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

On My Mind

Merlin raced across the stone bridge in front of the castle and then the winding dirt paths in the forest. His horse, Alamar, had been at the castle the weeks he was there and now, as Merlin ducked to avoid low hanging branches, he could hear the horse's heavy breathing as he rushed off into the night. 

Merlin concentrated all his energy on getting to his mother and on making sure she was alright. He tried not to think about Arthur's reasons for letting him leave and on how they danced less than half an hour ago. Instead, he slowed Alamar down to take a closer look at his surroundings. He had to make sure they were headed in the right direction, as the last time he saw this forest was five weeks ago.

His eyes almost immediately landed on a few shards of glass that he knew where from his mother's shattered lantern. He allowed Alamar to pick up the pace and they bolted in that direction. 

Arthur's POV

He heard who was coming before he saw them. He let his eyes flicker away from the rose and focus on who was now on the floor in front of him. 

"Why was Merlin running out of the castle?" Gwaine interrogated. "Everything was going well, wasn't it? Why is he leaving? You have to go after him!"

"No," Arthur exhaled. "I let him go."

"You did what? But why?" Gaius asked.

Arthur looked longingly at the window. "I just had to."

No one said anything for a moment. 

He heard Gwen say, "You love him."

Arthur's body tensed, then he hastily left the room. 

Merlin's POV

Merlin heard Ealdor before he saw it. His home was right at the edge of town, the forest practically his backyard, so he was certain the townspeople as well as his mother were at his house. 

Alamar barrelled out of the woods at top speed, bringing them right into the midst of whatever was going on. He spotted a large carriage with a small window crossed with metal bars and a metal lock on it. He had only seen this cart twice while living in Ealdor but when he did it wasn't for a good reason. 

He also saw Morgana. She was standing in front of the window on the locked side of the cart as if she had just slammed it shut. The crowd held torches, which he knew (or at least hoped) was for light, but it made the scene look that much more sinister.

"Stop!" Merlin screamed as loud as he could while bringing Alamar to a halt. He jumped down from the horse and rushed over to where Morgana was standing, latching on to the bars over the window and peering in to see his mother, looking terrified.

"Merlin," she breathed, her face lighting up a bit as she caught sight of her son. 

"What are you doing? Let her out!" Merlin yanked on the iron bars praying they would give.

"Sorry, but that's just not an option. Though I promise, he'll be in good hands," the man who Merlin recognized as the asylum owner assured in a not so promising tone. 

"My mother is not crazy! You have to let her go, please!"

"We're just doing what's best for her," Morgana piped up. "She's been going on about a beast and a monster and it's clear that she's not in her right mind."

"But she's telling the truth! I was just at his castle!"

At this chuckles erupted in the crowd.