“Maybe a little,” Crow shrugged, offering Penelope a sheepish smile when she accused him of being nostalgic. As she went on to talk about how this village was where she’d first called him by his name instead of ‘thief,’ he nodded, remembering how surprised he had been at the time to hear a noble call him by anything other than his occupancy or surname. In hindsight, he supposed that had been one of the first moments when he’d realized there was something different about her.

When Penelope guessed that he had been planning to take her to the pond where they had gone the first time they’d visited this village, Crow let out a low whistle. “Looks like you’re onto me,” he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I can’t slip anything past you, huh?” Despite his joking, he knew it hadn’t been that hard for her to figure out his plan. The pond by Sarton was a bit of a significant piece of their history together, since so much had changed between them back then. It was a natural place to visit while they were passing through the area yet again.

His eyes wandered back to the road ahead as they walked, excited to come back to the pond with her again after two years. At her joking comment, he laughed. “I guess so,” he mused, smirking at her amusedly. “It’s one of the things we had in common even then, isn’t it?” He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. “Even if we got attacked again, we’re much better prepared than we used to be. I’ve seen you fight lately, and those rebels don’t stand a chance.”

Crow glanced off to the side of the road as he caught sight of a familiar sign. Just like last time, he couldn’t read what it said, but he remembered that the arrow pointed in the direction they wanted. Grinning excitedly, he gave Penelope’s hand a tug, “This way, love. We’re almost there.” He led them off the main street and into the surrounding woods, weaving between the thick trees until the water came into view up ahead.

When they reached the edge, he came to a stop, moving to stand behind Penelope and wrap his arms around her middle as he took a moment to gaze over the glassy surface. The pond was just as breathtaking as he remembered. The water reflected the stars above, and a string of ancient relics surrounded its outskirts. He sighed and rested his head against Penelope’s, pressing a tender kiss to her neck. He’d never thought he would come back to this place, let alone come back with the knight who was now his lover. It was almost surreal.

Feeling a strong wave of affection for Penelope, Crow trailed kisses up to her jawline and then brushed his lips against her cheek to coax her to turn her head and meet him in a passionate kiss. “I love you so much,” he breathed when he pulled back again, wrapping her tightly in a warm embrace. In the next moment, he took on a more mischievous look and trailed his hands down her sides to hold her by the waist. “So… want to find out what it’s like to desecrate holy soil?”