Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

As soon as Penelope looked at him, Crow could tell she wasn’t feeling very optimistic about the party. The worry was written all over her face and there was a strain in her chuckle that betrayed her concerns. His smile faded slightly as he wished he could do more to comfort her than simply touch her leg beneath the table. With only a few more hours left until the event, he couldn’t risk tarnishing her reputation though. They didn’t have time to undo the damage if a nosy nobleman happened to catch sight of them expressing anything more than casual indifference toward each other. For now, the best he could do was listen and hope he could conjure up a few words to make her feel better.

“Well that’s fine,” he shrugged, casting her a teasing look. “Because I’ve got enough of an appetite for both of us.” Feigning a stretch, he pressed both of his legs against hers briefly before retreating to his side of the table. “It’s just nerves,” he added reassuringly. “You’ll probably get hungry by supper and eat all the hors d’oeuvres.” He smirked, pleased with himself for remembering the word Udolf had taught him to refer to food served at noble social events. In the outer villages, everyone just plucked samples from a widespread buffet.

As she explained that she was afraid to mess up again, he sighed. “I already know you’re not going to believe me, but that wasn’t your fault,” he held her gaze with a frown. “You can’t blame yourself for losing a fight against a professional murderer who was twice your size. Besides,” he leaned toward her to keep his voice down. “Toreus wouldn’t have said something to you if he didn’t think you could do it. I’m sure it’s all going to work out exactly as it’s supposed to.” He had been nervous about the party too a few days ago, but between John’s advice and his own internal reviews of the situation, his uncertainties had dwindled from a flame to an ember.

“Just relax,” his smile returned. “By the end of today, it will all be behind you, and we can finally move forward with… well, us.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow still has no idea that John is planning to give him his blessing cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Stepping into the Great Hall, Crow made his usual sweep for Penelope’s familiar face. Even though it was going to be a laidback day for him, he knew she was probably going to be busy preparing for the party until tonight. Breakfast was the only chance he was likely to have with her for most of the day. He wasn’t even sure if he could speak with her much once the party started, since the point of it was for her to convince the other nobles that the war needed to end on peaceful terms with Younis. Everything was riding on this one event, so the last thing he wanted to do was become a distraction to her. If that meant keeping their interactions to a minimum during the festivities, then that’s what he would do.

It didn’t take long before he spotted the knight walking over to one of the empty tables on the edge of the room. A smile tugged at his lip as he navigated the thin crowd to catch up to her before she could sit down. “Morning, love,” he greeted as he smoothly fell in step beside her. Though he kept a plausible distance between them, his eyes swept over her fondly. Since they had been spending so much time apart lately, he relished any chance they could get to be alone, even if it was just for a few seconds.

If this thing goes well, that could change soon, he thought eagerly as he reclined on the bench across from her. Aside from the end of the stagnant war that had been devastating the outer villages for a year, he was excited that their seasons of secretive meetings and feigned disinterest could finally be coming to an end. That was, if her father agreed to allow him to court her. He and John seemed to have been getting along better recently, but that didn’t necessarily mean the older knight would give him his blessing. He was still a former criminal and he doubted any father would call him a good influence. If John chose to hold his past over his head, there was nothing he could do to change the other man’s mind.

Putting the disheartening thought out of his mind, he flashed Penelope a warm smile and leaned forward to cross his forearms on the table. Underneath, he brushed his leg against hers, wanting to be as close to her as he could get away with in the public space. “So,” he started, his good mood about having a day off and potentially changing the outcome of the war infecting his voice. “Big day, huh? How are you feeling?”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I. Can't. Wait cx There's gonna be a lot of drama, I'm sure, haha

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

For Crow, the next five days felt abysmally redundant. He spent the majority of each one in long lessons with Albin and John—and once with Udolf to make sure he wouldn’t forget the other skills he’d been taught—training for a journey to Gorm that might not even happen. The only good thing was that the content of his classes was interesting to him. Learning about the Gorman language and culture fascinated him, since the knowledge felt like an extension of the things he already knew about the other kingdom, and he also liked horseback riding more than he’d expected. Penelope’s father was a strict but patient teacher, and Baine was an obedient steed. Between the two of them, the viceroy managed to improve steadily in his ability to give the horse proper instructions without confusing him as he had on his first day in the field.

As the days passed, it became clear that his nightmares hadn’t completely vanished, but their severity had drastically diminished. He dreamt about the village from his childhood and Jaxon’s camp twice more, and while he’d woken up in a cold sweat both times, he hadn’t made a sound according to Preston. He saw it as a good sign that he was finally getting over them, and he made sure to hasten his progress with consistent exercise, since that seemed to be the trick that worked best. On the days when he had lessons with Albin and couldn’t leave the castle, he spent about half an hour before bed working his body with push-ups, pull ups, crunches, and anything else he could think of to tire himself out in the privacy of his bedchamber.

The hardest part about the time before the party was that he saw Penelope even less than before. Since the event was so close, he had to spend his suppers in the company of noblemen and women he disliked, using his silver tongue to convince them that they would get something from him if they attended. For the men, he alluded to promises of favors and a good word to the king. For the women, he hinted at the opportunity to dance and didn’t outwardly reject their interests in courting. Every conversation was mentally draining—especially navigating the delicate balance of keeping the women from getting too close without revealing that he had no interest in pursuing any of them—and he couldn’t wait for the party to happen if only for the sake of avoiding their company like he used to.

If it wasn’t for Naida’s dance lessons in the evenings, he would have been exhausted from indulging spoiled nobles without any interaction with the people he actually wanted to be around. Of course, he didn’t give away his gratitude to his sister, but the time he spent with her and Penelope were easily his favorite part of each day. Dancing with the knight gave him an excuse to see her and even touch her without the need for any chaste pretenses. He was especially fond of the close-quarters moves he learned that let him brush against her chest and hips as they moved. It was the closest he had been able to get to her in what felt like an eternity, and it sent his heart racing every time.

On the day of the party, Crow woke up later than usual. His father had consented to let him take the day off from his lessons, so he could spend the afternoon relaxing and preparing for the party instead of scrambling to be presentable at the last minute. It was clear to him that the king cared quite a bit about presentation. He suspected that Albin wanted him to take the time he’d been given to clean himself up like he had before his titling ceremony weeks ago. Not wanting to have the privilege taken away from him, he made a mental note to bathe later so his father would continue to let him have days off whenever there were any special events going on in the castle.

“Any nightmares?” Preston, who was sitting in his usual station at the table by the window, asked curiously. He was bundled in a wool shirt and a scarf to keep himself warm. Two days ago, the temperature had dropped harshly with the onset of a mild snowstorm, and it hadn’t climbed back up much since then. The castle was still far cozier than the frigid air outside, but it was still cooler than most people would find comfortable on their exposed skin.

“Not this time,” Crow stretched as he sat up in his bed. The unpleasant weather made him want to stay swaddled in the blankets all morning, but he knew he would miss breakfast if he drifted off again. It was better to just deal with the cold now and earn a full belly than hide from it longer and go hungry.

He dressed himself quickly in a thick tunic and trousers, hurried by the unpleasant nip of the air on his bare skin in between outfits, and was joined by his attendant as he made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

“So, what are you going to do today?” the short boy queried, looking up at him as they walked down the corridor. “Since you don’t have a lesson, I mean.”

“Whatever I want,” Crow replied with a smirk. “I’m going to get ready for the party sometime in the late afternoon, but until then, my time belongs to me.” He nudged the servant’s shoulder with his own. “You can take the afternoon off too, if you want. I’m sure I won’t need anything before tonight.”

“Really?” Preston perked up. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” the viceroy shrugged. “Go spend the day with your sister. I’m sure she’d love the surprise.”

The attendant nodded, his features softening, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Crow turned back to the door up ahead. “Just don’t go anywhere until you bring me something to eat from the kitchen. I’m starving.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

“If you like it so much, I’m sure I could arrange something tomorrow,” Cas offered with a wink. All it would take was a couple well-placed phone calls, and he could have an entire restaurant cleared out in less than an hour. No company manager would ever turn down the crown prince if he wanted to rent out their building for an evening, especially since he always paid them compensation for the lost revenue. It wasn’t a privilege he took advantage of very often—there wasn’t much of a point when he already had the same services in his family’s mansion—but he liked giving Iris the royal treatment. It was all new to her, so she seemed to appreciate it much more than he did.

As she went on to talk about friendships, he nodded halfheartedly. To some degree, she was right, but there were few people in his life that he could count as the type of friends she was describing. Even Jay and Miles could have had ulterior motives. It was why the royal family often kept to themselves. When he was younger, he used to play with his cousins, but since the rebellion started, even they had been deemed untrustworthy. The isolation was part of the reason why he wished he wasn’t going to be the next king. As soon as his father passed, he wouldn’t even be able to attend social events without a security detail.

“Careful,” Cas teased when Iris called him Prince Charming again. “Use that one too much, and you’ll wear it out.” Despite his warning, there was a hint of warmth that turned his face pink when she made the jest. He was starting to hope she didn’t have a boyfriend for her sake. If she did, they might owe him an apology for all the flattering and flirting—whether intentional or not—she was doing with him over the past couple days.

As she told him to let her know if she crossed any lines, he waved his hand dismissively. “Please,” he said with a smirk. “Compared to my other friends, you’re harmless.” Jay and Miles egged him on far more than she did. In fact, it was thanks to their incessant pestering that he’d even found her in the first place. The two enjoyed causing trouble, and they often found ways to drag him down with them whenever they all hung out together.

At her following words, he raised his brows in unbridled surprise. No one had ever been gutsy enough to tell him to “chill” before. At least, not to his face. Hearing the word come out of her mouth made him laugh, and he hoped she wouldn’t stop being so bold once her memories came back. It was refreshing to share drinks with someone who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, even if it meant telling the crown prince of Aspiria what to do.

He brought his glass to his lips and drank a portion of the beverage inside. The liquor went down smoothly, and he let out a satisfied exhale. Iris didn’t seem to have as much luck. “It’s a good thing we got you samples then,” he remarked, watching her disgusted face as she pushed away the margarita glass. Deciding not to let the rejected drink go to waste, he picked it up to down the rest. Generally, he preferred scotches and bourbons over tequila, but there was no sense in pouring out a perfectly good glass.

“You can try mine too if you don’t like any of those,” he offered, sliding the empty cup to the edge of the table for Martin to collect and shooting Iris a playful smile. “Who knows? Maybe you’re a whiskey gal.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Time skip time cx

Just for consistency's sake, I think we're far enough into late autumn for a plausible snowfall. They could get a light one on one of the days before the party ^^

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow languidly stretched out his legs as he sat down at the table in his bedchamber to write his letter to Hazel. The page she had written to him—it was a bit of a wrinkled mess after riding in his trouser pocket all day—had been laid out alongside the quill and stationary from Penelope and Naida. Just looking at the set brought a swell of affection to the former thief. Sometimes he felt lonely in the world of the upper class, but seeing all the gifts his friends had given to him reminded him just how much support he really had. He was eager to communicate back to his peasant companions and find out how things had progressed since their last correspondence.

Cracking his knuckles in anticipation, the viceroy picked up the feather quill and dipped it in the inkpot. It was the first time he had ever attempted to write something without supervision, so he hoped the letter would turn out alright. He liked to think he had progressed enough that the herbalist would at least be able to understand it, even if he misspelled a few words and forgot some punctuation marks. Deciding there was no point in overthinking it, he put his utensil to the paper:

Dear friends:

No news is good news. I’m relieved to hear that not much has changed since I left and that the knights have been leaving you alone. I hope everything has continued to be uneventfull. I’m also thrilled to hear that you have made head way on a cure for the people of Myrefall. If you have started using it: Has it been effective?

He paused, drumming his fingers on the table before he scribbled:

When I arrived at the castle a healer saw me to treat my coff. He had a cure that got rid of it completely. I might be able to steal a vile of it if you think it could help you refine your medisin. Just say the word and I’ll send it with my next letter.

Not much has changed here since I wrote to you last. I still have lessons every day. The biggest difference is that I have more teachers now and my father is one of them. He wants me to go to Gorm to negociate an aliance with their king so he’s been teaching me to read and write in their language. I also just started horse back riding today. The skills have been interesting but I hope he doesn’t actually send me. Penelope and I want to convinse him to end the war with Younis peacefully insted.

Going along with that there’s going to be a party in the castle within the next week. Penelope wants to use it as a platform to gain suport from the other nobles. If it works it might just be enough to make my father listen and negociate with Younis rather than Gorm. I’ll tell you what happens when it’s over.

I enjoyed hearing back from you and I look forward to getting your next letter. Stay safe in the war and the upcoming winter. Also I’m sorry if this letter was harder to read than my last one. I didn’t have Penelope here to help me with my spelling. I hope there weren’t to many mistakes.

-Collin

Setting the quill down, the viceroy let out his breath and rolled his wrist. He had noticed lately that the temperature had been dropping more substantially, especially at night. His room was colder than it had been even the week before. He glanced toward the window, though it was too dark to see through the glass. It was hard to get a sense of what the weather was doing from inside the thick walls of the palace, but he had a suspicion that it wouldn’t be much longer before they saw the first snowfall.

He brought a hand to his mouth as another broad yawn stretched his jaw. With his final task of the day completed, he was ready to get some much needed sleep. He got up from his seat and changed into the linen nightclothes Preston had set out on his bed sometime during the day. The fabric of this set was slightly thicker than the ones he had worn previously, and he guessed noblemen had outfits to keep them comfortable in every season of the year.

Too tired to ponder over the detail any further, he put out the candle that had been flickering steadily on the table and climbed into bed, pulling the smooth sheets all the way up to his chin to keep out the cold air. It was easy to settle comfortably into the plush mattress, and in no time, he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Probably a good thing xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Tainted by his bitter mood over Cedric’s flirting, the food on Crow’s plate had grown bland. He ate with less enthusiasm than usual, more interested in keeping an eye on the knight in front of him than tasting the red meat and bread he’d been served that evening. He wished he could pull Penelope aside to express his dislike of her former suitor, but he knew that wouldn’t accomplish anything. For one thing, it would draw glaring attention to their closeness, and for another, he knew her well enough to know that she would just dismiss his concerns as overprotectiveness. She was far more trusting of other people than he was and oblivious to the way other men leered at her when she wasn’t looking. The only thing he could do for now was take solace in the fact that Cedric’s interest in her couldn’t develop into anything more than distant admiration, since she was already with him in private.

Feeling a gentle hand on his leg, Crow’s green eyes flicked toward Penelope. Even though she was directing her smile at her former suitor, he felt like the warm expression was meant for him. Either way, her familiar touch drained some of the animosity he felt toward the other man, and he bit the inside of his lip to keep his features from softening involuntarily as she squeezed his thigh.

As always, the viceroy finished his plate long before everyone else, but he stayed at the table while the knights continued to eat. He had no interest in participating in their conversation, but after the remark Cedric had made earlier, he wasn’t about to leave the other man alone with Penelope, even if his sister was around to curb any obvious flirting. While they talked amongst themselves about the party, he sipped slowly at his wine, taking his time so he had an excuse to linger without standing out, until Penelope announced that she needed to leave. Her mention of letters reminded him that he needed to write one back to Hazel. After the busyness of the day, he’d almost forgotten about it. If she was finishing hers tonight, then he supposed he should get his done as well, so she could send them all off at the same time.

“See you tomorrow,” he nodded, returning her smile. He offered Cedric a curt dip of his head out of obligation, but the other man received no cordial look.

When the two knights were out of earshot, Naida turned on her brother with a bemused expression. “So, what happened between you and Cedric?”

Crow blinked, surprised that the oblivious princess had caught on to his hostility so quickly. “Nothing,” he admitted, absently swirling the thin glaze of wine that was still left at the bottom of his glass. “I just don’t trust him. That’s all.”

“Really? Why?” Naida leaned forward with an intrigued smirk.

“I just know a snake when I see one,” the viceroy answered vaguely, tilting his head back as he downed the rest of his drink. As soon as the goblet was empty, he set it down and stood up from the table. “I have something I need to do tonight, so I should go too.”

“Fine,” his sister sighed exaggeratedly. “But you still have to finish learning how to dance before the party, so you’d better make time for another lesson tomorrow!”

“I will,” Crow rolled his eyes.

“You’d better,” she repeated with a teasing smile. “Goodnight, Collin.”

“’Night,” he yawned, turning to head back to his room where he could write to Hazel in peace.