“So far, everything’s exceeded my expectations,” Crow answered with a shake of his head when Penelope winked at him. “Although I don’t think it’s hard to impress a simple peasant like me with an entire castle.” His gaze swept over the hallway they were walking through now, which was lined with artistic tapestries that he guessed the previous kings had been gifted with through trades with other kingdoms. The palace was really quite something. Every corridor they passed through seemed to be unique, and there were plenty of things to keep his eyes occupied. Even though he wished the wealth that had been stockpiled here would be distributed more fairly in Brerra, he could still appreciate the luxurious views as much as anyone else.

When they eventually reached the courtyard, Crow followed after Penelope, listening as she pointed out everything they walked by. Like the great hall, there were other noblemen and women milling about on the paved pathways who casted him disapproving looks and whispered amongst themselves whenever they caught sight of the thief. He rolled his eyes. They had probably been hoping for a public execution when he’d first arrived in the inner kingdom the day before, so the fact that the king hadn’t announced anything of the sort was likely disappointing to them.

[i]Jaded fools,[/i] he thought, trotting after Penelope as he realized he had lagged behind in his distraction. As she led him through the garden, he relaxed a bit, glad to get away from the hatful eyes of the nobles. While he didn’t care what they thought of him, there were quite a few more people in the courtyard then there had been in the great hall. He disliked being so outnumbered by people who probably wished to see him dead, so the prospect of putting some distance and cover between them was appealing.

Crow brushed aside a low-hanging branch as he continued to follow after Penelope, wondering where she was leading him now. In the next moment, he had his answer when she told him that she was bringing him to a tower. He quirked a brow in surprise. Of all the places they could go on the castle grounds, he wasn’t sure what was so special about an outlying tower. Still, the other places she had taken him to so far had been impressive so, taking her word for it, he kept his comment to himself and walked closely at her heels, curious to see the next spot on her agenda.

When they eventually reached the base of the tower, Crow returned Penelope’s smirk with a smile of his own, finding her enthusiasm infectious. “Darling, if you asked me to, I could climb up this tower from the outside,” he winked at her haughtily. “I think I can handle a few stairs.”