Crow smiled as Penelope wrapped her arms around him, relieved that she seemed to be feeling better after they talked. All in all, he was glad that they had opened up to each other so honestly. Even though he’d been hesitant at first and he still wasn’t sure if he’d said the right thing to her, their conversation had seemed to lead to a good place in the end. As long as they were closer to each other now than they had been before, he felt like it had been worthwhile to get through the discomfort.

When the knight suddenly pulled back from him to apologize again, he knitted his brows together. It seemed unnecessary to him now that they had moved on, but he didn’t get the chance to say so before she leaned in and kissed him rather affectionately. Deciding it wasn’t worth the effort to disagree with her, he let it go and sank into her lips, enjoying the peaceful moment. Their time alone was far too spread apart lately, so he liked being able to steal this moment in the early morning. After all, it wouldn’t be long before they were forced to keep their distance again.

As she pulled back, Crow had to keep himself from chasing after another kiss, desirous of her intimate touch after going so long without it. Her hopeful look got his attention though, and he paused to listen to her say that she had made some progress in her mission to end the war. The news was exciting to hear, and he felt a little more optimistic that she would be able to gain enough support before his father sent him to Gorm. As long as the party went well, they would be right on track to settling everything in their favor.

“That’s great,” he grinned at her earnestly, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face. “It seems like Toreus picked the right person to give this task when he chose you.” Suddenly, another thought crossed his mind and his eagerness grew. “I’ve also had a bit of success on my end while you were gone. I convinced two of the noblemen I’ve been speaking with lately to come to the party, and I told them to bring their families as well.”

Feeling good after all the progress they had both made, Crow leaned in to kiss Penelope again, meeting her lips passionately and tracing his hands down her back. After a bit, he pulled away just enough to press a few gentler kisses to her jawline. “I’ve got some more good news to share too,” he murmured against her skin. “My father decided to let me have today off from my lessons… Maybe we could get away for a while; take a day to ourselves without thinking about any other responsibilities. What do you think?”