As soon as Albin disappeared down the stairs, Crow let out his breath in an irritable huff and leaned back against a nearby wall, folding his arms over his chest. He was upset that no one was letting him speak for himself when all the accusations were about him. If they would just give him a chance, he would tell them that he hadn’t stolen anything since he’d gotten to the castle. He wouldn’t have done something that would not only get him removed from his new position but also land him back in a prison cell. Just the thought of it was ridiculous to him. He may have been a criminal, but he had self-control.

“They’re going to catch you, you know,” the guard in front of the stairs spoke up suddenly, drawing the viceroy from his thoughts. He looked up to see the knight glaring at him down his nose. “It’s only a matter of time,” he went on with a sneer. “You slipped up, and now you’re going to pay for it.”

“I did nothing,” Crow hissed, curling his lip at the other man. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I haven’t touched anyone else’s belongings.”

The knight scoffed in disbelief, “Are you saying the jewels just vanished into thin air then? No one else in the castle would have taken them. You’re the only suspect.”

“Like I said, I don’t know what’s going on,” Crow repeated impatiently, narrowing his eyes at the guard. “And you’d better watch your tongue. I may be a suspect, but I’m still the king’s viceroy.”

“Not for long,” the knight smirked confidently.

“We’ll see about that,” Crow spat. He turned away from the other man to signal that he was done with their conversation. He didn’t want to let the guard get under his skin when he was already frustrated about being falsely accused. Starting a fight would just make him look worse, and he couldn’t afford that right now. He needed to prove that even though he had a criminal record, he was more than just his title as a thief. Anyone who thought otherwise would soon see that he had at least some honor.

As the two fell quiet, the voices from the bottom of the stairs drifted to Crow’s ears. He could hear his father speaking with various other people and trying to calm the crowd. Most of the voices sounded unfamiliar to him. He might have heard them before, but he didn’t know any of them well enough to recognize them without seeing their faces. Regardless, it sounded like Albin was succeeding in bringing order to the mob. By the end of it, the shouting had died down, and the halls fell quiet once again.

The viceroy sighed in relief. Though he still wanted to give his testimony to the angry noblemen, he was glad that they weren’t crying for his arrest anymore. All that was left was to figure out what was really going on, so he could prove he hadn’t taken anything and clear his name.

He took a step away from the wall as the sound of footsteps echoed in the stairwell, signaling someone’s ascent. In the next moment, he blinked in mild surprise as his gaze landed on his father, accompanied by John and Penelope. “What’s going on?” he asked. With the reverberation in the stairs, he hadn’t been able to make out all of the conversation.

“The matter hasn’t been settled yet,” Albin said simply. “I’m going to the throne room to continue speaking with the men who’ve lost their belongings, and I expect you to meet me there when you’re ready.”

“What if I’m ready now?” Crow ventured, glancing at the Vermillions, whose presence he was still confused about.

His father noticed his wandering eyes and gestured to the two knights, “Collin, I’m sure you remember John and Penelope.”

[i]More than you know,[/i] the viceroy thought to himself. “I do,” he acknowledged out loud, shifting his gaze back to the king’s face. “But why are they here?”

“I’m going to leave them to speak with you further while I take care of things in the throne room,” Albin explained. “Now then, I expect you to handle this with [i]dignity[/i]—” Crow grimaced as he realized his father must have seen his less than elegant discourse with the guard earlier. “—and meet me in the throne room when you’re done here.”

Crow shuffled his feet, “I will.”

“Very good,” Albin nodded and turned to the knights. “John, Penelope, he’s in your care now. Make sure you do exactly as I asked. I want this issue settled before midday.”

“Of course,” John dipped his head.

The king nodded his approval again and turned to walk off down the hallway, leaving the two knights alone with the viceroy to clear the situation up amongst themselves.