Merthur Oneshots

Cinderella AU

Merlin sat on his narrow cot in the shabby room staring at the painting of his parents with tears in his eyes. That little drawing from their wedding was the only image he had left of them. It had been nearly eight years since his mum died when he was ten and Merlin still missed her every day. Hunith had been kind and warm and soft. She was the one person who had held Merlin when he was scared and cheered him up when he was upset. Now Merlin could barely remember the details of her, his mum's voice and smell and laugh.

A year after Hunith passed Balinor decided Merlin needed a motherly influence and married another woman. Her name was Nimueh and she had two daughters Merlin's age, Vivian and Sophia. Merlin was happy for a few years though he secretly thought his new stepsisters were vain and snobbish. Then when he was thirteen, Balinor was killed during a bandit raid on the way back to their little chateau.

Nimueh's demeanor entirely changed. She became cold and nasty once her husband was gone. Vivian and Sophia were treated like princesses while Merlin became the household servant. He worked all day cleaning and cooking before eating a few burnt scraps and sleeping in his little corner. Anyone in the village could have told you that Merlin used to be a vivacious, clever boy with a bounce in his step and a bright smile on his face. A few years later, the cheeky and cheerful boy was quiet and distant. His beautiful blue eyes had a dull sheen and dark rings underneath. Nobody had heard his lovely tinkling laugh in ages. The coltish charm and fiery spirit had been broken.

"Boy! Polish the banisters and dust the mantle and beat the rug and mop the floors." Nimueh's shrill voice called.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Now boy!" Nimueh sounded closer, louder.

Merlin jumped up and tucked the painting safely under his threadbare mattress. He met his stepmother at the stair. She was brandishing her favorite cane.

"Boy what did I tell you? You are an incompetent, useless fool!" She smacked Merlin on the back of his knees. "Let's go you idiot!"

Merlin hastened down the stairs, escaping as quickly as possible. He tripped over a few steps to Nimueh's echoing laughter from above.

A few hours later, Merlin was addressed again. "Boy, we're going out."

"Why?" They were probably going to buy trinkets with his father's hard earned money.

Nimueh narrowed her eyes. "What was that?" she asked in her iciest tone.

"Nothing ma'am."

"Well if you must know you simpleton. The girls and I are going to get dresses made for the upcoming Camelot ball." Sophia and Vivian swept out of the house haughtily after their mother, sniffing derisively when they passed Merlin.

Merlin had seen the invitation earlier. It had said, all residents, but it was too much for him to hope to be allowed to go. Maybe he'd bring it up when his stepmother was in a better mood.

Once he was sure Nimueh was gone, Merlin slipped out of the house to find his only friend, Will. The rest of his mates ignored him once he wasn't allowed out of the house to play anymore and all the other boys thought Merlin was strange. They mocked his ears and awkward, gangly limbs, and the way the dirty rags he wore hung off his thin frame. Only Will stuck with him, patiently listening to Merlin's problems and accepting his erratic schedule. Merlin told Will everything. About missing his parents and hating his awful new stepfamily. About how the village boys teased him and the girls only looked at him with disdain. Will even knew about Merlin's magic. Merlin could levitate objects and start fires but his favorite part of being a warlock was the animals. When he was about five years old, he realized no one else could understand what the old horse in the stable was feeling or what the frantic hens in the coop were chattering about. Merlin could talk to birds and squirrels and even the tomcat they kept for catching mice.