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

[Rogue Sloth]

It wasn’t the distraction he had been trying to use, but it seemed like Penelope had gotten distracted nonetheless. Crow blinked as she shushed him and then promptly gazed at him as if they were the only two people in the tavern. If they had really been the only ones there, he would have been eager to question what was on her mind, but with Naida and Kane sitting right next to them, he found himself hoping that she would keep the thoughts to herself. It was too hard to tell if the others were drunk enough yet to disregard any flirtatious or flattering comments she might make in her inebriation.

Unfortunately, his hope was short-lived as the knight slipped her fingers out of his hand to caress his cheek. Her following compliment made his heartbeat quicken in spite of himself. Even if the timing was less than perfect, he liked it when she vocalized the things she found appealing about him. Any stroke to his ego was well received, although her following words made him roll his eyes. She guesses? He thought with a smirk. It was tempting to poke fun at her about her choice of phrasing, but he resisted the urge. Until they were alone again, he would just have to pocket that card for later.

In the next moment, the sound of a mug hitting the table snapped the viceroy back to the present, and he turned to the others, nervous that one of them had caught the exchange that had just happened between him and Penelope. Luckily, it looked like Naida and Kane had been working on their third round of drinks while the lieutenant had been openly ogling him. He felt his shoulder relax, relieved that he didn’t have to come up with an excuse to justify her flattery.

Finishing off the rest of his first mug, he gestured to a wench to bring him a second—and final—pint of mead, and then casted his sister a wry grin. “How are you doing over there?”

“Peachy keen,” the princess smiled drunkenly back at him. “Better than ‘im, at least.” She pointed at Kane. “Y’know, I think we shoul’ change it up. Whoever drinks the most cider wins. Wha’d’ya say, blondie?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope flickered her gaze over to Naida as her friend spoke up. She smirked amusedly to see that her friend was following closely in her own footsteps. The knight raised an eyebrow at her friend before turning to look over at Kane besides her. The nobleman was leaning a little more heavily onto the table and stifling a couple hiccups whenever they racked his chest. He looked over at Naida as she suggested the rule change and gave a small chuckle before shaking his head.

"No offense but I'd rather not be the one responsible for drinkin' the princess into a hangover." Kane smirked. The alcohol in his system made him less formal and certainly less stiff around the higher ranking nobles he had joined.

Naida rolled her eyes. "You're on'y saying that because you know you'll lose!" she taunted with a grin. "You gotta finish what you started!"

Kane looked amusedly at Naida and parted his lips to say something but paused as his gaze drifted towards Crow again. The amusement in his face faded and was briefly replaced by a more serious look. The drunken knight noticed it and furrowed her brow at him, confused by what had caused the nobleman to make such an expression. However, before anyone had the chance to question it, he focused back on Naida with a smile. "I suppose so... Well how 'bout we slow down for a moment. You're still technically a drink ahead of me so lemme catch up." he suggested before signaling to the wench for a single refill.

Naida eyed him for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Finnneee. But af'er that it's on again!" she declared.

"Of course." Kane agreed with a chuckle. He drummed his fingertips against the table and glanced around the room, seeming to search for something. He blinked, as if sprung with an idea, and slowly moved to stand up. "But until my drink gets here I think I'm gonna step outside to get some air."

"Weak stomach?" Naida questioned with a challenging smirk.

"You wish." Kane returned the smirk. He paused and then turned to Penelope, his features softening a bit. "Penelope, why don't you step out with me? The walk might help you sober up a bit." he suggested, extending his hand to the knight.

Penelope hesitated, eying his hand and then casting a glance towards Crow. She really didn't want to leave but perhaps trying to sober up a bit would be best. She aware of her inebriated state and if Naida planned to continue drinking, then Crow would have quite a bit to deal with between the two of them on their return to the castle. Not realizing the other issues that could come from accepting, the knight gave a reluctant nod and moved to take the nobleman's hand. "Ok." she agreed.

[Rogue Sloth]

As Naida bantered with Kane, Crow murmured a ‘thank you’ to the wench who had brought him a fresh mug of mead. With just enough alcohol in his system to make him slightly drowsy and nothing to do while the others continued to pound their drinks, he was tiring out faster than he’d thought he would. He bit his tongue to stifle a yawn and leaned closer to Penelope, letting his gaze wander over the other noblemen and women in the tavern. It almost seemed to be getting busier as the night wore on. More tables were packed with knights who were still in their snow-covered armor.

He wondered offhandedly if the men—and a sparse few women—had recently gotten off shifts around various parts of the citadel. Back when he was a thief, he would have paid more attention to such details, since knowing when the guards were nearing the end of a long watch had helped him slip past their glazed-over eye unnoticed before. With no use for that information now, he wasn’t actively listening to find out, but he decided he might as well keep in practice. There was no telling if his old habits would come in handy again someday, after all.

After a few minutes of eavesdropping on other groups of patrons, Crow turned back to his own companions when Kane rose from his seat. At first, he felt a thrill of excitement, hoping that the nobleman had decided to call it a night and return to him home. But his enthusiasm was squashed when the blonde announced that he was just stepping outside to clear his head. He pressed his cheek irritably into the palm of his hand. It seemed like they would be stuck with the nosey interloper for the rest of the celebration.

To make matters worse, the noble was apparently bold enough to try and take Penelope with him. The viceroy side-eyed him untrustingly as he offered her a hand. Ever since Cedric had forced himself on her at the party, Crow didn’t like the idea of leaving any man alone with the knight for any length of time, especially when she was intoxicated enough that she would make an easy target for someone with ill intentions. Kane had given him no reason to believe he wouldn’t try to coax her away from them either. Naida was just as drunk as she was, so if he really cared about sobering up, then why didn’t he invite both of them? The red flag was too suspicious to ignore.

“Hang on,” he rested a firm hand on Penelope’s shoulder before Kane could pull her up from her seat. “It’s still snowing out there. You don’t want to freeze, do you?” His pale eyes lifted to meet the other man’s gaze, though his words were directed to the lieutenant. “Just stay here and have some water if you feel like you need to fight off those drinks.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope blinked as she felt a hand suddenly rest on her shoulder and turned to see that Crow had stepped in. She considered his words before giving a small nod. It didn't take much to persuade the knight into staying, especially since she hadn't really wanted to leave in the first place. However, Kane wasn't as willing to relent. He pursed his lips into a thin line, the alcohol in his system making it difficult for him to remain polite. He met Crow's gaze unwaveringly, clearly annoyed by the viceroy's interference.

"You know..." the nobleman paused before looking back to Penelope. "I see no reason why you couldn't do both. We can step outside for a moment and then you could get some water when we return."

"But it is cold outside." Penelope reminded, leaning slightly closer to Crow as she looked up at Kane. "I don' need to sober up that badly."

"Yah it's too early to be gettin' sober." Naida grinned.

Kane frowned as he was outnumbered. Seeming to realize he wouldn't be getting Penelope to go with him, he let out a small sigh and nodded his head. "Alright well.. I'll be back in a moment then." he said as something else seemed to catch his eye. He turned and began to make his way towards the door. Penelope gave a small wave goodbye before turning back to the remaining two at the table. The knight stretched her back out slightly and then, without second thought, casually leaned into Crow's side, making herself comfortable as she pressed into him. It didn't seem like a big deal to her, which was why Penelope gave a confused expression as she noticed Naida staring at them, practically grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Penelope asked, unable to draw up any reason for her friend to be giving her such a look.

"Nothin' you just seeemmms like you're real cozy, Penelope." Naida snickered excitedly.

Penelope tilted her head with innocent confusion and when Naida nodded to Crow in response, the knight turned her head to look up at him for an answer instead.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow held Kane’s gaze unwaveringly as the nobleman stared him down. He didn’t care if the rival picked up on his closeness to Penelope or not. Naida was the one at the top of the list of people who might let it slip to their father that he and the knight were together, and he was clearheaded enough to give her a believable excuse if Kane decided to cause a scene. On the contrary, the only thing the other man could do was send him bitter looks and gossip among the lower class nobles, which the viceroy doubted he would do anyway since he was trying to win Penelope over. Spreading word that there was something going on between her and a former criminal was the fastest way for him to lose the chance he thought he still had.

To his relief, Kane backed down without much of a fight. Crow followed him with his eyes as he headed for the door, waiting until the other man was out of sight before he turned back to the others. He was eager to spend a few minutes alone with the knight and his sister, but before he could strike up a conversation, he blinked as he felt the former suddenly lean heavily into his side. Glancing down at her, he pressed an open palm on the other side of the bench to brace himself. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one who was getting tired that night.

Unfortunately, Naida noticed her friend’s slightly too comfortable gesture as well. He looked up to find that the princess was beaming at them excitedly, seeming to believe that her matchmaking skills were finally paying off. He swore silently to himself. The last thing they needed was for his loose-lipped sister to go running off and prematurely tell the whole kingdom that they were together. If Albin was still leaning toward mandating that he couldn’t court anyone, the viceroy would lose the opportunity to convince him otherwise. He preferred to be proactive rather than reactive when trying to get what he wanted.

“Knock it off, Cupid,” he rolled his eyes, attempting to keep up a nonchalant demeanor in front of the princess. Beyond her line of sight, however, he smoothly slipped his arm around the small of Penelope’s back to hold her close and help steady her if she was unbalanced. “You’re the one who made her drink so much that she can’t even sit up straight.”

“Interesting that she chose t’lean on you though,” Naida insisted with a victorious grin. “I wonder why…”

“Because I’m more comfortable than a wooden table, obviously,” Crow winked at her jokingly.

“Looks like Penelope thinks so,” his sister agreed, missing the sarcasm behind his words. She turned back to her friend with a mischievous expression. “You two ‘re real cute, you know that?”

[BuzzingBee]

Unfortunately Crow didn't offer much of an answer as he instead addressed Naida. Although she felt him wrap an arm around her to hold her so that contented the knight enough to merely listen as the two conversed. That is until Naida turned back to her. At her friend's words, Penelope smiled, completely missing the mischievousness that was in Naida's expression. Thanks to the alcohol, she found Naida's words to actually be quite nice. Especially when most people were trying to separate them rather than push them together.

"Thanks." Penelope giggled without second thought. "'m glad you 'hink so."

Naida seemed mildly surprised that Penelope agreed so easily. She shot a victorious grin at Crow, as if she had finally cracked the code. "See! You two 're perfect together!" she exclaimed gleefully. "Right, Penelope?"

Penelope parted her lips to answer but hesitated. While her first reply would have been yes, the successful expression on Naida's face made her think that wasn't what she was supposed to say. The knight certainly thought that she and Crow were a good team but she suddenly couldn't admit that to Naida. While the reasoning for denying such a thing was foggy, she knew she wasn't supposed to say such a thing. The knight shifted uncomfortably.

"Well... no." Penelope said with a small shake of her head. She turned to Crow to try and mouth a subtle 'sorry', hoping that he knew why she had to disagree.

Naida's grin died down into a disappointed frown. Clearly she had been expecting a yes. "Whaaaat? Why?" The princess pouted.

"Er, Uh." Penelope stuttered, fumbling to come up with a reasoning behind dismissing the idea of her and Crow. Between the alcohol that clouded her mind and her genuine affection for the former thief, it was difficult to come up with anything, be it a lie or true. However, she managed to make something up. "He's juss not my type." she finally declared with a shrug.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow rolled his eyes when Naida misunderstood what he’d been trying to say to her. It seemed like alcohol just made her even more persistent than she already was before. Part of him appreciated her unwavering support for them to be together, since there were few others in their lives that approved of their unorthodox relationship, but until he could have a civil conversation with his father about it, he had to keep her in the dark. He was sure she would understand when they eventually explained it to her.

However, before he could steer the princess off course again, he turned to Penelope in surprise as she thanked his sister for the compliment. Apparently she was drunk enough to forget that they were trying to keep a secret after all. Even Naida seemed taken aback by her friend’s giggly response, but, fortunately, the knight managed to make a clumsy recovery at the follow-up question.

“Oh,” Naida pouted when Penelope said he wasn’t her type.

“Can’t help that,” Crow shrugged, jumping on board with the excuse since his sister seemed to buy it. Subtly, he rubbed Penelope’s back with his hand to assure her that he hadn’t taken any offense to the feeble lie.

“Wait a minute,” Naida furrowed her brows, and the viceroy tensed. She was quiet for a moment before her eyes lit up with renewed excitement. “That’s not true! You couldn’ take your eyes off ‘im at the party last night. He’s totally your type.” She grinned across the table, seeming to think she’d won.

Crow sighed. “Does it matter?” he pointed out tiredly. “She obviously has some reason why she wouldn’t want me to court her even if I was interested. She probably just doesn’t want to offend me, so we should let it go.”

“I don’ think so,” the princess’s impish expression returned again. “I think she just hasn’t given you a chance. I’ve got an idea!” Leaning forward, she tipped one of her empty mugs onto its side. “Le’s play spin the bottle! I bet P’nelope’ll change ‘er mind if you kiss ‘er.”

“That’s a terrible idea,” Crow wrinkled his nose. He glanced over his shoulder briefly and lowered his voice. “You’re my sister, moron. What are you going to do if it’s your turn to spin, and it lands on me?”

Naida blanched, as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her. “You’re right,” She squirmed in her seat, looking around the tavern before she went on tentatively, “What if we invited more people t’ play with us? Then it’s not as likely t’ happen…”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope relaxed as Naida seemed to buy her words and she felt Crow rub her back. The motion put her at ease, making her feel like she had taken the right course of action. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last as Naida called her out on her bluff. The knight blinked and shifted uncertainty in her seat, trying to come up with another way to make Naida let go of the subject. Luckily she didn't have to as Crow piped in to try and get his sister to let it go. However, Naida wasn't going down without a fight.

The knight wrinkled her nose as her friend suggested a game of spin the bottle. Not only was there the flaw of the two siblings playing it but the knight didn't exactly want to have to kiss anyone else or see Crow do it for that matter. It offhandedly caused her to be reminded of the incident with Cedric the previous night. While the situations were far different, it made her even more opposed to playing the game. "'s a really bad idea." she agreed with Crow, shaking her head.

"'t'll be fine if we get more people t'play." Naida assured with a dismissive wave as she began to look around the other tables for players.

Penelope shot her friend an annoyed look. "Oh screw't." she huffed. Without a second of pause, the knight gave the viceroy's shirt a small tug to get him to turn to her and once he had, she leaned up to press her lips against his. The knight closed her eyes as she leaned into the kiss. Though she had only done it as a way to get out of playing Naida's game, she couldn't help but get a little distracted along the way. However, she soon realized that she should end it and pulled away from the viceroy to meet Naida's gaze evenly.

"See, nothin'." Penelope stated as she used the back of her hand to wipe off her lips, trying to calm her now racing heart.

[Rogue Sloth]

As Naida fumbled to come up with a solution to the problem he’d pointed out to her, Crow shook his head exasperatedly. There was nothing she could say to convince him to join in her game, and it sounded like Penelope wasn’t enthusiastic about it either, even drunk. He lifted his mug to take another sip of his drink. He hoped the princess would give up soon, so they could move on and talk about something more enjoyable. Constantly fending off her accusations was getting exhausting.

He had just gotten distracted by a group of knights that had broken out into laughter at another table when Penelope suddenly let out an annoyed huff. Caught off guard by her reaction to Naida’s prodding, Crow turned to her in astonishment as she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a somewhat forceful kiss. At first, he froze stiffly, eyes wide with shock that she would lock lips with him so passionately in front of his sister. But even though he was sober enough to know it was a bad idea, he couldn’t help returning the kiss after his initial surprise faded. They had been together long enough that it was too easy to fall into a natural rhythm with her.

His eyelids drifted closed, and he reached across her lap to rest his free hand on her waist. Her lips felt soft against his, and he could taste the sweetness of the cider that still lingered on her tongue. For a moment, he forgot about their audience and lost himself in the feeling of her mouth moving against his. That is, until he felt the knight pull back to address Naida again.

The viceroy averted his gaze, pressing his lips together as he tried to will away the ruddy warmth that had crept over his face. He was embarrassed that he’d caved to his desire so easily, but more so than that, he’d found Penelope’s spontaneity thrilling in a way that made his heart hammer in his chest. He hoped his sister was too drunk to notice, but somehow, he was sure a detail like that wouldn’t slip past her after what had just happened.

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Naida exclaimed with an incredulous grin when Penelope tried to play off the kiss. “That was hot. I’ve nev’r seen anyone kiss a friend like that. I think you fancy him.” Her triumphant gaze shifted to her brother’s colored face. “And I think he fancies you too.”

[BuzzingBee]

Her plan didn't work out as well as she was hoping it would. She thought she could kill two birds with one stone by kissing Crow to get out of playing spin the bottle as well as getting Naida off their case. Not to mention she was quite the terrible liar while drunk, the only thing working in her favor was that Naida was just as drunk. However, that didn't help stop the princess from noticing the passion in their kiss. She glanced up at Crow, following Naida's gaze as she claimed to think he fancied her as well. Penelope blinked as she noticed the color in his expression after the kiss. It was never her intention to make him flush like he did but she couldn't help but feel a swell of affection as well as a bit of smugness knowing she had such an effect on him.

"'m just a good kisser." Penelope argued waving her hand at Naida's grinning face. "'hat has nothin' to do with anyone fancying anyone."

Naida rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I don't buy't."

"It's true, yar just stubborn." Penelope said making a face at her friend.

Little did the knight realize she was digging her own grave. Naida huffed and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. Her gaze shifted onto something and a devious spark lit up in her gaze. Turning back to Penelope, a slow grin spread across her lips again. "Well 'f you're sooo talented, how 'bout you kiss Kane too t'prove it." Naida challenged, with a nod towards the nobleman who was making his way back to the table.

Penelope blinked and followed her friend's gaze over the other man, feeling her heart sink. It'd be tough to get out of this situation without confirming that she did fancy the viceroy. She scrambled to try and think of an excuse, anything that would get her out of having to kiss someone other than Crow. Unfortunately nothing came to mind right away and the silence was noted by the princess.

"Can't do it when ya fancy someone else, huh?" Naida teased with a wide grin.

"No. I can 'n I will!" Penelope declared, despite a hint of uncertainty seeping into her gaze. She shifted uncomfortably next to Crow and moved to slide her hand onto his leg underneath the table, silently hoping he'd get them out of this mess. "He's just gotta get to the table firs'." she mumbled, lowering her gaze slightly.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow grimaced when Naida called him out for the way he’d been acting since Penelope had kissed him too. He would have liked to be able to meet her lips so passionately and then pretend like nothing had happened, but the fact of the matter was, he couldn’t turn his feelings for her on and off like a spigot. They’d managed to have a little more time together than usual since the party, but it was still far from enough to satisfy the longing he had to be close to her. The unexpected kiss just now had felt like a cold drink of water after a drought. He couldn’t hide the excitement he’d felt upon receiving it.

To make the situation worse, his sister chose that moment to declare the worst challenge for her friend that she could have come up with. The viceroy tensed involuntarily, taking a slow breath to stop the look of dismay that threatened to take over his features as she told the knight to kiss Kane. After everything that had happened the night before, the last thing he wanted was to watch the woman he loved be pressured into a romantic dalliance with another man. The defeated expression he’d seen on her face after Cedric had forced himself on her was ingrained vividly in his mind. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing it again.

Feeling Penelope’s hand slip into his lap beneath the table, Crow glanced down at her with a frown. The uncertainty in her eyes had gone unnoticed by his drunken sister, but he caught sight of it right away. The princess had gone too far this time. “Naida, enough,” he snapped in a low tone, shooting her a warning scowl. He didn’t care how she interpreted his sudden change of mood as long as she stopped pushing Penelope to kiss the other nobleman.

The princess gawked at him confusedly. “Why? It’s just a li’l fun. We’ve all been drinkin’. He’ll know it didn’ mean any—”

“I’m serious,” he interrupted sternly, reaching underneath the table to lace his fingers with Penelope’s in a comforting gesture. “That’s enough. Leave her alone.”

Naida shrank down in her seat, but she seemed to get the message as she nodded a wordless agreement.

A tense silence fell over the group until Kane slid in next to Penelope again. The nobleman looked over them with a bemused expression, unsure what was going on since he’d been gone. “So,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, turning to the knight. “Did I miss anything?”

“Not much,” Naida mumbled across from him, dismally toying with her empty mug. “Collin and Penelope, just kissed, tha’s all…”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked over at Crow as he spoke up to put an end to Naida's challenge. Despite feeling slightly guilty for being the cause of the issue, she relaxed as he was able to get her out of it. Underneath the table, she gave his hand an affectionate squeeze. She felt a bit unsettled as a tense silence fell over the group and she leaned one elbow against the table, deciding it best not to lean into Crow anymore. As Kane rejoined them, she looked over at the nobleman as he seemed confused by the tense scene he had returned to. However as Naida answered his question, the knight noticed Kane clench a fist at his side despite keeping a fairly calm expression.

"Oh?" he questioned with a hint of suspicion. Kane turned his gaze to look down at Penelope. "I'm sorry, perhaps I misunderstood.. Are you courting him?"

Penelope hesitated before shaking her head. "No we're not."

"They just felt like it I guess." Naida mused, eying her nails if they had suddenly became interesting.

"Ah." Kane muttered as he lifted his new drink to his lips. He took a long sip from it before heavily placing it down. Penelope watched as the nobleman made eye contact with someone and gave a subtle gesture with his head for them to come over. The motion was rather quick that she nearly hadn't caught it. She might have even dismissed it if one table of knights hadn't rose right after. For a brief moment, panic flooded her, thinking that they were after Crow, until she realized they would have no reason to go after him now that he was a viceroy... Right?

"I think perhaps we should all call it a night." Kane announced, shooting the two women a polite smile. However as his gaze drifted onto Crow, he met the other man's gaze with narrowed eyes. "I asked a few knights to help out in making sure we all get home safely. It's a long walk back after all." he gave a smirk to the viceroy, clearly thinking he had outsmarted him. "I assume that won't be an issue, right?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Kane’s tension didn’t slip past Crow’s watchful gaze for a second. The viceroy eyed him discreetly when Naida carelessly announced that he and Penelope had kissed during the nobleman’s absence. His frustration wasn’t unexpected though. Crow had already guessed that Papert had competing with him for the knight’s affections since he’d shown up at their table. The other man probably thought that he’d just lost out on a chance to be the one to kiss her instead.

Too bad, he thought scathingly, lifting his mug to his lips to finish off the rest of his drink. It would be a relief when he and Penelope could finally come forward about their relationship and stop pretending like they were nothing more than friends. He was reaching the end of his rope with all the nobles who had been trying to court both of them. Hopefully once everyone knew they were together, the flirting strangers would come to an end. And even if they didn’t, at least he would have a pass to do something about it instead of sit back and pretend like it didn’t bother him when other men flattered his woman.

In the next instant, Crow was torn from his musings when Kane signaled to a group of knights to approach their table. The former thief felt his heart beat faster with adrenaline, his eyes locked on the armored men that now strode toward him and the others. He had been prepared to handle his drunken companions get back to the castle, but if they were ambushed now, he couldn’t fight them all off by himself. He was still an amateur combatant at best, and he’d stopped carrying his daggers ever since Preston had told him about the nobleman who had snapped and killed a guard. Not trusting any of the people who were surrounding them now, he turned on Kane with an unbridled glare.

“It’s unnecessary,” he growled, warily keeping the knights in the corner of his eye as he hurried to come up with an escape plan. If they were here to pick a fight, he would either go down swinging or do everything in his power to get himself and the two inebriated noblewomen to safety.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Kane kept up his polite attitude, although the lighthearted tone didn’t match the unfriendly look on his face.

“I don’t care,” Crow said stubbornly. “I don’t know them; I don’t trust them. We’ll be just fine on our own, so you can call off your dogs.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope furrowed her brow at Kane as he announced he had asked the knight's for an escort back to the castle. It didn't make sense to her. She may have been drunk but she still felt like the group was capable enough to make it back on their own, especially since Crow was sober and Kane didn't seem nearly as affected by the alcohol as the two women. Her focus shifted over to Crow as the former thief voiced his protest to the escort. She hadn't thought to protest it herself until the viceroy spoke up. His anger over the situation made her recall the group of drunken knights that had been glaring at him when they first entered. While she didn't think they were the same ones, it was likely they shared a similar disdain for the former thief.

"Yah we'll probably be 'ine." Penelope spoke up in support of Crow.

Her words fell on deaf ears though. "If you have an issue with them, then perhaps you should just take a separate leave." Kane suggested. Though his voice remained polite there was a hit of warning in his tone. One that didn't slip past the female knight.

Penelope gave the nobleman a confused look before narrowing her eyes at him. "Why should he?" she questioned.

His gaze flickered to the knight and he frowned worriedly at her. Kane parted his lips, about to answer but didn't get the chance to as the knights arrived. The small group of three came to a halt at the end of the table, dipping their heads respectfully to Naida and ignoring the viceroy. The three were clearly a bit tipsy from the alcohol they consumed, making their true emotions shine through. The least drunk of them stepped forward to address the group. "If you're already to leave, we can begin our walk back to the castle." he grunted.

"Already?" Naida pouted.

"You can 'hank the 'viceroy' fer that." growled the more intoxicated of the three. He shot a hateful glare at Crow. "Shoulda figured ya throw one woman outta your room 'n on to the next, huh?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow glanced fleetingly at Penelope when she tried to offer her support before his eyes fixed on Kane again. He didn’t know what the nobleman was up to, but he knew he didn’t like it. Outnumbered four to three—or really, four to one, since both of the women were drunk—he fell instantly into old habits, pinpointing his exits and keeping his potential enemies in sight at all times. That he was sober meant he had a slight edge over the group of knights, but it wasn’t enough to make him feel very confident about his odds. The men might have been drunk, but they wore armor and had weapons at their belts. In close quarters, the lone viceroy was highly disadvantaged if a fight broke out.

He had to wonder what they thought they were doing though. Even if they had personal grudges against him, he had still been chosen by their king and given the title of ambassador. He despised the thought of running to Albin to solve his problems for him, but if his father found out that some of his own knights had attacked him, well… He’d already heard the threat of his adversaries being drawn and quartered once before.

As Kane suggested he could leave separately, Crow bristled. If the nobleman was just trying to pull him away from Penelope, he was going to excessive measures to do so. There had been no need for him to get his bodyguards involved. It was a cowardly trick, in the former thief’s opinion. Even past rivals like Gavin and Cedric hadn’t resorted to anything this low. He was tempted to challenge the blonde to fight him one-on-one if he was so eager to assert his power. However, he had enough of a rein on his temper to quell his tongue.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath while Naida and Penelope expressed their hesitation with the plan as well. As much as he disliked the thought of being “escorted” by so many knights, he would never leave the lieutenant alone with a man like Kane. Whatever his reason was for trying to separate them, it couldn’t have been good.

Then, the drunken knight spoke up. Crow’s last thread of composure threatened to snap as the man ridiculed him about the night Elizabeth had tried to seduce him in his bedchamber. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he snarled, rising to his full height from the bench and stepping toward the other man. At his approach, the guard tensed and rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” the viceroy went on, incensed by the accusation. He turned his cold eyes on Kane. “These two are close friends of mine, and I’m going to walk them back alone, like we originally planned. If you don’t like it, then you can take it up with someone who cares.”

[BuzzingBee]

This time Penelope bristled as well. She may have been drunk but not enough for her to completely forget about Elizabeth and her dirty trick. The female knight glared at the other knights, mainly focusing on the drunk that seemed to have his glare zeroed in on Crow. She had come to understand the truth of what had happened but it still left a bitter taste in mouth to see others not only fall for the lie but use it as an insult against Crow. She didn't get the chance to protest as Crow stood up instead, clearly enraged by the accusation.

Kane met the viceroy's gaze and tilted his chin up defiantly. "No one is going anywhere alone." he stated calmly. "Although I believe we should all keep a level head—"

"Especially with you!" spat the drunken knight as he gripped the hilt of his sword. Kane's last words didn't seem to register with the intoxicated man and if they had with the other two knights, they ignored them. Instead, the two just remain tensely watching Crow, clearly preparing to back up their comrade if a fight broke out but also making no move to defuse the situation.

The whole scene made Penelope clench her jaw furiously. The adrenaline of a possible fight breaking out cleared the knight's head a bit, enough for her to realize the other two knights were likely looking to use their drunk comrade's taunting as an excuse to go after Crow. It was low and made the knight tense as she looked between the group. Feeling the need to intervene, she slowly began to rise to her feet, albeit a bit unsteady due to the alcohol in her system.

"Oh we know what your 'plan' is." one of the other knight's growled accusingly.

The drunken knight sneered at Crow and lowered his voice as he added, "A rat's still a rat even if you give it a bath. Once a criminal, always a crimin—"

Unfortunately for him, he didn't get to finish the statement. Stumbling in between the knight and Crow, Penelope punched the man squarely in the jaw. Due to both the alcohol and the force behind her hit, she managed to knock him to the ground. She nearly followed after him but managed to stop herself by reaching out to grip onto Crow for balance. Straightening recomposing herself, she stood up straighter, despite swaying slightly, and eyed the remaining three challengingly. "'an we go peaceful now? We don' need any of you." she growled but then paused as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, suddenly feeling a bit ill. "Oh gods I moved 'oo fast." she muttered in a muffled groan.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow ground his teeth as Kane insisted that no one would be leaving with him alone. In that moment, he finally realized that the noble and his henchmen weren’t trying to separate him from Penelope so that the blonde could flirt with her, but rather because they thought he would take advantage of her while she was intoxicated. He couldn’t believe they had the audacity to accuse him of such a thing, even if they never expressed it directly. He had been known for thievery when he’d been a peasant, nothing more and nothing less. The men before him now had no grounds to assume he would sink so low as to get a woman drunk just to use her for his own selfish gain.

He clenched his fists at his sides, seething with thinly bridled rage. Like the three knights, Kane’s reminder that they should all keep level heads went in one ear and out the other for the viceroy. He knew he was at a disadvantage in numbers, skill and resources if a fight broke out, but as the noblemen continued to taunt him, he no longer cared about the odds. Not when they were berating him for a quality he had never possessed in his entire life. Even when he’d slept around in the outer villages, he had not once forced a woman into bed with him against her will. He had been a criminal, but no one who had known him well would have said he was a bad man. Luring away an inebriated woman was beneath him.

As the drunkest of the knights got close enough that Crow could smell the reek of ale on his breath, he narrowed his eyes furiously and tensed to throw a punch. All reason had flown out the window when his honor as a decent human being had been slandered to his face. However, before he could even cock back an arm, he stared in astonishment as Penelope lunged first. Though unstable, she succeeded in landing a blow to the knight’s jaw that sent him crashing to the ground. In the next instant, the viceroy staggered as she latched onto him to keep from collapsing as well.

He gripped her sturdily and planted his feet until she regained her balance, studying her with a mixture of fondness and admiration. He hadn’t expected her to be able to knock a man over when she’d had so much to drink. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as outnumbered as he’d thought.

Promptly, she seemed to feel sick from the rapid motion, and Crow paled. “Wait, wait,” he pressed a hand to her back to usher her quickly toward the door. “Hold on. Don’t throw up until we’re outside.”

“The rest of ye had better go with them,” a new voice barked angrily. Crow glanced over his shoulder to see that a short man with a bushy, well-groomed beard had stormed over to them and now stood with his hands on his round hips. “Troublemakers, all of ye!” he waved his hands in a shooing fashion. “Get out, get out! I won’t stand for ye ruining the atmosphere of my tavern with yer squabbling. This is a classy place.”

“I guess that’s our cue,” Naida groaned, climbing reluctantly to her feet and shuffling toward the exit after the lieutenant and viceroy. Kane and the knights walked with her, the former moving with haste in his attempt to catch up with Penelope.

Outside the building, Crow led the knight to the closest snowbank, watching her concernedly and rubbing her shoulders with one hand. “Are you still feeling ill, love?” he asked gently, all animosity toward the other noblemen momentarily forgotten as he focused on making sure she was okay.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope swallowed hard as she held back from throwing up right then and there. The swift movements had made her feel nearly dizzy and with that came a very upset stomach. She followed Crow as he ushered her to the front door. The knight barely registered that the whole lot of them were getting kicked out as she hurriedly stepped outside. Once they reached the closest snowbank, she doubled over and released what she had been holding back. Luckily it was only a small bit.

"'m alright." she answered Crow, panting slightly as she recovered. The knight wiped her mouth, suddenly wishing she had some water to rinse it out with. She took in a deep breath and pressed into his side, trying to regain her bearings as well as finding comfort in his touch. Penelope looked up at him and gave a smirk. "I'm just glad I was able to deck that guy." she admitted with a wink.

"I'm sorry that they got out of hand like that." The voice of Kane interrupted their moment together. Penelope looked over her shoulder to see that the nobleman had stepped over to them with an apologetic expression. "I swear I was just trying to make sure you and the princess made it back safely. I didn't mean for a scene to break out."

Penelope looked over at him and wrinkled her nose as it finally clicked to her what the noble was insinuating about Crow. "Oh dear gods that's what this is all 'bout?" she snorted. "Listen, I appreciate the concern but you've got terrible judgment." The knight shook her head and tensed as she noticed the knights that were still hanging around, clearly planning on still escorting the group. The one she had knocked down was now including her in his glaring. "I think you and your friends there should go ahead of us." she suggested warningly.

"You dumb bit—" the drunk one began to growl.

"I don' want to have to knock someone on their ass." Penelope growled, her gaze shifting onto the other knight despite speaking with Kane.

Kane hesitated but nodded his head and silently turned to step away, motioning for the other knights to follow him. The first two did but of course, the drunk wanted to have the last word. "'ine with me! Let 'em ruin your name. I'm sure there's not much left of it anyways!" he growled.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Penelope answered his question by doubling over, Crow startled and fumbled to hold her long hair back as her stomach purged itself of the alcohol that had made her ill. At least she seemed to be feeling slightly better when it was over. He pressed a swift kiss to her cheek once she stood up straight again and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, laughing softly at how proud she was about punching the knight who’d gotten in his face. “I’m impressed you sent him to the floor like this,” he admitted with an incredulous shake of his head. “You’re frightening even when you’re drunk.”

At the sound of Kane’s voice behind them, the viceroy tensed reflexively. He peered back over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes, staying close to Penelope. The nobleman may have been apologetic now, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d assumed he was trying to take advantage of her when there had been no evidence. He was still simmering over how quickly the other men had jumped to such terrible conclusions about him, just because he had been a thief before he had been brought in by the king.

While Penelope corrected Kane about the situation, herself, Crow glanced back at the tavern with a slight shiver. In his rush to confront the spiteful knight and then hurry the lieutenant out of the building, he’d left his cloak at the table. He wondered idly if the tavern keeper would let him come back inside long enough to collect it before they left. He was only somewhat chilly now, but the longer he stayed out in the cold, the harder it would be to bear the icy winds. They had a long walk back to the castle that night, and the snowstorm didn’t look like it would be letting up anytime soon. He would have rather bundled up in thick fabric than arrive at the palace turning blue.

He turned back to the others as the three knights approached, watching them hostilely. To his relief, Kane was finally backing down about protecting Penelope from her big bad “predator,” and for a moment it seemed like they would be parting ways, as Crow had been wanting to do from the start. But, of course, it was too good to be true.

The viceroy felt a flash of anger as the same knight who had taunted him turned his dagger tongue on the lieutenant. She didn’t deserve to be treated that way by a fool who knew nothing about her. He wouldn’t stand to listen to the man ridicule her either.

“Bastard!” he snapped, pulling away from her side to call after the knight. “She’s done more for this kingdom than any of you ever will!” With a scoff that left his lips in a vapor as cold as his voice, he turned away from the group of nobles to press close to Penelope again, using her touch both to calm him and to keep warm as a frigid breeze blew through the street. By now, he couldn’t stop trembling in the cold and gooseflesh had risen on his skin.

“What the hell was that all about?” Naida crossed her arms, watching Kane and his posse walk off with a frown.

Crow ignored her question. “I left my cloak inside,” he murmured to Penelope, taking a small step away from her. “I’ll be right back.” Wasting no more time in the snow, he turned and jogged back to the tavern to retrieve it, leaving the two noblewomen alone while he braved the wrath of the tavern keeper.

[BuzzingBee]

It seemed her punch had made her a new target as the drunk knight. While his words did spark a flare of anger, Penelope intended to hold her tongue. There was no sense in letting the other knight know just how wrong he was. Though she had made up her mind to simply ignore him, she was mildly surprised as Crow suddenly moved forward to ridicule the man on her behalf. As he stepped back over to her, she subtly touched her hand hand to his arm, frowning slightly as she noticed how cold he felt.

Her gaze moved over to Naida as the princess spoke up. Everything had escalated rather quickly and it seemed that her friend hadn't been able to keep up with everything. As Crow ignored her and instead went to collect his cloak, Penelope gave a small nod before awkwardly shifting her gaze onto her friend who had now turned to look to them, clearly still waiting for answer. After a near fight and puking into the snowbank, it was safe to say that the female knight wasn't as drunk as she had been prior. With a slightly clearer head, she shifted uncomfortably.

"Kane thought Collin was trying to take advantage of us." Penelope finally spoke up with a sigh.

"What!" Naida gaped at her. "Why in t'hell would he think that!"

Penelope shrugged her shoulders. "I guess he was judging him because he was a criminal before." the knight gave a small snort at the thought and crossed her arms over her chest. "Regardless that's why he brought those knights over. And that one drunk asshole was looking to start a fight with Crow so I punched him."

Naida grinned at her friend. "I see..." she mused with a suggestive tone. "Had to jump t'his defense huh?"

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Yeah, as I would for any friend... Although I admit it probably wasn't the best way to go about it.." she sighed and eyed Naida. "You're still not giving that up are you?"

"Nope! You two 'r perfect for each other!" Naida chirped, clapping her hands together. "You can't tell me that kiss meant nothing!"

The knight shook her head and parted her lips to say something more but decided against it. Instead she let a small silence fall between her and her friend as she turned to watch for Crow exiting the tavern. She hoped the owner hadn't given him too much trouble.