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Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

To make an already bad situation worse, Crow could tell that Penelope wasn’t okay after Cedric had kissed her. He frowned as he felt her shift against his touch, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to get close to her right now. If there hadn’t been so many other people around, and if she didn’t have to give a speech soon, he would have taken her by the hand and led her someplace where they could speak in private. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, so the less densely crowded part of the ballroom would have to do.

Her following words tugged at the viceroy’s heart. When he’d told her to keep her guard up around Cedric before, he hadn’t meant to make her think the other man’s actions were her responsibility to keep in check. He knew she was quicker to trust than he was, and sometimes, that trait was good. It made her a more likeable person to be around, and it was the reason why he had warmed up to her so easily when they’d met two years ago. However, he also knew there would be people in their kingdom who would take advantage of the same special quality. Cedric was one of those villains tonight.

“Don’t,” he breathed, sobered by the guilt in her voice. His anger toward her former suitor hadn’t vanished, but he had calmed down enough to think clearly again. He gently trailed his hand over her shoulders in an attempt to soothe her. “This wasn’t your fault,” he insisted, trying to meet her lowered gaze. “I saw what he did. It was a dirty trick for him to force himself on you when your back was to the wall. And don’t you dare blame yourself for that.”

Vacuously, Crow glanced away from her toward the other nobles in the ballroom. Most were either too drunk or too distracted by other, more entertaining things to notice what was going on between the former thief and the hostess, but he did see a few people looking their way. Among them were Fye and Percival—the two least intoxicated people he’d talked to at the party—and Cedric. He shot the latter a hateful scowl, no longer able to feign even a semblance of congeniality toward the man who had left Penelope in such a miserable state. From a distance, he couldn’t tell how the knight reacted to his open hostility, but, having expressed his anger as much as he could, he turned away from him to look at her again with softened features.

“I love you, Penelope,” he murmured quietly, still stoking the exposed skin of her upper back. “And I trust you. I just don’t like seeing you let him get inside your head like this. You did nothing wrong, and nothing’s changed between us. Okay?”

~Bonsoir~

Just a quick reminder: Vail and his father look like they're the same age

~Bonsoir~

Vail pursed his lips together in a thin line as Victoria’s eyelids drooped shut. It was good that she was able to rest, but he was deeply concerned about her condition. Seeing the feisty, determined woman reduced to the limp ragdoll laying on his bed disturbed him. He worked carefully on tending the punctures in her neck, hopeful that cleaning and binding the wound in sterile bandages would protect it from infection until her body restored enough blood to begin healing itself. He was no doctor, so it was the best he could do for now.

Just as he was about to get up to look for something to wrap around her neck, he flinched as the door to his room flew open without warning. He had been so focused on taking care of Victoria that he hadn’t heard Peter’s approach. His father froze in the doorway, mouth agape as his dark brown eyes landed on Lady Crest, swaddled in blankets on the Hygrace heir’s bed. A number of emotions flitted across the clan leader’s face. Shock, confusion and fear were among the mix, but he eventually settled on unbridled anger.

“Vail, what the hell have you done?” Peter roared, spittle flying from his mouth with the intensity of his fury.

Contrary to his father’s incensed state, Vail stared back at him almost dumbly. He hadn’t thought Peter would discover him this quickly and thus hadn’t had time to compile his thoughts into an acceptable excuse. Heart racing with nervous energy, he rose to his feet but remained close to edge of the bed, unwilling to venture further from Victoria’s side while she was still so vulnerable. “I didn’t have a choice,” the words fell from his tongue while he was composing himself enough to speak. “They left her half dead! If I didn’t take her, they might have even killed her.”

Peter stared at him this time, unable to comprehend what the younger Hygrace was trying to say. He didn’t know what Vail was talking about, but it seemed like there was more going on outside the walls of their family manor than he’d thought. “Who are they?” he asked, still fuming at his son’s irresponsible actions. “Just what have you gotten involved with?”

“The Order,” Vail answered his first question with a wince. He felt guilty for admitting that he had been keeping secrets from the clan leader, but there was no way to hide it anymore. “They’ve formed some sort of agreement with the Wynters. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but she’s in the middle of it.” He gestured at Victoria. “The one I met at the party, Lord Spencer, he drained her of her blood and—” He stilled his tongue before he added that the other vampire had tried to rape her too. His father wouldn’t care about that detail, and it would only serve to give away his attachment to her.

“Father, you know the Wynters,” he abruptly changed course. “Whatever they’ve been doing with the Saints can’t be good for us.”

Peter considered his words for a moment before he narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps… but what were you doing out tonight?”

Vail shifted his weight. It was the inquiry that would unravel everything. Taking a steeling breath, he met the leader’s gaze evenly, “I went to find her.”

His father pinched the bridge of his nose, “I warned you about this, Vail! You cannot get involved with a human. I understand if you’ve decided you want female companionship, but that’s why I arranged your marriage to Sylvia. She’s a perfect partner for you. Beautiful, congenial, and belonging to the same species.”

“I told you, I don’t want to marry her,” Vail argued hotly. “I care about Lady Victoria. You don’t have to understand it, father, but I don’t care that she’s a human. She’s the one I want to be with.” He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he made the confession for the first time. He didn’t even know if she felt the same way toward him, but it was too late to take it back. A ruddy blush spread across his face, masked by the darkness to the Lady but plain as day to Peter.

The elder Hygrace clenched his jaw, “Just how far has this gone?”

Vail said nothing, but his silence was more than enough of an answer for Peter.

“I cannot allow this to continue,” the clan leader spat. “Get that wench out of my house at once.”

“The cold will kill her,” the heir stepped closer to the bed with a protective glower. “She’s practically hypothermic. You said this manor is a safe haven for anyone who needs help, and right now, she needs it more than anyone else. At least give her time to recover from everything she’s endured.”

Peter scowled back at him before his gaze drifted to Victoria. A tense minute passed, and he took a step toward her, causing his son to stiffen reflexively. “Stand aside,” he ordered. “I can smell the blood. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Vail eyed him hesitantly, “You’ll let her stay?”

“It is our family’s duty to care for those who come to us,” Peter agreed in a low voice. “She may rest until she has the strength to carry herself home, but not a second longer. And as for you,” the look in his dark eyes sent a shiver up the Hygrace heir’s spine. “I’ll think of a fitting punishment later.”

Vail grimaced at the warning but didn’t argue as he stepped away from the bed to give his father room to work. Peter’s willingness to help Victoria was hanging by a thread, so he didn’t want to debate with him until her condition was stable. If keeping his mouth shut meant she would be alright, then that’s what he would do.

Peter leaned over Lady Crest to see the extent of the damage. Though the clan leader had even more self-control than his son, the pungent scent of her rich blood still made his pupils dilate hungrily. He could smell Vail’s pheromones mingled with hers as well, giving away who had been the source of the bite in her pale neck. “Fetch me some ice, bandages and a cup of tea,” he instructed, tearing his gaze away from the girl even though his predatory urges beckoned him to lap at the succulent liquid that seeped from her injury.

Vail didn’t move. He didn’t trust his father not to bleed her dry while he was gone. “You should do it,” he suggested instead. “And I’ll stay with her while you’re gone.”

The elder Hygrace snorted, “Like I said before, you don’t know what you’re doing. This,” he picked up the damp cloth by her head, “just agitated her skin. The bleeding has to stop before you try to clean the area. Just do as I say, Vail. You’ll be more useful that way.”

He bit the inside of his cheek, still reluctant to leave the two alone. However, he couldn’t deny that it was safer for his medically inclined father to watch over Victoria in case she took a turn for the worse. Peter seemed calm enough not to sink his fangs into her flesh in his absence too. He dipped his head. “Yes, father,” he submitted, turning away from them to gather the supplies the older vampire had requested.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow might have almost decked Cedric xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Although he didn’t follow them, Crow was careful to keep Penelope and Cedric within sight when he walked away from the center of the ballroom. He knew he couldn’t do anything to stop her former suitor from talking to her, but he was too protective to give them total privacy. At the very least, he wanted to be able to keep the exchange in the corner of his eye, so he could make sure the male knight didn’t try anything if he thought they weren’t being watched.

“Hey, Collin,” Wayne’s voice drew his attention as the nobleman took notice of his arrival. He had rosy skin and a broad grin on his face just like everyone else who’d been drinking excessively. The alcohol even seemed to have made him forget about his hidden prejudices against the viceroy. There was no hint of hesitation about speaking to a former thief, and his smile reached all the way to his eyes.

Robyn and Percival turned away from their companion to look at Crow as well. All three were well-dressed for the occasion, with brightly colored surcoats in shades of red, gold, and blue. The burly knight had tied his hair back in a thick braid as well. “It’s about time you stopped by to see us,” Robyn pitched in with a smirk. He looked even drunker than the others. “I was starting to think you were having too much fun with the ladies to remember you invited men too.”

“They approached me first,” the viceroy shrugged, dragging his fingers through his hair. The shoulder-length waves were starting to fall in his face after all the dancing he had been doing with Penelope and the others. “If you wanted my attention so badly, you should have done the same.” As he spoke, he made sure to keep Penelope and Cedric in his peripheral vision, refusing to get so caught up in the conversation that he might lose track of them.

“And do what, ask you for a dance?” Wayne snickered.

“I might have said yes,” Crow winked at him jokingly.

“Please,” Robyn laughed. “You wouldn’t pick his ugly mug over the gorgeous broads we saw you with. That would have been a waste of a dance, right Percy?” He nudged the knight expectantly with his elbow.

In the language of his people, Percival grunted.

“It doesn’t make a difference,” Crow said carelessly. “I’m still not looking to court anyone. Like I said, I just spent time with them first because they asked me to.”

“I don’t understand you, Collin,” Robyn exhaled, the alcohol on his breath permeating the air around them. “You’ve got women throwing themselves at you, and you’re still going to turn your nose up to their offers?”

“He likes the rewards without the commitment, remember?” Wayne pointed out sagely. “There was that noblewoman last week who he—”

“I told you, that was just gossip,” Crow interrupted, already knowing the other man was referring to Elizabeth. The topic had come up during one of their conversations three days ago, and the viceroy had insisted that it was all a lie. At the time, he hadn’t been sure if they believed him or not, but now he knew they still thought he’d slept with the woman. He opened his mouth to try to convince them again but then froze when something else caught his attention that made his mind go blank: In the edge of his vision, he saw Cedric pin Penelope against the wall and move in for a kiss.

Losing all interest in the three men in front of him, he felt a flash of anger that made his heart pound in his chest and a tint of red color his face. Her former suitor had crossed a line this time.

“Are you alright?” Percival knitted his brows, noticing the change in the viceroy’s expression.

Crow only acknowledged the question with a fleeting glance before his green eyes returned to the scene that had captured his focus. He was torn between staying put to keep his involvement with Penelope a secret and marching over to sock Cedric in the jaw. The former was technically the smarter choice, but when he saw the other man forcibly lock lips with the woman he loved, all reason flew out the window. He took a step toward them.

“Collin!” This time it was Preston’s urgent voice that made him pause. Staying put at the edge of the room, the attendant had witnessed the exchange between the two knights as well as the viceroy’s aggressive reaction and had rushed over to stop him from doing something he would regret. “I have a message for you from the king,” he lied, his concerned eyes flicking to the other noblemen before returning to his master’s face. “It’s confidential though, so I need you to come with me to hear it.”

He fidgeted nervously as he waited for Crow’s response. It was obvious that there wasn’t much he could do to stop the viceroy if he chose to ignore the fake message. He didn’t have the authority to make him go anywhere, and being far smaller than the sinewy former thief, he couldn’t use force either. Regardless, the servant reached for his forearm and gave him a tug, “Come on, Collin. You need to hear it now.”

Crow’s gaze lingered on the knights for a moment longer before, slowly, he regained his senses enough to realize the boy was right. If he caused a scene now, the party would fall apart, and there was no way anyone would be willing to listen to Penelope’s speech. “Fine,” he growled through gritted teeth, tearing his eyes away from her and Cedric to follow his attendant away from the baffled nobles, who stared after them with dumbfounded looks.

“I’m going to kill that bastard,” he snarled under his breath as they walked, still trembling with barely restrained fury.

“You can’t,” Preston shook his head, keeping one hand on the viceroy’s arm in a futile effort to make sure he wouldn’t turn around and go after the knight. “He doesn’t know you’re with her, remember? He just thinks he kissed an unattached woman. It wasn’t as malicious as I’m sure you’re making it up to be.”

“I don’t care. I know Penelope wouldn’t have consented to let him kiss her, but he did it anyway. He’s a viper, and I’m not going to let him walk away from this without consequences.” He peered over his shoulder to cast an icy glare at Cedric, only to see that the two knights had parted ways. Abruptly, he stopped walking, nearly causing Preston to stumble since the boy had been gripping his arm so tightly. Though he was furious with her former suitor, he was also concerned about making sure she was alright.

“I’m going to talk to her,” he announced in a low voice, pulling his limb out of the attendant’s grasp.

“Collin, don’t,” Preston warned, wide-eyed as he tried to catch hold of his wrist one more time. “At least wait until you’ve cooled off first. You’re not thinking straight.”

“I’m thinking just fine,” Crow muttered.

Ignoring his horrified attendant’s efforts to stop him, he made his way along the edge of the room until he reached Penelope’s side. All concern about public appearances faded to the back of his head, replaced with a hatred for the man who’d been bold enough to kiss her and a protectiveness for the unwilling participant on the receiving end. Too incensed for words, he rested his hand on her back.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow knows exactly what he's doing and doesn't like it xD
He's more openly hostile with Cedric now

And okay, got it lol

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“That soon?” Crow blinked in surprise when Penelope told him when she would be giving her speech. He had thought she would wait longer but, following her gaze to one of the other couples nearby, he could see why she would be doing it now. Apparently, nobles drank just as fast as peasants did. The people dancing around them had begun to look a lot more unsteady, and their movements were slower than before. Around the edges of the ballroom, most of those who were talking idly had flushed faces and had raised the pitch of their voices. It was the perfect time to convince them to support the end of the war before they grew too intoxicated to be of any help at all.

“Thanks,” he rolled his eyes at the knight’s teasing. It wasn’t something he could deny though. Having only practiced for a week, dancing like a tipsy nobleman was the best he could do at this point. “At least it gives me an excuse to stay sober,” he mused with a chuckle. “No one else will notice that I’m not drinking if I look the same as they do out here.” Not that he would have had more to drink otherwise. The single glass of wine that he’d downed all at once had been more than enough to relax him, since he’d already had a few drinks with his siblings earlier. A second would probably make it harder for him to think straight, which was the last thing he wanted in a room full of people he didn’t trust.

To his disappointment, the song went by far too fast. He and Penelope only had a little bit longer together before it slowed to a stop, and he bowed to her in the traditional end to the dance. As they stood across from each other, his eyes swept over her one more time, drinking in the way she looked in her sultry dress before he knew she would be whisked away from him by more “admirers” who wanted to claim their portions of her time before her speech.

A smile softened his features when she thanked him for the dance, but just as he parted his lips to reply, Cedric’s voice made his breath catch in his throat. Absently, he noticed Penelope stiffen as well but assumed she was just frustrated that her persistent former suitor was interrupting them yet again. Not thinking anything more of it, he turned to watch the knight weave through the other dancers to get to her side. The fact that the other man had gotten between them twice now convinced him that he was doing it on purpose. He didn’t even bother pretending to be cordial while the nobleman asked to speak privately with Penelope.

When Cedric murmured an apology to him, Crow said nothing, only tilting his chin up at the knight with open animosity. Whatever game the other man was playing, he knew he didn’t like it. “Good luck with your speech,” he nodded in return to Penelope, though he was too irritable to smile at her either. Watching the two comrades walk away, he waited for them to pass out of his sight before a sigh escaped his lips, and he turned away to join some of the noblemen he recognized standing by the edge of the room.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It's fine. You've been busy ^^

That's great! Good luck in the contest!

They've been going alright. Senior year is rough because I have no more motivation to get anything done xD
I'm at the point where I'm seeing how bad it'll hurt my grade if I just don't do some of my homework lmao

I had a really bad migraine that knocked me on my ass for most of today, but I'll get a post up for you tomorrow!

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

True, haha.

And keeping what low-key? I didn't track, sorry xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow wondered at the brief hesitation that followed his question to Penelope. She might have just been thinking about how to answer him, but his suspicion towards the men who had been vying for her time all evening made him wary that one of them had said or done something to her when he wasn’t looking. Distracted by the thought, he fumbled slightly through the next move, although he managed to correct himself before the slip up became too noticeable by the onlookers.

If something had happened, the knight didn’t clue him into it. He studied her face as she spoke but decided not to press the matter. Surely she would have said something if anything had gone wrong that he should know about. Comforted by the thought, he mirrored her smile and shifted his hand from her hand to her waist as they continued to the next part of the dance.

“It’s interesting,” he mused when she asked him the same question he’d thrown at her. “Like everything else I’ve seen in the inner kingdom, it gives me mixed feelings, but I’ve been enjoying myself. It also turns out that not all the nobles here are entitled prats.” He smirked amusedly. “They’re rare, but there are a couple people at this party that I don’t find insufferable to be around.” Fye and Percival were the first to come to mind. The knight had accompanied him in the crowded bathhouse when he didn’t have to, and the noblewoman had actually held a decent conversation with him during their dance. Granted, he was sure that both of them were after his power just like everyone else, but at least they were subtler with their intentions.

“When will you be giving your speech?” he asked next, drawing her in for a series of close-quarters steps. Closing the distance between them was pleasant—he liked being near enough to feel the warmth of her breath and skin—but he kept the exchange short, so it wouldn’t stand out to any of the men or women watching them from a distance.