Hi! Chapter Two is here! This fic is turning very Merlin/Arthur friendship, but I think it works. There's no other character's yet! PLEASE if you have any ideas, comments, suggestions, problems, give a review!

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Arthur sighed. "Merlin, stop hitting your head against the desk. It's very expensive."

Merlin paused, rubbing his forehead. "Okay, sire, do you know how we're going to find 'The Box'?"

Arthur glared. "No, but it is hard to concentrate when all I hear is a continuous thump."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Arthur growled, and slipping a pillow on the desk, dulling the noise of his manservant's head hitting the wood.

Okay, first step- who would steal this magical object?

He voiced the question to Merlin, who was there without a second thought. Arthur didn't really think about Merlin being there- he just simply was. And if ordered away, he knew his manservant would be there anyway, with a reply. "Write a list."

Arthur pulled the first piece of parchment he saw towards him. "Okay. Well…?"

Merlin blinked. "Well I don't know, do I? We don't even know what 'The Box' is!"

"Fair point." Arthur groaned. "We're getting nowhere!"

Merlin thought hard. "Don't you want to search the castle first?"

"I was getting to that! But first you find out who could of took it, so they don't run when they hear we're searching the castle."

"Ohhh…"

Arthur looked smug. "Leave things like this to the people that actually know what they're doing."

Merlin, for the second time that day, gave a sheepish grin.

.~*~.

With the aid of magic, it was easy to slip past the guards and down into the Cavern in which the Great Dragon resided.

"Well?"

The dragon viewed him with distain. "Speak to me in a more respectful manner, young Warlock."

"Yeah…" Merlin rolled his eyes. "Do you know who stole this box? Do you know what it is?"

"Why should I help you?"

Merlin's eyes narrowed. "Do you even know?"

The dragon also frowned. "You must understand the first word, to interpret the sentence, young warlock."

Merlin was incredibly aspirated. "But what does that mean?"

The Dragon would never admit it, but he liked that degree of power over the greatest Warlock of all time, despite that he had yet to develop all powers.

.~*~.

"Merlin!" Arthur whisper- shouted.

Merlin gave a lop-sided grin, carefully picking up the books which had fell to the ground when they had been trying to sneak into the library without waking Geoffrey. Honestly, did that guy ever leave his work-place? Arthur knew all about commitment, but that was taking it a bit too far.

Merlin looked at the shelves and shelves of books stacked messily, some falling apart while others obviously left untouched for decades. Arthur and he had decided to discover what this box is- then they could find what it could be used for, thus finding who would have took it.

Merlin had to admit it was a pretty good plan. "So where should be start?"

Arthur looked at him incredously. "You mean you don't know!"

"Shh!" Merlin held a finger to his lips, indicating to the librarian who was still snoring. "How should I know? You're the one who was guarding the thing."

Arthur glared. "Whatever." He plucked the nearest book from a dusty shelf, beginning to flick through it with a sigh.

.~*~

AT DAWN: No success. Tired Merlin left to deal with cranky Arthur.

.~*~.

"Why are we doing this?" Merlin dragged his feet to follow the Prince, who was following the army's footsteps. "We know it was stolen in the Throne Room…"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Maybe. You don't know, do you? It could have been stolen in the corridors…"

"With you holding it?" Merlin asked sceptically, but then remembered that odd magically feeling while in the corridor above the kitchens. The corridor where they were now.

Arthur shrugged, though continued to search the floor, Merlin's eyes following.

"Merlin!" Arthur had rushed to the window, where an odd gold dust was sitting, sparkling in the light. Arthur eyes narrowed, and he turned to look at Merlin, who was also frowning. Arthur yanked off Merlin's neckerchief (there was a yelp, a scowl and muttering from the owner) and scraped the dust into it. Grinning triumphantly, the prince handed the neckerchief which contained the dust to his servant.

"What are you grinning about?" Merlin asked, sounding like Gaius, as he watched Arthur. "How do you know that has anything to do with the box? And what is it?"

"Idiot…" Arthur muttered, his spirits dampening as he registered the truth in Merlin's words.

Merlin grinned, and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'that was for my neckerchief…'

I think Merlin and Arthur might have been a bit too depressing in that chapter. They'll be happier next time.

Please review! I haven't had one review yet! [though HUGE thanks to everyone who favourited and put it on alert. You guys are the reason there's a chapter two!]