Crow casted Penelope a smirk when she said that she hoped Elizabeth would be at the Great Hall. Usually, he was the petty one between the two of them, so it amused him to hear her say something so blatantly hostile about the other noblewoman. However, he had to agree that it would be satisfying if Liz was around when they made it clear to everyone that they were together. As the reigning champion of the title for the pettiest one in their relationship, he liked the thought of getting back at her after all the trouble she had caused for both of them. It would feel great to kiss the woman whose appearance the witch had criticized as ugly because of her scars.

When they eventually reached the bottom of the lengthy stairs, the viceroy squeezed Penelope’s hand in return, finding it slightly unnerving to leave their fingers intertwined in a place where anyone could see them. They had kept their taboo romance a secret for months, and it was difficult for him to get used to the fact that there were no more repercussions if someone else at the castle caught them touching. Presently, there were few people outside, since it was cold and supper was being served inside the palace, but there were still some guards posted at various watch points throughout the courtyard. One knight near the doors seemed to notice their sudden closeness and leaned over to say something to his comrade, his eyes fixed on their clasped hands.

Crow watched the pair discreetly, fighting off the habitual tenseness that rose up inside of him, when Penelope’s voice and nudge drew his attention back to her. “She was a pest,” he nodded in agreement, his mood lifting again as he thought of his nosy sister. “But It’ll be nice to know we have one person on our side when everyone else is judging us for our past.” If William was dining in the Great Hall when they arrived, the older knight would be sure to spread word about their whirlwind romance in Younis years ago. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him, but he disliked the thought of other nobles slandering Penelope’s name just because she had been his guard on that assignment.

As they headed into the castle and down the halls that carried them toward the aroma of freshly cooked food, his concerns were replaced with another wave of excitement. Whatever issues they might face from here on out were nothing compared to what they had gone through to get to this point. He couldn’t wait to let it be known that both of them had already made their choice when it came to choosing who to court. With that thought in mind, he stood tall as they stepped, hand-in-hand, into the Great Hall.

Right away, a few heads turned among the crowd—among them, Elizabeth and Kane, Crow noticed—and people began whispering amongst themselves. The viceroy pointedly avoided their gazes, leading the knight over to an empty table near the center of the room. However, instead of sitting down right away, he turned to her with a mischievous smile. “Ready, love?” he said quietly just before he wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her to his chest for a deep kiss.