When he left the Vermillions behind, Crow headed back to his room at a leisurely pace. The night was still young, so he had plenty of time to get ready for the raid without rushing, and he also didn’t want to draw any attention to himself by looking like he was in a hurry. As he walked, he had to bite his tongue to stifle the smile that threatened to take over his lips. While the reason for the backwards heist wasn’t the most cheerful, he was excited to have the chance to use his skills as a thief once again. Of course, he’d never planned to permanently stop using them, but he had assumed that when he took the title as his father’s viceroy, he wouldn’t have any more opportunities to conduct anything this elaborate again. It thrilled him to know he had been wrong.

When he finally arrived at his room, Crow wasted no time in getting ready for his plan. His first move was to take the dagger from his boot and slip it through the door handles of his bed chamber, so no one could walk in on him while he was making preparations. Once he felt like the weapon was securely in place, he stepped over to his bed and emptied his pockets, setting down the jewelry and the book he’d been carrying on the mattress before taking off the tunic he had on. Since he hadn’t been concerned with keeping out of sight while he’d been living in the castle, he hadn’t bothered wearing dark colors as he used to in the outer villages. However, now that he was going to be sneaking out, he wanted to wear something that would let him blend in better at night.

The viceroy made his way over to the wardrobe and sifted through the various clothes inside until he found a deep purple surcoat. He hesitated as he studied the fabric. It was certainly lavish enough to help him pass as the king, but its extra weight might also make it more difficult for him to climb down and up from his window. After a pause, he pulled it down from its hanger. Even though the thick clothing would make it harder for him to move around, the most important thing was for him to avoid getting caught by the guards. He had to use whatever he could to make that happen, even if he was a bit uncomfortable.

Grabbing an undershirt and a black leather belt as well, Crow got dressed and stepped back over to the bed as he contemplated what to do with the stolen jewelry. The surcoat he’d put on didn’t have any internal pockets, and he didn’t want to risk letting them fall from his trouser pockets during the climb down. After a moment, a sly smile crossed his lips, and he picked up the jewelry from the bed. He strung the pendant around his neck, put the bracelet on his wrist, and slipped the rings on his fingers.

Once he had put all of it on, he stepped over to the mirror and let out an involuntary snort. Adorned in the rich clothes and jewels, he looked almost exactly like his father. As long as none of the guards got a good look at his face, he felt certain he would be able to pass for the king. He picked up the comb he had used before his ceremony and straightened out his hair for good measure.

He was just about to begin making the cord to climb down from the window when a knock sounded at the door that made him jump. The viceroy muttered a curse under his breath. If anyone saw him now, wearing the missing jewelry that the entire royal guard was searching for, his plan would be ruined before it could even start. He fumbled to take the rings off his hand, but then relaxed when a familiar voice hissed from the other side of his door: “Collin, it’s me.”

Crow let out a sigh of relief and hurried over to the door. “Get inside,” he said in a low voice, ushering Preston into his bed chamber and closing the door behind him—he made sure to replace the dagger as well.

When he turned around, the attendant gawked at him in unveiled confusion. “What are you doing?” he asked, pointing at the diamond pendant around the viceroy’s neck.

“Playing dress up,” Crow said sarcastically before making his way over to the wardrobe and digging out the spare linens. “Don’t worry. It’s part of the plan,” he said more honestly as he held out a small stack of sheets to the boy. “Help me with these, would you? Penelope is going to be here soon, and I need to make them into cords.”

“Okay,” Preston nodded without further question. He took the sheets and sat down on the floor to start winding them into makeshift ropes.

Crow gathered a couple more and then moved to join him. A short silence fell between them as they worked on fashioning linen cords and tying the ends together. Preston was the one to break it.

“So,” the attendant mused as he tugged on the knot he’s just made. “What are you going to do with these?”

“I’m going to use them to climb out the window,” he answered absently, studying the servant’s work with a scrutinizing gaze. “Tie that knot a little bigger. It needs to be broad enough to act as a grip.”

Preston paused in what he was doing to look up at the viceroy with a frown, “You’re not running off with the jewelry, are you?”

“Of course not,” Crow scoffed. “The noblemen’s rooms are all in the wing below this one. It’s easier to get in from outside than to sneak past every guard in the castle. Now keep tying. I want to get this finished before Penelope gets here.”

“Why is she coming?” the attendant asked, ignoring his orders.

“Because she’s going with me,” the viceroy said impatiently. “Hurry up.”

“You really do fancy her.”

“What?” Crow blinked at Preston, caught off guard.

The attendant was eyeing him amusedly, “You never let anyone else help you, but you’re letting her.”

“You’re helping me right now,” the viceroy pointed out blandly. “Or at least, you’re supposed to be.”

Preston shrugged, “You still seem closer to her than anyone else.”

“I don’t know why you’re so interested in bringing this up,” Crow muttered, tugging on another knot that he had just made. He looked up at the servant with a glare. “Focus on the cords, or so help me, I’m going to strangle you with this one.”

“Fine,” Preston held up his hands in defeat.

The two continued to work in silence as they tied the linens together until they made a length of makeshift rope long enough to reach the window below.