“Hey,” Crow greeted his sister as he sat down next to her at the table. He would have liked to sit beside Penelope again, but Naida had forgotten to “pressure” him into it, and he didn’t want her to get any ideas if he joined the knight on his own. Instead, he settled down comfortably across from her, returning her smirk when she commented on the fact that he was still roaming freely. He opened his mouth to reply, but then paused as he noticed her eyes wander to something past his shoulder.

Curious to find out what had caught her attention, he turned and found that the nobleman he had seen hanging around Penelope before was standing by their table. The viceroy studied him with a hint of interest in his gaze. Though he had no qualms with the knight spending time with other men—he’d only disliked Gavin because that particular man used to court her, and he’d been right that Gavin had been trying to win her back before—he did like to know what sort of people she spent her time with when she wasn’t with him. The interest was drawn more from his protectiveness of her than anything else.

As the stranger asked if he could eat with them, Crow glanced back at Penelope and raised a brow when she told him it was fine. He supposed he shouldn’t have been that surprised though. Since he had reunited with her in the outer villages, he’d learned that she was quite sociable with her comrades, especially those whom she was close to. She wasn’t the type to turn someone away without a good reason. So, he said nothing as the nobleman moved to join them at their table for supper.

That is, until he picked up on the eagerness in the other man’s movements as he sat next to Penelope. The viceroy narrowed his eyes slightly but remained quiet as he began to watch the noble a little more warily. Though he knew nothing about this stranger, he seemed strangely excited by the prospect of eating with the knight. He wondered if there was a reason to keep an eye on him. However, as the nobleman moved to greet Naida with a courteous nod, he second guessed himself.

[i]Maybe it’s not Penelope he’s excited to eat with,[/i] he mused, suddenly thinking about Wayne and the other noblemen and women who had approached him at the banquet. Perhaps this man was just trying to form connections with people who ranked higher than him as well. He was probably eager for the opportunity his friend had provided by joining a princess and viceroy for supper.

Relaxing a bit, Crow met the other man’s gaze as he introduced himself. He studied him for a moment longer before taking Cedric’s extended hand. “Collin,” he greeted him curtly. Even if the new arrival wasn’t here for Penelope, the former thief wasn’t quick to warm up to someone he didn’t know.

Cedric seemed to sense his standoffishness. His friendly smile wavered slightly as he retracted his hand.

Naida briefly glanced between them before nudging Crow’s side. “So, what have you been up to?” she asked, breaking the momentary tension with the question. It was hard to tell if she had done so on purpose. “I haven’t seen you in over a day, and then I hear you’ve been accused of stealing?”

“If you heard that, then I’m sure you also heard that I took nothing,” Crow said, his eyes flicking to Penelope. “They just assumed it was me because of my past.”

“That doesn’t explain why you disappeared all of yesterday,” Naida frowned. “I didn’t see you at breakfast or supper.”

Crow shifted his weight slightly and glanced at Cedric. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded telling his sister about his intention to build connections around the castle nor about the dinner he’d shared with their father. However, with an unfamiliar presence at the table, he didn’t want to bring up either of those subjects. Instead, he just answered with a simple, noncommittal: “I’ve been busy” and turned away from her as the servants arrived with their food.