Crow bit his lip uncomfortably as Penelope reminded him that he couldn’t put off the meeting forever. He knew she was right, but that didn’t change the fact that he was nervous to go through with facing his father at all. Part of him wondered if he was making a mistake by accepting Albin’s invitation. After all, he’d gone twenty-three years without talking to the man, so surely he could last longer, right? He should never have agreed to come to the inner kingdom.

As she went on to say that he should get the meeting over with, he said nothing. His brain told him that he should listen to her, but his heart was still wrought with anxiety. Yes, he had accepted the king’s offer because he knew it was just going to eat at him if he didn’t, but wouldn’t that be better than the alternative: standing before the man he despised most in the kingdom? Now that he was so close to the castle, running was starting to sound like the best option. There was still time for him to get away if he left now. He could just go back to the outer villages and pretend like the trip to the inner kingdom had never happened…

[color=fdc68a][b]“If it’s any consolation, I think your father’s just looking for your silence.”[/b][/color]

Crow blinked and looked up at John, surprised to hear the stoic man offer him any words of comfort. Of course, it didn’t do much, since his worries stemmed from the thought of facing Albin in the first place, but he appreciated the gesture. His eyes wandered back to Penelope, and he reached to take her hand in his. For a moment, he focused on her touch—the feeling of her fingers intertwined with his and her hand running soothingly over his back—and took a calming breath. As much as he wanted to run, he couldn’t back out now. They’d already come all this way, and she had even found a way to come with him. With her stabilizing presence by his side, he could speak with his father.

“Thanks,” he murmured, looking up at the knights with a halfhearted smile. As his gaze fell on Penelope again, he leaned over to press a quick kiss to her lips. “I think I’m ready… Or at least, ready as I can be.”

Before he could lose his nerve again, the thief climbed down from his bed and gathered his belongings in preparation to leave. Once he was ready, he joined the others at the door and took another deep breath, “Let’s get this over with.”