A Merthur Cinderella Story

A King Himself

The noise from the Ball was unmistakable. The party sounded like it was in full swing.

Luckily Merlin was finally finished with Morgana's dresses and had hung them up to dry.

He would race back down to his own chambers, get changed, and make it to the Ball.

He pulled at the door. It didn't move. Merlin's anxiety sparked. He pushed, pulled, and shoved. The door wouldn't budge.

"No, no, no!" Merlin grunted as he tried in vain to slam his shoulder into the door.

This couldn't really be happening. Had Morgana actually locked him in here on purpose? Her story had seemed fishy. But what was the reason for all this?

He pounded on the door and yelled for help until his throat ached and felt raw.

He slumped against the door.

***

Gwen had returned to the castle to get medicine for her father from Gaius, the court physician, when he mentioned that he hadn't seen Merlin in quite some time, yet his Ball outfit remained untouched in his room.

Gwen crinkled her brow and recalled the strange thing she'd overheard Morgana saying just the other day.

Morgana had no friends and Gwen sometimes wondered if this were by choice. Morgana seemed to dislike mostly everyone, especially anyone in a lower station than she. Though Gwen was her maid, Morgana interacted with her as little as possible.

Gwen sometimes wondered what it would be like to have a relationship with a master the way Merlin had with Arthur. The two of them were thick as thieves and it was clear that Arthur valued Merlin's input and opinions. Morgana would never hear of enlisting the opinion of a servant.

As a result of having no friends, or perhaps the reason for it, Morgana often spoke to herself.

A few evenings ago, Gwen had left for the night only to realize she'd left her cloak behind, and the night air was too chilly for her to walk home without it.

As she'd silently slipped back into Morgana's chambers to retrieve it, she'd heard Morgana's voice.

Morgana was across the room, staring out her window.

"...And you," she seethed, "stupid little serving boy. Your love for Arthur will be no more when he finds someone proper to marry."

Gwen had been utterly confused. Silent as a mouse, she grabbed her cloak and slipped out. As she passed a window in the corridor, she saw who was in the courtyard beneath Morgana's window.

It was Arthur and Merlin.

Gwen's mind raced. Your love for Arthur? Had that meant what she thought it meant? Was Merlin in love with Arthur? As she walked home she thought it all through. She thought of the way Merlin's eyes always found Arthur's in a room. The way he absolutely lit up when speaking about Arthur. How he spent so much time by Arthur's side.

She didn't know how she'd never realized before.

And then, she'd thought of Arthur. How his gaze trailed after Merlin as he left a room. How Arthur valued Merlin as highly as if he were a king himself.