Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow is pissed ^^;

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The following morning, Crow was roused from his sleep earlier than he would have liked. He groaned and rolled over on his bed, pulling his pillow over his face to muffle the faint voices coming from beyond his room. Vaguely, he wondered who was making such a ruckus so early in the day, but he was too tired to get up and look. He wished they would be quiet. There was barely any light coming in through the window, so he wanted to get some more sleep while he still could.

Unfortunately, it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen.

He groaned again when he heard his door open, admitting someone into his room. Peeking out from beneath his pillow, he saw Preston standing near the door. The attendant looked distraught and made no move to help him get ready for the day as he usually did. His tenseness set the viceroy on edge. What could possibly be going on that would have him so frazzled?

“Do you know what all this noise is about?” Crow complained, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Preston shifted his weight, “You really don’t know?”

“If I knew, then why would I waste both of our time by asking?” Crow muttered dryly.

The attendant eyed him for a moment longer before he answered, “Three people came forward today claiming that their belongings went missing. They think it was you.”

“They what?” the viceroy gawked at him. “I haven’t touched so much as a copper coin since I got here. Why would they think it was me?”

“Well, given your reputation…”

Crow scoffed. “I may have a history of thieving, but I’m not so stupid that I would risk going back to prison for a pretty piece of jewelry.” Suddenly feeling frustrated, he climbed down from his bed and stepped over to the wardrobe to get dressed.

“Where are you going?” Preston fidgeted nervously.

“To clear my name,” Crow growled, fumbling slightly with his belt in his haste to confront the jeering nobles.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Preston said warily. “They’ve gotten everyone pretty riled up. If you show your face right now, they might just come after you without thinking.”

“I don’t care,” the viceroy said stubbornly. “I’m not just going to hide in my room while there are people out there trying to ruin the reputation I’ve been working so hard on. I haven’t stolen a single damn thing as long as I’ve been here. I think I deserve praise for restraining myself, not these baseless accusations.”

“I-I mean, that’s not a bad point, but—”

“Stay here if you’d like,” Crow said as he finished lacing up his boots. He marched over to the door and pulled it open. “But you can’t convince me to wait around with you. I’ll be back when I’ve redeemed my name.” Without waiting for a reply, he stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind him.

Walking briskly toward the stairs, the viceroy muttered under his breath about lying nobles. The guards he passed casted him cautious looks, likely believing the story that he had been stealing around the castle. He snarled at them as he walked by. He was fed up with their constant distrust of him. It would have been one thing if he had actually robbed someone, but he had been careful to keep his hands to himself since he’d been made the king’s ambassador. He didn’t deserve the leery gazes they sent him.

Just as he was about to reach the stairs, another guard blocked his path. “Where do you think you’re going?” the knight asked sharply, as if he was trying to escape.

“To pitch my two cents. Where do you think?” Crow tossed his head. “Now let me through.”

“I can’t do that,” the guard stood firmly. “Not until we find out whether you’re guilty.”

“I’m trying to help with that,” Crow took a step closer to the other man and curled his lip. “Move it. I outrank you, so you have to listen to me.” He didn’t like to use his title to goad others into listening to him, but at the moment, he was too frustrated to let his morals guide his actions.

The guard faltered slightly but didn’t budge. “I can’t do that,” he repeated, almost as if he was trying to reassure himself.

Feeling a pang of annoyance, Crow opened his mouth to speak a few choice words to the knight, but he didn’t get a chance as a new voice spoke up.

“You can let me pass.”

The viceroy turned around to see his father approaching with another guard. “Thank gods,” he sighed, waving a hand at the knight in front of the stairs. “He won’t let me through.”

Albin looked between him and the guard, who was now fidgeting uncomfortably in the presence of his ruler, and exhaled. “That’s probably for the best.”

“What?” Crow’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’ll have your chance to defend yourself,” his father said. “I’ll make sure of that. However, for now, it would be best if you stay away from the crowd. Anything you try to say will just make them angrier.”

“But I—”

“Collin,” the sharpness in his father’s tone made him flinch. “I will handle the situation downstairs. You will stay put here. Is that clear?”

Crow set his jaw, tempted to argue with the king, but after a moment, he averted his gaze in reluctant defeat. “Yes,” he grumbled, glaring at the wall.

“Good,” Albin nodded. He signaled to the guard at his side and then headed down to the furious crowd, leaving his son behind to listen from the top of the stairs.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Now Crow's worried for another reason xD

Cedric is a douche lol

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Come in.”

Crow wavered outside the large, ornate doors of his father’s chamber. During his walk to the room, he’d had plenty of time to think about all the possible ways the king could choose to punish him for what he had done. Naturally, his thoughts had driven him to worse and worse possibilities, from simply being reprimanded to losing his title to being cast back into a prison cell. He shifted his weight nervously, tempted to turn around and go the other way.

Any time he felt trapped, his instinct was to run, but that wasn’t an easy thing to do in a castle full of guards. If Albin really did want to have him arrested again, all it would take would be a simple command to the knights, and the former thief would face the nightmare of his failed raid all over again. No matter what his father had to say to him, he had to speak with him so that even if it looked bad, he could at least try to talk his way out of the situation.

With that thought in mind, Crow took a steeling breath and pushed open the door.

He nearly stumbled when his eyes fell on the king’s bed chamber. He’d thought his own room was impressive, but it was practically a hovel compared to this. The room itself was enormous, with gold leaf walls and large windows that let light in from the north, west, and east. On the far left was the bed chamber, with a massive, four-post bed adorned with deep scarlet sheets. Two wide wardrobes stood against the west wall, and a tall mirror was posted nearby—probably so the queen could look at herself while she was getting ready, he guessed.

On the far right side of the room toward the north wall was a library far bigger than the one in the viceroy’s chambers. The shelves spanned from floor to ceiling, packed tightly with decoratively bound books. Offhandedly, Crow wondered what sort of books his father liked to read. With so many choices available, he obviously had his pick.

Moving further south along the right side of the room, his eyes widened as they fell on a small pool. It was square-shaped and built against the corner of the chamber. From a distance, he couldn’t tell if the water was warm, but he assumed that it would be since the public bathhouse was a comfortable temperature, and the king of Brerra would never settle for anything less than what his subjects received.

In the center of the room was a large table, adorned with a deep red cloth and golden candelabras, and seated at that table was his father. The king reclined in a cushioned chair set before a large feast that, even in the viceroy’s opinion, was far too big for one man to consume. He seemed amused by his son’s reaction to the room, and Crow reddened slightly. It was the first time he’d been in this part of the castle. Of course, he had certainly tried to get to it before, but that hadn’t gone very well as the royal guard had caught him before he could even make it past the third floor.

“Come in, come in,” Albin repeated, waving his hand in a beckoning gesture.

Snapping out of his trance, Crow hesitantly stepped further into the room while Preston, who had led him to the king’s bed chamber, followed a short distance behind. The attendant didn’t seem nearly as impressed with the lavish space, and the viceroy wondered absently if he had been here before.

Albin noticed the boy and pursed his lips. “Thank you for bringing Collin here,” he said, holding up one hand as if to ward him off. “You are dismissed.”

Preston glanced between the king and the viceroy and then bowed to the ruler without objection. He turned and walked back out of the room without speaking a word. Crow watched him go and then turned back to his father, feeling another burst of nervousness that made his stomach twist. “You wanted to see me?” he said and then immediately bit his tongue, realizing it was a dumb question to ask when he was already standing in the king’s private chamber.

Albin smiled. “Sit,” he commanded, gesturing to the open chair nearby him. “We can speak over supper.”

Crow nodded and sat down at the table, though he wasn’t sure how much he would be able to eat when it felt like his stomach was doing somersaults in his gut. Regardless, he filled up a plate for himself and ate, using the provided utensils instead of his hands in a meager attempt to show his father that he was taking his lessons seriously.

For a while, they dined in silence, but Albin eventually broke it with a question.

“So,” the king asked, setting down the wine goblet he had just taken a drink from. “How do you like your new life in the castle so far?”

Crow blinked, taken aback by the casual topic his father had chosen to discuss. He had been certain that Albin had wanted to speak with him about his absence today, but it sounded like the king just wanted to catch up with him. Maybe Udolf hasn’t said anything to him yet. He felt himself relax into his cushioned chair.

“It’s different,” the viceroy answered with a shrug. “But the food is good, and it’s nice not to worry about freezing in the winter.”

Albin chuckled, “It is.” He looked up to meet his son’s gaze with another amused smile. “I was wondering more about what you think of your title though.”

“Oh,” Crow tilted his head slightly as he thought about how to answer the question. “I don’t know,” he said insightfully. Realizing that his father was waiting for more of details, he explained, “I haven’t even held the title for a full week. It’s hard to make any judgments about it yet.”

“Of course,” the king nodded in acknowledgment. He leaned forward and laced his fingers together on the table. There was a sparkle of interest in his pastel green eyes as he went on, “It hasn’t yet been a week, but you seem to be excelling in your lessons. Udolf tells me you’re already able to read. Is this true?”

Apparently Udolf has said some things. “Well, sort of,” Crow poked absently at his food. “I’m still not good at it by any means. Written words don’t come to me the same way spoken words do.”

“You’ve only learned to read a few days ago,” Albin laughed and reached out to rest a hand on the viceroy’s arm. “Don’t sell yourself short, Collin. It’s impressive that you’ve even come this far in the time that you’ve been here. Your ability to comprehend language is astounding.”

Crow blushed, mildly embarrassed by his father’s high words of praise. Since he was a fast learner by nature, he was used to picking up new skills in a short amount of time. It didn’t seem all that special of a talent to him, but he supposed that it would please the king, who had told him before that he wanted him to be educated quickly.

“Which brings me to my next point,” Albin continued, making the viceroy knit his brow in confusion. “You’ve already come quite far in your education, but that doesn’t mean you can start getting lazy.”

Crow blanched. Udolf must have told the king about his absence after all.

“Don’t worry,” his father said in a reassuring tone, seeming to notice his son’s anxiousness. “I’m not going to remove you from your position just because of one mistake. That wouldn’t be very just of me, would it?”

The viceroy shuffled his feet beneath the table. “No,” he murmured.

“I’ve got big plans for you, son,” Albin smiled at him. “I still believe you have the makings of a talented ambassador. You just need to put in the effort to learn the skills you currently lack.”

Crow looked up at him curiously, “What sort of plans?” It was the first time his father had mentioned anything about plans. He wanted to know what he was getting himself into.

“Well,” the king leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure you know this war hasn’t been going the way any of us had hoped it would.”

“Yes,” Crow felt his heartbeat quicken. Was his father planning to send him to negotiate with the Younisian king after all? He held his breath. If Albin was already considering ending the war on peaceful terms, then Penelope wouldn’t even have to convince him. However, as the king went on, the viceroy’s hopes were quickly dashed.

“Once you are ready to make the journey, I would like you to travel to Gorm and petition the king to join our forces in the fight against Younis,” Albin announced with a cunning glint in his eye. “The Kingdom of Gorm encompasses the northern border of Younis. I’ve already spoken with my council about it, and we’ve agreed that the fastest way to end this war is to enlist the help of our neighbors and overwhelm our enemy with numbers.”

Crow shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It sounded like a good idea, but he felt rather sure it wouldn’t work. After all, if there was an easy way for Brerra to defeat Younis, then why would Toreus have told Penelope that the war needed to be settled on peaceful terms? He had a bad feeling about this.

“Don’t be nervous, Collin,” his father offered him a reassuring look. He seemed to have mistaken the viceroy’s concern about the plan for concern about his own capabilities. “You already have most of the skills you’ll need to pull this off. I’m certain you can do it with just a little more training.”

“I hope so,” Crow sighed, deciding it would be best to just go along with the king’s assumption. As a barely educated, former criminal, he doubted his word would carry much weight if he tried to speak out against the plan on his own. What would he even say? ‘That’s not going to work because a god told one of the knights in your army so’? It sounded ridiculous even to him.

“I know so,” Albin smiled warmly.

The two continued to converse casually with each other until the last light faded from the windows. Crow said his goodbyes to his father and returned to his room for the night. He kicked off his boots and laid back on his bed, drawing his blanket over his head with a groan. While he was relieved to know that Albin wasn’t planning to strip him of his title, he was concerned about this plan he’d come up with. If his father thought he had a solution to the stalemate, it was going to be much harder to convince him to seek a peaceful end to the war. He just hoped Penelope was able to draw up enough support that the king would have no choice.

It took a while for Crow to settle down, but after a while, he managed to drift off into a fitful sleep.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Same cx

Dang, Cedric moves fast lol
Crow may be in trouble with his dad xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Thanks,” Crow let out an exaggerated groan when Penelope wished him luck with his tutor. Knowing Udolf, he was probably going to need it.

He was just about to say goodbye to her when the sound of footsteps echoing on the stone floor caught his attention. He casted a quick glance toward the stairs and then turned back to Penelope, offering her a brief nod before heading down the corridor toward his room. As he made his way through the hall, he was careful to set a casual pace so that anyone who saw him wouldn’t suspect him of being in a hurry. It seemed to work, because when he rounded the corner, none of the guards he passed casted him more than their usual dirty looks.

When he approached the door to his room, he slowed his pace, suddenly hesitant to go inside. Though he doubted Udolf would have waited for him all day, there was still a chance the tutor was in his room. He cringed that the thought of facing the old man right now. Udolf had been angry enough with him when he’d only been late to his lesson. He dreaded to think what sort of lecture he would get for ditching his studies entirely. Lingering in front of the door, he shifted his weight from his left foot to his right. No matter who was inside, he couldn’t just stay in the hallway until supper. He had to go in.

Reluctantly, the viceroy reached for the handle and opened the door, poking his head around the corner in case Udolf was waiting for him with a wooden cane. To his relief, the room was empty. He stepped inside and closed the door, making his way over to his bed and falling back on the mattress with a sigh. As he laid there, he closed his eyes to listen to the sound of the pouring rain. He’d always found the steady drizzle relaxing whenever he was somewhere warm and dry, so he sank into the sound as he waited for Preston to come and tell him that supper was ready.

It didn’t take long before he heard a knock on the door.

Crow lifted his head to see the attendant step inside. He looked slightly agitated, though the viceroy wasn’t sure why. Brushing it off, he sat up and stretched as if he had been napping for some time. “Time for dinner already?” he asked tiredly.

“Yes,” Preston answered curtly. He glanced over his shoulder and then back at Crow. “But you won’t be eating in the Great Hall today.”

“What?” Crow frowned confusedly. “Why not?”

Preston fidgeted with his shirt sleeve. “His Majesty wishes for you to join him in his private chamber.”

Crow felt a lump form in his throat. Udolf must have gone to his father after all. That bastard. “Does he?” he mused, trying to act nonchalant about the news.

“Yes,” Preston affirmed. “And he’s expecting you now, so we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

“Alright,” Crow nodded, hiding the nervous flutter in his stomach. He walked over to the door and gestured for the attendant to step through first. “Lead the way.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It's gonna be a whirlwind ^^;

Of course ;3
Oh yeah, it's gonna be uncomfy xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow leaned into Penelope’s palm when he felt her hand on his cheek and leaned in to meet her lips when she kissed him again. At her next words, he shook his head slightly. He didn’t think he had given up that much. Though his life as a thief had been important to him, she was much more so. The only things he had lost were his companions, whom he was going to leave at some point anyway, and some of the freedoms he’d had as a peasant. However, they were well worth it to be able to be with her and give her the life she deserved.

He rested his head against hers and closed his eyes when she wrapped her arms around him, enjoying their closeness while it lasted. Vaguely, he was aware that the thunder seemed to have died down. He could still hear rain pouring steadily, but there hadn’t been any roaring growls for quite a while. Even so, he didn’t want to leave yet. As soon as they stepped outside, they were going to lose the sanctuary of the supply closet and return to a world that didn’t want them to be together. He wanted to postpone that for as long as he could.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he wouldn’t get his wish. Crow frowned when Penelope suddenly said something about meeting with a Jonathan for supper—probably another knight she was trying to win over—and told him they should leave soon. “I guess so,” he sighed, glancing back at the door. In the darkness, it was hard to tell how much time had passed, but he had a feeling the day was nearing evening. If they stayed hidden for much longer, whoever was supposed to relieve the knight from her shift would notice her absence or Preston would go to his room and see that he was still missing.

Turning back to Penelope, Crow pressed one more kiss to her lips, savoring the moment since he didn’t know when they would be able to get away like this again. When he pulled back again, he lowered his arms from around her and made his way silently over to the door. For a moment, he stood still with his eyes closed, listening for the sound of footsteps or voices outside. Once he determined that the coast was clear, he gingerly removed the mop from where he’d lodged it before opening the door.

The light that fell on his face made the viceroy squint slightly as his eyes adjusted. He took a quick look around and, seeing no one, gestured for the knight to come out with him. “I should go back to my room,” he said, turning to her with a halfhearted smile. “Preston is going to come looking for me soon, and he’ll expect me to be there.” He wavered for a moment before touching one last fleeting kiss to her cheek.

“I love you,” he said softly, his smile turning a bit more genuine as he held her gaze. “Good luck with your meeting.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow has no idea he's going to be forced into an arranged marriage with someone else ^^;;

I like that idea! It makes sense for Adam and Alden to take advantage of the opportunity.

Also, since it was brought up a little in the IC, I've been thinking that one of the noblewomen who chases after Crow is someone he knows from the past c; I haven't had a chance to work it into the story, but one of the flings he had (around 16-17 y/o) was with a noblewoman. He found her attractive, and she wanted to rebel against her strict father, so they slept together (and also got caught by her father, which ended in him jumping through the window to run away). I could totally see her using their past to try and win him over now that he's got power. Also, I was thinking it could be awkward if she approaches him while Penelope is around lol What do you think?

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow murmured his agreement and pressed another kiss to Penelope’s cheek. The sooner they could be together—or really be together, since they were just keeping it a secret at the moment—the better. He hated sneaking around so much. Was the first time they had been able to spend time alone since he’d been given his title, and they were hiding in a supply closet. He wished they could just come forward and start courting publicly already. It would be so much easier than what they were doing now.

As Penelope smirked at him, Crow raised a brow in confusion, wondering why she looked so amused. He grimaced when she went on to talk about the other noblewomen who would probably try to win him over to court them. He hadn’t thought of that, but she was probably right. If there were already noblemen trying to use him for their own gain, it was only a matter of time before the women joined suit. He shuddered at the thought of being pursued by a bunch of arrogant aristocrats who would only marry him for his status, and he was all the more glad that he already had the knight, whom genuinely loved him.

At Penelope’s dramatic sigh and words, Crow smirked. “I’d like to see that,” he laughed, leaning in to press a teasing kiss to her forehead. In the next moment, his expression softened, and he moved in again to meet her lips in a deep kiss, trailing his hands over her back as he held her against himself. He lingered for a while before pulling back to catch his breath. His hands rested at her waist, and he met her gaze with an affectionate smile.

“You’ll never have to compete for my heart, because you’ve already won it long ago,” he said softly, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You stayed with me when I was a criminal and even when I was on my deathbed—twice.” He chuckled as he recalled how he had nearly lost his life both to his illness and to Jaxon’s sword. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I swear, I’m going to stand by you the same way you’ve stood by me. I love you, Penelope.”