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

May I Have This Dance?

A/N-I have included the song you can listen to as you read this chapter (can you guess what it is?) and I hope you enjoy it!!

Merlin was up in his room standing in front of the wardrobe waiting to get criticized on his attire. Every outfit the wardrobe had chosen for him he had put on, being assured that it was "the one" but after he had gotten himself into them the wardrobe didn't think it was the right choice.

So, here he was in outfit number five, in a deep red velvet vest and black pants that went down to his toes. It felt uncomfortable and he couldn't take one step forward without tripping. 

"Oh no, this simply won't do," the wardrobe insisted. 

"Not at all," Merlin agreed pushing back a sleeve that had tumbled down over his fingers. "Can't I just wear normal clothes? You know, comfortable brown jacket, comfortable shoes..." he stressed each adjective to clearly get his point across. 

It was fun, he had to admit, wearing the dressier clothes at his first dinner with Arthur, but it did help him discover that he didn't like it enough to wear on a daily basis. Every dinner he had with Arthur after that first one had a "No Formal Wear" rule because they both agreed that the act of simply eating dinner did not require formal clothes.

"No, that is simply unacceptable. If you are receiving lessons on dancing then you must learn in the proper attire. Now, I think I have just the thing. Where is that shirt?"

Merlin sighed. Arthur had told him to meet him in the ballroom in four hours when they were still in the library. There were still two more hours to go.

Arthur's POV

When Arthur arrived in his chambers after telling Merlin when to meet him in the ballroom (which Gwaine gladly showed him as he had walked into the library at that precise moment to deliver them tea and biscuits), he immediately began looking for something to wear. He had only worn a long cape since being transformed and all the clothes he used to wear when he was a prince were shut away in drawers under layers of dust. He felt that if he was going to teach Merlin to dance, he should wear the proper clothes and...start changing. On the outside too, as best he could.

Arthur made his way over to a wardrobe and threw open a door. He saw one of his blue shirts he remembered wearing often, so he pulled that out, wiped off the dust and held it up. It only took him a second to realize he had a problem. 

None of his clothes would fit him anymore.

Upon being transformed into a beast, Arthur had grown and changed so much there was no way he would ever be able to fit into any of the clothes he had worn before. He stood in his room, staring solemnly inside the wardrobe. Just another reminder that no matter how hard he tried he was still a beast.

A couple of minutes later he heard a sharp knock at his door.

"Come in," he intoned.

"Hello," a high-pitched voice greeted. Arthur glanced over and saw that it was Gwen.

"Hello."

"I just heard about what's planned for tonight. I expect it's so exciting for you!"

Arthur heard Gwen move closer to him.

"Master?" Gwen asked. "Is everything alright?"

He was about to say what was troubling him but realized that it would just sound like he was being stubborn and difficult. However, he made himself tell Gwen. Besides, she never was one to judge.

"I was looking for something to wear but then I realized...none of my old clothes are going to fit me," he replied ashamed. 

"Oh, that's no problem!" Gwen chirped. "The seamstresses and I can make something up for you."