As Cedric joined in the conversation, Crow felt a twinge of annoyance. He wished the knight would keep his distance, but it seemed like he was determined to stay nearby. Despite Penelope’s claim that her former suitor was just trying to rekindle a friendship between them, the viceroy wasn’t so quick to trust the word of a man he didn’t know. Until he saw hard proof that Cedric wasn’t vying for her affection, he intended to keep a close eye on him to make sure he didn’t pull anything funny.

Trying not to let his hostility toward the other man completely steal his attention away from the conversation, he nodded along as Penelope explained how her plans had been progressing. It sounded like there were still a lot of details up in the air but, remembering the advice John had given him earlier, he tried not to worry about the parts that weren’t within his control. Right now, the best he could do was invite the few nobles he knew in the castle and hope the rest would fall into place, as the knight had said it would.

When Penelope changed the subject, Crow casted her a lopsided smile, “I had another lesson with your father today. I think he’s made it his mission to wear me out.”

“Aw, I’m sure it’ll get easier when you get better with a sword,” Naida smirked at him from across the table.

The former thief shook his head. “He’s starting me on horseback riding now,” he explained. “I think my—the king,” he hastily corrected himself with a subtle glance at Cedric. “—wants me to focus on that first, since it would be a lot harder for me to travel all the way outside of the kingdom on foot.”

“Ugh,” his sister wrinkled her nose. “Just thinking about that is exhausting. I’m surprised you’ve gone all these years wandering around without a horse or a wagon to ride on.”

“If it’s your only option, you get used to it,” Crow chuckled amusedly. The princess was kind, but she was still a product of her upbringing. He guessed she was as oblivious to the struggles of the villagers as the rest of the nobles in the inner kingdom.

Suddenly, another thought crossed his mind, and his eyes flitted discreetly to Cedric’s face once more before finding Penelope’s gaze beside him. “You know, it’s funny,” he said in an airy tone. “The king gave me one of his horses since I didn’t have one of my own. Now that I do, I almost feel guilty for the time we stole that stallion in Younis.”