As Naida fumbled to come up with a solution to the problem he’d pointed out to her, Crow shook his head exasperatedly. There was nothing she could say to convince him to join in her game, and it sounded like Penelope wasn’t enthusiastic about it either, even drunk. He lifted his mug to take another sip of his drink. He hoped the princess would give up soon, so they could move on and talk about something more enjoyable. Constantly fending off her accusations was getting exhausting. 

He had just gotten distracted by a group of knights that had broken out into laughter at another table when Penelope suddenly let out an annoyed huff. Caught off guard by her reaction to Naida’s prodding, Crow turned to her in astonishment as she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a somewhat forceful kiss. At first, he froze stiffly, eyes wide with shock that she would lock lips with him so passionately in front of his sister. But even though he was sober enough to know it was a bad idea, he couldn’t help returning the kiss after his initial surprise faded. They had been together long enough that it was too easy to fall into a natural rhythm with her.

His eyelids drifted closed, and he reached across her lap to rest his free hand on her waist. Her lips felt soft against his, and he could taste the sweetness of the cider that still lingered on her tongue. For a moment, he forgot about their audience and lost himself in the feeling of her mouth moving against his. That is, until he felt the knight pull back to address Naida again.

The viceroy averted his gaze, pressing his lips together as he tried to will away the ruddy warmth that had crept over his face. He was embarrassed that he’d caved to his desire so easily, but more so than that, he’d found Penelope’s spontaneity thrilling in a way that made his heart hammer in his chest. He hoped his sister was too drunk to notice, but somehow, he was sure a detail like that wouldn’t slip past her after what had just happened.

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Naida exclaimed with an incredulous grin when Penelope tried to play off the kiss. “That was [i]hot[/i]. I’ve nev’r seen anyone kiss a [i]friend[/i] like that. I think you fancy him.” Her triumphant gaze shifted to her brother’s colored face. “And I think he fancies you too.”