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

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow glanced down at Penelope with a smirk when she made another comment in a lowered voice. “Touché,” he laughed. “I never thought I’d do all the things I’ve done with a noblewoman either, let alone a noblewoman who’s also a knight.” Thinking over everything they had been through, it was interesting to him just how unlikely their relationship was to begin with. Before he’d met Penelope, he had never dreamed he would get so close to someone of her status, but now he couldn’t imagine his life without her. The thought made his heart swell with affection for the knight. No matter how impossible it was that they were together, he was glad she was such an important part of his life now.

As she went on to talk about how glad she was that she could show him around the palace, he nodded in agreement, “Me too. Exploring this place wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if you weren’t the one leading the tour.” He suddenly fell quiet as they walked past one of the castle guards, eyeing the other man furtively from the corner of his eye. That was the downside to wandering the castle with Penelope: With all the extra eyes on them, they had to be careful not to give away the fact that they were together. It was frustrating to have to keep a distance between them and act like they were just thief and guard.

He supposed he should be grateful that they were able to walk around the palace together at all though. Thanks to his father’s willingness to let him roam freely and her father’s cleverness to set Penelope up as his main guard, it was easy for them to spend plenty of time together without being questioned by anyone. As long as they were cautious to avoid being caught touching or being overheard, no one would know they were involved romantically. Well, except perhaps for William. The stubborn old fool was still convinced that they were hiding something and refused to leave them alone. His gaze swept over the long hallway. He hoped they could manage to finish exploring the castle without being interrupted by the suspicious knight again.

Eventually, Penelope led Crow to another set of large, double doors, these ones even taller and more decorative than the ones he had seen thus far. The thief tilted his head back to look over the ornamental carvings as the knight reached to take one of the handles. When she opened the door, he stepped inside, curious to see what sort of room laid beyond. Right away, his expectations were exceeded as his eyes fell on the great hall. He barely heard Penelope announce the room’s name as he looked over the luxurious space.

Like the main entrance of the castle, the walls were gilded with gold-leaf, and the columns were carved with pictures of historic events in the kingdom’s past and figures of people he didn’t recognize. Letting his gaze wander up higher, he saw brilliantly colored stained glass windows that washed the marbled floors in a vast array of colors. The ceiling came to an arched point high overhead and was also plated in more gold. Overall, the entire room was simply covered in more money than he’d ever seen in his life.

Crow whistled, listening to the sound echo through the enormous space, and then turned back to Penelope. “Whichever king had this place built really wanted to show off his wealth, huh?” he mused, letting his eyes wander back to the glittering walls. Now that he’d gotten past the initial surprise of the riches in the great hall, he realized there were a few other people milling about the long, wooden tables below. All of them were wearing the expensive clothes of nobility and began to eye the thief with contempt as they took notice of him too.

Of course, Crow didn’t care what a bunch of snobby aristocrats thought of him, so he ignored their pointed glares as he turned back to Penelope once more with an eager grin, “If this was just the first place on your list, I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope crossed her arms as she watch Crow react to seeing the great hall for the first time. His awe at the sight of it made her smile. She never thought much of the great hall anymore—perhaps because she had just grown used to it with time—but seeing him quite surprised by it made her feel a familiar twinge of admiration for the amount of detail that had gone into making the hall. She gave a small nod of agreement at his words as her gaze swept over the familiar room.

As he turned to her again, her smile widened a bit, encouraged by the eagerness her showed, and nodded her head. "I figured I should start strong." she explained with a small chuckle. "The next room isn't lavish like this one though. Actually I don't think much can compare to the great hall except, perhaps, the throne room." The knight shrugged and gestured for him to follow her. She closed the large door behind them and then moved to take the lead again.

She headed down the corridor before quickly coming to a stop at a smaller door that was to the right of the great hall. Grabbing the handle, she opened the door for him to step inside. "So this is the bottlery. They store the wines in here since it's right next to the great hall where most eat." she explained as she gestured to the shelves of jugs that lined the walls. The room was dimly lit with only a single lantern near the entrance on and no windows. It was far from having the same extravagance as the great hall since it was just a small storage room.

"I won't bother taking you to the kitchen right now since I'm assuming the staff is probably getting busy with preparing supper right now but it's the room to the right." she told him with a small shrug. The knight smirked. "I figure witht he way the king is feeding you, you don't have to worry too much about finding out where the food is."

[Rogue Sloth]

“No kidding,” Crow laughed when Penelope said she’d wanted to start strong. He left his eyes rove over the tall ceiling once more before he trotted after her to see what was next. Despite the fact that the riches of the castle represented everything he despised about nobles, he couldn’t help but feel awestruck at the sight of the lavish ornamentation. He’d always been attracted to the sight of beautiful things. In fact, it was part of the lure of being a thief for him. When something caught his eye that was small enough, he would take it, but he still appreciated being able to stand before something as grand as the great hall. He may not have been able to steal a building, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take in its beauty in the form of a memory.

As Penelope took him to another smaller door, Crow peered over her shoulder before stepping around her to look inside the dark room. At first, he wasn’t sure what he was looking at. It was clearly a storage space of some sort, but all of the contents were sealed away in jugs and other large containers. He strode along the edge of a tall shelf, looking over the mysterious containers with interest. Though the room may not have been as eye-catching as the great hall, he’d found that humble storage spaces could hide even greater secrets within them if one looked closely enough. After all, he’d found plenty of forgotten treasures in places just like this.

When Penelope spoke up again, the thief looked back over his shoulder to meet her gaze. “Wine, huh?” he mused, examining the shelves again. He supposed that would explain all the jugs. It seemed the nobles of the castle had quite the collection, given the sheer number of containers in the room.

“I know I told William I wasn’t planning to steal anything, but I don’t think anyone would notice if one of these smaller jugs went missing. Do you?” he casted her a mischievous smirk as he traced his fingers over a dusty clay jug that was a little shorter than the length between his elbow and wrist. Despite knowing he had to be careful to keep his head down while he was in the castle, he couldn’t help feeling a little tempted to take something he wasn’t supposed to. It was just his nature.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched as Crow examined the shelves. It was quite an impressive collection of wine after all. Though, she supposed that it had to be considering how often the nobles drank it around there, especially during banquets and balls. As the thief smirked mischievously, she gave a small chuckle and shook her head. "Maybe not... But from what I know, the servants do keep track of inventory so I wouldn't recommend taking anything while you're stuck at the castle. If they do know something's missing, I'm sure they'll figure out who it was that took it right away." she pointed out with an amused look.

"Plus I don't think it's a good idea for you to draw that kind of attention to yourself right now." she added with a little bit more seriousness. Though she normally wouldn't have cared if Crow took stole a bottle or two, he couldn't exactly risk drawing attention to himself right now. His father might have been kind to him but there was always a chance that that kindness would run out, especially if Crow began stealing during his stay in the castle.

The knight offered him a small smile. "Maybe some other time... When you're not the king's guest." she said with a small chuckle. "Come on, let's go. I have a couple other spots I want to show you before its time for supper." Penelope turned and began to lead the way out of the room, stepping back out into the corridor and glancing over her shoulder to make sure the thief was following her. Once they were both out of the room, she turned and lead the way towards the stairs to head to the lower level of the castle, intent on taking him out to the courtyard. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "It'd take me a whole day to show you around the whole castle so I'm skipping ahead a bit to some of my favorite parts."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow clicked his tongue disappointedly when Penelope told him that the servants took inventory of the supplies in the castle. “Too bad,” he sighed, withdrawing his hand from the dusty jug and shoving it into his pocket. Though he wasn’t overly drawn by the idea of stealing alcohol, he knew his companions would have liked to try the strange, fruity drink when he returned to them. ‘If’ I return, he corrected himself yet again. The question of his fate was still up in the air until he made his decision about the offer his father had given him. Still, it was hard for him to imagine not going back to the other thieves after this. They had all been an important part of his life for the last year, so the idea of giving them up was unsettling to him.

He was drawn from his thoughts when Penelope went on to remind him that he shouldn’t draw attention to himself. “I know. You’re right,” he frowned, glancing back at the jugs once more before he headed back to join her by the door. With some distance between himself and his potential targets, the temptation to steal grew a bit dimmer as he focused instead on the knight. “Lead the way,” he smiled at her fondly and followed after her as she stepped into the hallway again, eager to see what else she was going to show him before supper.

As she explained that she was just going to show him some of her favorite spots, Crow nodded. “That’s probably for the best anyway,” he said, casting her an amused look. “I like to think I’m good at memorizing buildings like this, but I don’t think even I could learn the layout of this whole castle in a single day.” Shifting to walk a little closer to the knight, he nudged her blithely in the side. “Besides, I’d rather take extra time to see all the places you like best, love.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded her head in agreement. Even if she did have the time to show him around the castle, memorizing it would be far from easy. She could recall getting lost a few times back when she had first started as a palace guard. It had taken her nearly over a month to get comfortable with the layout of the giant building. Of course, now she knew almost as well as she knew the layout of her far more simple home. As he nudged her, she looked up at with a hint of affection as she grinned at his words.

"I'm glad. Hopefully they live you to your standards." she said with a wink before focusing her gaze ahead. The knight lead them out of the castle and into the courtyard. The courtyard itself was rather large as it had room for knights to assemble under attack but also other simple spots to relax as well as the stables which was located closer to the northern tower. However, she was more interested in heading towards the southern tower.

"So this is the courtyard. Stables are over there. There's also a training space for knights around the otherside but I'm guessing it's best we avoid that." Penelope told him with a smile as she gestured to the specific areas. "And right here is the garden." she added as she began to lead the way from the stone path to the dirt path that began in a grassy area filled with bushes, flowers, and trees. It was small in size and didn't seem overly cared for. While the plants were thriving, they lacked grooming, making for it to seem much more forest like as branches from the trees hung low and the bushes grew out onto the old pathway.

Penelope ducked under a low branch and glanced over at Crow with a soft smile. "Not many people visit this place but I like to walk through it sometimes." she smirked. "It's a nice short cut to where I'm actually taking you, which is the southern tower." The knight shrugged and looked back ahead as they walked. The foliage thinned and the base of the tower came into view as they stepped out of the garden. It had been a while since she had last visited this specific spot and having Crow with her made her heart beat a bit excitedly.

Grabbing the door handle she turned to the thief with a smirk. "I hope you don't mind a bit of stair climbing though. Because, we're going all the way to the top."

[Rogue Sloth]

“So far, everything’s exceeded my expectations,” Crow answered with a shake of his head when Penelope winked at him. “Although I don’t think it’s hard to impress a simple peasant like me with an entire castle.” His gaze swept over the hallway they were walking through now, which was lined with artistic tapestries that he guessed the previous kings had been gifted with through trades with other kingdoms. The palace was really quite something. Every corridor they passed through seemed to be unique, and there were plenty of things to keep his eyes occupied. Even though he wished the wealth that had been stockpiled here would be distributed more fairly in Brerra, he could still appreciate the luxurious views as much as anyone else.

When they eventually reached the courtyard, Crow followed after Penelope, listening as she pointed out everything they walked by. Like the great hall, there were other noblemen and women milling about on the paved pathways who casted him disapproving looks and whispered amongst themselves whenever they caught sight of the thief. He rolled his eyes. They had probably been hoping for a public execution when he’d first arrived in the inner kingdom the day before, so the fact that the king hadn’t announced anything of the sort was likely disappointing to them.

Jaded fools, he thought, trotting after Penelope as he realized he had lagged behind in his distraction. As she led him through the garden, he relaxed a bit, glad to get away from the hatful eyes of the nobles. While he didn’t care what they thought of him, there were quite a few more people in the courtyard then there had been in the great hall. He disliked being so outnumbered by people who probably wished to see him dead, so the prospect of putting some distance and cover between them was appealing.

Crow brushed aside a low-hanging branch as he continued to follow after Penelope, wondering where she was leading him now. In the next moment, he had his answer when she told him that she was bringing him to a tower. He quirked a brow in surprise. Of all the places they could go on the castle grounds, he wasn’t sure what was so special about an outlying tower. Still, the other places she had taken him to so far had been impressive so, taking her word for it, he kept his comment to himself and walked closely at her heels, curious to see the next spot on her agenda.

When they eventually reached the base of the tower, Crow returned Penelope’s smirk with a smile of his own, finding her enthusiasm infectious. “Darling, if you asked me to, I could climb up this tower from the outside,” he winked at her haughtily. “I think I can handle a few stairs.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave a small laugh at his words and smirked at him. "Alright. Just making sure." She mused with a shrug before moving to open the door. It was a tall tower so there were quite a bit of stairs. Even though she was fit, she knew going up that many stairs would likely leave her out of breath. However, she believes the pay off of where they were going would be worth it.

She stepped inside and began to lead the way up the tall, curling staircase. Eventually she reached the top. Her breathing was uneven by then and admittedly her muscles felt a bit sore because of how long it had been since she had gone up so many stairs. She let out a long exhale as she tried to catch her breath. Directly above them now was a small, square door. Penelope took hold of the handle and pushed upward, swinging it open.

She climbed out onto the top of the tower and swept her gaze over the area. It seemes they had gotten lucky in missing any guards up there at the moment. It was empty aside from them, which likely meant there wouldn't be any guards there until after supper. She turned to Crow with a bright smile.

"I know it's not much but this is my facorite spot." She explained with a hint of bashfulness as she stepped over to one of the openings between the stones that allowed them to look out. Thanks to the height, it was possible to see out far past the castle walls. And with the setting sun, it was the best place to watch it set on the kingdom when the skies were clear. Penelope smiled and leaned against the stone wall as she looked out at the scenery. "I always thought it was pretty here.. Plus I can see Bellmare in the distance. That used to comfort me when I first started working as a castle guard. I got homesick sometimes back then I guess."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow waited for Penelope to climb up the stairs first before he followed after her, closing the door behind him as he started up the spiraling staircase. Though he was confident in his own fitness, the ascent took quite a bit more out of him than he’d been expecting, and he was breathing heavily by the time they reached a door at the top. However, not wanting to give away his exhaustion, he took a slow breath to calm his wild heartbeat and focused his gaze on the door to distract himself from how sore his legs were.

Once Penelope opened it, the thief followed her again onto the roof of the tower and took a moment to take in the view. They were quite high up, so he could see the neighboring cities that surrounded the citadel, although he didn’t know enough about the inner kingdom to recognize any of them from a distance. All he could tell was that every town was filled with large manors belonging to the nobles who lived there, rising above the treetops of the surrounding forest. It was a breathtaking sight.

As Penelope approached one of the embrasures, Crow trailed after her, leaning over to rest his forearms on the edge of the stonework when he reached the edge. “What do you mean ‘not much’?” he said, casting her an amused grin. “This is amazing.” He turned back to look out over the cities again for a moment before moving to wrap his arms around the knight in a sudden burst of affection. Getting to be a part of her life in the inner kingdom made him feel even closer to her, and he was glad that she had chosen to share it with him while they were here together, however long that would be.

Crow pressed a kiss to her cheek and then leaned his head against hers as he shared the view with her. “Show me where Bellmare is,” he suggested with a soft smile. “That was your home, right? I want to see it.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope beamed at his words, glad that he seemed to find the view just as great as she did. Most people who had been up there—usually they were other guards who were just focused on doing their job—so she was excited to finally share it with someone who enjoyed the view for what it was. As he wrapped his arms around her, the knight looked up at him fondly and returned his embrace. After never thinking she'd be able to share such spots like this with him, it made the knight giddy with joy that she was able to be there with him now.

As he asked her to point out Bellmare to him, she smiled and gave a small nod. "Well see that kinda faint blue-ish line between the trees across there?" she said using a finger to trace out the faint line. "That's the river and the cluster of noble manors just beyond that, is Bellmare." Penelope let out a peaceful sigh as she looked over at the distant town. She couldn't make out much detail because of the distance but she knew somewhere among the undistinguishable buildings was her home.

"I really hope I can get a chance to take you there just once after everything's settled." she mused softly. "My family's manor is close to the river and we have a creek that splits off from the river and runs through our land. That was where I learned to swim... I also remember catching frogs with my brother when we were young. Back before he was completely terrible."

Penelope gazed fondly at the inner village before turning to Crow and pressing a tender kiss to his lips. As she pulled back, she smiled at him. "Even if we don't, I'm glad I at least got to show you this place."

[Rogue Sloth]

As Penelope directed him towards the eastern horizon, Crow narrowed his eyes slightly as he attempted to located the river she was talking about. After a moment, he spotted it winding through the distant tree line, along with the buildings just past the far bank. It was hard to tell the difference between the city she was pointing out and all the other towns that surrounded them, but he knew she would recognize her own home, so he trusted that he was looking at the right place.

He casted her a sideways glance as she went on to tell him that she hoped she would be able to take him there after they were finished with their business at the castle. Her words made him shift uneasily. Though he also would have liked to visit her home with her, he knew there was only one way that would be possible. If he chose to deny his father’s request, the instant the meeting ended, he was going to go from ‘king’s guest’ back to ‘wanted criminal.’ It would be risky for him to continue lingering around the inner kingdom while he still had such a large bounty on his head, so they would have to go straight back to the outer villages, where he would be safe from the knights. The only way he could go with her to Bellmare would be by accepting the job as viceroy.

Crow listened quietly as Penelope continued to describe her family’s manor to him, feeling a mixture of curiosity to learn about her childhood as well as tension as he heard the fondness in her voice. It was apparent to him that she was still quite attached to her home in the inner kingdom, which only served to make him feel guilty all over again for wrenching her away from it. He leaned his head a little closer to hers and closed his eyes, silently dwelling on the confliction inside of him. As much as he hated to admit it, the longer he stayed in the castle, the more he felt pulled towards the job his father was offering him.

Everything within him recoiled at the thought of giving up his life as a peasant, but his love for Penelope outweighed every reservation he had. She was a noblewoman and a proud knight—even a lieutenant of her battalion. She didn’t deserve to be dragged down to become a fugitive with him. He wanted what was best for her, and though he was trying his hardest to work things out his way, he couldn’t deny it anymore. A life with a thief simply wasn’t what she deserved.

Feeling dazed from the weight of his choice as well as how quickly he’d made it, Crow met her lips halfheartedly as she kissed him and then averted his gaze when she pulled back again, fidgeting slightly in his discomfort. I can’t believe I’m really doing this, he thought, taking a steeling breath before looking up again to meet her gaze resignedly. “I think… I’m going to accept my father’s offer,” he murmured, nearly surprising himself by his own words despite having already come to terms with the decision in his head.

Swallowing nervously, he forced himself not to look away from her face as he went on in a meek voice, “I’ve been thinking about it all day and, while it’s going to take some getting used to… I think it’s what’s best for both of us, so… I’m going to tell him tomorrow that I want to take the job.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope faltered as Crow suddenly announced that he was going to take his father's offer. What did he just say? She stared at him with wide eyes, caught off guard by his sudden decision. The knight wasn't expecting him to make a decision but more so than that, she wasn't expecting him to choose to take the king's offer. He had seemed to be leaning heavily towards returning to the outer villages the last time they had spoke. They were his home after all and he still had his companions to reunite with. Noble life had its perks but she knew that he was plenty happy with his peasant life in the outer villages. She wonder what made him change his mind.

Was it because of her showing him around? The knight paled slightly. It was true that she had been excited and happy to show him around the castle but she had never meant to pressure him into staying. Surely that was what had caused him to choose to stay instead. She couldn't let him make such a big choice just because had seen her getting wrapped up in a moment she never thought would happen. Penelope frowned as she felt a stab of guilt and let go of him so she could take his hands in hers. "Crow-I... Are you sure? You don't have to do this."

The knight shuffled her feet a bit and held his gaze. "If it's because of me showing you around, I was just excited to share this part of my life with you... I mean, yes I like it here, it's my home, but that won't make me any less willing to leave it to be with you. That being said," she looked at him concernedly. "I love you Crow and I want you to be happy. I don't want you making a decision you'll end up regretting."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow lowered his gaze as Penelope stared at him with such astonishment, feeling self-conscious about admitting his decision to her. He’d never expected that he would even consider becoming a noble, let alone go so far as to actually take the title. Honestly, he’d never thought the choice would come up at all. He was a peasant, born and raised. In all his life, he’d never heard of someone of his status rising up to nobility, so it wasn’t something he’d really thought about before, since it had seemed impossible. Yet, here he was now, readying himself to completely change the course of his life to give Penelope the future she deserved. It was a surreal feeling.

As she tried to convince him that he didn’t have to take the job for her sake, seeming to think he had just made his decision based on what they were doing now, he shook his head. “But I didn’t just start considering this right now,” he objected with a frown, looking up again to meet her gaze. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about it since the moment my father made his offer. It just took me until now to realize that this is the best option for us.”

He shifted his weight slightly as he explained, “Until yesterday, we never thought it was possible for me to be anything other than a thief. It’s not like peasants jump to nobility every day, after all. So… I just think that if there’s a way for us to be together that doesn’t involve you losing everything, then I should take it.” He shrugged faintly. “It makes more sense than denying the offer and making you sacrifice it all anyway, doesn’t it?” A soft smile formed on his lips as he studied her face. “Besides, I already know I won’t regret anything. As long as I’m with you, I’m going to be happy, even if our future together looks a little different than what we were expecting it to be.”

Leaning in, Crow met Penelope’s lips in a tender kiss, pulling her into another embrace. “I’ve made up my mind,” he said when he pulled back again, speaking to her with more certainty than before. “I’m going to take the job.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope listened as Crow explained that he had been thinking about it for a while now. She knew he had given the offer some thought, since he hadn't made a decision right away, but she was surprised to realize just how much he had been considering it. The knight never thought he would choose to become a noble and learning he had done so not just because of her showing him around made it all the more shocking. As he also reassured her that he would be happy, she felt her heart begin to beat excitedly as she took in the reality of his decision.

She dazedly met his lips as he kissed her and as he pulled back, met his gaze as he went on with more certainty than before."If you're sure about this then, ok. We'll be nobles then." she said softly. The knight was reeling from hearing him make the decision. She had never thought he'd choose to become a noble. All this time she had been preparing herself for the time when they'd leave the castle again and return to their plans in the outer villages. It sent a whirlwind of emotions through her. A hint of relief knowing that she wouldn't have to give up her whole life, a strong wave of affection for him, and a small stab of remaining guilt over the fact that he'd have to leave behind his home now instead. But above all, was a strong sense of joy and excitement that even caught her by surprise.

Penelope had never thought it was possible to keep both her life and Crow so she had already accepted the fact she'd have to give up her life. For that to change in an instant was overwhelming and it made her tear up. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and pressed a passionate kiss to his lips before pulling back to give him a bright smile with tearful eyes. "Gods, I..I can't believe this is happening." she gave a soft laugh and shook her head before she looked up at him affectionately. "I'm never going to be able to repay you for everything you've done for me but I'll do my best to make noble life as enjoyable for you as I can if you're that certain about this."

[Rogue Sloth]

The joy in Penelope’s eyes was more than enough to convince Crow that he had made the right decision by choosing to accept his father’s offer. He smiled at her fondly, glad to see that he was finally starting to make her as happy as she deserved to be. After constantly screwing up by lying to her, keeping secrets from her, and even working with Jaxon behind her back, it felt good to treat her with the respect of a better man. He had meant it when he’d told her before that he wanted to be a partner she deserved, and now he could rest in the knowledge that he was fulfilling his word to her at long last.

However, in the midst of his relief, there was still a twinge of anxiousness in his gut that refused to go away. Even though he’d made up his mind, and he knew he didn’t want to go back on the decision he’d made, he couldn’t help feeling a bit of loss for the life he was giving up. He had been a thief in the outer villages since as far back as he could remember. It felt strange to be giving that up so abruptly. Plus, there were still quite a few loose ends for him to tie up, namely in regards to his companions. His heart sank as he realized this meant he wasn’t going to be coming back to them after all. Everything they had been through together was coming to an end. It didn’t change his conviction to take the job as viceroy, but it did make him mourn what he was giving up for the title a little more.

Crow was drawn out of his brief moment of sadness when Penelope suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace and met him in a fervent kiss. The thief blinked in surprise, caught off guard by her sudden burst of affection before he relaxed into her lips. He closed his eyes and held her close, feeling his heart flutter in his chest as he was reminded that everything he was losing would be worth it if it meant she would be happy. Besides, he had already known that his time with the other thieves was limited. Once the war ended, he had been planning to run away with the knight anyway. Taking his father’s offer just meant he would be leaving them a little sooner than he’d expected.

When Penelope pulled back again, he grinned at her fondly, panting lightly as he tried to catch his breath from the passionate kiss. The sight of the joyful tears in her eyes made his affection for her grow all the more, and he found her excitement endearing. “Me either,” he shook his head when she said she couldn’t believe this was happening. “It almost feels like a dream.”

As the knight went on, he chuckled softly. “Darling, you’ve already done more for me than I can ever return,” he murmured, gently brushing her hair away from her pretty face. “Just the fact that you’ve continued to forgive me for all the times I’ve mistreated you is proof enough of that. This is the least I could do to repay you.”

He pressed a long kiss to her forehead and then met her gaze again, his smile fading as it was replaced with a thoughtful expression. “I know I’ve already made up my mind about this, but I don’t want to just abandon my companions,” he mused concernedly. “I… I think when I tell my father that I’m going to take the job, I’m going to ask him if I can have a week to go back to the outer villages first so I can say goodbye to them properly.” He exhaled resignedly. “I’ve lied to them enough… They deserve to know what’s going on.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave a small shake of her head at his words to her. The thief may have had a couple hurtful lies in the past—especially his one with Jaxon—but he had redeemed himself enough from each one. Not to mention that he had taken a sword for her as well. In her opinion, he had nothing to repay her for in the first place, but still, she was more than grateful that he was willing to let go of his life to join hers in the inner kingdom.

As his smile faded, her's dimmed a bit at the mention of his companions, taking on a more serious expression. She felt a pang of sympathy for his friends as she recalled how drained they had looked when they thought he was dead. The knight wasn't sure how they'd react to hearing he was leaving but she was certain it be difficult on them. She knew that he would have eventually left them to start a life with her but this was a little more different and far sooner than anyone expected. Penelope leaned in to press a soft kiss to his cheek, silently wishing things could be a little easier for the group.

"That sounds like a good idea. I hope the king approves of it." she agreed with a small nod. The knight paused as her mind wandered to the change of plans again and her eyes widened. "Oh gods I have so many plans to alter now." she muttered softly. Now that Crow was going to become a noble, that meant that she had time to stay to try to convince the king as well as pick up her old plans for after the war and creating a relief program for the outer villages. It sent a new wave of shock over her as well as some excitement. She would need to contact the barons as well as request more time in the inner kingdom from Mia, whom she hoped would prove to be reasonable as usual.

"Looks like I've got quite a bit to work out now myself." she sighed and casted him a small smile. Penelope shifted her gaze to look out over the scenery one last time before letting go of Crow. "We should start heading back down." she added, noting that it was getting late.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow smirked amusedly as Penelope suddenly seemed to realize all the changes she was going to be making now that she wasn’t going to be losing her status as a knight. After all the times she had altered her plans to accommodate him, it felt good to ease her burdens by doing the same for her. Even though he hadn’t been intending to make up his mind at that very moment, he was glad he’d done it. Seeing her reaction restored his confidence that he was doing the best thing for both of them, and gave him peace that he would be able to handle the changes that noble life would bring to him.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” he said assuredly, pressing one more kiss to her cheek before following her gaze to the view of the inner kingdom—the place he was soon going to be calling home. The thought was still strange to him, but he supposed he would get used to it eventually. He just hoped that entering into the lifestyle of a nobleman wouldn’t change who he was. Holding the knight a little closer, he leaned his head against hers to take comfort in her touch. He wanted to believe his morals were rooted deeply enough that he wouldn’t get swept up in the riches and luxuries that the castle had to offer, but money corrupted people. He’d been a thief long enough to figure that much out on his own. If he didn’t keep his guard up, he was well aware that he could get lost in the ease of nobility and lose sight of his values.

As Penelope pulled away from him, Crow looked down at her and nodded. “Yeah… It’s been a long day.” He let her lead them back down from the tower, following along closely behind her as they descended the long stairwell—it was relieving to go down the winding steps instead of up this time. When they reached the bottom, his stomach chose that moment to let out a hungry growl, and he reddened slightly. “I hope we’re not too late for supper,” he said with a lopsided smile. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Suddenly, another thought came to him, and he went on in a lowered voice, “By the way, I’m sure this already goes without saying, but when we get back to the castle, don’t tell anyone I’ve decided to take the offer. I want to talk to my father about it tomorrow personally, okay?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope turned and began to walk down the staircase. The knight was quick to get lost in her thought on the way down the winding steps. There was a war to stop and plans to get back on track, which left her feeling like there was a lot to do. However, she didn't even know where to start. She had already talked to the king about ending the war and she had a rough idea of her plans for after it but nothing was solid. I guess I'll just start with figuring out how to get the barons on board with ending the war.. she exhaled softly.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, she looked back to Crow and gave an amused smirk at the sound of his stomach growling. "I'm sure there's still a small feast waiting for you in your room." she mused. Though it was getting late, she doubted the servants would clean up the food until early morning anyways. How fresh it would be might be debatable but at least it would still be there upon his return.

When he spoke up again, she blinked and gave a small nod. "Of course." she said firmly. She had already figured that he wouldn't want word getting out that he was going to accept the offer before he even got the chance to tell his father himself. Penelope casted him a small smile. "I won't say anything... I'm sure word getting out before you even talk to him won't be good anyways." Her smile faded as she thought of the other nobles reacting to Crow rising to the position of viceroy. Though she was excited that she wouldn't have to leave her life behind, there would still be challenges for them. Especially for Crow.

She frowned a little and let out a sigh. "A lot of people aren't going to be happy about this I imagine." she muttered, lowering her voice as she lead the way out of the tower and towards the garden again.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I hope so,” Crow mused when Penelope said she was sure there would still be food in his room when they got back. She was probably right. Hunter had said that his father had tasked the servants with preparing a private meal for him the day before because he had missed supper. If they were late again, he would likely just do the same thing. The thought of another small feast of noble dishes made his mouth water. Aside from the fact that Penelope would no longer have to give up anything for him, the flavorful food was the biggest perk of accepting the king’s offer. He’d always been envious of the meals that noblemen and women got to enjoy, but now he would be able to have them every day too. Knowing that made the transition just a little bit easier for the thief.

As Penelope agreed to keep his decision between the two of them until he could speak to his father, Crow casted her a grateful smile and then nodded in agreement when she added that it wouldn’t be good if the news got out anyway. That was the main reason why he hadn’t wanted the word to spread before he had a chance to talk to the king first. The last thing he wanted was the unwanted opinions of the other nobles in the castle, who would surely want to threaten or pressure him out of taking the job. Plus, he wouldn’t have been surprised if there were people here who had been vying to become the next viceroy, but simply hadn’t earned Albin’s favor. If someone like that learned that the position was about to be usurped by the most wanted thief in the kingdom, they would probably do something rash. He shuddered at the thought.

“My father seemed to feel like the dissenters would come around in time,” Crow said softly, letting his eyes wander over the courtyard as they made their way back to the castle. “When we spoke last, he said he thinks I’m going to make a talented ambassador and that the other people in the castle would see that and stop fighting the decision with time.” He shrugged. “I don’t know how well I’ll actually be able to do the job when I can barely even write my own name, but for my own sake, I hope he’s right.”

He fell quiet as a small group of knights walked by, probably heading to the palace for their own supper. The men casted the thief scathing looks as they passed, and he narrowed his eyes at them in return. He guessed they were probably frustrated that the criminal they had all been trying to arrest for so long was finally in their midst, yet they could do nothing about it.

When the knights were out of earshot, Crow turned back to Penelope with a roll of his eyes. “I just hope they come around quickly,” he muttered. “I’m starting to get tired of all the dirty looks that everyone around here keeps going out of their way to give me.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope listened as Crow explained what the king had told him. While she didn't doubt Crow's ability—he was a quick learner so she was certain he'd be able to pick up the written word with the right amount of time and an actual teacher—she did have her doubts about other nobles coming around to accepting him. Some may eventually accept him, but Crow had made quite a few enemies during his time as a thief. Including her own brother.

She tensed a little at the thought of Layth eventually learning that the king had given such a title to Crow. The knight was certain that likely wouldn't go over well. Neither will him finding out about us.. she thought with a grimace. Even if they kept their relationship a secret for a while longer, she doubted her brother would be very accepting. But, at least he likely wouldn't be able to do anything. With Crow having the king's favor, Layth wouldn't be able to act on his feelings of hatred towards the thief.

Her gaze shifted over to the group of knights that passed them. The men barely seemed to register her presence as they focused on instead glaring at Crow. Once they passed, she looked back over to Crow and let out a soft sigh. "Unfortunately, I doubt they'll come around very quickly." she muttered shaking her head. "They'll probably be hoping to change the king's mind before they consider to give you a chance." Her gaze flickered ahead. "And those that do change quickly will likely just be looking to gain favor with the king."

Penelope looked back over at him and offered him a small smile. "But at least you have some nobles that won't be against you. Olivia, Gavin, Naida, my father... maybe Mia too. At least I think she won't fight the king against the decision..." the knight shrugged and then winked at him playfully. "And I suppose me too."