Once again French translations will be at the bottom of every chapter!
Chapter Two: Blanquette de veau and Good Impressions.
Cooking was something that was always a refuge for Merlin. When they had first moved to Ealdor, France he had been confused and alone. Before he had cooked occasionally when his mother would trust him with the kitchen, but when they had to move she handed him a old cook books with a sad smile when she noticed his dazed look. He had carried the cook book with him at all times, Mastering The Old Religion of French Cooking, the book was littered with doggy ears and his scrawl inside of it where he had added notes and results.
Merlin would always came home from school, and immediately pull that book out of his canvas bag, flipping to a new page before starting dinner. Even when his mother had to work long hours at her work and she would come home well late, Merlin would still have a plate of warm delicious French food waiting in the oven. The day after Merlin turned Eighteen, his mother called him down the stairs and sat him down at their kitchen table. She explained to him how she was sending him away to Gaius, an old friend of hers. She told him how Gaius had said when he had heard of Merlin's talent of cooking he had agreed to pay for his collage in the culinary arts.
Two days later his best friend Will had drove him over to Gaius's house in Paris and his new life had started there.
§O§
Merlin shook his dark head before turning back to his Mirepoix after his discussion with the Restaurant Manager, Arthur Pendragon. He wiped his knife clean of the stray bits of vegetables before scooping it into a small bowl. He turned around pouring the Mirepoix into the stew pot that had a ragout of veal being cooked in it.
"I assume that is your famous blanquette de veau?" A female English voice asked from behind him, he turned around seeing the face of Morgana LeFay, the head cook.
Merlin Smiled,"Oh yes, Miss. LeFay-"
"Don't worry Merlin, were all on a first name base in this kitchen, you can call me Morgana." Morgana smiled showing all of her pearly white teeth as she stirred the dish he had been cooking.
"Well as I was saying Will told me Arthur would want to taste something I cooked for dinner tonight, I thought I would make the blanquette." Merlin smiled taking the spoon away from Morgana.
"Smells delicious, I'm already jealous of Arthur," Morgana glared at the door to Arthur's office. "But then again I know there will be leftovers from his plate."
Merlin looked up from his pot looking confused. "What do you mean?"
Morgana looked around with a shift of her eyes, before leaning in closely to Merlin. "Arthur doesn't like French food- his mother Ygraine used to be a chef, she cook French food and after his mother passed away he couldn't stand the taste of it anymore."
"Pauvre Arthur" Merlin gasped, before realizing he had lapsed into French. "Then why does he work here at this restaurant then if it brings up so many bad memories?"
"I don't know Merlin, but I have keep you from your blanquette for long enough, get back to work." Morgana smiled and went back to where she was making the pastries for the dinner crowd tonight. He sighed shaking his head at the new knowledge about his boss, and turned back to his refuge.
§O§
"Merlin, Arthur veut votre nourriture dès maintenant!" Will yelled from across the kitchen from where he was chopping carrots.
"Ouvrez vos yeux Will! Merlin devient Arthur sa nourriture!" Morgana yelled at him from her station, her eyes narrowing into a glare at Will. Merlin grinned picking up his plate up from the counter top walking out of the kitchen, looking around the dining floor before seeing Freya, a sweet little French girl With big brown eyes and wavy dark hair, pointing to a table in the corner which, low and behold, Arthur was sitting at it. Merlin walked up unnoticed to Arthur who was playing with a empty wine glass.
"Are you going to stand there until I make a sign I've noticed you?" Arthur deadpanned raising one blonde eyebrow at Merlin when he didn't make any move.
"Well you just made a sign you noticed me. " Merlin smiled cheekily setting down the plate of warm food.
"So, what have you made?" Arthur asked looking at the plate of food, setting down his glass.
"Its Blanquette de veau, Gaius says it's my best dish." Smiled Merlin, sitting across from Arthur when the blonde motioned to the chair across from him.
"Oh, yes, I remember Morgana said something about how Gaius knows you, care to elaborate?"Arthur asked twirling his fork in his fingers.
"Oh, I lived with him while I got my degree in the culinary arts, and I knew him since I was very little." Merlin smiled. "Well you go ahead, Bon Appétit."
Arthur rolled his eyes before stabbing a piece of the veal in the plate, sticking it in his mouth his eyes widening. "Oh my God." He whispered looking down at the food. "You made this?" He asked indignantly looking from the food to Merlin.
"So surprised?" Merlin laughed leaning forward onto the table, taking a bottle of Volnay from a passing waiter, one that had ginger hair and beard, and filled up Arthur's wine glass.
"Very surprised." Arthur laughed eating more of the food. "Well Merlin, for looking like such an idiot you can actually cook, so good job I suppose. Now go cook more of this food, and tell Morgana you actually made a good impression, you'll probably make her have a heart attack." Arthur pointed the fork at the kitchen doors watching Merlin walk away laughing.
§O§
Later Arthur and Morgana were sitting at the center table in the middle of the dining room, both sipping the last of the red wine.
"So how did Merlin do?" Morgana eventually broke the comfortable silence between them.
"What didn't he tell you?" Arthur asked back swirling the wine around in the bottom of the glass.
"No, he just grinned for the rest of the night, so I assumed it was good news." Morgana laughed drinking the rest of the wine in her glass setting it down on the table.
"It was well, bloody fantastic, I never thought French food could taste that good." Arthur sighed shaking his head, clearly thinking back to his dinner.
"So your aren't mad at Uther at hiring him without telling you anymore?" Morgana inquired raising a black eye brow.
"I think I'll find it in my heart to forgive him." Arthur smirked back at her. "Did you know Gaius actually paid for his collage? That old food critic actually paid for Merlin's education, and no matter how good he cooks, he's still an idiot."
"It's because Gaius recognizes talent Arthur, and plus his basically Merlin's uncle, Merlin's mother and Gaius have been friends forever."
"How you know all these things I will never know Morgana." Arthur sighed shaking his head, standing up offering Morgana his hand which she took, pulling herself up.
"Well, let's say not only Uther has connections." Morgana smirked turning on her heel walking out of the restaurant, leaving a confused Arthur in her wake.
Again.
§O§
AN: Here is the edited and revised chapter two!
Oh and a little funny thing to tell you about how Merlin took the bottle of wine from a waiter? Yeah, he took it from Leon actually.
French Translations:
Pauvre Arthur- Poor Arthur
Arthur veut votre nourriture dès maintenant!- Arthur wants your food now!
Ouvrez vos yeux Will! Merlin devient Arthur sa nourriture!- Open your eyes Will! Merlin is getting Arthur his food!
Bon appétit- Enjoy your meal.
Volnay- Is a fruity high acid red wine that goes well with Blanquette de veau.