On his way to the Great Hall, Crow yawned and lifted his arms over his head in a long stretch. Having not been able to take a break since breakfast, he planned to have a quick supper and return to his room to get some sleep. After enduring a full day of Udolf’s company, he felt like he deserved it. The tutor was difficult to be around since everything that came out of his mouth was a criticism of some form or another. Even the viceroy, who considered himself to be a level-headed receiver of most critiques, found the constant berating to be exhausting. He wasn’t sure how he was going to last through another lesson like that, let alone enough of them to become as educated as the rest of the noblemen in the castle.

As he walked past another patrol of guards, Crow noticed that the knights were giving him dirtier looks than usual. He rolled his eyes. Like Udolf, they probably found the way he casually walked through the castle “improper” or were judging him for some other superficial nonsense. Normally, their condescending looks didn’t bother him, but after being told all day that everything he knew and did was wrong, he found their bitter looks more annoying than usual.

“Mind your own gods damned business,” he snarled the next time he caught one of them staring.

The knight blinked, seeming surprised by his reaction. He turned to his comrade to mutter something about ‘entitled criminals,’ which, of course, did nothing to better the thief’s mood.

Crow slowed his walk slightly as he glared at the guards, toying with the idea of staying to prod at them some more, but before he could, he felt someone’s hand press against his lower back, ushering him past the other men. He looked down to see Preston eyeing him with a wary look as he hurried them both through the hallway. “It doesn’t seem like a good idea to pick a fight with the royal guard,” the attendant said, justifying his actions before the viceroy could question him.

“Who said anything about fighting?” Crow shrugged. “I just wanted them to stop their staring.”

“You swore at them,” Preston pointed out. “It definitely sounded like you were trying to start a fight.”

“They started it,” Crow muttered.

“They’re going to look down on anyone whom they think is beneath them,” the attendant said dismissively. “Your opinion isn’t going to change that.”

“Well then, gods damn them too.”

When the two arrived in the Great Hall, Crow took a moment to look around. Unlike the last few times he’d been there, the room was nearly empty, so he doubted he would find anyone he knew. He let out a quiet sigh and took a step toward an empty table, resigning himself to eat alone. However, in the next moment, he realized there actually was someone he knew that was still in the Great Hall.

Crow’s heartbeat quickened slightly as he spotted Penelope off to his right. This time, it looked like she was eating alone—Naida was nowhere to be seen. He smiled to himself and turned to walk over to her but then faltered as he suddenly realized she was speaking to the same nobleman who’d sat with her at the banquet the night before. He shifted his weight slightly. It still wasn’t well known around the castle that they were even friendly with each other, so he didn’t want to tip this nobleman off by interrupting their conversation.

Luckily, it seemed that wouldn’t be a problem, because it wasn’t long before the strange man walked away, leaving Penelope alone. Crow’s heart fluttered excitedly as the knight waved at him, but he forced himself to keep a neutral expression, since Preston was still by his side. Thinking about the attendant now, he casted him a thoughtful glance. “Why don’t you go to the kitchen and find out if there’s any food left?” he suggested, gesturing at the knight’s table. “Just bring out whatever leftovers you can find. I’ll be sitting over here.”

“Of course,” Preston bowed and walked off to comply with the request.

With the boy gone, Crow fixed his attention back on Penelope, making his way over to her table. It was the first time they’d been alone—or at least, as alone as they could get—since their trip back from the outer villages. He wanted to make the most of it while he could.

“Long time, no see,” he said with a teasing grin as he sat down across from her. “I’m surprised you’re still here at this hour. I hope you weren’t waiting for me.”