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Alistair and Ellandra Amell walked hand in hand along the edge of Lake Calenhad. It was dark, the sun having set over an hour ago, and the moon was just beginning to peek over the edge of the forest. The two were quiet, listening to the noises of the night; birds sang and frogs croaked, insects buzzed and small animals shuffled, their voices all mixing together to create a pleasant hum in the background. To one side, the rising moon reflected off the surface of the lake, illuminating tiny waves and eddies whipped up by the gentle night breeze. It was a fair night, the air warm but the breeze cool, and Ellandra shuffled a little closer to Alistair.
“I’m glad we were able to get the mages on our side,” Ellandra said.
“Were you worried about it?” Alistair asked, surprised. “I mean, you’re a mage.”
“Yes, but I didn’t leave under the best of circumstances,” Ellandra pointed out. “I’m glad First Enchanter Irving listened to the treaties.”
“I am too” Alistair nodded. “The mages will be a big help.”
Ellandra smiled, falling quiet. The two walked in compainiable silence, their fingers intertwines, hands swinging as they walked. Ellandra admired the view of the moonlight playing along Lake Calenhad, always enjoying time spent with Alistair, no matter what they did.
“So,” Alistair began after a few minutes. The moon had risen more fully, bathing the land with pure white light. “You lived in the tower, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Ellandra replied, glancing up at him. The moonlight was just bright enough to light up his face, and she could just barely see the cut of his jaw, the shape of his brow. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, you never really--talked about it,” Alistair said. “Did you like it there? In the tower?”
“Some of it was wonderful,” Ellandra sighed. “I enjoyed my classes; the mages were always kind to me. My favorite was the library--i spent hours there, pouring over the tombs and books. It was always so peaceful.”
“Really? The library?”
“Oh, yes,” Ellandra said, smiling at him. “I loved the smell of the books, the old parchment, the dust. Even now, the smell reminds me of the best of the tower.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes. I miss the library, yes, but I didn’t like being cooped up all the time. Every since I was a little girl, I wanted to see the world. I never would have chosen to stay in the tower if I didn’t have to.”
“Then becoming a Grey Warden…” Alistair prompted, slipping his arm around her shoulder.
“Was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Ellandra sighed. “Well, the second-best thing.”
“Really? What’s the first?” Alistair asked.
“Meeting you,” Ellandra blushed, her face growing warm in the rapidly-cooling air.
“Meeting me?” Alistair asked, stopping short. Ellandra slipped out from under his arm to face him, chuckling slightly. “Really? I find that rather hard to believe.”
“It’s true!” Ellandra said earnestly, reaching up and cupping his cheek with one hand. His stubble tickled her palm slightly. She smiled up at him.
“I--I don’t know what to say,” Alistair admitted, his lips curving into a grin. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, too.”
“Am I?” Ellandra asked, her grin turning soft. Alistair leaned his head into her hand, turning to press a kiss to the center of her palm.
“Yes,” he said, eyes soft in the moonlight. He watched her face for a moment, then sighed. “I--Look, I have to tell you something, and I don’t really know how best to say it, so I’m just going to say it. Okay?”
“You can tell me anything, Alistair,” Ellandra said, her heart skipping a beat, and then kicking into double time. She could feel heat on her cheeks, and her stomach did a little flip. He looked just as nervous and excited as she suddenly felt, his gaze flicking between the ground and her face.
“I-I’m not very good at this sort of thing,” Alistair muttered, one hand raising to hold her hand to his cheek. “All of this...confessing things business. But we don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow, and I don’t know when the right time to say it is, and I just want to tell you now before I lose my nerve.”
“Alistair,” Ellandra murmured, stepping closer.
“Look, Ellandra, I...I love you,” Alistair finally managed to get out, his cheeks blushing dark. “I love you, and I know this might be too fast for you, and I know that we might get slaughtered by darkspawn or eaten by wolves or--” He was rambling, words tumbling out of him faster than he could stop it, and Ellandra beamed, leaning up to press a quick kiss to his lips, stopping him in his tracks.
“I love you, too,” Ellandra told him gently, pressing herself to him and slipping her arms around his neck. “I love you, Alistair.”
“I--you do?” Alistair asked, his arms automatically encircling her waist and pulling her close. “I--that’s great! I love you, too!”
Ellandra chuckled, her heart swelling and melting all at once for this goofy, adorable man, and leaned in close.
“I love you,” she repeated in the last second before their lips met. They melted against each other, smiling into the kiss. Alistair was warm and solid, his stubble tickling her face as they kissed. She leaned closer, playing with the short hairs at the back of his neck, and he pressed his palms flat against her back, vanishing the distance between them.
Pulling back, Ellandra looked into Alistair’s eyes, seeing nothing but warmth and tenderness reflected there. She smiled, and Alistair chuckled.
“I can’t believe I was so scared to tell you that,” Alistair said. “I feel a bit foolish now.”
“Don’t,” Ellandra laughed. “I was nervous, too.”
“At least I wasn’t alone,” Alistair reasoned, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek.
“You never have to feel alone when I’m here,” Ellandra smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They spent the rest of their night wandering along the edge of the lake, pausing often to kiss under the stars.