Crow walked a pace ahead of Penelope and Naida as they began the walk back to the castle, letting his gaze roam absently over the citadel while the two knight talked. He had been adapting to noble life since the day he’d accepted the title of viceroy by his father, but sometimes it struck him just how different things really were. Usually, when he left a tavern, he was surrounded by forested land and small, peasant houses. In the inner kingdom, massive manors and other impressive feats of architecture lined the cobbled streets. Everywhere he looked, he was surrounded by wealth. It was a stark change from the villages in which he’d grown up.

However, tonight the view didn’t make him as uneasy as it often did. The falling snow made the kingdom look tranquil, no matter which part of it he walked through. He enjoyed seeing the orange glow of lanterns through the fog as well as listening to the quietest silence that only winter could bring. It always amazed him just how much the world changed with a layer of snow and ice on top. He wondered if his companions in the outer villages were watching it right now too.

Catching the sound of quickened footsteps behind him, Crow turned to Penelope as she appeared at his side. She was soberer than she had been earlier, but he could see that she still had a slightly unsteady gait when she moved. “I’m sorry too,” he sighed visibly against the frigid air. “We were supposed to be celebrating your success at the party, and I completely lost sight of that.” Everyone else seemed to have done the same thing, but he could only apologize for his own actions, so he didn’t bring them up.

“You definitely look like you’re feeling better,” he nodded in agreement when she said the chaos had helped her recover from the cider she’d been drinking. His gaze swept over her face, taking in her green eyes and fair skin that had turned rosy in the cold. He wanted to tell her that she still looked beautiful even though she’d been ‘a bit of a mess,’ but unfortunately, they weren’t alone long enough for the compliment to leave his lips.

“Don’ leave me behind,” Naida whined, trotting clumsily up to the viceroy’s other side. “I know you two wanna kiss again, but save it fer later. ‘m still drunk!”