Crow’s mouth felt dry as he stared down at the grass. His heart fluttered nervously in his chest. Part of him wished he had kept his concerns to himself, but he knew he had done the right thing in bringing them up to Penelope. It would have been selfish of him to make her feel like she had to stay for his sake, even though the mere thought of her leaving made him feel like he was being torn in two. He needed to let her know she could still change her mind if it was all too much for her.

As much as he tried to act calm about the situation, he squeezed her hand tightly when she laced her fingers with his. The silence between them was torturous. He wanted her to give him an answer, but he also dreaded hearing her say that she couldn’t give up her life for him. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain of waiting for her response.

When she finally spoke again, he felt his stomach drop. It sounded like she was going to take the out after all. [i]I shouldn’t be so surprised,[/i] he winced. [i]I’m asking her to give up more than anyone ever should. She has a good life as a knight, and she’s beautiful. It won’t take long for another man to court her if she decides to settle down… I have no right to take those things away from her.[/i] He loosened his grip on her hand, readying himself to let go if she said she wanted to go back to just being friends.

After working up the nerve to accept that Penelope was going to leave him, her final words came as a shock. He turned to her, wide eyed, as she said that she was going to choose him over her family and her life as a noblewoman. A wave of relief washed over him. She wasn’t ending things after all. Part of him still worried she might change her mind as she thought more about what she would be giving up, but he pushed the doubts aside. She still wanted to be with him, and for now, that was good enough.

In a burst of passion, Crow leaned in and pressed a long kiss to Penelope’s lips, holding her hand to his chest. Afterwards, he pulled back and grinned, “Gods, I love you, Penelope. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” He shook his head and ran his thumb gently over the back of her hand. “Of course I’ll have you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’ve given my life a purpose, which is to make you happy for as long as you’ll allow me.” He kissed her again. “I may not be able to give you status or money or security, but I promise I’ll love you as long as there’s still breath in my lungs.”