Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

A smile found its way onto Crow’s lips as Hazel lightened the mood by poking fun at him. Not expecting to earn the support of any of his companions, was grateful for her willingness to let him go back to the inner kingdom without a fight. Somehow, her acceptance made the transition feel a little easier, since he could leave knowing that at least one of his friends was prepared to move on without him. Plus, judging by her earlier comment, it sounded like the herbalist had already been taking over as a temporary leader while he’d been away before. He was relieved to know that she would be able to continue holding that role after he left permanently with Penelope in two days.

“I won’t start any fights, but I’m sure as hell going to finish them,” he casted Penelope a wry grin when she said he wouldn’t make her job easy.

“That’s exactly what we don’t want you to do, dumbass,” Hazel rolled her eyes.

“I’ve got a question,” Alistair spoke up again with a frown as he met Crow’s gaze. “If your father gave you a noble title because he wanted to ‘reconnect,’ then why didn’t he just make you a prince?”

Crow paused, taking a moment to think over the question. It was something he hadn’t really thought much about, since he had no interest in the power or responsibilities that came with being in the royal family. Honestly, he preferred accepting the slightly lesser title of viceroy. It meant he wouldn’t have to concern himself with the affairs of the throne, and he would have a bit more freedom around the inner kingdom once his training was over, since he didn’t have to keep up with the same appearances that his half-siblings did.

“He has another son,” he answered after a moment. “He’s younger than me, but I think he was already first in line for the throne before I showed up. My father probably just didn’t want to cause dissention in his family by suddenly letting someone else cut in line.” He shrugged. “Plus, I think he’s waiting to reveal that we’re related until after I’ve got a better reputation in the kingdom, so instead of making it obvious, he gave me the highest open position he had that wouldn’t give away the fact that I’m his son.”

“I see,” Alistair mused. “And you’re certain this is something you want to do?”

“Sort of. It’s less about wanting the title, and more about wanting something that comes with it.”

“And what would that be?” Alistair pressed, seeming discontent with not knowing his leader’s reason for leaving them.

Crow hesitated, casting a furtive glance at Penelope. While he didn’t want his companions to blame her for his decision, he knew he couldn’t just abandon them without giving a proper explanation. He sighed. At least Hazel seemed to have deescalated the situation enough for everyone to speak rationally to each other. He just hoped they wouldn’t get riled up again when he admitted the truth.

“I’m taking the title because it means that Penelope and I can be together, and I won’t be making her lose anything for me,” he confessed, giving her hand a squeeze and meeting her gaze with a fond look. “I also think Simon was right. If we want to change the way my father and the rest of the nobles treat the peasants of this Kingdom, we’re going to need to do it from the inside. I’m not sure I’m the best man for that job, but I know Penelope can do it with the influence she already has. Now that we’re both going to be staying in the inner kingdom after this war is over, she’ll have the time to do it too.”

“For the sake of all the villagers in this kingdom, I hope so,” Hazel sighed.

“Me too,” Alistair said softly. He exhaled resignedly and met Crow’s gaze with a halfhearted smile. “Well, if you’re really going to do this, then I guess you’ve got my support too.”

“Thanks,” Crow grinned back at him, feeling relieved that two of his companions were now accepting of his decision. Having arrived with the expectation that they would all be furious with him, this was the best outcome he could have hoped for.

Unfortunately, Rikki didn’t seem quite as enthused as the others. She sat in silence, staring dejectedly down at the stone floor of the cavern. Her expression was hard to read, but Crow could tell she wasn’t happy about the outcome of his return. Without warning, she stood up and walked away from the group, making her way wordlessly into one of the tunnels.

Crow frowned as he watched her go. Part of him felt a little guilty for springing this on her so quickly. They hadn’t been on decent terms in quite a while now, and suddenly, he was leaving her behind to move to the inner kingdom. It was unlikely that they would ever see each other again. He wanted to do something to make her feel better.

“She’ll be alright,” Hazel said, noticing his lingering stare. “She just needs some time to process.”

Crow nodded but didn’t turn away from the tunnel the female thief had disappeared into. Despite the herbalist’s words, he still didn’t feel right about leaving her like this. He had to say something.

Turning to Penelope, he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and then stood up. “I’m going to talk to her,” he announced, reaching down to rest a hand briefly on the knight’s head. “I’ll be back soon.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Younisian Royalty

Jerold Vieuxpont
Age: 45
King of Younis

Bio: Recently instated as the king of Younis after his father’s death two years ago, Jerold is still learning how to properly lead his kingdom. He is a fair and just man who despises the current war because of how it is affecting the people who live on the border between Younis and Brerra, and he wishes to see it put to a rapid end.

Felicia Vieuxpont
Age: 20
Younisian Princess

Bio: Captivated by the simpler things in life, Felicia is a kind and down-to-earth woman who shares in her father’s care for the people of Younis. She can be a bit vain, with a strict morning routine in which she is attended by multiple servants, but she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty on occasion, especially when engaging in things she loves, such as horseback riding or archery. She also has an affinity for birds and has always been fascinated by the way they fly, feeling a bit envious of the freedom they have when they’re so high above the ground.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

In case it wasn't clear, Hazel was talking about dyslexia
Also, I've been holding onto that secret since I designed Simon's character, haha. Glad I got a chance to fit it into the story xD

I'm excited to see how they interact, haha. I feel like it'll be like William but worse

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow walked with the others other to the hearth, already feeling his heartbeat begin to quicken with anticipation. He sat down next to Penelope, while the thieves gathered somewhat across from them in wait to hear his story. Once everyone was settled, Rikki reached for the pot of stew and poured a bowl for Crow. “Here,” she offered him a smile that looked forced in her unease. “We were saving this portion for Hartley, but he’s still napping in the tunnels, so you can have it.”

“Thanks,” Crow nodded appreciatively as he took the bowl from her hands. He shifted to rest it on his thigh near to Penelope so she could have some too if she wished. While he was quite hungry after making the trip from Wellspring, he didn’t want to eat all of the food if she wanted some too.

“Speaking of Hartley,” Alistair spoke up. “Do you want us to go and wake him up before you tell us what’s going on?”

“No,” Crow shook his head. “What I have to say, I would prefer to only be heard by your ears.” Though the foreign thief had earned some of his trust during their travels in Younis, the information he was about to admit was too personal to be shared with someone he barely knew. He didn’t want to make talking about his past any more uncomfortable than it already was.

His companions exchanged a confused look before Hazel turned back to him and asked: “So, what exactly happened?”

Crow took a steadying breath, casting one more glance at Penelope for comfort before he began, “Before I tell you that, there’s… something else you all need to know about me.” Already, he could tell that his words were making the other thieves leery, but he couldn’t let their discomfort stop him from telling the truth. He continued before he could lose the nerve to go on: “I’ve told you before that I’m a peasant, but that’s only half true. My mother was from the outer villages, but my father was a nobleman—”

“What?” Rikki’s eyes widened as she interrupted him. “How is that possible?”

“I’m getting there,” Crow said though a quick bite of food. He took a moment to swallow before explaining, “My father met my mother while he was passing through the outer villages on a trip to Younis. They had a one-night stand and, well,” he gestured to himself with a shrug. “At the time, my father didn’t want to take responsibility and left her to return to the inner kingdom, leaving my mother to raise me alone. That’s why I only consider myself to be a peasant—even though I’m the son of a nobleman, it’s the only way of life I’ve ever known.”

“Sounds like a typical noble, only caring about himself,” Alistair scoffed and then knitted his brow. “I don’t get it though. Why are you bringing this up now? It’s so far in the past that I can’t see how it matters anymore.”

Crow shifted his weight, looking off to the side as he went on in a low voice, “The part that matters is who my father is… His name is Albin Mannering.”

“What?” Rikki gaped at him in shock. “As in Albin, the King of Brerra? That Albin Mannering?”

“Well, he was just the ambassador to the last king at the time, but yeah,” Crow nodded without looking up. He could feel their astonished gazes boring into him. It was still hard to tell what they were thinking, but he knew their opinions of him had to be changing. How could they not? They had just learned he was the estranged, first-born son of their king. They had to be looking at him differently. He remained quiet to give them time to process the news.

“I can’t believe this,” Alistair spoke up after a moment, running a hand perplexedly through his hair. “Why are you telling us this—that you’re the king’s son? What do you want us to do with something like that?” The frustration in his voice was apparent, though it was difficult to tell if it was because of the content of his leader’s news or the fact that it was simply being discussed at all.

“I don’t understand either,” Rikki said softly, eyeing Crow with a strange expression, as if she wasn’t sure what to think about him. “We didn’t need to know that, Crow. We… we like you for who you are. We could have lived with not knowing you’re related to a nobleman.”

“Believe me, I know that,” Crow sighed solemnly, finally looking up to meet her gaze. “I didn’t want to tell you, but now, I have a reason.”

“And what reason could that be?” Alistair crossed his arms warily over his chest.

Crow took a steeling breath, “I never told any of you this either, but… about a year ago, close to the beginning of the war, my father tried to reach out to me. He sent a letter to Evelyn that she passed on to me while we were staying with her. At the time, I chose not to have her read it to me, and I was hoping my father would take my silence as disinterest in whatever he wanted from me, but it didn’t end there.” He wavered for a moment before going on: “While I was bedridden at the knights’ camp, he sent a knight from the inner kingdom to find me and offer an invitation to meet with him at the castle.”

“No way,” Rikki breathed worriedly. “You didn’t take it did you? Tell me you didn’t go.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” Crow shook his head. “The alternative was turning down the invitation and staying in the camp to suffer the punishment the knights had decided on for me.” He winced and rubbed his wrists. “They may have been gracious enough to let me recover from my wound, but they weren’t going to overlook my past crimes against them. If I stayed, they were going to cut off my hands so I couldn’t steal from them anymore.”

“That’s horrible!” Rikki gasped, covering her mouth.

“Merciless bastards,” Alistair curled his lip.

“It was persuasive,” Crow gave a one-shouldered shrug. “But I also went because I was curious. I mean, this is the first time my father has ever tried to reach out to me. I had to find out what he wanted.”

“Well… did you find out?” Rikki asked tentatively.

Crow nodded, looking between the two thieves’ faces as he worked up the nerve to tell them what he had come to say: “My father said he wanted to right the wrong he had done to me and my mother and asked me to be his viceroy… I accepted the position, and I’m starting my training at the castle in five days.”

A shocked silence fell over the group as his companions absorbed the news. Rikki was the first to speak. “W-What? I don’t…” she stammered, her eyes glistening as they welled up with fresh tears. “Y-You’re leaving us? Why—why would you do that? Crow, we need you!”

He looked away, pained by the hurt in her gaze. “This isn’t a decision I made lightly,” he murmured. “I have my reasons for it, and I’ve made my choice… I’m going back to the inner kingdom in two days.” He purposefully avoided mentioning that he was returning for Penelope’s sake, since he didn’t want the thieves to turn on her.

“This is bullshit,” Alistair growled, narrowing his eyes at his leader. “We’ve been here for you for a whole year, and now, at the first opportunity, you’re abandoning us for the cushioned life of a nobleman? How could you do this?”

“Nobles are awful people,” Rikki’s voice quaked as she spoke. “They treat us like dirt, and they wouldn’t care if we all died. Why would you want to become one of them?”

Crow grimaced as Alistair and Rikki continued to throw questions and accusations at him, trying desperately to persuade him not to leave. Subtly, he reached to take Penelope’s hand, needing the comfort of her touch under their ceaseless attempts to hold onto him. He didn’t bother saying anything to defend himself. They could never understand why he had made his decision, so there was no point in even trying.

Looks like we won’t be parting on peaceful terms after all, he thought disappointedly as the thieves went on.

Once Alistair and Rikki ran out of things to say, the group lapsed into silence again. Crow still refused to open his mouth, knowing there was nothing he could do to change their minds. As the quiet dragged on, he suddenly furrowed his brow, noticing that there was one person who had yet to say anything at all. He glanced up at Hazel, who sat with her head lowered, staring absently down at her lap. Her cheeks were wet with tears, which surprised him, since she didn’t normally show such emotion in front of others.

Rikki seemed to notice too. “Hazel, are you okay?” she ventured, resting a hand concernedly on her friend’s shoulder.

The herbalist bit her lip, taking a shaky breath and wiping the tears from her eyes. At first, she said nothing, and the others didn’t push her to speak. However, after a long pause, she finally answered Rikki’s question in a soft voice, “If Crow has already made up his mind, we need to let him go.”

Crow’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Out of all his companions, Hazel despised nobles the most, so he’d been expecting her to be the most vocal about wanting him to stay. For her to not only accept his decision but tell the other to do so as well was quite unexpected.

“What?” Rikki sounded just as unprepared for the herbalist’s words. “Hazel, he wants to be a nobleman! How can you be okay with this?”

Hazel took another breath before responding quietly: “Because my husband was a nobleman too.” The others stared at her in shock, so she went on without interruption, “Simon was afraid of how you would all react if you found out the truth… That’s why he told you he was born in Coalfair, but really, he was the son of a duke and duchess from Everton.” She looked up to meet their stunned gazes. “I’m sure you’ve all noticed how hard he squinted at books whenever he read… He had an issue with his eyes. When he tried to read, the letters would get all mixed up on the page, and he couldn’t understand the words.

“To nobles, literacy is a point of pride, and his parents disowned him for bringing shame upon their family. That’s how he became a thief in Jaxon’s group… He needed somewhere to run to when he had no other place to go.” She brushed another tear from her eye. “He told me that was also why he practiced reading and writing so much… Despite the cruelty his parents showed him, he’d always wanted to prove that he could learn to be literate and regain his title all on his own.”

Hazel smiled faintly at the memory of her husband, “He was determined to go back because he believed that he could get more nobles to see the suffering in the outer villages and bring change to our kingdom from the inside out. If Jaxon hadn’t cut his life short, he might have done it too.” She turned to meet Crow’s gaze. “That’s why you should go. Simon may not have been able to see his dream come true, but you still can. I know you hold the same values as the rest of us, and the king just offered you the highest title any non-royal could obtain in Brerra. You have the chance to bring about the change my husband wanted.” Her determined gaze softened. “We’ll be alright without you, Crow. You don’t have to worry.”

Crow held her gaze for a long pause before dipping his head in an appreciative gesture, “Thank you. I’ll do my best to fulfill Simon’s wish.”

Hazel smiled at him and then turned next to Penelope. “You too,” she added. “I know you care about the villagers here as well. So please, help open the eyes of the other nobles in the inner kingdom to our suffering.” Her expression turned slightly less serious, and she tipped her head towards Crow. “Also, make sure this idiot takes care of himself in the inner kingdom. I don’t want to hear that he ran his mouth to some important noble and landed himself back in prison.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I'm also going to be adding CSs for the Younisian king and princess soon xD

Yeah, it's gonna be a surprise when he realizes his aversion is back ^^;
I really like that idea! I could imagine them not getting along for a lot of the trip cx
Also, I feel like Layth would try to fight back against Crow's authority a lot, even though he would outrank him lol It's gonna be a ride
I'm already excited

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The rest of the trip felt long to Crow. His mind was wrapped up in thoughts about how much everything was changing in his life as well as concerns about how he was going to handle his companions’ reactions to the news he was bringing them. It was a lot to take in, and he felt rather sure that the full weight of his decision to leave the outer villages hadn’t hit him yet, because when they finally reached Myrefall, he wasn’t as sad as he’d expected to be.

As he looked around the village, he felt a strong sense of nostalgia, but it wasn’t that strange, since he experienced the emotions every time he came to Myrefall. He had quite a few memories here from his childhood, so it was only natural that he’d look upon the place so fondly. It was hard to tell if his wistfulness this time was because of that or because he knew he wouldn’t be back for a long time. Either way, he was glad he’d managed to find a way to visit his hometown once more before returning to the castle.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to stay for long before they continued westward into the forest that led to the waterfall. Crow remained quiet for most of the walk, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable anger of his companions. While he was still hoping they would be at least somewhat understanding, he knew it was too much to expect them to simply accept his decision without fighting back a bit. He wanted to be prepared to handle their arguments when they tried to convince him to stay.

Suddenly, he blinked as he felt Penelope take his hand. Glancing down at her, he smiled, appreciative of the comforting gesture. With all the worrisome thoughts running through his head at the moment, he needed her touch. He laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, moving to walk a bit closer to her side so their arms brushed. Her presence gave him confidence as he remembered why he couldn’t let the other thieves convince him to stay in the outer villages. He could handle their comments.

“I am,” Crow nodded sincerely when Penelope asked if he was ready. Despite his concerns, he knew he could get through the uncomfortable conversation. No matter what the results would be, nothing would change. He was still going back to the inner kingdom to begin his training as the next viceroy, and he was still going to be parting ways with them when he did. It was already decided.

When the waterfall finally came into sight, Crow took a steeling breath and let go of Penelope’s hand. The passage to the cavern was too narrow for them to walk side by side anymore, so he took the lead as he made his way to the entrance—he wanted to be in front of her, just in case the other thieves didn’t recognize them right away and tried to defend their home. Just before he rounded the bend to step inside, he wavered briefly. Once he showed his face to his companions there would be no turning back.

This is it, he thought, forcing himself to push past his hesitation and step into the entrance. Inside, he saw all three of his companions sitting by the hearth. They gawked at him in unbridled astonishment, all with bowls of fresh stew in their hands. At the sight of them, his unease gave way to fondness as he laid eyes on his friends for the first time in a month. “Guess who’s back?” he said with a grin, barely getting the words out before the band of criminals scrambled to their feet and ran to him, leaving their unfinished food behind.

“Crow!” Rikki wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, followed shortly by Alistair and even, surprisingly, Hazel. The force of their weight crashing into him made the thief stagger.

“Easy,” he laughed. “I’m still not fully healed yet.” Despite his words, their affectionate greeting made him feel warm inside. After all, he’d missed them quite a bit over the past month too.

“Sorry,” Alistair said, pulling back with the others so they could converse without smothering their leader. “But gods, it’s good to have you back.”

“Hear hear,” Hazel sighed, meeting Crow’s gaze with a weary smile. “It’s about time you came back to us. Filling in for all your responsibilities has been exhausting.”

“I would have come back sooner, but I was a little preoccupied,” Crow shrugged, casting her a lopsided smile as he lifted his tunic to reveal the bandages around his torso.

“Preoccupied?” Hazel echoed incredulously as she studied the dressing. “You’re lucky to be alive after taking a wound there.”

“You can thank Penelope for that,” Crow glanced at the knight with an affectionate look, reaching out to take her hand again. “If she hadn’t been so determined to save me after Jaxon ran his sword through my gut, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you now.”

“I bet,” Alistair folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “I can’t even imagine being injured so badly that I’d be bedridden for a month. That sounds like hell.”

At that comment, Crow shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Well, it wasn’t exactly a month…” he admitted, averting his gaze off to the side.

“What do you mean?” Rikki frowned. “If you weren’t bedridden, then why didn’t you come back to us sooner?”

“Yeah,” Alistair eyed him with knitted brows. “Olivia said you were still recovering in her camp.”

Already, Crow could feel his unease settling over him again. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, “That’s actually what I came here to talk to you all about… I left the knights’ camp a little over a week ago.”

“What?” Rikki’s eyes widened. “If that’s true, then what have you been doing all this time?”

Crow’s gaze flickered back to Penelope briefly before returning to his companions faces. He let out his breath in a resigned sigh, “We should all sit down… It’s going to be a long story.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Awesome cx I'm excited to bring the action back after the part at the castle.

That's true. We've got a lot of side characters now xD

I honestly don't have any plans for when Eyaris would reveal that they have the staff. I usually come up with big picture ideas and let the rest of the story play out before I think about smaller details. So I'm good with anything at this point ^^ I could also see Crow being super worried about Penelope's safety if she goes back to the warfront, since he would remember the mercenary attacks back in Younis a few years ago and how ruthless the Eyarisian people were. We can see where the story goes when we get to the next war, haha.

Another more minor idea I was thinking would make sense for Crow would be that after he spends so much time at the castle and away from fighting in general, his aversion to blood would come back stronger, which makes it harder for him to fight when they go on the mission to Eyaris. I haven't fully decided what that's going to look like, but it seems logical to me, since the only reason he's been able to handle it thus far is because he pretty much immersed himself in battles in the current war and had to fight through it to survive. Once he takes time away, I could see him start having some PTSD related nightmares (he'd probably have made these worse by pushing himself so hard in the war) and be more intolerant to the sight of blood again.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow smiled as he watched Penelope wake up beneath him. Her sleepy face was endearing to him, and his heart fluttered with affection as he was reminded that she was his. When she kissed his cheek and moved to get up from the bed, he shifted off her to let her sit up. He followed her lead, putting on his boots and grabbing his bag that laid near the foot of the bed. Part of him wished they could take their time and enjoy the morning without rushing, but he also wanted as much time with his companions as he could get, since this was likely the last time he would be seeing them for a while if ever again. So, he moved hastily as he prepared for the last leg of their trip to the outer villages.

Once they were both ready, Crow followed Penelope out of the inn and then fell in step beside her when they reached the road that would take them to Myrefall. Though he had been relatively excited for most of the trip—he loved being able to travel alone with the knight—he could feel his nervousness beginning to set in now that they were so close to his companions. The real reason for their journey was coming up fast, and he still had no idea what to expect. He’d have to be crazy not to be a little worried.

So, when Penelope suddenly asked if he knew what he was going to say to the other thieves, he just shook his head in response. “I haven’t planned anything out specifically,” he answered, glancing at her as they walked. “I honestly don’t think I could, since I don’t know how they’re going to react.” He sighed softly, kicking a small pebble at his feet and watching it roll off the side of the road.

“All I know for sure is that I’m going to tell them everything,” he went on after a pause. “I’ve been keeping my past from them for far too long. Now that I’m leaving, they deserve to know the truth… about my origin and my bloodline. I know they’re not going to be happy to find out I’m the king’s son, but I don’t want to keep lying to them.” He turned to meet her green eyes again. “So… even though it won’t be easy, I’d rather face their judgment now than keep them in the dark, wondering why I left them for nobility.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Honestly yeah xD I think Crow would be thinking the same thing

Also, I have a few major plot ideas I've been toying with for a little while, so I'll share some to see what you think cx

1. After the shenanigans with the Younisian princess and everything gets settled down, Brerra and Younis come to some sort of agreement (probably a trade deal/alliance sort of thing; I could see the terms being something Crow, Penelope, and Gavin come up with, and the Younisian princess supports) to end the war. However, when they do, that's when the northern kingdom, Eyaris, strikes both of them. Since Eyaris wants to conquer the two kingdoms, they wouldn't want to give them time to recover from their feuding, so that's why they'd swoop in so fast. This would lead to Younis and Brerra teaming up to fend off Eyaris and Gorm (Gorm is a landlocked kingdom with no access to sea ports, so Eyaris could win their alliance by offering them a portion of land that connects to the ocean in exchange for soldiers). I haven't come up with a way this would all play out, but I think it makes sense for the direction we've been sending the story in so far.

2. I also want to bring in some of the plot points we sort of dropped after the time skip (the staff being a big one). One way I could think of doing this would be that Eyaris breaks down Younis's morale by revealing that they have their staff, and the war begins to turn in the enemy's favor. To save Brerra and Younis from being overwhelmed, Crow and Penelope (and probably a few others like Olivia and/or Hartley), go on another mission to Eyaris to try and steal the staff back for Younis's sake (Crow would probably go behind his father's back, which could also cause some tension). If we do that, we could also bring back some epic mercenary fights and other action. I think it could be good timing, since it would be following the cool down when they're all at the castle.

That's all I can remember right now lol
Let me know what you think or if you've got any other ideas cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“I love you too,” Crow yawned again. “Goodnight, darling.” He smiled tiredly to himself, enjoying the feeling of having her so close to him during the night. It was going to be difficult to get used to sleeping alone after being spoiled with her company for a whole week. Even if she managed to get her baroness’s approval to come back to the castle with him, her father surely wouldn’t allow them to share a bed as long as they weren’t married. He just hoped he could earn John’s blessing soon, so they wouldn’t have to keep worrying about sneaking around behind everyone’s backs.

He exhaled softly, resting his head against hers as he settled down a bit more comfortably against her warm body. The gentle rise and fall of her chest relaxed him, and it didn’t take long before he began to drift off into a light yet peaceful slumber.

--

The next morning, Crow was coaxed awake by the morning sunlight that filtered into the room through the window. He stretched lethargically, letting out his breath in a soft groan. Glancing at the window, he noticed that it seemed to be early, so he didn’t bother getting up yet. Instead, he nestled closer to Penelope, who still laid sleeping at his side. The room was cool from the fall air, so her warmth was comfortably pleasant to the thief. He wanted to enjoy it for as long as he could.

After a while, he opened his eyes again, realizing he must have dozed off for a bit, because the light streaming through the window was brighter now. He sighed softly, still reluctant to get up, but aware that they couldn’t waste the whole morning by sleeping in. They would be arriving in the outer villages tonight—and he would be reuniting with his companions too. They had to keep moving.

Suddenly feeling more awake, Crow propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over Penelope. He took in her pretty face for a moment before he rested his other arm behind her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her lips to rouse her. “Good morning, love,” he crooned, meeting her gaze with a grin. “Ready to go to Myrefall today?”