[IC] Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

[Rogue Sloth]

Walking through the long halls of the castle again, Crow squeezed out some more water from his still-wet hair. The guards he passed casted him disgusted looks, as if to say, “how dare this filth leave his bathwater on our hallowed floors,” but he ignored them. They had nothing to complain about. He’d done a rather thorough job washing himself in the pool, mostly because it had given him an excuse to linger in the warm water longer, so he was quite clean now.

After a while, he realized Hunter and Preston were taking him back to his room. They had entered a part of the castle that was familiar to him and had begun going up higher. As they headed up the spiral staircase that led to the upper level of the palace, he casted a wistful glance over his shoulder. “When do I get breakfast?” he asked, resting a hand on his empty stomach. “I’m hungry.”

The two attendants exchanged a wide-eyed glance, as if they had just realized that he hadn’t eaten anything yet. “Um, after we finish the preparations, I can get you something from the kitchen,” Preston offered.

“Or,” Crow proposed. “You could get me something to eat now, so I’ll continue to be cooperative during the rest of these preparations.”

The servants exchanged another look. “It shouldn’t take too much longer,” Preston tried again. “Your bath was the longest part.”

“Yes, but I’d like to eat now,” Crow said hotly.

“I’ll get a plate for you,” Hunter volunteered suddenly. He casted a subtle shrug toward Preston before turning to head back down the stairs. “Just keep getting ready. I’ll be back with your breakfast soon.”

“Thank you,” Crow nodded gratefully. Now that the matter had been settled in his favor, he followed after Preston more willingly.

When they got back to his room, Crow made his way over to where he’d left his clothes on the floor, assuming that the attendants would want him to get dressed for the ceremony. However, before he reached them, he heard the boy clear his throat. “Over here first,” Preston said when the thief turned to look at him, gesturing to the dresser with the mirror that he had found before. Now, there was a chair set up in front of it, along with some items on the flat top of the furniture that he didn’t look at closely enough to recognize.

“What else is there to do?” Crow eyed him quizzically as he walked over to sit in front of the mirror.

Preston picked up one of the objects on the table and held it out to him, “Shave.”

Crow blinked and looked down to see that the boy was holding out a small copper blade. It looked like it had been recently sharpened. “Why?” he queried. “I’ve seen plenty of noblemen with much longer beards than I have.”

“It’s part of the ceremony,” Preston answered simply. “You need to look more presentable and less like you just came down from a mountain.”

Once again, the boy’s flippant attitude caught the thief off guard. This kid’s lucky he got assigned to work for me instead of someone who would whip him for those remarks, he mused as he plucked the blade from his hand. “Fine,” he shot the attendant a teasing smirk. “Only because you asked me so nicely.”

Turning back to the mirror, he took a moment to study his reflection in its glassy surface. Though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he could see what Preston had meant when he’d said he looked like he’d been living on a mountain. His beard wasn’t that long, but it was definitely a bit wild. He lifted a hand to his chin in thought. He hadn’t realized it until now, but, thinking back, he supposed he hadn’t shaved since before his first encounter with Jaxon. In the time since then, he’d let himself go more than he would have liked.

Deciding it was worth the effort after all, Crow lifted the copper razor to his cheek and worked carefully on trimming down his facial hair. It took some time to finish—he was a bit meticulous with a blade so close to his skin—but after a bit of effort, he managed to reduce his beard down so that the hair was just slightly longer than a stubble.

“This is as short as I’m going to go,” he said stubbornly, catching Preston’s frown reflected in the mirror.

The attendant hesitated for a moment before he shrugged, “At least you don’t look feral anymore.”

Crow rolled his eyes and set down the razor just before a knock sounded at the door. Preston trotted over and opened it for Hunter, who stepped into the room with a plate piled high with food in one hand and a drink goblet in the other.

At the sight of him, Crow let out an exaggerated sigh, “Gods bless.” He stood up from his chair and stepped over to the table, where the older servant began setting down his breakfast.

“Eat quickly, sir,” Hunter said with a slight dip of his head as he stood back to let the thief get to his meal. “We don’t have much more time before the ceremony begins, and there are still preparations left to complete.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Crow grinned as he took a seat in front of his plate. Ceremony or no ceremony, he always ate his food with the zeal of a starving man. Today was no different. He tore off a piece of rye bread in his hands and popped a bite into his mouth. Meanwhile, the two attendants worked on cleaning up the spot in front of the mirror where he had shaved, readying it for whatever else they had planned for him that morning.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope traveled down the corridor to where Naida's room was located. Admittedly, the knight felt a bit strange visiting the princess so casually. It was silly but now knowing her friend carried such a title was still a bit intimidating to the knight. She had to remind herself that the title didn't make Naida any different. She was still the same knight that Penelope had befriend. With that in mind, she came to a stop in front of the door and knocked.

It was a short time before the door finally opened and Naida peaked her head out. Her gaze was narrowed but her features immediately brightened as she realized it was Penelope at her door. "Oh good it's you! I thought the servants were here to insist on dressing me again." she said with a sigh of relief. Grinning, Naida swung the door open and waved for the knight to enter. "Come on in!"

"Thanks." Penelope gave a small chuckle and stepped into the room. She swept her gaze over the bedroom. A large, fluffy bed was at the center but clearly had yet to be made, a desk and chair sat in one corner, and there was a large closet off to one side that was filled with various articles of clothing. Though the room had quite a few luxuries, it was also quite simple and most of it was decorated rather plainly without any riches on display. It was Naida's room so it made sense to her as she knew the princess wasn't one to bask in the life of a noble, let alone a royal.

"So have you already picked out what dress you're wearing?" Penelope asked as she stepped further into the room and then turned to look over at Naida, who was still wearing her regular clothing.

"Well my mother got me some extravagant yellow dress but honestly I think it's an eyesore." Naida shook her head and stepped over to the closet. Shifting through a few of the items—it was a mix between high quality looking dresses and the clothing she'd wear underneath her armor—she pulled out a rather pretty, deep purple dress. It was plain in design but the material it was made of quietly shined of luxury. "I'll probably just wear this one. It's simple." she mused with a shrug then looked over at Penelope. "What do you which one do you want to wear? Feel free to choose any of them!"

"Oh I don't know." Penelope admitted with a shrug as she hesitantly stepped over to the closet. She shifted a couple dresses around and gave a small smile. "Honestly, I'm good with anything. I can just take something that's old that you don't use anymore."

Naida rolled her eyes. "Nonsense! I barely wear these dresses anyways since I'm usually working as a guard so there's no reason to feel bad about wearing any of them... Let's see.." She paused looking over the clothing before grinning and pulling out a dark green dress. "Here! How about this one? I think it'll good on you."

Penelope blinked and looked over the dress. It was rather pretty. The dress was a solid emerald green made out of what seemed to be a rather silky material. It was certainly a bit more loud than the purple one that Naida had picked out but the knight saw no reason to say no. After all, what she was wearing was the last concern on her mind about this ceremony. "It's really nice. If you really don't mind then, I'll wear it." she nodded as she accepted the dress from her friend.

"Of course I don't." Naida smiled. She studied Penelope and the dress for a brief moment before turning to step away from the closet. She laid her dress on the bed and glanced over at Penelope. "Just tell me if you need any help tying it! The strings on that one are kind of a mess sometimes." she grinned. "The ceremony is soon so we better start getting ready."

[Rogue Sloth]

When Crow finished his breakfast, Hunter ushered him back over to the chair he’d been sitting in before so the attendants could keep helping him prepare for the ceremony. By now, he’d realized that when they had said “prepare” they had meant that they didn’t think his appearance was presentable enough to show to an audience and that he needed to work on it. He found the notion annoying. Having never done anything to alter his appearance in the past—aside from shaving for his own preference and occasionally taking a knife to his hair when it grew too long—he thought their efforts to clean him up were unnecessary. But then again, so was everything else in the castle. Nobles went to so much extra work just to keep up public appearances when it was far easier to ignore what other people thought.

Of course, it seemed that shaving wasn’t enough for the servants. As soon as he sat down again, Preston offered him an ivory comb. “I assume you know what to do with this,” he said.

“Of course I do,” Crow snorted, snatching the comb from his hand. It seemed like after he’d asked about the soap in the bathhouse, the boy felt the need to make sure he knew about other common items as well. He found it rather demeaning. He wasn’t a fool; of course he knew what a comb was. While he’d never owned one of his own, he had stolen a quite a few from nobles in the inner kingdom during past raids. Many of them had been embedded with jewels that fetched a high price among wandering merchants.

He ran the ivory teeth through his hair, wincing slightly as they caught on the coarse tangles that had formed from years of neglect. Though he’d stolen combs before, he had hardly ever bothered to use them, so he wasn’t used to the tugging. He proceeded a bit more carefully as he worked through the matted areas.

It took some time for him to finish, since his hair was thick and hadn’t been tended to in a long time, but eventually, he set the comb down again and turned back to the attendants. “Anything else?” he asked with mild impatience, growing tired of all the maintenance they were having him do on his appearance.

“All that’s left is for you to get dressed,” Preston answered.

“Thank the gods,” Crow muttered. He stood up from his chair and stepped over to his discarded clothes, reaching down to pick up his tunic. However, Preston intervened.

“You can’t wear those clothes to a ceremony,” the boy shook his head quickly, hurrying over to gather the thief’s clothes before he could get to them.

“I don’t own anything else,” Crow pointed out blandly.

“I brought you some of the king’s clothes,” Hunter spoke up. As the thief turned to him in surprise, he shifted his weight. “His Majesty permitted you to take them, since he has more than enough for himself and…” he wavered slightly. “You both seem to have similar physiques.” He stepped over to a large wardrobe and opened the door to reveal that half of it had been stocked full of a variety of expensive looking clothes.

The attendant withdrew a pair of trousers and a plain shirt and then passed them off to Crow, “Here. These should fit you.”

Crow took the clothes with a faint burst of relief. After seeing all the elaborate garments in the wardrobe, he’d been worried that the servants were going to force him into something gaudy. The beige shirt and black trousers suited him much better than the other ridiculous ensembles. He pulled off the white linens he had been wearing and changed into the new clothes without complaint.

Once he was done, Hunter looked him over with a keen eye. “They fit nicely,” he nodded approvingly.

“Good,” Crow said absently, taking a step towards where he’d left his boots. However, he didn’t get any further before Hunter spoke again.

“I think this will suit you.” Crow turned around again and knitted his brows confusedly as he saw the attendant holding up more clothes.

“Perhaps I’ll try that on another day,” he shrugged and gestured to his body. “But as you can see, I’m already dressed.”

Off to the side, Preston snickered softly. “You can’t attend your own ceremony in just an undershirt.”

Crow blinked and looked down at the shirt he was wearing. It looked just like any other shirt a man would wear in the outer villages, but apparently it must not have been good enough for noblemen’s standards. “Why not?” he asked. “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“On any other day, it would be fine,” Hunter explained, offering him the deep red shirt he had been suggesting earlier. “But for a ceremony, you’re going to have to dress a little finer.”

“Why is there a rule for everything?” Crow groaned. Reluctantly, he took the shirt from Hunter’s arms and slid it on over the one he was already wearing. As expected, it fit him perfectly. He straightened out the sleeves and rolled his shoulders, letting the fabric settle comfortably over his upper body. He’d never worn two shirts like this before, but he supposed it wasn’t unbearable. Although, he was fortunate that it was late in the fall, otherwise he would have been quite warm.

Preston and Hunter eyed him from where they were standing. “Well, he certainly doesn’t look like a peasant anymore,” the boy said amusedly.

Hunter nodded, “I’m sure the king will be pleased.”

Crow rolled his eyes and walked over to the edge of the bed to put on his boots. This time, there was no objection. As he slid them onto his feet, his heart fluttered slightly in his chest with a sudden nervous anticipation. All the preparations were done. The only thing left was the ceremony itself. The thought of it made him feel anxious, and he had to force himself not to let his unease show on his face.

“Yes, great,” he muttered sarcastically, hoping a bit of banter with the servants would take his mind off his worries. “You made the criminal look like a noble. I’m sure you’re quite pleased with yourselves.”

“I am,” Preston volunteered shamelessly.

“Come on,” Hunter said once the thief had put on his boots. “We need to bring you to the king now. The ceremony will be starting soon.”

Crow nodded wordlessly, biting his tongue. No turning back now, he thought with a sigh, following after the attendants as they took him to see his father.

[BuzzingBee]

"See it looks great!"

Penelope eyed herself in the large mirror that was located in Naida's room. The princess was grinning over her shoulder, already dressed in the lovely purple dress, while she helped lace up the back of her dress. Turned out it was a bit more complicated than she had anticipated and had to take up Naida's offer to help. It was one of the reasons Penelope often held a bit of a preference for lower class dresses. They tended to be simpler in design and easier to move around in. Though being a noble meant that she couldn't get away with wearing them to such festivities.

"Thanks. It's a lovely dress.. I just wish it didn't feel so constricting." she sighed as she shifted her arms around.

"Tell me about." Naida chuckled as she finished tying her friend's dress and moved to stands besides her. "Why some women choose to wear this stuff every single day is beyond me. I'll take armor over this any day." The princess shrugged her shoulders and then winked at her friend. "Although it's a sure fire way to impress people."

Penelope smiled and rolled her eyes. "I suppose so if that's something you're looking to do." The knight paused and smoothed out her dress for a moment as her mind wandered to Crow. The time was near for the ceremony now and she couldn't help but wonder how the thief was doing. She shifted a bit and then glanced over at Naida, who had stepped away to begin brushing out her hair. "So what do you think the king is putting your brother through before his ceremony?" she asked with an air of casualness as she moved to sit down on the bed.

"Probably cleaning him up mainly." Naida replied with shrug. She looked over at Penelope and beamed eagerly at her. "He'll look like a real nobleman when you see him next him sure." Her smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "I'll bet you'll be impressed."

Penelope blinked at Naida's words and then hurriedly rolled her eyes as she realized she hesitated to reply. "Yeah well, we'll see." she mumbled. The knight was sure she would likely be a bit more than just impressed. After all she was already smitten with the thief as he was, any change to that was merely an addition. Of course, she couldn't tell any of that to Naida. Clearing her throat, she stood back up and smoothed out her dress. "Anyways, we better get going soon."

"Right. I have to meet up with my siblings but I'll be sure to find you as soon as I can after the ceremony." Naida smiled as she set her brush down.

"Guess I'll see you later then. And thanks again for the dress. I owe you one." Penelope smiled back before heading to the door. She said a brief farewell to Naida and headed off to gather with the other nobles for the ceremony. She felt a bubble of excitement as well as anxiousness stir inside her as she traveled down the corridor.

[Rogue Sloth]

The walk to see his father was quite uncomfortable for Crow. The guards who had been staring before gawked at him with surprise that he didn’t enjoy. He fidgeted slightly with his overshirt, pretending to busy himself with adjusting the fabric of one sleeve so he could avoid their searching eyes. He supposed he should have expected their reactions though. The knights had probably believed he was going to be executed for him crimes, so to see him walking freely about the castle in the ensemble of a nobleman must have been quite shocking.

The ceremony is going to be even worse, he cringed at the thought. If the guards who knew he’d been accepted into the castle as the king’s ward were acting this surprised, the noblemen and women who had likely been invited to attend his titling ceremony were going to be dumbfounded. As one who had learned that the center of attention could be a dangerous place to be, he wasn’t looking forward to standing before the countless gazes of people who wanted to see him dead. He just hoped Naida was right that his father’s protection would be enough to keep anyone from attacking him.

Eventually, Hunter and Preston led him down another unfamiliar corridor. He looked around, wondering why they weren’t meeting with Albin in the council room, until he remembered that his father had said something about a throne room the night before. He studied the decorated walls with new interest. This must have been the hall that would carry them to that chamber. Having never seen the king’s throne room before, he found himself a bit curious in the midst of his lingering nervousness.

After a bit of walking, they rounded a corner, and Crow saw his father standing by a door at the end of the hallway. Albin wasn’t alone either, but he was attended by two guards and a woman. Offhandedly, the thief wondered if he always traveled with this much protection or if he was taking an extra measure of precaution since he was about to make an announcement that likely wouldn’t go over well among the other nobles.

His eyes wandered to the woman next. She had curly black hair with a pale complexion that made her look like she hadn’t been outside in years. The dress she wore was crimson and gold—the colors of Brerra, he noted, glancing down at the red overshirt Hunter had given to him—and it flowed well past her feet, trailing behind her on the ground like a waterfall. He had never seen her before, but it wasn’t hard to guess who she was.

The king turned to see who was approaching and smiled when his eyes landed on his son. “Perfect timing,” he said, taking a step towards the three as they walked up. “It sounds like everyone has already gathered inside.” He gestured to the door, and Crow realized he could hear a faint hum of voices on the other side. Albin’s smile was eager, “Now that you’re here, we can get started.”

Crow shifted his weight from his left foot to his right as he remembered that he didn’t have the first clue what to do in a ceremony. However, too proud to admit it, he chose to just mutter a simple, “Right” and averted his gaze.

Albin studied his face. “Don’t be nervous, Collin.” Crow fought the urge to flinch as his father used his name. “This ceremony is in celebration of you. Just relax and enjoy it.”

“It would be more enjoyable if that room wasn’t full of people who hate me,” Crow sighed.

“You have made many enemies here,” his father acknowledged. “But I’m confident they will learn to respect you soon enough. Just give it time.” He rested one hand reassuringly on his son’s shoulder before heading back to the door. He offered his arm to the well-dressed woman—she had been strangely quiet during the exchange—and casted one more glance over his shoulder. “Wait here until I summon you,” he instructed and then smiled again. “It will be over before you know it, and then we’ll all go to the Great Hall for the banquet.”

Crow nodded wordlessly, his mouth feeling dry as he watched the king and queen step through the door. As it opened, he could see that this particular entrance opened up directly to the end of the room where the thrones had been built. It must have been a private passage for the royal family for situations just like this. He could already see his half-brother, Braden, standing next to the throne furthest on the right. Nearby, the other two Mannering children, Naida and Willow, were standing a little further back. It seemed that they didn’t have seats of their own but were still separated from the rest of the room.

His eyes flicked to the other side of the large chamber, where he briefly caught a glimpse of the rows of noblemen and women standing in respect for their ruler. The thought of willingly stepping in front of them all made his throat feel tight, and he backed away from the door, so they wouldn’t be able to see him through it. Fortunately, one of the guards closed the door, and the thief was left in the silence of the hallway with Hunter and Preston once again. He leaned against the closest wall and closed his eyes, taking a slow breath to calm his nerves.

It’s just one ceremony, he thought. After today, I won’t ever have to do this again.

“Are you alright?” Crow opened his eyes again to see that Preston had walked up to his side. The boy frowned, “Do you need some water or anything?”

“I’m fine,” he shook his head, glancing back at the door. The room had fallen quiet, so he could hear his father’s voice speaking boldly through the thin wood divider. He caught bits and pieces of a long greeting, in which the king acknowledged the reason why they had all gathered: to instate the next viceroy. His stomach fluttered nervously. It sounded like the identity of the next viceroy still wasn’t known by the audience. He could already imagine their outraged faces when he suddenly appeared to take the job. They weren’t going to be happy when they realized their ruler was giving the position to a criminal.

Crow took another slow breath, fighting the instinct to turn and run. He closed his eyes again and focused on Penelope, the reason why he was doing this. He pictured her kind face and thought about all the things he loved about her. The meditation helped to calm down him a bit, but it certainly wasn’t enough before his focus was interrupted by his father’s loud voice.

“… to introduce your new viceroy, Collin Lockton.”

Crow blanched.

“Sir, that’s your cue,” Hunter said, ushering him to the door when he noticed him freeze.

The thief’s heart pounded in his chest as he forced himself to step toward the door that Preston was now holding open for him. There was no turning back. He had to go through with it. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Here goes nothing.

Squaring his shoulders, Crow forced himself to walk through the door and into the room where every head turned toward him at once.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope stepped a bit hesitantly into the throne room and swept her gaze over the nobles that had gathered there. A few she recognized almost immediately. A woman with long ginger hair in a lavish light blue gown stood chatting with two men. One of the men eyed her adoringly while the other, another ginger, looked tired and far from interested. Of course Gavin's sister and brother would be here.. she cringed. It had been a while since she had last seen them but was in no hurry to get reacquainted. Dimia hadn't exactly been welcoming in the past and Merek wasn't worth greeting if it meant having to deal with his sister.

Looking away, she quickly spotted some of her own family and made her way over. Her father was dressed up like the other noblemen for the event and was talking casually with two other familiar faces. It seemed Krea and her daughter Lucy had been invited to the castle, likely in place of Edward since he was busy at the war front. She wasn't exactly fond of those two but not wanting to stand awkwardly alone, she stepped over to join her father's side.

"-well the king certainly has me curious. I was hoping you'd know more about this than just that, John." Krea sighed and then paused as her gaze shifted over to Penelope. "Ah, I was wondering if you were coming."

"Yeah it took you long enough." Lucy piped in as she folded her arms over her chest. "I was beginning to think you forgot how to put on a dress... Speaking of which," she eyed Penelope with some envy. "When did you even get a dress like that?"

Penelope rolled her eyes at her cousin. "A friend let me borrow it for tonight."

"Be sure not to ruin it then." Krea commented with a sigh.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." John spoke up now as he looked over at Krea. Though stoic, Penelope detected a hint of annoyance in his tone that made her smile faintly. She could easily handle Krea and Lucy's snarky remarks, she had for years, but the additional support was always welcomed. He smoothed out his shirt and flickered his gaze towards the throne. "Come on. I think it'll be starting soon." he muttered as he moved to lead the Vermillions towards where the rest of the crowd was gathering.

Penelope shifted a bit as she stood besides her father, her gaze fixated on the throne ahead as she noticed the Mannering children take their spots. Naida seemed to spot her and flashed her an eager smile. She returned it with a small smile before her gaze shifted to look over at the king as he stepped out. Her heart began to beat a bit excitedly as he addressed the crowd. Crow would really be a noble after this. Her gaze glanced around at the crowd as Albin said he'd be announcing his viceroy.

Nearby her, she noticed an older blonde man grow a bit tense, clenching his jaw as his gaze was locked on the king. Besides him, a younger, blonde man stood with his gaze lowered defeatedly. It was clear to her just by their expressions they had been hoping to get that title. If they're already upset they lost now, it's only going to get worse.. she cringed slightly and was quickly pulled out of her thoughts as the king's words caught her attention.

"...to introduce you to your new viceroy, Collin Lockton."

The knight paled slightly as the king introduced Crow by his real name. It shocked her to learn that the thief would be giving up his alias and it also made her recall how he had been acting the night before. Now she understood why he had seemed rather stressed out. It must have been because of that fact that he had to use his real name. Her gaze shifted onto the thief—no, viceroy now—as he stepped out. A new wave of surprise took over her as she stared dumbfounded at his appearance. He certainly cleaned up nice. The thought made her blush slightly but luckily not a single person would notice as the room had fallen silent in shock.

"This is outrageous!" the older blonde man suddenly decreed. "He's a thief!"

Coming back to herself a bit, she looked around as the room erupted into protest. Luckily all of it seemed to just be verbal as they demanded an explanation from their king while throwing hateful looks and words at Crow. Penelope glanced over at her family, noting they were some of the quiet ones. John merely watched the crowd around him, eying for any sign of someone taking their protest too far, while Krea and Lucy both had their noses wrinkled in disgust. Penelope let out a sigh and turned to focus her gaze back towards Crow. She wasn't sure if the thief had even spotted her in the crowd but she offered him a smile nonetheless while hoping the king would be able to handle the upset nobles quickly.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s head was swimming as he stood near the door he had stepped out of, unsure what to say or do. The silence in the room was deafening, and he nearly wanted to turn right around and walk back out the way he had come in. Through his daze, his eyes swept over the crowd of nobles, who all stared back at him with a mixture of confused and angry expressions. He tried to focus enough to find Penelope, but it was difficult since he also had to pay attention to keep his own features in check. Wracked with anxiety, he clenched his hands to keep them from shaking involuntarily. With so many eyes on him, he wasn’t going to let himself show any weakness—he couldn’t leave the nobles with that first impression.

“This is outrageous! He’s a thief!”

Suddenly, the thief flinched slightly at the sound of a furious voice. He turned to see an older man with sandy blonde hair glaring at him with venom. The fury in his tone made Crow wary, and he shifted his weight, instinctively preparing to run as the crowd erupted into dissent. At this point, it didn’t matter if he had the king’s protection or not. Even his father couldn’t stop this many people if they chose to come after him.

His eyes darted between the enraged faces of the nobles with a feral caution. However, in the next moment, he paused. It had taken some time, but he’d finally spotted Penelope amongst the small sea of people. He saw her offer him a smile, but the gesture did little to lessen his fear. If someone didn’t do something soon, he felt quite certain that the angry crowd was going to come at him.

Luckily, his father intervened.

“Silence,” he said loudly, rising to his feet from his throne—Crow noticed absently that his was the second one from the right, between Braden and the queen. Albin waited for the commotion to die down before he went on in an authoritative tone, “I understand your concerns, but please understand that this is not a decision I made lightly.” His calculating green eyes wandered over the nobles before he turned to Crow and gestured for him to come closer.

The thief wavered uncertainly for a moment before he complied. He glanced out at the audience as he stepped up to stand at the king’s right side, forcing himself to hold his hands at his sides despite his urge to fidget nervously with his clothing.

Albin casted him a subtle, approving nod before turning back to the crowd. “I know that Collin does not have an upstanding reputation among you, and I know many of you have personal reasons for disliking him. However,” he held up one hand as a few of the nobles began to jeer again. “His past does not negate the fact that he has every skill I require in my next viceroy. Despite his humble, uneducated upbringing, he has mastered the languages of every kingdom along our border.” He turned back to Crow with an expectant look, at which the thief realized the king was waiting for him to prove his point.

Crow shifted his weight uncomfortably. He didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself than he already had, but then again, what more did he have to lose? He was already despised by almost every person in the room. He supposed he might as well lean into it. After taking a moment to find his voice, he faced the room and spoke in fluent Medoran: “Cremar-se a l'infern, porus porcinosos decorats.”

The king cracked an amused smile at his choice of phrase, and Crow blushed slightly. He had forgotten that his father, the former ambassador of Brerra, would have been able to understand what he was saying. Luckily, he didn’t seem offended though. Sneaking another glance at the nobles, he saw that they now just looked surprised. At least they weren’t screaming anymore. He preferred their confused looks and whispers compared to the rabid screaming they had been doing before.

Albin seemed pleased with the change as well. “As you can see, Collin has the talent to be my viceroy,” he went on. “To merely throw him in prison for his past crimes would be a waste of his valuable skills. That is why I have decided to give him the position.” He met the gazes of the audience with a hint of challenge in his eye, as if daring them to try and oppose him again. “Given enough time, I believe he has the potential to do great things for this kingdom, and all of you who live within its walls. Is there anyone who disagrees?”

Crow peeked at the audience again, but they stayed silent this time. Even the blonde man who had caused the last outburst didn’t open his mouth, although he was visibly trembling with rage.

“Good,” Albin nodded. “Now then, if there are no more objections, I will carry on with his titling.” He turned to Crow again. “Kneel.”

The thief hesitated. He had always disliked the thought of kneeling to anyone. It was a sign of submission to an authority, and he was not one to submit. However, he didn’t want to cause a scene after all the flattery his father had just showered over him, so he forced himself to swallow his pride and reluctantly dropped to one knee.

“Collin Lockton,” the king spoke with the same commanding voice he had used before. “I hereby relinquish you of your bounty along with any punishment for your past crimes under the condition that you will serve this kingdom and its people by fulfilling the duties to be assigned to you. Do you swear to uphold this commitment?”

Crow bit the inside of his lip. “I swear it,” he said after a brief pause.

“Then by my authority as your king, I dub you the Viceroy of Brerra. You may rise.”

Crow stood up, feeling lightheaded as the nobles in the audience began to applaud. He knew they were only doing so because they had to. There still wasn’t a single friendly face amongst them—well, aside from Penelope, but he had lost track of where she was a while ago. He was just glad the ceremony was over.

His father directed him to sit in the remaining throne that was positioned to the left of the queen—he realized it had been left empty because it was intended for the ambassador, and there hadn’t been one before he’d been given the title—and then addressed the crowd once more, “To celebrate our new viceroy, there will be a feast in the Great Hall starting promptly. Please make your way to the room and enjoy.” With that, he sat down again to speak patiently with his wife as the royal family—and Crow—stayed behind to wait for the nobles to exit the room.

quick translation

“Burn in hell, you pompous, decorated swine.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope relaxed a little more as the king finally spoke up and gained control over the crowd. She could still tell that most of the nobles were still seething with rage but at least none of them looked ready to attack. She listened as the king made his point about how promoting Crow to viceroy was a wiser move than throwing him in jail. Crow's talent seemed to aid to the silencing of protest as well and soon the ceremony continued without further issue.

She smiled faintly, trying to suppress it, as Crow was sworn in and applauded along with the other nobles. Of course, hers was far less forced than the others around her, namely the sandy blonde man who had been the first to object. As the king dismissed the nobles, she turned to leave with her family, glancing over at her father as she tried to gauge how he was feeling about the whole thing. She figured he would be pleased seeing Crow follow through with his word about becoming viceroy but as usual, the older knight was hard to read. Her aunt and cousin on the other hand, were very obvious about their feelings.

"I can't believe this.." Krea breathed as soon as they were out of the throne room and on their way to the great hall. "The king must have long his mind."

"Easy Krea." John muttered and sighed. "He explained his reasonings... Besides, it's not like anyone from our family was going to get the title."

"Well maybe not...But you're a little too calm about this don't you think?" Krea huffed.

John shrugged his shoulders. "It's out of my power. To complain would be a waste of energy and surely bring me more trouble than good. This.. Collin, clearly has the king's favor after all." he pointed out as he kept his gaze focused ahead.

Penelope fell behind her family for a moment, becoming uninterested in their conversation as Krea and Lucy voiced their upset about the thief while her father attempted to make them see reason. It was likely they had heard from Edward about how the thief had stolen from the battalion in the past so she was quite certain their personal dislike of him likely stemmed from that. She let out a small sigh as she glanced around the other upset nobles nearby. It made the knight wish that Gavin and Olivia were there. Since she wouldn't be able to see Crow or Naida right away, it would have been nice to have another friendly face around to share a happier outlook on the thief rising in rank.

"This is insane, isn't it?"

Penelope jumped as a voice drew her out of her thoughts. She turned her head to see Cedric had somehow slipped up besides her. The knight blinked, caught off guard to see him again so suddenly, especially since she hadn't even spotted him amongst the crowd when she had first entered the throne room. Coming back to herself a bit she shifted to put a bit of distance between them. "Yeah.. not something you see everyday." she mumbled, now on guard.

Cedric paused for a moment, clearly trying to figure out a way to keep the conversation going despite her lack of interest in speaking with him. "So what do you think about all this? I mean, you've been around that thief quite a bit right? I heard you traveled with him to the outer villages just last week."

"I don't know. Seems like he has the talent and I trust the king so, I'm certainly not going to fight the decision." Penelope shrugged her shoulders, attempting to remain vague about her opinion of Crow. However, she paused for a second before adding, "From what I know of him, he isn't a bad person. Aside from the stealing of course."

"I guess so.." Cedric sighed then casted her a small smile. "Although I think that kindness of yours might be a bit of a weakness when it comes to judging people."

"Tell me about it." she said dryly as she eyed him accusingly.

Cedric blinked and frowned a little. "Sorry... I wasn't referring to.. I mean.. Sorry."

"Yeah I get it... But why are you hanging around me anyways?" Penelope muttered. She was going to give him a chance to redeem himself but she didn't understand why he was already seeming insistent upon being around her. The knight was hoping he wouldn't bother her outside of maybe work if they got stuck together on a guard shift.

"Well, I certainly can't make up for the past from afar." Cedric pointed out with a sheepish smile. He shifted a bit uneasily. "Besides I meant what I said about wanting to be you friend. And that I can't do from afar either.... If I'm really bothering you that much though I'll leave..."

Penelope looked over at him and pursed her lips into a thin line as Cedric wait for an answer. She supposed it wouldn't hurt. In time, he'd either prove himself or whatever angle he was playing at would come to light. Besides, it wasn't like he'd be able to get to her as close as he once had since she was with Crow now. "No that's alright..." she said with a hint of tiredness. Focusing her gaze back ahead, she stepped over to one of the empty tables to take a seat as the feast began. Cedric, of course, followed her eagerly and sat down across from the knight, quickly starting up another conversation with her as he asked questions about the war instead. With everyone else so focused on Crow's new position, it was actually a bit nice to speak on a different matter.

[Rogue Sloth]

For a chair designed to be used be the wealthy and elite, the throne Crow was sitting in wasn’t nearly as comfortable as he’d expected it to be. He shifted against the cold stone seat, thinking to himself that he would have liked a cushion of some sort to lean into. He was just glad that he only had to stay put until his father allowed him to go to the banquet, which he hoped he could do soon. After facing a room full of people who hated him, he felt like he deserved another plate full of venison… and maybe something to drink.

Resting his cheek in the palm of his hand, he absently traced his index finger along the stone armrest of the chair. He didn’t want to make eye contact with any of the nobles who were still exiting the room while they were still seething about his change in title, so he pointedly avoided looking out over the crowd. However, as he did, he couldn’t help but notice Braden eyeing him with contempt from the other side of the room. He sighed to himself. It seemed no matter where he turned, there would always be someone glaring at him for some reason or another.

“Would you look at that? It’s the viceroy of Brerra.” Crow blinked and looked up to see that Naida was walking toward him with a wide grin on her face. “So, how do you feel?” she asked. “You’re a nobleman now, and a high-ranking one at that.”

“I don’t know,” Crow shrugged. “Everything’s been happening so fast, I can’t keep up.”

“Understandable,” Naida laughed. “But my gods,” she shook her head, glancing over the remaining nobles in the room. “That wasn’t a very warm welcome. I can’t believe they all spoke out against you to Father like that.”

“I told you they didn’t like me,” Crow sighed. “I’m just glad no one was violent.”

“Father would have arrested anyone who even laid a finger on you,” Naida said confidently.

Yes, but that won’t stop them from hiring someone else to kill me for them, he thought, shuddering at the memory of his dream about the mercenary two nights ago. Today may have gone well so far, but that didn’t mean he was in the clear just yet.

“By the way,” his sister spoke up again with a curious look. “Father kept calling you Collin during the ceremony instead of Crow. Is that your real name?”

He shifted uneasily, still not used to hearing so many people call him by his name. However, he decided there was no point in trying to hide it anymore—not when everyone knew. “It is,” he admitted, looking up to meet her gaze with a halfhearted smile.

“Huh,” Naida grinned. “I like it. It suits you better than Crow anyway… Just like these new clothes suit you better than that ratty old tunic.” She nudged him teasingly. “I have to say, you cleaned up even better than I thought you would, Collin. If you sat up a little straighter, you might even pass for a proper gentleman.”

Crow rolled his eyes, “Who wants to be a gentleman? They have too many rules to follow.”

“Gods, I’m glad you decided to stay,” Naida snickered. “You’re so much more fun than Braden.”

“We should all get going,” Albin spoke up suddenly, standing up from his throne. “Everyone’s left, and I’m sure they’re waiting for us to arrive before the food is served. After all,” he turned to Crow with a good-humored glint in his eyes. “No one should eat before the guest of honor has been seated.”

I’m hardly even welcome here, let alone honored, Crow thought dryly, picturing the nobles’ furious faces once again. However, he said nothing as he rose to his feet and fell in step beside Naida as their father led them to the Great Hall.

The walk was short, and it wasn’t long before they arrived. Crow saw that as they entered the massive room, everyone respectfully stood up from their tables. He felt rather sure the respect didn’t extend to him though. As they made their way through the room, the nobles they passed casted him looks of disgust. He refused to meet their gazes and focused instead on the long table at the end of the Great Hall that Albin seemed to be taking them to. The front was ornately decorated and there were already covered dishes set out on the surface that smelled delicious. His mouth watered as he imagined what was hidden underneath the metal domes.

When they reached the table, Albin and the queen stood behind the two center chairs, while his children fanned out to claim their own seats. Braden and Willow stood at his right, while Naida and Crow stood to the queen’s left. For a moment, Crow wondered why they didn’t just sit down, since the food had to be getting cold, but his curiosity was sated when a group of attendants hurried forward to pull out their chairs for them. He was quick to spot Preston among them as the boy tended to his own seat.

The sight made him grimace slightly. He still disliked being waited on by someone else, but given the situation, he didn’t have much of a choice. So, he forced himself to be content with just murmuring a quiet ‘thank you,’ to Preston as the servant walked off to stand at the back of the room with the other attendants.

Once everyone was seated, Albin made another announcement, thanking everyone for coming, talking a bit more about his gratefulness that Crow was going to be his viceroy, et cetera, et cetera. The thief tuned out most of the speech as he stared hungrily at a covered dish that had a savory scent to it. When the king finished speaking, the nobles applauded again, and a mass of servants stepped forth to uncover the platters of food and serve everyone as the banquet began.

[BuzzingBee]

A couple more nobles joined their table but none of which Penelope was familiar. Besides, they seemed far too wrapped up in their complaining about the outcome of this gathering anyways. They kept their voices low though, grumbling to each other about how absurd it was that a thief rose to viceroy and how they needed a large glass of wine to get through the rest of the evening. She eyed them and impulsively rolled her eyes at their words.

"Bit dramatic aren't they?" Cedric whispered across the table, a smirk playing on his lips as he caught her eye roll.

Penelope looked over at him and gave a small nod. "To say the least, yes." she agreed quietly. The knight found herself relaxing a little in his company, mainly because he didn't seem as outraged as most of the other nobles. Catching herself, she studied him for a moment. "I'm surprised you aren't acting more like them. Last I checked even nobles with peasant blood weren't good enough for you."

Cedric gave a long exhale as she took another stab at their past. "Yes well, I've learned from my mistakes." he mused as he looked over at her. He flashed a smile. "I find it crazy but the king is a smart man, surely he must see a great deal of value in the thief so who am I to judge?" He shrugged his shoulders and shifted his gaze over to the entrance as the king and the others finally arrived.

Penelope followed his gaze and quickly rose up to her feet alongside the other nobles. She watched them from afar before moving to sit back down once they had reached the long table at the end of the Great Hall. She listened as the king gave another quick speech before everyone was free to eat. The knight looked down at the large plate of food they had served her and began to eat. The food was seasoned and still warm despite the wait they had to go through. She savored the delicious flavor that she nearly didn't feel the gaze that was burning into her back. Nearly.

Penelope turned her head to look out over the sea of nobles to see the familiar face of William staring daggers into her back as if to say 'I know this is your fault'. She shot a glare back at him before pointedly turning her back to him once again and focusing back on her supper. It wasn't like she truly had a hand in it after all, aside from Crow's decision to take the job so they could be together of course. Still, the older knight's accusing look did unnerve her a bit as she once again worried about him running his large mouth.

"What's gotten into William? He's looking at you like you spit in his drink." Cedric asked curiously, clearly catching the look the older knight was giving her.

She hesitated, unsure what to say at first. "He's got in his head that since I've been around the thief so much that I must have something to do with this.. I do things differently than him so naturally he has to jump to some crazy conclusions." she muttered with a shake of her head. The knight hoped her lie was believable. She was rather certain William would try to drag her and Crow down after the events of today so it'd be in their best interest to make sure they just believed he was spreading false rumors.

"I see.. Well, hopefully he calms down with the rest of them." Cedric mused before taking a sip of his wine.

Penelope gave a small nod of her head before focusing back on her dinner. Despite it all, she found a bit of peace between the flavorful food and the enjoyable light music that the minstrels were playing for the feast.

[Rogue Sloth]

As the servants revealed each dish of steaming food, Crow licked his lips in anticipation. Every meal he’d eaten at the castle had been exquisite, so he couldn’t wait to try all the different plates he could see in front of him now. He was about to reach for some food on the closest plate, when Preston reappeared at his side. “Allow me,” the attendant said, collecting the food Crow had been eyeing with a silver utensil and putting it on his plate. When he’d piled on a decent amount, he turned back to the viceroy expectantly. “What else would you like?”

Crow blinked, caught off guard by the boy’s sudden arrival. “Um, I was going to try a little of everything,” he answered and then paused for a moment before adding: “Although I’d like a large portion of that venison on the end of the table there.”

“Of course,” Preston dipped his head and wandered off to fill the rest of the thief’s plate.

Crow leaned back in his chair as he watched him go. While he would have preferred to get his own food, he supposed it was kind of nice to sit back while Preston got it for him. The dishes were so spread out around the long table that it was easier for the servant, who was already on his feet, to do it anyway.

After a bit, the boy returned with his plate, which was now loaded with a wide assortment of different foods. Crow grinned eagerly, “That’s what I call a meal.”

Preston set the plate down in front of him with another dip of his head. However, before Crow had a chance to reach for a bite of food, his eyes widened slightly as the attendant suddenly took some first and ate it right off his plate.

“Hey, hey, hey,” the viceroy growled, brushing the servant’s hand away when he reached for another bite. “If you’re so hungry, get your own food. This is mine.”

Preston stared at him blankly. “Now that you’re a viceroy, I have to test your food for poison,” he explained, plucking a piece of cooked carrot from the plate. “I’m supposed to do it in front of you, so you know it’s safe to eat.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Crow said hotly, reaching to take a bite for himself.

The attendant batted his hand away. “I’m sorry, but I have to taste it first,” he insisted.

“I’ll take the risk,” the thief said stubbornly. “If I die, at least I’ll go with a full stomach.”

To his right, Naida laughed amusedly. “Oh, just let him do it,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “If you’re still hungry later, he can get you a second plate.”

Crow turned to see that there was a female attendant picking food from his sister’s dish too. He pursed his lips. “Fine,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair. “Just make it quick. I’m starving.”

Preston nodded and made a visible effort to taste test his food faster. When he gave the okay for the viceroy to eat, Crow eagerly dug into his meal. Like every other dish he’d had at the palace, the flavor was outstanding. It didn’t take long for him to finish it all, despite the large amount he’d been served. When he was done, he leaned back again with a sigh and took a long swig of his wine.

“Gods, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you really were starving,” Naida said, staring in surprise at his empty plate and then at her brother with a hint of curiosity. “Where do you put it all?”

“Who knows?” Crow shrugged, resting his hands behind his head and stretching contentedly in his chair. Though the day was hardly more than halfway over, he was already quite tired and began to wonder if he would have time to take a nap later.

Absently, he let his gaze roam over the room full of nobles as he sought out Penelope again. After some searching, he spotted her off to his right, conversing with a nobleman he didn’t recognize. He wished he could find a way to be with her, but he couldn’t think of any way to do so without drawing attention to himself. For now, he supposed it would have to be good enough that he knew she was still in the room with him. He snuck a glance at his sister. Maybe he could come up with a way to approach her once everything calmed down later.

“Excuse me.”

Crow turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and was surprised to see a nobleman standing at his side. The man was young, but still a little older than the thief, and he had what was probably the fakest smile Crow had ever seen plastered on is face. “Can I help you?” he asked, eyeing the stranger warily.

The man said nothing at first, seeming caught off guard by the viceroy’s somewhat hostile question. However, after he took a moment to regain his bearings, he shook his head. “No, no. My name is Wayne Cardonell.” Crow noticed the man subtly emphasized his last name. “I just wanted to congratulate you on you on your new title.” His fake smile grew a little faker. “If you ever need anything around the castle, I and the rest of my family would be more than happy to assist you. Just find any guard and ask for the Cardonells.”

Crow studied him for a moment longer before he nodded, “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Wayne bowed courteously and walked away.

At his side, Naida prodded him, “See? They’re warming up to you already.”

“Please,” Crow scoffed, turning to her with an amused smirk. “You didn’t notice the way he kept glancing at Father? He just wants to use me to gain favor with the king.”

“Oh,” Naida’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even catch that. You’re good at reading people.”

Crow shrugged and took another sip of his wine. “I had to learn when I was a thief,” he explained, fighting the urge to cringe when he said he ‘was’ a thief. “I needed to be able to tell who was lying to me, since so many people were after my bounty. If I fell for a trick, I would have walked into a trap and gotten myself killed.”

“I see,” his sister mused. “Well, I guess that skill is useful here too, even if you’re not using it to survive.”

“It’s useful everywhere,” Crow smiled at her wryly. “If you want, maybe I could teach you sometime.”

“That sounds like fun,” Naida grinned enthusiastically.

“Alright,” Crow said with a nod. “I’ll do it then.”

The two siblings continued to talk casually with each other as Naida finished her food, while Crow let his gaze wander over the crowd every once in a while to keep track of where Penelope was.

[BuzzingBee]

As the evening continued on, the crowd grew a bit more relaxed. Penelope guessed it had a good deal to do with the wine that was served with the meal. The nobles began to mingle a bit more as they finished with their dinner, chatting a bit more casually amongst each other. The knight eventually left her table to find her father amongst the crowd. While Cedric seemed to be decent enough company, she had no intention of spending the whole evening with him and the next available friendly face was that of her father.

However just as she spotted him amongst the crowd, she was cut off by a slightly more unpleasant person.

"Well, well look who's back in the inner kingdom." Dimia forced a smile as she stepped over to the female knight, followed by Merek who seemed uninterested. "Penelope, dear, it's good to see you."

"Hello Dimia." Penelope greeted with an equally forced smile. Her gaze shifted to Merek and she gave a nod in acknowledgement to him as well.

"I was hoping I'd catch you tonight." Dimia mused. "I wanted to ask you about how our little brother is doing. He doesn't write me much."

I wonder why... Penelope thought with a touch of bitterness. She was well aware that Gavin and his sister didn't often see eye to eye. They had very differing values. He cared for people and she cared for wealth. And she certainly didn't approve of Penelope when they two had been courting. Perhaps it was silly to hold a grudge towards her now that the two had split but the knight couldn't help it. "He's doing fine. He's actually filling in for me while I'm here at the castle." she explained.

"You don't say. Good for him." Merek said with a nod of approval.

"I see.." Dimia eyed her for a moment. "And why exactly are you here at the castle? Wedding plans soon?"

"No... I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that we're actually not courting anymore. I broke it off." Penelope crossed her arms over her chest as she met Dimia's gaze evenly. "And I'm here representing my baroness to push for the end of the war. Speaking of which," she smiled at Dimia. "I'd be grateful if you put in a good word with your husband for me. I certainly wouldn't mind the additional support." Glancing past them towards her father, she dipped her head to the other two nobles. "Now then, excuse me as I have to go speak with my father."

Penelope slipped past the two, smirking faintly as she notice Dimia watching her leave with a confused expression. She quickly focused ahead though and slipped up besides her father, letting out a small sigh. "Gods the people here are suffocating." she muttered to him.

"Be polite." John corrected her quietly as he swept his gaze over nearby nobles before looking down at her. "I'm surprised you haven't hurried off to your 'friends' yet." He glanced in the direction of Naida and Crow.

Penelope frowned. "I would but I don't know how that'd look to people right now... William's already got a target on my back." she explained looking over at the two with a hint of longing.

John studied her for a moment before letting out a gruff sigh. "Just go over to congratulate him. I've seen a couple people do it already so people shouldn't dwell on it. As for William," he swept his gaze around before shrugging. "if he says anything, just say that I sent you to represent our family. He can't say much once he realizes you're friends with the princess."

The female knight looked up at her father and smiled. Though he was clearly hesitant about encouraging her to speak with Crow, she glad he was willing to cover for her if William tried anything. She nodded her head and gave him a quick word of thanks before heading off towards Naida and Crow. Even if she wasn't able to stick around them for long, she was at least grateful for the opportunity to congratulate Crow.

She slipped over to them and offered a smile to Naida. "Figured I'd better stop by to congratulate the new viceroy." she explained to her friend before looking over to Crow and dipping her head slightly as her gaze subtly softened. "Congratulations on your new title, Collin."

[Rogue Sloth]

As Crow continued to talk with Naida, their conversation was occasionally interrupted by a few more noblemen and women like Wayne, who approached the viceroy to offer him various small favors and make sure he was aware of their family name. Each time, he just offered them a curt ‘thank you,’ though he knew he would never take them up on any of the things they tried to give him. He may have chosen to let himself enter into noble life, but that didn’t mean he was going to give in to the pandering of people who just wanted to use him to gain power for themselves and their family lines.

Naida seemed to find their persistence entertaining. As each noble stopped by, she watched them with a scrutinizing gaze, trying to practice picking up on the little signs that they were lying. Every time she and Crow found themselves alone again, she would ask him if she was right or wrong, and he would give her pointers.

The thief found his time with his sister to be enjoyable, despite the countless other unfriendly faces in the Great Hall. She took his mind off his lingering stress and helped him to see some of the things he was going to like about being a nobleman—namely getting to be with people like her and Penelope, who he felt like he could relax around. Between her friendly banter and the wine they’d been drinking, he found the banquet to be much more bearable than the ceremony had been.

Eventually, the afternoon turned to evening, and Crow waved Preston off when the boy offered to refill his glass again. He was a bit inebriated from the three drinks he’d already had, and he didn’t want to risk getting drunk. Aside from his own personal reservations about it, there were far too many people around who hated him. He needed to keep his wits about him, just in case he needed to defend himself or get away from anyone who might decide to throw caution to the wind and attack.

He was just beginning to think he’d made a good call when he caught sight of someone else approaching the table. Turning away from Naida, he expected to see another nobleman coming over to “wish him well” and offer more favors. Instead, he blinked in surprise as his eyes landed on Penelope.

Having not been able to get a good look at her all day, he was caught off guard by how beautiful she was in her dress. His gaze swept over her, mesmerized. The clothing she wore flattered her attractive figure and the emerald green color made her eyes look bright. He lightly bit the inside of his lip, wishing he could compliment her, but forcing himself to hold his tongue as the knight spoke to his sister.

When Penelope turned to him next, he stared at her for a moment longer before he snapped out of his trance and offered her a smile. “Thanks, love,” he said softly.

“You know, you’re the first person today who’s said anything nice to him and actually meant it,” Naida grinned at her friend and took another sip of her wine. Though Crow had stopped drinking, his sister had let herself go a bit more. “Definitely a light at the end of the tunnel,” she added after a pause, nodding sagely.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smiled at Crow and gave a small nod before her gaze flickered back over to Naida as she spoke up. The knight gave an amused look, quick to pick up on her friend's slight inebriation. After all, she had seen her drunk a few times in the past when they went out for drinks with Olivia. "That doesn't surprise me with this crowd." she sighed quietly, glancing over her shoulder briefly. She smirked at the two siblings. "I've been watching most of them bounce between whining and doing whatever the king says all afternoon."

"That bad huh?" Naida smirked.

The knight nodded her head. "Yeah. For starters, my aunt and cousin are here... So is Gavin's older sister who isn't too fond of me. Also William, who's clearly upset with everything." she paused to give Crow subtle glance before focusing back to Naida and shrugging her shoulders.

"What about that nobleman you were sitting with earlier?" her friend asked curiously.

Penelope hesitated and shifted her weight slightly. "That was Cedric, another person I'm not on the best of terms with. Though I have to say, he at least didn't hostile like the rest so he wasn't terrible company." she admitted then gave a small smile as she looked over at Crow. "Honestly I'll just be glad once this thing is over."

[Rogue Sloth]

“That’s because all they care about is competing with each other to see who can get the most out of this thing,” Crow muttered with a roll of his eyes when Penelope spoke about the other nobles. It was exactly the kind of behavior he’d always despised about the aristocrats of the inner kingdom. They looked down on everyone outside of their own families, gossiped to ruin names, and only acted in another person’s benefit if they could get something out of it too. It was ridiculous how many little games they played because of their greed.

As Naida and Penelope spoke about more of the specific people who were at the banquet, Crow raised a brow curiously. He’d been so caught up in his nervousness about the ceremony that he hadn’t realized William was here. Suddenly wondering if there were any other people he knew, he took another look around and spotted John standing with some noblewomen he didn’t recognize. The older knight wasn’t looking at him, but he felt a strange sense of relief knowing there was at least one other person here who didn’t hate him—well, at least one who didn’t hate him as much as everyone else. He was still rather sure that Penelope’s father was mad at him after he’d caught them in bed together.

Crow listened in on Naida and Penelope’s conversation again when his sister asked about the nobleman the knight had been sitting with. At Penelope’s response, he smiled faintly. Though she may not have been on good terms with the other man, he was glad that she’d found someone to spend time with at the banquet. He disliked the thought of her being forced to sit among people she didn’t get along with, and since he and Naida couldn’t abandon the head table to be with her, he supposed this stranger was the next best thing.

“Me too,” Crow agreed when the knight said she couldn’t wait for everything to be over. He glanced at the crowd again. “Everyone is finished eating, so it shouldn’t be that much longer right?”

“Maybe,” Naida shrugged, finishing off the rest of her wine. “But everyone’s still drinking, so it could be a while.” She raised her hand to flag down her attendant for another refill, but in the next moment, a hand reached out to swipe her goblet. “Hey,” the tipsy princess frowned, spinning around in her chair to see who had taken her drink.

“This isn’t a tavern, Naida,” the queen, who’d been sitting silently on her daughter’s other side until now, spoke sternly.

Crow leaned forward slightly to eye her with interest. It was the first time he’d seen the woman speak since he’d met her earlier that afternoon. He couldn’t help but wonder what sort of person his father had married.

“Mind your manners,” the queen went on chidingly. “Every important nobleman and woman in the kingdom is here. You need to make a good impression.”

“I’m not that drunk,” Naida muttered, turning slightly red as she was reprimanded in front of her friend.

“And that’s why you will stop before you embarrass yourself,” the queen insisted. “Now sit up straight. There could be potential suitors here, and you need to act like a lady.”

“Yes, mother,” Naida sighed, rolling her eyes as she corrected her posture.

The queen turned away again, and an uncomfortable silence fell over the group for a moment. Crow glanced between the mother and daughter, not quite sure what to think. His own mother had never been so stern with him, especially in a public place like this. Even when he’d gotten himself into trouble as a child, she would always rebuke him in private. It seemed a bit harsh of the woman to treat Naida as she had, but, unfamiliar with the customs of noble families, he couldn’t tell if it was normal here or not.

In an attempt to move past the tense moment, he cleared his throat to get the others’ attention. “I don’t suppose anyone would notice if I snuck out of my own banquet, would they?” he asked with a lopsided smile.

Naida visibly relaxed as she eased back into the conversation. “Sorry, Collin, but there’s not a chance you would get away with that,” she smirked. “You’re going to have to wait for it to end just like everyone else.”

“It was worth a shot,” he shrugged, resting his chin against the palm of his hand.

“Stop that,” Naida reached out to flick him on the arm. “If I have to act proper, then so do you. Get your elbow off the table.”

“Why?” Crow grinned at her teasingly without moving. “I’m not looking for a suitor.”

His sister snorted. “Yeah? Well, no woman is going to want you to be her suitor if you act like that,” she pointed out cheekily.

“Well, maybe I’m not looking to court anyone,” Crow replied carelessly.

“Really?” Naida stared at him in surprise. “Why not? You’re certainly handsome enough now that you’re all cleaned up, and you’ve got one of the highest titles in the kingdom. You could have any woman you want.”

Crow shifted his weight, his eyes flicking briefly to Penelope, before he lied with a shrug, “I’m just not interested in courting anyone right now. That’s all.”

“Hm,” Naida frowned. In the next moment, she looked between Crow and Penelope as a devilish smirk crossed her lips. “You know, Penelope, you really do look amazing in that dress,” she chirped, flashing her friend a grin before she turned back to her brother. “I let her borrow one of mine for the ceremony. What do you think, Collin?”

Crow blinked, caught off guard by the question, and glanced back at Penelope. She really did look beautiful, but he couldn’t give away his feelings for the knight in front of the princess. “Yes, it’s flattering,” he said as casually as he could manage, hoping his sister would think he was just being polite.

“Mhm,” Naida smirked and then turned to Penelope again. “He looks pretty dashing too, doesn’t he?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded her head as Naida pointed out it could still be some time before the banquet ended. Not only were they drinking but she was rather certain the nobles would want to take up extra time for gossiping. It wasn't often so many powerful nobles were gathered in one place like this so she was sure they'd want to make the most of it. Even if some of them were upset over the results of the day.

She was about to comment on it as well but didn't get the chance as the queen spoke up to Naida. Penelope shifted a bit awkwardly and averted her gaze as the queen chided her daughter. She remained a bit tense, unsure what to say afterwards. Since she was still getting used to thinking of Naida as a princess, it was a bit intimidating to the knight to hear the queen speak so sternly. Luckily, Crow eventually spoke up and the knight relaxed once more. She looked over at Crow and smirked in amusement at his words.

"Definitely no way you're sneaking out of this." she agreed with Naida as she glanced around. Her attention shifted back over to them as Naida teased Crow about no woman wanting him for a suitor. She shifted a bit uneasily at the topic, especially as Naida pointed out he could 'have any woman he wanted'. Though she had no concern about his feelings for her, it did make her wonder how his new family would react to them being together.

She didn't get to dwell on it long though as Naida addressed her. "Thanks." she smiled at her friend, appreciative of the compliment until she went on to ask Crow for his opinion. The knight blinked in surprise and looked over at the thief, unsure what to do as he offered a casual comment. She gave him a small nod and hoped the subjected would be dropped. Instead it got worse.

Penelope blinked again as Naida then asked her about Crow. She hesitated, unsure what to say. The thief's new look had caught her off guard earlier and she had still been adjusting to it. In all honest, he did look quite handsome. Of course, she couldn't just admit that willingly. "Certainly a big difference from before." she replied with a shrug as she quickly shifted her gaze away from Crow. Despite the knight's wishes, she felt her cheeks grow a bit warm.

She turned her head to glance back at the nobles before looking back at the other two, trying to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. "I should probably get going. If anyone else wants to wish any fake congratulations I'm sure they won't like me holding up the line." she mused casually with a smirk.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow averted his gaze uncomfortably as Naida prompted Penelope to comment on his appearance. He wasn’t sure what his sister was trying to do, but he knew they couldn’t let her find out about their relationship. From what he’d seen, she wasn’t a very good liar. If she learned they were together and someone else questioned her about it, he was certain word would get out before they wanted it to. For the sake of keeping their heads down until the other nobles got used to him being their viceroy, the princess had to stay in the dark.

When Penelope answered the question vaguely, Crow looked up again, relieved that she had kept calm. However, in the next moment, his eyes widened slightly as he saw that the knight’s cheeks were rosy. He casted a subtle glance at Naida. While he’d found Penelope’s reaction flattering, he worried that his sister might have noticed her blush too. Of course, it was hard to tell, since the princess was a bit drunk. She still had the same mischievous look on her face as before.

As Penelope suddenly announced that she should get going, the thief felt a pang of disappointment. After going the whole day without seeing her, he wanted to talk for a while longer. However, he didn’t voice his opinion, since he knew it would look strange if she lingered for much longer. He let out a quiet sigh. It was going to be frustrating to be so close to her at the castle, yet unable to be as close as he wanted.

“Alright,” he finally said, offering her a smile. “I’m sure my fake supporters will be pleased. Anyway, I’m glad you stopped by. It was good to see you again, love.”

“Yeah,” Naida agreed with a grin as she waved her friend goodbye. “See you later, Penelope!”

The two siblings watched the knight go before Naida nudged Crow playfully in the side. “So, are you still going to tell me you don’t want to court anyone?” she snickered.

He turned to her, feigning a confused look, “What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on,” his sister rolled her eyes. “Even I could see that she fancies you.”

“What makes you say that?” Crow asked, continuing to play dumb even though he was pretty sure he knew why she thought so.

“She got flustered when she talked about you,” the princess grinned. “It was so obvious, Collin. Are you really going to tell me you didn’t notice?”

“I mean, sort of,” he admitted with a shrug. “But you did spring that question on her out of nowhere. She could have just been flustered because she wasn’t expecting it.”

“I don’t think so,” Naida’s grin widened. “I think she fancies you, and you can’t change my mind.” She clapped her hands together. “This is so great! If you get married, she’ll be my sister!”

Crow felt a bubble of nervousness form in his chest as the princess got louder. Though Naida still didn’t know about his relationship with the knight, he needed to keep her from getting any closer to the truth. “Slow down,” he shook his head. “Don’t get so far ahead of yourself. First of all, you still don’t know for sure that you’re right. And second, I already told you I’m not interested in courting anyone. Even if she was interested in me, that hasn’t changed.”

Naida deflated at his words. “Oh, Collin, please?” she begged, taking his hand in both of hers and meeting his gaze with a pout. “Would you at least consider it? She’s a great girl, and I think you’d really like her if you took the time to get to know her.”

Crow averted his gaze again. No matter what he did, it seemed like she wasn’t going to give up. “Could we talk about this some other time?” he muttered, trying a more direct approach. “I’ve already had enough to deal with today. I don’t want to think about adding anything else to my plate right now.”

“Oh… okay,” Naida frowned disappointedly but dropped the subject.

As the evening wore on, the two siblings spoke about lighter topics, occasionally watching the crowd as they waited for the banquet to end so they could finally leave.

[BuzzingBee]

"See ya." Penelope smiled and gave a small wave to the two before stepping away. Once she was back amongst the other nobles, she nervously raked a hand through her hair. She wasn't sure what had cause Naida to ask such questions but the knight could only hope that the princess hadn't noticed her blush. Letting out a sigh, she rejoined her father as the banquet continued on, hoping it would reach its end soon.

As it drew later, the feast eventually finished and the nobles were dismissed. Penelope let out a small yawn, glad that it was finally over. She had been growing bored after spending the rest of the time with her family, listening to John and Krea discuss topics she found to be rather dull. The knight would have much rather spent the time doing something more productive. Though she supposed she was at least grateful she had gotten the chance to speak with Crow, even if it had been brief.

The knight sighed as she walked down the corridor to her quarters. Once she reached it, she slipped out of the green dress, struggling a little with the ties, and back into her regular clothing. Penelope stretched, letting out a small breath of relief to be out of the movement restricting dress. Looking down at it laid out on the bed, she debated taking it straight back to Naida. However, it was getting late. She was tired and she was rather sure her friend would be too, especially after drinking, so she decided to save it for tomorrow. Surely Naida wouldn't mind waiting a bit before receiving the dress.

Satisfied with her decision, she carefully folded the clothing and tucked it away on a clean spot on the table besides her bed. She moved and laid down on her bed, letting out another yawn. Now that Crow's ceremony was over, his first true day as a noble would begin and once again she wished she was able to be there besides him. But aside from keeping their relationship a secret, she had her own work to get started on. Once tomorrow came, she wanted to begin truly campaigning for the war's end, which meant she'd have quite a bit of letters to write. She also wanted to work on plans for after the war and there was also a possibility she'd have a guard shift now that she had given her letter to Tybalt.

There was a lot to think about and her mind continued to buzz even after she closed her eyes. Eventually weariness won out though and the knight's thoughts melted away as she drifted off to sleep.

[Rogue Sloth]

Much to Crow’s displeasure, the banquet dragged on until the sunlight faded from the stained-glass windows of the Great Hall. As time passed, he and Naida grew too tired to continue thinking of things to talk about, so they lapsed into a weary silence until the princess wandered off to spend some time with Braden and Willow. Sitting at the table by himself, the viceroy toyed with the idea of getting up as well to find someone else to talk to. However, the only other people he knew were Penelope, whom he needed to keep some distance from; John, whom he was still treading carefully around after their last encounter; and William, whom he didn’t even want to talk with.

So, with no other options, he sat quietly by himself, studying the golden candelabras on the table and estimating their worth until, at some point, he fell asleep.

Crow wasn’t sure how much time passed before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He blinked drowsily and lifted his head from the table, looking up to see that his father was standing over him with a sympathetic expression. “Tired?” he asked with a smile.

“No, I just really like the way this tablecloth feels on my face,” Crow muttered sarcastically and then yawned.

Albin chuckled. “Alright, I think you’ve had enough festivities for one day,” he gave the thief’s shoulder a squeeze before removing his hand. “I’ll dismiss the guests.”

Crow nodded sleepily and rose to his feet while the king addressed the crowd. As always, Preston appeared at his side right away to escort him back to his room, and the two walked out of the Great Hall together, heading down the long corridor that led to the stairs.

When they arrived in his bed chamber, the viceroy leaned against the edge of his bed and yawned again, taking a moment to unwind before he took off his boots. Preston offered his assistance yet again, to which the thief said ‘no,’ and undressed himself without help. With nothing more to do, the attendant said a curt ‘goodnight’ and left him to be alone.

As soon as the door closed, Crow laid back on his bed and let out his breath in a long exhale. Though the day had been busy, he supposed that, all in all, it hadn’t been bad. The ceremony had proceeded until completion, the banquet had been eventful, and he’d even had a chance to see Penelope, if only for a little while.

He drew his blanket up to his chest and rested one arm behind his head, staring up at the ceiling of his room. It was still hard for him to believe that he was actually a nobleman now. The thought felt so surreal. He’d lived his entire life as a peasant, never dreaming that he would someday climb in status to become a viceroy. It was hard to believe it was real.

But it is real, he thought, holding his hand above his head and flexing his fingers. It wasn’t a dream. He was really in the castle, and he had really just been given a noble title. Something he had never believed would be possible had just happened, and his life was going to change forever.

With that thought in mind, Crow settled down more comfortably on his bed and drifted off to sleep.

[BuzzingBee]

"Penelope."

The knight stirred at the sound of a familiar voice. She blinked as her gaze adjusted to the morning light and looked over to see her father standing besides the foot of her bed. She let out a small yawn and slowly sat up, a bit confused on why John had bothered to wake her up. As far as she was aware, she had no duties that needed her immediate attention. "Hmm... What is it?" she asked as she let out a yawn.

"I just stopped by to tell you that Tybalt scheduled you for a guard shift tonight. You'll be stationed at the front gate." John explained.

"Alright... Couldn't you have told me later?" Penelope sighed.

John crossed his arms over his chest. "I have matters to attend to and I don't think you should be wasting the morning sleeping. You may not be on the battlefield anymore but there's still plenty to do."

"I know." Penelope muttered. "I've got my work planned out, father."

"Good. Make sure you do it." John said with a stern nod before turning to step out of the room.

She watched him go before stretching out her arms to jog herself awake. The knight had been hoping to get a bit more sleep, she still felt rather tired from all the traveling, but supposed that her father was right. There was plenty to be done and it was best to get to work. At least, now she knew she had all day to get part of it done. She shifted to sit at the edge of her bed and slipped her boots on as she readied to head out of the room. Thinking over her plans, she figured she'd be spending most of her day at the library in the castle. They'd have the paper and ink she'd need to write the various letters. She just wished she knew of more barons.

Her gaze drifted over to the dress on the table. It was best she returned that first though. The knight wanted to make sure she got it promptly back to Naida. The princess might not have been overly concerned but Penelope felt a bit bad the longer she held onto the dress since it was likely rather expensive. She rose to her feet and grabbed the neatly folded clothing and moved to head out of her room. But not before a soft rumble came from her stomach. Though she was alone, the knight blushed slightly. It seemed the Great Hall would likely be her second stop after returning the dress.