Elena, the head seamstress, wasn't too bad to deal with. In fact, she had been the one who had shown Merlin how to mend Arthur's tunics. Merlin admired the woman, but found that she had very little in common with her.

But, the woman was kind, and Merlin needed to learn how to make small-talk with virtually anyone if she was going to be any use as a queen, so eventually, the conversation picked up, and Merlin learned all about Elena's life. Elena was actually very interesting. Very familiar to Merlin, but interesting nonetheless.

The dress, however, was quite something. Merlin had never seen anything quite like it. Of course, Morgana's gowns had always been showy and intricate, but never had Merlin been in the presence, let alone in, a gown this nice. It was constructed of heavy fabrics that Merlin had never heard of. They were soft and shiny, red and gold, and entirely too nice for what Merlin thought she deserved. Apparently, Elena really wanted to make sure that people knew who the king had chosen for his wife, and she hoped that the color association would help in that.

After a few hours of standing for the fittings, Elena sent Merlin away, requesting that she return the following day for another fitting. Merlin agreed to return, dreading standing for that long again, but excited to see what the dress, closer to being finished, would look like on her. It was almost as if she was excited about the wedding or something.

Another few fittings later, the dress was finished, and Merlin was astounded by how she looked in it. Vanity had never been an issue with Merlin, but as she stared at herself in the looking glass, it was very clear that she was capable of looking the part of queen. Maybe Arthur had been right; maybe she was cut out for this job.

The night before the wedding, Merlin sat in her room, idly tidying up with the use of magic, when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" she called.

Gwen opened the door and smiled wanly at Merlin. "Good evening, my lady."

"Gwen!" Merlin exclaimed as she rose to her feet. "How have you been?"

Gwen seemed startled by Merlin's outburst, but didn't confirm Merlin's suspicions by saying anything. Instead, she set a handsome wooden box down on Merlin's table and gestured for Merlin to open it. Merlin could tell, based on the dragon carved into the lid, that this was something Arthur had sent to her rooms.

"What is it?"

"Arthur didn't say, but gave explicit instructions that you, and only you, are to open it. Personally, I'm a bit curious. Do you mind if I say while you do so?"

Merlin, who had been examining the box, turned to Gwen and smiled. "Of course! So, Arthur sent it?"

Gwen nodded and sat down on the bench. Merlin slowly undid the latch on the box and lifted the lid gingerly. An audible gasp escaped her as she pushed the lid back as far as it would go. "Oh my goodness," she murmured.

Merlin turned the box around so Gwen could see the contents of the box. Gwen also let out a gasp before she glanced up at Merlin, who looked absolutely petrified. "This is what Arthur was telling me about; the jewelry his mother wore on her wedding day. Why would he send this? This is far too lavish," Merlin whispered.

Gwen gave a supportive smile. "Merlin, he adores you. And it is a great honor that he wishes for you to wear the jewelry his mother wore. I think it says a great deal about what he sees in you."

"Does he see me as a woman like his mother?"

"I can't say, but I would wear this jewelry with great pride. He obviously wishes for you to do so."

Merlin nodded and slowly closed the lid. She redid the latch and pushed the box carefully to the center of the table. "Gwen, what if I can't do this?"

Gwen squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, reminding Merlin that it had been Gwen that everyone had expected to marry Arthur. Why Arthur had sent Gwen to Merlin's chambers with the wedding set was beyond Merlin, but it was clear that Gwen probably was not the best person for Merlin to voice her doubts about the marriage. There was no need for Gwen to be made uncomfortable because Merlin was self-conscious.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have asked," Merlin blurted. "I've gotten so caught up in all the rush of the wedding that I haven't heard about how you are doing. How are you doing?"

Merlin was doing splendidly with her conversational skills that evening. Gwen, looking even more alienated than before, hesitated before answering. "I'm doing well, my lady."

It wasn't going to be an easy process talking with Gwen, apparently. Merlin decided that it was time to abandon that notion and give Gwen some reprieve. "Thank you Gwen. For everything. And I hope that you enjoy yourself tomorrow. I want everyone to enjoy themselves; it seems wrong otherwise."

This pulled a smile from Gwen, who nodded slightly before she dropped her head and headed toward the door. "Do you require my services for anything else, Merlin?"

Merlin felt sick. Gwen shouldn't have to wait on her. Gwen was nobler than anyone Merlin knew, and here she was, asking if she could serve Merlin. "No, I don't think so. Thank you, Gwen. Enjoy your evening."

Gwen ducked out of the room, leaving Merlin to her own devices.

Of course, Merlin had never taken too nicely to being left to her own devices. There was always some way she could cause trouble, but right then, all she wanted to do was to run after Gwen and apologize profusely for helping to embarrass her in front of all of Camelot, for taking her place. Gwen should be in her place; the dress would look better on her anyway. The jewelry, Igraine's jewelry, would better suit Gwen anyway.

Merlin cared for Arthur; it seemed as though the whole of her existence surrounded Arthur in some sort of protective shell. There had to be some amount of concern in order for Merlin to be valuable in Arthur's life. And it had been proven time and time again that Merlin would give her life to spare Arthur's. But, did that equate to love?

Did she love him?

She groaned and slammed her forehead into the side of the table. This, of course, warranted a loud and very unladylike swear. Fortunately, she didn't think anyone heard her. They would have only hampered her thinking. She needed to figure out if she loved Arthur or not, preferably before she married him, but even if she figured it out after saying her vows, that would be good too.

Rubbing her head, Merlin reached over for the box and pulled it closer to her. Slowly, she reopened the box, not feeling nearly as guilty as she had when Gwen was in the room, and stared at the lavish metalwork of the necklace, bracelet, and coronet. There was confusing metal netting that Merlin couldn't make heads or tails of, but suspected that someone in the castle could figure it out. It was clear that Merlin was to wear all of the pieces tomorrow.

Gingerly, she pulled the necklace from the velvet padding and held the surprisingly heavy accessory in her hands. Normally, she didn't feel anything warm or comforting in metal pieces, but for whatever reason, this piece felt… like home. Like it was meant for her to wear. So, of course, she dropped it back into the box (carefully, of course) and backed away after closing the lid and latching it shut.

Merlin clamored into bed, still fully dressed, and pulled the covers over herself. She stared out the window, noting that it had started to rain. Rain the night before the wedding day. That couldn't be a good sign.

The rain must have helped clear her mind, because the next thing she was aware of was the fact that it was light outside. It was still raining, but the day had begun and she had slept through the night. And it was her wedding day.

The most logical thing Merlin could think of doing? Stripping down and changing into a shift to go run out in the rain. She doubted that anyone would be awake at that point, and if they were awake, they were working to prepare for the wedding.

If this didn't quell her nerves, she wasn't quite sure what would. But, this made sense, and she needed some sense in her life if she was ever going to get through her wedding day with her sanity intact.