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

A Gift and a Surprise

A/N-Because you all are so amazing, I feel like you deserve something special so I gave you all an extra long chapter!☺ I hope you enjoy!

Arthur stood up and approached Merlin. He opened the door and ambled out, Merlin following behind. They didn't walk for too long before they stopped in front of a set of double doors painted blue and gray. 

"Where are we going?"

"Nowhere special."

And with that Arthur pushed open both doors and stepped inside the room. Merlin remained in the hall, watching Arthur walk through. 

The night sky entered the room through the windows running along the top of the back wall and the moon's pale glow was the only source of light in the entire area. It was after the doors had opened completely he made out what was lining the walls and peppering the tables. 

There were books. Everywhere. It was a library.

Merlin made his way in, immediately concluding these were the most books he had ever seen in life. He eventually tore his eyes away from the dusty covers to see Arthur standing a short ways away from him, looking at him, a lit candle in his paw.

"Do you like it?"

"It's great! I've never had access to more than the few books in the backroom of the church."

"I mean, it's nothing spectacular but if you really like it...you can have it."

Merlin scoffed when Arthur said it wasn't spectacular but the last part caught him off guard. He returned his gaze to Arthur who was not so casually admiring the books on the shelf nearest him.

"Are you certain?"

Arthur didn't hesitate before whispering, "Yes."

"Thank you." 

Arthur just nodded, not taking his eyes off of the shelves as Merlin approached him.

"For finding the part of you that's not afraid to do better."

Arthur shifted slightly and after a moment of just standing together, side by side looking at the shelves of books in front of them Arthur said, "I have one more thing to show you."

Merlin, curious and interested, followed him to a small room in a back corner of the library. He followed Arthur in and it was quite small. A single mahogany table was in the center of the room and a large globe with the entire world's countries and continents were labeled in detail on it. Those were the only two objects in the whole room and Arthur set the candle down on the table right next to the globe.

"When the castle was cursed," he began, their shadows coalescing on the opposite wall, "the enchantress gave me two gifts, though they're more like cruel jokes. One was the mirror, which I believe you caught a glimpse of."

Merlin half smiled remembering that day he snuck into the west wing.  

"The second was this globe. She knew, and I knew, the world had no place for a beast like me, so she used that to torture me. This globe can take me anywhere in the world. All I have to do is touch anywhere on it, and it will bring me to that place."

"Why are you showing me this?"

Arthur turned to him. "Because if I can't use it what's the purpose of having it?"

"You want me to use it," Merlin concluded.

"It seemed like you wanted adventure. So have one."

Merlin stood in stunned silence. He was so tempted to spin the globe, close his eyes and find himself in a whole new place and do a whole bunch of different things...but for some reason, he couldn't do it.