Crow lightly bit his lip as he felt Penelope shift against him, momentarily worried that she would deny his suggestion to leave the battlefront early. He was well aware of how determined she was to see the war through to the end, so he knew it was asking a lot to request that she run away with him before it was over. Even though he knew there was still plenty for her to do with him from the sidelines, she had far more influence as a lieutenant than she would as a peasant. It couldn’t be easy for her to give that power up.

However, his fears were quickly laid to rest when she said that she would leave with him if they had to. Letting out his breath in relief, the thief leaned his cheek into her hand and turned his head slightly to kiss her palm as she explained that she wasn’t going to let him go. Her words made his heart flutter with affection. Though it wasn’t the most ideal situation, he was glad that she was willing to do it if she had to. He just hoped she wouldn’t be too upset if they did end up running away together to escape her arranged marriage.

As Penelope kissed him again, Crow met her lips with equal passion, wrapping his arms tightly around her and running his hands over her back. The fervor of the moment was nearly enough for him to forget about John, so it was a good thing that Penelope didn’t linger for too long. When she pulled back again, he leaned his head against hers, breathing a little heavier as he caught his breath.

At her following words, he nodded in agreement. “I’m sure we’ll be alright,” he assured her, reaching up to trail his fingers through her long hair in a comforting gesture. “As long as we don’t talk about it unless we’re certain we’re alone, he’ll never find out.” Turning his head slightly, he pressed a long kiss to her cheek and then met her gaze with a soft smile. “I love you, Penelope. We’ll make it out of this mess one way or another. I promise you that.”