“You think so?” Crow glanced at the dress Penelope had pointed out. “Maybe next time.” He casted her a wink as they prepared to briefly part ways. Though he had been excited for the day trip because of the opportunity it gave them to spend more time together, he also wanted to do a bit of exploring on his own while he still could. Who knew when he would be able to leave the castle walls again? Ever since he’d accepted his title, he’d become something of a caged pet. Chances for him to get out and stretch his legs had grown few and far between, so he was going to take advantage of the time he had now.

“Alright,” he nodded when the knight said she wouldn’t be gone long. “See you soon, love.” Turning away from the tailor’s stand, his eyes roved over the rest of the marketplace with interest. Knowing Penelope, he was certain she was right that it wouldn’t take very long for her to pick out a dress for the party. Even when they had first met two years ago, she hadn’t struck him as the type of woman to fret over what she wore. She would likely just select the first article of clothing that caught her eye.

That meant he didn’t have much time to look around.

Weaving through the crowd, Crow made his way back toward the row of foreign merchants. Even though the wares were insanely expensive, he was drawn to the unique designs of the artists. Avoiding the Medoran man he’d conversed with earlier—he didn’t want to waste any time declining to purchase his jewelry—he ambled along the front of a stand covered with trinkets made from wood and glass. They were much simpler compared to the Medoran style, and he guessed that meant they were from Gorm. Everything he’d seen from the northern kingdom in the past was elegant but basic.

Entranced by a particular figurine made from a combination of spiraling wood and glass, the viceroy edged closer to the table. However, as he did, a movement in the row behind the merchant caught his eye: A tall man with a shaved head was watching him amongst the crowd.

Crow’s heart skipped a beat as the memory of the mercenary in Younis flashed through his mind, and he quickly looked up from the stand to turn toward the man, not wanting to let him out of his sight. However, as soon as he turned toward the spot where the stranger had been standing, the man disappeared. His startled green eyes darted over the faces in the market, but no matter where he looked, there was no trace of his stalker. The man had vanished.

“Are you alright, sir?” the merchant’s question drew his attention. The Gorman man had a frown on his face and a concerned edge to his heavily-accented voice.

“Yeah…” Crow trailed off without meeting his gaze. He looked over the crowd once more, but there was still no sign that the man with the shaved head had ever been there. He ran his hand anxiously through his hair. Had he just imagined it? How would a mercenary show up this far into the kingdom anyway? Surely the knights of Brerra would never let one get this close to the castle. He exhaled, a troubled expression crossing his features. [i]I’m losing it…[/i]

Trying to shake off his lingering nervousness, he continued walking past a couple more stands, though he couldn’t keep himself from looking over his shoulder every once in a while to make sure he wasn’t being followed.

As more time passed and he didn’t see the strange man again, Crow decided with more certainty that he must have imagined him. He wasn’t sure what that meant about his sanity, but at least he could be sure he wasn’t in danger. He relaxed, resuming his exploration of the marketplace with renewed excitement.

Circling back around to the Medoran merchant, the viceroy studied his wares from behind a thin curtain of other people in the crowd. Even though he couldn’t afford to purchase anything in Bellmare, he didn’t want to leave a market like this emptyhanded. He rolled his wrists, watching the artist strike up a conversation with an interesting consumer. If he wanted to swipe something, now was his chance.

Walking with purpose, he strode up to the front of the stand from an angle, as if he was just passing by to get to another merchant. Getting close enough to graze the edge with his hip, he smoothly picked up the metal piece he’d had his eye on with two fingers and slipped it into his pocket without slowing his pace. As expected, the Medoran man didn’t even glance his way, and he melted back into the crowd without any trouble.

He smiled to himself as he headed back to the spot where he’d said he would meet Penelope. Now that he’d gotten a souvenir for himself, he was ready to move on to whatever she had planned next.