend before looking back to Crow. "It's also Olivia approved so that alone should tell you what you need to know." she mused. The knight focused back on her food, feeling a hint of excitement over their plans. After everything seemed to finally be going their way and getting the king's approval, a couple drinks with two people close to her sounded quite enjoyable. Finishing off her food, she glanced over to see that Naida had hurried to finish off her supper in eagerness for their after dinner plans.

"Are you two ready to go?" Naida asked glancing between Crow and her.

"I suppose but I better go get a cloak otherwise I'll freeze on the way over there." Penelope mused. That and she wanted to get out of her armor. She had put it on only to be presentable as a lieutenant in front of the king and had been too ecstatic about telling them about the news that she hadn't stopped at her room to take it off prior. "I can just catch up to you two at the main entrance."

[Rogue Sloth]

“At least I can be sure that it’ll be interesting,” Crow laughed when Penelope said that they would be going to a tavern Olivia approved of. It did sound promising though. Even though he preferred to stay sober, he’d always enjoyed spending some nights out with the other villagers on the border. The rowdiest taverns had been his favorites too, since the people who showed up were usually friendly and adventurous. It had felt good to spend a few evenings forgetting about the stresses of life to drink, dance, gamble, or do whatever else was popular that night. He didn’t know what to expect at a tavern meant for the upper class, but he was hopeful that he would have fun with Penelope and Naida regardless of what anyone else was doing.

Finishing up the rest of the food on his plate, he nodded when the knight announced that she needed to pick up a cloak before she joined them. “See you there,” he said, swallowing his last bite.

Naida offered a few parting words as well and then turned to her half-brother, “Want to go wait for her by the door?”

“Sure,” Crow stood up and slid his cloak over his shoulders. The fabric still felt too warm to wear indoors but, knowing how cold it would be once they stepped outside, he didn’t mind building up a little more insulation before they left the castle walls. He glanced at Percival, who had also risen to his feet, “I’ll see you around.”

The knight dipped his head politely, “Be careful.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Crow grinned, finding his advice amusing. “I’m not the type to go stumbling home after a night out.”

“What’s the fun in that?” Naida rolled her eyes, giving his wrist a tug as they began walking toward the door.

“Someone has to keep an eye on you, so you don’t cause too much trouble,” he teased, shooting her a wry smirk.

“This coming from the former criminal who caused so much trouble he landed himself behind bars,” she quipped back.

“Harsh,” Crow gave her arm a shove, though a good-humored smile played on his lip.

The two siblings continued bantering amongst each other until they reached the main entrance of the castle, where they stopped to wait for Penelope to catch up with them before they would all brave the snow together.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope offered quick words of parting to the group before rising up to leave. The knight headed down the corridor and towards her quarters. Once she reached it, she stepped inside and began to take off her armor. Eventually only her sword remained as a symbol of her career and she paused, debating on whether to take it or leave it behind. Deciding they'd likely be fine on their trip out, she removed the sheath and set the weapon down. Her gaze lingered on it for a moment, realizing that quite some time had passed since she had last used it. Due to the calmness of the castle versus the war front and all the time spent rallying support, she hadn't even found the time to use it in sparring.

Perhaps that's how I'll spend part of my day tomorrow... The knight mused inwardly as she moved on to grab her cloak. Slipping the fabric over her, Penelope bundled up, knowing that it would be quite a cold walk to the tavern. Ready to depart, she headed out of her room and made her way to the main entrance. The walk was a fairly short one and it wasn't long before she was reunited with Crow and Naida. Stepping over to join them, she offered them a smile.

"Alright I'm ready now." she said eagerly.

"Great! Let's get going! The faster we walk the sooner we get there and out of the cold." Naida grinned and pushed open the door to take the lead.

Penelope nodded her head and followed after her friend. Walking near Crow, she glanced up at him with a smirk. "You know, it almost feels weird that I'm not going to a tavern with you to interrogate a bunch of drunks." she mused jokingly. "It was becoming quite the norm there for a while."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow glanced down the hall as Penelope approached, breaking off the casual conversation he’d been having with Naida while they had been waiting. With everyone ready to go, they headed through the large doors into the palace courtyard. The air was just as chilly as it had been the last time the viceroy had been outside, if not a little more so, and the snow had begun to fall more thickly around them. He drew his hood over his head and buried his hands beneath his cloak to keep dry, unsure how long they would be walking in the quiet storm before they reached the sanctuary of the tavern.

When the knight fell in step beside him, he glanced down at her with an amused smile. “It’ll be nice to visit one without any responsibilities for once,” he mused, his breath fogging as he spoke. “I think I’m going to like this a lot better.”

“Wait, what do you mean you interrogated drunks?” Naida peered back over her shoulder with a curious expression, eavesdropping on her friends. “And why would you do that in the first place?”

“I was helping Penelope and her battalion track down a band of thieves,” Crow replied. “Sometimes you can learn a lot from men and women who’ve lost their inhibitions.”

“Oh yeah, Penelope mentioned something about that to me before,” the princess recalled. Her lip curled upward in a puckish smirk. “Sounds like you two make a good team.”

“When our interests line up, I’d have to agree,” Crow lifted his shoulders, nonchalantly brushing off his sister’s insinuation. He turned back to the knight with another smile, “It also helped that we’d worked together once before in Younis. I wouldn’t have trusted her otherwise.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded her head in agreement with Crow's words as she grabbed the fabric of her cloak and wrapped it tighter against her body. "I'll say. I haven't been to a tavern for the joy of it since even before I was sent out to the war front." she sighed, watching the visible air puff out of her mouth as she spoke. As Naida jumped into the conversation, she listened as Crow explained that it was from their previous time working together. She gave a small mumble of agreement and focused her gaze ahead, hoping Naida wouldn't try to dig for more information about it.

While she didn't do that, Naida of course had to poke at their closeness. Though Penelope actually agreed with the sentiment of them being a good team, she didn't want to add anymore fire to the flame. She looked over at Crow as he turned to her and returned his smile with one of her own. "That's for sure. I doubt I would have worked with you if not for that." she said with a small nod.

Naida's eyes shifted between them. "What happened on that trip to Younis anyways?" she asked, her smirk remaining.

Penelope shrugged. "Mainly getting the staff from the castle. That was what the trip was for after all."

Naida rolled her eyes. "I know that! But come on, it's not every day a criminal and his guard end up as friends. William went on the same trip as you and he still hates him!"

"That's because William has a problem with his arrogance." Penelope snorted then added matter-of-factly, "We were in a foreign land and our interests happened to line up so I saw that working with him, even though he was a criminal, was possible. There's really nothing more to it than that."

Naida pouted slightly, seeming disappointed by the lack of reaction from both of them. I swear she's getting worse... Penelope thought with subtle shake of her head. The knight was growing tired of having to dance around the subject whenever Naida brought it up. She hoped that they wouldn't have to continue it for much longer now that the king had heard her out. It would all be much easier once they were able to start their courtship.