Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Excuse me.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That sounds like fun,” Naida grinned enthusiastically.

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

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

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I'm already liking his character xD He seems like a total dirtbag

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Nice ^^

Crow had to throw in one insult that wouldn't get him in trouble xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

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

“This is outrageous! He’s a thief!”

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

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

Luckily, his father intervened.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

quick translation

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

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The rest of the day is going to be so awkward ^^;

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crow blanched.

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

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

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

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow needs that, so he'll still have a bit of a job xD

I'm excited for the ceremony and all the angst it's going to cause cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I am,” Preston volunteered shamelessly.

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

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

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

True xD
He barely has to do anything, since Crow prefers to be independent
Right now he pretty much just oversees things to make sure Crow does what he's supposed to lol