"Well, now you know," Aldrec said.
"We should've done this a long time ago." Mericlou re-situated herself to face his direction. She became wistful as she ran her hand across his smooth boyish face. "I wish that I hadn't been so nervous about you."
"Don't blame it on yourself," Aldrec replied. "I had concerns of my own as well. After all, I wasn't entirely sure about whether or not I should have let you know how I felt."
"Yes, but it must've been so much harder for you than for me," Mericlou said in a tone of voice that was almost motherly. "You had to hold it in for an entire year, after all, you poor thing!"
Aldrec smiled, and brought her face closer to hers, into another kiss. It was not as long, nor as intense as their first a moment ago, but was just as meaningful, one that was full of love and longing requited at last.
"If I had to wait another year, I would have," he said. "And another and another!"
He paused for a moment, staring curiously at Mericlou, before breaking into another peal of laughter.
"What's so funny?" She asked, feeling suddenly very self-conscious. "What'd I do?"
"It's not you," Aldrec replied, the edge of laughter still on his voice. "It's your face. It's so red!"
"Well, you're flattering me too much," Mericlou said, giggling and pushing herself gently away from him. "Stop it."
"My deepest apologies, milady," Aldrec said in mock contrition. "Thou art so easily swayed by words of sentiment from a lovesick elf lord!"
"You think so?" She said coyly. "Maybe it's just because I like hearing them come from you. That way, they don't sound like ridiculous pick-up lines!"
Aldrec brought her smaller form closer to his, reveling in the smell of flowers, prevalent even in her hair. The taste of her lips still on his, he knew that if he closed his eyes, he would imagine himself in his garden again.
"Pehr el tulyr." He whispered into Mericlou's ear.
"What does that mean?" Mericlou asked. "It was beautiful."
"It means, 'my little flower.'" Aldrec said.
"It sounded elfish."
"That's because it is elfish," Aldrec said, "a very old dialect shared among my family."
"I thought an elf's private language was shared with no one else but family," Mericlou said, though in truth, she did not mind at all that she was given this opportunity to know some of it. "Why are you telling it to me?"