As Penelope directed him towards the eastern horizon, Crow narrowed his eyes slightly as he attempted to located the river she was talking about. After a moment, he spotted it winding through the distant tree line, along with the buildings just past the far bank. It was hard to tell the difference between the city she was pointing out and all the other towns that surrounded them, but he knew she would recognize her own home, so he trusted that he was looking at the right place.

He casted her a sideways glance as she went on to tell him that she hoped she would be able to take him there after they were finished with their business at the castle. Her words made him shift uneasily. Though he also would have liked to visit her home with her, he knew there was only one way that would be possible. If he chose to deny his father’s request, the instant the meeting ended, he was going to go from ‘king’s guest’ back to ‘wanted criminal.’ It would be risky for him to continue lingering around the inner kingdom while he still had such a large bounty on his head, so they would have to go straight back to the outer villages, where he would be safe from the knights. The only way he could go with her to Bellmare would be by accepting the job as viceroy.

Crow listened quietly as Penelope continued to describe her family’s manor to him, feeling a mixture of curiosity to learn about her childhood as well as tension as he heard the fondness in her voice. It was apparent to him that she was still quite attached to her home in the inner kingdom, which only served to make him feel guilty all over again for wrenching her away from it. He leaned his head a little closer to hers and closed his eyes, silently dwelling on the confliction inside of him. As much as he hated to admit it, the longer he stayed in the castle, the more he felt pulled towards the job his father was offering him.

Everything within him recoiled at the thought of giving up his life as a peasant, but his love for Penelope outweighed every reservation he had. She was a noblewoman and a proud knight—even a lieutenant of her battalion. She didn’t deserve to be dragged down to become a fugitive with him. He wanted what was best for her, and though he was trying his hardest to work things out his way, he couldn’t deny it anymore. A life with a thief simply wasn’t what she deserved.

Feeling dazed from the weight of his choice as well as how quickly he’d made it, Crow met her lips halfheartedly as she kissed him and then averted his gaze when she pulled back again, fidgeting slightly in his discomfort. [i]I can’t believe I’m really doing this,[/i] he thought, taking a steeling breath before looking up again to meet her gaze resignedly. “I think… I’m going to accept my father’s offer,” he murmured, nearly surprising himself by his own words despite having already come to terms with the decision in his head.

Swallowing nervously, he forced himself not to look away from her face as he went on in a meek voice, “I’ve been thinking about it all day and, while it’s going to take some getting used to… I think it’s what’s best for both of us, so… I’m going to tell him tomorrow that I want to take the job.”