Work Text:
Merlin was having an interesting night at the Ascetir ball.
He had turned up mostly for his adopted sister, Gwen’s, sake. He was here to be her shield from their family’s unfortunate lack of social graces. Hunith meant well but she did have a habit of talking about the future as if it were set in stone and seeing love and marriage in every gesture by Sir Lancelot. Balinor wasn’t mean or unreasonable, but his face most often fell into a scowl that could scare off even the most secure of suitors. And let’s not start on Freya – if she didn’t quiet her sometimes cruel comments, someone was going to curse her into a beast.
He was also attending partially in hope that Sir Mordred would be here. After their talk in Ealdor a few days past, Merlin was extremely curious about what Prince Arthur was like as a child. While he was a disagreeable dollophead now, he couldn’t quite imagine what he had done to poor Sir Mordred to make his eyes shine with such hatred as they had in Ealdor. Instead, Sir Mordred was not to be found at the ball and he was forced to dance with his insufferable cousin Morgause. If he had to hear more about her “esteemed patron” Lady Nimueh he truly thought he’d explode.
“I am a practicing high priestess under her most excellent tutelage.” Yes, so you’ve said. 10 times.
“She truly is the most powerful sorcerer.” I am quite certain I am more powerful than her.
“I do try and live by the tenants she speaks as they are truly from the mouth of the triple goddess herself.” Has she ever spoken to the triple goddess? Highly unlikely.
Merlin was quite sure that if she were not so aware of the difference in station, she would have offered herself to Lady Nimueh in as many other ways as possible. Even as a bloody sacrifice if that were still a custom.
Then when Merlin had fled the dance floor with his best friend, Will, he had nearly run straight into Prince Arthur and accepted to dance with him.
“Did I just agree to dance with Sir Arthur?” Merlin muttered to Will after dragging him behind a pillar.
“You did. Maybe you do find him tolerable.” He said in a teasing voice.
Merlin elbowed him softly in the stomach. “That’s not possible because I swore to hate him for all eternity.”
Will laughed. “Sucks to be you, mate. Can’t help you there.”
Merlin groaned and steeled himself for the dance to come.
***
They waited for the dance to begin in stoic silence.
Merlin was determined to wait for Prince Arthur to speak first as he was the one that asked him to dance but soon realised that Prince Arthur wasn’t going to speak at all unless prompted. He rather looked like he’d swallowed a toad. Merlin hoped it was true to make up for the cruel things he’d said at the last ball.
But Merlin could not dance in silence, so he took the chance and prompted him.
“I do love this dance.”
The Prince seemed almost startled, “Indeed, most, uh, invigorating.”
They did another step of the dance in silence. “It’s your turn to say something, Sire - I talked about the dance, now you should talk about the size of the room or the number of couples.” Merlin said.
“Fine. What should I say next then?” Prince Arthur lightly snapped.
“That’ll work for now.” Another step in the dance. “I might say that private balls are nicer than public ones.” A glance at the Prince. “And now we may stay silent.”
Arthur broke the next silence, “do you talk as a rule while dancing, or is it an incessant compulsion?”
Merlin had to bite his tongue not to call him an ass, but what came out wasn’t all that much more polite. “No, no. Only when my partner is of a prattish and antisocial disposition who believes every word they say is from the mouth of one god or another.”
Now that looked like it rattled him, has faced pulled into a frown. He pulled close and said, “Do you and your sisters often walk to Ealdor?”
Finally, some initiative! Unfortunately for him, the choreography then separated them, so Merlin had time to formulate a response. Doubly unfortunate that Merlin was never afraid to push buttons to get answers.
“Yes, we do. It’s such a good opportunity to meet new people.” Now time for a reaction. “In fact, when you saw us, we’d just met a new acquaintance.”
Prince Arthur stiffened noticeably. “Yes, Sir Mordred is good at making acquaintances, not often that they turn to friends though.” There was a bucket of venom flowing through those words, and Merlin was going to find out why.
“Well he’s obviously lost your friendship. Are you as cautious with your resentment as you’re rumoured to be with your hunting?”
This time his stiffened spine extended to Merlin and they gave up the pretence of dancing for a moment to trade barbs.
“I am. What are these questions even for?”
“I’m trying to figure you out.”
“What have you figured so far?”
“Very little. Whether that is because there is nothing to figure or because of a hidden depth, I have yet to know.”
Prince Arthur then moved them seamlessly back into the dance before too many curious onlookers made note of the pause. His grip on Merlin’s hand loosened but were full of tension, as if he were stopping himself from clenching them into fists.
“I hope to provide you more clarity in future.” Prince Arthur maintained eye contact throughout the sentence and the remained of the dance.
It felt like the hall had emptied and it was just the two of them left trying to figure out the other first. Merlin was nearly convinced he had removed everyone else from the room before the clapping bought him back to the present. And the end of the dance.
Merlin clapped along for the sake of the band then bowed and left as fast as wouldn’t attract attention – feeling eyes on him the whole way out of the room.