Crow followed wordlessly after John as the knight led him and Penelope through the castle. He barely paid attention to where they were going, as his thoughts were still occupied by the conversation he’d just had with his father. Though he was reluctant to speak at the moment, he was eager to tell Penelope about what they had discussed once they were someplace where they wouldn’t be overheard. He wanted to get her opinion on everything, since he still had no idea what to do. She knew him better than anyone else in the kingdom, so surely she would have some word of advice to offer in the midst of his uncertainty.

When they eventually arrived at a small room, Crow stepped inside first, letting his eyes rove over the space. It seemed private enough, so he let his guard drop a bit as he took a seat on the bench in the center of the room. As long as he kept his voice down, he doubted anyone would hear them speaking and grow curious enough to try and eavesdrop on them in a place like this. This was relieving to the thief. While he wanted Penelope’s input, he didn’t want any other unwelcomed opinions from the other people in the castle. If he was going to take or deny his father’s offer, he wanted it to be a decision made only by himself and the knight.

He glanced up at John and Penelope as her father addressed her. It was nice to know that the older knight intended to cover for them while they were in the castle. Usually, he and Penelope had to find ways to cover their own tracks whenever they wanted to be alone together, so he appreciated the extra help that the other man offered. However, his moment of respite was quickly cut short when John turned to speak to him next. He stared at the knight in surprise when he said not to trust his father. He had already known to a degree that it was risky to believe Albin, but hearing it come from someone else was sobering.

[i]But why would he want me to be his viceroy if he isn’t trying to reconcile?[/i] He wondered, knitting his brow confusedly. It didn’t make any sense. What did his father have to gain from taking a known criminal into his courts if not to make up for past wrongs? It was true that Albin had had two decades to correct his mistakes, but surely there must have been some reason that had kept him from doing so before. Even if it was suspicious, he couldn’t think of anything else that could explain why the king had made his offer. Still, he was also hesitant to dismiss John’s warning. Perhaps there was something he was missing that the older knight knew.

He was just about to ask, when the Penelope’s father spoke up one more time to offer unexpected advice: [color=fdc68a][b]“That being said, I’d highly advise taking his offer.”[/b][/color]

Crow’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t thought John would tell him to take the job, especially since he seemed to believe that the king was lying to him. However, he didn’t have a chance to press for more information before the knight exited the room, leaving him alone with Penelope.

Finally able to relax, Crow let out his breath in a long exhale and gestured for her to come and sit beside him on the bench. At first he said nothing, choosing instead to simply take her hand in his and lean against her side. He still wanted to speak to her about what had happened, but he needed a moment to process through it all before he said anything.

Once he felt ready, he turned to meet her gaze. “My father… didn’t ask me here to buy my silence about our relation to each other,” he started slowly, running his thumb thoughtfully over her hand. “I’m not sure how much of what he said was true, but he claimed that he wants to make things right between us after he abandoned me and my mother all those years ago.” He hesitated, biting his tongue lightly before he went on to explain, “He said he—he wants me to be his new ambassador. Apparently, he found out about my ability to pick up other languages from William, and because of that, he believes I’m qualified to take the job with some added training.”

Crow lowered his gaze to his lap, feeling a tangle of confliction rise up in his chest as he continued in a soft voice, “If I accept his offer, this could change everything for us, but…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t know. What do you think I should do?” He looked up to meet Penelope’s eyes again with a melancholic expression. “I know you don’t really want to give everything up to run off to the outer villages with me. If I could give us a way to be together without making you lose all that you have, is that something you would want?”