“Yes, and I said ‘no’ nicely at first too,” Crow said flippantly. When she caught hold of his hands, he gave hers a playful squeeze, holding her gaze as she looked up at him. As was often the case when he took in her features, he felt a strong burst of fondness for the knight that made him relax as he leaned over her. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was that she had chosen to be with him—that she had been prepared to give up everything for him before. The adoration he could see in her eyes was something he knew he didn’t deserve, but he was overjoyed that she was willing to give it to him anyway.

When she leaned up to kiss him, the thief leaned down to meet her halfway. He closed his eyes and let go of her hands, wrapping one arm around her lower back and using the other to cradle her head as he held her close to himself. Overwhelmed by the strength of his emotions for her, his heart fluttered in his chest, and he met her gaze with a slightly flushed face as she pulled back to speak to him.

“I know,” Crow sighed at her comment about waiting to wake up next to him every day. He trailed his fingers through her long hair, studying her face as he took in every detail that he found so attractive. “I’d marry you tomorrow if I could, but I think your father still isn’t very fond of me,” he shook his head. “If your mother hadn’t said anything to him, he would probably be trying to keep us apart right now.”

Despite the fact that they had managed to get past every other obstacle between them, there was still the matter of winning John’s approval. Before, Crow hadn’t cared much about what the older knight thought about him, but now that he was putting himself in a position where he would need to conform to at least some of the traditions and customs of nobles, John’s dislike of him carried much more weight. If he wanted to marry Penelope soon, he was going to have to pander to her father’s wishes, whether he liked it or not.

“Come on. Now that you’re up, we should get ready to go.”

“If you insist,” Crow casted her a mock look of disappointment before breaking out in a teasing smirk. He pressed one more kiss to her nose before moving to disentangle himself from the blankets. Once he was free, he got up from the bed, put his clothes back on, and picked up his bag. Slinging the pack over his shoulders, he stood by the door to wait for her, ready to leave whenever she was finished with her armor.

Penelope gave a small nod as he mentioned her father. She believed that she owed a great deal of thanks to her mother for that one. If she hadn't insisted upon him giving Crow a chance, it was likely that her father would have kept his promise about finding her a new suitor as soon as they returned to the inner kingdom. She smiled up at Crow as he pressed one last kiss to her cheek, drawing her from her thoughts briefly.

She got up after him and ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it down for a moment before gathering her clothes and slipping them back on. Grabbing her armor and boots, she put them back on as well and then moved to join Crow as they headed out for the last leg of their trip to the castle. The knight took the lead as she headed to drop off the key. The innkeeper still seemed as unwelcoming towards the thief as usual and was a bit slow to accept the key. Penelope noticed that he seemed to be taking careful note of the possessions as if trying to make sure the thief hadn't somehow stolen from him again.

Naturally he didn't find anything and bid Penelope a curt word of gratefulness while shooting a distrusting glare at the thief. The knight didn't say anything further to the innkeeper and headed out and back onto the street. Now that the time was drawing closer for Crow's decision to take effect, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous for the thief. Sure he had the king's favor, but she wondered if that would be enough to completely protect him from what she guessed would be a large amount of unhappy nobles.

The thought of someone trying something harm him or get him in jail made the knight walk a little closer to him out of protectiveness. Penelope glanced up at him as she felt their hands brush and she offered him a small, half smile. "So... Are you ready? I'm not sure how soon the king is planning to announce it but I imagine you won't be a wanted criminal for too much longer now." she mused quietly.

As he walked with Penelope back to the front of the inn, Crow stretched his arms over his head and gave one last yawn for good measure. He was quite a bit more awake after wrestling with Penelope that morning, but he couldn’t quite shake off the last bit of his lingering weariness. Of all the nights to have restless dreams, why did it have to be the last night of a long trip? He thought exasperatedly, rubbing the heel of his palm against his eyes in an attempt to clear away the tiredness. Of course, it didn’t go away, so he let out his breath in a quiet sigh and relented to the fact that he would just have to accept its unwelcomed presence until they got back to the castle.

When they reached the innkeeper’s desk, Crow hung back again while Penelope handed over their key. Despite how tired he was, the other man’s distrusting actions didn’t slip past his gaze. He rolled his eyes as the innkeeper checked the countless pieces of jewelry that adorned his arms and neck, as if afraid that the thief had swiped something from a distance. His fretting was pointless. It didn’t matter how talented Crow was at stealing; taking something from a man out of arm’s reach simply wasn’t possible. Honestly, the innkeeper’s worry was more obnoxious to him than anything else, and it did nothing to improve the weary thief’s mood. So, when Penelope rejoined him, and they headed to the door, Crow glanced back over his shoulder to cast the other man a final, dirty look before stepping outside with her.

Once they were out of sight of the innkeeper, he relaxed a bit more, although not as much as he would have liked. Like their journey from the castle to the outer villages, the nobles they passed threw him estranged looks and muttered amongst themselves, as if they were wondering why he wasn’t hanged yet. He pointedly avoided their bemused gazes. They would find out soon enough why he had been allowed to wander freely throughout the kingdom. His father had made it sound like he wanted to get on with the titling ceremony as quickly as possible. Once that happened, he had no doubt that word of his change in status would spread like wildfire in the inner cities of Brerra. After all, what other thief in history had risen from poor to power like he was about to? It was bound to be shocking news.

Crow blinked as Penelope’s voice drew him from his thoughts. He looked down at her, finding some comfort in the way she let their hands brush as they walked. “I don’t know,” he answered her question honestly. “It’s a lot to take in… I’ve been one thing my whole life, and suddenly nothing is going to be the same. I don’t think anyone can feel ‘ready’ for that.” He looked up again, studying the top of the castle that was within his view.

“But that’s alright,” he shrugged, turning back to her with a smile. “My life has always been one change after the next. Just because this one is a bigger change doesn’t make it bad. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”

Penelope looked over at Crow as he responded and gave a nod. She hadn't expected him to be ready. The time when their plans had their roles reversed wasn't that long ago and even though she had been certain in her decision to stay with him, there had already been a good deal of nervousness as well as apprehension to leave behind her life. Their visit to the castle had made realize how tough it would be to leave behind her home for good.

Of course, she wouldn't have to worry about that now. The knight turned her head to look up at the thief, returning his smile. Though she still felt a bit bad about him having to leave his life behind—it was something she likely would never be able to fully repay him for—she was ecstatic to have him join her in her world as a noble. "Well, I'll try to help with that as much as I can." She promised him with an affectionate look.

"Plus I'm sure Naida will help a great deal with that too." she mused as she focused her gaze back ahead as they walked. The knight was doing her best to ignore the stares he was getting from passing nobles. She still found it as irritating as before but unable to do anything, she just tried to keep her gaze focused on the road. "Gods I still can't believe I just found out she's a princess..." the knight groaned in quiet embarrassment. She glanced over at Crow and smirked in amusement. "Who would have thought I'd unknowingly befriend your sister of all people."

“I’m sure you will,” Crow smiled at Penelope fondly as she promised to help him adjust to the changes that would soon be coming to his life. Once again, he was glad that she had been able to convince her baroness to let her return to the castle with him. It was hard for him to imagine what his life would be like there without her by his side. He shuddered at the thought. With the overwhelming majority of nobles out for his blood, it was going to be nice to have her around to remind him of why he was doing this in the first place.

As Penelope went on to mention Naida, he casted her an amused look. It was funny to think that she had gone so long without ever realizing his sister was part of the royal family. While Naida didn’t strike him as a stereotypical princess type, surely she had other duties around the castle that were different from regular knights? Perhaps she just preferred to keep those to herself though. Since they were related, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she shared in his distaste for the pomp of nobility. Even from their last talk, he’d gotten the impression that she regretted not being allowed to fight in the war instead of remaining in the inner kingdom to complete mundane tasks.

Additionally, Albin hadn’t been in power as the reigning king for more than a year. It wouldn’t have shocked him to learn that not every noble in the kingdom knew who his children were. Only those who cared enough to win the king’s favor would have bothered to memorize all their names. Penelope didn’t seem to care much for winning anyone’s favor, so of course she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to find out who they were.

“I think it’s a good thing,” he shrugged, habitually kicking a small rock off the side of the road. “Accident or not, now we have a mutual contact in the castle, so we’ll be able to see each other a bit more without raising any suspicion.” He turned back to the knight with a wry look. “Plus, you sort of got back at Olivia already, in a way. She may have kept Naida’s title a secret from you, but you’ve known who my father was for quite a bit longer. I think you’re even.”

Penelope gave a murmur of agreement as he pointed out that having the mutual connection would be a good thing. She thought so too. Besides, regardless of Naida's status, the other female knight—or rather princess—had become a good friend to her and while she would likely have to use her as a way to spend time with Crow, she was also eager to spend time with her friend. Catching up with Naida would be enjoyable and was certainly something she looked forward to.

As he turned back to her, the knight smirked amusedly. "I suppose so." She crossed her arms over her chest as she gave a small nod. Though she hadn't hidden the information just for giggles, it ended up being a fairly even trade.

---

As day wore on, the knight bounced between letting a companionable silence fall over them and striking up small conversations with the thief to pass time. It helped ease the lingering worries she still held onto as they drew closer to the castle. Nobles still gawked at the thief and whispered amongst themselves about his return to the castle but no one dared approach them. She guessed that they must have been convinced that he had returned to be hanged since she noticed a couple nobles sneer at the thief. It was only a matter of time before their world came crumbling down though so she ignored them like the rest.

Once the two reached the front gates, Penelope felt a bit of disappointment fall over her as their trip alone finally reached its end. Though they wouldn't be completely separated, she knew she wouldn't be seeing him very much and the chances of them getting any time alone were even smaller. She let out a soft sigh, praying that they wouldn't have to keep such distance between each other for long. The knight looked over at Crow and offered him a small smile.

"Well, once we're inside, I suppose we'll be parting ways. I've got to report to my father and Tybalt." she mused reaching for the papers Mia had given her. The knight looked ahead as she noticed the gates being opened, it seemed their arrival had been notices,and gave him a small nudge. "Hopefully I'll see you soon."

When they finally arrived at the gates to the wall that surrounded the castle, Crow felt ready to collapse from exhaustion. Between all the traveling they had been doing and his lack of sound sleep the night before, the only thing he wanted at that moment was to lay down in his new bed and get some much-needed rest. The desire was strong enough that he nearly forgot about the fact that he and Penelope would have to be parting ways when they reached the castle doors.

That was, until she reminded him.

Crow turned to her with a frown as the large gates groaned open. Even though he’d been prepared to spend less time with her when they returned, he supposed he’d been hoping to prolong the time they still had left. However, it seemed like that wouldn’t be possible. If she had to speak with the other palace guards right away, it would look strange for him to accompany her for no reason. He would just have to go back to his room alone and hope that they could find a way to meet later on.

“Alright,” he nodded after a moment, stifling a weary yawn. “While you do that, I think I’m going to take a nap before supper.” He turned to her as she added that she hoped they would be able to see each other again soon. “I hope so too,” he said softly, subtly brushing his hand against hers as they walked up to the main doors of the castle.

As always, he ignored the stares and jeers of the knights they walked past. The nobles closest to the castle had seemed to grow more hostile toward him as of late, and he wondered what sort of rumor must have spread about him for their attitudes to change so quickly. Perhaps someone had gossiped that he was going to be hanged after all? The ridiculousness of the thought made him want to snort. If he was really going to be executed, he would never willingly return to the castle like he was now. The knights would have had to drag him back in chains, screaming and kicking the whole way. They had to be fools to believe he was going to face any sort of punishment while he carried himself with such an even temper.

When they reached the large doors that would admit them into the castle, the guards on either side pulled them open with smug expressions, likely fallen for the same rumors as everyone else. Crow rolled his eyes and turned to Penelope as they stepped inside. “I guess this is where we part,” he offered her a halfhearted smile. “See you around, love.” He wished he could give her a kiss goodbye, but not wanting to draw attention to them, he simply nodded his head and turned away from her to make his way over to the stairs that led up to his room in the castle.

The climb was tiring, and he bean to wish his bed chambers were closer to the ground floor of the palace. How does my father do this every day? He wondered wearily, letting out the yawn that he had suppressed earlier. Of course, the rational part of him knew it wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to make it to the top of the stairs when he wasn’t as worn out as he was now. But of course, when he was tired, he didn’t want to listen to that voice. All he wanted was to sleep, and if anything or anyone got in the way of that, he was going to be disagreeable.

When he got to the floor where his room was located, Crow ambled down the hallway, not minding his steps as carefully as he usually did. At the current moment, he didn’t care if anyone heard him coming though. The knights all knew by now that he was allowed to be on this floor. All he cared about was laying down. Fortunately, the guards in this part of the castle didn’t bother him outside of their usual glares, so he made it to his bed chambers without any trouble.

He reached for the handle on one of the large, wooden doors and pulled it open, stepping through the opening and closing it again to escape the eyes of the nobles in the hall. Now alone in his room, he closed his eyes and let out his breath in a quiet sigh of relief. The silence was relaxing. Knowing that he was going to be under watchful gazes for what would likely be the remainder of his life, taking moments to be by himself felt much more meaningful now.

He slid his bag off his shoulders and turned around to go lay down in his bed. However, when he looked up, he discovered that he wasn’t as alone as he’d thought he was.

Crow startled slightly as his eyes fell on a figure standing by his bed. It was a boy—about Hartley’s age, he noted—wearing the clothing of a castle servant. The stranger had reddish-brown hair and bright, hazel eyes that gave him a rather innocent look. He was also a bit on the short side—if they had been standing closer together, Crow guessed he would have been nearly a head taller than him. In the boy’s hands was a broom.

For a moment, the two stared at each other without saying anything, but after a period of tense silence, Crow managed to find his voice again. “Who are you?” he asked, studying the stranger furtively. The boy didn’t look dangerous, per say, but the thief wasn’t one to trust any person he didn’t know, no matter what they looked like at a glance.

To his displeasure, the boy didn’t answer his question right away.

“You’re Crow Lockton, right?” the servant asked, eyeing him curiously.

“Yes,” Crow answered curtly and folded his arms over his chest. “Now who are you?” A small part of him felt a little guilty for being so short tempered with the boy, but he was tired from his long trip and in no mood to converse.

“Oh,” the boy stood up a little straighter and then dipped forward in a bow that was surprisingly elegant for someone his age. “I’m your personal attendant. My name is Preston Bossard.”

Crow quirked a brow at that. He supposed he should have known that he would be getting a servant of his own when he’d taken the job of viceroy—every high-ranking noble he’d ever seen had been attended by numerous peasants—but for some reason, he had assumed that he wouldn’t receive the same special treatment. Apparently, his father had spared him no luxury. Still, something about the thought of being waited on by someone else didn’t sit well with the thief.

“Personal attendant, huh?” he mused and then shook his head. “I don’t need one. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so you can tell the king that he can let you return to whatever other job he had you doing before.”

To his surprise, his comment didn’t seem to be taken as well as he’d thought it would.

Preston blanched and leaned over in a deeper bow. “O-Of course you don’t need an attendant,” he spluttered, seeming frightened for some reason the thief couldn’t understand. “I’m just here to help make things easier for you. I’ll take care of any tasks you don’t want to do, like washing your clothes or grooming your horses.”

“I don’t have horses.”

“Regardless!” Preston looked up at him again with a nervous expression. “I’m honored to do this job. Please, don’t send me away.”

Crow blinked, confused by the boy’s reaction. He would have thought the servant would have been relieved to be taken away from such a dull job, but instead, he almost seemed afraid of returning to whatever work the king had assigned to him before. He must have had a terrible duty to have been excited by the prospect of waiting on a nobleman, hand and foot. “Alright, fine,” he shrugged after a moment, stepping over to sit down on the edge of his bed. “If it means that much to you, then you can stay.” He bent down to take off his boots, getting ready to take the nap he’d been wanting.

Preston fidgeted uncomfortably with the broom in his hands. “Um, wait,” he said hesitantly.

“What now?” Crow groaned. All he wanted was to sleep, and it was looking like the prospect of doing so was growing dimmer by the second.

“The king instructed me to bring you to his council room as soon as you returned,” Preston explained quickly. “He has something he wishes to say to you.”

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” Crow ran a hand through his hair. “I’m tired.”

“I don’t think so,” the boy shook his head. “He made it clear to me that I had to escort you tonight. It sounded pressing.”

Crow drummed his fingers on his knee, toying with the idea of telling the servant that his father would just have to wait until tomorrow, because he wasn’t leaving. However, he didn’t want to get his new attendant in trouble on his first day on the job. He didn’t know his father well enough to assume that the man wouldn’t punish him harshly. “Fine,” he stood up from the bed again with some effort, stretching lazily before he turned to Preston with a wave of his hand. “He’d better make it quick though, because I want to sleep.”

Penelope looked over at Crow as they stepped into the castle and returned his halfhearted smile. "See you." she mumbled nodding. The knight watched as he walked off to retire to his room and then turned to one of the guards that had opened the door for them. Now that she was alone, she didn't want to waste any time in finding her father and Tybalt. Mostly because the knight was eager to get some rest after their many days of travel.

"Excuse me, do you happen to know where Tybalt or John Vermillion are? I need to speak with them." Penelope asked with a polite dip of her head to the guard.

He shifted his gaze down to her and nodded. "Tybalt has retired to his quarters for now but John was placed on guard duty near the great hall." he explained with small dip of his head towards the staircase.

She pursed her lips together, a bit disappointed to hear that Tybalt wasn't working. She supposed she'd just have to catch him the next day then. "I see. Thank you." she said. Penelope was about to turn to leave when the guard smirked and addressed her again, his smug expression returning to his face.

"So... how long does that thief got before the king ends him?"

The female knight rolled her eyes. It seemed her guess about castle gossip had be fairly accurate. "Who knows... It's difficult to say if that's even what the king is planning."

"It has to be! What else would he possibly be planning for that cur." The other guard jumped in now with a huff.

"Well, I doubt he'd let the thief leave if he was planning to kill him in the first place. He clearly didn't return just to be hanged." Penelope pointed out. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the two guards. "I suggest you start thinking of some other reasoning." With that said, the knight turned and began her climb up the staircase to find her father, leaving behind the two stumped guards who were no displeased by the thought of the thief receiving anything less than such punishment.

As she ascended the stairs, her legs ached from the upward climb. Part of her was suddenly glad she'd be able to wait until the next day to speak with Tybalt. At least now she could speak with her father, grab supper and then retire to her room for the night. And I won't have to worry about waking up early tomorrow.. she thought blissfully.

"You're back."

She blinked, quickly pulled out of her thoughts as she barely reached the top of the stairs. Her gaze fell on John who had spotted her quickly. It was difficult to say if the older knight was pleased to see her again or still furious about her for leaving so abruptly in the first place. With his usual stoic expression, the female knight decided it was best for her to tread carefully. Penelope offered her father a small smile and dipped her head to him as she stepped over.

"I am..I'll be back for at least two months now actually.." she mused as she pulled out one of the letters from Mia.

John eyed it before looking back to her. "I see... And, where's that thief?" he asked with a disapproving grumble.

"We parted ways once we got back into the castle... He went to his room." Penelope shuffled her feet slightly and lowered her voice. "We'll be spending time apart now to avoid our relationship getting out any further while he begins his training."

John raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Smart move." he muttered glancing around the hallway before looking back to her. "I just hope you two will be wise enough not to push for more to quickly." he stated warningly. The older knight let out a sigh as he decided to switch the topic. "I take it things went well with Mia?"

"Yeah. I even got her support for ending the war. Now I just have to focus on getting the king on board." Penelope explained with an eager nod, glad for the change of topics. The two continued to speak briefly about her plans for her stay at the castle. She was glad that her father's anger from before seemed to have died down and that he approved of her plans. Eventually she parted from him so he could carry out the rest of his shift undisturbed while she headed off to grab some supper from the great hall, enticed by the savory scents that wafted out into the corridor.

Crow followed Preston through the long corridors and down the stairs that led to his father’s council chambers. By now, he had memorized the route to get there and could have found it on his own, but the boy seemed to take his role as his guide quite seriously, so the thief let him lead the way. As they walked, he noticed that the guards’ scathing looks seemed to have been replaced with ones of confusion when they saw him being attended by a servant wearing the royal colors of Brerra. He wasn’t surprised. If their positions had been reversed, he probably would have been just as baffled by the sight of a criminal receiving a first-class escort through the palace.

However, the knights weren’t the only ones casting him strange looks. Crow noticed that Preston would also eye him from time to time, as if furtively studying something he wasn’t supposed to be looking at. At first, his glances didn’t bother the thief, but after a while, they began to grate on his already frayed nerves. So, the next time he caught the boy staring, he turned on him with an irritable frown. “What?” he asked defensively. “Am I doing something that amuses you?”

“No,” Preston blinked, looking up to meet his gaze.

“Then why do you keep staring at me like that?” Crow pressed.

“Well,” the servant mused. “I was just thinking that you look more like a peasant than a noble.”

Crow found himself gawking slightly at that. This boy was quite brazen to say something that would have—if he had said it to anyone else—probably gotten him whipped. He laughed. “That’s because I am a peasant,” he said with a smirk. “Did you not know that already?”

“No,” Preston answered with slightly raised brows. “All I knew was that I was assigned to be the next viceroy’s personal attendant, and that the next viceroy’s name would be Crow Lockton.”

“Is that so?” Crow eyed him with new interest. The boy was especially bold to have made the comment that he did if he hadn’t known who he was speaking to. He was also a bit surprised to learn that the servant hadn’t heard of him. “My name doesn’t ring any bells to you?”

“It does,” Preston tilted his head, taking on a contemplative look. “But I don’t remember where I might have heard it.”

Crow laughed again. He’d thought his reputation had spread throughout the whole kingdom, but apparently, he’d been wrong. “Maybe I can help with that,” he grinned. “I’m better known in the inner kingdom as ‘that damn thief.’”

That seemed to have connected in the servant’s head. His eyes widened, “I remember now. You’re the thief who got arrested two years ago.”

Crow grimaced. Of course the palace servant would only know him for his mistake. “I prefer to be thought of as the thief who’s avoided capture for nearly two decades aside from one menial blunder,” he grumbled.

If Preston noticed his change in attitude, he didn’t care. “Why are you going to be the next viceroy if you’re a criminal?” he asked, clearly unafraid to test the waters. “Why didn’t the king hire another nobleman?”

“Who knows?” Crow shrugged, averting his gaze as they approached the doors to the council chamber. He was glad that they had arrived, since he didn’t want the nosy boy learning anything more about his relation to the king.

Fortunately, Preston was willing to change the subject. “His Highness should already be inside,” he said, standing back to lean against the wall across from the door. “He had another meeting with someone else earlier, so he said he would just wait for you here.”

Crow nodded and turned to the door, wavering for a moment before he opened it and stepped inside. In the room, he saw that his father was seated at the far end of the long table, poring over some papers that he couldn’t read.

The king looked up at the sound of someone entering the room and then smiled as he recognized his son. “Good. You’re finally back,” he said, rising from his seat to meet the thief halfway in a fatherly embrace. “How was your trip to the outer villages?”

“Exhausting,” Crow shrugged, unable to stifle another yawn as he stepped back from Albin’s arms.

“I see,” his father chuckled. “Well then, I’ll try to be brief, so you can rest.” He gestured to the closest chair for the thief to sit.

“I’d appreciate that,” Crow nodded, sitting down rather heavily in the seat and leaning forward to rest on his forearms.

The king stepped around to the other side of the stone table to sit across from him. “I just have a few matters I wish to discuss before your titling ceremony tomorrow,” he explained, lacing his fingers together as he reclined in his seat.

“Tomorrow?” Crow echoed in surprise. He had expected it to be soon, but he hadn’t realized it would be happening the very next day.

“Of course,” Albin smiled at him amusedly. “You need to begin your training as soon as possible, and that can’t happen until you formally accept the position. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

“No,” Crow shook his head, forcing himself to keep a neutral expression despite the flutter of nervousness in his stomach.

“Good,” the king smiled warmly. “Now then, I only have a few things to go over with you before I let you retire for the night, the first being what you should expect on the day of the ceremony.”

As his father went on to describe the preparations and rituals he would have to go through, Crow tried his best to pay attention, but found it to be rather difficult as his attention wandered to other things. Ceremonies were dull, and he could see the knights in the courtyard doing their training exercises through a window behind the king’s chair. By the end of the speech, he found himself tempted to nod off, but Albin drew his focus again with a question:

“So, do you think you understand?”

The thief blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded impulsively.

“Good,” the king said again. “That just leaves me with one more matter of concern.”

“Which is?” Crow prompted, hoping to end the meeting quickly so he could go to bed.

Albin studied him for a moment before leaning forward in his seat. “Your name,” he said in a more serious tone.

Crow stiffened slightly, unsure where his father was going with his remark, but certain he didn’t like it. “What about my name?” he asked warily.

“Come now, son,” his father waved a hand. “I know that no mother in her right mind would name her child after a bird.” He held the thief’s gaze as he went on, “I certainly can’t allow my viceroy to be addressed by such an informal title either. Now that you’re going to be my representative, you’re going to have to don a more respectable name. So,” his lip quirked upward in a smile. “Tell me, Crow. What is the name that Madeleine gave you?”

Crow felt the color drain from his face, and he sank into his chair uncomfortably. He hadn’t been expecting his father to ask him such a personal question, and he really didn’t want to give him an answer. If he told the king his real name, he knew that it would no longer be a private part of himself. Everyone would learn it. He would no longer be Crow; he would be Collin. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to give that piece of himself away.

“That was the name she gave me,” he finally bluffed, holding the king’s gaze evenly as he spoke.

Unfortunately, his father saw right through him. “Don’t lie to me,” he sighed, as if disappointed. “I know that isn’t your birth name. Why won’t you just tell me what it is?”

Crow shuffled his feet beneath the table, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. “Why should I tell you?” he suddenly asked with a defensive edge to his voice. “The name I go by now is perfectly fine. I don’t see any reason why I should change it.”

Albin frowned, seeming to grow impatient. “If it was any small matter, I swear to you that I would let you keep your name,” he said slowly. “However, I cannot have an ambassador that is named after a bird. It does not reflect well on myself or on this kingdom. If you’re going to take this position, you must go by a respectable name.” He tapped his index finger on the table. “Now then, I’ll ask once more: What is your name, son?”

Crow fidgeted with the hem of his tunic and averted his gaze to look out the widow again. He hated the thought of giving up one of his most deeply kept secrets, but it seemed his father wasn’t going to give him a choice. Besides, he thought suddenly. It’s not really as secret as it used to be anyway. Thinking back on it, there were a few people who knew his real name now. He’d told Penelope; Gavin and Olivia had found out while he’d been drugged by Hazel’s medicine; and John had figured it out when he’d written it on paper. He let out his breath in a relenting sigh. Perhaps it was time to let go after all.

Returning his gaze to his father’s face, Crow took a steeling breath and answered in a low voice: “My name is Collin.”

“Collin,” Albin repeated slowly, seeming to taste the word on his tongue. His warm smile returned, “A handsome name. I expected nothing less from your mother.” He rose from the table and stepped over to the door, waiting for the thief to join him. “From today on, you, Collin, will be my ward,” he announced, resting one hand firmly on his son’s shoulder. “I’ll be sure to make the guards aware that they are to treat you with the same respect that they show any of my other children.”

Crow nodded wordlessly, still feeling a bit dazed after giving up one of his most personal secrets.

“Go ahead and get some supper,” Albin went on, opening the door for him. “The kitchen servants should still be serving food in the great hall. I will see you tomorrow afternoon in the throne room for your titling ceremony.”

Crow nodded again and stepped out of the room, where he was joined by Preston as he made his way absently to the great hall for supper.

"Penelope!"

Almost as soon as the knight set foot into the great hall there was an excited squeak that sounded from behind her. The knight jump slightly, unprepared, and then turned to see the familiar face of Naida rushing over to her. She smiled at her friend's enthusiasm and stepped over to meet her. "Did you just get back?" Naida beamed. "Oh and where is my br- Crow?" She quickly switched her word choice as she glanced towards some nearby guards before her gaze settled back on Penelope. The knight supposed it wouldn't have really mattered if she referred to him as brother. The other guards would likely just assuming she meant Braden.

"Yeah, we got here a short while ago." Penelope mused with a small shrug. "And as for Crow, he went off to take a nap from what I know." Naida deflated slightly at that, seeming a bit disappointed she wouldn't be able to see her brother as soon as she would have liked. Penelope offered her a smile and gave her a friendly nudge. "From what I know about him, he never misses a meal so I'm sure we'll be seeing him soon enough. Come on, let's go get some supper."

"Ok!" Naida smiled as she moved to follow her friend into the great hall. After falling silent for a short moment, she looked back at the knight with a curious gaze. "Hey Penelope... How much do you know about him?"

Penelope blinked and looked over at the princess. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was just curious. You've been around him more than I have. Plus you two don't seem to be on bad terms." Naida explained with a shrug. She smiled at Penelope. "You certainly aren't glaring at him like all the other guards."

"I've worked with him a couple times now and he's proven cooperative." Penelope responded with an air of casualness though quickly focused her gaze ahead as she moved to take a seat at an empty table. The knight was reluctant to admit anything to Naida about her relationship with Crow. They were going to be giving each other some distance for a while and she wasn't sure if she could completely trust Naida to keep a secret. Naida wasn't the greatest of liars after all and if someone like William went nosing around, she was rather certain it wouldn't go well. It was safer to just pretend she had a respect and perhaps even small friendship with Crow when around Naida. "Oh by the way," the knight began as she decided to switch topics. "Olivia told me to tell you she said hello."

"Oh! How is she?" Naida grinned, not batting an eye at the change of subject. "How's Gavin too? I imagine he's going to be missing you while you're gone huh?"

"She's doing well.. Still causing as much trouble as she can." The knight paused and shifted slightly. "As for Gavin well... he'll be fine... We're actually not courting anymore."

"What?" Naida's eyes widened in surprise. "Why not? I thought your father insisted on you two getting married?"

"He did but some things changed and well we decided to end things. We're still friends though.." Her gaze drifted over to the entrance of the great hall as she noticed Crow step inside. Naida looked over as well and grinned, waving her hand to flag down her brother. Penelope gave a faint smile, glad to see that their plan to meet through Naida would likely work rather effectively at this rate.

As Crow and Preston walked down the corridor that led to the Great Hall, an uncomfortable silence fell between them. Still unsettled by the talk with his father, the thief was in no mood to converse with anyone. All he wanted was to pick up a couple plates of food and head back to his room to turn in early for the night. It seemed that the servant had picked up on his change in mood this time too, as he made no attempt to interrupt the quiet. It was a good thing, since the thief wasn’t sure how patient he would be if the boy tried to ask him the questions that were surely on his mind: What had happened during his talk with the king? What had been said? Why was he so upset?

Crow felt sure that after he had some time to process everything, he would feel better than he felt now, but at the moment, he just wanted to be left alone. He needed to deal with all the changes that were flying at him without the distraction of explaining himself to anyone else. He needed time to accept that as of tomorrow afternoon, he was going to be a nobleman; that he was going to go back to using his real name that had been formerly buried with time; that everything in his life was going to be shifting. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, reigning in the overwhelming tangle of emotions that threatened to boil over inside of him.

This was fine; everything was going to be fine. He’d been expecting this… right? He’d told Penelope that he had. However, as the time for the titling ceremony drew closer, he began to feel like he was being backed up against a wall. He hadn’t even taken the position yet, and he’d already had to make a change that he hadn’t been expecting. What if he wasn’t as prepared as he’d thought? The panic that welled up within him now reminded him of the day he’d stolen the staff from the Younisian king, when he’d nearly turned tail and abandoned the mission altogether.

He let out another slow breath. Just like last time, he couldn’t leave Penelope to protect himself. He’d already told her that he was going to go through with this. Just because it wasn’t as simple as he had first thought didn’t mean he had an excuse to back out. He would have to learn to get used to making a few changes whether he liked it or not. Surely he could handle that.

When Crow and Preston arrived at the Great Hall, the attendant was quick to pull open the door for him. He murmured a word of thanks, still slightly uncomfortable with having someone else do favors for him that he could easily take care of by himself, and stepped inside. However, as soon as the door closed behind them again, he froze.

The Great Hall looked quite different when it was being used. The gilded walls and ceiling were the same, but the floor was packed with people in all sorts of elaborate outfits, talking jovially with each other as they ate their suppers. He’d never seen so many nobles in the same place at once—well, aside from when he’d been sentenced to prison in front of a crowd in the castle courtyard three years ago. It was unnerving to stand in full view of the all the people he normally tried to hide from. He had to fight the urge to duck his head and keep to the edge of the room.

“Crow,” Preston spoke up suddenly from his side. The shortish boy was craning his neck to peer through the crowd. “I think someone’s trying to get your attention.”

The thief blinked, snapping out of his trance, and followed the servant’s line of sight until his gaze landed on Naida, who was waving at him from a table near the middle of the room. He shifted his weight. If he approached her now, that would mean blatantly walking through the center of the crowd to reach her. For a moment, he humored the idea of just waving back to acknowledge her, picking up some food, and returning to his room to eat in private. However, he changed his mind when he caught sight of the knight who was sitting at his sister’s side: Penelope.

He bit the inside of his lip. As uncomfortable as it was to be among so many nobles, he couldn’t deny that he wanted to be close to her—especially after the talk he’d just had with his father. I don’t have to stay for long, he reassured himself, standing up a little straighter. I’ll just stay to have some food with them, and then I can go rest. Having regained a bit of confidence, he took a hesitant step forward and then made his way toward the two noblewomen.

As he expected, the people he walked by parted like water. They wrinkled their noses and kept their distance as if he was some sort of rabid animal that might snap at them. He forced himself to ignore their disgusted behavior. After all, it wasn’t like he expected to be treated any better. He was well aware of how much they all hated him, and he cared little about earning any of their respect. The only thing that mattered to him was making sure none of them hated him enough to knife him in the back. He kept the closest nobles in the corner of his eye, just in case.

To Crow’s relief, he made it through the crowd without any trouble. He slid onto the bench across from the two knights with a sigh, putting his unease behind him now that he was among friendlier faces. “Tell me something,” he said, casting Naida a tired smile. “Do you nobles ever find time between your responsibilities to take a nap?”

“Sometimes,” she shrugged, tilting her head slightly and cracked a smirk. “Why? Are you worried you won’t have another chance after today?”

“I didn’t even get a chance today,” he snorted.

“Penelope said you went to nap in your room though,” Naida said, gesturing to her friend. “Is that not what you did?”

“No,” Crow shook his head. He propped his elbow on the table and rested his cheek against his hand. “The king had more he wanted to talk to me about. I didn’t even have time to lay down.”

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat, drawing Crow’s attention. The thief turned to see that Preston was still standing behind him. “What would you like for dinner?” the servant asked. “I’ll bring it out to you.”

“I can get my own food,” Crow frowned. “Why don’t you take a break?”

“No no,” the boy shook his head. “Only servants should enter the kitchen. I’ll eat only after you’ve been served.”

The thief rolled his eyes, “I don’t see why you should wait on me, but if you insist, I’ll just have something with venison—and a lot of it.”

“Of course,” Preston bowed in that elegant way of his before turning to make his way through the throng of people.

Once the attendant was gone, Crow laid his head on the table with a groan. “Gods, everything keeps changing so fast here,” he whined. “Is it too much to ask for just one day to settle in?”

Penelope watched as the thief made his way over to them, noting the younger boy who followed him. She studied him with some surprise since it seemed the king had already assigned him a servant even though they had just barely returned to the castle. The knight hadn't even been expecting Crow to be assigned one, both due to his history as well as because she couldn't see the thief accepting the additional help easily. Her gaze flickered back to Crow as he settled in across from them.

The knight raised an eyebrow as she listened to him begin to speak to Naida about not being able to get in the nap that he had wanted. Her gaze shifted over to the boy who had accompanied him as she heard him clear his throat. As she suspected it seemed Crow wasn't too keen about having a servant. She was about to comment on it as the servant left but didn't get a chance to as the thief laid his head on the table. The knight frowned a little at his words, wishing she could at least reach out to take his hand.

"Things move fast at the castle." she mused resting her arms on the table. Discreetly, she stretched out one leg slightly so it brushed against his underneath the table. "Things will calm down I'm sure. Besides you haven't even been officially promoted yet so you've got some time until then... right?"

Naida looked over at Penelope and then back to Crow, smiling. "Yeah! You'll get used to it..Although I think father is planning to rush into the ceremony."

"Is he?" Penelope looked over at her friend then back to Crow with a subtle frown. They had only just returned and it seemed Crow was already stressed by how much was changing. She was hoping they'd ease him into it a bit more but it sounded as if it'd be the opposite. "Is that what the king wanted to speak with you about?"

Crow nodded wearily when Penelope reiterated his point that things moved quickly at the castle. Having grown up amongst the leisure of peasant life, he wasn’t used to keeping up with the schedules of anyone beside himself. Until now, he would always do everything on his own time, only rushing on occasion if he needed to get something done in a hurry. If he wanted to be productive, he would; if he wanted to nap, he would just as easily. Now, it seemed like those days were over. He was going to be at his father’s beck and call for as long as he worked for the man.

Beneath the table, he felt someone brush against his leg with their own. At first, he tensed slightly at the motion, still on edge around so many nobles, but after a moment, he relaxed when he realized it was Penelope. A faint smile tugged at his lip, concealed by the hair that had fallen in his face when he’d laid his head down on the table. Though they had to be careful to keep their relationship a secret, he was glad that she was still finding opportunities to get closer to him like this.

As the knights spoke to each other about his titling ceremony, Crow’s smile faded, and he lifted his head again to look up at them. He felt his unease return at Naida’s mention that their father was planning to rush everything. Right now, he didn’t even want to think about it, but he didn’t have much of a choice. In less than a day, he was going to become a nobleman. Just the idea of it made his stomach twist with anxiousness.

So, when Penelope turned to him to ask about his conversation with his father, the thief avoided her gaze with a grimace. “Well… yes,” he admitted in a low voice, toying absently with the sleeve of his tunic. “He wanted to meet with me to go over what the ceremony is going to look like and how he wants me to prepare for it. Although, to be completely honest, I don’t remember much of the conversation.” He gave a sheepish shrug. “He was lucky I managed to stay awake for the whole thing.”

“That’s alright,” Naida grinned. “Ceremonies aren’t that difficult. There are usually just one or two rituals, and then everyone gets to eat.” She leaned forward eagerly. “So, when is it going to be?”

Crow wavered, biting the edge of his lip, before he answered: “Tomorrow afternoon.”

“Whoa, really?” Naida blinked in surprise. “Father really isn’t playing around, huh?”

Crow shook his head, running one hand nervously through his hair. “He said he wants me to start my training as soon as possible, and I have to formally take the title before that can happen,” he said, repeating the same information Albin had told him earlier.

Naida let out a low whistle and then smiled again. “Well, I suppose he did have a whole week to prepare while you were gone,” she reached across the table to nudge him excitedly. “Hey, you’re about to go from Crow, the wanted thief, to Crow, the viceroy of Brerra. How great is that?”

At her words, he flinched slightly, reminded of the last topic his father had discussed with him. “Not exactly…” he muttered, averting his gaze again. Luckily, he didn’t have to explain himself, because in the next moment, Preston and a couple other servants appeared to serve food to their table. Crow quickly turned away from the knights, relieved to have the distraction so his sister wouldn’t press him for information.

Penelope raised an eyebrow at the thief as she noticed him avoiding her gaze. As he went on to explain that him and his father had talked about the ceremony, she let out a small sigh and glanced over to Naida as she spoke up, nodding her head in agreement as she pointed out ceremonies weren't usually too difficult. The knight was caught off guard as Crow admitted the ceremony would be tomorrow afternoon. She had expected it to be soon but not that soon. It certainly explained why the thief seemed rather nervous about it.

"No kidding." she mumbled in agreement with Naida, letting out a soft sigh as she looked back over at Crow. She offered him a half hearted smile as Naida spoke cheerily about him rising to viceroy, only to have it fade at his response. The knight looked over at him questioningly with a hint of concern seeping into her gaze. She would have asked him about it but didn't get the chance to as the food arrived. Giving a small nod and thanking the servant, she shifted her gaze back over to the thief across from them. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, not as willing to let it go like Naida who became quick distracted.

However, sensing it was a topic he didn't want to discuss—whether in general or because of his sister's presence—the knight eventually lowered her gaze to her dish in front of her and began to eat her dinner. The group lapsed into a small silence that felt a bit uncomfortable to the knight and was glad when Naida paused in her eating to speak up again.

"So Penelope, you're going to be here for the ceremony right?" she asked.

"I imagine so. Why?" Penelope asked after swallowing a bite of food.

"Just making sure. You should borrow one of my dresses tomorrow then!" she nudged her friend with an eager grin. "It'll save you a trip to Bellmare at least. And then I won't be the only once forced into some lavish gown."

"I suppose I was kinda hoping I could just get by wearing my armor." Penelope sighed then nodded her head gratefully. "Thanks Naida."

"Of course! Just stop by my room tomorrow and we can get ready together." Naida smirked at Penelope. "Plus it'll be good for you to dress up I think... After all, since you're not courting anyone now, you're free to find someone new."

Penelope blinked, slightly caught off guard by Naida's suggestion. "Maybe but uh, I don't know if I'm even looking right now.." she said with a nervous chuckle as she subtly glanced towards Crow before quickly lowering her gaze back to her food. "Besides I think most will be too shocked to do much more than just stand there gawking or whining." she muttered with a shake of her head as she moved to take a bite of her food.

Crow was relieved when the subject was dropped quickly. He lowered his gaze to his plate, digging into his meal as a silence fell amongst them. Though he was nervous about the ceremony and the changes it would bring, his worries didn’t do much to lessen his appetite. After spending so many days traveling, he doubted much could snuff out the hunger he’d built up from walking. Plus, the food served in the Great Hall was just as delicious as the dishes he’d had delivered to his room.

Offhandedly, he wondered if he would be able to start having private meals again once everything settled down or if he would have to eat with the rest of the nobles in the castle permanently now. He liked to think he had the right to keep to himself, but then again, the private dinners had probably just been something his father had done to convince him to take the job. He popped another strip of venison into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. It seemed likely that since the king wasn’t trying to get anything else out of him, some of the special treatment was going to stop.

The thief looked up again, drawn from his thoughts when Naida spoke up to Penelope. At his sister’s question, his eyes flicked to the knight. He was hoping she would be coming to the ceremony, if only to have someone around whom he felt comfortable spending time with. At the moment, he wasn’t sure if they would be able to talk much during all the festivities tomorrow, but it was at least nice to know she would be in the room. So, when she said she would attend the ceremony, he felt his shoulders relax.

As the two noblewomen began to talk about dresses, Crow turned back to his plate to continue eating. However, it wasn’t long before Naida said something that nearly made him choke on his food. He quickly downed a long draught of the wine that had been brought out with their suppers to recover from his sister’s comment about Penelope “finding someone new” now that she was no longer with Gavin. Of course, he knew Naida couldn’t have known about their relationship, but hearing her suggest that the knight should start thinking about other men made him cringe.

Eager to change the subject, he jumped into the conversation when Penelope finished speaking. “They can complain all they want,” he said with a shake of his head. “As long as I don’t feel a dagger between my shoulders tomorrow, I think it’ll be a successful day.”

“You won’t have to worry about that,” Naida shrugged, poking at a few cooked vegetables on her plate. “It doesn’t matter how much the hate you now. If anyone tried to attack you, father would have them hanged.”

“Perhaps,” he took another sip of his drink. “But I’d rather be paranoid and alive than trusting and dead. Until things settle down around here, I’m going to keep sleeping with one eye open.”

“Suit yourself,” Naida quipped. “But that’s why we have the royal guard.”

“Yeah, well I don’t trust them either,” Crow scoffed. He finished off the rest of his supper and let out his breath in a long exhale, pleasantly full on the richly spiced meat. Though dining in the Great Hall hadn’t been as comfortable as being in the security of his own bed chambers, he was glad he’d gotten a chance to see Penelope and his sister one more time before the approaching ceremony. Now, he wanted to catch up on the sleep he’d been missing.

“I should get going,” he said, standing up from the table. His eyes flickered briefly to Penelope before returning to Naida’s face. “It sounds like tomorrow is going to be long and exhausting, so I need to get some sleep. I’ll see you both later.”

“Alright,” Naida smiled. “Goodnight!”

Crow nodded wearily, feeling his tiredness settle over him again more strongly now that he was digesting a heavy supper. With nothing left to say to the knights, he turned to head back to his room, with Preston hurriedly falling in step beside him when the attendant noticed he was leaving the Great Hall from where he’d been sitting.

Penelope glanced over at Crow as she finished her bite of food. The knight doubted anyone would be so bold as to attack the thief turned viceroy while he had the king's favor but she also didn't blame him for being paranoid about it. To be honest, she was a bit paranoid as well. She'd at least be able to get close to him through Naida but it'd be difficult for her to watch his back any more than that. If someone did attack, they'd likely resort to using mercenaries to keep from being tracked and there was a chance the guards would turn a blind eye to it. It certainly wasn't a comforting thought.

The knight was drawn out of her thoughts as Crow stood up. She looked over at him and gave a small nod of her head to him. "Goodnight." she said watching him go for a moment before finishing off her own dish of food. She was glad that she had gotten the opportunity to see him once more so soon, even if it was just for a short time. It made the knight hopeful that they'd be able to cross paths rather often.

She chatted with Naida for a bit longer, divulging into a couple stories from their time apart. She talked a bit about her and Gavin, dancing around the fact that she had left the other knight for Crow and chalking it up to her simply wishing to get out of the courtship due to lack of feelings for him. She informed her about how Olivia was doing, of course not mentioning her involvement with Alistair. It was nice to speak with her friend again after having so much time apart. Eventually though the knight felt her weariness begin to hit her heavily and she decided it was best to retire for the night.

"Alright, I better head to bed... I'm exhausted." Penelope yawned.

"I'm honestly surprised you stayed up this long anyways." Naida smirked. "'Night Penelope."

"Night." she nodded to her as she stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

With her parting words said, the knight turned and headed off to her quarters. Since her father was still working within the castle, they hadn't bothered to move them and it was something she was grateful for. The last thing she wanted was to go wandering around looking for her new room. She soon reached the room and stepped inside, letting another, larger yawn escape her as she stepped over to her bed. Taking off her armor and boots, the knight quickly hopped into bed. Despite having a bit of anxiousness over the coming day, she fell asleep almost instantly, worn down by the many days of travel as well as the extra time she spent up with Naida.

By the time Crow got back to his bed chambers, he was more than ready to lay down for the night. He stepped over to the side of his bed and sat down, yawning broadly before he bent down to take off his boots. As he finished removing them, he saw another pair of shoes stand in front of him. He looked up to meet Preston’s gaze with a confused expression. “Did you want something?” he asked, his tone slightly blunt from his exhaustion.

“Let me help you,” the boy said, stepping forward and reaching for the thief’s tunic.

“Hey, hey,” Crow recoiled from the servant’s hands. “I can undress myself, thank you very much.”

Preston frowned, “But it’s my job to—”

“I don’t care,” Crow stopped him by holding up his hand. “I’m not going to let someone else take off my clothes for me unless they’re an attractive woman. Now go get some sleep. I don’t need anything else from you tonight.”

The attendant hesitated for a moment before he gave a reluctant nod, “Fine. Goodnight.” He bowed and then turned to head out of the room, leaving the thief to be alone in his room.

As soon as the door closed behind the boy, Crow let out his breath in relief. He finished getting ready for bed and laid down, drawing the smooth sheets up to his chin. It felt good to finally have a moment to himself. He would have liked to enjoy it for a while, but in the end, his desire to sleep won out and he drifted off into a light slumber.

--

“It’s time to get up.”

Crow groaned and shoved his pillow over his head to block out the sound of whoever was trying to rouse him. His bed was so comfortable, and he was still tired despite the sleep he’d gotten that night. He didn’t want to get up.

There was a brief pause before the voice tried again. “Come on. You need to get ready for your ceremony.”

“Go away.”

Another pause, this one longer than the last. The thief managed to drift off into a light sleep before he eventually heard the sound of footsteps by his bed. He was still barely awake, but he was rather sure the first voice had left the room and returned with someone else. He buried his head further beneath the pillow, hoping whoever was there would take the hint that he didn’t want to get up yet.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get his way.

Through the thick feathering in the pillow, he could hear muffled voices talking amongst each other before he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. “Sir, you need to wake up,” this voice sounded more familiar. “We need to prepare you for the titling ceremony this afternoon.”

“Not now,” Crow groaned again. “It doesn’t take me that long to get dressed. I’ll do it later.”

There was more quiet talking. He began to relax again, but before he could nod off, he flinched as someone suddenly pulled his blanket away from his body. The sudden change in temperature as the cool air hit his skin was jarring. With a pang of annoyance, he sat up to see who had woken him up so rudely. To his surprise, Preston was standing by the edge of the bed with the corner of the sheets in one hand while Hunter stood further back, fidgeting nervously as if he wasn’t quite as on board with the other attendant’s idea.

“What the hell?” Crow snapped. Still in a foul mood from his lingering weariness, he turned on the boy with a glare. “I was trying to sleep.”

“Yes, well, the king instructed us to prepare you for your ceremony this morning,” Preston said. His voice was calm, but he backed away from the bed to put some distance between himself and the angry thief. “I had to get you up somehow.”

Crow just scoffed in response, running a hand through his messy hair as he reluctantly allowed himself to wake up a bit more. However, in the next moment, he knitted his brows, glancing toward one of the windows off to his left. “It’s still early,” he turned back to the attendants with narrowed eyes. “The ceremony isn’t until the afternoon. Why did you wake me up now?”

“There’s a lot to do,” Preston shrugged.

“Surely there can’t be that much,” Crow said with dry disbelief.

“Well, normally there isn’t,” the boy admitted. “But you’re going to take more work.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Preston opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly cut off by Hunter, who chose that moment to intervene. “Never mind him,” the older servant said hurriedly. “There are clothes for you on the table. Preston will help you get dressed, and then we’ll take you to get ready for the ceremony.”

Crow and Preston exchanged a tense glance. Fortunately, the boy seemed to remember their conversation from the night before. He stepped over to the table and picked up a stack of neatly folded, white linen clothing and handed them over to the thief without a word.

Crow stood up and dressed himself. The plain shirt and pants were clean, and the fabric felt soft against his skin. It was quite different from the coarse fibers of the clothing he usually wore. He turned back to the attendants with a sigh, “Let’s get this over with.”

The next morning Penelope didn't bother with trying to wake up early. The knight was tired and it wasn't like she had much to do anyways. She still had to speak with Tybalt but she was sure that wouldn't take more than a few minutes and she'd eventually have to get ready for the ceremony in the afternoon but again, she figured that wouldn't take too long. Although she supposed she'd better make sure she had enough time to take a simple bath. With all the long walking and working, even the knight had to admit she was getting a bit grimy. Normally she wouldn't pay much mind to it—especially since it was getting cold out—but since she'd be borrowing a dress from Naida, she'd feel bad if she wasn't at least somewhat clean.

She let out a sigh as the room grew a bit brighter as sunlight filtered in from the window. Though it was already late into the morning, she was still reluctant to get up. She stretched and rubbed her eyes before eventually forcing herself to rise and put on her boots. She didn't bother to put on her armor since she wouldn't be working but did take her sword with her. Heading out of the room, she grab a quick breakfast at the great hall, enjoying a bit of alone time. Afterwards, she began her search for Tybalt, which ended up being rather easy as she found him near the main entrance of the castle speaking with another knight.

"Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt but I-" the knight slowed to a stop as the face of the guard came into view and she shifted uneasily.

"Well, well.. I heard you were back. It's good to see you again, Penelope." Cedric gave her a warm smile.

It was a bit shocking to suddenly run into him and to have him even address her. After their messy split years ago, neither bothered to speak if and when they ever did cross paths. Luckily it hadn't been very often anyways. She could barely even recall the last time she had seen him. It had likely been about a year since they had crossed paths. Normally, seeing him always struck her with a hint of angry and pain but this time it was more annoyance than anything. After all, she had Crow now and whatever she had felt for Cedric was nothing compared to what she felt for the thief.

However, that didn't mean she was going to be friendly with him.

Penelope eyed him as he addressed her then focused her gaze back on Tybalt as she held out the letter from Mia. "I have a letter from my baroness that approves of my stay here for two months at the least. If you're able to fit me in, I'd like to start picking up guard shifts again." she explained.

Tybalt took the letter and read it over before giving a nod of approval. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, sir." she dipped her head.

"I'll be going then, Cedric." Tybalt gave a small nod before he dipped his head to the two and then walked off.

Penelope was quick to turn to leave, not wanting to stick around Cedric for any longer than she had to. "Ah, Penelope, wait a second." She was just about to leave when he spoke up and caught her by the wrist. The unexpected touch made the female knight bristle and she turned to face him, eying him warily. She didn't like how he was making an effort to try and speak with her. She much preferred when he would ignore her the same as she would ignore him.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently as she shook his hand off of her wrist.

"So... you're going to be back here for two months?" he asked a bit shyly.

Penelope crossed her arms over her chest. "That's the plan." she responded bluntly. "I thought you quit being a castle guard sometime ago. What are you doing here?"

"I did but I decided to come back. Working in Everton wasn't really the best decision I made." Cedric shrugged. He shuffled his feet and took a small step towards her. "Look, Penelope I'm really sorry about the past. I was an ass back then—"

"Yeah no kidding." Penelope interrupted with a scoffed.

Cedric frowned. "And I owe you more than just a simple apology but if you can forgive me, I'd like to be your friend."

Penelope studied him with a distrusting gaze. It was hard to tell if this man was being genuine or just playing at an angle that she had yet to figure out. Part of her was far from willing to trust him, knowing that it'd be quite the risk. However, her mind went to Crow. The thief had seemed convinced he had wronged someone in the past due to being young and foolish. Perhaps Cedric wasn't any different. If he truly did regret it, she saw no reason in holding such a grudge against him. Besides, it wasn't like he had ruined her life. The knight let out a sigh, perhaps she should be a bit more forgiving.

"I'll think about it." she muttered.

"I guess I can't ask for more than that." Cedric smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you."

She gave a faint nod. "I have stuff to take care of so I'll see you around, Cedric." she sighed and didn't wait for a reply as she turned and headed off to begin getting ready for the ceremony to come.

Still feeling tired, Crow ambled carelessly down the long corridor after Hunter and Preston. For a while, none of them said anything to each other. The two attendants were soft-spoken by nature, and the thief was still focusing on shaking off the last of his weariness. He let his gaze wander over the people they passed, most of whom were guards that studied him with clenched jaws. It was obvious that the knights hated him just as much as before, but they seemed to be restraining themselves more today than usual. He wondered why until he remembered what his father had told him the night before. Now that he was officially the king’s ward, it appeared the guards had to show him more respect. His lip quirked upward in an amused smirk at the thought.

After a while of following the servants, Crow began to grow more curious to find out where they were taking him. They had entered a part of the castle that was unfamiliar to him. It wasn’t as lavishly decorated as the hallways that contained rooms of riches and wealth that would have drawn his eye. There were less guards as well, but more noblemen who also wore white linen garments. All of them were followed by their own personal attendants, which meant—to the thief’s best guess—that they were rather high-ranking men.

“So,” he finally spoke up, too curious to keep waiting any longer. “Where are we going, exactly?”

“The bathhouse,” Preston answered, slowing his pace slightly to fall in step beside the thief.

“Bathhouse?” Crow repeated with distaste. “I’ve already bathed recently. I don’t need another one.”

The attendant tilted his head slightly and looked him over, “When?”

“Last month.”

“You need another bath.”

Crow rolled his eyes, although he chose not to push the matter. He didn’t dislike being clean, but he also didn’t feel like he needed to wash again just yet. In the outer villages, people would normally bathe two or three times a year. Anything more than that was considered unnecessary. He didn’t see any reason why he should have to bathe after just one month. But, of course, it was less painful to just go along with the attendants’ wishes so long as they didn’t ask him to do anything too outlandish, so he kept his mouth shut.

Eventually, they arrived at a room at the end of the hall. It was a bit small—not much larger than his bed chamber—with a steaming pool of water that took up most of the space in the center. A few other noblemen were already inside, reclining about in various states of undress while their servants washed and tended to them. Crow lingered by the doorway as he took in the peculiar sight. When he pictured “bath,” this was not what came to mind.

“Go on,” Hunter encouraged him, noticing his hesitation. “I’ll hold onto your clothes for you while you bathe.”

Crow glanced at him and then back at the water, where some of the other nobles had taken notice of him and seemed to rush their own baths to get out of the pool before he stepped in. They probably didn’t like the idea of sharing bathwater with a peasant. “Fine,” he agreed after a moment. He knew was going to have to do it eventually, so he supposed he might as well just get it over with now. Slipping out of his shirt and pants, the thief handed off the clothing to Hunter and walked up to the edge of the pool. Preston followed closely behind him as usual.

Crow stood beside the water for a moment, watching the steam that rose off the surface with interest. It looked hot, but the other men clearly weren’t in any pain, so he supposed the temperature must have been tolerable enough. Deciding to find out for himself, he tentatively eased himself into the pool. As the water enveloped his body, his eyes widened slightly. As he’d expected, it was quite warm, but it was far from unpleasant. The heat was relaxing, and it soothed his tense muscles. It was much nicer than the icy rivers he had used to bathe in the past.

“I think I’m starting to understand why nobles wash themselves so often,” he sighed, closing his eyes as he sank up to his neck in the warm water. However, the moment didn’t last long. He stiffened as he felt someone touch his back and craned his neck to see that Preston had taken the liberty to start working on his shoulders with a cloth.

“I can do this by myself too,” Crow growled, snatching the rag from the attendant’s hand. As he pulled it away, he realized the fabric had a light scent to it. Curious, he lifted it to his nose. “What’s this?”

At his question, the boy bit his lip as if to keep from laughing, “That’s soap.”

Crow reddened slightly. He wasn’t embarrassed about the fact that he hadn’t used soap before—no one in the outer villages could afford such a luxury—but the servant’s response made him feel a bit bashful. Not wanting to dwell on it, he turned away from the attendant and proceeded to wash himself without replying.

Preston wasn’t as quick to drop it.

“You really are a peasant, huh?” he mused, rocking back on his heels at the edge of the pool now that his job had been taken over.

“That’s what I told you before,” Crow muttered, gingerly scrubbing the middle of his torso with the cloth. Though his wound had healed for the most part, the new skin over his scar was still sensitive to the touch, so he worked on it tenderly. To his relief, the attendant let the matter of his origin finally drop, and he finished bathing in silence. When he was finished, he climbed back out of the water—reluctantly, since he enjoyed the way the heat felt on his body—and was handed a towel by Hunter.

Once he was dry, he dressed himself again and followed the two attendants as they led him off to whatever was next on their list of preparations, leaving the bathhouse behind.

There certainly was a perk to being a female knight and that was the bathhouse for noblewomen. Though she might not have been as high ranking as most that used it, she didn't exactly have many options. Lower ranking knights often used tubs and worked together in heating up water and cleaning up in one of the rooms in the barrack. Of course, the number of female knights was low so that place was pretty much only for male knights. Which gave the few low ranking female knights access to the woman's bathhouse even if they weren't exactly as high up as others that used it.

She undressed and set her clothing down at one empty corner of the pool, cringing as she heard a small gasp sound from nearby. The only downside were the occasional stares she received from gossiping noblewomen who weren't used to seeing such scars like the large one she had on her torso on women. Penelope rolled her eyes and stepped into the pool, relaxing at the warmth of the water. She glanced over at a group of women nearby. Most of them seemed to be ignoring her aside from one who casted her a look of pity.

Penelope turned her head away from them as she felt a stab of annoyance. Her scars didn't particularly bother her—many knights had them after all—so she certainly didn't need the pity of this woman. Focusing on getting herself clean, she grabbed her soapy cloth and began to scrub herself down. The knight worked effectively and felt rather refreshed now that she was clean again. Stepping out of the water, she dried herself off with a towel and rang out her drenched hair as much as she could before slipping back into her clothing.

The knight relaxed as she walked back down the corridor of the castle, heading in the direction of the great hall as she debated if she should go find Naida. Off handedly, she wondered how Crow was faring. She wasn't exactly sure what they had planned for him that day but assumed that the king was keeping him busy with preparations. Penelope let out a small sigh, wishing she was able to go to his side. The thief had seemed so stressed the night before and she wanted to be there for him. Unfortunately, it seemed she had to settle for supporting him from afar for a while.

Realizing she had let herself wander a bit aimlessly due to being caught up in her thoughts, the knight decided to try and find Naida. It might have been a bit early to get ready but at the very least she could spend that time in the company of her friend. Spotting a servant with the royal crest heading down the hallway, she moved over to approach the younger looking girl as she carried a small basket of clothing.

"Ah, excuse me. Sorry to interrupt you but do you happen to know where Naida Mannering is?" Penelope asked her.

The servant blinked. "You mean the princess? I believe she's in her room right now."

"And... where is that?" Penelope asked bashfully. Noticing the servant hesitate, she let out a small sigh. "I'm supposed to meet up with her before the ceremony that's happening later today."

"O-Of course.. It's on the third level down the right hallway. Second door on the left ma'am." she explained timidly.

"Thank you." Penelope dipped her head gratefully and then headed off to the staircase, beginning to head up to Naida's room. It still felt strange to think of her friend as the princess but she supposed it was just something she'd have to get used to.