The Boy and the Beast: A Merthur Beauty and the Beast AU

Dinner and Discussions

"One hour until dinner, Merlin," Gauis informed him, poking his head through the door to Merlin's room.

"Alright, thank you."

This would be the very first time Merlin ever had a meal with Arthur. He hadn't expected Arthur to open up so soon and allow the two of them to be in the same space for more than ten minutes at a time. Whatever Arthur's reasons, he was happy that they were going to spend some time together. Maybe Arthur was open to happiness.

Merlin was startled by the wardrobe's unexpected chatter. "Now, let us find you something nice to wear, shall we?"

"But won't this do?" he asked confused. He had only put the gray shirt, red neckerchief and black pants on this morning.

"Oh, no no no! This is dinner! A delightful evening meal! You shall be looking like a prince by the time I've chosen an outfit for you."

"Isn't Arthur the prince?"

"Who says you can't be one, too? Come, come. Let's find you something nice."

*~One Hour Later~*

Merlin walked towards the dining hall in a dark blue long-sleeved vest with shining obsidian buttons and long black pants. His shining black shoes thudded softly on the floor as he walked and he really hoped that if eating dinner with Arthur became a regular occurence he wouldn't have to dress up every time. Besides, it was only now that he was becoming aware of the sweat forming on his palms and the stiffness of his movements.

Merlin reached the door to the dining hall and, with only a second to prepare himself, lifted his hand to push the door open. However, someone else had the same idea.

Before his fingers even grazed the door it was opening up...revealing the large frame of Arthur.

Merlin's hand was already in motion and, cursing his slow reflexes, his hand hit Arthur right in the stomach. He immediately pulled it away as Arthur's breath audibly hitched.

"Oh, sorry, I-I wasn't expecting the door to open." He chanced a look at Arthur's face but it was emotionless as ever.

"No matter. I was just going to see if you were still coming. Dinner was supposed to start ten minutes ago."

"I'm sorry about that. The wardrobe wasn't letting me leave. He kept calling me back to fix my hair and all that," Merlin informed with a nervous laugh.

"He's a bit of a scatterbrain, that one. You could have come just how you were. You look good without the fancy attire."

Arthur suddenly cleared his throat and moved aside, giving Merlin room to enter the dining hall. "Uh, come in. Gwen already brought some tea in."

Merlin stepped into the dining hall and noticed there were only two places on the table with plates and utensils, which he was expecting. What he wasn't expecting was that they would be on completely opposite ends of the table.

Merlin took the seat closest to the door and Arthur lumbered over to the other seat. It was only when he sat down and the only sound was the distant clattering of pots and dishes in the kitchen next door did Merlin realize how awkward this was going to be. Apart from the fact that the only place to look was straight ahead, at the other person.

"I wanted to start by...apologizing...for the way I acted earlier. I didn't mean to...yell."

It was clear on Arthur's face how difficult it was for him to say that but it wasn't because of obligation.

"I understand," Merlin replied truthfully. "It can't be easy." He didn't have to say what 'it' was. They both knew.

"I do want to be better. There's no place in the world for someone like me, though...so if I do want to change, then...I'll have to do it here...and...with you."

Merlin almost smiled at how Arthur was stumbling through his sentences. He really wanted to be a better person and he just seemed so vulnerable now that...he did smile. Just for a second.

At that moment a tea cart with a cheerful Gwaine balancing on top burst through the door and made them both jump. It sped around the table and Gwaine dumped plates and bowls of steaming food in front of them as he spoke.

"Good evening gentlemen! Everything is going well, yes?" Without even pausing to give them time to reply Gwaine continued on. "Excellent! Tonight the special is soupe à l'oignon et the kitchen has also prepared delicious coq au vin."

Gwaine and his tea cart zoomed around to Merlin's end of the table and placed the dishes down in front of him, the steam swirling upwards and the appetizing smells of the food before him tempting him to dig in right then and there. 

When Gwaine clattered away, calling "Bon appetit!" as he exited, Arthur gave Merlin a slight nod letting him know it was time to eat and so they did. 

The majority of their meal was in a comfortable quiet, but Merlin couldn't help but notice Arthur struggling a bit with his utensils. 

Arthur attempted to lift a spoon in order to eat his soupe à l'oignon, but it was a bit too small in his enlarged paw and it only slipped out and clattered onto the floor. Arthur tensed up and after a few moments of uneasy silence, Merlin carefully got up from his chair, his own unused spoon in hand and laid it on Arthur's napkin. 

Upon his return to his seat, Merlin hesitantly lifted up his fork giving Arthur a clear view of how he was holding it, and pierced a piece of the chicken. 

When Merlin was really beginning to feel he had made a fool of himself, Arthur gripped the spoon Merlin gave him rather tentatively. Slowly, he worked his paw around it in a way where it wouldn't slip, similar to Merlin's style and scooped some of the soup onto it. 

Merlin smiled and he noticed Arthur did too, though he quickly wiped it away. 

When dessert, chocolate mousse, was brought out they made conversation again.

"I also lost a parent when I was young," Arthur revealed. "Except she died. It was my mother. Right after I was born."

"I'm so sorry," Merlin empathized.

"My father died a few days before the castle was cursed. I didn't get along with him too well but it was still sudden."

Merlin gave Arthur a reassuring smile and suddenly thought of something. "Wait. If neither one of your parents were ruling, doesn't that make you a king? Not a prince?"

"On the day that was supposed to be my coronation, well..." Arthur trailed off and halfheartedly gestured around them. 

"Oh." 

They ate the rest of their dessert without speaking and when Merlin finished he thanked Arthur for allowing him to eat there.

"Maybe we can do this again sometime?"

"I'd like that," Arthur replied.

"Goodnight, Arthur."

"Goodnight, Merlin."

Merlin began to leave but, for the second time thatday, he kept him from leaving.

"What did you do before you ended up here?"

Merlin turned to Arthur once again. "What do you mean?"  

"What did you do in your free time? You know, for fun?"

"Well um...I read. It gave me something to do. I didn't have any friends and I was tired of living in a boring little town where the same things happened everyday. It was like...my own little adventure."

"So, I don't suppose you'd enjoy reading now?" 

"I guess it would give me something to do. I have a lot more downtime now than I did in Ealdor anyway."

"Would," Arthur began after a moment. "Would you like to see something?"

"Alright."