Crow smirked a little to himself when Penelope brought up his lesson. “I was actually supposed to be there a while ago,” he admitted with a shrug. “I’m honestly not sure if my tutor is still there.” Somehow, he doubted Udolf was the kind of man to wait for a student for this long. He had probably left by now to make better use of his time. For a moment, the viceroy wondered if he would go to his father as he had been threatening, but thinking over the results of his last few lessons, he didn’t think it was likely. He’d already proven to the old man that he was taking his lessons seriously. Surely one slip up wouldn’t be enough to undo that impression, right?

Confident that the consequences wouldn’t be that bad, Crow took one more furtive look around the hallway before he slipped inside the supply closet. He had to duck slightly to keep from hitting his head on the short lintel. The light faded from the tiny room as he closed the door behind him, enveloping both of them in darkness but also protecting them from unwanted eyes.

“It’s just one day,” he assured Penelope with a smile that he knew she couldn’t see. Moving carefully to avoid bumping into any of the supplies in the closet, he took a couple steps forward and reached out blindly to locate the knight in the dark. His fingers brushed her arm, and he gently traced it up to her shoulder and then to her face, softly caressing her cheek. In the next moment, his heartbeat quickened as he realized this was the first time in nearly a week that they had been able to slip away together, and he wrapped his arms around her in a sudden embrace.

“Gods, it’s been too long,” he breathed, pressing affectionate kisses to her cheek and jaw.