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

[Rogue Sloth]

The next day was a bit more eventful than usual for Crow. Instead of being chained up in Jane’s tent for the entirety of his waking hours, John decided to let him have a bit more free range in the camp. With their trip to the inner kingdom fast approaching, the knight wanted to make sure he would be prepared to cover the distance to the castle. Thus, he was allowed to walk about and exercise his disused muscles a bit as long as he stayed within John’s sight at all times. He still wasn’t given complete freedom back—the knight had chained his hands together so he couldn’t cause any trouble while he was out—but even being in daylight again was a huge step forward for the thief, so he appreciated what he could get.

The other knights in the camp weren’t nearly as happy with the change. They gibed and spat at the thief whenever he got close to any of them, angered that he had even been permitted to stand in their presence. Their hostility didn’t bother him though. John had made it quite clear that any knight who laid so much as a finger on him would be punished, so he was safe from anyone who wished to cause him physical harm. It also gave him a fun game to play.

Whenever any of the nobles were particularly put off by him, he decided to intentionally stick around and bother them until they grew frustrated enough to walk away. He continued doing this long enough that eventually, the knights actively tried to avoid coming close to him and would turn the other way if he walked towards them. Crow was very proud of this accomplishment, because in his mind, it meant that he had won control over the camp. Wherever he went, the nobles would flee.

Unfortunately, his fun was put to an end around midafternoon when John decided he’d had enough time to walk around and forced him to return to the tent. The rest of the day passed by slowly and dully, and the thief ended up sleeping through most of it, since he’d had nothing better to do. So, when the day of their departure finally came, he was quite well-rested and rose early to assist John in packing up their supplies for the trip. The help he offered had little to do with the knight, and more to do with the fact that today was the first time in three weeks that he’d been freed from his restraints. It felt good to have a full range of motion again, and he wasted no time in appreciating it as he packed his own things in a bag provided—reluctantly—by the nobles.

It was just looking like the start of a peaceful morning, when Gavin showed up to say his goodbyes to Penelope. Crow tried to ignore them, knowing the other man had only come to keep up the charade of their courtship, but he found it impossible not to sneak occasional glances in their direction. Even though Gavin had earned more of his trust over the past few weeks, he still wanted to make sure the knight didn’t do anything more than what he had to to fool Penelope’s father.

When the two kissed briefly, Crow tensed and averted his gaze, busying himself by going through his bag to make sure he’d gotten everything he would need for the trip. Though the sight unsettled him, it didn’t bother him nearly as much as it had the first time he’d seen their lips meet. He supposed he must have been growing numb to watching them pretend to be in a relationship. Plus, his genuine kiss with Penelope two days ago was still fresh in his mind, so that helped take the edge off as well.

Once Gavin finished saying his goodbyes to Penelope and John, the knight casted a brief glance towards Crow, who forced a polite dip of his head in farewell. The gesture seemed to relax the other man a bit, which made him guess that Gavin had been nervous that he would be angry over seeing him kiss Penelope. Even though it had bothered him, he wasn’t going to hold it against the knight. After all, he had explicitly said he could handle it, so he had no right to hold it against him anyway.

After Gavin left, it didn’t take much longer for the Crow and the others to finish packing their things. The thief stood nearby Penelope, leaving some intentional distance between them and trying to keep his excitement off his face as John performed one last check of their supplies. Once the older knight seemed satisfied that they were well prepared, he shouldered one bag and handed another to Crow to carry.

“Let’s get going,” he said curtly, glancing between his daughter and the thief. “We’ve got a long walk ahead of us to Wellspring.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope glanced over at Crow as he moved near her. Though they couldn't be as close as she'd like, she was still ecstatic that they wouldn't have to part and that she was able to accompany him on the trip. Besides, they had been sneaking around a full camp of knights so surely sneaking around her father wouldn't be too difficult. She had made sure he wouldn't even be suspicious by hanging around Gavin so much.

Feeling reassured by her efforts, her gaze flickered over to her father as he addressed them and she gave a small nod. John turned and took the lead as they began their journey to the inner kingdom. With his back turned, Penelope let a small smile take over her lips as she followed after her father. However, as she looked over to Crow, it faded slightly as she was suddenly unsure what exactly to talk about with him without risking her father getting suspicious of them.

Even though she had been careful around John, the fact still remained that he had found out about Crow saving her life. If she acted too friendly with him, it was entirely possible that her father would still be able to catch onto them or at the very least, think she was getting too close to a criminal like Mia had. Even if John knew he was the king's son, she doubted that would make much of a difference in the eyes of her father. So instead of saying anything to Crow, she merely let out a small sigh and looked ahead to her father.

"So how are things in the inner kingdom lately anyways? I'm assuming the war hasn't really affected life there much yet right?" she asked him, attempting to strike up a conversation.

"Of course not." John replied shortly with a small shake of his head. "Things are the same as always."

Penelope gave a small nod. "That's good... I'm surprised the king sent you out for a mission like this. You must be earning some favor with him." she commented, partly hoping she might find out why her father knew such sensitive information about Crow and who his father was.

Unfortunately, John clearly had no intention of keeping the conversation going. He glanced over his shoulder towards Crow and narrowed his eyes slightly before looking back ahead. "Perhaps." he muttered with a hint of bitterness. Penelope sighed a bit dully as her father didn't bother to elaborate. She suddenly had a sinking feeling that the walking part of their trip was going to feel rather long if she couldn't get closer to Crow or hold a decent conversation with her father.

[Rogue Sloth]

When John turned around to lead the group out of the camp, Crow followed along a short distance behind him, smiling to himself as they walked. It felt good to finally be leaving the knights who had kept him confined for three weeks and to have Penelope at his side once again, even if there was a bit of distance between them. Though he wasn’t thrilled about the reason for the trip, he had a feeling he was going to enjoy it at least somewhat as long as she was with him.

He glanced down at the knight, tempted to reach for her hand while John’s back was turned. However, he restrained himself. Her father was the last person he wanted to find out about their relationship. If the older man realized his daughter was romantically involved with a criminal, there was no telling what he would do, but the thief knew it couldn’t be good. So, as much as he craved her touch, he knew it wasn’t worth the risk. He would just have to be patient and wait for them to find some time alone later on.

As Penelope struck up a conversation with John, Crow let his gaze wander over the trees around them, finding their topic of choice to be boring. He cared little about the affairs of the inner kingdom nor about how the war had been affecting the nobles who lived there. However, their conversation piqued his interest a little more when she talked to her father about the mission he had been sent on.

Crow snuck a glance at John, curious to find out if the older knight would tell them anything more about the king. After all, he must have known Albin at least somewhat well to have been chosen for this assignment. Perhaps he would be able to tell them more about why the king had sent for his estranged son in the first place. But, unfortunately, the man didn’t seem interested in doing anything like that.

The thief blinked in mild surprise as John shot him a cold look, wondering what he’d done to warrant such hostile behavior. As far as he could tell, he had been on his best behavior since Penelope’s father had arrived in the outer villages. He hadn’t tried to escape, and he hadn’t made any snide remarks either. He let out an irritable huff as he decided that John was probably just treating him this way because he was a criminal.

He may be calmer than the other knights, but he’s just as prejudiced, he thought bitterly, averting his gaze again with narrowed eyes. Part of him was tempted to return the favor and let his petty nature take over, but John was possibly his only resource to learn more about his father before they reached the castle. He had to tread carefully if he wanted to get anything out of him.

“I’m sure this mission isn’t that important to the king,” he muttered, studying John closely as he spoke. “Why would he care about talking to a thief anyway? I’m sure he just thinks he can convince me to do something for him, since I already worked for the last king once. Isn’t that right?”

[BuzzingBee]

John side eyed Crow as the thief spoke up, dismissing the mission as likely not that important to the king. "I don't know what the king wants with you but I have my doubts it's that." he grumbled honestly. Penelope listened with a hint of curiosity and was quick to catch on to Crow likely trying to get a bit more information about his father out of hers. She glanced at the thief and gave him a subtle wink before looking back ahead at her father.

"Why's that?" she asked with a hint of confusion. "What other reason is there for the king to meet with him anyways?"

"I just have my suspicions." John muttered with a hint of sternness. He clearly wanted the subject to be dropped, which only made the knight more curious as to the reason behind her father guessing that the king wanted something aside from a favor from Crow. She figured it must have something to do with them being father and son but it was hard to tell what. Her father made it rather clear that it wasn't a secret he was sharing openly.

How does he know it anyway? She casted a glance towards Crow. Perhaps he had just put two and two together but if he had, that meant the king had unintentionally given away a rather big secret to a man who wasn't fond of it. Though she wasn't fond of the king, she didn't think him careless enough to do something like that. The knight shifted her gaze ahead. "When did you and the king get on such good terms anyways? Last I checked, you usually tried to avoid dealing with him directly. Something must have changed there huh?"

John tensed slightly at the question. "I'd rather not discuss such matters in front of a criminal." he said warningly.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow just grunted in response when John said he didn’t believe the king had invited him to the castle to get something from him. The answer just served to confused him more. Though they were related, the thief had been fairly certain Albin was just trying to use him for his own personal gain. After all, what else could he want? If he’d been trying to get rid of him, he could have just had Penelope’s father kill him when he’d been too helpless to defend himself. It had to be a request of some sort, but he couldn’t think of anything that the king could want from someone like him, whether they were related or not.

As Penelope casted him a wink, he smiled halfheartedly, appreciating her effort to help him find out more about his father. Her presence made the whole trip much more bearable. He had a feeling that it would have been much worse if he’d been traveling with John alone. Plus, with her help, they might actually be able to draw something out of her father about the king. Unfortunately, if she was able to help him, her efforts weren’t getting her very far right now.

Crow frowned when John made it quite clear that he wasn’t going to discuss the subject any further in front of him. The older knight’s words sent a pang of annoyance through the thief. Albin was his father. He had every right to know more about the man, so it frustrated him that John was so unwilling to say anything. It wasn’t like he was trying to get any big secrets out of him either. All he wanted to find out was why the king had sent for him after all this time. Was that really so much to ask?

Still, as much as he wanted to push the subject, he had caught the edge of warning in John’s voice. He was just going to anger the older knight if he kept at it any longer. So instead, he lapsed into reluctant silence, deciding it was a safer move to bide his time and wait until John was more willing to speak about his father.

--

The quiet was uncomfortable and made time pass by slowly, but eventually, the group came to a small clearing to rest around midday for lunch. Right away, Crow sought out a place to sit down at the trunk of a tree, relieved to have a break after walking for so long. Though his wound had healed quite a bit by now, it still pained him to travel so far in one stretch, so he intended to make the most of the break while he could.

Leaning back against the tree, he closed his eyes and let out his breath in a long exhale, letting his body relax before he dug through his bag to find something to eat. He wished that he could sit next to Penelope, but with her father so close by, simply being near to her would have to be good enough for now.

I just hope we can get some time to ourselves, he thought disappointedly, tearing off a piece of a loaf of bread and bringing it to his lips to eat.

[BuzzingBee]

Silence fell over the group again as neither Crow nor Penelope tried to push John in to saying anymore. It easily made time go by slower for the knight but not wanting to put her father into a worse mood, she kept quiet and merely followed him. Eventually the group came to a stop in a small clearing and Penelope moved to quietly sit down near Crow. With her father around, she didn't dare sit next to him and merely had to content herself with eating her small lunch near him.

She let out a quiet sigh as she ate, wishing there was a way for her to buy some time alone with him. It seemed rather impossible with her father around and having no real excuse to venture off alone with the thief. The knight grabbed her canteen to take a sip of water, pausing as an idea struck her. Perhaps it wasn't the best, but it was better than just waiting around hoping they'd eventually get a chance to be alone.

As she finished drinking, she set the canteen down to rest against the bag besides her, purposely leaving it not fully closed. Penelope stretched a bit and moved to put away what was left of her food when she 'accidentally' knocked the canteen over in doing so. Faking a look of surprise, she shifted away from the splash of water that poured out and pretend to hurriedly set her items down so she could grab it before too much spilled out.

"Crap." she muttered as she screwed the lid on. She casted a subtle glance at Crow before focusing back on the container.

"Language.." John muttered as he looked up from his meal. His gaze studied her for a moment before he let out a sigh. "How much did you lose?"

"Nearly half.." Penelope frowned as she gave the container a small shake. She eyed it for a moment before looking over at her father. "There's probably a stream nearby here somewhere, right? I can try to find one before we have to leave." she said standing up to her feet.

[Rogue Sloth]

Since he was still trying to make up for all the meals he had missed during his recovery, Crow finished off his lunch much sooner than either of the two knights. He sighed contentedly and laid back in the grass, propping his arms behind his head in a relaxed posture while he waited for them to finish eating too. Though he couldn’t get as close to Penelope as he would have liked, her nearby presence was calming to him, and he as nearly tempted to take a short nap. However, he didn’t get a chance.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard Penelope mutter something and turned to see that she had spilled her water in the grass. Not wanting to get wet, he sat up again and shifted a little further away from her, so the water wouldn’t reach his clothes. As he did, he looked up at her curiously. She wasn’t normally clumsy enough to do something like this. He wondered if she had been distracted, but that theory was quickly put to rest when he caught sight of the subtle look she gave him.

She did it on purpose, he realized, biting his tongue to stifle a smirk. Clever.

As she got up to find a stream to refill her water, he climbed to his feet too. “I’ll come with you,” he volunteered, stretching his arms over his head in a bored manner. “There should be a stream that’s not too far from here. I can show you where it is.”

“And just why would you do that?” John spoke up, eyeing him with an unreadable expression.

“Because I’m from these villages,” Crow answered with a roll of his eyes. “I know where the stream is, so I can help her find it.”

“Penelope is perfectly capable of finding water on her own,” John pointed out.

“I’m sure she is,” the thief shrugged. “But you even said we’ve got a long trip to Wellspring. Wouldn’t it be faster if I help her find it, so we can be on our way?”

John studied him for a moment longer before he turned away again, “Very well.”

Feeling satisfied that he had tricked the older knight, Crow turned to Penelope with a sly smirk. “Come on then,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I’ll take you to the stream.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope glanced over at Crow as he soon volunteered to join her. She forced down a grin as he offered to show her where the stream was. It seemed that her last minute plan to get them away from her father might just work out. However, John certainly seemed reluctant to let the go alone. She merely listened as her father gave Crow a small bit of resistance. Luckily, his desire to keep them moving at a fast pace won over.

As Crow turned to her, she gave a small nod and paused to look over at her father. She offered him a small shrug before turning to follow after Crow. With her back to John, a victorious grin took over her lips as she followed Crow eagerly away from the clearing. Half of her water was a small price to pay for some alone time with the thief. The knight glanced over her shoulder, checking to see if the clearing was still in sight after a bit of walking.

Once she realized it wasn't, she quickly slid up to his side and eagerly took his hand in hers. "I think that worked out rather well... Although, I think that's probably a one time trick." she said with a soft laugh. Penelope slowed to a stop to press a short but tender kiss to his lips. As she pulled back, she remained close to him and smiled at him fondly, glad that she could finally close the distance between them. "We'll have to be a bit more creative next time though."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow trotted after Penelope as she headed out of the clearing, falling in step beside her once they were making their way into the forest. Truth be told, he hoped she wasn’t actually expecting him to find a stream for her. He did know the general areas where they might find one, but because the summer had been so dry, it was unlikely that any of the locations he knew of were filled with water at the moment. The next closest stop would be the river that flowed past Wellspring. At the thought of it, the thief smiled to himself.

That river had been a turning point in his relationship with the knight. Two years ago, it was the place where he had first ventured to open up to her about himself and where they had made their deal for her to let him go if he completed the former king’s mission. It was likely thanks to that river that they had ended up where they were now. Feeling a mixture of nostalgia and affection for the knight, he sidled a little closer to her side and eagerly laced his fingers with hers when she took his hand.

At her comment Crow nodded and shot her an amused look. “I’d say so,” he agreed. “Well, either that or your father is going to think you’re a clumsy fool by the end of this trip.” Returning her bright laugh with a small chuckle of his own, the thief leaned in to meet her lips when she kissed him. He closed his eyes and held her close, enjoying being able to have some real time alone with her for the first time in almost a month.

When she pulled back again, he grinned at her confidently. “I’m sure we’ll think of something,” he said, his eyes wandering desirously down to her lips as he spoke. “Your father still thinks you’re being courted by Gavin. It can’t be that hard to keep fooling him a little longer.” Unable to keep himself from her any longer, the thief moved in to kiss her again, meeting her lips with fervor and trailing his hands over her back as he lost himself in her touch.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope wrapped her arms around him as he held her close. She gave a small nod at his confident words. "You're right." she mused, giving an amused smile as she noticed his gaze lowering to her lips. There was no sense in worry about her father now. There would be plenty of silent time while they traveled to do that. Pushing her worries aside, she quickly focused on the man in front of her, meeting him halfway as he leaned in to kiss her again. She didn't skip a beat and met his lips with rivaling desire. Finally alone with him, she easily lost herself in the moment. The knight shifted away from his lips to press a couple kisses along his jawline. "Gods, I love you, Collin." she exhaled softly against his skin. Penelope pulled back slightly to smile at him before pressing another passionate kiss to his lips.

Unfortunately, their time alone was cut shorter than even she had expected.

"PENELOPE!"

The knight jumped at the loud and clearly furious voice. She let go of Crow and whirled around to see none other than John storming towards them. Penelope stiffened with shock, her face paling at the sight of him. For a moment, she just froze, unsure what to say or do. John was normally a distant and stoic man but she had never seen him look so furious. What was he even doing here? They hadn't been gone that long. Did he follow them? Shock quickly turned into panic as she came back to herself a bit.

"F-Father, wait... I just-" the knight stuttered, eying his drawn sword nervously as she stood in front of Crow. She didn't know what to say. What could she possibly say? He had caught them.

"Just get the hell away from him, now!" John snarled, suddenly moving to try to get between them. His gaze landed coldly Crow and he curled his lip up. "What the hell do you think you're doing with my daughter! Slimy bastard, I outta kill you!"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s heart was pounding in his chest as he and Penelope kissed passionately in the woods. He wished they could get away from her father long enough to be a little more intimate with each other, but, not wanting to risk the older knight coming after them, he supposed this was good enough for now. Besides, they had the whole trip to find time alone. There was no point in rushing into anything at this very moment when he felt confident that a better time would make itself apparent later on.

He tilted his chin up and sighed softly when Penelope moved to kiss him along his jawline. The touch of her lips and the warmth of her breath made him tremble slightly with excitement. “I love you too, Penelope,” he breathed, turning to kiss her again with equal desire when she met his lips again. In the heat of the moment, he lost all awareness for his surroundings, and he didn’t even notice the third figure approaching from the tree line.

That is, until a furious voice boomed: “PENELOPE!”

Crow felt his heart skip a beat as he whirled around to see none other than John storming towards them with his face contorted in anger. The thief stumbled hurriedly away from Penelope, as if there was still a chance that they could hide the fact that they had been kissing rather passionately just seconds before. His eyes were wide with horror as he watched the enraged man come towards him with his sword drawn. His instincts screamed at him to run from the danger, but he found that he couldn’t, because his feet were rooted to the ground with shock that refused to fade.

Oh gods, he’s going to kill me, he thought in a panic, staggering backwards as John got closer. The knight had caught him in the act of being rather physical with his daughter who was supposed to be marrying another man in one year. He couldn’t imagine a single way in which this situation could go well.

At John’s sharp question, Crow opened his mouth to respond, but couldn’t find his voice. What was he supposed to say? ‘Sorry you caught me kissing your daughter?’ ‘We’ll try to be more subtle next time?’ ‘Hey, at least she’s not pregnant?’ He certainly wasn’t going to apologize for kissing her. Whether John approved of it or not, he was in love with Penelope, and he was going to be with her.

Suddenly, his panic turned to obstinance, and he met John’s gaze with an unwavering glare. He may have been pathetically outmatched by the older man—he was both heavily wounded and unarmed, since the knights in the camp had confiscated his weapons—but that didn’t mean he was just going to roll over and beg for mercy. “Go ahead and try,” he sneered, tilting his chin up at the knight. “Then you’ll have to explain to my father why his son never made it to the inner kingdom.”

[BuzzingBee]

Crow's obstinance was not well received to say the least. If anything, it only seemed to anger John even further. "Why you-" John raised his sword to strike. "You think I can't? Do you really think you're that important?" He moved to swipe at Crow with his weapon but the attack didn't come close. Instead, the sound of metal clashing filled the air as Penelope had quickly drawn her own weapon to block the attack. The female knight met her father's gaze with a fearful look as he glared down at her.

"I won't let you hurt him." she stated firmly despite the panic she was feeling.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" John growled and narrowed his gaze at her. "What are you even doing with this thief! You're supposed to be courting Gavin."

Penelope lowered her sword as she moved to get further between them. At his words, she shifted uneasily, unsure how her father was going to take the truth. "I know..but..but Gavin isn't the one I love." she told him, shaking her head.

"And this-this criminal is?" he spat. He paused for a brief moment and then narrowed his gaze at Penelope. "Does Gavin know about this?" As Penelope hesitated to answer the question, John seemed to figure out the answer for himself. He clenched his jaw and shook his head. "This is madness." he growled. He lowered his sword and took a step towards Penelope, grabbing her by the wrist to pull her away from Crow. His gaze shifted over to the thief.

"I see you bare more than just a physical resemblance to your father." John narrowed his eyes accusingly. "Stay the hell away from my daughter. Whatever little manipulative romance you thought you had going on here, is done!"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow had been expecting John to back down or at least hesitate when he’d reminded him of the king’s mission, but instead, he realized all too late that his haughty words had only served to further fan the flames of the man’s anger. As the knight raised his voice at him and moved in to swing his sword, the thief’s eyes widened in fright. He wanted to run, but the shock of seeing John come at him with a sword had frozen him in place, and he was unable to even duck out of the blade’s path. Turning his head, he squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared himself for the bite of the weapon. However, it never came.

He flinched as the sound of metal clashing with metal filled the air and looked up in surprise to find that Penelope had come to his defense. Feeling weak with relief, he finally found the strength to step backwards and put more distance between himself and the enraged father who was clearly not afraid to kill him despite his relationship to the king. Once he felt a little safer, he watched the two knights speak with a wary expression, tensed to run if John came after him again.

Of course, Penelope’s attempt to explain that she loved him fell on deaf ears. Crow didn’t expect anything less. It was why he hadn’t bothered to try and tell John that they were in love when the knight had first questioned him. The older man would never believe it, even though it was the truth.

As John grabbed Penelope by the wrist, the thief watched in dismay, wishing he could stop the knight from pulling them apart, but helpless to do anything since he didn’t have a weapon of his own. However, his worry was quickly replaced with a sharp flash of anger at John’s following words to him. “I am nothing like that bastard!” he snarled, curling his hands into fists at his sides. He trembled slightly as he fought to keep from swinging at the knight, triggered strongly by the accusation. His father was the last person in the kingdom that he ever wanted to be compared with, so for John to say so now struck a very personal chord in him.

“How dare you even suggest that,” he continued venomously, unable to back down as the knight’s comment rang incessantly in his head. “We may share blood, but that’s as far as the similarities go.”

John just scoffed in response, “You have more in common with him than you think, cur.” He gave Penelope’s wrist a sharp tug. “Come. I don’t want you anywhere near that criminal.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope frowned as her father compared Crow to Albin. She knew that wouldn't go over well with the thief and sure enough, she watched as Crow responded angrily. The knight began to reach for him, a bit instinctively, as she wanted to calm him down as well as reassure him. However, she wasn't able to as John gave her a sharp tug. Her attention turned back to him and she dug her heels into the ground defiantly. Though she was afraid of what her father might do now that he knew about her and Crow, she wasn't going to fold to him easily.

"Just let me explain, please." she begged with a hint of desperation. "He's not like whatever you think he is. If you'd just listen to me first you'd see—"

"I've seen his type plenty. I don't need to hear whatever lies he's been feeding you." John glared at her. "I'm not going to let you throw your life away just because you're infatuated with this criminal. You're making a mistake and one day, you'll thank me for stopping this."

Penelope pursed her lips together and met his gaze challengingly. "Is that what my mother was to you? A mistake? I bet your father said something similar when you left to be with her right?" Her words struck a cord with John as she noticed her father suddenly freeze. A bit of anger faded from his face as he nearly looked shaken by her bringing up the past. For a brief moment, she felt hope rise in her that she might have gotten through to him. Unfortunately, all it did was make John eye her guardedly.

"Enough. It's not the same." he insisted sharply. He pulled her in front of him and let go of her wrist. "When we get to the inner kingdom, you will marry the first proper nobleman I can find. And as for you," he whirled to turn to Crow with a cold look his eyes. "keep your distance. I don't care who's bastard you are, I won't let you disgrace my daughter any further."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow lowered his gaze to the ground, glaring angrily down at the grass. He wasn’t anything like the king. It didn’t matter what John thought; he knew that he wasn’t the same. His father was selfish and greedy, and he didn’t care who he trampled in his path as long as he continued to rise in power; while the thief was perhaps self-centered to a degree but would never go to such lengths to get what he wanted. If he had been in Albin’s shoes and gotten a peasant woman pregnant, he would have stayed to help her raise the child, not turn around and call her a harlot to ruin her reputation.

As Penelope tried to calm the situation, Crow glanced up at the two knights, hoping her words would get through to her enraged father. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to help, and John continued to insist on separating them. The older man’s stubbornness made the thief grit his teeth in frustration. He was getting sick of all the people who thought they had a right to get between him and Penelope. It seemed like any time someone found out they were together, they would fight against them as much as they could. He wished that for once, they wouldn’t have to constantly defend themselves to everyone who thought they were making the wrong decision.

Crow curled his lip at John as the knight told him to keep his distance. “Sure, take her away from the one man who’s treated her the way she deserves and replace him with a noble who will just use her for his own selfish gain,” he spat. “That seems like a great way to earn your daughter’s trust.”

“Bite your tongue, thief,” John growled. “I know what’s best for her, and I’m not going to let some rogue ruin her life. You will stay away from her, or I’ll kill you before you can so much as lay a finger on her.”

Crow scoffed and averted his gaze again. He could see now that there was no getting through to the knight, so he didn’t bother to give him a reply. Instead, he pushed past the other man as he made his way into the surrounding trees, eager to put some distance between them before he lost what little control he still had over his temper.

“Where are you going?” John asked sharply.

“To get my bag,” the thief answered without looking back. With the peaceful break ruined by John’s interference, he wanted to keep moving and get the rest of the trip over with. He just hoped it would go by quickly.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope moved to walk back towards the clearing, shuddering slightly at her father's words. The knight couldn't imagine being tossed into yet another arrange marriage. In all honesty, she had gotten lucky with Gavin, even if she hadn't loved him like she loved Crow. He had been kind and trustworthy, someone who had developed into a close friend. There was no telling what the next man would be like, especially if her father was more focused on simply marrying her off as soon as possible so she couldn't be with Crow.

Negative emotions swirled inside of her as she thought about the situation she was currently in. She wrapped her arms around herself casting glance of longing towards Crow, wishing she could go over to him. The knight strongly desired to speak with him and merely reassure both him, as well as herself, that they'd figure out this new—and rather upsetting—situation. However, she didn't want to chance how her father would react to her attempting to get close to him again, especially while he was still fuming from finding them together. So, instead, the knight lowered her gaze to the ground and silently picked up her bag before moving to trail after John as he began to lead them onward towards Wellspring.

After a small bit of walking, she noticed her father continued to stick close to her, as well as often eyed to see where Crow was. Penelope bit her lip as she thought about his intentions to marry her off. It was going to be much more difficult to get out of it now that he knew about her relationship with Crow. Marriage was quite unpleasant to think about when it wasn't to the man she loved. Still desperate to change his mind and having yet to think of any other solution, the knight decided to give talking to her father another go, hoping that he had settled enough to hear her out.

"Gavin thinks he's a good man, you know... It's one of the reasons why he was willing to cover for us." Penelope muttered as she looked over at her father.

"He's a fool for falling for such tricks then." John replied without looking at her.

"Father, he took a sword for me. Do you really think that was a trick? He nearly died." Penelope argued. "What could he possibly gain from risking his life for me?"

"Who knows." John snorted. He paused then shook his head. "Perhaps he cares for you but that doesn't change the fact of him ruining your life, Penelope."

Penelope hesitated before going on in a quieter voice, "Just like yours was ruined by my mother?" A small spark of challenge as well as anger entered her gaze as she studied her father. The knight had been hoping that out of anyone, her own father would be able to understand that social status mattered practically nothing when you loved someone. However, instead she was starting to feel a bit hurt as he acted just like any other disapproving noble would. It was beginning to make her question if her theory of him loving her mother had ever been remotely right. Perhaps he regretted her just as much as any other member of her family.

The thought stung more than she expected. The pain fueled her frustration and she glared at her father. "Is that why you won't tell me anything about her? Do you resent her that much?"

John grew tense again and avoided looking at her. "Drop it. I'm not discussing this." he muttered.

"No. Answer me." Penelope pushed, narrowing her gaze at him. "If you so badly think I'm doing something I'm going to regret, then prove it. Tell me you wished you never met her." She then gestured to herself. "Tell me about your biggest mistake."

John clenched his jaw and suddenly turned on her. "My biggest mistake is ever letting you be a knight." he growled. "You'll be stripped of that too if you keep trying to compare the past to the present, do you understand me?" Fury burned in his gaze but with it there was a small hint of sorrow. Penelope noticed it but had no idea what to make of it. It could have been sorrowful regret or perhaps lingering pain over a lost love. Regardless, he hadn't given her any information that she was hoping for and instead, she was putting her job at risk as well now. Unwilling to try and test him any further, she merely gave a nod and lapsed into a defeated silence, staring at the ground as she continued walking.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow made his way back to the clearing where he had left his bag, still seething over his encounter with Penelope’s father. Every bit of it just made him angrier the more he thought about it. He was upset that the knight had followed them; he was mad that he had forced them to separate; and he was furious at the accusations he had made. The thief clenched his jaw as John’s words replayed in his head. Even if the older man just thought of him as a lowly criminal, he wouldn’t have cared that much, but for him to compare him to the king of all people made his blood boil.

When he reached the spot beneath the tree where he had left his supplies, Crow found and shouldered his bag, wincing as the motion sent a twinge of pain through the wound in his torso. Though he had packed light, the strain of the walk along with the weight of what he was carrying was starting to get to him. Still, he refused to let the ache slow him down. He couldn’t stand the thought of facing John again while the knight’s words were so fresh in his mind. He wanted some time to himself to cool down before he even attempted to get close to the older man again.

So, as the group continued to make their way towards Wellspring, Crow continued to walk as far ahead of the others as he could get. He wished he could have Penelope by his side—he craved to hold her until his raging emotions wound down—but after Jon had threatened to kill him, he couldn’t get close to her. Normally, he might have tested the waters a little and tried to get near to her anyway, but her father had already swung a sword at him once. It was quite clear that he wasn’t afraid to follow through with his word, even if it meant ruining the mission the king had sent him on. As long as the knight was determined to stand between them, there was no point in even trying.

Because of the accelerated pace that the thief had set due to his impatience, they managed to reach the village by the end of the day. When they arrived, John led them to the local inn, where he intended for them to stay for the night. In his persistence to keep Crow as far from Penelope as he could, he forced the thief to wait outside while the two knights paid for a room. It was a bit degrading, but as long as it meant he wouldn’t have to be anywhere near John, he didn’t complain.

Once the room had been bought, John came back outside to retrieve him, and the three made their way to settle down for the night. But, of course, even that couldn’t be easy for them. Almost as soon as the door had closed behind them, Penelope’s father turned on Crow with a stern look, “You, take that bed.” He gestured to one on the right side of the room.

Crow just rolled his eyes in response, but, not wanting to start another fight, complied with the demand. He stepped over to the bed and dropped his bag on the floor, rolling his shoulders with relief as the weight was shed off. However, he barely had time to relax when he suddenly felt someone take him by the wrist. He flinched and turned just in time to see John fasten another chain cuff to his hand and attach the other end to the bed post.

“What the hell is this?” he snarled, wrinkling his nose at the restraint.

“This is to make sure you keep your filthy hands off my daughter,” the knight glared at him untrustingly. Having secured the thief, he turned to Penelope next. “And now you. Take the bed on the other side of the room.”

[BuzzingBee]

As they finally reached the inn and headed to their room, Penelope let out a quiet sigh as John wasted no time in directing Crow where to sleep. She frowned a little as she watched her father chain him up to the bed post. He was clearly quite determined to keep them apart. His opposition to their relationship was far stronger than any other person who had discovered them. It left a bit of a bitter taste in her mouth as people continued to disapprove of them being together.

Her attention shifted back to her father as he commanded her to take up the bed on the other side of the room. "Fine." she muttered before turning and walking over to set her bag down besides the bed. She removed her armor to get ready to lay down and stretched out her back. Her gaze wandered over the room as she watched her father—satisfied with his efforts to keep them apart—move to take up the middle bed for the night.

Her green eyes eventually rested on Crow for a moment. With her father's back to her, she casted him soft look before turning away from him to lay down on the bed. "Good night." she said quietly. She figured it was the most she'd be able to get away with saying to the thief at the moment and even then, she couldn't directly say it to him. Feeling upset and frustrated, she threw her blanket over herself and closed her eyes tightly, hoping to fall asleep quickly. Part of her wanted this cursed journey to be over with already while another part of her dreaded what would happen once they reached the inner kingdom. She let out a shaky sigh and turned to attempt to get comfortable. After a bit of laying in silence, the knight finally managed to drift off into a light sleep.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow laid down on his bed with a long sigh, shifting until he found a comfortable enough position to fall asleep. With the chain on his wrist forcing his arm up towards the headboard, and his wound aching from of the long day of travel, it wasn’t easy, but he eventually managed to settle down on his side in a way that was tolerable enough to drift off. He drew his blanket over himself and closed his eyes, still frustrated that Penelope’s father was going to such lengths to keep them apart. He didn’t want to just give up and let the arrogant man have his way, but what else could he do? As long as John continued to force himself between them, he couldn’t get close to Penelope.

But he’s not doing anything right now, the thief realized as he glanced over at the older knight’s sleeping form. A smile found its way onto his lips as he came up with an idea. Moving carefully, he reached over the edge of the mattress, feeling around until he located his boots. The knights in the camp had taken his weapons, but as far as he knew, they hadn’t figured out about the other tools he kept for thievery. Perhaps he had gotten lucky again and they hadn’t found them this time either.

As his fingers brushed against the cool metal of his pick lock key, Crow grinned victoriously. It seemed the knights’ incompetence with thieves had saved him yet again. He drew the small device from his boot and carefully lifted it to the chain around his wrist, inserting it into the lock and working it until he heard a soft click. His heart raced excitedly in his chest, and he casted one more glance towards John to make sure that the knight hadn’t been roused by the soft noise. Of course, the older man laid still, sleeping peacefully while he believed he had trapped the thief in his bed.

Taking advantage of the opportunity he had created for himself, Crow sat up and quietly slipped off the bed, making his way carefully to the other side of the room with well-rehearsed stealth. When he reached Penelope’s bedside, he paused, taking a moment to look down at her sleeping face with a soft smile. It was still hard for him to believe just how thoroughly she had captured his heart. Every time he looked at her, he felt a swell of affection that made him love her even more.

Feeling an especially strong burst of fondness for the knight, he reached out to brush a strand of hair out of her face and gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, leaning down to touch a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Hey there,” he whispered into her ear, trailing his hand from her shoulders down to the small of her back. “Did you miss me?”

[BuzzingBee]

Having been sleeping rather lightly, Penelope stirred as she felt push a strand of her hair back. The knight slowly opened her eyes just in time to feel him press a kiss to her cheek. She looked up at the thief and smiled softly, glad that he had managed to slip over to her while her father slept. His presence was a welcomed surprise. Though, she supposed she shouldn't have been too surprised that he had gotten out of the chain her father had used.

"Just a little." she whispered jokingly with a small smirk. Penelope paused and carefully shifted to sit up on the bed. The faint creaking that her movement caused made her tensen up. During a rather quiet moment, the creaking seemed much louder to her than it probably actually was. So as she sat up, her gaze darted over to her father, studying him to make sure he was still fast asleep. Luckily, it seemed that the sounds hadn't disturbed his slumber in the slightest.

She relaxed again focused back on Crow. Feeling another small burst of joy to finally have him at her side after everything, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. After a brief moment, she pulled back and met his gaze. "Alright so maybe more than just a little." She smiled at him and touched a playful kiss to his nose. However,her gaze drifted past him over to where her father was resting and the playfulness seeped out of her expression. Her smile faded as she let out a sigh, giving a troubled look.

"This is a real mess now, isn't it?" she mumbled on a serious note as she looked back to Crow.