Crow decided to ditch his lesson xD
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Does this mean we can call you abmin now?
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300 word minimum is pretty standard for casual level and up in my experience
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Just discovered Dog TV. My pitbull and I have a new shared hobby.
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Barbenheimer 2023
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There's a panhandler who hangs out on the street corner by our dispensary every afternoon with a sign that just says "Green 4 Green?" and tbh, I respect my boy's confidence.
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Name: Taylor
Pronouns: They/them
Age: Mid 20s
Relationship: Married (happily, I might add)
Time Zone: Arizona (we hate daylight savings, so it's MST year-round)
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Format: 1x1s only. Maybe I'll try a group RP again someday, but I've never had one last longer than a few months
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Favorite Genres: Modern, Historical, Romance, Action/Adventure, Horror/Dark, Fantasy, Slice of Life, Dystopian, can be convinced to write some Sci-Fi
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Crow frowned as Penelope answered him with a stutter. It seemed that even though they were safe in the castle, she was just as nervous as when they had been in his run-down old house. He glanced toward the far end of the hallway as she shifted closer to him, making sure they were still alone. Even though he longed to comfort her, he didn’t want to make all their hard work to keep their relationship a secret go to waste. If a knight or a servant walked through, they would be caught right away.
He turned back to Penelope as she went on to say—very unconvincingly—that she was fine. Just looking at how much she was shaking, he knew that was a lie. He glanced down the hallway again and shifted his weight slightly. The smart idea probably would have been to go to his lesson with Udolf, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the knight alone while she was so distraught. He let out his breath in a quiet exhale. The tutor was probably furious with him by now. He supposed he would just have to make up his absence some other time.
Having come to a decision, Crow took a quick look around the corridor they were standing in until his eyes fell on a nearby supply closet. It didn’t look very big, but it would be better than lingering in the open hall, where anyone could stuble upon them. He turned back to Penelope and took her hand in his. “This way,” he murmured, giving her a gentle tug as he stepped over to the small door.
As he opened it, he stood aside to allow her to enter first, once again searching the area to make sure no one else was coming by. After all, it would look quite strange for a viceroy to be sneaking into a closet with a knight in the middle of the day. “I don’t think it will matter if you leave your post for a little while,” he justified, turning to her with a smile as he gestured at the open doorway. “No criminal in his right mind would try to break into a castle in this weather.”
He turned back to Penelope as she went on to say—very unconvincingly—that she was fine. Just looking at how much she was shaking, he knew that was a lie. He glanced down the hallway again and shifted his weight slightly. The smart idea probably would have been to go to his lesson with Udolf, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the knight alone while she was so distraught. He let out his breath in a quiet exhale. The tutor was probably furious with him by now. He supposed he would just have to make up his absence some other time.
Having come to a decision, Crow took a quick look around the corridor they were standing in until his eyes fell on a nearby supply closet. It didn’t look very big, but it would be better than lingering in the open hall, where anyone could stuble upon them. He turned back to Penelope and took her hand in his. “This way,” he murmured, giving her a gentle tug as he stepped over to the small door.
As he opened it, he stood aside to allow her to enter first, once again searching the area to make sure no one else was coming by. After all, it would look quite strange for a viceroy to be sneaking into a closet with a knight in the middle of the day. “I don’t think it will matter if you leave your post for a little while,” he justified, turning to her with a smile as he gestured at the open doorway. “No criminal in his right mind would try to break into a castle in this weather.”
More Nobles
Wayne Cardonell
Age: 28
Brerratic Nobleman
Bio: Having never left the walls of the inner kingdom, Wayne knows nothing but wealth and prestige. Though his family does not hold the highest of titles among the nobles in the castle, he has dreams of advancing even further and will not rest until he sees them come true. He can be manipulative, but he is not very cunning. His schemes often fall through, landing him in trouble with the higher-ranking nobles he has attempted to use and hurting his reputation amongst them.
Robyn Shepherd
Age: 26
Brerratic Scholar
Bio: Though he is a noble, Robyn has had a very middle-class childhood. His family is at the bottom of the food chain in the inner kingdom and has been unable to advance on their own. Because of their reputation, they can’t marry off their children to higher-ranking noblemen and women, and they do not have any specialized skills that would allow them to move up in the kingdom without help. However, their luck changed when a scholar from the castle decided to take Robyn on as an apprentice. He was sent to the castle to become the man’s ward and has been studying under his tutelage ever since.
Percival Granger
Age: 34
Knight of the Royal Guard
Bio: As the son of a well-respected duke, Percival has been training since he was a boy to fight. He is extremely skilled in combat and has earned a reputation throughout the inner kingdom as one of the most talented members of the royal guard. He takes his job seriously and has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to protecting his king, which can get on the nerves of some of his more lighthearted comrades. However, he is known to be dependable in battle and would give his life to protect others.
We've got characters for days xD
Crow got worried about her
Crow got worried about her
For the rest of the meal, Crow spoke casually with the other three noblemen at the table. As he’d expected, they weren’t much different from any of the other pompous men and women he’d met at the castle so far. Wayne was by far the most soft-palmed among them. Though his father was a strategist for some of the barons on the battlefront, it seemed that neither of them knew much about the intricacies of fighting and getting their hands dirty. They were big-picture thinkers who studied the history of warfare to come up with tactics that would help their kingdom defeat Younis. He was very well educated, but also lacked an understanding of how war impacted the people who lived on the border. His lack of sympathy was apparent, and it took all of the viceroy’s willpower not to make any biting comments about it.
Robyn wasn’t much better. He seemed to have some experience doing grunt work and claimed to be able to hold his own in a fight if he had to. Crow believed him. The nobleman came from a lower-class family compared to the other nobles in the castle, so he probably didn’t have many servants to do his work for him. He wasn’t even from the citadel. Apparently, his family’s manor was in a town called Naporia, located on the western edge of the inner kingdom. The only reason he’d been fortunate enough to live in the palace was because he’d been taken on as the ward of a higher-ranking nobleman who was training him to become a scholar. The step up seemed to have given him a bit of an ego. Hence the reason why he wasn’t much better than the know-it-all, Wayne.
Out of the three, Crow found Percival to be the most interesting. As the son of a duke, he was just as arrogant as the others, but to the viceroy’s surprise, he really did seem to have some honor. He was a bit soft-spoken, but whenever he engaged in conversation, he usually had well-thought-out things to say. He talked about his life as a member of the royal guard—that part was less interesting to Crow—but he also spoke about his views on the war which were shockingly not very far from the viceroy’s own. Of course, the knight didn’t know the extent of the damage in the outer villages, but he seemed to at least view the peasants’ lives as valuable and corrected Wayne whenever he would make insensitive comments about them. By the end of their conversation, Crow found that he even had a bit of respect for him.
Once everyone had finished eating, they all parted ways to go off to whatever other responsibilities they had planned for the day. Since the three noblemen were still intent on winning the viceroy’s favor, they suggested meeting with him again at breakfast tomorrow, and since he was still intent on using them for his own protection, he agreed. So far, things seemed to be going smoothly, and he had no doubt he had made a good decision by approaching these particular men. All of them had connections around the castle and the inner kingdom, especially Wayne and Percival, so if he stayed on their good sides, he would have plenty of support in no time. It was a strange but encouraging thought.
Crow walked back to his room with Preston at his side, ambling slowly since he knew he was already late for his lesson. Udolf was going to lecture him about it either way, so he decided there was no point in rushing back just to be chided. Instead, he took the time to talk with his attendant.
“Do you think these nobles will give you what you want?” Preston asked after the viceroy finished telling him about their conversation.
“I do,” Crow nodded, casting him a sly grin. “As long as I keep letting them think they’ve got me in their pocket, they’re going to do whatever they can to prevent anyone from taking that away.”
“Even someone more powerful than them?”
“They may not be influential on their own, but they’ve all got connections to men who are,” Crow said with certainty. “Percival’s father is a duke, Robyn is the ward of a scholar of the court, and Wayne’s family is directly tied to the barons in the castle and on the warfront. I’d say that’s a pretty strong wall for that baron to break through if he wants me gone.”
“I see,” Preston mused. “Well, for your sake, I hope you’re right.”
Crow opened his mouth to respond, but then froze as he was interrupted by a flash of light in a nearby window, followed by a low growl of thunder.
“Looks like a bad storm,” Preston said idly as he gazed out the window.
“Yeah,” Crow nodded, recovering from his initial surprise. He could see the guards in the courtyard below scrambling for cover from the rain, and he was thankful that he was warm and dry inside the castle. He lingered by the window for a little while longer before his eyes widened in remembrance. “Hey,” he said, turning to Preston. “You can go if you’d like. I can make it the rest of the way by myself.”
“Are you sure?” Preston frowned. “The stairs are just up ahead. I don’t mind walking with you.”
“It’s fine,” Crow waved his hand dismissively. “I like listening to the sound of the rain, so I think I’m going to take my time anyway.”
“Alright,” the attendant shrugged. “You shouldn’t keep Udolf waiting too long though. He’s probably mad already.”
“He can wait a little longer,” Crow smirked. He turned to keep walking toward the stairs, “See you later.”
“Good luck,” Preston said in response, turning around to walk back the other way.
Crow waited until they had put some distance between each other and then glanced back over his shoulder. As soon as the servant passed out of his sight, he continued walking toward the stairs at a brisk pace, climbing for the third floor. When he reached it, he took a quick look around the corridor and spotted Penelope at her post right away. From a distance, he couldn’t tell if she had been affected by the storm or not. Still, he didn’t want to take any chances.
With no other guards around in this hallway, he hastened his pace to a light jog as he approached her. “Hey, love,” he greeted her in a low voice once he reached her side and then studied her concernedly. “How are you doing?”
Robyn wasn’t much better. He seemed to have some experience doing grunt work and claimed to be able to hold his own in a fight if he had to. Crow believed him. The nobleman came from a lower-class family compared to the other nobles in the castle, so he probably didn’t have many servants to do his work for him. He wasn’t even from the citadel. Apparently, his family’s manor was in a town called Naporia, located on the western edge of the inner kingdom. The only reason he’d been fortunate enough to live in the palace was because he’d been taken on as the ward of a higher-ranking nobleman who was training him to become a scholar. The step up seemed to have given him a bit of an ego. Hence the reason why he wasn’t much better than the know-it-all, Wayne.
Out of the three, Crow found Percival to be the most interesting. As the son of a duke, he was just as arrogant as the others, but to the viceroy’s surprise, he really did seem to have some honor. He was a bit soft-spoken, but whenever he engaged in conversation, he usually had well-thought-out things to say. He talked about his life as a member of the royal guard—that part was less interesting to Crow—but he also spoke about his views on the war which were shockingly not very far from the viceroy’s own. Of course, the knight didn’t know the extent of the damage in the outer villages, but he seemed to at least view the peasants’ lives as valuable and corrected Wayne whenever he would make insensitive comments about them. By the end of their conversation, Crow found that he even had a bit of respect for him.
Once everyone had finished eating, they all parted ways to go off to whatever other responsibilities they had planned for the day. Since the three noblemen were still intent on winning the viceroy’s favor, they suggested meeting with him again at breakfast tomorrow, and since he was still intent on using them for his own protection, he agreed. So far, things seemed to be going smoothly, and he had no doubt he had made a good decision by approaching these particular men. All of them had connections around the castle and the inner kingdom, especially Wayne and Percival, so if he stayed on their good sides, he would have plenty of support in no time. It was a strange but encouraging thought.
Crow walked back to his room with Preston at his side, ambling slowly since he knew he was already late for his lesson. Udolf was going to lecture him about it either way, so he decided there was no point in rushing back just to be chided. Instead, he took the time to talk with his attendant.
“Do you think these nobles will give you what you want?” Preston asked after the viceroy finished telling him about their conversation.
“I do,” Crow nodded, casting him a sly grin. “As long as I keep letting them think they’ve got me in their pocket, they’re going to do whatever they can to prevent anyone from taking that away.”
“Even someone more powerful than them?”
“They may not be influential on their own, but they’ve all got connections to men who are,” Crow said with certainty. “Percival’s father is a duke, Robyn is the ward of a scholar of the court, and Wayne’s family is directly tied to the barons in the castle and on the warfront. I’d say that’s a pretty strong wall for that baron to break through if he wants me gone.”
“I see,” Preston mused. “Well, for your sake, I hope you’re right.”
Crow opened his mouth to respond, but then froze as he was interrupted by a flash of light in a nearby window, followed by a low growl of thunder.
“Looks like a bad storm,” Preston said idly as he gazed out the window.
“Yeah,” Crow nodded, recovering from his initial surprise. He could see the guards in the courtyard below scrambling for cover from the rain, and he was thankful that he was warm and dry inside the castle. He lingered by the window for a little while longer before his eyes widened in remembrance. “Hey,” he said, turning to Preston. “You can go if you’d like. I can make it the rest of the way by myself.”
“Are you sure?” Preston frowned. “The stairs are just up ahead. I don’t mind walking with you.”
“It’s fine,” Crow waved his hand dismissively. “I like listening to the sound of the rain, so I think I’m going to take my time anyway.”
“Alright,” the attendant shrugged. “You shouldn’t keep Udolf waiting too long though. He’s probably mad already.”
“He can wait a little longer,” Crow smirked. He turned to keep walking toward the stairs, “See you later.”
“Good luck,” Preston said in response, turning around to walk back the other way.
Crow waited until they had put some distance between each other and then glanced back over his shoulder. As soon as the servant passed out of his sight, he continued walking toward the stairs at a brisk pace, climbing for the third floor. When he reached it, he took a quick look around the corridor and spotted Penelope at her post right away. From a distance, he couldn’t tell if she had been affected by the storm or not. Still, he didn’t want to take any chances.
With no other guards around in this hallway, he hastened his pace to a light jog as he approached her. “Hey, love,” he greeted her in a low voice once he reached her side and then studied her concernedly. “How are you doing?”
Just threw in three more xD
I'll make their CSs later
I'll make their CSs later
When Crow arrived at the Great Hall, he paused near the doorway to take a quick look around. Knowing that there were already nobles scheming against him, he wanted to start building connections as soon as he could. That meant spending some meals amongst the nobles whom had reached out to him after his ceremony. His green eyes swept over the numerous faces in the room. It had been five days since he had last seen them, so he had to focus to remember which ones had made offers to him before. However, after a moment, he caught sight of one familiar face: Wayne Cardonell, the first man who had approached him at the banquet.
A subtle smile spread over the viceroy’s lips. Though he didn’t like the idea of getting close to any of the self-righteous noblemen in the castle, he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited at the prospect of using them for his own purposes. He was confident in his ability to trick them into doing what he wanted. It wasn’t one of his most honorable traits, but manipulating others was a useful skill, and it was one he prided himself on since it had saved him many times in the past.
Crow was just about to make his way over to the table where Wayne was sitting but then froze as he felt someone’s eyes on him. He glanced to the side and wrinkled his nose slightly when he saw that the same blonde man as before was glaring at him from across the room. Now that he knew what the man was doing behind his back, he had half a mind to cast him a rude gesture. However, not wanting to give away the fact that he was in on the baron’s plans, he restrained himself and turned instead to head to Wayne’s table as he’d originally intended.
As he approached, the nobleman caught sight of him and visibly stiffened. Crow fought the urge to roll his eyes. It was clear that even though some of the nobles in the castle had been willing to use him to gain favor with the king, they all still despised him just as much as anyone else. Luckily, the viceroy was already used to being hated, so he concealed his annoyance with a smile as he stopped by the other man’s side. “Mind if I join you?”
Wayne exchanged a brief glance with the two other noblemen who were sitting across from him before turning back to the viceroy with that fake smile of his, “Go ahead.”
Crow nodded and sat down on the bench beside him. The other three nobles grew tense, clearly unsure how to act around the former thief, so he took it upon himself to break the silence. “So,” he said, resting his forearms on the table as he looked between the two men across from him. “What are your names? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”
The man on the left blinked, seeming surprised even though it had been a simple question. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, “My name is Robyn Shepherd, son of Count Randall Shepherd.”
The man on the right glanced at his friend before turning back to the viceroy and sitting up slightly straighter, “I’m Percival Granger, son of Duke Pearson Granger.”
“A duke, huh?” Crow mused. “Are you any good with a sword?”
Percival scoffed, seeming offended by the question. “I’m a knight of the royal guard,” he boasted. “Of course I can use a sword.”
This one might be worth keeping in my pocket, Crow thought, eyeing the knight over. With a duke for a father and a role in the king’s army, he had a feeling Percival’s word would carry quite a bit of weight in the castle. “Alright, it was just a question,” the viceroy threw up his hands in an innocent gesture. “No need to get defensive.”
“A knight’s swordsmanship is his pride,” Wayne smirked. “You might have well have questioned his honor.” He studied Crow with a curious look. “Anyway, did you want something from me? I’m assuming you’re here because of my offer, right?”
“Not particularly,” Crow shrugged. “I’m just trying to get to know the people around here better. After all, I may be the ambassador for the king, but I’m going to be representing all of you.” He casted the nobleman a wry smile. “How can I be an intercessor for anyone when I don’t know anything about you or what you want?”
Wayne’s eyes widened slightly, and Crow could practically see the wheels turning in his mind. It was obvious that he believed he had stuck an opportunity to gain favor with the king. The viceroy had intentionally worded his question to make him think so. If he didn’t know anyone else, the first man to win him over would have a leg up on his competition. The other two seemed to realize it as well.
“Well, what do you want to know?” Robyn grinned. “I’d be happy to help. My family knows quite a few of the other counts and countesses around the inner kingdom.”
“Yes, and my family has connections within the castle,” Wayne pitched in. “My father is a marquess.”
“My father does as well,” Percival nodded. He casted the viceroy a forced smile. “Don’t worry about that comment earlier. No harm done. In fact, if you’d like help adjusting to life here in the castle, I’d be happy to assist you.” The others quickly put in their agreement.
Crow bit back a grin as the three noblemen threw more offers at him. It had almost been too easy. Now all he needed to do was solidify the connections he was beginning to form, and he would have a strong barrier between himself and the nobles who wanted him gone. Subtly, he glanced back at the older blonde man, who was still glaring at his back. However, this time, there seemed to be a hint of concern in his cold gaze.
The viceroy turned back to continue conversing with the others, but then paused as something else caught his gaze. Near the front of the Great Hall, he spotted Penelope, who seemed to be leaving. He noticed that she was looking around and, assuming that she was searching for him, casted her a smile and a dismissive wave, hoping she would understand that he would catch up with her later. For now, he planned to stay with the other noblemen for a little longer to work on gaining more of their trust.
A subtle smile spread over the viceroy’s lips. Though he didn’t like the idea of getting close to any of the self-righteous noblemen in the castle, he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited at the prospect of using them for his own purposes. He was confident in his ability to trick them into doing what he wanted. It wasn’t one of his most honorable traits, but manipulating others was a useful skill, and it was one he prided himself on since it had saved him many times in the past.
Crow was just about to make his way over to the table where Wayne was sitting but then froze as he felt someone’s eyes on him. He glanced to the side and wrinkled his nose slightly when he saw that the same blonde man as before was glaring at him from across the room. Now that he knew what the man was doing behind his back, he had half a mind to cast him a rude gesture. However, not wanting to give away the fact that he was in on the baron’s plans, he restrained himself and turned instead to head to Wayne’s table as he’d originally intended.
As he approached, the nobleman caught sight of him and visibly stiffened. Crow fought the urge to roll his eyes. It was clear that even though some of the nobles in the castle had been willing to use him to gain favor with the king, they all still despised him just as much as anyone else. Luckily, the viceroy was already used to being hated, so he concealed his annoyance with a smile as he stopped by the other man’s side. “Mind if I join you?”
Wayne exchanged a brief glance with the two other noblemen who were sitting across from him before turning back to the viceroy with that fake smile of his, “Go ahead.”
Crow nodded and sat down on the bench beside him. The other three nobles grew tense, clearly unsure how to act around the former thief, so he took it upon himself to break the silence. “So,” he said, resting his forearms on the table as he looked between the two men across from him. “What are your names? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”
The man on the left blinked, seeming surprised even though it had been a simple question. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, “My name is Robyn Shepherd, son of Count Randall Shepherd.”
The man on the right glanced at his friend before turning back to the viceroy and sitting up slightly straighter, “I’m Percival Granger, son of Duke Pearson Granger.”
“A duke, huh?” Crow mused. “Are you any good with a sword?”
Percival scoffed, seeming offended by the question. “I’m a knight of the royal guard,” he boasted. “Of course I can use a sword.”
This one might be worth keeping in my pocket, Crow thought, eyeing the knight over. With a duke for a father and a role in the king’s army, he had a feeling Percival’s word would carry quite a bit of weight in the castle. “Alright, it was just a question,” the viceroy threw up his hands in an innocent gesture. “No need to get defensive.”
“A knight’s swordsmanship is his pride,” Wayne smirked. “You might have well have questioned his honor.” He studied Crow with a curious look. “Anyway, did you want something from me? I’m assuming you’re here because of my offer, right?”
“Not particularly,” Crow shrugged. “I’m just trying to get to know the people around here better. After all, I may be the ambassador for the king, but I’m going to be representing all of you.” He casted the nobleman a wry smile. “How can I be an intercessor for anyone when I don’t know anything about you or what you want?”
Wayne’s eyes widened slightly, and Crow could practically see the wheels turning in his mind. It was obvious that he believed he had stuck an opportunity to gain favor with the king. The viceroy had intentionally worded his question to make him think so. If he didn’t know anyone else, the first man to win him over would have a leg up on his competition. The other two seemed to realize it as well.
“Well, what do you want to know?” Robyn grinned. “I’d be happy to help. My family knows quite a few of the other counts and countesses around the inner kingdom.”
“Yes, and my family has connections within the castle,” Wayne pitched in. “My father is a marquess.”
“My father does as well,” Percival nodded. He casted the viceroy a forced smile. “Don’t worry about that comment earlier. No harm done. In fact, if you’d like help adjusting to life here in the castle, I’d be happy to assist you.” The others quickly put in their agreement.
Crow bit back a grin as the three noblemen threw more offers at him. It had almost been too easy. Now all he needed to do was solidify the connections he was beginning to form, and he would have a strong barrier between himself and the nobles who wanted him gone. Subtly, he glanced back at the older blonde man, who was still glaring at his back. However, this time, there seemed to be a hint of concern in his cold gaze.
The viceroy turned back to continue conversing with the others, but then paused as something else caught his gaze. Near the front of the Great Hall, he spotted Penelope, who seemed to be leaving. He noticed that she was looking around and, assuming that she was searching for him, casted her a smile and a dismissive wave, hoping she would understand that he would catch up with her later. For now, he planned to stay with the other noblemen for a little longer to work on gaining more of their trust.
Same xD He reminds me of Kip but bolder
Nice! So many characters, haha
Nice! So many characters, haha
The following morning went by in much the same way as any other. Crow, having slept a bit lighter than usual the night before, woke to the sound of his door opening and closing as someone came in. He glanced down to see who was there, only to find that it was Preston, who had arrived to help him get ready for the day again. However, there was something slightly different about the attendant this time. He was carrying something in his hands.
Crow sat up on his bed and yawned tiredly, arching his back in a stretch as he shook off his lingering weariness. The motion seemed to draw Preston’s attention, and the boy turned to him with a curt bow. “Good morning,” he greeted. The servant sounded more cheerful than usual to Crow.
“Morning,” the viceroy mumbled, sliding down from his bed to walk over to the wardrobe, where Preston was putting together his clothes. He looked down at the attendant’s hand. “What’s that?”
Preston paused in what he was doing and shuffled his feet. “You said you wanted me to show you my art, so…” he trailed off, bashfully averting his gaze as he held out the objects he’d been carrying.
There were three flat river stones covered with dark charcoal markings. Crow studied them curiously. They were slightly smudged, but he could tell the attendant had taken special care to keep the pictures from getting ruined with time. He also found himself rather impressed with Preston’s talent. Though the boy had never been trained by a master, the drawings didn’t look very different from anything he’d seen in a book before. The lines were precise, and it was easy to see what the images showed.
The stone on the left depicted an image of a fig tree with long, twisting branches and plumes of small leaves. The tree sat alone on a hillside, with a distant forest behind it. Even though the surface of the rock was small, the attendant had managed to put a surprising amount of detail into his work. The other two drawings were no different.
The middle stone was a picture of a tower. It looked like the battlements that had been built into the Brerratic castle, tall and commanding. Preston had even managed to capture the weathering of the stones and the small arrow loops that adorned the sides. Looking closer, Crow smirked in amusement as he saw that the boy had drawn a figure of an archer posted on the crenellation.
The last stone was the most impressive. It was a portrait of a girl with wavy hair and freckled cheeks. She had a broad smile on her face, and the viceroy could almost imagine that she was laughing. The emotion captured in the art was tangible, and even a little infectious. He found himself smiling as he examined the rock closer.
“I know I’m not as good as the artists who illustrated those books,” Preston said sheepishly. “But these are my favorite drawings.”
“What are you talking about?” Crow looked up at him with a laugh. “These are amazing. If you added a little color to them, they’d probably look real.”
“You think so?” Preston brightened.
“Definitely,” Crow nodded. He looked over the stones again, his gaze lingering on the drawing of the girl. “Who is that?” he asked without thinking. In the next moment, he bit his tongue, worried that he might have overstepped a boundary. Fortunately, Preston didn’t seem offended.
“That’s my younger sister,” the attendant answered with a fond smile as he gazed at the drawing. “She lives here at the castle with me.”
“I see,” Crow said with interest. “Is she a servant too?”
“Not really,” Preston admitted. “She’s sickly, so she can’t handle the work.”
Crow frowned, “Is it—”
“No, no,” the attendant shook his head quickly. “She doesn’t have the Creeping Death.” He absently traced the edge of the drawing with his finger. “No one knows what’s wrong with her. Even Eldon can’t figure it out. Some days, she’s perfectly fine, but on others… she has pain in her body, and her energy lapses.” His expression turned melancholic. “On the worst days, she doesn’t even have the strength to get out of bed. She’s been like this ever since she was little.”
Crow studied Preston quietly. “I’m sorry,” he rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder and offered him a smile. “She’s beautiful though.”
“She is,” the attendant managed a halfhearted smile. “I still hope that someone will marry her someday. She may be sick, but she’s a caring person, and I just know she would make a great wife.”
“If she’s as great as you say, I’m sure someone will fall head over heels for her despite her illness,” Crow assured him.
“Thanks,” Preston looked up at him appreciatively.
“Mhm,” Crow nodded. Turning back to the open wardrobe, he picked out his own clothes—he’d watched the attendant enough times to figure out the pieces by himself—and stepped over to the edge of the bed to set them down as he took off the linens he was currently wearing. Once he was dressed, he bent down to put on his boots. As he did, he carefully angled his body away from the servant and reached quickly underneath the bed, where he had stowed one of his daggers—the other was already beneath his pillow. He smoothly slipped the sheathed weapon into his boot and laced it up.
Now armed and feeling more confident, he straightened his posture and headed for the door. “Come on,” he waved to Preston. “I want breakfast.”
Crow sat up on his bed and yawned tiredly, arching his back in a stretch as he shook off his lingering weariness. The motion seemed to draw Preston’s attention, and the boy turned to him with a curt bow. “Good morning,” he greeted. The servant sounded more cheerful than usual to Crow.
“Morning,” the viceroy mumbled, sliding down from his bed to walk over to the wardrobe, where Preston was putting together his clothes. He looked down at the attendant’s hand. “What’s that?”
Preston paused in what he was doing and shuffled his feet. “You said you wanted me to show you my art, so…” he trailed off, bashfully averting his gaze as he held out the objects he’d been carrying.
There were three flat river stones covered with dark charcoal markings. Crow studied them curiously. They were slightly smudged, but he could tell the attendant had taken special care to keep the pictures from getting ruined with time. He also found himself rather impressed with Preston’s talent. Though the boy had never been trained by a master, the drawings didn’t look very different from anything he’d seen in a book before. The lines were precise, and it was easy to see what the images showed.
The stone on the left depicted an image of a fig tree with long, twisting branches and plumes of small leaves. The tree sat alone on a hillside, with a distant forest behind it. Even though the surface of the rock was small, the attendant had managed to put a surprising amount of detail into his work. The other two drawings were no different.
The middle stone was a picture of a tower. It looked like the battlements that had been built into the Brerratic castle, tall and commanding. Preston had even managed to capture the weathering of the stones and the small arrow loops that adorned the sides. Looking closer, Crow smirked in amusement as he saw that the boy had drawn a figure of an archer posted on the crenellation.
The last stone was the most impressive. It was a portrait of a girl with wavy hair and freckled cheeks. She had a broad smile on her face, and the viceroy could almost imagine that she was laughing. The emotion captured in the art was tangible, and even a little infectious. He found himself smiling as he examined the rock closer.
“I know I’m not as good as the artists who illustrated those books,” Preston said sheepishly. “But these are my favorite drawings.”
“What are you talking about?” Crow looked up at him with a laugh. “These are amazing. If you added a little color to them, they’d probably look real.”
“You think so?” Preston brightened.
“Definitely,” Crow nodded. He looked over the stones again, his gaze lingering on the drawing of the girl. “Who is that?” he asked without thinking. In the next moment, he bit his tongue, worried that he might have overstepped a boundary. Fortunately, Preston didn’t seem offended.
“That’s my younger sister,” the attendant answered with a fond smile as he gazed at the drawing. “She lives here at the castle with me.”
“I see,” Crow said with interest. “Is she a servant too?”
“Not really,” Preston admitted. “She’s sickly, so she can’t handle the work.”
Crow frowned, “Is it—”
“No, no,” the attendant shook his head quickly. “She doesn’t have the Creeping Death.” He absently traced the edge of the drawing with his finger. “No one knows what’s wrong with her. Even Eldon can’t figure it out. Some days, she’s perfectly fine, but on others… she has pain in her body, and her energy lapses.” His expression turned melancholic. “On the worst days, she doesn’t even have the strength to get out of bed. She’s been like this ever since she was little.”
Crow studied Preston quietly. “I’m sorry,” he rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder and offered him a smile. “She’s beautiful though.”
“She is,” the attendant managed a halfhearted smile. “I still hope that someone will marry her someday. She may be sick, but she’s a caring person, and I just know she would make a great wife.”
“If she’s as great as you say, I’m sure someone will fall head over heels for her despite her illness,” Crow assured him.
“Thanks,” Preston looked up at him appreciatively.
“Mhm,” Crow nodded. Turning back to the open wardrobe, he picked out his own clothes—he’d watched the attendant enough times to figure out the pieces by himself—and stepped over to the edge of the bed to set them down as he took off the linens he was currently wearing. Once he was dressed, he bent down to put on his boots. As he did, he carefully angled his body away from the servant and reached quickly underneath the bed, where he had stowed one of his daggers—the other was already beneath his pillow. He smoothly slipped the sheathed weapon into his boot and laced it up.
Now armed and feeling more confident, he straightened his posture and headed for the door. “Come on,” he waved to Preston. “I want breakfast.”
Preston is onto them cx
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