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

[Rogue Sloth]

When the group left the inn, Crow was quick to notice that this final leg of the journey was going to be quite different than the last two. For one, the streets they walked through were much more crowded with wealthy nobles and their servants. Random passerbys gawked and whispered amongst themselves when they caught sight of the infamous thief walking openly through their cities. The attention made him uncomfortable, since he had been hoping to keep a low profile when he was in the land of his enemies. It was already going to be stressful enough talking to his father for the first time. He didn’t need the added weight of watching his back in case an angry knight or noble chose to come after him. Still, he forced himself to bury his discomfort and carried himself with his head held high, though he remained tense and eyed the side streets in a wary manner, since it would have been foolish of him to drop his guard completely.

Throughout all this, Crow was glad for Penelope’s calming presence at his side. The further they traveled into the center of the kingdom, the more convinced he felt that he wouldn’t have been able to keep his nerves together long enough to face the king if he had been on his own. Her warmth and idle chatter helped to distract him from his nervousness about the meeting and the discomfort of the nobles’ prying eyes. He was glad that she had been able to get away from her camp to come with him on the trip, otherwise he probably would have bolted by now and escaped back to the outer villages.

When the group eventually left the main road to stop in the surrounding forest for lunch, Crow relaxed a little. It was nice to get away from the commotion of the cities for a bit, and though he was still anxious about confronting his father, he was relieved that they could hide from the curious nobles for a while. So, when they settled down in the small clearing, Crow opted to lay in the grass, trying to unwind while he had the chance. His stomach was too twisted up for him to handle eating anything at the moment, so this was the next best thing. Plus, from this angle, he couldn’t see the castle that had been at the forefront of his vision during their walk today, which was a welcomed change for the nervous thief.

After a bit, he heard someone approaching and turned his head to see that Penelope had come to sit beside him. He sat up as well, shifting a little closer to her and taking her hand when she reached for his. It was nice to be able to touch her again, since they’d been forced to keep their distance in the cities while so many other eyes had been on them. Now, with John being the only other person around, they didn’t have to worry about hiding their relationship as much.

At her question, Crow shrugged. “Well, I haven’t run yet, so that’s a good sign,” he answered with a half-smile. His eyes wandered back to the looming castle, and he took a slow breath. “I’m just glad you’re here with me,” he went on in a low voice. “I had no idea it was going to be this hard just to work up the nerve to speak to him.” Shaking his head, he toyed anxiously with the grass with his free hand. “I honestly don’t understand why I’m so worried. He’s the one who left me and my mother, so why am I the one who’s afraid to face him? If anything, it should be the other way around.” He leaned a little more into Penelope’s side, taking comfort in her presence. “It shouldn’t be this hard, right?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave his hand a small squeeze as he answered her. In all honesty, she was glad that she was able to be there with him as well. It was clearly going to be a bit difficult for him and she wanted to help him as much as she could, even if it just meant giving him whatever moral support she could from the sidelines. As he leaned into her a little more, she pressed a soft kiss to his temple.

"I don't know... I think meeting your estranged father for the first time would be difficult for anyone." she mused softly. The knight shrugged her shoulders. "And who's to say your father isn't a bit afraid too? Just because he wants to speak with you doesn't mean he's completely confident." Penelope rubbed her thumb comfortingly over his hand and pressed a kiss to his cheek before pulling back to shoot him a small smirk. "Especially considering his son is the most successful thief in the kingdom. Your father may be the king but surely he's still nervous."

John rose to his feet and stretched for a moment before looking over at the two. "Alright, we should start heading for the castle again." he mused then paused, crossing his arms as he looked towards the building from the trees. "You're starting to even make me anxious." he added in a light grumble as he looked over towards Crow. "The sooner it's over with the better."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow nodded thoughtfully when Penelope said that meeting an estranged father would be difficult for anyone. He supposed he hadn’t thought much about that before, since it wasn’t a common occurrence in the outer villages for a family to be separated like his was. Sure, plenty of children were born out of wedlock, but the parents always ended up getting married anyway. Usually single mothers or fathers were the result of one spouse dying young. It wasn’t often seen that a parent would voluntarily leave the other to fend for themselves, and because of that, he’d never met anyone else in the same situation as himself before.

As Penelope went on to say that his father could have been afraid to meet him too, Crow cracked a small smile. The thought that the king of Brerra could be nervous to face him was amusing. He was nothing more than a lowly thief from the poor outer villages of the kingdom. He may have had a reputation as the most successful thief in Brerra, but Albin was the ruler of it all. He couldn’t imagine that his father had anything to be nervous about, but he appreciated the knight’s efforts to make him feel better.

He looked up as John rose to his feet and announced that they needed to keep moving. Just as he was about to follow his lead, the older knight added something that made him pause: “You’re starting to even make me anxious.”

Crow stared at him in surprise. Though the words weren’t particularly comforting or even reassuring in any way, he hadn’t expected John to give his input at all. The knight had grown obviously more tolerant of him since the previous night, but this was the first time he had said something to indicate that he cared at all about how the meeting with Albin was going to go. The thief wasn’t sure what to think about that. He was partly unnerved, since he wasn’t used to nobles caring about him in the first place, but he also found that he felt strangely happy to be an object of concern to Penelope’s father.

“And the sooner it’s over with, the sooner I can go home,” he added as he climbed to his feet. Once everyone was ready to keep moving, they headed back to the main road to finish the last leg of their journey to the castle.

--

The rest of the walk went by in much the same way that the morning had. Word seemed to spread like wildfire about Crow’s appearance in the citadel as the nobles caught sight of him. They didn’t keep their opinions to themselves about it either. He heard multiple people make comments about how he’d finally been ‘captured’ and gossip about how he was going to be hanged for his crimes this time. He wanted to roll his eyes at their arrogant words. If only they knew that he had been personally invited by their precious king, maybe then they would keep their pompous mouths shut.

By the time they reached the castle in the evening, he felt convinced that every noble in the inner kingdom had heard of his arrival. That meant his father probably had as well. He swallowed nervously as he stared up at the massive, stone building, tempted to reach for Penelope’s hand, but restraining himself for the sake of keeping their secret from the small crowd of nosy nobles that had gathered to see what was going on. For now, he was just going to have to content himself with the knowledge that she was still by his side.

Crow took a steeling breath as they climbed up the steps that led to the main entrance, simultaneously glad to be escaping the crowd and terrified of what laid beyond those enormous doors. I’ve already made it this far, he thought, trying to calm his pounding heart. All that’s left is to have this conversation and be done. I can handle that. Still, it took every last ounce of his willpower not to turn around and run as John pulled open the castle door.

“You know, this is only the second time I’ve been to the palace in daylight,” he mused, attempting to make small talk with Penelope as he tried to distract himself from his fraying nerves. “The first was the day I was released from prison two years ago to go on that mission with you in Younis. I never thought I’d ever come back here again while the sun is up… Funny how plans change.” He took a shaky breath as John held the door open for him and Penelope to step through. This was it. Once he passed through into the castle, there was no turning back.

Time to get this over with. Clenching his hands into fists at his sides, he forced himself to step inside the building.

[BuzzingBee]

As they reached the castle, Penelope looked over the familiar building. It felt a bit strange for her to be returning there now, especially with Crow of all people. There was a small sense of comfort from being there though. As she thought about it now, it might be her last visit to the castle and inner kingdom altogether since she was planning to run off with Crow at the end of the war. It made her feel a small bit of peace that she was able to visit one more time.

When Crow spoke up, she looked over at him and gave a small nod of agreement. "Can't argue with that. I didn't think I'd see this place until after the war... and that was only before I met you again." she shook her head and moved to follow after Crow as he stepped into the building. Once inside, her gaze swept over the inside. Nothing had changed since her last time there and she dipped her head respectfully to a couple nearby guards.

"Ah, so you've finally arrived."

Almost as soon as the three were inside, the man Penelope recognized to be one of the king's attendants came walking towards them, followed closely by the captain of the castle guard. The captain was an older knight named Tybalt, whom had replaced the former captain after the incident with the half failed rebellion. Penelope had only worked under him for a few months before she had moved on to work with Mia instead.

"Yes." John answered as he moved to step to the front of the group. He dipped his head to the attendant and shook hands with Tybalt. "I trust the king has informed you both that I'm to take the thief directly to him, correct?"

"He has." Tybalt mused, his gaze narrowing on Crow. "I've merely come to offer extra guards."

"That won't be necessary." John responded shaking his head. "My daughter and I have handle him fine the whole way here. The only thing left is to bring him to his highness."

"Are you so sure? You can never be too careful with these criminals." Tybalt wrinkled his nose.

"With all due respect sir, we have it handled." Penelope spoke up now as she met the captain's gaze. Crow was already nervous enough, the last thing he needed was to be further stressed out by a bunch of guards surrounding him. She offered him a polite smile and then looked to the attendant. "The only thing we need is to see the king. I'm sure he doesn't want to be kept waiting for us any longer."

The attendant blinked and quickly nodded his head. "Right, of course. Follow me." he said turning to lead the way to the throne room. John murmured a word of thanks and moved to follow the man. Penelope glanced over at Crow with a quick, reassuring smile before focusing her gaze back ahead.

[Rogue Sloth]

The inside of the castle was just as luxurious as Crow remembered. He tilted his head back as his eyes wandered over the gilded walls and ceiling. Almost every visible surface was plated in gold-leaf, reflecting the light in a way that dazzled the eye of the beholder. It was breathtaking, but it also wrenched the thief’s heart as he thought about all the peasants of the outer villages who could use just a fraction of the visible wealth in the castle to better their lives. The stark difference between the riches in the palace and the poverty in the rest of the kingdom made him feel sick and reminded him of why he stole from nobles in the first place.

At the sound of a voice, Crow turned to see two unfamiliar men walking towards them. One was dressed in the armor of the castle guards, while the other wore the uniform of a royal attendant. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. He’d been hoping to just make a quick visit with as few other people involved as possible. The thought of having more nobles and servants around didn’t sit well with him, but fortunately, Penelope and John were quick to brush off the other knight, leaving them with just the attendant to guide them to the king.

He casted Penelope a subtle look of gratitude before he followed after John and the servant as they led them up the main stairs to the second level of the castle. Remembering the layout of the palace, he guessed his father was planning to meet with him in the council room, where the previous king had sent him on his mission in Younis. It was strange to think that he was about to talk to the man who had abandoned his family in one of the most prestigious rooms of the king’s court—and that his father was the king. Though he had already known Albin had risen up in rank, it was only just beginning to hit him now that he really was the son of the most powerful man in Brerra. He didn’t know what to make of that.

When they reached the familiar set of doors, Crow’s heartbeat quickened anxiously in his chest. He was really going to meet his father; it was really happening. The group came to a stop near the entrance, and Crow lingered towards the back, still fighting the urge to run as he began to feel more trapped. Doubts bubbled up in his mind as he wondered again if he was making a mistake. Was it really so much worse to go back to the outer villages without finding out what Albin wanted from him? Sure, he would be left with an unsated curiosity, but at least he wouldn’t have to face the man he despised.

Coward, you’re already here, he silently chided himself, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to stay put. Just get it over with.

“The king received word of your arrival and is waiting inside,” the attendant spoke up, turning around to face the group. His gaze was focused on the wall past Crow’s shoulder, as if he was afraid to meet the thief’s eyes, and he held out a hand towards the door. “Please, come in.”

Crow felt his heart skip a beat. His father was already waiting for him on the other side of that door. He glanced furtively towards Penelope, wishing again that he could take her hand, but at least she would be able to stand next to him while he faced his father. He exhaled slowly and took a step forward with the others. However, they didn’t get far before the attendant cleared his throat awkwardly. “Err, I believe His Majesty wishes to meet with the thief alone,” he said with a hapless look at Penelope and John.

Crow’s eyes widened for a fleeting moment before he regained his composure. “Oh yeah?” he frowned, crossing his arms defiantly. “Well, I didn’t agree to that. I’m not setting one foot in that room unless these two are coming with me.”

The servant stared at him in surprise, seeming unprepared for the thief to fight with him over the decision. “Um, well, I-I suppose I could ask if—”

“No need.”

Crow tensed as a new voice spoke up and turned to see a figure emerge from the council room. It felt like time slowed down as his eyes landed on the king—his father. For the first time, he could see why his mother had always compared him to the man. Even in his advanced age, Albin was a good looking man. He was tall, with a broad-shouldered frame lined with toned muscles that the thief could see outlined beneath his silk shirt. His face was rugged, and his jaw was chiseled and lined with a well-kept, dark brown beard. His pale green eyes were calculating and difficult to read as well, as if he was studying the other people in the corridor and thinking two steps ahead of every one of them. Overall, it felt to the thief like the king was an older version of himself. He didn’t like it.

“Crow Lockton,” Albin’s pastel eyes met his and a friendly smile softened his features. “It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.”

Crow hesitated for a moment, unsure what to do. His heart raced in his chest. He felt quite certain that the king’s friendliness was just an angle, and he was tempted to confront him hostilely to force him to drop the act. However, he was in Albin’s territory now. One wrong move, and he would land himself back in prison. So, even though he craved to shout or spit at the man, he glanced subtly at Penelope for reassurance and took a calming breath. “Your Highness,” he nodded his head in a curt greeting. It felt wrong to address his estranged father in such a respectful manner, but he had to find out what Albin wanted from him before he could even think about speaking what was really on his mind. “What do you want from me?”

“We can discuss that inside,” Albin answered vaguely. His eyes flicked toward Penelope for a moment before returning to the thief’s face. “Come in. I have much I wish to speak with you about.” He turned to John, seeming to think something over before he added: “You too, Vermillion.”

The older knight bowed and followed the order, stepping forward to enter the council chambers. However, Crow wasn’t as quick to comply. He wavered for a moment, reluctant to go anywhere with his father without Penelope. “Just him?” he asked, trying to find a way to include her without giving away their relationship. “I’m surprised you’re trusting enough to have an audience with a thief with only one guard present.”

“One guard is all I need,” Albin said simply. “Besides, the matters I wish to discuss are of a… sensitive nature. The fewer people get involved, the better. Now, please, Crow. Come inside.”

Crow bit the tip of his tongue. As hard as he tried to come up another way to get Penelope to come with him, he couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t raise suspicion. He sighed. It looked like he was going to have to go in alone, after all. I won’t be completely alone though, he thought. She’ll be right outside. Casting Penelope one last furtive glance, he took a steeling breath and stepped into the room.

[BuzzingBee]

As they reached the council room, Penelope took in a deep breath. Crow was about to face his father and she was feeling a bit anxious for him. Along with that, she had her other worry of trying to figure out when and how to bring up ending the war to the king. She took a small step forward to head into the room but didn't get far as the attendant addressed her and her father. The two exchanged a silent glance before moving to take a small step back. The knight looked over at Crow as he argued for them to join him.

She felt a small glimmer of hope that he'd be able to convince them to let her accompany him into the room. However, that hope was quickly shattered as the king suddenly appeared. Penelope tensed a bit as Albin stepped out of the council room and addressed Crow. She had crossed paths with him a couple times after working in the castle for so long but she had never truly held a conversation with the man, especially after learning about his history with Crow's mother. Between that and her own father's poor opinion of him, it was needless to say that she kept her distance for good reason.

As she noticed his gaze land on her for a brief moment, she gave a quick bow. Regardless of how she viewed him, he was the king and she would need to remain on his good side if she was to fulfill her duty of convincing him to end the war peacefully. Penelope glanced towards her father as Albin included him in the meeting. The two exchanged a quick glance and John gave her a subtle nod before he entered the chamber. She was a bit surprised to see him trying to reassure her about this development. It made her feel a little more relaxed knowing that her father intended to lookout for Crow while she'd be forced to wait outside.

She caught Crow's gaze and offered him a faint smile before the doors were shut on her and the attendant. The knight let out a small sigh and moved to lean on the wall by the door. The attendant shifted uncomfortably and then looked over at Penelope. "Are you planning to stay long? It might be a good time to speak with Tybalt about sleeping arrangements for you and your father." he suggested.

"I'm not sure. I'll worry about that after." Penelope responded with a shake of her head. She didn't want to move until Crow came out of the room. Even if she wasn't able to go inside with him, she wanted to stay close by and wanted to be there as soon as it was over. "I'd like to wait for my father."

"I see.." the attendant gave a small nod and let out a sigh. "I suppose I'll leave you here then. I have other matters to attend to while his majesty is busy. Good day." He dipped his head and moved to head off down the hallway. A silence fell over as Penelope was now by herself. She closed her eyes and strained to try and listen for any conversation that was happening behind the closed doors. While she made out some voices, she couldn't decipher what they were saying. After a moment, she gave up and let out a long sigh. It seemed she'd just have to wait and hear how the meeting had gone once they were done.

[Rogue Sloth]

As soon as all three men were inside the council chambers, Albin closed the door behind them and circled around Crow, observing him with interest. “My, my,” he mused. “You certainly are my son, aren’t you?” He moved to stand in front of the thief with an amused smile. “I’ve seen your wanted posters, but I have to say, I never expected you to look this much like me in person.”

“You almost sound proud of that,” Crow muttered, avoiding his father’s piercing green eyes. He hated how much he was being reminded of his appearance today, since it wasn’t something he liked about himself. “I would have thought you’d be disappointed that your bastard son bears any resemblance to you.”

Albin chuckled lightly, “It certainly makes things a bit more difficult, but I’m not disappointed by any means.” He gestured at the council table in the center of the room. “Have a seat wherever you’d like, Crow. We have much to catch up on.”

The thief shifted his weight uncertainly. His father was much different than he had expected him to be. After two decades of building the man up in his head as the vilest person to walk the Earth, he was caught off guard by his amicable nature and charismatic personality. He had to remind himself not to trust the silver words that flowed off the king’s tongue, since his mother had told him long ago how manipulative Albin could be. He may have been acting friendly now, but it had to be because he wanted something.

After a moment of hesitation, Crow stepped over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. Even though he had decided to keep his guard up around the king, he still needed to find out what the man wanted from him.

Albin seemed pleased with his compliance and moved to sit in the chair directly adjacent to him. “So,” he exhaled and leaned forward, lacing his fingers together as he rested his forearms on the stone table. “Tell me about yourself.”

Crow blinked, unprepared for the question. He had been expecting his father to get straight to the point, not spend time ‘catching up’ with his estranged son. He wasn’t sure how to answer the question either. No matter who Albin was to him, he wasn’t about to open up about himself to a man he had just met. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d prefer to talk about the reason you invited me here,” he said slowly, trying to redirect the conversation.

“And we will,” Albin said dismissively. “But first, I want to learn more about you.” His lip quirked upward in another warm smile. “I know all about the face you put on as a thief, but I want to know the man beneath all that. Tell me more about my son.”

“If you really wanted to know me, then why didn’t you stay when you found out my mother was pregnant?” Crow narrowed his eyes accusingly. Despite his efforts to remain civil with Albin, he couldn’t help the bitterness that leaked into his words.

At his question, Albin’s expression turned melancholic, catching the thief by surprise yet again. “I wish I had,” he sighed. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about Madeleine and what I did to her. She deserved so much better. I’m sorry I let her—and you—down all those years ago.”

Crow faltered. He had expected his father to get defensive or give him some ridiculous excuse about having to choose his status over his mother, not apologize for what he’d done. Still, that didn’t explain everything. “But you called her a harlot,” he ventured warily. “She told me you ruined her reputation.”

“I know, and I did,” Albin shook his head sadly. “It was a terrible decision, but I panicked. I did care for your mother, but I had just been named the viceroy to the king. I was afraid of losing everything I had worked for, and I wanted to save myself from the consequences of what I had done. However,” he held up his hand as Crow opened his mouth to speak. “That doesn’t make what I did right, and I acknowledge that. I was twenty years old back then, Crow. I was young and foolish. Can you really hold something against me that I did as a scared and unprepared boy? Surely you’ve done things that you regret as well.”

Crow stiffened slightly as Hazel’s face appeared in his mind. It was hard to disagree with his father when he knew the man was right. He had hurt the herbalist when he had led her on years ago—when he had been younger and more naïve. How could he hold a grudge against his father for doing the same thing? As much as he hated to admit it, it was getting harder to stay mad at the king now that he’d heard his side of the story.

Albin seemed to catch that he’d struck a chord with the thief. “See? You must understand,” he pressed. “I truly wish that I hadn’t hurt Madeleine, but I can’t change the past. The only thing I can do now is try to make things right with my son.” He reached out to rest a hand on Crow’s arm.

Crow looked up to meet his father’s gaze. “And just how do you plan to do that?”

“By offering you the position I held before the last king passed,” Albin’s warm smile returned. “Crow, I want you to be my viceroy.”

The thief fell into a stunned silence. His father wanted him to be a royal ambassador? His startled eyes flicked to John, but the knight was gawking at them with as much surprise as Crow felt. He turned back to Albin, stammering slightly as he found his voice, “I-I’m sorry… What?”

“You heard me,” Albin laughed, seeming to find his reaction entertaining. “I want you to be my viceroy. I can’t take back my mistakes of the past, but I can still move forward with my son, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Yeah, I got that part,” Crow leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took a moment to process what was going on. “But why do you want to give me such an honored title? I’m not a noble, and I certainly don’t have the training or qualifications needed for that position. And wouldn’t the rest of your followers be upset with you for giving a criminal such a job?”

Albin chuckled again. “You’re my son, so you’re already nobility by birthright,” he said simply. “As for your qualifications, you’re already more prepared for this job than any other noble in this kingdom.” He leaned a little further forward as his eagerness seeped into his voice. “It seems you took after more than just my appearance, Crow, because I heard about your talents with other languages from William when he returned from your mission in Younis. Combined with that charisma you’re so well-known for, you already have the makings of a skilled viceroy. All that’s left is to educate you on any gaps in your knowledge, and that shouldn’t take longer than one or two years if you work hard enough.” His smile broadened. “Any nobles who disagree with me will see soon enough what a perfect fit you are for the position, so I’m not concerned about them either.”

Crow bit the inside of his lip. It sounded like his father had given this quite a bit of thought, but he didn’t think he wanted to accept the offer. He had always hated nobles and their way of life. Nothing about it was appealing to him. He liked his life in the outer villages, too. He had good friends, and he was doing quite well for himself as a thief. How could he give all that up to work for the king?

Suddenly, he thought of Penelope, and his heartbeat quickened in his chest. He didn’t like the idea of accepting his father’s offer, but if he did, he would be given the title of a noble. She wouldn’t have to give anything up to be with him, because he would have risen to the same rank that she held.

But what about our life in Farhill? His heart protested. The life we pictured can’t happen if I take this job. But what if Penelope would be happier if he did? He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair, feeling conflicted. “I don’t know…” he murmured, looking up to meet his father’s gaze again. “It’s a lot to think about.”

“You don’t have to decide right now,” Albin assured him. “Take all the time you need. And while you’re thinking about it, please, make yourself at home in the castle. My attendant can show you to your room.”

“Thanks,” Crow nodded absently, still caught up in his own thoughts as he tried to work through everything his father had just said to him.

“You’re quite welcome,” Albin said, standing up from the table. “If you need anything else or feel ready to tell me what you’ve chosen, come and find me at any time.”

“I will,” Crow nodded again, rising to his feet a bit dazedly.

Albin stepped closer to embrace him, patting the thief heartily on the back. “I’m glad I was finally able to meet you, son,” he grinned as he moved back to open the door again. His pale green eyes followed Crow as he exited the room before the friendly expression disappeared from his face, and he turned to John with a stern frown, “Make sure the guards are prepared the next time he approaches me. I want them ready to arrest Lockton if he denies my offer.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope crossed her arms over her chest and waited silently by the door. The knight shifted as time went on, wondering what was going on behind the closed doors. Her curiosity grew as time went on and she began to fidget slightly. She hoped Crow was alright. Although, judging from the lack of any yelling, she supposed he must be handling himself rather well in front of the man who had abandoned his family all those years ago.

After a short time passed, the door opened again and Penelope quickly pushed herself off the wall to stand up straight as she waited for Crow and her father to exit the room. The first who stepped out was Crow and she took a step towards him before quickly stopping herself. As much as she wanted to hurry to his side and take his hand, she couldn't do so when they were near so many nobles and the king no less. So instead the knight kept a small distance between them and shifted with uncertainty as looked over at him.

His expression threw her off a bit. Penelope had been expecting the thief to look more upset after speaking to his father but instead, he looked more dazed than anything. Exactly what did they talk about in there? she wondered, frowning faintly. In the next moment, her father stepped out behind Crow. Though he wore his usual stoic expression, she detected a small hint of annoyance in his eyes.

Glancing between them she shifted a bit closer. "So... How did it go?" she asked tentatively.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow kept his gaze fixed on the floor as he stepped into the hallway, his mind reeling from everything his father had just said to him. He was shocked by the type of person Albin seemed to be. After creating the image of a brutal and greedy man in his head, he never expected the king to be so… considerate. He didn’t know what to think about that. Part of him was still wary because of what his mother had told him long ago, but after speaking face to face with him, it really seemed like his father had changed. Albin had sounded genuinely remorseful over abandoning him and his mother, and he had even offered him the highest title in the kingdom outside of royalty to make up for the past. If he was lying, then why would he do that?

The job offer was something else that Crow didn’t know how to approach. For his whole life, he had believed he was and always would be a peasant. It was the life he had been born into, and even though he’d known his father was a noble, he’d never thought the man would approach him, let alone tell him that he could rise in status to claim his ‘birthright.’ It was completely unexpected. Plus, he still didn’t know if he even wanted to take the position of viceroy. After all, saying ‘yes’ would change the course of everything he had achieved for himself as a thief. Though it was dangerous, he really liked being a fugitive. His life was fun and fulfilling, and he didn’t have to bow down to any man. It was the kind of life in which he thrived.

But on the other hand, if he did say ‘yes,’ Penelope wouldn’t have to give anything up to be with him. He knew she claimed to be content with leaving her life behind to run away with him, but if there was a chance that he could make it so she wouldn’t have to do that, wouldn’t it be selfish not to take it? He’d always been a little insecure about the fact that he couldn’t provide her the same life that a nobleman could anyway. If he took his father’s offer, then it would change everything. Their life together would look much different than what he had pictured for them in Farhill, but he could give her what she deserved. He could make sure she wouldn’t regret being with him.

Crow was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear Penelope’s question. He glanced back over his shoulder as John stepped out of the council room, followed shortly after by his father. The king caught his eye and flashed him one last warm smile, which the thief returned with a faintly upturned lip, before he turned and walked off down the far side of the corridor, leaving the group behind.

Letting out his breath in a conflicted exhale, Crow turned back to Penelope and studied her confused face for a moment before he finally spoke up in a soft voice, “We should go somewhere more private.” His eyes swept guardedly over the passing servants and knights in the castle. “I don’t want to talk here.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope shifted uneasily as a silence continued, neither Crow nor her father answering her right away. As Crow finally spoke up saying they should go somewhere more private, the knight gave a small nod of agreement. "Alright." she said then looked up at her father as he suddenly stepped forward. He glanced at the two and then gestured for them to follow him. She looked over at Crow and gave a small shrug before turning to trail after her father down the hallway. She wasn't sure where he was going to take them but she assumed John had a spot in mind. He knew the castle better than her, especially since she had quit working as a castle guard for some time now.

John led them to a small room near the staircase. It was a waiting room for visiting nobles who requested an audience with the king. It was small in side but filled with luxurious decor. A long bench with soft padding took up the center space while two chairs rest on either side. A small table was place in front of the bench, with a lantern and quill on it. Against the back wall was a couple shelves of dusty books that didn't appear to have been touched in quite some time.

Her father waited for them to enter before stepping inside after them and closing the door. He turned to them and crossed his arms. "You can stay here for now. It'll be a little while before someone comes looking for you, I'm guessing. And Penelope," his gaze focused on his daughter. "if anyone questions you about this, tell them that you've been assigned by me to keep watch on him. If they try to challenge that, direct them to me. I'll be speaking with Tybalt about this new... development."

Penelope looked at her father with a hint of confusion but nodded her head in agreement. She wasn't sure what that meant but it at least seemed that John was trying to help. It made her feel a bit of fondness for her father. After feeling so long that he was constantly fighting against her, it was nice to see him actively on her side. She supposed she owed quite a bit of thanks to her mother. "Thank you, father." she said with a grateful dip of her head.

John gave her a small nod and started to turn to leave. However. he paused and turned his head to look over at Crow. His gaze narrowed at the thief. "While we're behind closed doors, let me offer you some advice I should have told your mother the moment I met her. Don't trust your father." he stated. "He does what is convenient to him and don't think for a moment that isn't true." The older knight paused and lowered his voice slightly. "He didn't stop being young yesterday. He had plenty of time to make things right but he waited until now. Don't forget that."

He glanced at Penelope and then looked Crow with newfound sternness. "That being said, I'd highly advise taking his offer." he grumbled before abruptly turning and opening the door to head out of the room, without waiting for a reply.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow followed wordlessly after John as the knight led him and Penelope through the castle. He barely paid attention to where they were going, as his thoughts were still occupied by the conversation he’d just had with his father. Though he was reluctant to speak at the moment, he was eager to tell Penelope about what they had discussed once they were someplace where they wouldn’t be overheard. He wanted to get her opinion on everything, since he still had no idea what to do. She knew him better than anyone else in the kingdom, so surely she would have some word of advice to offer in the midst of his uncertainty.

When they eventually arrived at a small room, Crow stepped inside first, letting his eyes rove over the space. It seemed private enough, so he let his guard drop a bit as he took a seat on the bench in the center of the room. As long as he kept his voice down, he doubted anyone would hear them speaking and grow curious enough to try and eavesdrop on them in a place like this. This was relieving to the thief. While he wanted Penelope’s input, he didn’t want any other unwelcomed opinions from the other people in the castle. If he was going to take or deny his father’s offer, he wanted it to be a decision made only by himself and the knight.

He glanced up at John and Penelope as her father addressed her. It was nice to know that the older knight intended to cover for them while they were in the castle. Usually, he and Penelope had to find ways to cover their own tracks whenever they wanted to be alone together, so he appreciated the extra help that the other man offered. However, his moment of respite was quickly cut short when John turned to speak to him next. He stared at the knight in surprise when he said not to trust his father. He had already known to a degree that it was risky to believe Albin, but hearing it come from someone else was sobering.

But why would he want me to be his viceroy if he isn’t trying to reconcile? He wondered, knitting his brow confusedly. It didn’t make any sense. What did his father have to gain from taking a known criminal into his courts if not to make up for past wrongs? It was true that Albin had had two decades to correct his mistakes, but surely there must have been some reason that had kept him from doing so before. Even if it was suspicious, he couldn’t think of anything else that could explain why the king had made his offer. Still, he was also hesitant to dismiss John’s warning. Perhaps there was something he was missing that the older knight knew.

He was just about to ask, when the Penelope’s father spoke up one more time to offer unexpected advice: “That being said, I’d highly advise taking his offer.”

Crow’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t thought John would tell him to take the job, especially since he seemed to believe that the king was lying to him. However, he didn’t have a chance to press for more information before the knight exited the room, leaving him alone with Penelope.

Finally able to relax, Crow let out his breath in a long exhale and gestured for her to come and sit beside him on the bench. At first he said nothing, choosing instead to simply take her hand in his and lean against her side. He still wanted to speak to her about what had happened, but he needed a moment to process through it all before he said anything.

Once he felt ready, he turned to meet her gaze. “My father… didn’t ask me here to buy my silence about our relation to each other,” he started slowly, running his thumb thoughtfully over her hand. “I’m not sure how much of what he said was true, but he claimed that he wants to make things right between us after he abandoned me and my mother all those years ago.” He hesitated, biting his tongue lightly before he went on to explain, “He said he—he wants me to be his new ambassador. Apparently, he found out about my ability to pick up other languages from William, and because of that, he believes I’m qualified to take the job with some added training.”

Crow lowered his gaze to his lap, feeling a tangle of confliction rise up in his chest as he continued in a soft voice, “If I accept his offer, this could change everything for us, but…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t know. What do you think I should do?” He looked up to meet Penelope’s eyes again with a melancholic expression. “I know you don’t really want to give everything up to run off to the outer villages with me. If I could give us a way to be together without making you lose all that you have, is that something you would want?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched her father as he warned Crow. His words made her feel a bit nervous, wondering exactly what he was talking about. Especially when he mentioned taking whatever offer the king had made him. Was it another job? The knight glanced at Crow, eager to hear what had happened between him and his father. As he gestured for her to join him, she walked over and took a seat besides him. When he still remained silent, she gave his hand a small squeeze and let him lean into her as he seemed to still be reeling from speaking with his father.

She listened as he finally spoke up and began to tell her how his father didn't bring him there to buy his silence and instead claimed that he wanted to make things right. The knight blinked, mildly surprised to hear that the king wanted to patch things up with the son he had originally turned his back on. However, that was only the tip of the iceberg. Her eyes widened as Crow explained that Albin wanted Crow to be his new ambassador. Out of all the possible things that she could have guessed that the king wanted from Crow, giving him a noble title was not one of them.

As Crow mentioned what accepting the offer could mean for them, she felt her heart begin to race with a hint of excitement at the thought. If Crow rose to nobility, she wouldn't have to leave anything behind to be with him. She could keep her job as a knight and continue with the plans she had before Crow came back into her life. And she could do all of it while having him by her side. It was something she had never thought possible so needless to say that the knight was a bit excited by the prospect of it. That's why my father must have suggested him taking the offer.. she realized with a glance towards the door. If that was the case, perhaps it was already signalling that he was prepared to allow them to be together. He had been rather tolerant of Crow as of late after all.

However, as she looked back to Crow, her excitement died down as she noticed his melancholic expression. Even though the idea sounded great to her, that'd mean he'd be force to give up his life instead. She frowned a little. Crow hated nobles and a lot of nobles hated him, but more so than that, she knew that he enjoyed his life in the outer villages amongst his friends and the other peasants. Even if that life sounded great to her, it likely didn't hold the same appeal for the thief and she didn't want to pressure him into anything that would just end up making him miserable.

"I don't know... I wasn't expecting your father to make such an offer.." she mused with a sigh. "But, I want you to make the decision that feels right for you. It's your decision to make, not mine." Penelope answered in a soft voice as she held his gaze. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. As she pulled back, she gave him an affectionate smile. "And besides, I love you Crow, I'm going to be with you no matter what you choose."

[Rogue Sloth]

Penelope’s initial excitement in response to his words didn’t slip past Crow’s keen eye. He could tell that she was enthralled by the idea of him accepting Albin’s offer, though she was trying not to show it. However, he wasn’t very surprised. After everything she had told him about her power as a lieutenant in the war and her plans to help the outer villages when the battles were over, he had expected nothing less. If she left her life to be with him, she would lose all of that—not to mention the fact that her family would turn against her as well. They would have each other, but for her, he was all she would have left.

As she told him that it was his decision to make, he smiled faintly, appreciative of her selflessness. Even though it was clear to him that she was excited by the prospect of him rising in status instead of dragging her down into peasant life, she was still more concerned about his happiness than her own. It seemed that while he was concerned about giving her what she wanted, she was equally as determined to make sure he was satisfied with their life as well. The realization made his heart swell with affection for the knight, and he leaned in to kiss her tenderly on the lips in a physical expression of his gratitude.

Still, though he knew she was trying to give him the freedom to choose what he wanted, her answer to his question didn’t make things any easier. All she had done was confirm that she would be supportive of him, no matter what he decided to do. He had been hoping she would tell him to take the offer because she didn’t want to have to give up her own life if there was an alternative or refuse it because she was still content with running away with him regardless of the consequences. Instead, she had left the decision of their fate solely in his hands when he didn’t have the faintest clue how to approach it.

Pulling back from her lips after a long moment, Crow met Penelope’s gaze and lifted his hand to rest affectionately against her cheek. “I love you too, Penelope,” he sighed. “I just want to make the best choice for both of us, you know?” Leaning into her a little more, he lowered his hand again to wrap her up in a tight embrace. “I never thought something like this would even be an option for me… It’s a lot to take in,” he went on, resting his head against hers. “I mean; my whole life is in the outer villages. It’s everything I know and everything I’ve ever wanted. Not to mention, I don’t know the first thing about nobility.” He wrinkled his nose slightly at the thought of joining the ranks of the people he most despised in the kingdom.

Suddenly realizing that he was processing out loud, the thief exhaled again and closed his eyes. “At least I still have time. I told my father that I need to think about it before I give him an answer, and he said I could stay in the castle until I make up my mind. Speaking of which,” He pulled back once more to meet Penelope’s gaze with a frown. “I need to find his attendant soon, because my father said he would show me where my room is.” He shrugged. “I guess they already had one prepared.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope met Crow halfway as he leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed their closeness. It was a firm reminder to herself that she'd be fine with whatever choice he made. Even though part of her was excited at the prospect of keeping both the life she had and Crow, she couldn't ask him to leave the outer villages for her, especially if he didn't feel like it was the right decision for him. After all, he was more important to her than her life as a noble and she wanted him to be happy. If that meant sticking to their original plan, then she was fine with that.

As he pulled back, she smiled at him and returned his embrace. "I know... And I'm sure you'll figure it out." she assured softly. The knight closed her eyes as he rested his head against hers and listened as he went on to talk about his life in the outer villages. To her, it sounded like the thief had already made his decision. Of course he wouldn't want to leave the life he knew and loved behind. Penelope held him a little tighter, trying to ignore the twinge of disappointment that she felt.

"That's good." she mumbled as he said that his father had give him time. She looked up at him as he pulled back to meet her gaze. The knight gave a small nod and pressed one last kiss to his lips before standing up. She was a bit surprised they already had a room prepared for him but then again, the king seemed to be treating him rather warmly. It made her wonder why her father suspected him to be lying. However, she didn't dwell on it and casted a glance at Crow. "I think I saw him go into a room not far from where the council room is.. He said he had something to attend to so I imagine he didn't go very far." she told as she began to step over to the door.

Just as she took a step towards it, the door opened and in stepped another knight. Penelope froze as her gaze landed on the all too familiar William, who's gaze had immediately narrowed in on Crow. So much so that he didn't even seem to register that Penelope was the knight with him at first. "So you are here." William growled. He opened his mouth to say something else but faltered as he finally looked over to the other person in the room, only to realize it was Penelope. The older knight blinked and then narrowed his gaze. "What the hell's going on here?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow was grateful that Penelope seemed to have so much confidence that he would make the right decision for them. While he still didn’t have the faintest clue whether he was going to accept or deny his father’s offer, it was nice to know that she would support him no matter what he chose. He smiled to himself as they continued to hold each other. As long as she was by his side, he felt sure that he would be happy no matter which direction their lives went—even if that meant seriously considering the job Albin wanted him to take.

As Penelope kissed him once more time, he leaned in to meet her lips and then stood up from the bench to walk with her towards the door. After their talk, he felt even more torn about his decision then before. Half of him still yearned for their humble future in Farhill, even though it would force Penelope to give up her life as a noblewoman, while the other half of him was even more tempted to become Albin’s viceroy because of how good she had been to him. He wanted to give her the life she deserved, and now he actually had a chance to do that. It just meant that he might have to give up his own life instead.

Crow was drawn from his thoughts as the door suddenly opened before Penelope could reach it. He looked up in confusion, wondering why someone would have been coming into the room at this very moment. Perhaps Albin had sent his attendant to come and find him instead? It made sense to him, but it seemed that wasn’t the case when an all too familiar figure entered the room. The thief raised a brow as his gaze fell on the man whom he hadn’t crossed paths with in two years.

“Nice to see you again too,” Crow rolled his eyes as William immediately began to question them in a hostile manner. He’d nearly forgotten how unpleasant the older knight could be. His green eyes swept over the other man, and his lip quirked upward in a mischievous smirk. It had been a while since the last time he’d had the pleasure of bothering William. Perhaps he could have a little fun with him for old time’s sake.

“But, if you really must know,” he went on with a shrug. “I was invited here by the king.” His smirk widened to a grin. “I’m his honored guest.”

William stared at him. “What?” he said after a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The king invited a thief into his castle?” He looked up again, his eyes flicking between Crow and Penelope before they narrowed suspiciously. “I can’t imagine this—” he gestured at the two of them. “Has anything to do with what you just told me.” He turned on Penelope. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I happen to remember that this criminal ran off two years ago to save himself. Have you really not learned your lesson since then?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked over at William as he reacted to the news of Crow being invited by the king. She found his frustration a bit amusing until his gaze narrowed on them suspiciously. The female knight tried to hold his gaze evenly but found it a bit difficult to. William was among the few people who knew about their relationship—or more accurately their past relationship. Fooling other nobles might be easy but fooling him would be a bit trickier given their history. Part of her wished she could tell the older knight about how wrong he was, however, they couldn't risk having word get out about them together. Especially while they were in the castle no less.

"Oh calm down William." she sighed with a roll of her eyes. Penelope crossed her arms over her chest and met William's gaze. "I'll have you know this has exactly to do with the king inviting him here. My father assigned me to keep watch of him."

A hint of challenge seeped into his gaze and Penelope felt a bit of nervousness at it. "If that's the case, then I'm sure you wouldn't mind me taking you off your guard duty, right?"

"I wouldn't." she responded as she held his gaze. "However, my father would. He gave me instructions to remain as his guard."

William gave a frustrated look, clearly not pleased with her answer. "I doubt that. Why would you willingly take a job with this thief anyways? Aren't you supposed to be at the battlefront right now anyways?"

"Yes and that's why I took it. I wanted to speak with the king about news from the battlefront and it just happened to line up with my father's mission." Penelope shrugged. "It was two years ago, William. I've learned plenty since then." As he studied her closely for a moment, she gave another roll of her eyes to try and sell her point of how ridiculous he was acting. Luckily he finally seemed to accept her words as he gave a huff and took a small step back.

"Fine. But I'm watching you, Vermillion. One wrong step and I'll alert your father about your past... affairs." he warned. Penelope bit back a smirk. Even if he did catch them, telling her father certainly wouldn't do much since he already knew they were together. However, she didn't want the older knight feeling the need to go yapping his mouth to any other nobles so it was still best for them to remain cautious with him around. Her gaze shifted past the older knight as she noticed another person step up to the doorway.

"Ah.. Sorry to interrupt." the attendant dipped his head and then shifted his gaze towards Crow, avoiding looking at him directly. "I'm here to escort you to your room."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow blinked at William’s question, confused at first by his accusations of Penelope until he remembered that the knight had found out about them being together two years ago. He studied the other man cautiously. He and Penelope had been trying to keep anyone else from finding out about their relationship, but it was going to be hard to convince her old comrade that there was nothing left between them when he had already caught them once before. If William realized the truth, there wasn’t much to stop him from running his mouth to the other knights in the castle. Of course, that wouldn’t be a problem if he chose to accept his father’s offer and take on a noble title, but he had yet to decide if that was the path he wanted to follow. For the sake of keeping his options open and preventing Penelope from having to run away with him early, they had to convince William that they weren’t together anymore.

He listened tensely as Penelope tried to brush off their involvement as a simple guard duty assignment from her father. It was a thin lie, and William was clearly still suspicious, but at least it gave them something plausible to work with. He glanced at Penelope, biting back a pleased smirk as she combatted the other knight’s attempts to separate them with yet another lie. It seemed that if William was intent on catching them a second time, he was going to have to find a better angle than what he was working with now. As long as they could continue using John as a scapegoat, her comrade was helpless to prove that there was more going on here than met the eye.

Fortunately, William seemed to realize this as well and reluctantly backed down, although not without spitting one last warning at Penelope for good measure. Crow rolled his eyes. The threat was empty anyways. Since her father already knew about them, there wasn’t much the other knight could do to separate them by going to John about their relationship. But, of course, he kept his mouth shut since he didn’t want to alert William to the fact that they were back together at all.

Before anyone had a chance to respond to William’s last words, Crow heard the sound of footsteps on the wooden floor outside the room. He glanced past the older knight’s shoulder to see the attendant from before step inside with an uncomfortable expression on his face as he announced that he had come to bring the thief to his chambers. Sneaking a look at William, Crow smirked to himself. Naturally, he had to fit in one more gibe before they parted ways with their old comrade.

“That’s right,” he mused, folding his arms loosely over his chest as he grinned at William. “Because the king arranged for me to have my own bed chambers in the castle while I stay here.”

“I’m sure he only did that so he could have his guards keep an eye on you, pest,” the knight growled.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Crow shrugged, turning back to Penelope. “Come on, love. I want to see what sort of arrangements the king has made for his honored guest.” He shot William one more sly smirk before stepping around him to exit the room.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched as Crow gibed again and then moved to follow the attendant. She stepped to follow him, casting William one final glance as she shrugged her shoulders to him acting just as clueless. The older knight curled his lip slightly, looking further angered by the situation. The female knight let out a small sigh and turned her back to him as she followed after Crow and the attendant.

Right away, she was surprised to see the attendant leading them to the staircase to take them to the rooms that were higher up. Only high ranking nobles and royalty resided in the rooms on the coming floors. She would have thought that his father would put him one the bottom floor where the staff and servants usually slept. If they were going higher up, exactly what room was Crow getting? Fueled by curiosity, she peaked around Crow to address the attendant.

"Excuse me but... exactly where is the king placing him?" Penelope asked.

The attendant glanced over his shoulder at her and gave another uncomfortable look. "He'll be staying in-in the viceroy's room."

"What?" The knight blinked in surprise. She had suspected that might have been where they were headed but it was still shocking to learn. It seemed Albin really wanted him to take this new position. She didn't doubt he was giving him the room in order to try and win him over.

The attendant frowned and focused his gaze back ahead. "His majesty made it clear that he wished to have him reside in this specific room."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow followed eagerly after the attendant as they headed down the corridor that led to the stairs. Though he wasn’t particularly fond of the lavish lifestyles of nobles, he couldn’t help but be curious to find out what sort of arrangements the king really had made for him. Based on their earlier conversation alone, it sounded like Albin was determined to convince him to take the job as his new viceroy, so he didn’t doubt that the man had planned to give him comfortable sleeping quarters during his stay in the castle. However, he was mildly surprised as the attendant led them higher up the stairs. From what he remembered about the layout of the palace, they were going to an area reserved specifically for members of the royal family and the highest ranking noblemen in the kingdom.

He eyed the servant’s back, momentarily wondering if he had made some mistake or had gotten sidetracked in his intention to bring the thief to his room. Instead, he was further shocked as Penelope questioned the other man first, only to find out that the king had assigned him to stay in the viceroy’s chambers. Crow’s eyes widened, and he glanced furtively at Penelope, who looked just as astonished as he was. It seemed his father was going all out in his attempts to ‘reconnect’ or whatever else he was trying to do. Suddenly a bit more eager to find out what his room was going to be like, he hastened his pace a bit up the staircase.

Eventually, the trio arrived at a set of ornate wooden doors on the fifth level of the castle. Crow’s eyes swept over the hallway with interest. The only other time he had even ascended this high in the palace was when he had attempted to steal the previous king’s crown three years ago. It felt strange to be standing here now, fully welcomed by the current king to make the place his home during his stay. He’d never thought he would be able to do anything like this as a thief.

The attendant stepped forward and pulled open one of the doors, gesturing for the other two to enter before him. Crow was quick to follow the suggestion, ignoring how the other man continued to avoid his gaze as he walked past him. Right away, he was stunned to see the kind of chambers he had been given. The room itself was massive, with a large, four-post bed in the center that was lined with what appeared to be thick blankets and red silk sheets. Off to the right side was a library with shelves of books and scrolls and a round, well-crafted table and chair set up beside the window.

The room by itself was impressive enough, but what caught Crow’s attention was the setup on the left side. Another, slightly larger table was arranged with platters of different kinds of dishes that the thief had never seen before. Curious to get a closer look, he trotted over to the table and swept his gaze over the luxurious feast. “Wow,” he whistled, turning back to the attendant with a bright grin. “Is all of this for me?”

“Yes,” the other man nodded, keeping his eyes lowered to the floor. “The king wanted to make sure you were well fed, since you arrived after supper.”

“Well fed?” Crow echoed with a laugh. “I’m a hearty eater, but this is too much for even me to finish alone.” He turned to Penelope with a wink. “Want to help me out, love?” He paused for a moment, thinking something over before he glanced at the attendant. “And you too.”

“Me?” the other man’s eyes widened as he finally met the thief’s gaze.

“Yes, you,” Crow snickered, gesturing to one of the empty chairs at the table. “Come on. You probably haven’t had a chance to stop working and eat dinner either, right? Take some. I’m certainly not going to eat it all.”

The attendant shifted his weight nervously, “I shouldn’t. I still have other things to do for the king and—”

“Those things can wait,” Crow waved his hand dismissively. “Take a break. I won’t tell the king if you won’t.”

The attendant shuffled his feet. “I-If you insist,” he muttered, tentatively approaching the table.

“There’s a good man,” Crow grinned. “By the way, what was your name?”

“Hunter,” the other man answered, staring at the thief in surprise as if he wasn’t used to being asked about himself.

“Nice to meet you,” Crow greeted him with a friendly smile, taking a seat nearby and gesturing subtly for Penelope to join him. “I’d introduce myself, but I have a feeling you already know who I am.”

“Of course,” the attendant nodded. “Everyone in the castle knows who you are.”

“I’d be offended if they didn’t,” Crow laughed, filling up his plate with a venison dish he had spotted the moment his eyes had fallen on the small feast. “Gods, if I’d known the king was going to give me food like this, I would have accepted his invitation a long time ago,” he mused with a shake of his head.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope swept her gaze over the room as she followed after Crow. It was her first time seeing this specific room as well, since she hadn't ever had a reason for visiting the viceroy's chambers before. The room was as luxurious as she expected it to be with its large bed and small library. The additional surprise was the small feast that had been laid out, which Crow seemed to lock eyes on rather quickly.

She smirked in amusement at his words. Looking over it, it was quite a bit of food and the lengths the king was going to to convince Crow to take over the position were quite surprising. It made her begin to think that perhaps the king wasn't as bad as she had previously thought, after all he seemed to be welcoming Crow rather graciously. However, her father's warning to the thief came to mind and again and it made her a little more wary as she glanced around. Perhaps the king still had other motives that she wasn't aware of yet.

Looking back to the other two, she watched as the attendant moved to join Crow and walked over to sit down in the empty seat next to Crow. She gave a small chuckle at his words and watched as he loaded his plate up with venison. "I bet it's been a while since you've had that." she mused, recalling how he had made the most of their trip to Younis in the past by getting the dish as much as he could. As her gaze swept over the spread, she subtly eyed a couple of tarts that were there as well. However, deciding to wait before going for the sweets, she moved to grab a bit of bread as well as some of the cooked vegetables.

While she was fixing her plate, she noticed that Hunter was now beginning to eye her with a bit of nervousness. Guessing that it was because of her status now that she had joined them at the table, the knight looked over at him and offered a small smile. "Sorry, I suppose I should introduce myself too. I'm Penelope."

"Vermillion...right?" Hunter mumbled.

She shifted a bit and nodded her head. "Yeah. But don't worry to much about that. I'm certain a guard shouldn't exactly be joining him for supper too." she mused with a glance at Crow. Amongst a great deal of other things.. She added silently. Luckily her words seemed to allow Hunter to relax a bit more as he hesitantly ate a small bit of the food. As she finished off most of her plate, her gaze shifted over to the attendant again as another concern came to mind. She still had to speak with the king about ending the war.

"By the way, Hunter.. I was wondering if you could possibly tell the king I'd like to request an audience with him when you speak to him next. I'd like to talk to him about news from the battlefront." she said with a hint of hope.