Crow followed eagerly after the attendant as they headed down the corridor that led to the stairs. Though he wasn’t particularly fond of the lavish lifestyles of nobles, he couldn’t help but be curious to find out what sort of arrangements the king really had made for him. Based on their earlier conversation alone, it sounded like Albin was determined to convince him to take the job as his new viceroy, so he didn’t doubt that the man had planned to give him comfortable sleeping quarters during his stay in the castle. However, he was mildly surprised as the attendant led them higher up the stairs. From what he remembered about the layout of the palace, they were going to an area reserved specifically for members of the royal family and the highest ranking noblemen in the kingdom.

He eyed the servant’s back, momentarily wondering if he had made some mistake or had gotten sidetracked in his intention to bring the thief to his room. Instead, he was further shocked as Penelope questioned the other man first, only to find out that the king had assigned him to stay in the viceroy’s chambers. Crow’s eyes widened, and he glanced furtively at Penelope, who looked just as astonished as he was. It seemed his father was going all out in his attempts to ‘reconnect’ or whatever else he was trying to do. Suddenly a bit more eager to find out what his room was going to be like, he hastened his pace a bit up the staircase.

Eventually, the trio arrived at a set of ornate wooden doors on the fifth level of the castle. Crow’s eyes swept over the hallway with interest. The only other time he had even ascended this high in the palace was when he had attempted to steal the previous king’s crown three years ago. It felt strange to be standing here now, fully welcomed by the current king to make the place his home during his stay. He’d never thought he would be able to do anything like this as a thief.

The attendant stepped forward and pulled open one of the doors, gesturing for the other two to enter before him. Crow was quick to follow the suggestion, ignoring how the other man continued to avoid his gaze as he walked past him. Right away, he was stunned to see the kind of chambers he had been given. The room itself was massive, with a large, four-post bed in the center that was lined with what appeared to be thick blankets and red silk sheets. Off to the right side was a library with shelves of books and scrolls and a round, well-crafted table and chair set up beside the window.

The room by itself was impressive enough, but what caught Crow’s attention was the setup on the left side. Another, slightly larger table was arranged with platters of different kinds of dishes that the thief had never seen before. Curious to get a closer look, he trotted over to the table and swept his gaze over the luxurious feast. “Wow,” he whistled, turning back to the attendant with a bright grin. “Is all of this for me?”

“Yes,” the other man nodded, keeping his eyes lowered to the floor. “The king wanted to make sure you were well fed, since you arrived after supper.”

“Well fed?” Crow echoed with a laugh. “I’m a hearty eater, but this is too much for even me to finish alone.” He turned to Penelope with a wink. “Want to help me out, love?” He paused for a moment, thinking something over before he glanced at the attendant. “And you too.”

“Me?” the other man’s eyes widened as he finally met the thief’s gaze.

“Yes, you,” Crow snickered, gesturing to one of the empty chairs at the table. “Come on. You probably haven’t had a chance to stop working and eat dinner either, right? Take some. I’m certainly not going to eat it all.”

The attendant shifted his weight nervously, “I shouldn’t. I still have other things to do for the king and—”

“Those things can wait,” Crow waved his hand dismissively. “Take a break. I won’t tell the king if you won’t.”

The attendant shuffled his feet. “I-If you insist,” he muttered, tentatively approaching the table.

“There’s a good man,” Crow grinned. “By the way, what was your name?”

“Hunter,” the other man answered, staring at the thief in surprise as if he wasn’t used to being asked about himself.

“Nice to meet you,” Crow greeted him with a friendly smile, taking a seat nearby and gesturing subtly for Penelope to join him. “I’d introduce myself, but I have a feeling you already know who I am.”

“Of course,” the attendant nodded. “Everyone in the castle knows who you are.”

“I’d be offended if they didn’t,” Crow laughed, filling up his plate with a venison dish he had spotted the moment his eyes had fallen on the small feast. “Gods, if I’d known the king was going to give me food like this, I would have accepted his invitation a long time ago,” he mused with a shake of his head.