AN: Hello my dear readers and welcome to another one of my based on another existing work, genderbend AU! This time it's based on the Korean TV drama, "Boys Over Flowers" featuring girl!Merlin! I should also mention that this is a modern, non-magical AU as well! Another random note to add is that all the chapter titles will be flowers that symbolize something that I think goes with the chapter. I also will change POVs seemingly on a whim, but I try and mostly stay in Merlynn's or Arthur's POVs. Quick note, this chapter may include some triggers; so warning! Also, this has not been beta read, so please excuse my appalling writing skills! This is a reupload. Anyway, as usual, I don't own anything and please read and review!
Ch. 1 - "Dandelion"
Merlynn carefully tied her blue neckerchief around her face, so that when riding her old bicycle, she wouldn't get bugs or dirt in her mouth or up her nose. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world, but she was glad she could do anything to help her parents' little dry cleaning business. She put the dry cleaning that needed to be delivered unto a somewhat unstable pole that attached to the end of her bicycle and slowly but surely made her way to the private collage of Camelot University, where only the richest of the rich attended. Merlynn was almost jealous of the client she was delivering to, because Camelot University had the best program for pre-med, and Merlynn really wanted to become a doctor, like her favorite Uncle Gauis, who lived much too far away for Merlynn's liking. However, Merlynn also knew that Camelot University had a reputation for its snotty, posh students, who never appreciated anything, let alone the education they were getting; so Merlynn was thankful that she didn't go there and instead went to the nearby community college. It was cheap enough for Merlynn to pay for tuition with all the aid she was getting and part time jobs she had helped pay for her education as well. Plus she got to live on campus with her best friend, Gwen! So, Merlynn couldn't really complain too much about her lot in life, she always knew that things could be worse that what she had, and so she was extremely thankful for what she did have.
As Merlynn parked her old bicycle in front of the large main building she heard a crowd that was cheering, jeering, and shouting at something. She wandered around until she found the crowd, and she looked up to see what they were all shouting at. On the top of the tall, brick building, looking like he was going to jump, stood a short, lanky young man with large brown eyes and short, wavy brown hair. Merlynn gasped in horror as she looked around for anybody that could help the poor, young man down and hopefully spare his life and get the help he most certainly needed. But as she looked around, she just noticed that nobody was willing to go help the poor man, so she made a quick decision and entered the building herself, hoping that when she got to the roof, the young man wouldn't have jumped.
Merlynn breathed a sigh a relief as she noticed that the young man was still on the ledge of the building when Merlynn finally made it onto the roof. Carefully, so as not to scare him, she edged toward him and cried out in a calming voice, "Hi, I'm Merlynn. What's your name?" "It doesn't matter anymore! Who cares what my name is! I hate this! I hate this sticking place!," he cried out as tears streamed down his face.
"I care," Merlynn calmly replied as she continued to creep closer to him.
The young man scoffed, obviously not buying her concern, but eventually said, "Not that it matters anymore, but my name is Morris Servant."
"Morris Servant?," Merlynn couldn't believe it, for her right in front of her, contemplating his own death was her client that she was supposed to deliver dry cleaning to! "Well, good thing I found you, because I have your dry cleaning," Merlynn said sincerely.
Morris scoffed sadly at Merlynn's enthusiasm and finally replied, "I'm sorry, but it seems that I will not being paying for my dry cleaning. You just don't understand! No one does! 'This will teach him,' that's all it said..." Merlynn was confused by what Morris just said, but she didn't have long to deliberate when suddenly Morris said, "Goodbye," and jumped. Luckily, Merlynn had been close enough to catch the young man just as he was jumping and drag him back onto the safety of the roof.
Thanks to her heroic stunt, Merlynn soon became a little local hero of sorts. The story of how she rescued Morris from jumping kept coming up on the news, in the newspaper, and even the school newspapers for both Camelot Private University and Ealdor Community College. Merlynn basked in the glow of recognition while it lasted, but she was really only happy to know that she helped someone in some small way. Merlynn happily continued going about her life when one day, she went to visit her parents and saw them sitting across from a slightly older gentleman with short gray hair, wearing a pristine suit, and steely gray eyes that seem to cut through anyone in an instant. "Ah, Miss Emrys, We were just discussing you, please join us," the man said in a powerful voice. As Merlynn sat near her parents in silent confusion, the man said, "I am Uther Pendragon and I am the President of Camelot Private University and in return for your heroic actions, the university is prepared to offer an extremely lucrative scholarship and an appointed internship to any opportunities that are present to you upon graduation. Your parents told me of your desire to enter into the medical field, and I do not need to tell you that Camelot Private has the best pre-med program and with this scholarship you can go far. So what do you say?"
Merlynn was stunned into silence and couldn't believe what she just heard. "I guess I could say that I would be a fool to pass up on this opportunity," Merlynn quietly said after a few minutes of quiet reflection.
Merlynn sighed as she looked down at her new uniform. She couldn't believe that she would really have a scholarship to one of the best schools for pre-med! She promised herself that she would bare anything that came her way, as long as she graduated! She didn't mind the constant teasing about her obvious lack of money, she didn't care that she didn't know anyone that she could call friend at this school, she didn't mind that all the students acted like privileged gits! She just gritted her teeth and continued to study hard and make the most of this extremely rare opportunity.
Merlynn was suddenly brought out of her thoughts when she noticed a group of people fawning over a small posse coming into the building. The leader of the posse was a young blonde man with a chiseled jaw and proud, blue eyes; then there was a Hispanic looking young man with warm, but slightly distant brown eyes and slightly wavy brown hair; a roguishly good looking young man with mischievous brown eyes and an unshaven beard (obviously disregarding the rules), a slightly taller young man with reddish wavy hair that seemed bored and put upon to be there, and a very tall and muscular young man with short brown hair and brown eyes. Merlynn admitted that the young men were all attractive, but she didn't see what exactly was the fuss all about and so she asked a young woman standing next to her. The young blonde woman quickly turned and whispered harshly, "Were you born under a rock?! Seriously what planet are you from?!" Obviously overhearing the conversation, the blonde's friend turned and said with a smirk and a flick of her brownish blonde hair, "That's the scholarship student, Viv. Of course she wouldn't know who they were." The blonde named Viv laughed condescendingly before their other friend turned and answered in a slightly bored tone and she twirled her long, wavy hair, "That is Percy Hooper, he's the current Heavyweight Champion of Albion and he comes from a long line of pure bred fighters," she said pointing to the large, muscular one, "That's Leon Knight, his father is on the board of trustees for the school," she said gesturing to the red head, "Gwaine Lottson," she pointed out the roguish looking one, "no one knows for sure exactly what his connects are. Everyone just knows that he has a lot of money and he likes to spend it on charming his way into every girl's pants that he meets." Continuing on by pointing out the Hispanic one, "Lance du Lac, his father is also one the board of trustees and he also owns the biggest steel manufacturing plant in Albion," and with of reverence in her eyes, she finally pointed out the blonde that was leading the posse, "and that is Arthur Pendragon, his father is the President at this school and also owns Pendragon Industries. The students call their group "The Knights." Everyone worships and adores them for obvious reasons and anyone who gets in their way will suddenly find a mysterious note with a target that says "This will teach him/her" in their belongings, and the rest is history," she vaguely said and Merlynn remembered that Morris said those exact words before he jumped! It was obvious that these people were harassing anyone they could! "So if I were you," the long-haired brunette continued snidely, "I would definitely make myself scare around them, you're sure to end up with a note just for being you."
Suddenly, the blonde named Arthur started shouting at a scared young man that apparently had accidentally spilled something on the blonde's expensive outfit. "You idiot! Do you have any idea how much this costs?!," he yelled in anger with Leon tried to lead the blonde away, but Arthur was having none of it and continued to berate the poor young man. Merlynn had seen and heard enough. She boldly stepped out in front of the blonde with her hands on her hips, blocking his view of the scared young man he had yelling at, and said, "That's enough. You've had your fun, my friend." Arthur didn't look the least bit intimidated by this tall, lanky girl and asked with a cock of his eyebrow, "Do I know you?"
"No," Merlynn answered with a roll of her eyes and stated, "I'm Merlynn."
"So, I don't know you," he replied back with a smug smile, "Yet you called me friend."
"My mistake."
"Yes, I bet it was."
"I never would have a friend who could be such an ass!"
The crowd gasped while some tried to withhold their snickering as Arthur who was totally baffled at the nerve of this girl said, "You can't say that to me! Do you know who I am?!"
"Yes, I do," Merlynn simply replied, "Just because your father is the President of this school, doesn't mean that you can act that a royal ass!," Merlynn quickly turned on her heel, patted the young, scared man gently on the back and calmly walked away, not wanting to get into an actual fight. Arthur watched her leave in befuddled amusement. If this Merlynn thought this was over than she had another thing coming. Their war had just begun.
AN2: A dandelion is symbolic for hope and/or grief.