"Hurry up, Mateo!" Elena called out, laughing as she grabbed him by the hand and took off running through the tall grass.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Mateo called back with a grin, running to keep up with his energetic princess.
"It's a beautiful day–– I've escaped crown princess duty and I'm alone with you! I don't want to waste a second of it!"
Filled to overflowing with happiness, Elena let go of his hand and tipped her face to the sky, allowing the warm sunshine to bathe her face as she threw her arms out wide and spun in place, laughter bubbling from within her like pealing bells. Mateo stopped to watch her, transfixed at the sight of his beautiful princess twirling amidst the wildflowers. He found her carefree spirit to be contagious, and, grinning roguishly, slid behind her as she was spinning, and scooped her into his arms.
Squealing from the surprise of literally being swept off her feet, Elena threw her arms around his neck and grinned playfully at him as he spun her around a few more times, smiling her favorite crooked grin. As he held her close, she brought a hand up to run her fingers through the adorably messy fringe of hair framing his face and, in the same motion, slid her hand softly down the side of his face to rest her palm against his cheek. Mateo leaned his face into her touch, closing his eyes lazily and smiling like a cat who had everything he'd ever wanted. Cupping his face in her hand, she leaned in to press a soft, lingering kiss to his lips. Mateo responded with a gentle kiss of his own as their lips molded together in perfection–– as if they were created to be two halves of a whole.
Pulling back, he grinned at her and said, "What did you want to do with your afternoon off?"
Pressing another quick kiss to his lips, she giggled, "Silly, we're doing it."
"You wanted to kiss? We could have done that back at the palace!"
She laughed and tapped a finger on his nose, "No, you goose–– well, yes, I did want to kiss, but, more than that–– I wanted to spend the afternoon alone with you. And grassy meadows are the best! Watch!" She wriggled out of his arms and stood on her own two feet just long enough to fold herself gracefully onto the ground among the tall grass, which waved gently in the breeze, several inches above her head. Looking up at Mateo, who was still standing, she shot him a flirty smile and tugged on his hand. "Come down here!" she giggled as she pulled in earnest, giving him no choice but to join her in sitting on the ground.
Looking around, Mateo noticed that they were surrounded by a wall of swaying grasses and wildflowers–– it really felt a bit like they'd just created their own private world. With a roguish grin of her own, Elena pressed a hand to his chest and pushed until he had laid down on his back in the grass. Deciding to just go with it, Mateo, smirking, brought his arms up and rested them behind his head as he watched Elena smiling down at him, an odd, dreamy look in her eye.
"So, are you going to be joining me? Or will you sit up there staring all day?"
Elena laughed, "Sorry!" and she hurried to lay down next to him, nestling her head in the curve of his neck as she reached over to drape an arm across his chest. "I was having one of those moments where I am literally stunned at my good fortune to not only have you in my life but to have you look at me the way that you do–– like you love me."
Mateo kept one arm under his head and curled the other around her shoulders, drawing her nearer to him. He turned just enough that he could kiss the top of her head and, smiling, he murmured, "I think you have that backwards, mi amor."
Sighing with contentment as she snuggled closer to his side, she replied, "I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree on that, mi querido."
And the two of them stayed like that––laying for hours on that sun kissed afternoon, hidden among the tall grass and wildflowers, content and alone –– enjoying their own little slice of heaven–– together.
