Vaunivor
Tlazolteotl
Syrenrei
AHeartlessNobody
nachonacho
Vampiretwilight“I’m sure they will,” Crow rolled his eyes. “I have no loyalties to anyone that they know of, so they’re probably already trying to figure out how to form ties with me.” The thought of a bunch of noblemen scheming to use him to gain favor with the king was disturbing to the viceroy, but at least they were going to make it easier for him to start assimilating. If he could build a web of connections quickly, it would, as Penelope said, prevent the nobles who wanted him gone to do anything. He supposed he should start working on that as soon as he could.
When the knight announced that she had to go, he looked up at her and nodded. “Thanks,” he offered her a smile. “I’ll probably pass by your post sometime tomorrow, since you’re so close by. Good luck persuading the lieutenants.”
As she left, Crow finished off the rest of his drink and stood up from the table as well. “I should get some sleep too,” he said to Preston, who was still waiting for him on the bench. The servant dipped his head and rose to his feet too, following him out of the Great Hall.
For a while, neither of them said anything, but the attendant eventually broke the silence.
“You and that knight seem close,” he said, studying the viceroy curiously.
Crow turned toward him, caught off guard by the sudden comment. He’d forgotten how observant Preston could be sometimes. “Sort of,” he shrugged, attempting to act casually. “We’ve crossed paths off and on for the past couple years, so there’s some familiarity between us.”
“It didn’t look like familiarity,” Preston frowned. “She seemed concerned about you, and you both spoke as if you’re close.”
Crow cursed inwardly. “I don’t know many other people here,” he explained nonchalantly. “I suppose I just feel more comfortable around a familiar face.”
“Okay, but she knows other people,” the attendant pressed. “And she really seemed to care about you. I don’t know many people who would act like that around an acquaintance.”
“Who knows?” Crow shrugged. He hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of his lip as he came up with an idea. Though he didn’t like it, it was probably the best out he had left.
“Naida seems to think she fancies me,” he admitted after a pause, meeting the boy’s gaze as they walked. He hated throwing Penelope to the wolves, but Preston had caught onto them, so he didn’t have much of a choice. “I don’t know if it’s true, and I’m not very fond of gossip, so I haven’t bothered to find out.”
“I could see it,” Preston mused. He fell quiet for a moment before he added: “Do you fancy her?”
Crow scoffed. “You’re too nosy for your own good, you know that?”
Preston shrugged, “When you’ve lived at the castle long enough, it rubs off on you.”
“Well, you’d better keep your nose where it belongs, or I’ll shove it somewhere it doesn’t,” Crow warned, giving the boy’s side a prod.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
“And you really don’t listen, do you?”
“It sounds like you’re interested in her,” Preston decided on his own.
Crow snorted, “Don’t start making assumptions. I just like to keep my personal life to myself.”
“You fancy her.”
“Alright,” the viceroy growled. He slipped his arm around the attendant’s neck, pinning him in a headlock. “I warned you. Keep your nose to yourself, dumbass.”
“Okay, okay,” Preston squirmed against his grip. “Let me go! I can’t breathe.”
--
When Crow got back to his room, he changed into his linens right away and fell back on his bed with a tired exhale. After his conversation with Penelope during supper, he knew he had a lot of things to do over the next few days, none of which he was looking forward to. He rolled onto his side and drew his blanket to his chin, closing his eyes as he settled down more comfortably in the silk sheets. Even though he wasn’t happy about getting closer to other noblemen, he knew it was something he had to do, and that meant getting a good night of sleep, so he could deal with them clearheadedly.
It can’t be that bad. I’m sure I can handle it, the viceroy thought to himself as he drifted off into a light slumber.
When the knight announced that she had to go, he looked up at her and nodded. “Thanks,” he offered her a smile. “I’ll probably pass by your post sometime tomorrow, since you’re so close by. Good luck persuading the lieutenants.”
As she left, Crow finished off the rest of his drink and stood up from the table as well. “I should get some sleep too,” he said to Preston, who was still waiting for him on the bench. The servant dipped his head and rose to his feet too, following him out of the Great Hall.
For a while, neither of them said anything, but the attendant eventually broke the silence.
“You and that knight seem close,” he said, studying the viceroy curiously.
Crow turned toward him, caught off guard by the sudden comment. He’d forgotten how observant Preston could be sometimes. “Sort of,” he shrugged, attempting to act casually. “We’ve crossed paths off and on for the past couple years, so there’s some familiarity between us.”
“It didn’t look like familiarity,” Preston frowned. “She seemed concerned about you, and you both spoke as if you’re close.”
Crow cursed inwardly. “I don’t know many other people here,” he explained nonchalantly. “I suppose I just feel more comfortable around a familiar face.”
“Okay, but she knows other people,” the attendant pressed. “And she really seemed to care about you. I don’t know many people who would act like that around an acquaintance.”
“Who knows?” Crow shrugged. He hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of his lip as he came up with an idea. Though he didn’t like it, it was probably the best out he had left.
“Naida seems to think she fancies me,” he admitted after a pause, meeting the boy’s gaze as they walked. He hated throwing Penelope to the wolves, but Preston had caught onto them, so he didn’t have much of a choice. “I don’t know if it’s true, and I’m not very fond of gossip, so I haven’t bothered to find out.”
“I could see it,” Preston mused. He fell quiet for a moment before he added: “Do you fancy her?”
Crow scoffed. “You’re too nosy for your own good, you know that?”
Preston shrugged, “When you’ve lived at the castle long enough, it rubs off on you.”
“Well, you’d better keep your nose where it belongs, or I’ll shove it somewhere it doesn’t,” Crow warned, giving the boy’s side a prod.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
“And you really don’t listen, do you?”
“It sounds like you’re interested in her,” Preston decided on his own.
Crow snorted, “Don’t start making assumptions. I just like to keep my personal life to myself.”
“You fancy her.”
“Alright,” the viceroy growled. He slipped his arm around the attendant’s neck, pinning him in a headlock. “I warned you. Keep your nose to yourself, dumbass.”
“Okay, okay,” Preston squirmed against his grip. “Let me go! I can’t breathe.”
--
When Crow got back to his room, he changed into his linens right away and fell back on his bed with a tired exhale. After his conversation with Penelope during supper, he knew he had a lot of things to do over the next few days, none of which he was looking forward to. He rolled onto his side and drew his blanket to his chin, closing his eyes as he settled down more comfortably in the silk sheets. Even though he wasn’t happy about getting closer to other noblemen, he knew it was something he had to do, and that meant getting a good night of sleep, so he could deal with them clearheadedly.
It can’t be that bad. I’m sure I can handle it, the viceroy thought to himself as he drifted off into a light slumber.