Chapter Two
The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Crow pulled the cart over soon after they passed the palace gates.
"Stay here, I'll be back soon," Crow said, handing Grim the reigns. The look on his face was teasing but his voice was monotone and concerning. Not exactly angry, but somewhere past concern.
Crow headed off, but before he made it a few meters he briskly turned back to her.
"Here take this," he called up to her, tossing his cloak to her. He had strutted off down the hill before she could ask why.
After what seemed like an eternity, Crow came jogging up to the cart.
"About time, I was beginning to think you left me,"
"You know I would never leave you." Grim had been teasing, but the candidness in the tone of his response had made her chest tighten.
"Hold still, it would be a pain to explain to anyone who saw your neck." Grim didn't know if he realized he was whispering in her ear. Or maybe he did, and he was just an ass. He had a nice ass. Wait what, no, Grim, no!
She felt a silky strip brush against her neck and realized what was going on. Crow had wrapped a satin ribbon around her neck a few times in a way that covered the small marks on her neck and tied it in the back.
Then the bastard had the nerve to brush her hair behind her ear and smile at her.
Was he really so dense to not understand how she felt about him, how the simplest gestures made her heart race? It really was quite unfair.
It only took a half hour to reach the bakery and inform Henrietta of the delivery.
"Alright, alright you both did well, but I mean it, back before midnight now, you hear!" Henrietta called as the two had already begun running out the door and to town square to join in the festivities.
Crow had taken her by the hand as they raced off like young lovers. As they approached the square Grim heard the band playing a dancing song and before she could recall the name of the tune Crow had whisked her into a dance. Damn this man.
He had the broadest smile across his face. He had very nice teeth, nice enough that they were rather renowned among the women in town. Especially when compared to the other bachelors in the village, Crow generally stood out. Thankfully for Grim's sake, he had never taken interest in the other girls beyond a few pre-arranged dates, which he had vented to her about the same night. That said, have you ever been one of those dates? Her inner voice was obnoxious sometimes. Other's failure isn't your victory girlie. A fact she was well aware of. But currently it was her waist his hand was on as they danced and spun about.
The night flew by, dancing, snacking, laughing, and shopping. Crow was happily chewing through a thick caramel layer on a candied apple while a young girl braided Grim's hair with small iron beads. The girl had clamped a small black feather into one of the beads, and while Crow had teased her, she secretly adored the memento.
The moon was nearing its peak, and the pair began the trek home, breaking apart just before Grim's home.
Before he left, Crow reached down and tucked a small braid behind her ear.
"I really do like that crow feather on you." Before Grim could respond he had bent his head to rest on her shoulder. He kissed her shoulder gently, and then pecked just below her ear.
"Crow, I," Grim started.
"Am I wrong?" Crow looked at her with wide eyes, like a puppy learning to beg. She didn't even realize that she had pulled crow in by the collar and back to kiss her.
She could feel the sparks flying around them. She felt a hand come up her back and the other gently hold the back of her head. Her arms wrapped around him and hugged him close, not believing what was happening but refusing to let go regardless.
Her heart was racing, and when the kiss broke, their foreheads met, and the pair couldn't help but laugh.
"How long have you been waiting to kiss me," Grim asked, the sudden kiss giving her the confidence to be direct with him.
"Three years ago. I got thrown off that horse and you came running up to me laughing. I pretended to be hurt, and you panicked and when you figured it out you cried and yelled at me. From the moment you cried for me I wanted to kiss you so badly, to wipe away all your tears, and stay with you forever." Crow had spoken with such certainty and clarity, Grim's chest fluttered about.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Grim. Sweet dreams." Her stomach was rioting over his words. Her lovesick stupor was interrupted by Henrietta calling for her to come inside already. She turned around and Crow had vanished into thin air. Was he as nervous as she was?
Grim tread up the stairs to her little room above the kitchen. She plopped onto her bed and took a few breaths and smiled so hard she couldn't stop. She couldn't stop thinking about her kiss with Crow.
After changing into her nightgown, Grim sat on her bed brushing out her hair, removing the braids and beads. She had been careful to remove the crow feather, and it know gingerly sat on the table next to her bed next to the small pile of iron beads.
The full moon was still high and cast plenty of light throughout the room, making it hard for Grim to drift off into sleep. She had taken to counting the bricks in the wall to bore herself, but her mind kept coming back to the excitement of the night. Eventually, she lost track around brick two hundred and forty-four, and nodded off.