Author Note: Hey everyone, thanks for reading so far and not giving up on me already - it's much appreciated :)...I know the story's a little slow to get going, after all, but I promise you things will start getting more interesting soon because Lady Dante's finally up and about - and things are never boring when she's around (I make sure of that, hehe). Besides...she has some unfinished business with Gwaine to attend to.

Still, more on that later. For now, enjoy this next chapter (even though it's only a short one), thank you for the wonderful reviews so far, and keep them coming! Even critisism is welcome (as long as it's constructive. Non constructive criticism gets fed to Aithusa - he's a hungry bugger, lol)

...

When Dante woke again, she felt almost refreshed. There was still the inevitable twinge of pain in her stomach when she moved, but her head felt clear and she had thrown off the fever, finally.

Sitting up very slowly and remembering her brief meeting with the young man when she'd woken earlier, she looked about the room again, hoping to see a familiar face. Unfortunately she was on her own, which meant that all the questions burning in the back of her mind would have to wait for now.

But it also meant that she was spared any embarrassment when she discovered that she was wearing a silken nightgown that was not her own. At some point someone must have dressed her in it, and she felt the blush of embarrassment creep onto her cheeks, regardless of the fact she was currently alone.

A quick glance out of the window told her that it was now late evening - if the sun setting on the horizon was anything to go by, so she'd been unconscious for pretty much most of the day. No wonder she felt so refreshed!

Deciding that she needed to find her own clothes again, sooner rather than later, she turned so that her legs dangled over the side of the bed. Then she gripped her side, feeling a slight twinge beneath the fabric of the nightgown and trying hard not to think of what she might see if she were to look. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to stand, gritting her teeth against the inevitable pain.

Before she'd even touched her feet to the ground, however, the door opened and the dark haired boy who she'd met briefly walked back in, bearing a folded bundle of emerald cloth.

"You're awake!" he beamed, obviously delighted. Dante was touched by his reaction, but also a little confused. Well, more than a little, truth be told.

Who was he?

She vaguely remembered hearing a name, during her brief state of semi-consciousness as she'd been carried in that giant knight's arms, somewhere.

"Gaius?" she asked, tentatively, not even sure if she'd actually heard right. The boy - or rather, young man as she'd only now noticed - chuckled and shook his head.

"Gaius is busy doing his rounds," he explained. "He's the court physician. I'm Merlin, his apprentice."

"Merlin?" she repeated, nodding as she memorised his face for future reference. So this was the famous Merlin, then? The boy she'd heard so much about? He wasn't exactly what she'd been expecting.

"And you're Lady Dante?" he asked,, cutting across her thoughts and matching her tentative tone now, hoping that he had not been informed wrong. She smiled and nodded.

"You heard that from Gwaine, I presume? I haven't actually been a Lady for several years now, so just Dante will do."

"You're not a Lady?" Merlin frowned, confused. Not really wanting to go into detail now and then have to repeat herself again to the king later, Dante merely shook her head.

"Long story. So, how long was I out?"

"About twenty four hours, give or take a few minutes," he replied after careful consideration. "You woke once, a few hours ago, but you've been pretty much out of it since then."

She nodded, remembering her brief moment of consciousness, then lapsed into silence once more.

Merlin set the bundle on the bed beside her, then pulled up a stool to sit on. "How do you feel?" he asked, his tone one of genuine concern.

"Better, thank you," she replied, once again touched by his apparent concern for her. He smiled, pleased, then nodded towards the bundle. "Compliments of Camelot's former First Lady."

"The Lady Morgana?" Dante asked, surprised, as she inspected the bundle to discover that it was in fact a beautiful and very elegant emerald gown, more befitting of a Princess than a Lady.

"You know of Morgana?" Merlin asked, equally as shocked. Dante raised an imperious eyebrow, looking at him as if he'd just asked her the most stupidly obvious question in the world.

"Everyone knows of the Lady Morgana," she told him matter-of-factly. "I'm surprised the King would even keep any of her stuff."

"He ordered everything to be destroyed, except her clothing," Merlin sighed. "I think he managed to convince himself that someday they'd find a use. Or maybe he couldn't bring himself to sever all ties from her completely? I don't really know, to be honest. "

"Must have been hard for him...her betrayal and all," Dante nodded knowingly, her voice soft and sad.

Merlin nodded as well. "It was hard on all of us. Still, it seems like Arthur's ready to move on now. Which is a good thing."

"Indeed. And I am very grateful," Dante smiled as she ran the silk through her fingers, watching the light dance off it. "It's a beautiful dress. Though I'm wondering...would it not be weird for me to be dressed in something that holds such bad memories for the Kingdom?"

"Morgana wasn't always bad. These dresses of hers hold many good memories as well," Merlin tried to sound convincing, but failed epically. Dante chose to ignore this, however, and focus on the positive.

"It's gorgeous. Thank you, Merlin."

"Don't thank me. Sir Gwaine was the one who managed to convince Arthur to dig them out of storage. I think he has a thing for you."

"Wouldn't surprise me," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Merlin paused and studied her for a moment, a wry smirk appearing slowly at the corners of his mouth. "Am I sensing some history, between you two?"

"Long story," she said again, eager not to stray into that particular territory just yet. Merlin clearly had more questions to bombard her with, but thankfully she was saved by a sharp rap at the door. Sir Leon entered, looked from Merlin to Dante, then smiled and nodded his head slightly to her.

"Milady," he greeted. Then he turned to the room's other occupant. "Merlin, Arthur's searching for you. Apparently he can't find his jacket for this evening, and you were the last one seen with it?"

"Can you tell him I put it..." Merlin started, and then paused, a look of dawning horror emerging slowly across his face. "I put it...erm...somewhere," he floundered, unable to actually remember WHERE he'd put it now.

"Well perhaps you'd better find it before Arthur finds you," Leon suggested, amused. Then he bowed his head to Dante and left.

Merlin shot to his feet in an instant, a look of wild panic in his eyes. "Would you excuse me?" he asked Dante, who smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Is something happening tonight?"

"It's the King's birthday, and I've lost his jacket," Merlin groaned. "He's going to kill me, if I don't find it."

"The King's birthday?" Dante repeated, thoughtfully, as Merlin began a frantic search of the immediate area for the offending jacket.

"There's a feast this evening. You should come," Merlin called as he ran into his room, emerging seconds later still wild eyed with panic. "You could wear that dress. That's if you're up for it, of course."

"I'll think about it," she nodded, highly amused by his frantic search. "Surely the King won't mind wearing a different jacket?" she suggested after a moment, but Merlin merely paused, stared at her incredulously, then carried on hunting.

"You don't know Arthur," he called as he finally ran from the room to check other parts of the Citadel.

"No," Dante agreed quietly with a slight smirk. "But I will do, soon enough."