Never Judge A Book By Its Cover... Or An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 1

Hi, got this idea after hearing about the series 3 spoiler that Arthur was going to have donkey ears (can't wait for that episode!) and it was also inspired by the film 'Penelope'. By the way this is a modern au fic just so you know. Enjoy.

Xxx

'There goes another one', Arthur sighed looking through the stained glass window of the Pendragon mansion to see a panicking woman frantically running across the gravel (they had given up on grass due to the constant heel digging) of the front garden in her heels, so close to freedom and out of the gate only to be dragged back in with Gaius the butler and his handy pair of trainers for these regular events. As normal the woman was dragged back inside, gagged until she swore on her life she wouldn't tell a soul and let free living with the true nightmares that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Merlin was stood beside Arthur like a dog to his master, his ever faithful friend and servant looking on as the blonde haired woman silently walked her way to freedom after the slight kidnapping and gagging until she swore to secrecy. 'You'll find one eventually and anyway you didn't really want that Vivian girl did you, to be honest I don't think even the most desperate of people would', Merlin joked trying to lighten up the mood but it was difficult when the same thing happened all the time.

Arthur just stood there unmoved by Merlin's nervous laughter, frozen to the spot he simply asked 'And when will eventually be?' knowing that Merlin wouldn't be able to reply, knowing that nobody could reply, no-one knew if Arthur was going to get a girl never mind when. Merlin was never silent, he always had something to say, something to comment on, something to laugh about, he was like a walking chatterbox but now he was, unable to voice his thoughts without hurting his friend's feelings and Arthur knew it.

'Exactly', Arthur mumbled turning around to face Merlin so that he could now see Arthur's ears properly now. They were great big monstrous things sticking out of the top of his head. They were two furry well more like hairy, grey, long donkey ears that moved to his every emotion but these days Merlin had noticed they had kept in the same position, drooping down like the sadness that lay inside him. Every- one in the aristocratic house-hold knew the tale of how they got to be there but the story was never allowed into the outside world for fear of humiliation and the media. The tale of which a barren wife named Duchess Igraine was able to bear children after the help of a witch- doctor called Nimueh in a far away land with a shocking curse. The shocking curse was Arthur. Through the Duke Uther's determination to succeed in having an heir in the Pendragon dynasty he had risked his wife's life and his own for the sake of a son with horrible side- effects and that was how Arthur was born and brought into the family. Yet they knew that for the curse to be broken Arthur would have to find someone to love him for who he was and see the real him behind the donkey ears.

'I told you we should have gagged them and got them to sign the paper before they met Arthur', Uther said to Gaius walking up the stairs to Arthur's chambers.

'Of course sire. We shall put that into action next time', Gaius replied. He was getting to old for all this running.

'Arthur', Uther beamed now entering his son's room with Gaius at his side.

'Father', Arthur acknowledged turning around to face his father, hands behind his back. He and his father were so formal compared to other father son relationships, there were no hugs involved, no heart to hearts and sometimes Arthur even called his own father sire but that may have been because the both of them were so different to each other and had such different opinions of the world.

'Just came up to ask you how you think it went?', Uther said. Arthur was now into his late twenties, when Uther was his age he had already been married and had a child and yet Arthur was still left lonely.

'Rubbishly', he grunted.

'Nonsense it wasn't that bad. I mean she wasn't screaming when she first got into the room', Uther retorted determined to get his sons spirits up.

'That was because I wasn't in the room when she first got in', Arthur replied making his point.

'Ahh right', Uther sighed finally getting the jest to what his son was saying. 'Well you know what they say, there's plenty of other fish in the sea', he smiled only to be met by his son's scowl.

Uther just didn't get it, Arthur was sick of his schemes to find him a woman, it was tiring and pointless. But Uther would never give up; he wanted to carry on the Pendragon dynasty and for the curse on his son to be broken and what was even worse was that Uther was a spoilt brat, he always got what he wanted no matter what the cost and so he determinedly keep on at Arthur teaching him ten different languages, to be charming, to make himself look handsome, to cook and clean just so he would be the perfect husband. Arthur didn't want to go through the rejection anymore and pain of people looking at him as if he was a monster; it had happened so much that he had learnt to believe it. To believe that he was the monster.

Arthur had everything he could ever want but nothing he needed. He needed to be normal, to experience life instead of being cooped up in his home like a mouse trapped in a cage, he needed his mother to be alive and there for him and most of all he needed someone who would love him and accept him for who he was and not treat him like an outcast. Someone who wouldn't judge a book by its cover... or a aristocrat by his ears.

Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think by reviewing if you can so I know whether to carry this story on or not. Byee!