Crow’s heart fluttered with excitement as Penelope said she was looking forward to seeing the outer villages. A small wave of relief washed over him, and in that moment, he realized that he had been nervous to speak to her about his plans because he hadn’t been sure if she would be find his description of the outer villages appealing. After all, she had grown up around wealth and prestige. He found his home charming in its own humble way, but it was hard to compete with the golden manors of the inner kingdom. He was glad she was looking forward to going to Farhill with him in spite of the luxurious environment she had grown up around.

“You’re going to love it,” he promised, turning a bit more in the saddle to return her kiss and grinning eagerly. “I’ll show you my favorite places by the lake. I found a few especially beautiful ones that I don’t think anyone else in Farhill knows about.” He could feel his excitement bubbling up at the thought of sharing his world with her, and he forced himself to reign back the sudden burst of emotions. With William riding only a short distance away from them, he didn’t want to give away their plans and give the older knight a reason to keep a close eye on them again. So, even though he was more than happy to talk about the outer villages with Penelope, he went on to change the subject.

“I think I’ve spoken enough about myself,” Crow leaned back against Penelope and rested his head against her collarbone, smiling up at her playfully. “Why don’t you tell me more about life in the inner kingdom? I don’t know much aside from the few things that have been told to me, and some of the details I’ve overheard from knights.”

While he wasn’t overly fascinated by noble life in general—from what he knew already, it seemed dull—he did want to learn more about the background Penelope was coming from. He wanted to know what her childhood had been like, what interested her, what she did for fun, and other such things. In learning more about her, he hoped to be able to better meet her needs when she came to join him in the outer villages.