Title: Regency Dance
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Pride and Prejudice lite.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 210
Prompt: 366: Historical au
Author's Notes: Lifelong Janeite here.
“Who on earth is that very stiff man looking down his nose at us?” Merlin Emrys asked his best friend, Gwen Smith, as he led her through the figures of a country dance.
Gwen laughed and said, “Why, that’s Arthur Pendragon. He is a single man in possession of a good fortune, and all the girls have run mad over him!”
“It looks like he has run mad over himself,” Merlin replied. “He has such a cold, arrogant look. He seems to think himself superior to everyone here.”
Merlin decided to ignore the other man, no matter how handsome he might be. But as he finished the dance, he could feel Pendragon’s intense blue eyes raking over his body. He involuntarily shivered under that sensual gaze.
Merlin and Gwen sat out the next dance. As they were sitting sipping their punch, Merlin saw Pendragon approaching them, and said under his breath, “Gwen, he is coming over to ask you to dance. Act surprised.”
But Merlin was the one who was surprised in the end. Because Mr. Pendragon bowed deeply over Merlin’s hand and said, “May I have the honor of this dance?”
To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice