“Really?” Crow raised an inquisitive brow. “Maybe I’ll have to sneak into one of these banquets and try the food for myself. Although, I’m not sure I’d be a very convincing nobleman.” He shook his head at the ridiculous thought. “It would be difficult to pretend to be interested in all of the pomp and castle gossip for an entire evening. I don’t know how you’ve managed to do it for so many years.”

He popped another bite of venison into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Even if nobles enjoyed seasoned food and cushioned homes, he preferred his simple life as a peasant. It was harder, yes, but it wasn’t bad. The outer villages were full of hardworking, honest people who helped each other when life got difficult. He couldn’t count the number of times people like Evelyn had given him refuge from the knights on the border—and he wasn’t even an upstanding member of the community. Their kindness was invaluable to him, and he wouldn’t exchange that for all the food in the world.

Crow looked up again as Penelope went on to talk about the pettiness of the nobles she had encountered. “If they’re so easily offended, then why bother?” he shrugged. “If I were you, I wouldn’t go out of my way to please such narrow-minded fools. There’s no point in giving them what they want if they’re never going to accept you for who you really are. You’ll just end up going ‘round in circles kissing their rings while they keep you from reaching your own potential.” He swallowed another bite of food from his second plate and turned to meet her gaze. “It’s much simpler to just end the whole mess and stop caring what they think.”