Honestly, she's having a bad day ^^;
Crow's is about to go right down the drain in my next post though
Crow's is about to go right down the drain in my next post though
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STATUS: Does this mean we can call you abmin now? 2 yrs ago
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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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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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Personal Profile
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)
Writing History: I've been on a number of different roleplaying websites for over a decade and a half
Hobbies: Writing, fitness, driving/exploring, hiking, camping, traveling, tabletop games, anything NEW (I love trying things I've never done before)
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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
Posting Speed: Depending on my schedule, I can usually post at least once per week
Favorite Genres: Modern, Historical, Romance, Action/Adventure, Horror/Dark, Fantasy, Slice of Life, Dystopian, can be convinced to write some Sci-Fi
Hard 'no's: Fandoms. Sorry, but I can't maintain interest in characters/worlds I didn't build with my partner
Template: Public threads or PMs. I prefer to keep all my RPs in one place, so no emails or G-docs or the like
Rating: Comfortable with 18+ content, but it's not a necessity and I prefer not to center a plot around explicit scenes
Level: Advanced. Will consistently provide around 400-700 words per post, but can occasionally leap to 2000+
Character preference: One main character, but large side casts are greatly enjoyed. Because I write long posts, I prefer not to double
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Romantic Relationships: MxF or MxM (currently prefer MxM)
Character Images: Faceclaims or detailed descriptions only. I envision the characters like real people in my mind, so I can't take anime seriously
OOC chat: Yes please! I'm a total extrovert who loves to get to know the amazing minds behind my partners' characters
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Crow eventually awoke to the sound of his door opening as Preston came into the room. He rolled over on his bed and stretched his legs, yawning broadly as he woke up a bit more. After getting some much-needed rest, he felt better than he had nearly a week. He wished he could take naps after all of his afternoon lessons. The additional sleep would surely do him some good, but he knew his father would never allow him to take that much time to himself when the king didn’t know what was going on.
“Supper is ready,” Preston announced, stepping over to the viceroy’s bedside. The attendant seemed relieved to find him waking up without screaming for once. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did,” Crow nodded, stretching one more time before he moved to climb down from the tall mattress. He located his boots on the floor and bent down to put them on.
“I’m happy to hear it,” the servant nodded, waiting for him to finish getting ready before he followed him to the door. “I heard a rumor that the kitchen staff prepared a venison stew this evening.”
“Well, I’m happy to hear that,” Crow casted him a grin. “Come on, I want a bowl while it’s still hot.” With that, he hastened his pace slightly, eager to fill his empty stomach with one of his favorite dishes.
--
It didn’t take long for the two to arrive in the Great Hall. Crow took a moment to look over the faces of the nobles who had gotten there ahead of him. He didn’t see Elizabeth anywhere, but there was one familiar face that caught his eye. Naida was sitting alone at a table near the back of the room, looking down at her food instead of flagging him over as she usually did during a meal. The sight made him grimace as he recalled what he’d said to her the night before. After everything that had happened with Liz, he’d completely forgotten to make amends with the princess.
Tentatively, he made his way to the other side of the room to sit down across from her. She glanced up briefly from her bowl before looking away again, fidgeting nervously with her silverware. “Hey, Collin,” she said in a quiet voice, nearly acting like she expected him to snap at her again.
Crow frowned, remaining silent for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, shuffling his feet beneath the table. “About how I treat you last night… It wasn’t right of me to raise my voice at you like that. I know you weren’t trying to do anything wrong. I just overreacted, and I hope you can forgive me.”
His sister blinked, seeming surprised by the gentleness of his tone. She looked up at him and laughed softly, “Gods, I’m just glad that you’re not still mad at me. You could start a fire with that temper of yours, you know.” The viceroy blushed, but she waved her hand, “It’s fine though. No harm was done.”
Crow relaxed a bit, offering her a half smile, “Thanks.”
“Of course,” Naida grinned. “Besides, being on the sharp end of your tongue was worth it. You and Penelope were just adorable last night.”
“Not this again,” Crow groaned, though inwardly, he was relieved to hear her go on like everything was back to normal between them. He relaxed as they continued to banter, enjoying spending time with his sister now that the tension had faded between them.
The rest of his supper went by, thankfully, without any more issues, and by the time Crow was ready to turn in for the night, he found himself in a rather good mood again. He bid a curt goodnight to the princess and then headed back to his bedchamber, ready to lay down again as his stomach worked on digesting the heavy meal.
“Supper is ready,” Preston announced, stepping over to the viceroy’s bedside. The attendant seemed relieved to find him waking up without screaming for once. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did,” Crow nodded, stretching one more time before he moved to climb down from the tall mattress. He located his boots on the floor and bent down to put them on.
“I’m happy to hear it,” the servant nodded, waiting for him to finish getting ready before he followed him to the door. “I heard a rumor that the kitchen staff prepared a venison stew this evening.”
“Well, I’m happy to hear that,” Crow casted him a grin. “Come on, I want a bowl while it’s still hot.” With that, he hastened his pace slightly, eager to fill his empty stomach with one of his favorite dishes.
--
It didn’t take long for the two to arrive in the Great Hall. Crow took a moment to look over the faces of the nobles who had gotten there ahead of him. He didn’t see Elizabeth anywhere, but there was one familiar face that caught his eye. Naida was sitting alone at a table near the back of the room, looking down at her food instead of flagging him over as she usually did during a meal. The sight made him grimace as he recalled what he’d said to her the night before. After everything that had happened with Liz, he’d completely forgotten to make amends with the princess.
Tentatively, he made his way to the other side of the room to sit down across from her. She glanced up briefly from her bowl before looking away again, fidgeting nervously with her silverware. “Hey, Collin,” she said in a quiet voice, nearly acting like she expected him to snap at her again.
Crow frowned, remaining silent for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, shuffling his feet beneath the table. “About how I treat you last night… It wasn’t right of me to raise my voice at you like that. I know you weren’t trying to do anything wrong. I just overreacted, and I hope you can forgive me.”
His sister blinked, seeming surprised by the gentleness of his tone. She looked up at him and laughed softly, “Gods, I’m just glad that you’re not still mad at me. You could start a fire with that temper of yours, you know.” The viceroy blushed, but she waved her hand, “It’s fine though. No harm was done.”
Crow relaxed a bit, offering her a half smile, “Thanks.”
“Of course,” Naida grinned. “Besides, being on the sharp end of your tongue was worth it. You and Penelope were just adorable last night.”
“Not this again,” Crow groaned, though inwardly, he was relieved to hear her go on like everything was back to normal between them. He relaxed as they continued to banter, enjoying spending time with his sister now that the tension had faded between them.
The rest of his supper went by, thankfully, without any more issues, and by the time Crow was ready to turn in for the night, he found himself in a rather good mood again. He bid a curt goodnight to the princess and then headed back to his bedchamber, ready to lay down again as his stomach worked on digesting the heavy meal.
Her effort to fix things between them didn't work cx
Despite his interest in the Gorman language, the afternoon went by slowly to Crow. He started by going over the characters his father had taught him again, identifying their sounds and pointing out which special symbols could be used on what kinds of words. Albin seemed pleased with his recollection, as he only mixed up a few of the characters throughout the repetition, and it didn’t take long before they moved on to reading. The king gave him a thin book to work through and instructed him to write down any words he didn’t know, explaining that the assignment would help to further develop his vocabulary in the foreign tongue.
The former thief spent the rest of the lesson lounging in a cushioned chair in the chamber library as he read the book. To his surprise, there were quite a few words he didn’t know, and he wrote down more than he had been expecting. His confusion was cleared up when, at the end of the class, his father looked over his list and translated each of the words he couldn’t understand. Apparently, they all had to do with political discourse and economic jargon that he couldn’t describe even in Missenar. Knowing that made him feel better about the gap in his knowledge, and he left the room pleased with himself for already being so accomplished in the neighboring kingdom’s speech.
He was also in a good mood because Albin had dismissed him early enough to fit in a nap before supper. The king seemed to have noticed his lethargy and thought it would do him some good to rest instead of fitting anything more than they already had into his lesson. He couldn’t wait to lay down, so he would finally stop feeling so exhausted. In his excitement about finishing the class early, he realized he’d forgotten to bring up the prospect of taking an entire day off, but he didn’t mind. There was plenty of time for him to bring up the subject during the next time they met. For now, he was content with getting some much-needed sleep.
When he got back to his room, Crow barely took the time to take off his boots before he flopped heavily onto the mattress of his bed, drawing the blankets up to his chin as he settled down. Knowing that Preston would stop by to wake him up when he needed to leave for supper, he didn’t even have to worry about panicking from his nightmare when he got up. He closed his eyes serenely, looking forward to taking a peaceful nap for the first time in too long.
Unfortunately, he didn’t even have time to begin drifting off before a knock sounded on the door.
The viceroy groaned, jumping to the conclusion that Preston had come to fetch him early for supper. But that didn’t seem to be the case as the person on the other side of his door knocked a second time instead of coming in. Mildly annoyed by the disruption, he sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes, calling out a moody “What is it?” to whoever was so insistent on ruining his nap.
There was a brief pause before the door opened, and Crow tensed as he watched Elizabeth step inside.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were sleeping,” she apologized, shuffling her feet.
“I wasn’t,” he muttered, keeping a wary eye on her as she shut the door behind her. Still angry with her for the way she had treated Penelope at breakfast, he shot her a wary glare, “So, what do you want?”
“The same thing I’ve wanted from the start,” Liz smiled at him halfheartedly, lifting her narrow shoulders in a shrug. “To spend time with you.”
“Is that right?” Crow said dryly, leaning back on the palms of his hands. “Well then you might as well leave now, because I don’t want anything more to do with you.”
Liz winced, “If this is about what I said to that knight, I’m really sorry. I was just jealous... I mean, I haven’t been able to see you in seven years, and she’s gotten to spend every day with you since you arrived at the castle. I didn’t mean it…”
“I think you did,” Crow scoffed, not bothering to filter himself while he was still seething about what had happened. “Besides, I don’t know why you’re apologizing to me right now. Penelope was the one you tried to hurt. If you’re truly sorry, then you should tell her when she comes back to the castle tomorrow.”
“I know,” the noblewoman sighed, lowering her gaze to her shoes. “I just had to say something to someone, and you’re the only one who’s still around.”
Crow studied her for a moment longer before looking away again. “Well then, you’ve said your piece,” he grumbled. “So now, you can go. I still want to sleep before supper anyway.”
“Okay,” Liz complied meekly. She dipped her head in a graceful bow, “Have a good nap, Collin.”
The viceroy just grunted in response as he laid down again, waiting for the sound of the door to open and close before he closed his eyes. With matters seemingly settled between him and Elizabeth for now, he finally drifted off into a light sleep.
The former thief spent the rest of the lesson lounging in a cushioned chair in the chamber library as he read the book. To his surprise, there were quite a few words he didn’t know, and he wrote down more than he had been expecting. His confusion was cleared up when, at the end of the class, his father looked over his list and translated each of the words he couldn’t understand. Apparently, they all had to do with political discourse and economic jargon that he couldn’t describe even in Missenar. Knowing that made him feel better about the gap in his knowledge, and he left the room pleased with himself for already being so accomplished in the neighboring kingdom’s speech.
He was also in a good mood because Albin had dismissed him early enough to fit in a nap before supper. The king seemed to have noticed his lethargy and thought it would do him some good to rest instead of fitting anything more than they already had into his lesson. He couldn’t wait to lay down, so he would finally stop feeling so exhausted. In his excitement about finishing the class early, he realized he’d forgotten to bring up the prospect of taking an entire day off, but he didn’t mind. There was plenty of time for him to bring up the subject during the next time they met. For now, he was content with getting some much-needed sleep.
When he got back to his room, Crow barely took the time to take off his boots before he flopped heavily onto the mattress of his bed, drawing the blankets up to his chin as he settled down. Knowing that Preston would stop by to wake him up when he needed to leave for supper, he didn’t even have to worry about panicking from his nightmare when he got up. He closed his eyes serenely, looking forward to taking a peaceful nap for the first time in too long.
Unfortunately, he didn’t even have time to begin drifting off before a knock sounded on the door.
The viceroy groaned, jumping to the conclusion that Preston had come to fetch him early for supper. But that didn’t seem to be the case as the person on the other side of his door knocked a second time instead of coming in. Mildly annoyed by the disruption, he sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes, calling out a moody “What is it?” to whoever was so insistent on ruining his nap.
There was a brief pause before the door opened, and Crow tensed as he watched Elizabeth step inside.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were sleeping,” she apologized, shuffling her feet.
“I wasn’t,” he muttered, keeping a wary eye on her as she shut the door behind her. Still angry with her for the way she had treated Penelope at breakfast, he shot her a wary glare, “So, what do you want?”
“The same thing I’ve wanted from the start,” Liz smiled at him halfheartedly, lifting her narrow shoulders in a shrug. “To spend time with you.”
“Is that right?” Crow said dryly, leaning back on the palms of his hands. “Well then you might as well leave now, because I don’t want anything more to do with you.”
Liz winced, “If this is about what I said to that knight, I’m really sorry. I was just jealous... I mean, I haven’t been able to see you in seven years, and she’s gotten to spend every day with you since you arrived at the castle. I didn’t mean it…”
“I think you did,” Crow scoffed, not bothering to filter himself while he was still seething about what had happened. “Besides, I don’t know why you’re apologizing to me right now. Penelope was the one you tried to hurt. If you’re truly sorry, then you should tell her when she comes back to the castle tomorrow.”
“I know,” the noblewoman sighed, lowering her gaze to her shoes. “I just had to say something to someone, and you’re the only one who’s still around.”
Crow studied her for a moment longer before looking away again. “Well then, you’ve said your piece,” he grumbled. “So now, you can go. I still want to sleep before supper anyway.”
“Okay,” Liz complied meekly. She dipped her head in a graceful bow, “Have a good nap, Collin.”
The viceroy just grunted in response as he laid down again, waiting for the sound of the door to open and close before he closed his eyes. With matters seemingly settled between him and Elizabeth for now, he finally drifted off into a light sleep.
Oh that'll be bad xD
Especially after what Elizabeth is going to do soon c;
Especially after what Elizabeth is going to do soon c;
“I’ll try,” Crow assured Penelope when she asked him to start thinking of a guest list for the party. He had a feeling Naida was going to be far more useful than he could be when it came to preparations for the event, but he would do his best to help regardless. There were already a few people who came to mind to invite, such as Wayne and Percival, and he could always tell them to bring more members of their families. As much as he disliked it, he knew he could go to the noblewomen who had been trying to get his attention too. It wouldn’t be very enjoyable to dodge around them at the party, but if any of them would offer their support to end the war, then the discomfort would be worth it.
Once Penelope walked off, Crow stood up from the table as well, stretching lazily before he headed off to his father’s chambers for his next lesson. Tired from the long morning, he wasn’t looking forward to spending another whole afternoon on his studies, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. He made a mental note to remind Albin about the day off he’d mentioned before, hoping that the king was still willing to give it to him even though it hadn’t been brought up in a while. The thought of taking an afternoon to nap instead of read was exciting, and he couldn’t wait to feel well-rested again.
Daydreaming about the prospect, the viceroy made it to his father’s bedchamber in good time. He knocked on the door, waiting for the king’s servant to answer before he stepped inside. Like before, Albin was seated at the long table in the middle, while the queen sat off to the side, being waited on by a number of female servants. After seeing her do the same thing yesterday, Crow was beginning to think her routine was pointless. She had gotten dressed up quite extravagantly and then stayed in the room with her husband all day long. He wasn’t sure who she was trying to impress, unless the king simply liked to look at her all day. He nearly cringed at the mental image and made his way over to join Albin, hoping to distract himself.
“I see you’ve gotten better about being punctual,” his father noted with a pleased smile as Crow sat down beside him. “Are you starting to enjoy your lessons?”
“Sometimes,” Crow answered with an honest shrug. “It depends on the subject. Gorman is an interesting language though, so I do like these ones.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Albin nodded. “I hope this means you’ll pick it up quickly as well.”
Crow hesitated. “Me too.”
The king, sharp as ever, studied him closely, “Is everything alright?”
The viceroy blinked, realizing his mistake too late. “Yes,” he said slowly. “Sorry, I was just a bit distracted.”
Albin eyed him for a moment longer. “What’s on your mind?”
Crow shifted in his seat as he fumbled to think of an excuse. After a pause, he sighed, deciding he might as well tell the king some part of the truth. “Well,” he started, looking up to meet his father’s gaze. “I’m still concerned that we should be seeking a more peaceful solution to this war… There are plenty of people who want to see it end—”
“And it will,” Albin held up a hand. “As soon as you go to Gorm to enlist their king’s help.”
Crow bit the inside of his lip, tempted to push his point more, but decided against it. Toreus had visited Penelope, after all, not him. It wasn’t his job to convince the king to seek a different solution. He lowered his gaze to the papers in front of him. “What will I be learning today?” he asked quietly, pushing his unease aside to focus on the task at hand.
“To start, I’m going to have you rehearse what I taught you yesterday,” his father replied, seeming satisfied with the change of subject. He pulled out the scroll he had shown his son the day before. “Tell me which characters make what sounds.”
Crow let out his breath in a focusing exhale, sitting up a bit straighter as he complied with the assignment and began working on his next lesson in Gorman.
Once Penelope walked off, Crow stood up from the table as well, stretching lazily before he headed off to his father’s chambers for his next lesson. Tired from the long morning, he wasn’t looking forward to spending another whole afternoon on his studies, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. He made a mental note to remind Albin about the day off he’d mentioned before, hoping that the king was still willing to give it to him even though it hadn’t been brought up in a while. The thought of taking an afternoon to nap instead of read was exciting, and he couldn’t wait to feel well-rested again.
Daydreaming about the prospect, the viceroy made it to his father’s bedchamber in good time. He knocked on the door, waiting for the king’s servant to answer before he stepped inside. Like before, Albin was seated at the long table in the middle, while the queen sat off to the side, being waited on by a number of female servants. After seeing her do the same thing yesterday, Crow was beginning to think her routine was pointless. She had gotten dressed up quite extravagantly and then stayed in the room with her husband all day long. He wasn’t sure who she was trying to impress, unless the king simply liked to look at her all day. He nearly cringed at the mental image and made his way over to join Albin, hoping to distract himself.
“I see you’ve gotten better about being punctual,” his father noted with a pleased smile as Crow sat down beside him. “Are you starting to enjoy your lessons?”
“Sometimes,” Crow answered with an honest shrug. “It depends on the subject. Gorman is an interesting language though, so I do like these ones.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Albin nodded. “I hope this means you’ll pick it up quickly as well.”
Crow hesitated. “Me too.”
The king, sharp as ever, studied him closely, “Is everything alright?”
The viceroy blinked, realizing his mistake too late. “Yes,” he said slowly. “Sorry, I was just a bit distracted.”
Albin eyed him for a moment longer. “What’s on your mind?”
Crow shifted in his seat as he fumbled to think of an excuse. After a pause, he sighed, deciding he might as well tell the king some part of the truth. “Well,” he started, looking up to meet his father’s gaze. “I’m still concerned that we should be seeking a more peaceful solution to this war… There are plenty of people who want to see it end—”
“And it will,” Albin held up a hand. “As soon as you go to Gorm to enlist their king’s help.”
Crow bit the inside of his lip, tempted to push his point more, but decided against it. Toreus had visited Penelope, after all, not him. It wasn’t his job to convince the king to seek a different solution. He lowered his gaze to the papers in front of him. “What will I be learning today?” he asked quietly, pushing his unease aside to focus on the task at hand.
“To start, I’m going to have you rehearse what I taught you yesterday,” his father replied, seeming satisfied with the change of subject. He pulled out the scroll he had shown his son the day before. “Tell me which characters make what sounds.”
Crow let out his breath in a focusing exhale, sitting up a bit straighter as he complied with the assignment and began working on his next lesson in Gorman.
Definitely xD
I've already got an idea of what her next plan is going to be
I've already got an idea of what her next plan is going to be
Crow grinned when Penelope chuckled, relieved that her spirits seemed to have been lifted. He didn’t want her to be concerned that he wasn’t as attracted to her because of some scarring. Just the thought of it was ridiculous to him. He cared about her far too much to be deterred by something so superficial, and he still found her to be beautiful despite the blemish. Even when they had spent two whole years apart, his feelings for her had outweighed the surprise he’d initially felt when he’d first seen the mark on her face. Now that he was used to it, he simply saw it as a part of who she was, and that made it beautiful too.
When the knight went on to say that she hoped they wouldn’t have to keep hiding for much longer, he shook his head in agreement. One would think that after over two years of trying to be together, things would eventually fall into place, but instead, more obstacles continued to appear between them. Her father had yet to give his blessing, his father had recently voiced his dissent, and there was a whole kingdom of nobles who were sure to look down on Penelope for being courted by a man whom she had once called her prisoner. He let out his breath in an impatient sigh. Hopefully she was right that if all went well at the party, they would finally be able to stop pretending and come forward about their love for each other, whether it was accepted or not.
As Penelope announced that she needed to leave, Crow frowned, wishing they could spend more of the morning together after Elizabeth had so rudely inserted herself earlier. However, he knew she was going to be embarking on a long trip, so he didn’t push the matter. “I’m sure you do,” he smiled at her affectionately. “I love you, Penelope. Good luck with everything you need to do, and I’ll see you when you get back.”
When the knight went on to say that she hoped they wouldn’t have to keep hiding for much longer, he shook his head in agreement. One would think that after over two years of trying to be together, things would eventually fall into place, but instead, more obstacles continued to appear between them. Her father had yet to give his blessing, his father had recently voiced his dissent, and there was a whole kingdom of nobles who were sure to look down on Penelope for being courted by a man whom she had once called her prisoner. He let out his breath in an impatient sigh. Hopefully she was right that if all went well at the party, they would finally be able to stop pretending and come forward about their love for each other, whether it was accepted or not.
As Penelope announced that she needed to leave, Crow frowned, wishing they could spend more of the morning together after Elizabeth had so rudely inserted herself earlier. However, he knew she was going to be embarking on a long trip, so he didn’t push the matter. “I’m sure you do,” he smiled at her affectionately. “I love you, Penelope. Good luck with everything you need to do, and I’ll see you when you get back.”
Crow didn't want her to feel bad cx
Liz definitely sort of screwed herself over though. Crow isn't going to want anything to do with her after what she just did ^^;
Liz definitely sort of screwed herself over though. Crow isn't going to want anything to do with her after what she just did ^^;
Crow nodded when Penelope assured him that Elizabeth’s behavior hadn’t been his fault. He knew she was right, but he still felt guilty for dragging the knight into a part of his past that he would have rather forgotten about altogether. Plus, Liz was turning out to be quite a terrible person since they’d reunited the day before. When they had been together seven year ago, she had been just as confident, but he’d never heard her make any negative remarks about anyone other than her father—though he had never held that against her since the man had been so controlling in her life. To find out that she had become such a judgmental woman had been shocking to him.
As Penelope went on about the exchange, Crow watched her with a sympathetic frown. He could tell she was still upset about the things Liz had said to her, and he certainly didn’t blame her for feeling that way. He just hoped she didn’t let the arrogant noblewoman get to her, since everything Elizabeth had said had been wrong. Her beauty hadn’t been “stolen” just because she had a few marks on her skin, and just because some noblemen may have seen the blemishes as a reason not to marry her didn’t mean she would never get married. He still loved her regardless of the scars she bore. They would never be the reason that deterred him from spending the rest of his life with her.
Unfortunately, he suspected the knight was more bothered than she had admitted when she lifted her hand to her face to trace her scar. He felt a pang of frustration, angry that Elizabeth had hurt her so cruelly. Penelope was one of the bravest and kindest people he knew. She didn’t deserve to be ridiculed about a feature that, in his opinion, just proved how strong she was compared to the noblewomen who were too delicate to even get their soft hands dirty. Liz had no right to judge her for it.
Crow was drawn from his thoughts when Penelope spoke to him in a quiet voice. The nervousness in her tone made him wish he could gather her into his arms, but with all the other people around, he couldn’t let himself do it. He squeezed her hand beneath the table, trying to reassure her in a subtler way as he casted her an affectionate look. “Not at all,” he smiled at her fondly, speaking softly to keep the conversation between just the two of them. “Don’t listen to anything that witch told you. I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, whether you have scars or not.”
He gently traced his thumb over her hand, his smile turning a bit more lighthearted as he added, “Besides, I think you’re even more perfect now because we match.” He gestured to the spots on his torso where he bore scars of his own, hoping the joke would help to cheer her up.
As Penelope went on about the exchange, Crow watched her with a sympathetic frown. He could tell she was still upset about the things Liz had said to her, and he certainly didn’t blame her for feeling that way. He just hoped she didn’t let the arrogant noblewoman get to her, since everything Elizabeth had said had been wrong. Her beauty hadn’t been “stolen” just because she had a few marks on her skin, and just because some noblemen may have seen the blemishes as a reason not to marry her didn’t mean she would never get married. He still loved her regardless of the scars she bore. They would never be the reason that deterred him from spending the rest of his life with her.
Unfortunately, he suspected the knight was more bothered than she had admitted when she lifted her hand to her face to trace her scar. He felt a pang of frustration, angry that Elizabeth had hurt her so cruelly. Penelope was one of the bravest and kindest people he knew. She didn’t deserve to be ridiculed about a feature that, in his opinion, just proved how strong she was compared to the noblewomen who were too delicate to even get their soft hands dirty. Liz had no right to judge her for it.
Crow was drawn from his thoughts when Penelope spoke to him in a quiet voice. The nervousness in her tone made him wish he could gather her into his arms, but with all the other people around, he couldn’t let himself do it. He squeezed her hand beneath the table, trying to reassure her in a subtler way as he casted her an affectionate look. “Not at all,” he smiled at her fondly, speaking softly to keep the conversation between just the two of them. “Don’t listen to anything that witch told you. I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, whether you have scars or not.”
He gently traced his thumb over her hand, his smile turning a bit more lighthearted as he added, “Besides, I think you’re even more perfect now because we match.” He gestured to the spots on his torso where he bore scars of his own, hoping the joke would help to cheer her up.
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