Something was definitely off about Penelope. Crow could tell that much for sure. He studied her quietly, wondering if she was more than just tired as she stared at him absently instead of answering his question. Maybe she hadn’t gotten everything done that she’d wanted to, or maybe the Lenz’s had given her a hard time about something. He vaguely remembered her telling him that Gavin’s relatives weren’t very fond of her after all. It wouldn’t have been surprising to find out that they had fought on the trip.

Whatever the case, he watched her a little more closely as she finally spoke up in a weak voice, concerned that there was something she was withholding from him. He wished he could just ask her what happened, but with Cedric around, the most he could get away with was reaching underneath the table to rest his hand on hers in a comforting gesture.

As the two knights began to speak, Crow looked away, noticing that a servant had come to bring him his food for supper. He raised a brow, surprised to find that it wasn’t Preston, but another boy he didn’t recognize. It had taken him until now to realize it, but he hadn’t seen Preston since breakfast that morning. He frowned as he watched the unfamiliar boy bow politely and test his food for poison. He hoped everything was alright. Preston may not have taken all his duties seriously as a personal attendant, but this was the first time he’d abandoned his job completely. Of course, the viceroy didn’t care if he was waited on or not, but he did want to make sure that something hadn’t happened to him.

Crow was so caught up in his thoughts that he was startled when a pair of slender arms wrapped around his chest from behind.

“Hey, Collin,” Elizabeth greeted him with a wide grin. “I missed you at breakfast. Where have you been all day?”

The viceroy stiffened at the sound of her voice, still on edge after the stunt she’d pulled last night. “Why are you still lingering around me?” he asked hotly, shooting the noblewoman a glare and pushing her away from him. “I thought I made it clear that I don’t want anything more to do with you.”

“I know you said that,” Liz frowned. “But I thought things changed… after last night, and all…” Her sly blue eyes flicked toward Penelope, and she smirked. “I mean, I’m not usually one to kiss and tell, but I didn’t take you for the kind of man who would sleep with a girl and throw her away afterwards.”

“I’m not,” Crow spat, curling his hands into fists at his sides. “But that’s because we didn’t sleep together. You know that.” He couldn’t believe Liz was bold enough to bring up the previous night in front of Penelope. Since she had just gotten back to the castle, he’d wanted to wait until tomorrow morning to tell her what had happened, so she wouldn’t be made upset so soon after her trip, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen anymore.

“I don’t know why you’re trying to hide it,” Elizabeth frowned at him as if she was upset. “Collin, the night guards saw me leave your room wearing your bedsheet.” Her mischievous eyes dance to Penelope briefly before returning to his face, and she giggled. “It was a fun game at the time, but I think you should have let me get dressed if you really didn’t want anyone to find out about us.”