Crow sat down across from Naida at the table with a sigh. Even though he hadn’t done much that day, he felt tired and couldn’t wait to go to bed. It had only been two days, and he was already starting to find his new life as a nobleman unbearable. He missed the freedom of being able to live every day on his own terms, without the restrictions of rules and customs weighing down on his shoulders. He may not have had the luxury of rich foods and fine clothing, but at least then he hadn’t been forced to spend a whole day learning how to show respect to other people who wouldn’t return it.

“So,” Naida’s voice drew him from his thoughts. He looked up to see her smirking at him amusedly. “Judging by that face, I’m guessing your lesson was just as dull as we expected. Am I right?”

“Yeah,” Crow shook his head, running one hand through his hair. “I’m starting to think it would have been more enjoyable to go back to prison.”

“Oh, it couldn’t have been [i]that[/i] bad,” his sister snickered.

“Oh, but it was,” Crow grinned at her playfully. “Trust me, I’ve done both, and spending two days in a cell was much better than studying under that tutor for the same amount of time.”

“You’re just being ridiculous,” Naida laughed. She opened her mouth to make another comment, but then stopped when something else caught her attention.

Crow looked up to see that his sister had spotted Penelope by the front of the Great Hall. A smile threatened to take over his mouth, and he turned away to hide it. After thinking he had missed the knight at supper, her sudden appearance caught him off guard, so it was harder for him to hide his excitement. He lightly bit the inside of his lip as she sat beside him, avoiding her gaze and murmuring a quiet ‘hello’ when she greeted them.

 Worried that he would give away his eagerness to be with the knight again, the viceroy remained quiet as the two noblewomen spoke to each other. He only looked up when Penelope mentioned that they wouldn’t see much of her tomorrow. As she explained that she was going to Bellmare, he nodded wordlessly, hiding his disappointment from the others. He wished he could accompany her on the short trip, but there was no way for him to get away with that—not while they were still keeping their relationship a secret, and not while Udolf was still tutoring him all day every day.

“Ah,” Naida frowned, expressing the disappointment for both of them. “Well, at least it’s just one day.” She paused for a moment, pursing her lips as another thought seemed to come to her. “What if I come with you?” she asked, perking up quickly. “I’ve got nothing else to do tomorrow, so it could be fun!” She turned to Crow with a mischievous glint in her eye. “What about you, Collin? Want to come?”

The viceroy blinked, his eyes flicking between Naida and Penelope. He shifted his weight, unprepared for the question. “I really wish I could,” he sighed, casting a brief, wistful glance at Penelope. “But I’ve got another lesson tomorrow, and I’ve already annoyed my tutor enough as it is. If I don’t show up, he’ll probably go and complain to the king.”

“Aw,” Naida pouted and turned back to Penelope. “Well, he can’t go, but I don’t mind skimping out on a few responsibilities.” She grinned. “What do you say?”