A Different Cinderella Story (1/2)
Title: A Different Cinderella Story
Author: miss_chevalier
Beta: millicca (thanks again hon)
Rating: PG
Word Count: about 6,000 words
Warning: the story may be a little rushed (I’m not even sure I still like it myself)
Spoiler: small mention of the “The poisoned chalice”-episode but I guess it wouldn’t really ruin the ep for you
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin - if I did our boys would most likely be making out and Morgana wouldn’t do her evil smirking every few minutes
Summary: Camelot celebrates a feast and Arthur finds someone to marry. But after the evening he can’t find her anymore. Until...
A/N: So, I watched Disney’s Cinderella and decided I wanted to write a Merthur fanfic with the same story. However in the end it turned out to be not really the original Cinderella story. I hope you guys enjoy reading it nonetheless. (and just for the record: I wrote this before the Elena-episode)
A Different Cinderella Story
“I can’t believe it!”
Arthur felt the need to kill something. Hunting. He felt the need to go hunting.
“Merlin, I want to go hunting.”
His manservant looked up from the boot he was mending and asked incredulously, “Hunting? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What?” Arthur should find himself another servant - one that actually did what he was told to do.
“It’s already dark outside, I don’t think the guards would let us pass. And before you suggest it, no, I will not sneak out with you in order to go hunting. It will only end with me in the stocks and I really don’t have time for that with the banquet tomorrow evening. There’s still a lot to prepare. Why do you want to go hunting anyway?”
Arthur felt a new wave of anger rush through him. Still, he managed to answer through gritted teeth, “I need to kill something. Right now.”
Merlin let go of the boot completely but didn’t try to stand up. Arthur wondered if he was afraid Arthur would kill him. “I guess dinner with Morgana and your father didn’t go very well?”
“No, Merlin, I didn’t go ‘very well’. Do you know why there is going to be this lovely banquet tomorrow night?”
“Not exactly, no. And I don’t think anybody knows. I heard a lot of people discussing the occasion for it but it seemed no one knew. Not even the kitchen maidens and they know everything that’s going on in the castle.”
“Well, my father just told me that every eligible woman of nobility in this land will be present and that he’s sure we will find a suitable bride for me.”
If the true occasion for the feast wasn’t unsettling Arthur so much, he’d find the look on Merlin’s face funny. The boy was staring at his master, mouth wide open and looking like a fish.
“He wants you to marry?”
“The King just said we would find me a bride. I’m not sure when the actual marriage will be. I mean, I knew that I had to marry someday in order to improve the kingdom’s situation and have an heir and all that. I just didn’t realise that it would be so soon.”
“Do you want to marry?”
Arthur bit his bottom lip. That was another question. “I want to find someone I can love and then marry in order to grow old together. But I don’t want to marry because the court and my father think she’s the best choice.” Arthur approached the table and sat down, facing Merlin. “Frankly, I don’t think I have a choice. The only purpose of my marriage is to enrich Camelot.”
“I’m sorry, must be a depressing thought.” Merlin reached out a hand and placed it on Arthur’s. The prince stared at it with a blank expression on his face. This was all so frustrating. Arthur would give anything to be a commoner and have the possibility to choose the person he wanted to marry. But then there was also the responsibility he carried for his people.
“Thank you, Merlin. Tomorrow evening you will not be allowed to leave my side. I fear my father has invited the Lady Elaine. She’s horrible! I think she’s in love with me since ... since ... a long time. I need you to make sure I avoid her. And I will need a lot of wine. Otherwise I don’t know how to survive all of it.”
Merlin slowly drew his hand back. “Ehm, that’s what I was going to talk to you about, Arthur. I was hoping I could get the evening off tomorrow.”
“What?” Arthur couldn’t believe his ears. Was everyone in this damn castle trying to worsen his mood?
“Yes, Gaius wants to try a few new potions and salves and I promised to help him. I didn’t think you’d need me tomorrow. Besides, there will be other servants to refill your cup.”
Arthur concentrated on not showing his disappointment neither on his face nor in his voice. Living through a banquet without Merlin was impossible. “Alright, since you’ve already promised Gaius. But next time I want you to come to me first. That’ll be all for today.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Arthur.”
* ~ * ~ *
The banquet took place in the grand hall and the servants had done a very nice job at decorating everything in red. There were ribbons and flowers in the Pendragon colour tied everywhere and a multitude of candles bathed the hall in a soft, romantic light. It looked perfect. At one end of the hall all the guests were seated at long, wooden tables which were overloaded with the most exquisite food - all guests except the potential brides. They were introduced one by one and each of them walked up to the royal table and curtsied. Arthur nodded at each from his seat to the King’s right, trying his best to look pleased. Next to Arthur Morgana did her best at hiding a satisfied smirk but Arthur thought she failed spectacularly. He could see how much she was enjoying this. In Arthur’s opinion this whole banquet was horrible.
The list of maidens was endless and Arthur couldn’t remember one name except of course the Lady Elaine’s. She was the last one to be introduced and he immediately recognised her. She was not really ugly - quite the contrary actually, one could call her pretty. She was not too tall and not too small, not fat but not thin either. Her blonde, smooth hair rested on her shoulders and tonight she was wearing a Pendragon-red dress which matched her light blue eyes. Lady Elaine was only a few months younger than Arthur and seemed like the perfect maiden to marry. The only problem was that she was not the smartest and she just couldn’t stop talking. Arthur never liked her but unfortunately she more than liked Arthur. And that was why her family quite often came to visit Camelot.
Lady Elaine took her seat at the guests’ tables and Uther stood up. Arthur didn’t bother to listen, he knew that his father welcomed all their guests and revealed the occasion for the feast. The prince just sat there and kept a small smile while his eyes wandered through the hall. All the maidens were staring up at him in complete rapture and they all seemed determined to be the one to marry him. Oh Gods! Wine. Why was there no wine in his cup? Just when he wanted to have a servant fill it, his father addressed him.
“Son, if you would be so kind as to begin the first dance?”
“Of course, Father.” He rose and in the background he heard Morgana’s barely contained giggles. She was going to pay for this. Arthur kept a straight face and strode to Morgana’s side. Then he reached out his hand and asked a gaping Morgana, “My Lady, may I have the pleasure of the first dance?”
Morgana quickly restored her sweet smile and took his hand. “Of course, Prince Arthur.”
Together, they walked down the few steps to the empty space between the tables. The music began and they started to spin around to the rhythm. When a few other pairs started dancing, Morgana whispered, “This wasn’t my idea, you know, there’s no need to punish me. I just came here to sit at the table the whole evening and find you some sweet maiden.”
“I know it wasn’t your idea but who said anything about punishing you? I merely didn’t want to prefer any of the ladies. And just in case you haven’t noticed, there are no ‘sweet maidens’ in here. Apart from you, of course.”
The smile on Morgana’s face faded and gave way to a sad, compassionate one. “I’m sorry, Arthur.”
Arthur was confused. “Excuse me? Did you just apologise? Morgana are you feeling well?”
“Yes, you prat. But don’t even think about using it somehow against me. What I meant to say was that I’m sorry for what Uther asks you to do. He loved your mother and I think he wants you to have what he had with her. Uther wants you to find love, but I doubt that this feast is the right way. Anyway, you need to know that I still absolutely hate you - just as I always have - but that if you’re forced to marry one of these bitches, I promise I will do everything I can to make her life in this castle a living hell.”
Arthur had to smirk at how similar Morgana and he were. “Thank you, Morgana.”
The smile was back on her face as they swayed to the last notes of the music. “You’re welcome, Arthur. And good luck.”
They stopped and before Arthur could think of anything else, someone had grabbed his hands and he was turning to the music again. He had no idea who the lady before him was but the tons of paint she had on her face were enough to be certain that he would not marry her.
The next maiden was a girl of fourteen years and Arthur decided that he would not marry a child who had still to discover what marrying someone meant.
Then there was a lady who was dressed only in pink. She was older than Arthur and she probably needed more than one chair to sit on. Arthur seriously feared for his life. Fighting some Questing Beast or Griffin was nothing compared to dancing with this lady. There was no chance Arthur could lead the dance because he wasn’t even able to move his hands.
After having danced for hours, Arthur felt awful. He was hungry, hadn’t had one drop of wine or ale, he had sweated as much as during a hard and long training lesson with his best knights and his facial muscles hurt from faking smiles. To make things worse, the Lady Elaine was standing in front of him, smiling joyously.
“I believe it’s my turn now.”
Arthur forced another smile on his face and felt the muscles ache. “It would be a pleasure to dance with you, Lady Elaine.”
“Oh don’t talk rubbish! It’s my pleasure! I’ve been dreaming about this since I first saw you.”
Arthur was sure half of the present guests had heard her. This was so embarrassing.
“We were five when we first saw each other.”
“So you can remember that moment, too?”
Dear heaven, now she was going to freak out.
“Because you see Sire, I’m always so lonely at home and all I can think about is you.”
“Me? Why are you lonely? I thought you had three brothers.”
“Oh, I do. But they are always outside and I don’t like nature. I mean flowers are pretty but all these insects and other animals are so disgusting. And so I spend my time sitting in my chambers and thinking about you. And me. And your beautiful blue eyes and your golden hair and your tanned skin and your lips.”
At that her gaze travelled to Arthur’s lips and he begged that she would not try to kiss him. This maiden was insane.
“But I’m sorry, my Prince. I didn’t give you the chance to talk. What do you do all day long?”
Don’t give away too much of yourself, she might stalk you. “Well I - “
“Yes, I believe you’re always training with your knights to keep your muscles in shape. You always look so strong. And then of course you’re often going on a hunt or fighting some threatening, wild creature. Or you’re sitting in the council making wise decisions. Oh, you really are the perfect man! And I’m a perfect maiden. We just belong together! Forever!”
Now she had lost her mind, Arthur was sure of it. Fortunately, the music had stopped and he frantically looked for some other maiden he could pretend to not have danced with yet, although that seemed rather impossible.
He was quickly walking away from Lady Elaine, when he saw her. She was standing between some other maidens, fiddling with her dress as if she felt haunted. Arthur approached her and decided that she looked very uncomfortable, not at all like the others. In fact, she somehow looked out of place. Her skin was very pale and her long black curls strongly contrasted it. Her eyes were blue, but lighter than Arthur’s. She was wearing a dark blue dress and all of a sudden, Arthur had trouble breathing. There was something about her... His heart was beating faster and louder and he feared that people might notice.
He stopped a few steps in front of her, holding out his hand. “May I have the next dance, my Lady?”
The maiden stared at him as if she was surprised that he had asked such a question. Arthur already feared she would deny him a dance, declaring that she was already married or betrothed, but then she laid her hand in his and Arthur felt his own hands going sweaty as he placed the other on her waist - which was ridiculous really, because he had been sweating for hours.
Words. Arthur needed to find something to say. “So, uhm ... I don’t remember having seen you at the introduction.”
The girl lowered her head, but Arthur could still see her cheeks going red with embarrassment. It was the most beautiful blush he’d ever seen on a girl’s face. And now he was sounding like the Lady Elaine.
Her voice sounded sweet, but also a little bit embarrassed. “Yes, I was a bit late, my Lord.”
“Just call me Arthur.”
“Ehm, alright. Arthur.” She looked up again with a small smile on her lips that made her eyes slightly brighter and their eyes locked. It was one of the most perfect moments in Arthur’s life. He would never be able to forget that face again. Her eyes seemed so familiar but so unknown at the same time.
They continued the dance without further saying a word and Arthur had completely forgotten about all his aching muscles. It happened several times that the girl stepped on Arthur’s feet, blushing each time, but Arthur couldn’t care less. The way the blushes brightened her face was cuter than anything one of the other ladies could have done.
The music stopped, but Arthur didn’t want to let go of his dancing partner and was still lost in the memory of the girl’s blue eyes and sweet smiles. The two of them simply came to a halt and stood there between all the other pairs, not letting go of each other.
The girl was the first to move as she took a few steps back and curtsied. She already turned away, when Arthur made a decision. “Wait, please. How about a walk?”
“A walk?”
“Yes, my Lady. I would like to show you ... show you ... the royal gardens. They’re beautiful at this time of the year.”
She curtsied again. “I feel honoured, my Lord, but are you sure you can just leave? I mean you’re supposed to dance with everyone and ... ehm ...”
“Well, that is true but I’d rather spend some time alone with you than dance with all these ladies. That is if you want to.”
A short pause.
“I’d very much like to join you for a walk in the royal gardens, yes.”
“Excellent. But you do have a point, I can’t just walk out of here. Still, how about dancing our way to that little door over there? From there on we can sneak out of the castle without being seen.”
And the next moment they were floating over the floor again, making their way through the other pairs to said door. They quickly slipped through it and hurried through an empty corridor. The torches weren’t lit and so the only light was the moonlight, painting dark shadows and creating a very different atmosphere than the one in the grand hall behind them. Arthur enlaced their fingers and they kept hurrying out of the castle.
Part 2