Gwen had always loved the beautiful dresses that Morgana wore. At first, they had been a dream, an impossible one, forever out of reach.
Then she married Arthur and the dream became reality.
Until Arthur died and the dresses became masks to hide behind, and her silks felt as hard as steel.
. . . . .
Gwen Thompson loved the princess dresses she picked every Halloween and insisted on wearing every day her first week of school. Anything more than cheap synthetic materials was out of the question though, naturally.
Or it was until prom when her father surprised her with a beautiful silk mermaid concoction that felt so right and so wrong, just like watching the dance floor with her forgettable date until she was dizzy with half formed memories.
Her dates with Arthur were much better. She borrowed a dress from the drama club for the Renaissance Fair he took her to.
Velvet and lace. A heavy crown. Arthur. She remembered it all. So did he.
She wore a white ballgown to her wedding and smacked Merlin when he teased her about a dress triggering memories he'd been trying to for months.
And this time, silk was allowed to stay silk and not become steel.
. . . . .
A/N: This was originally one of twenty gift fics for my sister's birthday. She has generously allowed me to post it online. Thanks, sis!
