Crow’s lesson with his father went by just as smoothly as the last two had. He reviewed the characters of the Gorman language one more time and continued to read through the book the king had given him. Like the last time, there were quite a few words he didn’t recognize, but it didn’t bother him anymore. He’d figured out that Albin had given him this specific book because he wanted him to learn more about trade between kingdoms, since he was going to need to know how to negotiate properly with the foreign king if or when he left for his trip. Though the intermittent lessons on commerce bored the former thief, he paid close enough attention to remember what he was told, just in case his father ever chose to test his memory on the subject.

Throughout the afternoon Crow maintained a good performance, keeping up with the information Albin gave him and asking questions whenever the king threw a term at him that he didn’t understand. However, by the end of it, he felt just as exhausted as if he had spent the day in training with John rather than studying books and scrolls. When he got up from the chair he’d been lounging in to leave, he nearly swayed on his feet, yawning tiredly and wishing his lesson had ended earlier so he could take another nap. Judging by the level of light coming in through the window, it looked like he was going to have to go straight to supper if he wanted to eat at all.

Before he left, Albin noticed his weariness.

“By the way,” the king mused, gathering the Gorman reading material he’d laid out on his table earlier to put away. “I’ve spoken with your other tutors, and we all agree that you’ve been excelling in your studies.”

Crow turned back to him, slightly surprised by the sudden compliment. “Thank you,” he dipped his head. “I’ve been trying to learn as quickly as I can, so I’m glad to know my efforts are yielding results.”

“They are indeed,” his father looked up at him with a pleased smile. “That’s why I’ve decided to let you take tomorrow off. You’re free to enjoy your leisure time however you see fit.”

Crow’s eyes widened, “Really?”

“Of course,” the king chuckled, seeming amused by his stunned reaction. “You’ve earned it.”

The viceroy nearly felt weak with relief. After enduring long lessons day after day, he felt ready to take a break from it all. The wheels of his mind turned as he already started imagining what he could do with the newfound free time. Of course, the first thing he intended to do was take a lengthy nap. He could sleep after breakfast and have Preston wake him up before his nightmares could plague him again. The thought of getting more rest brought an eager smile to his lips.

“Thank you,” he said earnestly, leaning forward in a deeper bow than he usually offered. His father had given him a wonderful gift by letting him take a break from his lessons, so he decided the king deserved a little more respect than his normal curt gestures gave.

“You’re quite welcome,” Albin nodded, turning back to his task. “Have a good supper, Collin.”

Crow bobbed his head once more and headed out of the room, grinning to himself as he thought about how good it would feel to take a whole day to do whatever he wanted. However, his good mood didn’t last long. As he walked down the hallway that led to the Great Hall, he noticed that the knights he passed were watching him with more annoyance in their gazes than usual. He eyed them warily, remembering that Preston had said the night guards would likely start gossiping about him once their shifts ended. It was hard to tell what was going on in the heads of the men he walked by, but judging by the unfriendly looks they wore, word about him and Elizabeth was already getting around.

The viceroy ducked his head slightly and hastened his pace, eager to get away from their condescending gazes. Though he didn’t care what they thought about him, he was a bit worried about how far the rumors had spread. If Naida had already heard, he knew he was going to get an earful about how terrible it was that he’d “slept” with someone he wasn’t even courting. The gossip might make his relationships with the other noblemen more complicated too. The other men were fond of talking about women they wished to court, but from what he could tell, even they were still chivalrous in the way they treated the noblewomen in the castle. They wouldn’t support it if they found out he’d “used” Liz.

Crow let his breath out in a sigh. Even if the rumors had already reached the ears of those who were closer to him, here was nothing he could do at this point. He just hoped that anyone who’d already heard whatever lies the knights were spreading about him would ask questions to his face instead of whispering behind his back. At least that way, he could correct them and explain that he and Elizabeth hadn’t really slept together, and that the whole thing was just a huge misunderstanding.

[i]But, knowing the habits of nobles, they’re probably going to whisper anyway,[/i] he thought dryly. If he was going to straighten this mess out, he had a feeling he was going to have to assert the truth by himself. Still, maybe there was a chance it could wait until tomorrow. He felt a bubble of hope in his chest. Just because the other guards had heard the gossip didn’t mean anyone else had. If it was still contained, then perhaps he could get away with having just one more meal without any drama.

With that thought in mind, he stepped into the Great Hall for supper, looking over the room to see if anyone he knew was already there.