“I might be your captive, but that doesn’t mean I have to help you,” Crow pointed out as the man began unchaining him from the knights. “The type of work I perform would happen mostly out of your sight anyways, so you’ll have to give me a reason not to bail out. Make sense?” He bit his tongue to keep from smiling when the man curled his lip at him. So far, his impromptu plan was going perfectly. In one move, he just made himself the most valuable captive and increased his chances of getting away from the rebel camp. All he had to do now was keep the blonde woman interested in his proposition so he could think of a way to free the others. The game was in motion.

Crow rose to his feet and followed the two rebels into their tent. Inside, there were no furnishings except for a mat on the floor and a pile of folded blankets off to one side. A single lantern was lit in the center of the small space. The blonde woman sat down on one end of the mat and gestured for the thief to do the same across from her. The man who had been accompanying her stood watch by the entryway, folding his arms over his chest and glaring hostilely at their captive as if he expected him to try and run away.

“So,” the woman said. “Convince me. Why should I trust you to help us?”

“I hate the king,” Crow answered honestly. “He has no respect for anyone who doesn’t hold a noble status in his kingdom, and he takes money from those who desperately need it just so he can add to his own vast wealth. Now, his greed has taken over him to the point where one kingdom isn’t enough. He wants to rule over both Brerra and Younis so he can be even richer, while the majority of his people are starving in order to pay his taxes.” The thief rolled his wrists, which rubbed uncomfortably against the rope that bound them. As he went on, he slipped a little further away from the truth and began throwing in some lies, “On a more personal note, he had me locked up in prison for an entire year of my life. I want revenge, and if that means helping some rebels then that’s what I’ll do.”

The noblewoman nodded, her lips pursed in thought, “What help can you offer us?”

“I was arrested because I tried to steal the king’s crown,” Crow explained. “I made a few critical mistakes that night, but they had nothing to do with my competence as a thief. I know the layout of the palace, how the guards are rotated, which corridors are patrolled the most, and more. With my help, you can get to the king without alerting any of the knights in the castle.”

“Hm, that does sound tempting,” the woman smirked. “But what do you want in return? I hope you’re not expecting us to crown you as the next king.”

“No, no,” Crow shook his head. “I don’t want anything like that. All I ask for is a tenth of the wealth in the king’s vault, and…” he paused, looking slightly uncomfortable. “And I want you to tend to the female knight’s wound.”

“Oh?” the noblewoman raised a brow at him. “Does our thief have feelings for a knight?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Crow said defensively. He studied the blonde’s face. It seemed like she was buying his entire act, from his supposed thirst for revenge to his feelings for Penelope. If things kept up like this, he would be able to win her trust and the knight wouldn’t be too weak to come with him when he made his escape.

Crow held out his hand, “So, do we have a deal?”