Crow mumbled incoherently against the pillow when Penelope said he wouldn’t have to go anywhere for a while once they got back. Thank the gods for that. He didn’t usually get so exhausted on trips like this, but after being bedridden for nearly three weeks from his injury, his energy wasn’t quite at its peak anymore. Plus, traveling from the outer villages to the inner kingdom twice was quite a long way to walk. He wished they had a cart to recline in like they had on their journey to Younis two years back. Sleeping in the shade had been a much more comfortable way to travel compared to having sore feet at the end of every day.

He turned his head slightly to glance down at Penelope as he felt a tug at one of his boots, and a smile played on his lip as he realized she was taking his shoes off for him. Her thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze him. Feeling a swell of affection for the knight, he rolled onto his side and draped one arm over her as she laid down next to him on the bed. He listened thoughtfully as she brought up the point that he was going to have to travel quite a bit once he started working formally as his father’s ambassador.

“Alright, well then as long as I get a good, long break, I’ll be content,” he compromised to no one in particular. Leaning forward slightly, he touched a gentle kiss to her lips and then smiled. “In all seriousness, I think I’m going to like that aspect of being a viceroy. Aside from the few times I’ve gone to Younis, I’ve never really left the kingdom borders before. I think it will be interesting to finally see the homelands of the other travelers I’ve met in the outer villages.”

He fell quiet for a moment, lulled into silence by both his weariness and his internal musings. “I suppose the only downside is that it means we’re going to have to spend more time apart eventually,” he sighed, tracing his hand absently along the curve of her waist and hips. “Hopefully my father won’t send me off too frequently.”